Public Scholars

The Public Scholars program encourages non-academic writers to deepen their engagement with the humanities by strengthening the research underlying their books, and it encourages academic writers in the humanities to communicate the significance of their research to the broadest possible range of readers. NEH encourages submissions from independent scholars and junior scholars. Projects are eligible at any stage in their development. The 2026 Public Scholars competition will accept only projects for research in American history and culture and Western civilization. Competitive applications must focus on topics in the history, culture, and government of the United States in any period from the Colonial Era to the present, or topics in Western civilization from antiquity to the present.

Program Details

National Endowment for the Humanities is a federal agency that offers the Public Scholars grant program to support arts and cultural programs. This funding opportunity is available nationally and is administered by National Endowment for the Humanities through Grants.gov. Organizations seeking funding for arts and cultural programs should review the details below and confirm their eligibility before preparing an application.

Eligibility

Eligible applicants include individual applicants. Organizations that meet the eligibility criteria are encouraged to apply and to review the full program guidelines before submission. Because eligibility rules and funding priorities can change between cycles, applicants should always confirm the current requirements with National Endowment for the Humanities or on Grants.gov before investing time in an application.

Funding and Timeline

Funding available: $30K – $60K. Applications are due by April 22, 2026. Applicants should allow sufficient time to gather required documentation, including organizational information, project descriptions, budgets, and supporting materials as specified in the program guidelines. Submitting a complete application well ahead of the deadline reduces the risk of disqualification on technical or administrative grounds.

Program Focus

This grant supports arts and cultural programs. This grant is associated with NAICS industry classifications: 611310, 712110. Organizations operating in these sectors are encouraged to review eligibility. Funded projects are expected to demonstrate measurable outcomes aligned with the program's stated objectives. Grant recipients may be required to submit progress reports and final evaluations as a condition of the award, and to retain records for audit and compliance purposes.

How to Apply

Eligible organizations can apply through Grants.gov. Create a free organization profile on GrantRegister to see whether this grant matches your organization's NAICS code, entity type, location, and focus area, and to receive a weekly digest of every open grant you qualify for.

GrantRegister maintains a complete, authoritative registry of US federal, state, and foundation grant opportunities — matched automatically to your organization profile and delivered every Monday.

Eligibility

• Funded by NEH

Award details

Award range: $30K – $60K. Applications close on April 22, 2026.

Categories

Arts Culture