NEA International Literature Awards

This program announcement refers to the FY 2007 Grants for Arts Projects guidelines, which may be obtained on the Arts Endowment's Web site at www.arts.gov.

The Arts Endowment encourages organizations to submit their applications electronically through Grants.gov, the federal government's online application system.  The Grants.gov system will accept applications through September 14, 2006.

Applications not submitted through Grants.gov must be received (not postmarked) at the Arts Endowment no later than 5:30 p.m., Eastern Time, on September 14, 2006.

Potential applicants are strongly advised to consult with the Arts Endowment's Literature staff before preparing an application.

Grant Program Description

The NEA International Literature Awards will provide American readers with greater access to the contemporary literature of Europe and increase the number and quality of foreign literary works that are published in the United States each year. This year the NEA International Literature Awards will focus on Europe with partnerships between the Arts Endowment and the countries of Greece and Spain.

All projects must involve the translation of literary works from Greece or Spain into English and the promotion of those works to American readers. Authors must be born after 1946 and the works must be previously unpublished in English. Reprints are not eligible. For the translation of works from Greece there is a special interest in short fiction and novels.

Funding is available for all aspects of the process -- from translation to publication and distribution. Project expenses may include fees to translators, publication costs, and public outreach activities such as author/translator tours or educational programs.

The Arts Endowment expects to support two titles from Greece and one from Spain. An applicant may propose only one title per application, but more than one application is allowed.

National Book Center of Greece

Award Information

Grant Amounts and Matching Funds

The Arts Endowment will award one $10,000 grant per title.

With support from the National Book Center in Athens, the Embassy of Greece will independently award $10,000 per title from Greece to match the Arts Endowment's grants. The Embassy of Greece, through its Press and Communications Office, will provide grantees with information on how the grants will be administered.

The Ministry of Culture in Spain, through the Embassy of Spain, will independently award $10,000 to match the Arts Endowment's grant.

Period of Support

The Arts Endowment's support of a project may start on February 1, 2007, or any time thereafter. Generally, a grant period of up to two years is allowed.

Applicant Eligibility

Established literary and university publishers that are nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3), U.S. organizations; units of state or local government; or federally-recognized tribal communities or tribes may apply. To be eligible, the applicant organization must:

• Meet the Arts Endowment's "Legal Requirements," including nonprofit, tax-exempt status, as detailed in the FY 2007 Grants for Arts Projects guidelines, at the time of application.
• Have at least a three-year history of publishing prior to the application deadline.
• Have submitted acceptable Final Report packages by the due date(s) for all Arts Endowment award(s) previously received.

An organization is allowed to submit more than one application under this program. Each application must request support for a single title.

An application in response to this announcement does not preclude an organization from applying under other Arts Endowment funding opportunities including Grants for Arts Projects. Each application to the Arts Endowment must be for a distinctly different project. A grantee may not receive more than one Arts Endowment grant for the same costs during the same or an overlapping period of support.

The designated fifty state and six jurisdictional arts agencies (SAAs) and their regional arts organizations (RAOs) are not eligible to apply under the NEA International Literature Awards guidelines. SAAs and RAOs are eligible to apply through the Partnership Agreements guidelines.

How to Prepare and Submit an Application

The Arts Endowment encourages organizations to submit their applications electronically through Grants.gov, the federal government's online application system. The Grants.gov system will accept applications through September 14, 2006. [Material that must be mailed directly to the Arts Endowment must be postmarked (or show other proof of mailing) no later than September 15, 2006.]

The Arts Endowment has created an easy-to-follow checklist for registering. Step-by-step instructions for registering also are available at www.grants.gov/GetStarted. If you have problems registering, call the Grants.gov help desk at 1-800-518-4726, e-mail support@grants.gov, or consult the information posted on the Grants.gov Web site at www.grants.gov/CustomerSupport. The Grants.gov Customer Service hours are 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday to Friday.

To apply electronically through Grants.gov:

Read the guidance below and then follow the link to "Apply Electronically Through Grants.gov." Keep the following in mind when you prepare documents for the Attachments Form:

• In your Details of the Project Narrative (Attachment 3):

  Under a) Major project activities, describe: 1) the work to be translated; 2) its place in the contemporary literature of the selected country; 3) its significance in the author's body of work; and 4) its potential interest to an English-speaking audience. Include information on projected sales figures, print runs, distribution plans, and payment policies. Be as specific as possible about the activities that will take place during the project period including any educational activities if relevant.

  Under d) Key individuals and organizations that will be involved in the project: Discuss briefly the publisher and editor and any other key individuals and organizations. (Bios of the author and translator are requested as a separate item.)

  Under e) target population and f) plans for promoting, publicizing, and/or disseminating the project: Describe the target population to which your project is directed. Describe the marketing plans that you envision (e.g., author/translator tours, direct mail campaigns, Web site promotions, etc.). Have you worked with this target population before? Has the target population been involved in the planning of this project? Describe any underserved groups or areas that will benefit.

• On the Project Budget Form (Attachment 4):

• All grants are for $10,000. Make sure that you fill in the "Amount requested from the Arts Endowment" (Item 1) with $10,000 only.

• The National Book Center in Athens, through the Embassy of Greece, or the Ministry of Culture in Spain, through the Embassy of Spain, will match the Arts Endowment's grant. Therefore, include $10,000 in the "Total Match for this Project" section (Item 2).

• For the required biographies of the key project personnel (Attachment 6): Attach a single page that includes brief bios of both the author and translator.

