Opportunity Information: Apply for 20260916 RZ
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is offering a discretionary grant opportunity titled Collaborative Research (Funding Opportunity Number: 20260916 RZ). This program is designed to support teams of two or more scholars who are working together to advance humanistic knowledge through sustained research and scholarly production. The core idea is to fund collaborative humanities projects that tackle meaningful research questions and culminate in an interpretive outcome, rather than purely descriptive or administrative work. In practice, NEH is looking for collaborations that generate new insight and contribute substantively to humanities scholarship.
The opportunity supports three main types of project activities. First, teams can seek support for the preparation of a manuscript intended for print publication, such as a co-authored book or other major scholarly work. Second, the program can fund the creation of a scholarly digital project, which may include digital editions, databases, interactive scholarly resources, or other digital humanities outputs that are grounded in rigorous research and interpretation. Third, it can support the planning of an international collaboration, meaning funds may be used to organize and structure a cross-border scholarly partnership that is oriented toward a clear humanities research agenda and a future interpretive product. Across all three pathways, the emphasis is on serious research development and a concrete plan for producing scholarship that interprets evidence and contributes to understanding, not simply convening meetings without a strong research purpose.
For this competition cycle, NEH has narrowed the thematic scope: proposals must focus on American history and culture or Western civilization. That limitation is central to eligibility for this year, so even strong humanities collaborations outside those areas would not be competitive or may be deemed nonresponsive. Applicants should therefore frame research questions, sources, methods, and anticipated outcomes squarely within one of those two permitted thematic categories.
Eligible applicants span a wide range of public and nonprofit institutions. This includes state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; and nonprofit organizations with IRS 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education). While the work itself must be conducted by a group of two or more scholars, the applicant of record is an eligible organization that will administer the grant.
The award ceiling is $250,000, and NEH expects to make about 15 awards under this opportunity. The original application deadline is September 16, 2026, and the opportunity was created on July 7, 2026. The funding activity category is Humanities, and the CFDA/assistance listing number associated with this program is 45.035. Overall, this competition is best suited for well-defined scholarly teams with a strong, humanities-centered research plan, clear division of collaborative roles, and a credible path to an interpretive publication, digital scholarly product, or well-structured international research collaboration plan within the year’s permitted subject areas.Apply for 20260916 RZ
- The National Endowment for the Humanities in the humanities sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Collaborative Research" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 45.035.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2026-07-07.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-09-16. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $250,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 15 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the name of this NEH grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled Collaborative Research, offered by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).
What is the Funding Opportunity Number?
The Funding Opportunity Number (FON) is 20260916 RZ.
What is this program designed to support?
This program supports teams of two or more scholars working together to advance humanistic knowledge through sustained research and scholarly production, with an emphasis on projects that generate new insight and contribute substantively to humanities scholarship.
What kinds of outcomes does NEH want from funded projects?
NEH is looking for projects that culminate in an interpretive outcome grounded in humanities research. The intent is to support scholarship that interprets evidence and advances understanding, rather than work that is purely descriptive, administrative, or meeting-focused without a strong research purpose.
What types of project activities are supported?
The program supports three main types of activities:
- Manuscript preparation for print publication (for example, a co-authored book or other major scholarly work)
- Creation of a scholarly digital project (such as digital editions, databases, interactive scholarly resources, or other digital humanities outputs grounded in rigorous research and interpretation)
- Planning an international collaboration (organizing and structuring a cross-border scholarly partnership oriented toward a clear humanities research agenda and a future interpretive product)
Does the program fund digital humanities work?
Yes. The opportunity explicitly supports the creation of scholarly digital projects, including (but not limited to) digital editions, databases, and interactive scholarly resources, as long as they are grounded in rigorous research and interpretation.
Does NEH fund the planning of international collaborations?
Yes. One supported pathway is planning an international collaboration, meaning funds can be used to organize and structure a cross-border scholarly partnership tied to a clear humanities research agenda and aimed at a future interpretive product.
Are there thematic limits for this competition cycle?
Yes. For this cycle, proposals must focus on American history and culture or Western civilization. This thematic limitation is central to responsiveness for the current competition.
If a project is in the humanities but not about American history and culture or Western civilization, is it eligible this year?
Based on the stated scope, proposals outside American history and culture or Western civilization would not fit this cycle's thematic limitation and may be considered nonresponsive.
Who can apply as the applicant organization?
Eligible applicants include:
- State governments
- County governments
- City or township governments
- Special district governments
- Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education
- Private institutions of higher education
- Federally recognized Native American tribal governments
- Nonprofit organizations with IRS 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education)
Does the project team need to be collaborative?
Yes. The work must be conducted by a group of two or more scholars. The program is specifically designed for sustained collaboration rather than solo research.
Who is the official applicant (the applicant of record): the scholars or an organization?
The applicant of record is an eligible organization that will administer the grant. The research itself must be carried out by a collaborative team of two or more scholars.
What is the maximum award amount?
The award ceiling is $250,000.
How many awards does NEH expect to make?
NEH expects to make about 15 awards under this opportunity.
What is the application deadline?
The original application deadline is September 16, 2026.
When was this opportunity created?
The opportunity was created on July 7, 2026.
What is the funding activity category?
The funding activity category is Humanities.
What is the CFDA/Assistance Listing number?
The CFDA/Assistance Listing number associated with this program is 45.035.
What kind of projects are the best fit for this program?
This competition is best suited for well-defined scholarly teams that have a strong humanities-centered research plan, a clear division of collaborative roles, and a credible path to producing one of the supported outcomes (an interpretive print publication, a scholarly digital product, or a well-structured plan for an international research collaboration), within the allowed subject areas for this cycle.
Does NEH support projects that are mainly administrative or purely descriptive?
The program emphasis is on research and interpretive scholarly production. Projects described as purely descriptive or administrative, or collaborations focused on meetings without a strong research purpose, do not align with the stated intent of the opportunity.
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