Deadline: 6-Oct-21
The National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) of the National Archives and Records Administration is seeking applications for its Access to Historical Records: Archival Projects to support projects that promote access to America’s historical records to encourage understanding of their democracy, history, and culture.
The Commission encourages projects centered on collections of America’s early legal records, such as the records of colonial, territorial, county, and early statehood and tribal proceedings that document the evolution of the nation’s legal history. Additionally, the Commission is especially interested in projects to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. They encourage applications that use collections to examine the ideals behind the founding of the United States and the continual interpretation and debate over those ideals over the past 250 years. They welcome projects that engage the public, expand civic education, and promote understanding of the nation’s history, democracy, and culture from the founding era to the present day.
Projects, to preserve and process historical records, may:
- Convert existing description for online access
- Create new online finding aids to collections
- Digitize historical records collections and make them freely available online
All types of historical records are eligible, including documents, photographs, born-digital records, and analog audio and moving images. The successful application will demonstrate the value of the contents of the collections; will outline a project that addresses best practices for the work, and that is appropriately staffed; will propose a budget that accomplishes the project in a cost-effective manner; and, will outline activities that bring researchers to the collections included in the project as well as the rest of the repository’s holdings.
Funding Information
A grant is for one to two years and for up to $150,000. The Commission expects to make up to 10 grants in this category for a total of up to $1,000,000. The Commission requires that grant recipients acknowledge NHPRC grant assistance in all publicity, publications, and other products that result from its support.
What they fund?
- The Commission funds projects that deal with the following kinds of historical source material:
- records of state, county, municipal, tribal, or other non-Federal units of government
- manuscripts, personal and family papers, or organizational and business archives
- collections of photographs, motion pictures, sound recordings, electronic records, and/or such visual materials as unpublished architectural, cartographic, and engineering drawings
- The Commission funds projects that focus on the following activities authorized in the NHPRC statute:
- collecting, describing, preserving, compiling, and publishing (including microfilming and other forms of reproduction) documentary sources significant to the history of the United States
- implementing solutions to the challenges of preserving electronic records with permanent historical value
- conducting institutes and training and educational programs
- disseminating information about documentary sources through guides, directories, and other technical publications
- documentary editing and publishing; archival preservation and processing of records for access; developing or updating descriptive systems; creation and development of archival and records management programs; development of standards, tools, and techniques to advance the work of archivists, records managers, and documentary editors; and promotion of the use of records by teachers, students, and the public.
What they do not fund?
The Commission does NOT fund projects to undertake the following activities:
- to construct, renovate, furnish, or purchase a building or land
- to purchase manuscripts or other historical records
- to exhibit or conserve archaeological artifacts, museum objects, or works of art
- to undertake historical research apart from the editing of documentary publications
- to undertake an oral history project unrelated to Native Americans
- to catalog, acquire, or preserve books, periodicals, or other library materials
- to acquire, preserve, or describe art objects, sheet music, or other works primarily of value as works of art or entertainment
- to undertake a documentary editing project to publish the papers of someone who has been deceased for fewer than ten years
- to undertake an archival project centered on the papers of an appointed or elected public official who remains in major office, or is politically active, or the majority of whose papers have not yet been accessioned in a repository
- to undertake an arrangement, description, or preservation project in which the pertinent documents are privately owned or deposited in an institution subject to withdrawal upon demand for reasons other than requirements of law
- to undertake arrangement, description, or preservation projects involving Federal government records that are
- in the custody of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), or
- in the custody of some other Federal agency, or
- have been deposited in a non-Federal institution without an agreement authorized by NARA.
Eligibility Criteria
- State governments
- Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
- Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
- City or township governments
- Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
- Private institutions of higher education
- County governments
- Colleges, universities, and other academic institutions
- Federally-recognized or -acknowledged or state-recognized Native American tribes or groups
Projects must include at least one of the eligible activities described for this program. Applications must include all required elements (SF 424, Narrative, NHPRC Budget Form, and Supplemental Materials.) Applications that do not meet either of those criteria will not be considered.
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=333700