Atom | Fellowship Programs at Independent Research Institutions

Funder: National Endowment for the Humanities

Due Dates: August 13, 2025 (Estimated, Forecasted)

Funding Amounts: Up to $565,000 per award (up to $385,000 outright + $180,000 federal matching); project period up to 42 months

Summary: Supports institutions providing fellowships for advanced humanities research, fostering scholarly exchange and access to unique resources in the US and abroad.

Key Information: This opportunity is forecasted but currently cancelled for FY26 and not accepting applications.

Description

This program is designed to support institutions that offer fellowship programs for advanced study and research in the humanities, both in the United States and internationally. The goal is to foster vibrant communities of intellectual exchange among scholars and to provide access to resources—such as special collections, archives, and research facilities—that might otherwise be unavailable to fellows.

Eligible institutions may include independent centers for advanced study, libraries, museums, American overseas research centers, and American organizations with expertise in promoting humanities research abroad. Individual scholars apply directly to the funded institutions for fellowships, not to NEH.

Note: The Fellowship Programs at Independent Research Institutions (FPIRI) opportunity is currently cancelled for FY26 and is not accepting applications. Researchers should monitor the NEH program page for updates.

Due Dates

Estimated Application Due Date: August 13, 2025 (Forecasted)
Status: Cancelled for FY26; not accepting applications at this time.

Funding Amount

Maximum Award: Up to $565,000 per institution (includes up to $385,000 in outright funds and up to $180,000 in federal matching funds)
Expected Number of Awards: Approximately 10
Total Program Funding: Estimated $2,000,000
Project Period: Up to 42 months

Eligibility

Eligible applicants include:

State governments
County governments
City or township governments
Special district governments
Federally recognized Native American tribal governments
Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education)

Note: Individual researchers do not apply directly to NEH for this program; instead, they apply to the fellowship programs administered by funded institutions.

Application Process

Review the Notice of Funding Opportunity: Carefully read the current NOFO (PDF) for detailed requirements.
Register: Ensure your organization is registered with SAM.gov, has a D-U-N-S® number, and is registered on Grants.gov.
Prepare Application Materials: Use the provided sample financial forms and FAQ.
Submit via Grants.gov: Complete and submit your application package through Grants.gov.
Confirmation: Monitor your email for confirmation messages from Grants.gov.

Important: As of the latest update, this program is not accepting applications for FY26.

Additional Information

Fellowship Tenure: Fellowships must be continuous and last from 4 to 12 months. Both residential and nonresidential fellows are expected to work full-time on their projects.
Selection Criteria: Emphasis is placed on the quality and accessibility of resources (library holdings, archives, special collections) available to fellows.
Recent Projects: Examples include long-term research fellowships at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, the American Institute of Indian Studies, and the American Research Institute in Turkey. View all funded projects.

External Links

Contact Information

Division of Research Programs, NEH
Address	400 7th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20506
Email	fpiri@neh.gov
Phone	202-606-8200
General NEH Info	info@neh.gov
NEH Contact Page	Contact NEH