NEH Grant Programs
Fellowships for Advanced Social Science Research on Japan; Online Applications accepted through May 4, 2010
Date posted: January 19, 2010
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 45.160
Questions?
Contact NEH’s Division of Research Programs at 202-606-8200 or fellowships@neh.gov. Hearing-impaired applicants can contact NEH via TDD at 1-866-372-2930.
Grant Program Description
The Fellowship Program for Advanced Social Science Research on Japan is a joint activity of the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission (JUSFC) and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Awards support research on modern Japanese society and political economy, Japan's international relations, and U.S.-Japan relations. The program encourages innovative research that puts these subjects in wider regional and global contexts and is comparative and contemporary in nature. Research should contribute to scholarly knowledge or to the general public's understanding of issues of concern to Japan and the United States. Appropriate disciplines for the research include anthropology, economics, geography, history, international relations, linguistics, political science, psychology, public administration, and sociology.
The fellowships are designed for researchers with advanced language skills whose research will require use of data, sources, and documents in their original languages or whose research requires interviews onsite in direct one-on-one contact. Fellows may undertake their projects in Japan, the United States, or both, and may include work in other countries for comparative purposes.
Awards usually result in articles, monographs, books, digital materials, archaeological site reports, translations, editions, or other scholarly resources. As tax-supported federal agencies, JUSFC and NEH endeavor to make grant products available to the broadest possible audience. Our goal is for scholars, educators, students, and the American public to have ready and easy access to the wide range of grant products. For projects that lead to the development of Web sites, all other considerations being equal, preference is given to those that provide free access to the public. Detailed guidance on access and dissemination matters can be found in Section IV, Final product and dissemination, below.
Advanced Social Science Research on Japan Fellowships may not be used for
  • curricular or pedagogical methods, theories, or surveys;
  • preparation or revision of textbooks;
  • projects that seek to promote a particular political, philosophical, religious, or ideological point of view;
  • projects that advocate a particular program of social action;
  • works in the creative and performing arts, i.e., painting, writing fiction or poetry, dance performance, etc.; or
  • doctoral dissertations or theses.
NEH encourages submission of Fellowships for Advanced Social Science Research on Japan applications from faculty at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Institutions with High Hispanic Enrollment, and Tribal Colleges and Universities.
Other opportunities for individual research on Japan are offered through NEH Fellowships and NEH Awards to Faculty at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Institutions with High Hispanic Enrollment, and Tribal Colleges and Universities. Applicants should also consult the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission’s Web site for other research opportunities.
III. Award Information
Fellowships cover uninterrupted periods lasting from six to twelve months at a stipend of $4,200 per month in outright funds. The maximum stipend is $50,400 in outright funds for a twelve-month award period. Applicants should request award periods that suit their schedules and the needs of their projects. Requesting an award period shorter than twelve months will not improve an applicant’s chances of receiving an award.
(Learn more about different types of grant funding.)
Recipients may begin their awards as early as January 1, 2011, and as late as July 1, 2012.
Fellows must work full time on their projects during the period of their awards and may not accept teaching assignments or undertake any other major activities.
NEH and JUSFC will not approve part-time fellowships under any circumstance.
Fellows are responsible for the conversion of funds to foreign currencies where necessary.
All awards are made by the National Endowment for the Humanities on behalf of the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission. As such, all awards are governed by NEH grant policies and conditions.
Prospective applicants who have questions are encouraged to contact the Fellowships staff at fellowships@neh.gov.
Cost sharing
Cost sharing includes cash contributions to a project by the applicant and third parties, as well as in-kind contributions, such as donated goods and services. Cost sharing also includes gift money raised to release federal matching funds. Fellowships for Advanced Social Science Research on Japan do not require cost sharing.
Eligibility
The Fellowships for Advanced Social Science Research on Japan program accepts applications from researchers, teachers, and writers, whether they have an institutional affiliation or not.
