General Information on NEH Fellowships
2006-2007
(Including NEH/Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission Fellowships)

The deadline for accepting 2006-2007 NEH Fellowships is February 28, 2006.

Part One of this document describes the terms and conditions governing NEH Fellowships, including NEH/Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission Fellowships.

Part Two provides specific information on tenure, stipends, and payment procedures and instructions for completing the acceptance form.

We welcome your questions and comments. You can contact the Fellowships Program staff by calling 202-606-8200, by writing us at the address listed above, or by sending us e-mail at fellowships@neh.gov. Because our regular mail deliveries are often delayed, we ask that you e-mail or fax your intention to accept or decline the fellowship as soon as possible. Your paperwork may follow later.

PART ONE: TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF AWARD

1. Full-time Study: You are expected to devote full time during your fellowship tenure to the proposed project. You may not accept teaching assignments or engage in other activities that divert you from that project. However, you may attend conferences related to your fellowship work and give presentations on it. If you are considering any other activity during your fellowship tenure, you must first consult with the Fellowships Program staff to determine whether the proposed activity is permissible.

   Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission Fellowships may not be held part time under any circumstances. NEH Fellowships, however, may be held part time under exceptional circumstances. Part time study is defined as any amount of released time between half time and full time and may be elected for either part or all of the period of the fellowship tenure. Part-time fellowships must be the equivalent of six to twelve months of full-time work. For example, a twelve-month fellowship could be held half time over twenty-four months or three-quarters time over sixteen months. If you are seeking a part-time fellowship, please contact the Fellowships Program staff before accepting your award.

2. Project Changes: You may make minor changes in your proposed project without consulting the Endowment. However, any significant change must be approved in advance. You should describe and justify the changes to the Endowment in writing so that the Endowment can determine whether the new plans fall within the intent of the award.
3. Work Leading toward Degrees: You may audit courses and seminars pertinent to your fellowship project, but you may not enroll in a degree program or engage in work you intend to apply toward a degree either now or later.
4. Resignation or Termination: Your fellowship may be terminated by the Endowment if, for any reason, you resign or discontinue the proposed program before the end of the tenure period or fail to observe the terms and conditions of the award. If you resign before the end of the tenure period, you must return any funds received over and above those to which you are entitled.

   If during the course of your fellowship you are unable to meet the terms of the award, then you are obliged to inform the Endowment immediately so that appropriate action may be taken. Because stipend payments are made in advance, it may be determined that a portion of the stipend must be returned to the Endowment; if this is the case, the Endowment will inform you of the amount that must be repaid, the basis for the calculation, and the date by which repayment must be made.

5. Final Report: You must submit a final report on activities accomplished with your NEH award. This report can be completed online at www.neh.gov/online/fellowships.asp. If you do not have access to the Internet, please request a printed or electronic copy of the fellowship final report form by calling 202-606-8494 or e-mailing GrantManagement@neh.gov. The final report is due within ninety days after the conclusion of tenure.
6. Prohibition on the Use of Funds: NEH is required by its appropriations act to provide to grant recipients a copy of the text of 18 U.S.C. 1913, which prohibits the use of NEH funds for activities that are intended to influence members of Congress on matters of legislation or appropriations:

   No part of the money appropriated by any enactment of Congress shall, in the absence of express authorization by Congress, be used directly or indirectly to pay for any personal service, advertisement, telegram, telephone, letter, printed or written matter, or other device, intended or designed to influence in any manner a Member of Congress, to favor or oppose, by vote or otherwise, any legislation or appropriation by Congress, whether before or after the introduction of any bill or resolution proposing such legislation or appropriation; but this shall not prevent officers or employees of the United States or its departments or agencies from communicating to Members of Congress on the request of any Member or to Congress, through the proper official channels, requests for legislation or appropriations which they deem necessary for the efficient conduct of the public business.

7. Research Misconduct: NEH will take appropriate action against individuals or organizations upon a determination that misconduct has occurred in proposing, performing, or reviewing research or reporting results from research activities funded by NEH in accordance with the NEH Research Misconduct Policy. A copy of this policy is enclosed and it is also available on the NEH Web site.
8. Publishing as a Result of Your NEH Fellowship: Although there is no formal requirement that you publish the results of your investigations, most fellows intend to do so. You may copyright any material produced as a result of fellowship activities, and you may make the results of your work available to the public without restriction.

   For NEH Fellows only: All materials publicizing or resulting from activities accomplished under an award must contain an acknowledgment of NEH support. The acknowledgment must also include the following statement: "Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this (publication) (program) (Web site) do not necessarily reflect those of the National Endowment for the Humanities." Two copies of all award products should be forwarded to the Endowment as soon as they are available, no matter how long after tenure the work may appear.

