10 Mar Funding Alert! Preservation and Access Education and Training

National Endowment for the Humanities – Division of Preservation and Access

Does your institution or humanities-related organization preserve and establish access to humanities collections? Thousands of libraries, archives, museums, and historical organizations across the country maintain important collections of books and manuscripts, photographs, sound recordings and moving images, archaeological and ethnographic artifacts, art and material culture, electronic records, and digital objects. Preserving and making accessible such large and diverse holdings is an enormous challenge, making the need for knowledgeable staff significant and ongoing. Awards help the staff of cultural institutions, large and small, obtain the knowledge and skills they need to serve as effective stewards of humanities collections.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligible applicants include nonprofits having a 501(c)(3), accredited institutions of higher education (public or 501(c)(3)), local and state governments, Native American tribal governments, as well as eligible entities on behalf of a consortium of collaborating organizations.

What is the program goal?

The Preservation and Access Education and Training program supports the development of knowledge and skills among professionals responsible for preserving and establishing access to humanities collections. NEH makes Preservation and Access Education and Training awards to organizations that offer national, regional, or statewide education and training programs across the pedagogical landscape. Projects may be at any stage of development, from early curriculum development to advanced implementation.

The Division of Preservation and Access is looking to fund activities such as:

• Training offered by preservation field services, networks, and consortia, especially programs and activities targeting the needs of preservation and access practitioners at smaller libraries, museums, archives, and other cultural organizations;
• In-person and online continuing education opportunities that provide specialized or extended training in current preservation or access topics for staff responsible for the care of humanities collections;
• Preservation and access-related educational initiatives that might include partnerships between academic and non-academic institutions for students at the undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, or master’s level; student financial support beyond tuition; curriculum development; speaker series; travel; and fellowships, internships, apprenticeships, mentorships, and/or residencies leading toward a master’s degree or admission to a master’s degree program, such as library science, museum studies, or archival administration; and
• Educational initiatives for programs that grant graduate degrees in art conservation; student financial support beyond tuition; curriculum development; speaker series; travel; and fellowships, internships, apprenticeships, mentorships, and/or residencies toward a master’s degree in art conservation.

Projects may address any topic, fundamental or advanced, associated with the work of preserving and providing access to humanities collections. Applicants should identify needs within a localized network of institutions at a state or regional level or more broadly at a national level. Projects may, but are not required to, address topics of special interest such as:

• emergency preparedness, response, mitigation, and recovery;
• culturally appropriate practices and technologies for collections from communities that have been historically underserved and marginalized, including but not limited to, Native American, First Nations, and Indigenous communities;
• activities that create more equitable and inclusive approaches to collections care;
• activities that support the educational needs of preservation and access practitioners in diverse institutional, geographic, educational, and demographic settings;
• training in new or recently updated preservation and/or access-related standards, methodologies, tools and equipment, or workflows; and
• preventive conservation and environmentally sustainable preservation strategies preservation techniques and access solutions for audiovisual, digital, and time-based media.

The deadline for this grant is May 17, 2022. Note that NEH offers the option to turn in a preliminary draft for review by DPA program staff. If you take advantage of this opportunity, the draft is due April 12, 2022.NEH expects to award 12 grants for a total of $350,00 over a 36-month project period. Some organizations may be eligible for an additional 24-months of funding. The total available funding pool is approximately $2.2 million.

What makes a project a good fit?

The NEH is particularly interested in projects that advance humanities-related work in the following areas:

• “A More Perfect Union”: NEH Special Initiative Advancing Civic Education and Commemorating the Nation’s 250^th Anniversary. Projects would promote a deeper understanding of American history and culture to support a more just, inclusive, and sustainable society;
• Principles of American constitutional governance and democracy;
• The experiences of Native Americans and other underrepresented communities;
• Standing Together: the humanities and the experiences of war; and
• Protecting our Cultural Heritage.

In addition, NEH encourages applications that support cultural institutions in federally designated disaster areas. These projects may include training sessions related to recovery efforts, the development of regional mutual aid consortia, and workshops focused on emergency planning and response. NEH also encourages projects that include Native American organizations and communities as lead applicants and project partners.

Applicants may request funding for one fellowship, apprenticeship, or residency for each year of the period of performance. The maximum stipend for a one-year fellowship is $50,000; the total award may not exceed $350,000. You may request a period of performance of three to five years for programs that grant graduate degrees in art conservation. All other applicants may request up to three years. For detailed stipulations of eligible award amounts for programs, please see the Notice of Funding Opportunity.

What if I am ready to apply? To move your project forward, take the following action steps as soon as possible:

• Review the Notice of Funding Opportunity for additional details and project activities.
• Watch the new, pre-recorded NEH Preservation and Access webinar for more information about the program.
• Check out the National Endowment for Humanities and NEH Division of Preservation and Access websites, which include news updates and related programs.
• Review sample application narratives and recently funded programs on the opportunity resource page.
• Make sure your System for Award Management (SAM) registration is active and be sure you have a Grants.gov profile. You can check your SAM status here: https://sam.gov/content/status-tracker.

What if I need help with this application?

Contact Assel Grant Services (AGS) today! Our team can help with all aspects of preparing the application and managing the grant if you are awarded. If you would like to discuss this possibility, please contact AGS as soon as possible. Rosie Brennan, Community Engagement Specialist, will be happy to talk with you about this opportunity and provide you a quote for grant services.

What if I am not ready to apply this year?

Start preparing for next year! NEH has a variety of other programs and funding opportunities available that might be a good fit, depending on your organization’s service area, target population, and objectives. The NEH website has a wealth of resources available, including examples of previously funded projects.

How do I learn more about federal grant proposal writing, so my application is more likely to be successful?

AGS is excited to offer a Federal Grants Training Series in 2022! The series is designed to support nonprofit leaders before and during the application process. AGS also offers several on demand webinars on a variety of topics to support the full grant cycle. Check out our website to learn more and sign up for our training newsletter.

AGS blogs, funding alerts, and trainings are aligned with the Grant Professional Certification Institute’s Competencies and Skills

Competency #1: Knowledge of how to research, identify, and match funding resources to meet specific needs

Skill 1.2: Identify major trends in public funding and public policy

Skill 1.6: Identify fundable programs and projects for specific organization

Skill 1.7: Determine best matches between funders and specific programs