The NHPRC seeks projects that will significantly improve online public discovery and use of historical records collections. 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. 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 are encouraged. NHPRC is interested in 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 may preserve and process historical records to:
- 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. Successful applications will demonstrate the value of the contents of the collections, outline a project that addresses best practices for the work and that is appropriately staffed, propose a budget that accomplishes the project in a cost-effective manner, and outline activities that bring researchers to the collections included in the project as well as the rest of the repository’s holdings. For a comprehensive list of Commission limitations on funding, please see: “What we do and do not fund“.
Award Information
A grant is for one or 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.
Eligibility
- Nonprofit organizations or institutions
- Colleges, universities, and other academic institutions
- State or local government agencies
- 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 (SF424, Narrative, NHPRC Budget form, and Supplemental Materials). Applications that do not meet either of these criteria will not be considered. In order to ensure eligibility, applicants should first review the rules and regulations governing NHPRC grants under the Administering an NHPRC Grant section.
Cost Sharing
The total costs of a project are shared between the NHPRC and the applicant organization. Cost sharing is required. The applicant’s financial contribution may include both direct and indirect expenses, in-kind contributions, non-Federal third-party contributions, and any income earned directly by the project. NHPRC grant recipients are not permitted to use grant funds for indirect costs (as indicated in 2 CFR 2600.101). Indirect costs must be listed under the applicant’s cost sharing contribution if they are included in the budget.
The Commission provides no more than 75 per cent of total project costs in the Access to Historical Records: Archival Projects category. For example, a request of $75,000 in NHPRC grant funds means the applicant institution must provide at least $25,000 in cost share. Other Requirements Applicant organizations must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) prior to submitting an application, maintain SAM registration throughout the application and award process, and include a valid DUNS number in their application. Details on SAM registration and requesting a DUNS number can be found at the System for Award Management website. Please refer to the User Guides section and the Grants Registrations PDF.
