Blanket Justification for NEA Funding Application Guidelines and Reporting Requirements for Nonprofit Organizations

Research: Art Works FY17 Grant Application Form Instructions

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How to Use This Document
NOTE: You will only be able to complete this part of the application process if you have
submitted an SF-424 form through Grants.gov by the appropriate deadline. Please see here for
more information.
This document will guide you through completing Step 2 of the Research: Art Works
application process; it contains detailed instructions for completing the Grant Application Form
in NEA-GrantsOnline (NEA-GO). Please review all sections of this document to see the required
fields needed to complete the application, along with detailed instructions on what you should
include in each section. This document will also include any specifications about your material
(e.g., character limits for narrative responses, acceptable work sample formats).
You should prepare your responses and material well in advance of the Step 2 deadline and
have them fully ready to upload once NEA-GO opens.
Deadline:
Step 1 - Submit SF-424 to Grants.gov
Step 2 - Submit Materials to NEA-GO

October 11, 2016 by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time
October 18, 2016 to 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time on
October 25, 2016

You will not have access to the online Grant Application Form until NEA-GO is available for
you to submit your application material.

Research: Art Works FY17 Grant Application Form Instructions

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View Application Data
This section is the first screen you will see when you open the GAF. It cannot be edited; it is
autopopulated with information you entered on the SF-424 form that was submitted to
Grants.gov. If you find any incorrect information on this page, please contact the staff at
[email protected].

Part 1: Organizational Information
You will be asked to provide the following information in this section:
Legal Name (should match SF-424)
Popular Name (if different)
For this application, are you serving as the Parent of an Independent Component (before
choosing, see the definition of official Independent Component status: Y/N
Mission of Your Organization (500 Character Limit, including spaces)
Summary of the background/history of your organization (1,000 Character Limit, including
spaces)
Organization Budget
Budget Form: Complete this section using figures for the most recently completed fiscal year,
the previous fiscal year, and the fiscal year prior to that.

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Sample View of Organizational Budget Form:

When completing this form you’ll use the line items below for each fiscal year. Unaudited
figures are acceptable. And figures that amount to $0 are acceptable in cases where
organizations do not have a budget line for that particular figure.
Income
•
•

Earned: Revenues that are received through the sale of goods, services performed, or
from investments. Examples: ticket sales, subscription revenue, contractual fees,
interest income.
Contributed: Gifts that are received which are available to support operations.
Examples: annual fund donations, grants for general operating or project support, inkind contributions.

Expenses
•

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Artistic Salaries: Costs that are directly related to the creation, production, and
presentation of art work. Examples: fees for dancers, choreographers, actors, curators,
artistic directors, contributors to literary publications. Include arts personnel that are on
your staff as well as those that are paid on a contract or fee basis.
Production/exhibition/service expenses: All program or service delivery costs,
excluding artistic salaries and fees that are listed above. Examples: research

Research: Art Works FY17 Grant Application Form Instructions

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expenditures; presentation costs; costs of sets, costumes, and lighting; publication costs
of catalogues or literary magazines.
Administrative expenses: All other costs that are incurred during the normal course of
business. Examples: outside professional non-artistic services, space rental, travel,
marketing, administrative salaries, utilities, insurance, postage.

NOTE: The figures are subject to verification by the National Endowment for the Arts.
If you are a parent organization, provide this information for the independent component on
whose behalf you are applying (e.g., for a university project, provide the information for the
independent component, not the entire university). Academic departments within universities
and colleges are not considered independent components. For independent components, you
may use the space to discuss the fiscal health of your organization to explain the relationship
that the independent component has with the larger entity (e.g., "museum guards and utilities
paid for by university"). If your organization is a smaller entity that exists within a larger
organization (such as literary organization housed at a college or university), submit
information for the smaller entity and follow the instructions for parent organizations and
independent components.
This is intended to show your organization's fiscal activity as it relates to operations. Do not
include activity related to a capital campaign (such as raising money for a new facility, an
endowment fund, or a cash reserve fund). You will be given an opportunity to explain and
discuss the fiscal health of your organization, including identifying the source of the activities,
as needed. We may request additional information to clarify an organization's financial
position.
Fiscal Health: You will be asked to account for the fiscal health of your organization. In addition,
you must explain: 1) any changes of 15% or more in either your income or expenses from one
year to the next, and 2) plans for reducing any deficit (include the factors that contributed to
the deficit and its amount). (1,000 Character Limit, including spaces)
Operating History:

