Update National Register Nomination for Cape Lookout National Seashore to include Slave Era Documentation | P17AS00617

Opportunity Information: Apply for P17AS00617

The Department of the Interior, National Park Service, announced a discretionary funding opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number P17AS00617) to update the existing National Register of Historic Places nomination for Portsmouth Village within Cape Lookout National Seashore. The core purpose of the project is to revise and expand Section 8 of the original Portsmouth Village nomination form, which was accepted by the National Register Keeper in 1978, so that it more fully and explicitly documents the African American experience connected to the site. In practical terms, the update is meant to strengthen the historical record by adding researched, well-supported information about slavery-era maritime life and the ways enslaved and free African Americans were part of the coastal economy, shipping networks, labor systems, and community development associated with Portsmouth Village.

This effort is framed as both a research and public history initiative. By focusing on the maritime history of slavery and related African American experiences, the project aims to surface and interpret stories that have often been minimized or omitted in earlier documentation and public narratives. The National Park Service indicates that the revised nomination content is intended to increase public awareness and deepen visitor understanding and appreciation of this history, highlighting a perspective that has not traditionally received equal attention in official site documentation.

The award is structured as a cooperative agreement, reflecting an active partnership role for the National Park Service in carrying out the work rather than a more hands-off grant arrangement. The activity category is listed as Science and Technology and other Research and Development, signaling that the work involves systematic investigation, documentation, and synthesis of historical evidence suitable for an official National Register update. The federal assistance listing is CFDA 15.945. The opportunity anticipates a single award with an expected maximum funding amount (award ceiling) of $68,790.

Eligibility is identified broadly to include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education as well as other eligible entities as clarified in the opportunity’s eligibility notes. However, this announcement is not an open call for applications. Instead, it is a notice of intent to make a restricted award to East Carolina University, identified as a partner under the Piedmont South Atlantic Coast Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Unit. The notice was created on August 4, 2017, and explicitly states that it is not requesting applications, meaning the funding was intended to be directed to the named partner for this specific scope of work.

Overall, the opportunity is about improving an established National Register nomination so it better reflects the full historical reality of Portsmouth Village and Cape Lookout National Seashore, with particular attention to documenting slavery-era maritime history and African American lived experience. The end result would be an expanded and more inclusive Section 8 narrative that can support both preservation planning and more accurate public interpretation by the National Park Service.

• The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Update National Register Nomination for Cape Lookout National Seashore to include Slave Era Documentation" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.945.
• This funding opportunity was created on Aug 04, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by This is not a request for applications. This is a notice of intent to make a restricted award to East Carolina University, a partner under the Piedmont South Atlantic Coast Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Unit.. (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 $68,790.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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