Public Engagement with Historical Records

The National Historical Publications and Records Commission seeks projects that encourage public engagement with historical records. The idea behind this program is to form collaborations among archivists, educators, historians (including documentary editors) and people working in community- based archives to involve the public in discovering and using historical records. The NHPRC is looking for collaborative projects that create models, tools, and technologies that other institutions can freely adopt to serve other communities.Projects that center the voices and document the history of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color are especially welcome. In addition, with the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence approaching, the Commission is interested in projects that promote discovery and access to collections that explore the ideals behind our nation’s founding and the continuous debate over those ideals to the present day.We are seeking programs that will 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 or creative programs for K-12 students, undergraduate classes, or community members that encourage them to discover and use 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 for artistic endeavors in educational settings. 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.For a comprehensive list of the Commission’s limitations on funding, please see “What we do and do not fund”. Applications that consist entirely of ineligible activities will not be considered.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 $600,000. Grants begin no earlier than July 1, 2024.The Commission requires that grant recipients acknowledge NHPRC grant assistance in all publications and other products that result from its support.EligibilityEligible 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 groupsProjects 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 both 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 SharingThe 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 percent of total project costs in the Public Engagement with Historical Records category. For example, a total project cost of $100,000 means the applicant institution can request up to $75,000 in NHPRC grant funds and must provide at least $25,000 in cost share.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 Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) in their application. Details on SAM registration and requesting a UEI 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.Ensure your SAM.gov and Grants.gov registrations and passwords are current. It may take up to one month to register or reactivate your registration with SAM.gov and Grants.gov. NHPRC will not grant deadline extensions for lack of registration.