Educational requirements
While applicants need not have advanced degrees, individuals currently enrolled in a degree-granting program are ineligible to apply. Applicants who have satisfied all the requirements for a degree and are awaiting its conferral may apply, but such applicants need a letter from the dean of the conferring school or their department chair attesting to the applicant’s status as of May 4, 2010. This signed letter may be faxed to the Fellowships Program at 202-606-8204; alternatively, a PDF version of the signed letter may be included as an attachment to an e-mail message sent to fellowships@neh.gov.
Citizenship
All U.S. citizens, whether they reside inside or outside the United States, are eligible to apply. Foreign nationals who have been living in the United States or its jurisdictions for at least the three years prior to the application deadline are also eligible.
Concurrent grants from other organizations
Recipients of NEH Fellowships may simultaneously hold fellowships or grants from institutions other than NEH—including sabbaticals and grants from their own institutions—in support of the same project during their award period.
Multiple applications
Applicants for Fellowships for Advanced Social Science Research on Japan may compete concurrently in the following programs for individuals in a given year:
Successful Fellowships applicants who plan research at the LOC may be offered a jointly funded NEH-LOC Kluge Center Fellowship.
Applicants may receive only one NEH individual award in a federal fiscal year (October 1, 2010-September 30, 2011).
Late, incomplete, and ineligible applications will not be reviewed.
Application and Submission Information
Applications must be submitted on or before the May 4, 2010, deadline.
HOW TO PREPARE YOUR APPLICATION
Application advice
Prior to beginning, applicants should review the evaluation criteria listed below in Section V and consult the Frequently Asked Questions.
Because of the large number of applications, neither NEH nor JUSFC staff is able to read and comment on draft proposals. However, potential applicants may discuss with staff specific concerns or questions that arise during the preparation of their proposals. Contact NEH’s Division of Research Programs at 202-606-8200 or fellowships@neh.gov. Hearing-impaired applicants can contact NEH via TDD at 1-866-372-2930.
Once an application has been submitted, staff will not comment on it except with respect to issues of completeness and eligibility.
NEH does not accept applications by e-mail or fax.
All applications must be downloaded, completed, and submitted via Grants.gov. Your application should consist of the following five parts:
  1. NEH Supplemental Information for Individuals Form
    The NEH Supplemental Information for Individuals form—in Portable Document Format (PDF)—can be found here. It can be downloaded and saved to your computer. Open the form and provide the following information:
    Field of Project: From the drop-down menu, choose the field of study that best describes the field of your project.
    Project Director Field of Study: From the drop-down menu, choose the field of study that best describes your area of expertise.
    Address Information: Please indicate if the mailing address given on the SF-424-Individual Form (discussed in Step 4 below) is your home or work address.
    Institutional Affiliation: If you are not affiliated with an institution of higher education, please click “No” and continue to the Status section. If you are affiliated with an institution of higher education, please complete the information for that institution. Applicants are strongly encouraged to include their institution’s DUNS number and TIN/EIN number. These numbers are generally provided by an institution’s sponsored research office and greatly improve efficiency when your application is being processed.
    Status: Indicate if you are a junior scholar or a senior scholar. Junior scholars are defined as those who are seven years or fewer beyond their final degree; senior scholars are defined as those who are eight years or more beyond their final degree.
    Reference Letters: Provide the names, e-mail addresses, and affiliations for your two recommenders.
    Applicants are responsible for providing referees with relevant materials (such as a draft of the application). Letters of reference are more highly regarded if they address the specific proposed activity and the candidate’s ability to undertake it. Ideally, referees should come from different institutions.
    After the deadline, NEH will contact the two recommenders, requesting that they submit their letters online. Letters must be submitted online not later than June 6, 2010.
    Missing reference letters will not disqualify an application from review.
    Nominating Official: Please leave this section blank.
  2. Narrative—Not to Exceed Three Single-Spaced Pages
    Applicants should provide an intellectual justification for their projects, conveying the ideas, objectives, methods, and work plan. A simple statement of need or intent is insufficient. Applicants should format pages with one-inch margins and with a font size no smaller than eleven point.
    Applications exceeding this page limit or violating the format guidelines will not be reviewed.
    The narrative should not assume specialized knowledge and should be free of technical terms and jargon.
