In a rapidly evolving digital landscape, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Office of Digital Humanities is spearheading a transformative initiative – the Digital Humanities Advancement Grants program. This groundbreaking program is designed to provide support for innovative, experimental, and computationally challenging digital projects that can reshape the landscape of scholarly research, teaching, and public programming within the humanities. The program emphasizes the values of experimentation, reusability, and scalability, encouraging projects that contribute to humanities scholarship and embrace principles of accessibility, usability, equity, openness, and sustainability.
Grant Purpose: Driving Innovation in Digital Humanities
The Digital Humanities Advancement Grants (DHAG) program is dedicated to funding projects at various stages of development that align with the following programmatic priorities:
1. Research and Refinement: This category supports innovative, experimental, or computationally challenging methods and techniques. Projects focused on pushing the boundaries of digital humanities research and refining techniques to extract new insights from data fall under this priority.
2. Digital Infrastructure: Funding is allocated to enhance, design, or maintain digital infrastructure that supports the humanities. This could involve developing open-source code, tools, or platforms that foster collaboration and enable scholars to engage with the digital realm effectively.
3. Evaluative Studies: The program seeks to investigate the impact of digital scholarship on various aspects, including research, pedagogy, scholarly communication, and public engagement. These studies contribute to understanding the broader implications of digital initiatives within the humanities.
Areas of Interest: Addressing Societal Challenges Through the Humanities
The DHAG program encompasses two pivotal initiatives that harness the power of the humanities to address critical contemporary challenges:
1. American Tapestry: This initiative leverages the humanities to tackle pressing issues such as strengthening democracy, promoting equity, and addressing climate change. Projects under this initiative aim to weave together the past, present, and future to create a comprehensive understanding of these challenges.
2. United They Stand: With a focus on combating hate-motivated violence and promoting cultural connectivity, this initiative encourages projects that delve into the nation's diversity, examine the roots of hate and intolerance, and contribute to a more inclusive society.
Funding Information: Nurturing Projects of Varying Magnitude
The DHAG program offers a range of funding options to accommodate projects of varying scope and ambition:
- Level I: Funding of up to $75,000
- Level II: Funding between $75,001 and $150,000
- Level III: Funding between $150,001 and $350,000
- For Level III, applicants can request up to $100,000 in federal matching funds, bringing the potential total award to $450,000.
The duration of the project's performance can extend up to 24 months for Level I and Level II awards, and up to 36 months for Level III. Projects are expected to commence between September 1, 2024, and November 1, 2024.
Activities and Outcomes: Unveiling the Potential Impact
Each funding level entails distinct activities and anticipated outcomes:
Level I:
Activities:
- Crafting a research agenda or strategy
- Identifying suitable methods or technologies for digital humanities projects
- Collaborating with stakeholders for audience research
- Designing experimental prototypes
- Convening sessions to address industry-wide questions
Outcomes:
- Reports and position papers, particularly for evaluative studies
- Formation of consortia or partnerships
- Roadmaps for future research and technical development
- Scholarly publications, reports, and assessments from prototypes
Level II:
Activities:
- Technical development of beta-stage prototypes
- Curating project data
- Engaging with advisory board members
- Refining methods and tools for teaching and research
- Developing workshops to disseminate results
Outcomes:
- Release of add-ons, code libraries, or tool prototypes
- Implementation of humanities-based case studies
- Training materials and models
- Documentation through workshops, tutorials, and publications
Level III:
Activities:
- Transforming prototypes into usable resources
- User testing within target communities
- Code review and enhancements
- Creating training materials for widespread use
- Preparing for preservation and accessibility compliance
Outcomes:
- Launch of digital projects
- Public release of final software, code, or datasets
- Research publication and presentation
- Community engagement events and workshops
- Comprehensive documentation in multiple formats
Eligibility Criteria: A Platform for Innovative Collaborations
To be eligible for DHAG funding, applicants should be based in the United States and fall under one of these categories:
- Nonprofit organizations recognized as tax-exempt
- Accredited institutions of higher education (public or nonprofit)
- State, local governments, or their agencies
- Federally recognized Native American Tribal governments
Indigenous individuals and foreign entities are excluded from eligibility. Successful applicants must contribute substantially to the project's success and not merely act as fiscal agents.
The Digital Humanities Advancement Grants program stands as a beacon of innovation, offering opportunities to reshape the humanities landscape by leveraging the potential of digital technologies. With a focus on experimentation, accessibility, and scalability, this program paves the way for groundbreaking projects that foster scholarly research, enrich teaching methods, and engage the public in transformative ways. As the digital realm continues to intertwine with humanities scholarship, DHAG emerges as a catalyst for change, empowering creators to craft projects that transcend traditional boundaries and redefine the future of the humanities. For more detailed information and application guidelines, visit the National Endowment for the Humanities website.
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