Applications that respond to NEH’s Bridging Cultures initiative are welcome. Such projects could focus on cultures internationally, or within the United States. International projects might seek to enlarge Americans’ understanding of other places and times, as well as other perspectives and intellectual traditions. American projects might explore the great variety of cultural influences on, and myriad subcultures within, American society. These projects might also investigate how Americans have approached and attempted to surmount seemingly unbridgeable cultural divides, or examine the ideals of civility and civic discourse that have informed this quest.

The Bridging Cultures through Film: International Topics initiative—a separate grant program—supports documentary films that examine international and transnational themes in the humanities through documentary films. These projects are meant to spark Americans’ engagement with the broader world by exploring one or more countries and cultures outside of the United States.

1. Table of contents
   List all parts of the application with corresponding page numbers.
2. Narrative
   The narrative portion of the proposal should not be more than twenty-five single-spaced pages, with one-inch margins. At least an eleven-point font should be used. The narrative should address the following points.
   1. Project description:
      State in one or two paragraphs the subject and format of the project, the intended outcome of the grant, the amount of money requested from NEH, and the anticipated total budget for the production of the project. Also briefly describe any multiformat components to be developed.
      Briefly describe any ancillary activities and products that are related to the project but will not be funded by the grant.
      If support is requested for one program in a radio or television series, indicate the number and length of programs planned for the series. Also indicate where the proposed program fits into the overall series and the total projected cost to produce the series.
      If support is requested for a digital media project, describe how the project makes the best use of digital distribution opportunities available at the intended time of the project’s distribution and how the content and interactivity will be adapted as new opportunities arise with the further development of digital technology.
   2. Humanities content:
      Introduce the subject of the program and identify the ideas, themes, and questions that it will address. Explain the subject’s significance to the humanities and discuss the humanities scholarship that informs the project.
   3. Creative approach and format:
      Identify the format and briefly describe how the content would unfold from beginning to end, including the story structure, theme, style, voice, and point of view. Provide episode descriptions if the project is a radio or television series.
      Briefly discuss the resources available, including interviews, archival materials, and other audio and visual materials. Also, briefly describe any planned reenactments.
      If a digital media project will accompany a broadcast program, describe the relationship between the interactivity and the broadcast, and explain how the format will enhance the audience’s understanding of the humanities content.
      If the project is multiformat, explain the relationship between the content of the different components and what the multiple formats will add to the audience’s understanding of the subject. Provide a thorough description of the specific resources available for the multiformat digital components, such as audio and visual materials, historical documents, and interviews.
      Applicants may provide visuals that illustrate the format in the “Images” attachment described below.
      If there are other productions on similar or related subjects, explain how the project will make a new contribution.
      If you are applying to repurpose NEH-funded content that has already been released, discuss the rationale for the project, describe the value to be added to this content for audiences, and explain how new audiences would be reached.
   4. Audience:
      Describe the intended audience. Explain why the subject is interesting to this audience, and what this audience will learn from the program.
      Explain how the chosen format will reach the audience and advance the project’s intellectual goals.
      Discuss plans for distributing the program and its multiformat components, if applicable, to the intended audience.
      For digital media projects, describe the nature and the structure of the proposed interactivity and how it will facilitate the audience’s experience of the humanities content.
      Discuss the plan for creating an audience for the digital product and explain how this audience will be reached. Identify other organizations as potential partners for audience outreach.
   5. Rights and permissions:
      Indicate who controls the rights to the materials to be used. Discuss the potential for obtaining permissions to use materials and the likely costs of obtaining permissions and clearing the rights.
   6. Humanities advisers:
      List the humanities advisers and briefly discuss the rationale for their choice and the specific contributions that each adviser will make to the creation of the project’s content.
   7. Media team:
      Provide information about the principal members of the media team. In a paragraph, summarize each person’s qualifications and contributions to the project. Discuss the media team’s experience and suitability for the proposed project.