Submit a representative list of your organization's operating history for the past three years.
This list should demonstrate eligibility (i.e., your organization's three-year operating history)
and the artistic excellence and merit of your organization Where applicable, include
research/evaluation programming that has a relationship to the project for which you are
requesting.

Research: Art Works FY17 Grant Application Form Instructions
You’ll enter your information this way:

•

Year 1

•

Representative examples:

(3,500 Character Limit, including spaces)

•

Year 2

•

Representative examples:

(3,500 Character Limit, including spaces)

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Research: Art Works FY17 Grant Application Form Instructions
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Year 3

•

Representative examples:

(3,500 Character Limit, including spaces)

Operating History notes: Provide any notes about your operating history. (1,000 Character
Limit, including spaces)

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Part 2: Project Information
NEA Project Activity Category (Select one)
Track One (Value and Impact)
Track Two (Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Designs)
Artistic Discipline for Proposed Project: This refers to the artistic discipline associated with
your project. Please choose the artistic disciplines that best fits your research project.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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Artist Communities
Arts Education
Dance
Design
Folk & Traditional Arts
Literature
Local Arts Agencies
Media Arts
Museums
Music
Opera
Presenting & Multidisciplinary Works
Theater & Musical Theater
Visual Arts

Project Activities
Project Title: If your project title has changed since you submitted through Grants.gov, provide
a new project title in the text field below. Text cannot be formatted (e.g., bold, italics). If you
have no changes, leave the text as is (e.g., do not type "N/A").
Project Description: If your project description has changed since you submitted through
Grants.gov, provide a new description in the text field below. Text cannot be formatted (e.g.,
bold, italics). If you have no changes, leave the text as is (e.g., do not type "N/A").
Major Project Activities (30000 Character Limit, including spaces)
The information that you provide will be reviewed in accordance with the "Review
Criteria." Your narrative should address each of these "Review Criteria" and include information
on the following, as relevant to your project.
If any of the activities related to your proposal is included in a current NEA application or
award, include the applicable application or award number, and clearly state that you are not
requesting funding for the same activity. NOTE: You may not receive more than one Arts

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Endowment grant for the same expenses. There can be no overlapping project costs within the
submitted budget with other federally sponsored projects.
Include information on activities that will take place during the requested period of support. Be
as specific as possible about actual activities and describe them in full. Do not merely describe
the vision or long-term goals for the project. You may present information about a broader
initiative, if applicable, but be very specific about the phase(s) of your project that are included
in your request for funding (e.g., “funding is being requested for ‘B’ of ‘ABC’ activity).
Please organize your response a), b), c), etc. and use the boldfaced language in the instructions
as a heading for each item. Be as specific as possible about the activities that will take place
during the project period.

a. Research motivation. List specific research questions that will be examined and provide
detailed contextual information on their significance to the value and/or impact of the
arts. Include a review of any relevant theoretical and/or empirical literature regarding
the unique potential contribution of this research. If possible, describe hypotheses
motivating the research questions. Figures or visual representations that demonstrate a
model or framework are encouraged and may be included as a special attachment.
Strong justification for the research should be presented beyond merely restating that
the NEA is interested in such projects.

b. Research design. Provide a clear and detailed research design, including descriptions of
any proposed qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-method design, and strong justification
for the proposed design.
I.
II.

