Scholarly Editions and Translations
🏛 National Endowment for the Humanities
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Jul 15, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for teams producing scholarly editions, annotated texts, and translations of important humanities works. Applicants must be U.S.-based institutions or organizations. Projects focus on American history, American culture, or Western civilization texts lacking adequate modern editions or translations.
Eligible applicants include universities, colleges, research centers, and nonprofit organizations with capacity for collaborative scholarly work. Teams should include subject experts, editors, and translation specialists. The project must result in a publicly available, peer-reviewed scholarly edition or translation.
Awards range from $1 to $1,000,000 and cover editorial, production, and dissemination costs. No cost-sharing is required. Funding supports 2-4 year projects completing substantial editorial or translation work on historically or culturally significant texts.
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Program description
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Division of Research is accepting applications for the Scholarly Editions and Translations program. The purpose of this program is to support collaborative teams who edit, annotate, and translate foundational humanities texts that are vital to generating new scholarship but are not available in adequate editions or translations. This year’s competition is limited to projects on American history and culture or Western civilization.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance)
- Project Narrative (detailed editorial approach and timeline)
- Budget and Budget Justification
- Curriculum Vitae or biographies of key team members
- Letters of commitment from collaborating institutions
- Evidence of institutional support
- Sample of editorial work or translation excerpt (if available)
Program contact
- 👤 National Endowment for the Humanities
- 📧 editions@neh.gov
- 📞 202-606-8204
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 45.040 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$345,000
-
$196,164
Top States by Funding
- VA 2 awards $0.5M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 45.040). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $3,664,344 | |
| 2025 | $2,190,368 | |
| 2026 est. | $24,856,530 |
FAQ
What types of texts does this program fund?
Texts vital to humanities scholarship in American history, American culture, or Western civilization that lack adequate current editions or translations. Projects must be collaborative and result in peer-reviewed scholarly work.
Do I need cost-sharing or matching funds?
No. This program does not require cost-sharing or matching funds from applicants.
What can the budget cover?
Awards support editorial salaries, annotation, translation, peer review, indexing, and publication or digital dissemination costs. Equipment and indirect costs are typically allowable.
How competitive is this funding?
Very competitive. With $5 million total funding and projects ranging up to $1 million, expect strong competition from established research institutions and collaborative teams with proven track records.
When is the deadline and can I reapply?
Fixed deadline is September 16, 2026. Rejected applicants may reapply in future years with substantially revised or new projects.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Start with a clear justification for why the text needs a new edition or translation. Show that existing versions are inadequate.
- Build a strong team. Include senior scholars in the field, experienced editors or translators, and partners with relevant expertise.
- Detail your editorial methodology in the proposal. Explain your approach to annotation, critical apparatus, and scholarly apparatus.
- Plan for peer review and dissemination. Show how the final edition or translation will reach scholars and the public.
- Build realistic timelines and budgets. Multi-year projects require clear milestones, deliverables, and contingency planning.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Failing to justify why existing editions or translations are insufficient. Proposing solo projects instead of collaborative teams. Submitting vague production timelines without detailed editorial plans.
Underestimating costs for peer review, indexing, and digital accessibility. Neglecting to describe how the final product will be disseminated and made available to scholars.
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