Fellowship Programs at Independent Research Institutions

 

Yes. All applications to this program must be submitted via Grants.gov. Instructions for submission to Grants.gov can be found in the guidelines.

I am looking for fellowship support for my research. May I apply to Fellowship Programs at Independent Research Institutions?

No. Only U.S. institutions that meet the eligibility requirements may apply. However, grantee institutions under this program offer NEH-supported fellowships to individuals. A list of currently funded institutions is available at www.neh.gov/projects/fpiri.html. In addition, please see the NEH website for grant opportunities in the Division of Research Programs that support research by individuals: Fellowships, Summer Stipends, and Awards to Faculty (www.neh.gov/grants/grantsbydivision.html#research).

A research center at my university wants to expand its fellowship program. Is it eligible to apply?

No. Applicants must be research centers or institutions that are financed, governed, and administered independently of institutions of higher education.

Our independent research institution is ready to launch a fellowship program. Is it eligible to apply?

No. NEH supports only institutions with existing fellowship programs. Applicants must be able to document several years of administering a successful program.

Is a research center with a fellowship program that currently offers only predoctoral awards eligible to apply?

Yes. However, fellowships funded by NEH’s program are restricted to scholars who have completed their professional training.

Can a funded center offer NEH fellowships for periods of less than four months?

No. Fellowships must be between four and twelve months long. However, the applicant can retain some flexibility in determining fellowship tenures. For example, an institution awarded eighteen months of fellowship stipend funds could offer either three six-month fellowships, three four-month fellowships and one six-month fellowship, or two nine-month fellowships. NEH funds for all stipends are calculated at a rate of $4,200 per month.

Our postdoctoral fellowships are designed to run for two full years. Can NEH support be extended beyond twelve months for a fellowship?

No. The maximum term for an NEH-funded fellowship is twelve months, but the institution can extend an individual fellow’s tenure with funds from non-NEH sources.

Are indirect costs associated with a fellowship program supported by NEH?

No. Indirect costs are not allowed in this program. Institutions may use a portion of a fellow’s monthly stipend to cover certain costs, such as housing at a residential center, food, and travel to a center located abroad. These expenditures, however, should be clearly indicated in the center’s announcement of the NEH-supported fellowship. The applicant institution must explain and justify such expenditures in its proposal, and total NEH funding for fellows may not exceed $4,200 per month. NEH also offers up to $9,000 per year to defray the costs associated with the annual selection of fellows, such as travel, per diem (covering lodging and meals), and honoraria payments for selection committee members.

The grant begins in January, but the selection committee for fellowships meets in late October of the previous year. How will travel costs and honoraria be covered?

Allowable costs for the selection of fellows may be incurred up to ninety days before the beginning of the award period. Therefore, a grantee center could incur such expenses as early as October. These expenditures would be billed as pre-award costs. Pre-award expenditures are made at the recipient’s risk and the recipient’s authority to approve such costs does not impose an obligation on NEH in the event an award is not made or is made for an amount that is less than the recipient anticipated.

What are NEH’s expectations regarding the process of selecting fellows?

The fairness of a fellowship program’s selection process is of great importance to NEH, an agency that dispenses public funds. An institution supported by this program must demonstrate that the procedures for its fellowships competition—including the selection of the committee members who review applications for the institution—are expert and objective. The institution must assemble a diverse and highly qualified group of reviewers. All members of the selection committee should be replaced each year.

What is the difference between the two sample budgets mentioned in the application guidelines?

One budget includes outlays and funding for one year of the institution’s entire program, including non-NEH fellowships and costs not supported by NEH funds. The second is a three-year budget of the funds requested for stipends and selection costs of NEH-supported fellows; this budget also includes additional funding (if any) for fellows’ stipends that is drawn from non-NEH sources. Both are required items in the application.

What are the reporting requirements under this type of grant?

Over the three-year term of a grant five reports are due: three reports on the selection of NEH fellows and, at the end of the grant, a final performance report and a final financial report.