OARS funding Libraries & Museums

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) invites cooperative agreement (UG4) applications for Regional Medical Libraries (RMLs) as an integral component of the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM). The goal of the NN/LM is to advance the progress of medicine and improve public health by providing U.S. health professionals with equal access to biomedical information and improving individual's access to information to enable them to make informed decisions about their health. Eight Health Sciences Libraries will function as the RML for their respective region. The RMLs will coordinate the operation of a Network of Libraries and other organizations to carry out regional and national programs. The RMLs will ensure a continuity of quality service for core programs of the NN/LM, and cooperatively design, implement and evaluate innovative approaches to serve the health information needs of health professionals and the public in the future.

The purpose of this grant is to provide support for research, development, or demonstration projects that will help to promote excellence in the field of health sciences librarianship and information sciences. Grants range from $100 to $1000. Grants will not be given to support an activity that is operational in nature or has only local usefulness. More than one award may be granted in a year.

Native Hawaiian Library Services grant projects may enhance existing library services or implement new library services, particularly as they relate to the following goals in the updated Museum and Library Services Act (20 U.S.C. §9141): 1. Expanding services for learning and access to information and educational resources in a variety of formats, in all types of libraries, for individuals of all ages in order to support such individuals' needs for education, lifelong learning, workforce development, and digital literacy skills 2. Establishing or enhancing electronic and other linkages and improved coordination among and between libraries and entities for the purpose of improving the quality of and access to library and information services 3. (A) Providing training and professional development, including continuing education, to enhance the skills of the current library workforce and leadership, and advance the delivery of library and information services, and (B) Enhancing efforts to recruit future professionals to the field of library and information services 4. Developing public and private partnerships with other agencies and community-based organizations 5. Targeting library services to individuals of diverse geographic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds, to individuals with disabilities, and to individuals with limited functional literacy or information skills 6. Targeting library and information services to persons having difficulty using a library and to underserved urban and rural communities, including children (from birth through age 17) from families with incomes below the poverty line (as defined by the Office of Management and Budget and revised annually in accordance with section 9902(2) of title 42) applicable to a family of the size involved 7. Developing library services that provide all users access to information through local, state, regional, national, and international collaborations and networks 8. Carrying out other activities cons

Enhancement Grant projects may enhance existing library services or implement new library services, particularly as they relate to the following goals in the updated Museum and Library Services Act (20 U.S.C. §9141): (1) Expanding services for learning and access to information and educational resources in a variety of formats, in all types of libraries, for individuals of all ages in order to support such individuals' needs for education, lifelong learning, workforce development, and digital literacy skills (2) Establishing or enhancing electronic and other linkages and improved coordination among and between libraries and entities for the purpose of improving the quality of and access to library and information services (3) (A) Providing training and professional development, including continuing education, to enhance the skills of the current library workforce and leadership, and advance the delivery of library and information services, and (B) Enhancing efforts to recruit future professionals to the field of library and information services (4) Developing public and private partnerships with other agencies and community-based organizations (5) Targeting library services to individuals of diverse geographic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds, to individuals with disabilities, and to individuals with limited functional literacy or information skills (6) Targeting library and information services to persons having difficulty using a library and to underserved urban and rural communities, including children (from birth through age 17) from families with incomes below the poverty line (as defined by the Office of Management and Budget and revised annually in accordance with section 9902(2) of title 42) applicable to a family of the size involved (7) Developing library services that provide all users access to information through local, state, regional, national, and international collaborations and networks (8) Carrying out other activities consistent with t

