Information is provided about the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), an independent federal agency that supports scholarship, research, education, and public programs in the humanities. The history, purposes, policies, and organization of NEH are briefly described, and two project topics that NEH is funding, are explained. The Bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution, and the Columbian Quincentenary, are explained. Also covered are: what NEH does not support; how applications are evaluated; eligibility for NEH assistance; equal opportunity requirements; and the Jefferson Lecture in the Humanities, an official honor for intellectual achievement in the humanities. NEH projects concern humanities instruction at the elementary, secondary, and undergraduate levels; exemplary undergraduate and graduate projects; humanities programs for nontraditional learners; teacher preparation; fellowships and seminars; general programs such as museums, adult and youth programs, and library projects; basic research programs; reference works; challenge grants; and preservation. A list of members of the National Council on the Humanities is provided, as are addresses and phone numbers of State Humanities Councils, a NEH telephone directory, and a summary of NEH publications. (SW)