   8. Progress:
      Discuss the work that has been accomplished to date on the project. Indicate the remaining work that will be done during the NEH grant period. If the request is for a program in a broadcast series, indicate how much of the work on the entire series has been completed and what remains to be done.
   9. Work plan:
      Provide a detailed, month-by-month schedule of the major work to be done during the grant period, the amount of time it will require, and the specific people involved. Be especially clear about when the meetings of the media team with the scholars and other consultants will occur and how these activities will advance the project.
   10. Fundraising plan (if applicable):
       Specify the source and amount of all funds raised to date for all aspects of the program and related projects. Include information about any previous NEH grants, as well as support for this project received from state humanities councils, foundations, individuals, and other sources. Estimate the project’s total cost, and discuss specific plans for raising funds from outside sources to cover the costs that will exceed NEH support. Discuss plans for the sale of rights for distribution.
   11. Organization profile:
       Describe briefly the applicant institution and, if different, the production organization. Provide information about each organization’s aims, origin, special characteristics, current activities, and experience with humanities programs. Each profile should be only one paragraph.
   12. Bibliography of humanities scholarship that informs the project
   13. List of collections of materials to be used by the project
3. Treatment or design document
   If you are applying for support to develop a prototype for a digital media project, include a brief design document. The design document should describe the project’s architecture, navigation, style of interactivity, and the overall look and feel of the project. It should describe how the interactivity combines the principal materials available for the project and integrates the analysis and interpretive content. In the “Images” attachment (described below), applicants must illustrate the format by providing visuals, such as storyboards and computer screen captures.
   When it is relevant, applications must explain how user-generated content (UGC) posted to public cyberspace will be vetted by qualified scholars or project staff for accuracy. If the project includes UGC, the applicant should also describe how the project will monitor these postings and immediately block or remove any obscene, libelous, indecent, or defamatory content (including hate speech, personal attacks, or material constituting harassment).
   If you are applying for support to script a television or radio program, include a brief treatment or program description. The treatment should demonstrate how the story line or narrative of the program combines the principal materials available for the program and integrates the analysis and interpretive content. If you are requesting support for all or part of a series, include at least one treatment and shorter descriptions of all remaining episodes.
4. Documentation
   Include
   • résumés of the members of the media team, no longer than two pages each, arranged alphabetically;
   • résumés of all humanities advisers and consultants, no longer than two pages each, arranged alphabetically; and
   • letters of commitment from key members of the media team, humanities advisers, consultants, and participating organizations.
   All documentation must be submitted at the application deadline. Late-arriving materials will not be accepted.
5. Images (if applicable)
   If you submit an application for a digital project, you must include photos, storyboards, computer screen captures, or other graphics with your application. You should group these images in a single attachment. Include in this attachment a list of the images.
6. Description of a sample
   All applicants must submit a work sample. Only one sample will be reviewed by evaluators. Samples will not be retained by NEH, and they will not be returned to the applicant. See the additional instructions in the How to Submit Samples section below.
   Create an attachment section describing the sample and indicate the roles played by members of the current media team.
   For digital media projects, including companion websites, the media team must submit a sample that best represents the approach and format of the proposed project. If the digital work is on a website, provide the URL and clearly indicate that this website is your sample. If the sample or prototype is on CD or DVD, submit eight copies.
   In the attachment section provide a description of the sample of the companion digital component, and indicate the roles played by each person on the digital team. In addition, please specify the platform on which the sample component is designed to operate.
   For television projects, the media team must choose a sample of previous or current work that best represents the visual approach and format of the project under review and demonstrates the experience and qualifications of the media team to produce the proposed project successfully. The sample may be a completed program, a reel of clips from previous films or programs, or a work in progress for the proposed project. If a pilot program from a proposed series exists, eight copies must be submitted as the sample.
   If funding is requested for additional support of a series that has received previous production support from NEH, eight copies of a complete program must be submitted as the sample.
