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NEH invites proposals for the planning or initial stages of digital initiatives in all areas of the humanities. Digital Humanities Start-Up Grants may involve:

research that brings new digital approaches to the study of the humanities or that examines the implications of the use of emerging technologies for humanities scholarship;
new digital modes of publication facilitating the dissemination of humanities scholarship in advanced academic as well as informal or formal educational settings at all academic levels;
exploration of digital methods or approaches to preserve, archive, and make accessible traditional (i.e., analogue) and "new media" resources in the humanities;
planning new digital tools for preserving, analyzing, and making accessible humanities data; and
programs addressing the innovative use of emerging digital technologies in formal and informal educational settings, including public forums such as museums, libraries, historic sites, and broadcast media, and K-12 schools and post-secondary institutions.

Digital Humanities Start-Up Grants should result in plans, prototypes, or proofs of concept for long-term digital humanities projects prior to implementation.

These grants support full-time or part-time activities for periods up to eighteen months. Support is available for various combinations of scholars, consultants, and research assistants; project-related travel; and technical support and services. Up to 20% of the total grant may also be used for the acquisition of computing hardware and software. All grantees are expected to communicate the results of their work to appropriate scholarly and public audiences. In order to facilitate dissemination and the maximum usage of the projects that are ultimately developed through the Digital Humanities Start-Up Grants, applicants are strongly encouraged to base their projects on open source and fully accessible software.

Applications may be submitted by individuals or institutions. In either case, the application should describe the concept or problem that is being addressed, the plan of work, the experience of the project team as it relates to the plan, and the intended outcomes of both the start-up project and the long-term project that it would initiate.

Deadline: April 3, 2007

Fellowships: Advanced Social Science Research on Japan

The Fellowship Program for Advanced Social Science Research on Japan is a joint activity of the Japan-US Friendship Commission and the National Endowment for the Humanities. It supports research on the modern Japanese society and political economy, Japan's international relations, and US-Japan relations. The program also 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. Disciplines 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. Fellows usually produce scholarly articles, monographs on specialized subjects, books on broad topics, archaeological site reports, translations, editions, or other scholarly tools.

Preservation Assistance Grants help small and mid-sized institutions, such as libraries, museums, historical societies, archival repositories, town and county records offices, and colleges, improve their ability to preserve and care for their humanities collections. These may include special collections of books and journals, archives and manuscripts, prints and photographs, moving images, sound recordings, architectural and cartographic records, decorative and fine arts, textiles, archaeological and ethnographic artifacts, furniture, and historical objects.

Applicants must draw on the knowledge of consultants whose preservation skills and experience are related to the types of collections and the nature of the activities that are the focus of their projects. Within the conservation field, for example, conservators usually specialize in the care of specific types of collections, such as objects, paper, or paintings. Applicants should therefore choose a conservator whose specialty is appropriate for the nature of their collections. Similarly, when assessing the preservation needs of archival holdings, applicants should seek a consultant specifically knowledgeable about archives and preservation. Because the organization and the preservation of archival collections must be approached in tandem, an archival consultant can also provide advice about the management needs of such holdings as part of a preservation assessment.

Small and mid-sized institutions that have never received an NEH grant are especially encouraged to apply.

Advanced seminars at the School of American Research (SAR) promote in- depth communication among scholars who are at a critical stage of research on a common topic and whose interaction has the potential to move the discipline of anthropology forward with new insights into human evolution, behavior, culture, or society, including critical contemporary issues. Each seminar consists of ten scholars who meet at SAR's Santa Fe campus for five days of intense discussion. Participants appraise ongoing research, assess recent innovations in theory and methods, and share data relevant to broad anthropological problems. SAR supports seminars that promise significant results for the field of anthropology as a whole. Seminar papers are circulated among participants at least one month prior to the seminar and are discussed during the sessions. These discussions are followed by a consideration of the crosscutting issues and a synthesis of ideas.

The US Embassy Policy Specialist Program (EPS) was established in 2005 to support US embassies and consulates overseas by providing policy specialists-in-residence. While serving at the embassy or consulate the specialists also conduct their own research. To date, EPS fellows have served missions in Baku, Azerbaijan; Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan; Dushanbe, Tajikistan; Ekaterinburg, Russia; and Vladivostok, Russia. EPS fellowships are one to two months. Grant length and dates are determined in consultation with the specific embassy or consulate. Examples of embassy service can include conducting field research, writing policy papers, consulting embassy staff, and assisting with grant panels. EPS is funded by the US Department of State’s Title VIII Program.

