Access to Historical Records: Archival Projects | ARCHIVAL 202010

Opportunity Information: Apply for ARCHIVAL 202010

The National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC), part of the National Archives and Records Administration, offers the Access to Historical Records: Archival Projects grant to help repositories make historical collections easier for the public to find and use online. The core goal is improved online discovery and access, meaning projects should result in clearer, more complete web-based descriptions of collections and/or freely available digital content that supports public research, learning, and engagement. While many topics and formats are eligible, the program specifically encourages strong proposals focused on Americas early legal records, including colonial, territorial, county, early statehood, and tribal proceedings that show how legal systems and governance developed over time.

A major thematic emphasis is the upcoming commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. NHPRC is particularly interested in projects that use historical records to explore the ideals associated with the nations founding and how those ideals have been interpreted, argued over, and applied across the past 250 years. Competitive projects are expected to go beyond basic preservation by helping the public connect with the records through online access, civic education, and broader understanding of US history, democracy, and culture from the founding era to the present. Applicants are encouraged to think about how their project will attract researchers to the targeted collections and also increase awareness and use of the rest of the repositorys holdings.

Funded work can include one or more of several eligible archival activities: converting existing collection descriptions for online access, creating new online finding aids, and digitizing records and posting them online for free public use. The program is flexible about record types, allowing paper-based documents, photographs, born-digital materials, and analog audio or moving image formats. In practice, applicants need to show both that the collections are historically valuable and that the proposed approach follows archival best practices, is staffed appropriately, and is organized with realistic workflows and deliverables.

Awards can run for one or two years, with a maximum request of $150,000. NHPRC expects to make up to 10 awards in this category, with total program funding up to $1,000,000. Recipients must acknowledge NHPRC support in publicity, publications, and other products that come out of the grant-funded work. The opportunity is a discretionary grant (CFDA 89.003, Humanities/Cultural Affairs).

Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations and institutions, colleges and universities, state and local government agencies, and federally recognized or acknowledged or state-recognized Native American tribes or groups. To be considered, a project must include at least one of the eligible activities described above and must submit all required application components, including the SF-424, project narrative, NHPRC budget form, and supplemental materials; incomplete applications or those that do not meet the activity requirement are not reviewed.

Cost sharing is mandatory. NHPRC will cover no more than 75 percent of total project costs, so the applicant must provide at least 25 percent through cash match and/or allowable in-kind and third-party contributions, including direct and indirect expenses and project-generated income. A key budgeting rule is that NHPRC funds cannot be used for indirect costs; if an organization includes indirect costs, they must be counted on the applicant side as part of the cost share (per 2 CFR 2600.101). Applicants also need to follow NHPRC grant administration rules and should consult the agencys published list of what it does and does not fund to avoid proposing unallowable costs or activities.

Administrative requirements include having an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) before applying, keeping that registration current through the review and award period, and providing a valid DUNS number in the application. The original opportunity posting lists a creation date of May 15, 2020, with an original closing date of October 8, 2020, and an award ceiling of $150,000 under funding opportunity number ARCHIVAL 202010.

• The National Archives and Records Administration in the humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Access to Historical Records: Archival Projects" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 89.003.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 15, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Oct 08, 2020. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $150,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.

Apply for ARCHIVAL 202010

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