    In the course of writing a narrative, applicants should address the following areas:
    • Research and contribution
      Describe the intellectual significance of the proposed project, including its value to social science scholars, general audiences, or both. Provide an overview of the project, explaining the basic ideas, problems, or questions examined by the study. Explain how the project will complement, challenge, or expand relevant studies in the field.
    • Methods and work plan
      Clarify the part or stage of the project that will be supported by the fellowship. Provide a work plan describing what will be accomplished during the award period. For book projects, explain how the final project will be organized. If possible, provide a brief chapter outline. For digital projects, describe the technologies that will be used and developed, and how the scholarship will be presented to benefit audiences in the social sciences.
    • Competencies, skills, and access
      If the area of inquiry is new to the applicant, provide reasons for working in it, and explain the ability to work in it. Specify the level of competence in the languages or digital technologies needed for the study. Describe where the study will be conducted and what research materials will be used. If relevant, specify the arrangements for access to archives, collections, or institutions that contain the necessary resources.
    • Final product and dissemination
      Describe the intended audience and the intended results of the project. If relevant, explain how the results will be disseminated and why these means are appropriate to the subject matter and audience. If the project has a Web site, provide the URL.
      If the final product will appear in a language other than English, explain how access and dissemination will be affected.
      JUSFC and NEH expect grantees to provide broad access to all grant products, insofar as the conditions of the materials and intellectual property rights allow. For projects that lead to the development of Web sites, all other considerations being equal, NEH gives preference to those that provide free access to the public.
  3. Bibliography—Not to Exceed One Single-Spaced Page
    The bibliography should consist of primary and secondary sources that relate directly to the project. Include works that pertain to both the project’s substance and its theoretical or methodological approaches. Evaluators will use the bibliography to assess your knowledge of the subject area.
  4. Résumé—Not to Exceed Two Single-Spaced Pages
    Your résumé should provide the following:
    • Current and Past Positions.
    • Education: List degrees, dates awarded, and titles of theses or dissertations.
    • Awards and Honors: Include dates. If you have received prior support from NEH, indicate the dates of these grants and the publications that resulted from them.
    • Publications: Include full citations for publications and presentations.
    • Other Relevant Professional Activities and Accomplishments.
  5. Appendix—Only for Editions, Translations, or Database Projects, or for Proposals that Include Visual Materials
    • Editions or Translations: Provide a sample of the original text (one page) and the edited or translated version (one page).
    • Database Projects: Provide a sample entry (one page).
    • Visual Materials: Provide a sample (one page) in PDF format, not .jpg or other common graphic format.
HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION VIA GRANTS.GOV
All applicants must submit their proposals through Grants.gov, the central federal government portal for all grant applications. To do so, applicants must have a computer with Internet access and the current version of the free Adobe Reader. The latest version of Adobe Reader, which is designed to function with PCs and Macintosh computers using a variety of popular operating systems, is available at no charge from the Adobe Web site (www.adobe.com). What follows is a step-by-step guide for submitting your Fellowships application through Grants.gov.
STEP 1: Register with Grants.gov
For new applicants only: Applicants who have never registered as individual applicants at Grants.gov must go to https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/IndCPRegister and enter this Funding Opportunity Number:
20100504-FO
Tip: NEH strongly recommends that you complete your registration at least one week before the application deadline. Grants.gov has provided easy step-by-step instructions (in PDF format) here: www.grants.gov/assets/IndvUserGuide.pdf.
Applicants who have already registered at Grants.gov as individuals need not re-register to submit their proposals.
Applicants who lose their username and password can request a reminder at https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/secured/ApplicantLogin.jsp.
If you have problems registering with Grants.gov, contact the Grants.gov help desk at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov.
STEP 2: Download the current version of the free Adobe Reader
To fill out your application, you will need to download and install the current version of the free Adobe Reader. To download the Reader or update the Reader already installed on your computer, go to www.adobe.com. Click on “Get Adobe Reader” and then “Download Now.” Once installed, this software will allow you to view and fill out Grants.Gov application packages for any federal agency.