Sample(s). Clearly describe information about the study sample, such as the
demographics of the individuals or organizations, the sampling design and
expected response rate (if appropriate).
Data Source(s). Clearly describe the information to be collected and/or used,
including any procedures, assessments, interview protocols, coding schemes,
databases, etc. If any information will be derived from archived sources, then
include the year(s) that the data were collected and any other pertinent
information about the sample. Describe how the data lend themselves to
addressing the proposed research questions, and discuss any significant
limitations posed by the data. If the project involves collecting qualitative and/or
quantitative data, then include any steps to be taken to ensure high quality and
reliable data, such as methods to reduce researcher and/or participant biases,
and methods that provide information on the appropriateness of the sample
size. If the project involves analyzing variables from more than one data source

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concurrently, discuss the appropriateness of establishing any relationships
between the variables and/or data in question.

c. Data analyses. Describe the data analysis procedures. To the extent possible, provide
detailed information about the types of qualitative and/or qualitative information that
will be manipulated and/or used to answer each research question (figures or visual
representations that demonstrate a model or framework are encouraged and may be
included as a special attachment). If applicable, specify the statistical model (i.e.,
relationships between independent and dependent variables) and hypotheses, and
explain any measures that will be used to operationalize the model.

d. Outline for research paper. Provide a draft outline for the research paper that will be
submitted at the end of the grant period. (See “Administrative Requirements” for
additional information.)

e. Works cited or references of literature cited.
Data management plan (5000 Character Limit, including spaces): Describe the types of raw
data and meta-data to be generated by the project, and address any plans for sharing those
data with other researchers and the public. The data management plan will be evaluated by
panelists as part of the application review. At a minimum, data management plans should
address:
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•
•

•

Types of raw data (e.g., results of data collection) and meta-data (e.g., data
collection instruments, codebooks) to be produced in the course of the research
project.
Standards to be used for raw- and meta-data format and content. Where existing
standards are absent or inadequate, this should be documented along with any
proposed solutions or remedies.
Policies for sharing the raw- and meta-data with researchers and the public,
including provisions for appropriate protection of privacy, confidentiality,
security, intellectual property, or other rights or requirements. Applicants should
discuss HIPAA Privacy Rule, de-identification of personally identifiable
information, and IRB as appropriate. To the degree possible, explain factors that
may affect making the data publicly available. If appropriate, explain the lowest
level of aggregated data that will be shared with others.
Plans for archiving the raw- and meta-data, and for ensuring continuous access
to them beyond the project period. Describe physical and virtual resources

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and/or facilities that will be used for data preservation. Include any third-party
data repositories. Explain changes to any roles and responsibilities that will occur
if the project leaders leave the applicant organization or project.
A valid data management plan may include only the statement that no detailed plan is needed,
as long as the statement is accompanied by a clear justification.
Descriptions (e.g., abstracts) about relevant prior research (5000 Character Limit, including
spaces) conducted by you or by key personnel. Include the types of methodology used and
project outcomes, and, if available, links to publications and other products.
Other Organizational Partners: An organizational partner is an outside entity that will provide
resources (other than money) to support the project. Because all NEA projects require matching
resources from non-federal sources, organizations that only provide money are not considered
partners. Funders are not excluded from being partners, but they must also supply human
resources or information capital, or actively participate in another way. If applicable, briefly
describe the process and criteria for the selection of key organizations that will be involved in
the project. Where relevant, describe their involvement in the development of the project to
date. Where they remain to be selected, describe the selection procedures that you plan to
follow and the qualifications that you seek. (1,000 Character Limit, including spaces)
Description of Key Organizational Partners: Include brief, current descriptions of the key
organizational partners. You may include up to 10.
•
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Organization Name
Proposed or committed? Select answer from drop-down.

