Arts & Humanities

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Organizations can submit up to one application to the FY27 Research Labs funding opportunity. 

• Applicants to the FY27 Research Labs funding opportunity may apply to other FY27 NEA funding opportunities (applications submitted in CY2026), including Research Grants in the Arts. Each proposal must be for a distinctly different project.
• An organization may receive up to one FY27 award in either the Research Labs program or the Research Grants in the Arts program. 

Program Description
The NEA Research Labs program is a funding opportunity under the NEA’s Research Awards initiative. The program funds long-term research agendas (referred to herein as NEA Research Labs, or Labs) that include multiple empirical studies and the dissemination of various products or services for promoting public knowledge about the arts and their contributions to American life. Each Lab must include an interdisciplinary team of researchers. Products or services developed under the award are expected to be of value to arts researchers, arts practitioners, and professionals in sectors such as healthcare, education, and business or management. Funded projects should have national, regional, or field-wide significance.  Projects supported through this program include: 

1.  Arts and Health. Includes studies that will test or characterize the benefits of the arts or arts and health activities—including creative arts therapies—in terms of health and wellbeing for people or communities. The NEA has a special interest in supporting such projects in the following contexts: • Military personnel, veterans, and their families •
   • Pediatric cancer care and other childhood diseases
   • Opioid use prevention, treatment, and recovery
   • Disaster relief and emergency response and preparedness
   • Care of older adults experiencing cognitive or neurodegenerative declines
2. Arts and the Economy. Includes studies that will test or characterize the benefits of the arts or arts activities in terms of economic or workforce development.
   • The NEA has a special interest in supporting such projects involving the arts in Artificial Intelligence (AI) competency training, in career development for people with disabilities, and/or in preparation for high-paying skilled trade jobs of the future.
3. Arts and Education. Includes studies that will test or characterize the benefits of the arts or arts activities in terms of school readiness, school engagement, or academic achievement among children from preschool through high school.
   • The NEA has a special interest in supporting such projects for learners with autism spectrum disorder or intellectual disabilities. 

Applicants seeking funding solely for discrete research studies and the promotion of their results should instead apply to the Research Grants in the Arts program. 

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You may submit more than one application to the NLG-L Program; however, you may not submit the same proposal under more than one project type. You may only submit one proposal to the Community-Centered Implementation project type. 

Executive Summary 
National Leadership Grants for Libraries (NLG-L) projects enhance the quality of library services nationwide. The program supports projects that:  

• manage and preserve the national information infrastructure;  
• serve the public’s information and education needs;  
• enhance library and information services through effective and efficient use of new and emerging technologies;  
• improve community prosperity;  
• provide emergency services to communities during disasters and emergencies; and  
• build collaborative partnerships between libraries, archives, and museums that benefit the communities they serve.  

The models, tools, research findings, services, and partnerships resulting from these awards can be widely used, adapted, scaled, or replicated to extend and maximize the benefit of Federal investment to libraries and archives of all sizes. 

Eligibility is restricted to organizations that are: 

• Located in the United States or any U.S. Territories or freely associated States; AND
• A unit of state, local or Tribal government or a private, nonprofit organization; AND
• One of seven types of qualifying organizations:  

1. A library or a parent organization, such as a school district, a municipality, a State agency, or an academic institution, that is responsible for the administration of a library.
2. An academic or administrative unit, such as a graduate school of library and information science that is part of an institution of higher education through which it would apply;
3. A digital library or archives, if it makes materials publicly available and provides library or archival services, including selection, organization, description, reference, and preservation, under the supervision of at least one permanent professional staff librarian/archivist;
4. A library or archival agency that is an official agency of a State, Tribal, or other unit of government and is charged by the law governing it with the extension and development of public library and archives services within its jurisdiction;
5. A library or archives consortium that is a local, statewide, regional, interstate, or international cooperative association of library or archives entities that provides for the systematic and effective coordination of the resources of eligible libraries or archives, as defined above, and information centers that work to improve the services delivered to the clientele of these libraries or archives; or
6. A library or archives association that exists on a permanent basis; primarily serves libraries, archives, or library or archival professionals on a national, regional, state, or local level; and engages in activities designed to advance the well-being of libraries, archives, and the library, and archives professions.
7. A nonprofit organization affiliated with a library or archives whose sole mission includes supporting the specified library or archives, has the ability to administer the project, and can ensure compliance with the terms of this NOFO and the applicable law, including the IMLS Assurances and Certifications. We require that you provide an agreement from the library or archives that details the activities the applicant and library will perform and binds the library to the statements and assurances in the application.   

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You may submit more than one application to the LB21 Program; however, you may not submit the same proposal under more than one project type. You may only submit one proposal to the Community-Centered Implementation project type. 

Program Overview
Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian (LB21) projects build a library and archival workforce that can meet the information needs of communities and increase the institutional capacity of libraries, archives, and library and information science graduate programs across the country.  The program supports projects that:  

• provide training and professional development to library and archives professionals;  
• develop faculty and information leaders; and
• recruit, educate, and retain the next generation of library and archives professionals.  

