The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has opened applications for its Collaborative Research Grants 2026, a prestigious funding opportunity supporting teams of scholars undertaking innovative humanities research. Organizations and research institutions can apply for grants of up to $250,000 to produce significant scholarly outputs, including books, digital publications, peer-reviewed journal issues, and digital humanities resources. The programme encourages interdisciplinary collaboration while maintaining a strong foundation in humanistic inquiry. Projects may involve researchers from multiple institutions and countries, provided scholars based at U.S. institutions make substantial contributions to the proposed work. The application deadline is 16 September 2026. About the Collaborative Research Program The Collaborative Research program advances knowledge in the humanities by supporting collaborative projects that address important research questions through interpretive scholarship. Unlike individual research grants, this opportunity is specifically designed for teams working together to produce a shared scholarly outcome. NEH welcomes proposals from single-discipline and interdisciplinary research teams, including collaborations with researchers in the natural and social sciences, provided the project remains grounded in humanities methods and content. Projects should demonstrate intellectual collaboration throughout the research and publication process and produce outputs with long-term scholarly value. Grant Overview CategoryDetailsFunding OrganizationNational Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)ProgrammeCollaborative Research GrantsEligible ApplicantsOrganizations and research institutionsMaximum AwardUp to US$250,000Planning Collaboration AwardUp to US$50,000Project DurationUp to 3 yearsApplications Opened7 July 2026Deadline16 September 2026 Funding Categories For the 2026 competition, NEH supports three distinct project categories, allowing research teams to apply according to the stage and nature of their collaboration. Planning International Collaboration This category supports the early development of international research partnerships and collaborative project planning. Maximum funding: US$50,000 Suitable activities include: Building international research partnerships Collaborative planning meetings Project development workshops Preliminary archival or research planning Developing future large-scale humanities projects Manuscript Preparation This category supports collaborative scholarly research leading to substantial written publications. Eligible outputs include: Co-authored books Edited scholarly volumes Themed peer-reviewed journal issues Interpretive academic publications Funding may support research, writing, editing, and collaborative manuscript development over multiple years. Scholarly Digital Project Designed for digital humanities initiatives, this category funds collaborative projects that produce sustainable digital resources for research and public scholarship. Examples include: Digital publications Scholarly websites Interactive humanities resources Online research databases Digital archives with interpretive content Projects should demonstrate long-term sustainability and scholarly significance. Eligible Research Themes A significant update for this funding cycle is that all applications must focus on the history and culture of the United States or Western civilization. Research may examine diverse perspectives, historical developments, cultural traditions, intellectual movements, literature, philosophy, religion, art, or other humanities subjects within this thematic scope. NEH particularly encourages projects that: Incorporate multiple viewpoints Advance new scholarly interpretations Address significant humanities questions Foster innovative interdisciplinary approaches Produce publicly accessible scholarly resources Who Can Apply? The programme is intended for organizations, including: Universities and colleges Research institutes Libraries Museums Humanities centers Nonprofit scholarly organizations Collaborative teams may include scholars from one or several institutions. International collaborators are welcome, although U.S.-based institutional participation must remain substantial. Expected Project Outputs Every funded project must result in a tangible and sustainable scholarly product. Examples include: Co-authored academic books Edited collections Peer-reviewed journal special issues Digital scholarly publications Humanities websites Digital research resources Public-facing interpretive platforms The proposed output should clearly demonstrate the collaborative nature of the research rather than representing independent contributions assembled into a single publication. Funding Competitiveness The Collaborative Research Grants programme is highly competitive. Based on recent competitions, NEH reports: Programme StatisticsAverageApplications per Year134Awards per Year14Funding Success Rate11% Applicants are therefore encouraged to submit well-developed proposals with clearly defined research questions, collaborative methodologies, realistic work plans, and sustainable dissemination strategies. Why This Grant Matters The NEH Collaborative Research Grants programme provides substantial support for humanities scholars seeking to undertake ambitious, team-based research with lasting scholarly impact. By funding collaborative books, digital humanities projects, and interdisciplinary research, the programme strengthens humanities scholarship while expanding public access to historical and cultural knowledge. For universities, museums, research organizations, and humanities institutes, this funding opportunity offers a valuable pathway to develop influential research partnerships and produce enduring scholarly resources over a project period of up to three years. Application Deadline Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov no later than 16 September 2026. Organizations planning international collaborations should ensure they select the appropriate funding category during the application process. VISIT OFFICIAL WEBSITE TO APPLY For more opportunities such as these please follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and WPChannel Disclaimer: Global South Opportunities (GSO) does not take ownership or credit for the opportunities shared on this platform. All opportunities are sourced from official announcements and external sources for informational purposes only. Applicants are encouraged to verify all details, deadlines, and eligibility requirements from the official source before applying. Opportunities may be updated or changed by the providing organisations.