Description of the Organization (500 Character Limit, including spaces)
Selection of Key Individuals: Briefly describe the process and criteria for the selection of key
individuals that will be involved in this project (e.g. primary artist(s), project director, artistic
director, executive director, teaching artist, curator, editor, folklorist, conductor). Where
relevant, describe their involvement in the development of the project to date. Where they
remain to be selected, describe the procedures that you plan to follow and the qualifications
that you seek. (1,000 Character Limit, including spaces)
Bios of Key Individuals: Include brief, current biographies of the key individuals. You may include
up to 5.
•
•
•
•

First Name
Last Name (Use this field for artistic group names or single names)
Proposed or committed? Select answer from drop-down.
Bio. Briefly describe the qualifications, roles, responsibilities, and percent of time to be
devoted to the project for key personnel. Identify if the personnel will be involved with

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human subjects research and/or human subjects data (certificates of training in ethics
for human research are requested as a separate item). Please include, as appropriate:
education; professional experience and honors; selected peer-review and non-peer
review publications, including manuscripts in preparation or under review; history of
ongoing and completed research support, including sources of support; and research
skills. Include affiliations within the past year and through the following year (1,000
Character Limit, including spaces)
Schedule of Key Project Dates: Describe the significant dates in the project. If you include
activities that occur before May 1, 2017, make sure that those activities and costs are not
included on the Project Budget form. (1,500 Character Limit, including spaces)
Promotion & Publicity: Provide plans for making all related research papers, presentations, and
products accessible to the public, including use of various distribution channels and modes.
Describe partnerships, if any, for distributing the results. For projects that include the
development of new arts interventions and/or research tools or models, please describe the
potential scalability and translational ability of the project. (1,000 Character Limit, including
spaces)
Accessibility: Federal regulations require that all NEA-funded projects be accessible to people
with disabilities. Funded activities must be held in an accessible venue and program access and
effective communication must be provided for participants and audience members with
disabilities. If your project is recommended for funding, you will be asked to provide
information describing how you will make your project physically and programmatically
accessible to people with disabilities:
•

•

Buildings and facilities (including projects held in historic facilities), should be physically
accessible. This includes, but is not limited to: ground-level entry, ramped access,
and/or elevators to the venue; integrated and dispersed wheelchair seating in assembly
areas; wheelchair-accessible box office, stage, and dressing rooms; wheelchairaccessible display cases, exhibit areas, and counters; and wheelchair-accessible
restrooms and water fountains.
The programmatic offering should be accessible either as part of the funded activity or
upon request, where relevant. This can include, but is not limited to: contact
information for requesting accommodations; electronic materials and websites; print
materials in alternative formats, such as large-print brochures/labels, Braille, and
electronic/digital formats; accommodations for performance, tours, and lectures, such
as audio description, tactile opportunities, sign language interpretation, and real-time
captioning; closed/open captioning of video and film; and assistive listening devices.

Please see the Nondiscrimination Statutes in our "Assurance of Compliance" for additional
information. For technical assistance on how to make your project fully accessible, contact the
Accessibility Office at [email protected], 202/682-5532 Voice or the Civil Rights Office at
202/682-5454 or 202/682-5082 Voice/T.T.Y., or see our online Accessibility Resources.

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Will your project be accessible to people with disabilities, inclusive of physical and
programmatic access for those with physical, hearing, vision, and cognitive disabilities? Y/N
Performance Measurement: How will you measure the success of your project? Describe any
plans you have for program evaluation, for working collaboratively with researchers, strategic
consultants, program evaluators, and/or any other plans for performance measurement related
to the project. (1,000 Character Limit, including spaces)
Please see "Program Evaluation Resources" for additional information.
Intended Audience/Participants/Community: Who will benefit from the project and how?
(2,000 Character Limit, including spaces)