• Work Sample Index (Attachment 8) is not necessary. Leave this attachment button blank.

Also include the following in your application. These items may be attached in electronic form (attach one copy in PDF) OR you can include the required number of copies with the material that you send directly to the Arts Endowment:

• A five-page work sample by the proposed translator. If the work sample is an excerpt from a longer work (e.g., an excerpt from a novel or long poem), also attach a brief précis that provides the context for the excerpt. If you send this electronically, the file name should indicate the name of your organization or a recognizable acronym followed by "Translatorsample.pdf." Attach this item to Attachment button 10. (If you include this with the material that you send directly to the Arts Endowment, submit four copies of both the sample translation and the précis.)

• A verification of rights in the form of either a written contract between the applicant and the holder of the copyright or a letter of intent to enter into a contract with the applicant from the holder of the copyright. If you send this electronically, the file name should indicate the name of your organization or a recognizable acronym followed by "Rights.pdf." Attach this item to Attachment button 11. (If you include this with the material that you send directly to the Arts Endowment, submit one copy.)

Include with the material that you send directly to the Arts Endowment:

• Four copies each of two publications that were issued by your organization within the last three years.

Go to "Apply Electronically Through Grants.gov" for further instructions.

If you do not submit your application through Grants.gov:

To apply, submit items 1-8 and item 10 required for all Literature applicants to the Access to Artistic Excellence category in the FY 2007 Grants for Arts Projects guidelines. See the guidance above for information to include in the Details of the Project narrative, required biographies, and Project Budget form.

Also submit:

• Four copies of a five-page work sample by the proposed translator. If the work sample is an excerpt from a longer work (e.g., an excerpt from a novel or long poem), also include a brief précis that provides the context for the excerpt.

• Four copies each of two publications that were issued by your organization within the last three years.

• One copy of verification of rights in the form of either a written contract between the applicant and the holder of the copyright or a letter of intent to enter into a contract with the applicant from the holder of the copyright.

All material must be received (not postmarked) at the Arts Endowment no later than 5:30 p.m., Eastern Time, on September 14, 2006. Send the material to the address below (not to the Application Processing office in Room 815 as stated in the Grants for Arts Projects guidelines). Label your package:

NEA International Literature Awards
Room 514
National Endowment for the Arts
1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20506-0001

Be sure to include a complete return address on your package.

The National Endowment for the Arts continues to experience lengthy delays in the delivery of First-Class and Priority mail. In addition, contents are subject to an irradiation process that may damage material. Until normal mail service resumes, please consider using a commercial delivery service, particularly if you are sending time-sensitive material.

Application Review

The following criteria are considered during the review of applications:

The artistic excellence of the project, which includes the:

• Artistic significance of the project as demonstrated by the literary quality of the work to be translated.
• Potential quality of the translation as exemplified by the sample translation submitted.
• Quality of the publishing organization including its experience in publishing contemporary work of literary excellence.

The artistic merit of the project, which includes the:

• Potential to broaden access in the United States to the contemporary literature of Europe.
• Potential to increase the number and quality of literary works that are translated from other languages and published in the United States.
• Evidence of an appropriate distribution, marketing, and promotion strategy.
• Potential production quality.
• Likelihood that the project will achieve the identified outcome(s) and the feasibility of the proposed performance measurements. *
• Ability to carry out the project including the appropriateness of the budget, the quality and clarity of the project goals and design, the resources involved, and the qualifications of the project's personnel.

* The Arts Endowment, along with other federal agencies, collects information on the projects it funds in order to track the results -- or outcomes -- of its activities. This information is compiled and reported to Congress and the public. The outcome the Arts Endowment intends to achieve through the NEA International Literature Awards initiative is: Audiences throughout the nation have opportunities to experience a wide range of art forms and activities. Within the context of this outcome, we ask all applicants to define what they would like to achieve, how they will assess the degree to which it is achieved, and, upon completion of the project, what they have learned from their successes and failures.

All applications are reviewed by an Arts Endowment advisory panel. Panel recommendations are forwarded to the Arts Endowment Chairman. The Chairman reviews the recommendations and makes the final decision on all Arts Endowment grant awards. Each participating country will then carry out its own review process. The results of the two processes will be reconciled and the Arts Endowment and the participating countries will announce the grants jointly. Pending the availability of funding, it is anticipated that applicants will be notified of award or rejection in January 2007.

Award Administration

Crediting Requirement

Grantees must clearly acknowledge support from the National Endowment for the Arts and the government of Greece or Spain. Specific acknowledgment requirements will be provided with the grant awards.

Administrative Requirements

Before submitting an application, organizations should review the Grants for Arts Projects guidelines and General Terms & Conditions for detailed information on legal requirements and other administrative matters that pertain to this announcement.

Agency Contacts

Potential applicants are strongly advised to consult with the Arts Endowment's Literature staff before preparing an application. Please contact:

Amy Stolls
Literature Program Officer
National Endowment for the Arts
202/682-5771 or stollsa@arts.gov

Reporting Burden

The public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated at an average of 32 hours per response. This includes the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. The Arts Endowment welcomes any suggestions that you might have on improving the guidelines and making them as easy to use as possible. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: Office of Guidelines & Panel Operations, Room 710, National Endowment for the Arts, 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20506-0001. Note: Applicants are not required to respond to the collection of information unless it displays a currently valid U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number.

June 2006

CFDA No. 45.024
OMB No. 3135-0112 Expires 11/30/2007

National Endowment for the Arts · an independent federal agency
1100 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20506