Access to Historical Records: Major Initiatives

The National Historical Publications and Records Commission seeks projects that will significantly improve public discovery and use of major historical records collections. The Commission is especially interested in 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.
All types of historical records are eligible, including documents, photographs, born-digital records, and analog audio and moving images. Projects may:
• Digitize historical records collections, or related collections, held by a single institution and make them freely available online
• Provide access to born-digital records
• Create new freely-available virtual collections drawn from historical records held by multiple institutions
• Create new tools and methods for users to access records
The NHPRC welcomes collaborative projects, particularly for bringing together related records from multiple institutions. Projects that address significant needs in the field and result in replicable and scalable approaches will be more competitive. We also encourage organizations to actively engage the public in the work of the project.
Applicants should also consult Access to Historical Records: Archival Projects program, which has different requirements and award amounts.
For a comprehensive list of Commission 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 is for one to three years and for between $100,000 and $350,000. We expect to make up to five grants in this category for a total of up to $1,000,000. Grants begin no earlier than January 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-acknowledged or state-recognized Native American tribes or groups
Cost Sharing
The total costs of a project are shared between the NHPRC and the applicant organization.
The Commission provides no more than 50 per cent of total project costs in the Access to Historical Records: Major Initiatives category. NHPRC grant recipients are not permitted to use grant funds for indirect costs (as indicated in 2 CFR 2600.101).
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. Indirect costs must be listed under the applicant's cost sharing contribution.
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 https://sam.gov. Please refer to the User Guides section and the Grants Registrations PDF.
A complete preliminary application includes the Application for Federal Assistance (Standard Form 424), a Project Narrative, and Budget. Applications lacking these items will not be considered.
Ineligible applications will not be reviewed.