Projects can support the recruitment, education, training, and retention of preprofessionals, students, faculty, and the current library and archives workforce.  

Eligibility is restricted to organizations that are: 

• Located in the United States or any U.S. Territories or freely associated States; AND
• A unit of state, local or Tribal government or a private, nonprofit organization; AND
• One of seven types of qualifying organizations:  

1. A library or a parent organization, such as a school district, a municipality, a State agency, or an academic institution, that is responsible for the administration of a library.
2. An academic or administrative unit, such as a graduate school of library and information science that is part of an institution of higher education through which it would apply;
3. A digital library or archives, if it makes materials publicly available and provides library or archival services, including selection, organization, description, reference, and preservation, under the supervision of at least one permanent professional staff librarian/archivist;
4. A library or archival agency that is an official agency of a State, Tribal, or other unit of government and is charged by the law governing it with the extension and development of public library and archives services within its jurisdiction;
5. A library or archives consortium that is a local, statewide, regional, interstate, or international cooperative association of library or archives entities that provides for the systematic and effective coordination of the resources of eligible libraries or archives, as defined above, and information centers that work to improve the services delivered to the clientele of these libraries or archives; or
6. A library or archives association that exists on a permanent basis; primarily serves libraries, archives, or library or archival professionals on a national, regional, state, or local level; and engages in activities designed to advance the well-being of libraries, archives, and the library, and archives professions.
7. A nonprofit organization affiliated with a library or archives whose sole mission includes supporting the specified library or archives, has the ability to administer the project, and can ensure compliance with the terms of this NOFO and the applicable law, including the IMLS Assurances and Certifications. We require that you provide an agreement from the library or archives that details the activities the applicant and library will perform and binds the library to the statements and assurances in the application.   

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Limiting Language
Primary applicants may submit one application in response to this NOFO.

Executive Summary 
The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Democracy Human Rights and Labor,
Office of International Religious Freedom (IRF) announces an open competition
for organizations interested in submitting applications for a program to provide
emergency financial assistance to victims of religious persecution and defenders of religious freedom.

IRF promotes religious freedom as a core objective of U.S. foreign policy that
makes America stronger, safer, and more prosperous. IRF’s mission is guided by
its statutory mandate established by the International Religious Freedom Act of
1998 (IRF Act) and the Frank Wolf International Religious Freedom Act of 2016
(Wolf Act). The IRF Act provides that it is the policy of the United States,
“standing for liberty and standing with the persecuted, to...promote respect for
religious freedom by all governments and peoples.” To that end, the Wolf Act calls
for the State Department to issue foreign assistance awards to promote respect for
religious freedom and combat religious freedom violations.

As declared in President Trump’s Executive Order 13926, the promotion of
international religious freedom is a “national security imperative” and “a foreign
policy priority of the United States.” Pursuant to that Executive Order, IRF funds
foreign assistance programs to “anticipate, prevent, and respond to attacks against
individuals and groups on the basis of their religion, including programs designed
to help ensure that such groups can persevere as distinct communities; to promote
accountability for the perpetrators of such attacks; to ensure equal rights and legal
protections for individuals and groups regardless of belief; to improve the safety
and security of houses of worship and public spaces for all faiths; and to protect
and preserve the cultural heritages of religious communities.”

Information on religious freedom conditions globally can be found in the State
Department’s annual International Religious Freedom Report.

Applicants will be responsible for ensuring program activities and products are
implemented in accordance with the Establishment Clause of the United States
Constitution. 

The University of Arizona is not eligible to apply to this cycle as the NEA limits one application per applicant per calendar year. The University of Arizona's institutional submission was utilized in the February cycle (GAP 1). 

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V. Kamath (COM-P)

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Each organization may only submit one application in any given year. Applicants must decide whether they are eligible for the Top Prize Awards (Rubenstein, Kislak, American or International), or the Emerging Strategies Honorees category and choose the correct application form accordingly.

Prize Category Descriptions

• The David M. Rubenstein Prize ($150,000) is awarded to an organization, based either inside or outside the United States, which has demonstrated exceptional and sustained depth in its commitment to the advancement of literacy. The organization meets the highest standards of excellence in its operations and services. Applicants should complete the Top Prize Application Question Form for consideration for this prize.
• The Kislak Family Foundation Prize ($100,000) is awarded to an organization, based either inside or outside the United States, with an outsized impact on literacy relative to its size and/or years of operation. Applicants should complete the Top Prize Application Question Form for consideration for this prize.
• The American Prize ($50,000) is awarded to an organization based inside the United States for making a significant and measurable contribution to increasing literacy levels in the U.S. or the national awareness of the importance of literacy. Applicants should complete the Top Prize Application Question Form for consideration for this prize.
• The International Prize ($50,000) is awarded to an organization that is based either inside or outside the United States for their significant and measurable contribution to increasing literacy levels in a country other than the U.S. Applicants should complete the Top Prize Application Question Form for consideration for this prize.
• Successful Practices Honorees ($10,000/organization; up to 15 organizations) are recognized for their successful implementation of a specific literacy practice. NOTE: all applicants are automatically considered for the Successful Practices Honoree recognition. Applicants who complete the Top Prize Application Question Form will automatically be considered for this prize.
• Emerging Strategies Honorees ($5,000/organization; up to 5 organizations) are recognized for a literacy initiative in its early stages of development (5 years or fewer) that demonstrate significant creativity and promise in their approach to promoting literacy. For the 2026 application cycle, Emerging Strategies Honorees should have been established in 2021 or later. Organizations that are piloting or exploring emerging ideas are strongly encouraged to apply. Applicants should complete the Emerging Strategies Application Question Form for consideration for this prize.

