NEH Media Projects Program (United States)

The Media Projects program supports the development, production, and distribution of radio programs, podcasts, documentary films and television programs that engage general audiences with humanities ideas in creative and appealing ways. Projects must be grounded in humanities scholarship and incorporate an approach that is thoughtful, balanced, and analytical. The Division of Public Programs encourages media projects that promote a deeper understanding of American history and culture as well as those that examine international themes and subjects in the humanities. Proposals must demonstrate the potential to attract a broad general audience and should be intended for national or regional distribution.

Funding Categories 

• Media Projects offers two levels of funding: Development and Production.
  • Development
    • Development awards (up to $75,000) enable film and television producers to collaborate with scholars to develop humanities content and other program elements. Awards should result in a script or detailed treatment(s). You may also use a Development award to plan for outreach and public engagement. Development awards are available only for film and television projects. Radio and podcast projects cannot apply for Development awards, but they may apply for Production.
    • Prior to applying for a Development award, you should have:
      • assessed the major humanities scholarship related to the subject
      • identified humanities themes
      • assembled a group of humanities scholars to serve as advisers along with other experts, if applicable
      • consulted with the humanities scholars to identity the project’s interpretive ideas
      • formed a media team to see the project through its development period
      • identified resources (such as archival materials and potential interviewees)
    • Development awards may support activities such as:
      • meetings with scholars
      • preliminary interviews
      • preparation of program treatments or scripts
      • production of a work-in-progress or trailer
      • creation of partnerships for outreach activities and public engagement
      • archival and other scholarly research to further development of script and humanities themes
  • Production         
    • Production awards (up to $700,000 for film and $350,000 for radio and podcast programs) must result in the production and distribution of radio, podcast, television, and documentary film projects.
    • Prior to applying for a Production award, you should have:
      • conducted extensive research on your subject, including archival work and preliminary interviews
      • identified humanities themes
      • involved humanities scholars in creating and interpreting the project’s content
      • drafted the script or detailed treatment(s)
      • designed your plans for distribution, outreach, and partnerships
    • Production awards may support activities such as:
      • archival research and rights clearances
      • meetings with scholars
      • additional script development
      • production (including filming, recording, and editing) and distribution
      • development of related resources that explore the humanities content and themes central to the project (e.g., websites and curriculum materials)
      • outreach and public engagement
  • Chair’s Special Awards 
    • Within the Production level, NEH will occasionally make Chair’s Special Awards (up to $1,000,000) for projects of exceptional significance, audience reach, and complexity. A Chair’s Special Award should examine important humanities ideas in new ways and demonstrate the potential to reach especially large audiences. These goals can often be accomplished by combining a variety of program formats, forming creative collaborations among diverse institutions, and significantly expanding the scope and reach of the project. Chair’s Special Awards are rare; NEH typically awards no more than one per year.
    • If you are seeking a Chair’s Special Award, your application must highlight the elements of your project that demonstrate exceptional significance, audience reach, and complexity, as described above. Submit a budget for up to $1,000,000. If you are not selected at this level, your application will still be considered at the $700,000 maximum amount.

Funding Information

• You may request up to $75,000 for Development projects and up to $700,000 for Production projects. In rare circumstances, NEH may issue Chair’s Special Awards of up to $1,000,000 for significant Production projects that demonstrate exceptional significance, audience reach, and complexity.
• You may request a period of performance between six and twelve months for Development projects and one to three years for Production projects.

Eligibility Criteria

• To be eligible to apply, your organization must be established in the United States or its jurisdictions as one of the following:
  • a nonprofit organization recognized as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
  • an accredited institution of higher education (public or nonprofit)
  • a state or local government or one of their agencies
  • a federally recognized Native American Tribal government
• If your organization is eligible, you are encouraged to partner with independent producers and other skilled professionals to carry out programmatic activities. Under this arrangement, the lead applicant submits the application on behalf of the partnership(s).

For more information, visit Grants.gov.