RESEARCH GRANTS IN THE ARTS: How to Apply

IMPORTANT: Login.gov will be down for maintenance on February 15th from 1 am - 4 am Eastern Time. This may affect your ability to access Login.gov, SAM, and Grants.gov during this time period. We recommend you submit Part 1 of your application early in order to avoid any issues.

Grants.gov Notice: See guidance on how to troubleshoot a grey apply button or a “bad request” error on Grants.gov.

Applying is a multi-step process:

  1. Register with Login.gov, SAM.gov, and Grants.gov or renew/verify these registrations. Download Registration Guidance PDF.
  2. Submit your application:
    • Application Part 1 Grants.gov: Submit the “Application for Federal Domestic Assistance/Short Organization Form” to Grants.gov. This is a brief form that collects very basic information about your organization. A direct link to the Grants.gov Opportunity Package is included further down on this page.
    • Application Part 2 Applicant Portal: Complete the “Grant Application Form (GAF)” and upload items through the NEA’s Applicant Portal. You’ll use this web form to enter the majority of your application material (e.g., project description, timelines, budget information).

Login.gov, SAM.gov, Grants.gov (Part 1), and the NEA’s Applicant Portal (Part 2) are separate online systems.

Direct Link to Grants.gov Opportunity Package for Part 1

Access the Grant Opportunity Package with the Application for Federal Domestic Assistance/Short Organization Form on Grants.gov by clicking on the link below:

Research Grants in the Arts
[Funding Opportunity Number 2024NEA01ORAGRANTS]

  1. Clicking the link above will take you directly to the pre-populated application package in Grants.gov.
  2. The Grants.gov “View Grant Opportunity” screen will open, click the red “Apply” button. If the Apply button is grey or you receive a “bad request” error, please see further instructions on how to troubleshoot.
  3. After logging in, to create a Workspace application:
    1. Fill in the Application Filing Name field with your organization name, then
    2. Click the Create Workspace button.
  4. Afterwards, you will be directed to the Manage Workspace page, where you can begin working on the application. 
  5. See the Application Instructions PDF for full details on how to complete and submit the form.

Learn more about using Grants.gov’s Workspace. For Grants.gov assistance: Call 800-518-4726, email support@grants.gov, or consult the information posted on the Grants.gov website at Support or Help. The Grants.gov Contact Center is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Part 1 and Part 2 Instructions and Application Questions

Full instructions on how to complete both Part 1 and Part 2, including the application questions, and a link to the NEA Applicant Portal for Part 2, can be found in this PDF document.

Instructions on completing Part 1 and Part 2. 

Tips:

View the Guidelines Webinar:

  • We will conduct a live webinar featuring an overview presentation and a Q&A session. A link to registration information and an archived recording will be available on the Applicant Resources page.
  • An archived recording will be available on the Applicant Resources page.

View the Grant Application Form (GAF) Tutorial:
This tutorial provides an overview of the Grant Application Form (GAF) to assist you during Part 2 of the application process: Online Tutorial: Using the Grant Application Form.

Application updates after submission:
Send new information that significantly affects your application (such as changes in project personnel, confirmed funding commitments, or IRB status) as soon as possible to NEA Research Awards staff. You must include your organization’s name and NEA application number with any updates.

If you have questions about your application, contact the NEA Research Awards staff at nearesearchgrants@arts.gov.