   A DVD, which should play in standard personal computers (with DVD drives) and DVD players, is the preferred format for samples. Eight copies must be submitted. If the sample is streamed on the Web, please include a URL.
   For radio projects, the media team must choose a sample that best represents the approach and format of the project under review and submit eight copies of a CD or DVD of that project. If a pilot program or sample program from a proposed series has been completed, eight copies of a complete program supported under the previous NEH grant must be submitted as the sample. If the sample is streamed on the Web, please include a URL.
   Please see the additional instructions in the How to Submit Samples section.
7. Budget form
   Using the instructions (4-page PDF) and the budget template (3-page PDF), complete the budget spreadsheet (MS Excel format) or a format of your own that includes all the required information. Applicants should submit their budgets in a font of at least eleven points. If you wish, you may include separate pages with notes to explain any of the budget items in more detail. Applicants are advised to retain a copy of their budget form.
   • Compensation
     Please identify all key project personnel by name on the budget form.
     Indicate in the budget if any of these individuals will perform different and separately budgeted functions.
     Compensation for key project positions, such as the project director, producer, director, and scriptwriter, will be considered as fixed fees for service, even though the amount of compensation requested is calculated on the basis of the projected length of the project.
   • Department of Labor regulations
     U.S. Department of Labor regulations require that all professional performers, scriptwriters, and related or supporting professional personnel employed on projects or productions supported in whole or in part by NEH be paid not less than the minimum union or guild rates.
     A copy of the applicable regulations, “Labor Standards on Projects or Productions Assisted by Grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and Humanities; Final Rule,” may be accessed online or obtained from NEH’s Office of Grant Management, Room 311, 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20506 (202-606-8494).
   • Equipment
     Normally, NEH does not allow the purchase of equipment, but applicants may use their own equipment and include charges for this use, subject to the following:
     • for equipment and facilities that are not fully depreciated, actual costs must be determined on the basis of the acquisition costs, divided by the useful life, times the period of use on the project; and
     • for equipment and facilities that have been fully depreciated, charges to operate the asset, including the cost of maintenance, insurance, and other related expenses, are allowable.
   • Administrative fee in lieu of indirect costs for sponsoring organizations
     Under certain circumstances, a nonprofit organization may sponsor an independent producer, filmmaker, or group that, without tax-exempt status, is not eligible to apply directly for a grant from NEH. The sponsoring organization, also called an “umbrella” organization, may provide the project with accounting services, office and editing facilities, fundraising assistance, and other administrative support, but may not carry out the project activities itself. Under this arrangement the sponsoring organization is considered the grantee of record and assumes all attendant responsibilities of a grantee. For further information, please see Requirements for Grant Recipients that Serve as Sponsors of Projects (2-page PDF).
     NEH will allow a sponsoring organization to recover its costs for administering the award by charging an administrative fee of 5 percent of total project costs. This administrative fee may be charged instead of negotiating an indirect-cost rate with NEH.
     Applicants that are sponsoring organizations and wish to budget for the 5 percent administrative fee should do so in the “indirect costs” section of the NEH budget form.

1. Application for Federal Domestic Assistance—Short Organizational—this form asks for basic information about the project, the project director, and the institution.
2. Supplementary Cover Sheet for NEH Grant Programs—this form asks for additional information about the project director, the institution, and the budget.
3. Project/Performance Site Location(s) Form—this form asks for information about the primary site(s) at which grant activities will take place.
4. Attachments Form—this form allows you to attach your narrative, budget, and the other parts of your application.

1. Name of Federal Agency: This will be filled in automatically with “National Endowment for the Humanities.”
2. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: This will be filled in automatically with the CFDA number and title of the NEH program to which you are applying.
3. Date Received: Please leave blank.
4. Funding Opportunity Number: This will be filled in automatically.
5. Applicant Information: In this section, please supply the name, address, employer/taxpayer identification number (EIN/TIN), DUNS number, website address, and congressional district of the institution. Also choose the “type” that best describes your institution (you only need to select one).