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Part 3: Project Budget
NOTE: Organizations cannot receive more than one National Endowment for the Arts grant for
the same expenses. This budget cannot include project costs that are supported by any other
federal funds or their match, including costs that may be included in applications submitted, or
grants received, by partner organizations or presenters.
Your Project Budget should reflect only those activities and associated costs that will be
incurred during the "Period of Performance" that you have indicated for your project. Any costs
incurred before or after those dates will be removed.
All items in your budget, whether supported by NEA funds or your cost share/matching funds,
must be reasonable, necessary to accomplish project objectives, allowable in terms of the NEA
General Terms and Conditions, and adequately documented.
Applicants whose projects are recommended for grants will be asked to update the project
budget.
While the Project Budget on the Grant Application Form will allow unlimited characters in the
line items descriptions, please use the character maximums listed in the instructions below. If
you go beyond the character maximums, your expanded information will not be seen by NEA
staff or reviewers.
EXPENSES
DIRECT COSTS are those that are identified specifically with the project during the period of
performance, and are allowable. Be as specific as possible.
1. DIRECT COSTS: Salaries and wages cover compensation for personnel, administrative
and artistic, who are paid on a salary basis. (Funds for contractual personnel and
compensation for artists who are paid on a fee basis should be included in "3. Other
expenses" on the Project Budget form, and not here.) Indicate the title and/or type of
personnel (40 characters maximum), the number of personnel (30 characters
maximum), the annual or average salary range (40 characters maximum), and the
percentage of time that will be devoted to the project annually (30 characters
maximum). List key staff positions, and combine similar functions. Where appropriate,
use ranges. If the costs for evaluation and assessment are part of staff salary and/or
time, separately identify those costs.
Salaries and wages for performers and related or supporting personnel must be
estimated at rates no less than the prevailing minimum compensation as required by
the Department of Labor Regulations. (See "Legal Requirements" for details.) NEW:
Awards that the NEA makes after December 26, 2014, now allow the following:
Salaries/wages/fringe benefits incurred in connection with fundraising specifically for

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the project. These costs must be incurred during the NEA project period of
performance, and be approved as allowable project expenses by the agency.
Fringe benefits are those costs other than wages or salary that are attributable to an
employee, as in the form of pension, insurance, vacation and sick leave, etc. They may
be included here only if they are not included as indirect costs.
Sample View of Salaries and Wages Form:
Costs

2. DIRECT COSTS: Travel must be estimated according to the applicant's established travel
practice, providing that the travel cost is reasonable and does not exceed the cost of air
coach accommodations. Limit your descriptions to these character maximums: # of
Travelers = 20 characters; From = 50 characters; To = 50 characters. Include subsistence
costs (e.g., hotels, meals) as part of the "Amount" listed for each trip, as appropriate.
Foreign travel, if any is intended, must be specified by country of origin or destination
and relate to activity outlined in your narrative. Foreign travel also must conform with
government regulations, including those of the U.S. Treasury Department Office of
Foreign Asset Control. If National Endowment for the Arts funds are used for foreign
travel, such travel must be booked on a U.S. air-carrier when this service is available. List
all trips -- both domestic and foreign -- individually. Justification for travel should be
included in the project narrative and/or schedule of key project dates.

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Sample View of Travel Form:

3. DIRECT COSTS: Other expenses include consultant and artist fees, contractual services,
promotion, acquisition fees, rights, evaluation and assessment fees, access
accommodations (e.g., audio description, sign-language interpretation, closed or open
captioning, large-print brochures/labeling), telephone, photocopying, postage, supplies
and materials, publication, distribution, translation, transportation of items other than
personnel, rental of space or equipment, and other project-specific costs. List artist
compensation here if artists are paid on a fee basis. For procurement requirements
related to contracts and consultants, please review 2 CFR Part 200.317-.326. Limit your
descriptions to 100 characters maximum.
Television broadcast projects and educational/interpretive videos must be closed or
open captioned. Applicants should check with captioning organizations for an estimate.
Clearly identify the rental of equipment versus the purchase of equipment. If you intend
to purchase any equipment that costs $5,000 or more per item and that has an
estimated useful life of more than one year, you must identify that item here. Provide a
justification for this expenditure either in this section of the Project Budget form or in
your narrative. Computing devices are considered supplies if less than $5,000 per item
regardless of the length of useful life.
If you engage in contracts of more than $15,000, identify the item or service and its
relation to the project.

