The Collaborative Research program aims to advance humanistic knowledge through collaboration between two or more scholars. The program encourages projects that propose diverse approaches to topics, incorporate multiple points of view, explore new avenues of inquiry in the humanities, and lead to manuscripts for print publication or to scholarly digital products.
The program supports groups of two or more scholars seeking to increase humanistic knowledge. Projects must pursue significant research questions and lead to a tangible interpretive product. The collaborative work can be rooted in a single field or cross disciplines. NEH encourages collaboration with scholars working in the natural or social sciences, but projects must focus on humanistic content and employ humanistic methods.
The program has four funding categories that support different types of collaborative projects and collaborative projects at different stages of development:
Applicants must identify only one project category for funding, even if the proposed project is part of a complex research agenda that includes other project types. Follow-up applications may be submitted for subsequent stages of the same project.
For details on each of these categories, see https://www.neh.gov/sites/default/files/inline-files/Collaborative%20Research%202023.pdf#page=5.
Applicants may propose a research project in a single field of study or interdisciplinary work. NEH encourages collaboration with scholars working in the natural or social sciences, but projects must focus on humanistic content and employ humanistic methods.
Scholars may be drawn from one or more institutions. Collaborations among different types of institutions are welcome. For example, research universities might partner with teaching colleges, libraries, museums, or independent research institutions. NEH encourages applications from and collaborations with minority-serving institutions, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, Predominantly Black Institutions, Native American-Serving Non-Tribal Institutions, and Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions. NEH encourages collaboration with tribal or other community members in the co-creation of knowledge.
NEH welcomes international collaboration, but scholars at U.S. institutions must contribute significantly to the project. (See C3. Other Eligibility Information.)
Applicants must propose tangible and sustainable outcomes as the end goal of the project, even if completion lies beyond the award’s period of performance. Such outcomes may include, but are not limited to, co-authored or multi-authored books; born-digital publications; themed issues of peer-reviewed journals; a series of peer-reviewed articles in academic journals or articles in general audience publications or both; and open-access scholarly digital projects. All project outcomes must address at least one stated humanities research question and convey interpretive humanities work. Applicants must present a plan to disseminate the project’s results.
Allowable costs include, but are not limited to, salary replacement; compensation of collaborators, consultants, and research assistants; fringe benefits; and travel, lodging, and per diem costs for convening participants.
For NEH Areas of Interest, see https://www.neh.gov/sites/default/files/inline-files/Collaborative%20Research%202023.pdf#page=8.
Estimated Total Program Funding:
