Archives Collaboratives | COLLABORATIVES 202206

Opportunity Information: Apply for COLLABORATIVES 202206

The Archives Collaboratives grant opportunity is offered by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) within the National Archives and Records Administration. Its main goal is to help groups of archives and other records-holding repositories work together so that their historical collections are easier for the public to find, explore, and use. The program is specifically designed for collaboratives made up of three or more organizations, and it supports efforts that move beyond a single institution acting alone by encouraging shared infrastructure, shared learning, and shared long-term strategies.

At the heart of the program is the idea that collaboration can expand access and strengthen the archival field, especially for smaller and underserved institutions. NHPRC is interested in projects where partners share best practices, tools, and techniques; evaluate each institution's strengths and needs; and build practical, repeatable approaches that other repositories could also adopt. Strong proposals often focus on improving digital access to historical materials, including building sustainable digital platforms and approaches that can virtually bring together related records held across multiple institutions. The program also emphasizes governance and management structures that help a collaborative last beyond the grant period, rather than ending when the funding runs out. NHPRC clearly signals that it welcomes collaboratives that prioritize capacity-building for small, local archives, particularly those preserving and providing access to the voices and perspectives of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.

The collaborative itself can be structured in several ways. Partner organizations may be located in the same community, state, or region, but they do not have to be; the program allows for "virtual" or online collaboratives as well. Partners can be connected by the subjects represented in their collections, by similar missions, or by serving similar user communities. What matters is that there are at least three committed organizations working together on a shared plan to improve public discovery and use of historical records.

NHPRC offers two funding tracks under this opportunity: Planning Grants and Implementation Grants. Planning Grants support the early stage work of forming and designing an effective collaborative. These are one-year awards of up to $25,000 total per collaborative (shared across the consortium). Planning projects are meant to help partners formalize their collaboration by developing a clear mission, a realistic work plan, and a timeline. Planning can also include designing or selecting a shared best practice, tool, or technique that will measurably increase public access to historical records. A key expectation is that the commitment of partners is secured before applying; in other words, the application should already reflect a real consortium, not a tentative idea.

Implementation Grants support collaboratives that are ready to carry out the action items identified during planning, whether that planning happened through an NHPRC Planning Grant or independently. These awards can last one or two years and provide up to $100,000 per collaborative (again, shared across the consortium). Implementation projects are expected to demonstrate concrete organizational commitments, along with a detailed work plan and timeline. NHPRC anticipated making up to four Implementation awards (up to $400,000 total) and up to four Planning awards (up to $100,000 total) under this specific cycle. For the cycle described, applications were due June 8, 2022, and projects were expected to start January 1, 2023.

Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations and institutions, colleges and universities (public or private), state or local government agencies, and federally acknowledged or state recognized Native American tribes or groups. Because NHPRC has specific limits on what it will and will not fund, applicants are expected to review the agency's eligibility guidance and funding restrictions; proposals made up entirely of ineligible activities will not be considered. The opportunity is listed as a discretionary grant in the humanities/cultural affairs space (CFDA 89.003).

Cost sharing is required for both Planning and Implementation Grants. NHPRC will cover no more than 75 percent of the total project cost, meaning the applicant consortium must provide at least 25 percent through a combination of cash and allowable contributions. The cost share may include direct and indirect expenses, in-kind contributions, third-party non-federal support, and project-generated income. One important budgeting rule is that NHPRC funds cannot be used for indirect costs; if an organization is claiming indirect costs, those must be counted under the applicant's cost share rather than charged to the grant.

There are also standard federal administrative requirements. The applicant organization must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) before submitting an application and must keep that registration active throughout the application and award process. The application must include a valid DUNS number (as stated in the opportunity materials for that cycle). Finally, award recipients are required to acknowledge NHPRC support in publications and other products created with grant assistance, reinforcing the expectation that funded work will result in public-facing outputs and broader field benefit.

• The National Archives and Records Administration in the humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Archives Collaboratives" 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 Nov 19, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 08, 2022. (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 $100,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 4 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 COLLABORATIVES 202206

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