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Group similar items together on a single line, with only one total cost. List consultant
and artist fees or contracts for professional services on consecutive lines; do not scatter
them throughout the list. Specify the number of persons, the service being provided,
and the applicable fee, rate, or amount of each. For other types of line items, provide
details of what is included in each item.
Sample View of Other Expenses Form:

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4. TOTAL DIRECT COSTS is the total of all direct cost items listed in "1. Salaries and wages,"
"2. Travel," and "3. Other expenses."
5. INDIRECT COSTS are overhead or administrative expenses that are not readily
identifiable with a specific project. (The costs of operating and maintaining facilities and
equipment, depreciation or use allowances, and administrative salaries and supplies are
typical examples of indirect costs.) Indirect costs are prorated or charged to a project
through a rate negotiated with the National Endowment for the Arts or another federal
agency (limit your description of Federal Agency to 50 characters). You are not required
to have an indirect cost/facilities and administration rate to apply for or receive a grant.
You may claim administrative costs or overhead as direct costs under "3. Other
expenses." Alternatively, a non-federal entity that has never received a negotiated
indirect cost rate may elect to charge a de minimis rate of 10% of modified total direct
costs (MTDC). For more information see 2 CFR Part 200.414.f. However, you cannot
claim both Indirect Costs and Administrative/overhead costs; you must choose one
method or the other. If you have a negotiated rate and would like to include indirect
costs, complete the information requested in this section. If you do not have or intend
to negotiate an indirect cost rate, or do not plan to charge a de minimis 10% rate leave
this section blank. Applicants may only apply a Research ICR for applications to the
Research: Artworks program. For additional information, see "Indirect Cost Guide for
NEA Grantees."
Sample View of Indirect Costs Form:

6. TOTAL PROJECT COSTS is the total of "4. Total direct costs," and, if applicable, "5.
Indirect costs." NOTE: "3. Total project income" must equal the "Total project costs."
Your project budget should not equal your organization's entire operating budget.
INCOME
1. AMOUNT REQUESTED FROM THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS:
Track One: Value and Impact: You may request $10,000 to $30,000.

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Track Two: Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Designs: You may request $30,000 to
$100,000.

2. TOTAL COST SHARE/MATCH FOR THIS PROJECT: Because the National Endowment for
the Arts cannot support more than 50% of a project’s costs, we require each applicant
to obtain at least half the total cost of each project from nonfederal sources. For
example, if you receive a $30,000 grant, your total project costs must be at least
$60,000 and you must provide at least $30,000 toward the project from nonfederal
sources. These matching funds may be all cash or a combination of cash and in-kind
contributions as detailed below. Be as specific as possible. For projects that include
additional partners, indicate on the form the portion of the match that is being
contributed by each participant. Asterisk (*) those funds that are committed or secured.
Cash match refers to the cash donations (including items or services that are provided
by the applicant organization), grants, and revenues that are expected or received for
this project. This also includes course-releases for faculty; tuition remission, coursecredit, and/or internship credits for undergraduate or graduate students; and
institutionally waived indirect costs (NEA policy generally prohibits support for costs
towards an academic degree in their grant programs, but does allow it for Research: Art
Works). Limit your descriptions to 100 characters maximum. Do not include any Arts
Endowment or other federal grants that are anticipated or received. If you include
grants from your state arts agency or regional arts organization as part of your match,
you must ensure that the funds do not include subgranted federal funds. Identify
sources. The Arts Endowment allows the use of unrecovered indirect costs as part of the
cash match or cost sharing. Your organization must have a federal negotiated indirect
cost rate agreement to include unrecovered indirect costs.
In-kind: Donated space, supplies, volunteer services are goods and services that are
donated by individuals or organizations other than the applicant organization (thirdparty). Limit your descriptions to 100 characters maximum. To qualify as matching
resources, these same items also must be identified in the project budget as direct costs
to ensure their allowability. In-kind items not reflected as direct costs will be removed
from your budget. The dollar value of these non-cash donations should be calculated at
their verifiable fair-market value. Identify sources. Reminder: Proper documentation
must be maintained for all items noted as "in-kind."
3. TOTAL PROJECT INCOME is the total of "1. Amount requested from the National
Endowment for the Arts" and 2. Total match for this project."
Sample View of Income Form:

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Part 4: Items to Upload
There are two types of required items to upload: Human ethics certificates and permission to
collect/use data (including IRB documentation), and one type of optional item to upload
(examples related to the data collection and analysis).
•