STEP 3: Download the Application Package
To submit your application, you will need to download the application package from the Grants.gov Web site. You can download the application package at any time. (You do not have to wait for your Grants.gov registration to be complete.) Click the button to the right to download the package.
Save the application package to your computer’s hard drive. Like any other file on your computer, the NEH Fellowships application can be selected, opened, and saved; you do not have to be online to work on it.
You can save your work by clicking the “Save” button at the top of your screen. Tip: If you choose to save your application package before you have completed it, you will receive a message indicating that your application is not valid. Click “OK” to save your work and complete the package another time.
The application package contains two forms that you must complete in order to submit your application:
  1. Application for Federal Assistance SF-424-Individual—this form asks for basic information about the project and the applicant.
  2. NEH Attachment Form—this form allows you to attach the five components of your application: the NEH Supplemental Information for Individuals form, the narrative, the bibliography, the résumé, and the appendix (if necessary).
To assist applicants, Grants.gov provides a helpful troubleshooting page.
STEP 4: Prepare the Application Forms
A complete application includes the following items:
How to Fill Out the SF-424 Short Form
Select the SF-424-Individual Form in the Mandatory Documents field of the application package. Move it to the Mandatory Documents for Submission field using the right-facing arrow button. Click the “Open Forms” button to begin using the form. Provide the following information:
Name of Federal Agency: This will be filled in automatically.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: This will be filled in automatically.
Date Received: Please leave blank.
Funding Opportunity Number: This will be filled in automatically.
Applicant Information: Provide your name, title, mailing address, e-mail address, and telephone and fax numbers.
For question “e,” please enter the number of your Congressional district. For example, if you live in the 5th Congressional District of your state, enter “5.” If you don’t have a Congressional district (i.e., you are in a state or U.S. territory that doesn't have districts or you are in a foreign country), enter a “0” (zero). To determine your Congressional district, visit the House of Representatives Web site at www.house.gov and use the “Find Your Representative” tool.
Funded applicants will be required to supply their full Social Security Numbers after the competition is completed.
Project Information: Enter the title of your project. Your title should be brief (not more than 125 plain-text characters), descriptive, and informative to a nonspecialist audience. Provide a description of your project that does not exceed a thousand plain-text characters, written for a nonspecialist audience, that states the importance of the proposed work to larger issues in the humanities. Enter the starting and ending dates for your project.
Check the box “By signing this Application. . .”
Use the “Close Form” button at the upper left of the form to save your work and return to the main menu.
How to Use the NEH Attachment Form
The component parts of your application must be attached to the Attachment Form in Portable Document Format (PDF). NEH cannot accept attachments in their original word processing, graphic, or spreadsheet formats. If you do not have access to software to convert your files into PDFs, many available low-cost and free software packages will do so. To learn more, go to www.neh.gov/grants/grantsgov/pdf.html.
When you open the NEH Attachment Form, you will find fifteen attachment buttons, labeled “Attachment 1” through “Attachment 15.” By clicking on a button, you will be able to choose the file from your computer that you wish to attach. You must name and attach your files in the proper order so that we can identify them. Please attach the proper file to the proper button as listed below:
ATTACHMENT 1: To this button, please attach the completed NEH Supplemental Information for Individuals form. Name the file “NEHinfo.pdf”.
ATTACHMENT 2: To this button, please attach your project narrative. Name the file “narrative.pdf”.
ATTACHMENT 3: To this button, please attach your bibliography. Name the file “bibliography.pdf”.
ATTACHMENT 4: To this button, please attach your résumé. Name the file “resume.pdf”.
ATTACHMENT 5: To this button, please attach your appendix (if necessary). Necessary appendices include translation samples, database samples, and visual materials. Name the file “appendix.pdf”.
No other attachments should be included. Applications submitted with additional attachments or with attachments that exceed the length limitations will be disqualified.
STEP 5: Upload Your Application to Grants.gov
When you have completed the SF-424-Individual Form and attached the component parts of your application to the Attachment form, save your work to activate the “Submit” button. You are now ready to upload your application package to NEH via Grants.gov.
