Faculty Research Awards for Historically Black, Hispanic-Serving, and Tribal Colleges and Universities
The questions are groups into two categories: preparing an application and using the online application system.
My institution is a federally designated institution, but it is not on the list of Accredited Postsecondary Minority Institutions maintained by the Department of Education. Am I still eligible to apply?
No. Only those applicants who are affiliated with institutions that appear on this list are eligible.
My institution is on the list of Accredited Postsecondary Minority Institutions, but it is not a federally designated Historically Black, Hispanic-Serving, or Tribal College or University. Am I still eligible to apply?
No.
I am a graduate student and have completed all requirements for my Ph.D. except for my dissertation. Can I apply for a fellowship?
Yes. However, this program will support dissertation research only if you have an annual contract to teach full time at an eligible institution.
I am planning on entering graduate school in January. Can I use an NEH Fellowship to fund my course work?
No.
I don't have a Ph.D., but I am a professional writer and have published many articles. What are my chances of winning a fellowship?
Your chances are the same as any other applicant. Each year several independent scholars receive fellowships. While you do not need an advanced degree, you should present evidence in your résumé of your ability to carry out the proposed project, such as publications, presentations, and other relevant experiences.
I applied for a grant last year and was unsuccessful. Will this be held against me if I apply again this year?
No. NEH regards all applications as new applications. NEH encourages unsuccessful applicants to reapply, and each year a number of the proposals are from such applicants.
What should I include in the bibliography?
List primary and secondary sources that relate directly to your project. The list should include works that pertain to the substance of the project and to its theoretical or methodological approach. Titles cited in the application narrative need not be duplicated in the bibliography.
May I send additional material with my application?
No additional material may be submitted except for the samples requested for translations, editions, or database projects. Additional materials will not be shown to the reviewers.
Whom should I ask for reference letters?
Ask scholars or individuals who are familiar with your work, particularly your recent scholarship. The scholars can be affiliated with your own institution, but it is generally advisable to have at least one outside scholar. Your dissertation director or committee members can also write letters, but it is beneficial to have at least one letter from a scholar who is not your former professor.
My project is interdisciplinary. May I submit three letters of reference from scholars in three separate fields?
No. Each proposal is allowed only two letters.
What feedback can I receive after the competition is complete?
NEH can provide the written comments made by the reviewers as well as an overview of the competition. Once you receive notification of NEH's decision on your application, you may request these comments by e-mail at facultyresearch@neh.gov. Unless otherwise instructed, all feedback will be sent via e-mail on a first-come, first-served basis.
Using the Online Application System
It is not possible for me to submit my application electronically. How can I apply for a Faculty Research Award?
To obtain instructions for submitting a paper application, call the Faculty Research Awards Program at 202-606-8466.
Is there technical help for me if I need it?
The Faculty Research Awards Program staff can help you with your technical questions. We can be reached at 202-606-8466 or facultyresearch@neh.gov.
Will I be able to start my online application and come back to it later to continue it?
Yes. The online application system allows you to edit your application until the May 1, 2004, deadline.
What is the difference between "saving" my application and "submitting" my application?
"Saving" your application allows you to return at a later time to continue your work.
"Submitting" your application is the equivalent of mailing your application to NEH. Once you have submitted your application you cannot make any changes.
What is the best way to prepare my application?
We recommend that you prepare your application in a word processing program and cut-and-paste your text into the online forms.
What is included in the character limitation?
ALL characters are included in the character counts. This includes spaces and punctuation.
I am having a hard time meeting the character limits. My word processing program says I am within the character limit, but when I cut-and-paste it into the form, I am told that I have too many characters. Why?
There are two possibilities. First, NEH's online application system might count characters differently than the word processing program you are using. NEH's system counts spaces as characters--your word processing program may not.
Second, the online application system might be counting invisible coding. Word processing programs often embed invisible codes that tell your computer how to display text. When you paste text into the application form, these invisible characters may be included. NEH's system strips out most of these invisible characters (i.e. page breaks), but uncommon characters might not be removed. The easiest solution is to save your work as plain text (.txt) before copying to minimize formatting codes.
If after painstaking editing, you find that you are only over a few characters, you can replace the double spaces after periods with single spaces. Spaces count as characters.
What formatting issues should I be aware of?
Your application will be saved as plain text. Special formatting such as italics, underlining, and "curly quotes" will not be saved. You should plan accordingly by using alternatives to such formatting, i.e., putting book titles in quotations marks or all uppercase letters. You should not, however, use angle brackets ("<" and ">"). Brackets are commonly used in HTML, the code that drives the web-based online application system. If you use brackets, the system will interpret it as faulty HTML code and generate an error message.
What should I tell my reference letter writers to expect from the online system?
Once you submit your application, NEH will automatically send an e-mail message to each of your referees. The message contains instructions for submitting their letters.
It is your responsibility to discuss your project with your referees ahead of time and ensure that each referee has all necessary information to write a useful letter. NEH will not provide referees with copies of applications.
My letter writer is unable to submit a letter online. Should I find another referee?
NEH strongly encourages referees to submit their letters using the online system. If, however, a referee cannot submit a letter online, he or she can e-mail the letter to fellowships@neh.gov or fax it to the Fellowships program at 202-606-8204. Letters that arrive by e-mail will be entered into applicants' electronic files, but NEH is not responsible for the format or completeness of such letters.
How will I know if my letter writers have done their work?
When one of your referees submits a letter, you and the referee will each receive an e-mail notification that the letter has been successfully submitted.
After the deadline, you can check the status of your letters and send reminders to your referees by logging into the online application system at http://grants.neh.gov.
Will I be notified of the results of the competition by e-mail?
No. All applicants will be notified of the results by mail in early December 2004.