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Sample grant proposals

Real applications that won, reviewer comments, sample budgets and scoring rubrics, posted by the agencies themselves. Reading a few funded applications is one of the quickest ways to see what reviewers expect.

Before you read

  • Read, don't copy. These were written by other applicants, who own the words. Funders treat copied text as plagiarism. Use them to see structure, headings and the level of detail, then write your own.
  • Follow the current notice. Each sample is from one year. Page limits, sections and scoring change, and some samples say they don't meet today's rules.
  • Links only. GrantMe doesn't copy or host these files. Each link goes to the agency's own site and was checked on the date shown.

What the labels mean

Funded applications with reviewer comments
Real funded applications, each paired with the reviewers' written summary of its strengths and weaknesses.
Funded applications
Real applications that won an award, posted by the agency.
Award summaries
Short summaries of funded projects, not the full applications.
Example proposals (not funded)
A model written to show the format. It was never a real application.
Sample budgets
How a budget and its justification can be laid out.
Scoring rubrics
The sheet reviewers use to score applications.
How applications are reviewed
The agency's own description of its review.
Other collections
Libraries of samples kept by other organizations.

Candid (private nonprofit)

Other collections

Department of Housing and Urban Development

Award summaries

  • Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grants (PDF)

    FY2022 award project summaries for 8 cities, with excerpts from the funded applications (edited by HUD). Not full applications · FY2022 awards.

    Program number 14.889 · Reuse: HUD publication; the excerpts come from the applicants. · Link checked Oct 7, 2026

Environmental Protection Agency

Example proposals (not funded)

  • Clean diesel grants (2008 example for a made-up city) (PDF)

    A model proposal for the fictional "City of Pleasantville". EPA says it is an example, not to be used verbatim. It was not a funded application · May 1, 2008.

    Reuse: EPA example document. · Link checked Oct 7, 2026

Institute of Museum and Library Services

Funded applications

National Endowment for the Arts

Funded applications

  • Grants for Arts Projects: Music (PDF)

    Funded "Details of the Project Narrative" sections from Music applications (one PDF) · February 2026.

    Program number 45.024 · Reuse: Released under FOIA as frequently requested records. No reuse license stated. · Link checked Oct 7, 2026

  • Research: Art Works (NEA research grants) (PDF)

    Funded "Details of the Project Narrative" sections from research applications (one PDF) · August 3, 2018.

    Program number 45.024 · Reuse: Released under FOIA as frequently requested records. No reuse license stated. · Link checked Oct 7, 2026

National Endowment for the Humanities

Funded applications

  • Public Humanities Projects (exhibitions, historic places)

    8 funded application narratives (planning and implementation; some redacted), under "Sample Application Narratives".

    Program number 45.041, 45.164 · Reuse: No reuse license stated. Written by the applicants: read and link, don't copy. · Link checked Oct 7, 2026

  • Fellowships

    12 funded application narratives. NEH says they are not models, but show how a successful application can be put together.

    Program number 45.160 · Reuse: No reuse license stated. Written by the applicants: read and link, don't copy. · Link checked Oct 7, 2026

  • Public Scholars

    9 funded application narratives. NEH notes they may not follow the current page limits and format rules.

    Program number 45.160 · Reuse: No reuse license stated. Written by the applicants: read and link, don't copy. · Link checked Oct 7, 2026

  • Media Projects (development and production)

    7 funded application narratives (film, television and podcast; development and production).

    Program number 45.036, 45.164 · Reuse: No reuse license stated. Written by the applicants: read and link, don't copy. · Link checked Oct 7, 2026

  • Collaborative Research

    5 funded application narratives (some redacted).

    Program number 45.035, 45.161 · Reuse: No reuse license stated. Written by the applicants: read and link, don't copy. · Link checked Oct 7, 2026

  • Scholarly Editions and Translations

    4 funded application narratives.

    Program number 45.040, 45.161 · Reuse: No reuse license stated. Written by the applicants: read and link, don't copy. · Link checked Oct 7, 2026

  • Awards for Faculty at Historically Black Colleges and Universities

    3 funded applications (one with its work plan).

    Program number 45.160 · Reuse: No reuse license stated. Written by the applicants: read and link, don't copy. · Link checked Oct 7, 2026

  • Landmarks of American History and Culture (for higher education faculty)

    2 funded application narratives and a sample budget justification.

    Program number 45.039, 45.163 · Reuse: No reuse license stated. Written by the applicants: read and link, don't copy. · Link checked Oct 7, 2026

  • Landmarks of American History and Culture (for K-12 educators)

    2 funded application narratives and a sample budget justification.

    Program number 45.039, 45.163 · Reuse: No reuse license stated. Written by the applicants: read and link, don't copy. · Link checked Oct 7, 2026

National Institutes of Health (NIAID)

Funded applications with reviewer comments

Southern SARE (USDA NIFA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education)

Sample budgets

Tennessee Arts Commission

Scoring rubrics

  • Arts Build Communities (ABC) (Word file)

    The FY26 scoring rubric reviewers use, with Excellent / Average / Needs Improvement point ranges for each criterion (Word file). Linked from https://tnartscommission.org/grants/arts-build-communities-grant/ · FY26.

    Reuse: Tennessee state agency document. · Link checked Oct 7, 2026

U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice

Funded applications

  • NIJ research and evaluation grants

    4 funded applications (PDF), under "Sample Applications", with NIJ's guidance for applicants.

    Program number 16.560 · Reuse: No reuse license stated. Written by the applicants: read and link, don't copy. · Link checked Oct 7, 2026

How applications are reviewed

U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs

Sample budgets

23 links. Know of an agency that posts funded applications? Tell us.