Required: Human Ethics in Research Training: If the proposed project involves primary

•

Required: Information that documents your organization’s right to access the data
and/or collect the data specified in your application. Include all documentation that
applies:
o Evidence that the data is in the public domain.
o Written permission that grants you the right to access the data specified in your
application. The written permission must explicitly identify the holder of the
access and the date of consent, and, if applicable, time restrictions or other
restrictions for accessing the data and the cost of the data.
o If you will be including the purchase of the data in your Official NEA Project
Budget, evidence that guarantees that you will have the right to access the
dataset(s) upon purchase. Detail the process that you will use, the date by which
you will purchase the data and secure access rights, and the cost of the data.
o Applicants who include primary data collection as a proposed project activity are
required to provide documentation regarding whether or not IRB approval is
needed to execute the project. If the documentation states that IRB approval is
required, then applicants also must indicate the measures they have taken or
plan on taking to gain IRB approval, including evidence that they have reached
out to their preferred IRB or IRBs.

data collection from human research subjects, evidence of ethics training must be
included for each key personnel involved with participants and/or involved with human
subjects data. Evidence can be demonstrated by providing a certificate of completion
from the Protecting Human Research Participants free training module offered through
the National Institutes of Health (NIH), or from a comparable training program
sponsored by another U.S. federal agency or department.

If IRB approval is needed, then you should begin working with an IRB office as
soon as possible. If you are awarded a grant, you will be expected to submit a
confirmation letter on the status of your IRB submission. If you receive a grant,
the NEA may withhold funds until IRB approval is demonstrated.
•

Optional: Examples related to the data collection and analysis, such as graphic
representations of the framework or model guiding the research project, survey
instruments, interview protocols, sampling design, relevant excerpts from or links to

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codebooks, and other relevant information about the data collection and analysis
methods. Only include information that is relevant to the project in this item.
The Arts Endowment may contact you for documentation of access, IRB status, and
human ethics research training at any time.

Information About Uploaded Items
For each item that you upload, you will find a descriptive field into which you will enter the following
information, as appropriate:
Title box:
This title must not contain an apostrophe (if you use one your item will not upload). Title each item
with a unique name.
Simply state the type of item.
Description box:
Simply state the type of item.

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Part 5: Organization & Project Profile
The National Endowment for the Arts collects basic descriptive information about all applicants
and their projects. The information that follows will help the NEA to comply with government
reporting requirements, and will be used to develop statistical information about the
organizations and projects it funds to report to Congress and the public. Your responses will
not be a factor in the review of your application.
Applicant Organization Discipline: Select the primary discipline that is most relevant to your
organization. This refers to the primary artistic emphasis of your organization. You will choose
one from the following:
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Artist Community
Arts Education Organization
Dance
Design
Folk & Traditional
Literature
Local Arts Agency
Media Arts
Museums
Music
Opera
Presenting & Multidisciplinary Work Organization
Theater & Musical Theater
Visual Arts
None of the Above

You will also have the option of selecting two additional disciplines for your organization,
though this is not required.
Applicant Organization Description: This section asks for the description that most accurately
describes your organization. You will choose one from the following:
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Artists' Community, Arts Institute, or Camp
Arts Center
Arts Council / Agency
Arts Service Organization
College / University
Community Service Organization
Fair / Festival

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Foundation
Gallery / Exhibition Space
Government
Historical Society / Commission
Humanities Council / Agency
Independent Press
Library
Literary Magazine
Media-Film
Media-Internet
Media-Radio
Media-Television
Museum-Art
Museum-Other
Performance Facility
Performing Group
Presenter / Cultural Series Organization
Religious Organization
School District
School of the Arts
Social Service Organization
Union / Professional Association
None of the Above