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L. Zhang (Civil and Architectural Engineering and Mechanics) 

Limiting Language
Organizations may only submit one application per grant cycle. Select the grant category that best aligns to your project.

Grant Categories

1. Catalyst grants (up to $20,000) support stand-alone projects with a quick turnaround and are perfect for small spaces or first actions at a site or institution with a total annual operating budget equal to or below $500,000. Catalyst grants are eligible for an additional award of up to five (5) hours of in-project coaching. Projects must begin June 1–August 31, 2026 and be completed by December 31, 2026, because they are “shovel ready,” requiring no more planning or assessment, or a financial match.
2. Scoping grants (up to $25,000) support initial assessments typically performed by independent consultants to understand how to save energy. Scoping grants are designed to assist institutions that are in the initial stages of assessing and understanding their emissions footprint.  Projects must begin June 1–August 31, 2026 and be completed by December 31, 2027.
3. Technical Assistance grants (up to $50,000) support projects that have finished initial assessments, and need procurement and financing support for an identified efficiency project. This may include providing designs, specifications, or connections to energy services companies (ESCOs) for project support. These grants also support more complex studies or analysis required for pursuing major implementation projects. At the conclusion of a Technical Assistance grant, the applicant should be well enough informed to implement a project.  Projects must begin June 1–August 31, 2026 and be completed by December 31, 2027.
4. Implementation grants (up to $100,000) support ambitious, innovative, and transformative projects that directly address institutional climate impact. Implementation grants are highly competitive and involve multiple stakeholders, collaborators, and organization-wide buy-in. They can act as seed funding for large projects, and often lead to matches for capital campaigns. Preference is given to organizations moving to electric from fossil fuels. Projects must begin June 1–August 31, 2026 and be completed by December 31, 2028.

Eligibility 
Arts education, higher education, and the study of art 

• Art schools or departments/divisions within an accredited college, university, or other non-profit institution of higher education whose focus entails art or the study of art
• Artist residency programs
• Arts education center/community art center that can demonstrate a significant portion of their mission and programming relates to visual art/displays the art of their community
• Center for the study of art (art history, visual studies, curatorial studies, etc.)
• University museum, gallery, or arts-focused department 

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V. Kamath (COM-P)

Limiting Language
Only the project organizer(s) may apply for support. If co-organizing with a partner museum, the co-organizers are encouraged to apply jointly. If co-organizers do not apply jointly, we accept only one grant inquiry per project, from whichever organization applies first (even if that letter of inquiry does not get invited to the proposal stage). Grants are not made to individuals.

Program Overview
Exhibitions can offer shared experiences and transformative encounters, leading to new ways of thinking and seeing art and the world. They are designed to be temporary and are often themed—inviting visitors to acknowledge and reflect on the intentions of artists and curators, bringing them into conversation with ideas beyond their own. Loan shows offer expanded access to art and ideas, offering something new to communities of visitors and to histories of art.

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Limiting Language
Applicants are only allowed to submit one proposal per organization. If more than one proposal is submitted from an organization, all proposals from that institution will be considered ineligible for funding under this funding opportunity.

Executive Summary
The U.S. Department of State’s Embassy Tokyo invites proposal submissions for one to five
cooperative agreements to design, administer, and implement high-level activities under the U.S. Mission to Japan’s Salute to America 250 Public Engagement Initiative. Through December 31, 2026, this initiative will utilize innovative programming in all of Japan’s 47 prefectures to showcase the historical legacy of American excellence, highlight American innovation, and celebrate the bilateral milestones and ties between our citizens that allow the United States and Japan to partner as global leaders.
Activities can include:
• Public engagement exchanges and events by prominent American athletes and cultural
figures
• American-style public events such as “county fairs” and Thanksgiving celebrations
• Outreach that celebrates business, energy, historic, civic, cultural and horticultural
partnerships between communities in the United States and Japan
• Travelling exhibitions and educational materials with content translated into Japanese
language
• Community service opportunities that bring together American and Japanese citizens
• Microgrants to help American citizens living in Japan amplify the America250 story

The implementing partner would also develop, in partnership with the U.S. Embassy, branded outreach items for giveaway purposes.

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K. McAllister (College of Humanities) 

Limiting Language
Your organization may submit only one application for Endowments for Advancing the Humanities per deadline. This includes applications from subordinate units under a parent organization.

Program Overview
At the February 2026 deadline, NEH invites proposals for endowments to build the applicant organization’s capacity in research and teaching of Western civilization, American history and government, and civics.