To submit your application, click the “Submit” button. Your computer will automatically connect to the Internet, and you will be asked to supply your username and password (see Step 1 above). Once you have successfully entered your username and password, electronically sign and submit your application. When you click the “Sign and Submit Application” button, your application package will be uploaded to Grants.gov.
After the upload is complete, a confirmation page, which includes a Grants.gov tracking number, will appear. This message indicates that you have submitted your application to Grants.gov. Please print this page for your records. You should also receive three confirmation e-mail messages.
NEH suggests that you submit your application as early as possible, but not later than 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the day of the deadline. Doing so will leave you time to contact the Grants.gov help desk for support, should you encounter a technical problem of some sort. The Grants.gov help desk is now available seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day (except for federal holidays), at 1-800-518-4726. You can also send an e-mail message to support@grants.gov.
DEADLINES
Applications for Fellowships for Advanced Social Science Research on Japan must be received by Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on May 4, 2010. Grants.gov will date- and time-stamp your application after it is fully uploaded. Applications submitted after that date will not be accepted.
Application Review
Evaluators are asked to apply the following five criteria when judging the quality of applications.
  1. The intellectual significance of the proposed project, including its value to social science scholars, general audiences, or both.
  2. The quality or promise of quality of the applicant’s work as an interpreter of the social sciences.
  3. The quality of the conception, definition, organization, and description of the project and the applicant’s clarity of expression.
  4. The feasibility of the proposed plan of work, including, when appropriate, the soundness of the dissemination and access plans.
  5. The likelihood that the applicant will complete the project.
Fellowships for Advanced Social Science Research on Japan support projects at any stage of development.
Review and selection process
Knowledgeable persons outside NEH will read each application and advise the agency about its merits. NEH staff comments on matters of fact or on significant issues that otherwise would be missing from these reviews, then makes recommendations to the National Council on the Humanities. The National Council meets at various times during the year to advise the NEH chairman on grants. The chairman takes into account the advice provided by the review process and, by law, makes all funding decisions.
Award Administration Information
Award notices
Applicants will be notified of the results of their applications by e-mail in early December 2010. All applicants may obtain the evaluations of their applications by sending a letter or e-mail message to NEH, Division of Research Programs, 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Room 318, Washington, D.C. 20506 or fellowships@neh.gov.
Award conditions
Before submitting an application, applicants should review NEH’s Research Misconduct Policy.
The requirements for awards are contained in the General Information on NEH Fellowships and any specific terms and conditions contained in the award document.
Reporting requirements
A final performance report will be due within ninety days after the award ending date. This report must be submitted electronically via “eGMS,” NEH’s online grant management system.
Points of Contact
If you have questions about the program, contact:
Division of Research Programs
Room 318
National Endowment for the Humanities
1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20506
202-606-8200
fellowships@neh.gov
If you need help using Grants.gov, contact:
Grants.gov: www.grants.gov
Grants.gov help desk: support@grants.gov
Grants.gov customer support tutorials and manuals : www.grants.gov/applicants/app_help_reso.jsp
Grant.gov support line: 1-800-518-GRANTS (4726)
Grants.gov troubleshooting tips
Other Information
Privacy policy
Information in these guidelines is solicited under the authority of the National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities Act of 1965, as amended, 20 U.S.C. 956. The principal purpose for which the information will be used is to process the grant application. The information may also be used for statistical research, analysis of trends, and Congressional oversight. Failure to provide the information may result in the delay or rejection of the application.
Application completion time
The Office of Management and Budget requires federal agencies to supply information on the time needed to complete forms and also to invite comments on the paperwork burden. NEH estimates that the average time to complete this application is fifteen hours per response. This estimate includes time for reviewing instructions, researching, gathering, and maintaining the information needed, and completing and reviewing the application.
Please send any comments regarding the estimated completion time or any other aspect of this application, including suggestions for reducing the completion time, to the Office of Publications, National Endowment for the Humanities, Washington, D.C. 20506; and to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (3136-0134), Washington, D.C. 20503. According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB number.

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