You will also have the option of selecting two additional descriptions for your organization,
though this is not required.
Project Activity Type: Select the option that best describes the type of project you are
proposing:
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Apprenticeship
Arts Instruction Includes lessons, classes and other means to teach knowledge of and/or
skills in the arts
Artwork Creation Includes media arts, design projects, and commissions
Audience Services (e.g., ticket subsidies)
Broadcasting via TV, cable, radio, the Web, or other digital networks
Building Public Awareness Activities designed to increase public understanding of the
arts or to build public support for the arts
Building International Understanding Includes activities that either bring international
art and/or artists to the U.S. or bring American art and/or artists to other nations
Concert/Performance/Reading Includes production development

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Curriculum Development/Implementation Includes design, implementation,
distribution of instructional materials, methods, evaluation criteria, goals, objectives,
etc.
Distribution of Art (e.g., films, books, prints; do not include broadcasting)
Exhibition Includes visual arts, media arts, design, and exhibition development
Fair/Festival
Identification/Documentation (e.g., for archival or educational purposes)
Marketing
Presenting/Touring
Professional Development/Training Activities enhancing career advancement
Professional Support: Administrative Includes consultant fees
Professional Support: Artistic (e.g., artists' fees, payments for artistic services)
Publication (e.g., books, journals, newsletters, manuals)
Recording/Filming/Taping (e.g., to extend the audience for a performance through
film/tape audio/video; do not include archival projects)
Repair/Restoration/Conservation
Research/Planning Includes program evaluation, strategic planning, and establishing
partnerships
Residency - School Artist activities in an educational setting
Residency - Other Artist activities in a nonschool setting
Seminar/Conference
Student Assessment Includes measurement of student progress toward learning
objectives. Not to be used for program evaluation.
Technical Assistance with technical/administrative functions
Web Site/Internet Development Includes the creation or expansion of Web sites,
mobile and tablet applications, the development of digital art collections, interactive
services delivered via the Internet, etc.
Writing About Art/Criticism
None of the above

Additional Project Activity Type: Optionally, choose up to two additional types from the above
list.
Audience/Participants/Communities
Race/Ethnicity: (Choose all that apply) U.S. federal government agencies must adhere to
standards issued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in October 1997, which
specify that race and Hispanic origin (also known as ethnicity) are two separate and distinct
concepts. These standards generally reflect a social definition of race and ethnicity recognized
in this country, and they do not conform to any biological, anthropological, or genetic criteria.
Origin can be viewed as the heritage, nationality group, lineage, or country of birth of the
person or the person’s ancestors before their arrival in the United States.

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American Indian or Alaskan Native - A person having origins in any of the original
peoples of North and South America (including Central America) and who maintains
tribal affiliation or community attachment.
Asian - A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast
Asia, or the Indian subcontinent including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan,
Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Black or African American - A person having origins in any of the Black racial groups of
Africa.
Hispanic or Latino - People who identify their origin as Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish may
be of any race.
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander - A person having origins in any of the original
peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.
White - A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East,
or North Africa.

Age Ranges: (Choose all that apply)
• Children/Youth (0-18 years)
• Young Adults (19-24 years)
• Adults (25-64 years)
• Older Adults (65+ years)
Underserved/Distinct Groups: (Choose all that apply)
• Individuals with Disabilities
• Individuals in Institutions (include people living in hospitals, hospices, nursing homes,
assisted care facilities, correctional facilities, and homeless shelters)
• Individuals below the Poverty Line
• Individuals with Limited English Proficiency
• Military Veterans/Active Duty Personnel
• Title I Schools
• Youth at Risk
• Other underserved/distinct group

Submit Your Application
Be sure to click Save before clicking Submit.
You must click Submit to finalize your application for NEA review.
Don't forget to hit the "Submit" button when you are ready to submit your application. If you
do not hit the "Submit" button, your application will not be received.
You will receive confirmation of your successful submission in two ways: 1) a pop up on your

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screen, and 2) an email from [email protected]. Maintain documentation of your
successful submission (take a screenshot and/or keep the email). If you modify your application
after you submit, you will not receive additional confirmations.
You also can confirm that your application was received when you log in to NEA-GO. On the
first screen it will say “Received” if your application has been received. If your application has
not yet been received, it will say “In Progress.”