The Foundation provides funding and business mentoring to social entrepreneurs beginning nonprofit organizations. By delivering support at the critical start-up phase, the Draper Richards Fellowships help outstanding people create wide-reaching social change. The idea must be sustainable and scalable. The founder must have the skills to manage a national or global organization. The projects selected will demonstrate innovative ways to solve existing social problems. The Foundation will accept proposals for a variety of public service areas, including, but not limited to, education, youth and families, the environment, arts, health, and community and economic development. Based on the structure of a venture capital fund, the Foundation offers financial support as well as strategic and organizational assistance. Fellows will be required to present quarterly or annual milestone reports to the Foundation's Director. The Draper Richards Foundation provides selected social entrepreneurs with funding of $100,000 annually for three years. The funds are specifically and solely for entrepreneurs starting new nonprofit organizations.

Edward F. Albee Foundation

The Edward F. Albee Foundation maintains the William Flanagan Memorial Creative Persons Center (better known as "The Barn") in Montauk, on Long Island in New York, as a residence for writers, painters, sculptors, and composers. The Center is open from June 1 to October 1, and can accommodate comfortably up to five persons at a time. Located approximately two miles from the center of Montauk and the Atlantic Ocean, "The Barn" rests in a secluded knoll that offers privacy and a peaceful atmosphere. The Foundation expects all those accepted for residence to work seriously and to conduct themselves in such a manner as to aid fellow residents in their endeavors. The environment is simple and communal. Residents are expected to do their share in maintaining the condition of "The Barn" as well as its peaceful environment. Writers and composers are offered a room; visual artists are offered a room and studio space. Residents are responsible for their food, travel, and other expenses.

Deadline: April 1, 2007

Alexander von Humboldt Foundation

TransCoop Programme

The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation supports transatlantic research cooperation among German, American and/or Canadian scholars (Ph.D. required) in the humanities, social sciences, economics, and law by means of the TransCoop Programme. Joint research initiatives can receive up to EUR 45.000 (currently about US$ 59,000) each over a three-year period. Prerequisite is that the amount granted by TransCoop is matched by funds from US and/or Canadian sources. Funds can be used to finance short-term research visits, special conferences and workshops, material and equipment, printing costs, and research assistance.

Deadline: April 30, 2007

American Music Center

From 1962 to 2003, the Copying Assistance Program provided over $2 million in support to more than 1,200 American composers for the expenses of copying and reproducing parts for premiere performances. As of May 12, 2003, the program has been renamed the Composer Assistance Program to reflect the recent changes that will expand the scope of the program, including support for preparation of electronic material, copyright acquisition fees, and other expenses as listed in the following guidelines.

Direct assistance is available to composers to help them realize their music in performance, and in some cases, on a recording. Grants are project-based. There must be a specific work (or works) associated with the grant proposal. There must also be a specific event associated with the work, such as a performance, reading or recording.

The American Music Center awards a total of approximately $80,000 annually to composers through this program. The maximum one-time grant is $5,000. Most grants are between $1,000 and $2,000. Grants to a single composer are limited to a total of $10,000 during that composer's lifetime.

American composers who are members in good standing of the American Music Center at the time of application may apply.

Only individuals are eligible to receive funding through this program. Performers, presenters or ensembles are not eligible to apply.

Expenses for the following tasks are eligible for support:

Copying of score and parts, including extraction and reproduction
Purchase of computer hardware, software and/or office supplies to facilitate copying or the production of other performance materials
Hiring a copyist to copy parts
Hiring an engineer to prepare electronic material
Studio time to record a “tape” or electronic part for a subsequent live performance
Permission to use copyright material (texts, portions of existing works, etc.) for a composition

There must be one of the following events associated with the above expenses. They are listed in descending order of priority to the program:

Premiere recording to be used in a live performance of an original composition
Live performance of a major revision or arrangement of an existing work
Live premiere performance or public reading of an original composition by a professional-quality ensemble

The following are some examples of activities not eligible for funding through CAP:

Travel
Education or residency activities
Professional development
Production of a demonstration or promotional CD recording of existing works
Hiring musicians to perform a work
Other items not directly related to the creation of materials for the performance of the composer’s music

Deadline: May 1, 2007

Mathematics and Natural Sciences Projects

Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences & Education Projects

TransCoop Programme