Public Engagement with Historical Records

The National Historical Publications and Records Commission seeks projects that encourage public engagement with historical records, including the development of new tools that enable people to engage online. The NHPRC is looking for projects that create models and technologies that other institutions can freely adopt. In general, collaborations between archivists, documentary editors, historians, educators, and/or community-based individuals are more likely to create a competitive proposal. Projects that focus on innovative methods to introduce primary source materials and how to use them in multiple locations also are more likely to create a competitive proposal.

Projects might create and develop programs to engage people in the study and use of historical records for institutional, educational or personal reasons. For example, an applicant can:
• Enlist volunteer “citizen archivists” in projects to accelerate access to historical records, especially those online. This may include, but is not limited to, efforts to identify, tag, transcribe, annotate, or otherwise enhance digitized historical records.
• Develop educational programs for K-12 students, undergraduate classes, or community members that encourage them to engage with historical records already in repositories or that are collected as part of the project.
• Collect primary source material from people through public gatherings and sponsor discussions or websites about the results.
• Use historical records in workshops for artistic endeavors. This could include K-12 students, undergraduate classes, or community members. Examples include projects that encourage researching and writing life stories for performance; using record facsimiles in painting, sculpture, or audiovisual collages; or using text as lyrics for music or as music.
• Develop technologies that encourage the sharing of information about historical records.

For a comprehensive list of the Commission’s limitations on funding, please see “What we do and do not fund” (http://www.archives.gov/nhprc/apply/eligibility.html). Applications that consist entirely of ineligible activities will not be considered.
Award Information
A grant normally is for one to three years. The Commission expects to make up to five grants of between $50,000 and $150,000. The total amount allocated for this program is up to $400,000. Grants begin no earlier than July 1, 2021.
The Commission requires that grant recipients acknowledge NHPRC grant assistance in all publications and other products that result from its support.
Eligibility
Eligible applicants:
• 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 50 per cent of total project costs in the Public Engagement with Historical Records category.

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 at www.sam.gov. Please refer to the User Guides section and the Grants Registrations PDF.