Public Engagement with Historical Records | ENGAGEMENT 202311

Opportunity Information: Apply for ENGAGEMENT 202311

The Public Engagement with Historical Records grant, offered by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) within the National Archives and Records Administration, supports projects that help the public discover, understand, and use historical records in meaningful ways. The program is built around collaboration: NHPRC is looking for partnerships among archivists, educators, historians (including documentary editors), and practitioners in community-based archives that actively bring people into contact with primary sources. A key goal is to fund projects that do not just benefit one institution, but instead produce models, tools, or technologies that can be freely adopted by other organizations and adapted to serve other communities.

NHPRC is especially interested in projects that elevate and preserve the voices, experiences, and histories of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. The opportunity also highlights the approaching 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence as a timely moment for projects that expand discovery and access to collections addressing the ideals associated with the nation’s founding, as well as the long-running debates and struggles over those ideals from the past through the present. In practical terms, the Commission wants projects that use historical records to engage people for institutional, educational, and personal purposes, encouraging real public participation rather than passive consumption.

The eligible project activities are broad, but they must clearly center on public engagement with historical records. One strong example is “citizen archivist” programming, where volunteers help accelerate access to records, particularly digitized materials available online. This can include tasks like identifying and tagging documents, transcribing handwritten material, annotating records, or otherwise improving description and discoverability so collections become easier for the public to search and use. Another common fit is designing educational or creative programming for K-12 students, college students, or community members that teaches participants how to work with archival materials, whether those records already exist in repositories or are gathered as part of the proposed project. NHPRC also welcomes projects that collect primary source materials directly from people through public events, then share and interpret the results through community discussions, public programs, or websites. The program further recognizes creative and arts-based engagement, such as using records in educational settings to inspire performances, visual art, audiovisual collages, or even musical works that incorporate text as lyrics or musical elements.

Funding is competitive and relatively focused in scale. Awards typically run one to three years. NHPRC expects to make up to five grants, generally ranging from $50,000 to $150,000 each, with up to $600,000 total available under this opportunity. Awards cannot start earlier than July 1, 2024. Grant recipients are required to acknowledge NHPRC support in any publications or products that result from the funded work. Applicants should also pay attention to the agency’s funding limitations: proposals made up entirely of activities NHPRC considers ineligible will not be reviewed, so it is important to align project plans with the program’s “what we do and do not fund” guidance.

Eligibility is open to several categories of applicants, including nonprofit organizations and institutions, colleges and universities (public or private), state or local government agencies, and federally recognized or acknowledged, or state-recognized Native American tribes or groups. To be considered, a project must include at least one of the eligible engagement activities described in the announcement, and the application must be complete, including the required federal and NHPRC forms and attachments (SF-424, a narrative, the NHPRC budget form, and supplemental materials). In addition, applicants are expected to review and follow NHPRC rules for administering an award to ensure their project and organization meet all compliance requirements.

Cost sharing (matching) is mandatory for this program. NHPRC will fund no more than 75 percent of the total project cost, meaning the applicant must cover at least 25 percent through cash, allowable in-kind contributions, third-party non-federal support, eligible direct or indirect expenses, and even program income earned by the project. A notable budgeting rule is that NHPRC funds cannot be used for indirect costs; if an applicant includes indirect costs in the overall project budget, those must be counted as part of the organization’s cost share rather than the federal request.

Finally, organizations must be properly registered to apply and receive an award. Applicants need an active System for Award Management (SAM) registration, must maintain that registration throughout the process, and must include a valid Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) in the application. Because SAM.gov and Grants.gov registration or reactivation can take up to a month, applicants are expected to plan ahead; NHPRC will not extend deadlines due to missing or incomplete registrations. The original closing date listed for this opportunity was November 2, 2023, under Funding Opportunity Number ENGAGEMENT 202311 (CFDA 89.003).

• The National Archives and Records Administration in the humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Public Engagement with Historical Records" 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 May 18, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 02, 2023. (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 $150,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.

Apply for ENGAGEMENT 202311

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