   If your institution is located, for example, in the 5th Congressional District of your state, put a “5.” If your institution doesn't have a congressional district (e.g., it is in a state or U.S. territory that doesn’t have districts or is in a foreign country), put a “0” (zero).
   All institutions applying to federal grant programs are required to provide a DUNS number, issued by Dun & Bradstreet, as part of their application. Project directors should contact their institution’s grants administrator or chief financial officer to obtain their institution’s DUNS number. Federal grant applicants can obtain a DUNS number free of charge by calling 1-866-705-5711. (Learn more about the requirement.)
6. Project Information: Provide the title of your project. Your title should be brief (no more than 125 characters), descriptive, and substantive. It should also be informative to a nonspecialist audience. Provide a brief (no more than one thousand characters) description of your project. The description should be written for a nonspecialist audience and clearly state the importance of the proposed work and its relation to larger issues in the humanities. List the starting and ending dates for your project.
7. Project Director: Provide the name, title, mailing address, e-mail address, and telephone and fax numbers for the project director.
8. Primary Contact/Grants Administrator: Provide the contact information for the official responsible for the administration of the grant (i.e., negotiating the project budget and ensuring compliance with the terms and conditions of the award). This person is often a grants or research officer, or a sponsored programs official. Normally, the Primary Contact/Grants Administrator is not the same person as the Project Director. If the project director and the grants administrator are the same person, skip to Item 9.
9. Authorized Representative: Provide the contact information for the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) who is submitting the application on behalf of the institution. This person, often called an “Authorizing Official,” is typically the president, vice president, executive director, provost, or chancellor. In order to become an AOR, the person must be designated by the institution’s E-Business Point of Contact. For more information, please consult the Grants.gov user guide, which is available at www.grants.gov/applicants/resources.jsp.

1. Project Director: Use the pull-down menu to select the major field of study for the project director.
2. Institution Information: Use the pull-down menu to select your type of institution.
3. Project Funding: Enter your project funding information. Note that applicants for Challenge Grants should use the right column only; applicants to all other programs should use the left column only.
4. Application Information: Indicate whether the proposal will be submitted to other NEH grant programs, government agencies, or private entities for funding. If so, please indicate where and when. NEH frequently cosponsors projects with other funding sources. Providing this information will not prejudice the review of your application.
   For Type of Application, check “new” if the application requests a new period of funding, whether for a new project or the next phase of a project previously funded by NEH. Check “supplement” if the application requests additional funding for a current NEH grant. If you are requesting a supplement, provide the current grant number. Before submitting an application for a supplement, applicants should discuss their request with an NEH program officer.
   For Project Field Code, use the pull-down menu to select the humanities field of the project. If the project is multidisciplinary, choose the field that corresponds to the project’s predominant discipline.

1. Humanities content
   The likely contribution of the project to public understanding of the humanities, including the significance of the subject and the humanities ideas; the quality and relevance of the humanities scholarship informing the project; and the extent to which the project offers an analytical perspective on the themes and ideas that underlie it.
2. Creative approach and format
   The appropriateness, quality, and creativity of the concept for organizing and presenting the material to advance the project’s intellectual goals; and the likelihood that the chosen format will effectively convey the humanities content to the audience in an engaging and thoughtful manner. For multiformat projects, the likely complementarity of the various components.
3. Audience
   The appeal of the subject to a general audience, the accessibility of the ideas, and the quality of the project’s plan to reach a broad audience.
4. Program resources
   The appropriateness of the materials and resources that support the project’s interpretive themes and ideas.
5. Humanities advisers
   The qualifications and potential contributions of the advising scholars.
6. Media team
   The experience and demonstrated technical skills of the media team, the quality of the team’s previous work, and the likelihood of timely and successful completion of the proposed project; evidence that institutional partners will collaborate effectively.
7. Work plan
   The likelihood that the applicant will achieve the project’s goals in a timely and efficient manner.
8. Budget
   The appropriateness and reasonability of the project’s costs.