Media Projects

Overview

The Media Projects program supports the development, production, and distribution of radio programs, podcasts, and documentary films that engage general audiences with humanities ideas in creative and appealing ways. Projects must be grounded in humanities scholarship and demonstrate an approach that is thoughtful, balanced, and analytical; proposals must demonstrate the potential to attract a broad general audience.

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.

Film and television projects may be stand-alone documentaries or series of films. Radio and podcast projects may be single programs, series, or segments within an ongoing program. Projects may include supplementary components such as discussion programs or websites. Regardless of subject and format, all projects should be intended for national or regional distribution.

All Media Projects proposals must:

• build on sound humanities scholarship
• deepen public understanding of significant humanities questions
• approach a subject analytically, presenting a variety of perspectives
• involve humanities scholars in all phases of development and production
• involve appropriate media professionals
• employ appealing and accessible program formats that will actively engage the general public in learning

NEH seeks to support projects that respond to the following initiative. NEH will give all applications equal consideration in accordance with the program’s review criteria. In addition to this special initiative, NEH encourages projects that include Native American organizations and communities as applicants and project partners.

A More Perfect Union: Exploring America's Story and Commemorating its 250th Anniversary
The task of building a more perfect Union, rooted in the ideal of human equality, falls to every generation of Americans, ours no less than our predecessors’. The basic goals of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness endure over time, even as the challenges change: from founding a nation out of colonies; to dismantling the institution of slavery; to prevailing through times of economic depression and war; to advancing civil rights for all; to strengthening our democratic institutions; to building a more inclusive and sustainable society.

NEH’s A More Perfect Union initiative encourages projects that explore, reflect on, and tell the stories of our quest for a more just, inclusive, and sustainable society throughout our history. NEH especially welcomes projects that bring the perspective of the humanities to questions of racial justice, gender equality, the evolution of the American landscape, as well as America’s place in the world. The agency strongly encourages projects that strengthen Americans’ knowledge of our principles of constitutional governance and democracy, as well as projects that address the experiences of Native Americans and other under-represented communities. In addition, NEH welcomes projects that develop innovative approaches to sustaining the nation’s humanities infrastructure and preserving its historical record.

$75,000 for Development
$700,000 for Production
$1,000,000 for Chairman’s Special Awards

Expected notification date August 31, 2023
Project start date October 1, 2023 April 1, 2024