   For NEH-JUSFC Fellows only: All materials publicizing or resulting from activities accomplished under an award must contain an acknowledgment of NEH and JUSFC support. The acknowledgment must also include the following statement: "Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this (publication) (program) (Web site) do not necessarily reflect those of the National Endowment for the Humanities or the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission." One copy of all award products should be forwarded to the Endowment and one copy to the JUSFC as soon as they are available, no matter how long after tenure the work may appear.

9. Medical Insurance and Other Fringe Benefits: The Endowment provides neither medical insurance nor any other fringe benefits for fellows. It is therefore recommended that you continue your existing medical insurance or other benefit programs in which you are participating. Unemployment compensation and Social Security insurance are not covered because fellows are not employees of the U.S. Government.
10. Income Tax: The tax laws governing fellowship awards were amended by the Tax Reform Act of 1986, and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the courts decide the extent to which a particular award is taxable. The Endowment does not withhold taxes from stipends. Neither does the Endowment send to Fellows an IRS form W-2 or IRS form 1099. You should familiarize yourself with the tax laws to determine the tax liability of your fellowship stipend and whether you are entitled to deduct any expenses in connection with your fellowship. The IRS has not advised the Endowment concerning tax treatment of fellowship awards, and NEH cannot provide tax advice or answers to tax questions. Therefore, you are encouraged to consult the IRS (some have found IRS Publication 520, "Scholarships and Fellowships," to be helpful) or your tax advisor.

PART TWO: INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE ACCEPTANCE FORM

The acceptance form is used to accept an NEH Fellowship, specify the account into which your payments should be deposited, and indicate the exact dates of your fellowship tenure. You should retain a copy of the completed form for your records and notify the Fellowships Program whenever you make modifications to the arrangements agreed to by the Endowment. The acceptance form must include the following information:

1. Application Number: Your application number, a combination of a two-letter prefix (FA, FB, or FO) plus five digits, can be found on your offer letter.
2. Name
3. Social Security Number
4. Mailing Address, Home and Office Phone Numbers, and E-Mail Address
5. Period of Fellowship Tenure: Tenure must cover an uninterrupted period of from six to twelve full months. The earliest that you may begin tenure is January 1, 2006. The latest that you may begin tenure is July 1, 2007.

   Fellows who requested tenures of from nine to twelve months have been approved to receive a stipend of $40,000. Fellows who requested tenures of from six to eight months have been approved to receive a stipend of $24,000.

   You should be certain of the tenure period entered on the acceptance form so that no changes will be required at a later date. The dates of tenure given on the acceptance form may be different from the dates requested in the application, but the overall length of tenure should remain consistent with the dates given in the application. The Endowment will not approve an increase in the length of a fellow's tenure if it will increase the stipend from $24,000 to $40,000. Please note that tenure must begin on the first day of the month and end on the last day of the month.

   While you may hold other fellowships (e.g., sabbaticals and supplemental grants) or grants during fellowship tenure, you may not hold other awards from the NEH Division of Research Programs during the fiscal or calendar year or years in which you hold an NEH Fellowship.

6. How would you like the stipend paid? Fellowship stipends are paid in installments and prorated according to the length of tenure. Typically, the first payment is made at the beginning of the tenure period and subsequent payments are made every third month through the tenure of the award. The payment schedule and amounts for your particular award will be provided with the letter officially awarding the fellowship.

   All payments are made electronically by the U.S. Treasury Department and can be deposited either in your bank account or in your employing institution's bank. Please indicate the option you prefer. Please choose only one.

   • Payments electronically deposited into your checking account using the Automated Clearing House (ACH) system. If you choose this option, you must supply NEH with either your bank's ACH routing information or a voided check (a deposit slip is not acceptable) when you return your acceptance form.
   • Payments electronically deposited into an account of your employing institution also using the Automated Clearing House (ACH) system. Some institutions are willing to continue paying fringe benefits if payments are made through them. If you think that this opportunity is available to you, please consult with your employing institution and complete the bank transit information.

   Please note that payments cannot be sent to foreign addresses. Recipients living abroad must have deposits made to a bank in the United States.

7. Do you need your first payment early? You may receive your first payment thirty days before tenure begins if, for example, you anticipate major travel expenses early in your tenure. However, no payment can be made before January 1, 2006.
8. Do you need a larger first payment? If you have particularly high initial expenses, you may receive a larger first payment to cover them.
9. Acceptance and Certification: You must accept or decline the offer of a 2006-2007 NEH Fellowship not later than February 28, 2006. To accept the award, you must complete and submit the acceptance form by this deadline.