State Board Programming Grants | STATE 202006

Opportunity Information: Apply for STATE 202006

State Board Programming Grants are offered by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC), part of the National Archives and Records Administration, to strengthen the United States archival network through the work of State Historical Records Advisory Boards (SHRABs). The overall aim is to help states preserve historical records, expand online access to those records, and improve how archives and local repositories care for and share primary sources. The program also places a strong emphasis on public benefit, meaning projects should help connect people with historical materials both in their own communities and through online access.

Funding is designed to support practical, statewide programming led by state boards. Supported activities include operating state regrant programs that fund preservation and digitization so records can be made available online; delivering educational and outreach efforts such as workshops, training events, and other programs that increase engagement by citizens, educators, and students; and offering scholarships or training opportunities that build capacity in records repositories, especially organizations in underserved communities. The program also supports collaboration, such as joint projects with other organizations to address shared archival challenges within a state or across a consortium of state archives, as well as participation in meetings and public forums focused on statewide or national archival issues. NHPRC is open to both well-established methods with proven outcomes and newer, more innovative approaches, as long as the work is clearly tied to these goals.

Applications are expected to go beyond describing activities and include clear plans for follow-up and evaluation. Proposals should explain how the state board will contact participating institutions and individuals (for example, regrant recipients, scholarship recipients, and workshop attendees) to learn what benefits they gained. They should also describe an evaluation process for assessing whether the board programs are effective and how the board will use results to improve or adjust programming over time. NHPRC also notes that certain activities are not eligible for funding, and applicants are expected to review the agency guidance on what NHPRC does and does not fund; applications made up entirely of ineligible activities will not be reviewed.

The opportunity offers two funding levels. Level I awards are for one year and can request up to $12,000. Level II awards can be either one year for up to $40,000 or two years for up to $80,000. An applicant may choose to apply for either Level I or Level II, but not both. NHPRC anticipated making up to 30 awards in this category, totaling up to $800,000. Awards under this cycle were expected to start no earlier than January 1, 2021, and grant recipients must acknowledge NHPRC support in publicity, publications, and other products created with grant assistance.

Eligibility is narrowly focused on state-level archival leadership. Only State Historical Records Advisory Boards (or the state agency responsible for the board, typically the state archives) may receive these grants. However, another state agency or an eligible nonprofit or university may apply on behalf of the designated state agency. For eligibility purposes, the term "states" includes the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and US territories.

Cost sharing is required. NHPRC will cover no more than 75 percent of a project’s total cost, so applicants must provide at least 25 percent in matching support. The match can include a mix of direct or indirect expenses, in-kind contributions, non-federal third-party contributions, and income earned directly by the project. A key restriction is that NHPRC funds cannot be used for indirect costs; if indirect costs are part of the overall project budget, they must be included under the applicant’s cost-share contribution rather than charged to the grant.

Finally, there are standard federal registration requirements. Applicants must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) before applying, keep that registration active through the application and award period, and include a valid DUNS number in the application (reflecting the requirements in place for this opportunity). The funding opportunity is identified as STATE 202006 (CFDA 89.003), categorized as a discretionary grant in the humanities/cultural affairs space, with an original closing date of June 10, 2020 for the cycle described in the source text.

• The National Archives and Records Administration in the humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "State Board Programming Grants" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 89.003.
• This funding opportunity was created on Dec 09, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 10, 2020. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $80,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 30 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for STATE 202006

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