NEH¿s Division of Public Programs supports activities that engage millions of Americans in understanding significant humanities works and ideas. At the center of every NEH-funded public humanities project is a core set of humanities ideas developed by scholars, matched to imaginative formats that bring those ideas to life for people of all ages and all walks of life. Projects must be analytical and deeply grounded in humanities scholarship in a discipline such as history, religion, anthropology, jurisprudence, or art history. NEH is a national funding agency, so the projects we support must demonstrate the potential to attract a broad, general audience. We welcome humanities projects tailored to particular groups, such as families, youth (including K-12 students), teachers, seniors, at-risk communities, and veterans, but they should also strive to cultivate a more inclusive audience. Museums, Libraries, and Cultural Organizations grants provide support for museums, libraries, historic places, and other organizations that produce public programs in the humanities. Planning grants support the following formats: ¿ exhibitions at museums, libraries, and other venues; ¿ interpretations of historic places, sites, or regions; and ¿ book/film discussion programs; living history presentations; and other face-to-face programs at libraries, community centers, and other public venues. Implementation grants support the following formats: ¿ exhibitions at museums, libraries, and other venues; ¿ interpretations of historic places, sites, or regions; ¿ book/film discussion programs; living history presentations; other face-to-face programs at libraries, community centers, and other public venues; and ¿ interpretive websites, mobile applications, games, and other digital formats. Types of Museums, Libraries, and Cultural Organizations awards Planning grants support the early stages of project development, including consultation with scholars, refinement of humanities themes,

The National NAGPRA Program assists the Secretary of the Interior with some responsibilities under NAGPRA. Section 10 of NAGPRA authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to make grants to museums, Indian tribes, and Native Hawaiian organizations for the purposes of assisting in consultation, documentation, and repatriation of Native American ¿cultural items,¿ including human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony.

The Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) is pleased to offer a limited number of conference grants. These grants will be used to subsidize the cost of attendance for individuals to attend either CUR Dialogues 2015: Climbing the Ladder to Funding Success: Diverse Sources, Diverse Pathways or Undergraduate Research Programs: Building, Enhancing, Sustaining. Nominees are asked to provide contact and demographic information, a statement of expenses, a statement describing financial need, and a statement on expected outcomes from attending the conference. Historically under-represented groups and first-time attendees will be given priority. The review committee will work to ensure awardees represent a diverse subset of the applicants, specifically across discipline/CUR Division and geographic location. Awardees will receive the conference grant as a rebate after their confirmed participation in the conference, and the submission of reimbursement paperwork.

In September, Miami received notice from the government that our new F&A rates are: 44.5% for On Campus Organized Research 44.0% On Campus Sponsored Instruction 39.0% On Campus Other Sponsored Activities 26.0% Off Campus All Programs These rates are effective beginning September 1, 2014. Awards received beginning in September and all proposal submissions going forward will be required to use the new rates.

The Sparks! Ignition Grants for Museums program is a special funding opportunity within the IMLS National Leadership Grants for Museums program. These small grants encourage museums to prototype and evaluate specific innovations in the ways they operate and the services they provide. Project results - be they success, failure, or a combination thereof - should offer valuable information to the museum field and the potential for improvement in the ways museums serve their communities.

National Leadership Grants for Libraries (NLG) support projects that address challenges faced by the library and archive fields and that have the potential to advance practice in those fields. Successful proposals will generate results such as new tools, research findings, models, services, practices, or alliances that can be widely used, adapted, scaled, or replicated to extend the benefits of federal investment.We anticipate two FY15 National Leadership Grants for Libraries funding opportunities with two separate deadlines. In addition to the opportunity described in this Notice of Funding Opportunity, an additional NLG funding opportunity is anticipated to be announced in December 2014 with an application submission due date of February 2015.

Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections (SCHC) helps cultural institutions meet the complex challenge of preserving large and diverse holdings of humanities materials for future generations by supporting sustainable conservation measures that mitigate deterioration and prolong the useful life of collections. Libraries, archives, museums, and historical organizations across the country face an enormous challenge: to preserve collections that facilitate research, strengthen teaching, and provide opportunities for life-long learning in the humanities. Ensuring the preservation of books and manuscripts, photographs, sound recordings and moving images, archaeological and ethnographic artifacts, art, and historical objects requires institutions to implement measures that slow deterioration and prevent catastrophic loss. This work is best accomplished through preventive conservation, which encompasses managing relative humidity, temperature, light, and pollutants in collection spaces; providing protective storage enclosures and systems for collections; and safeguarding collections from theft and from natural and man-made disasters. As museums, libraries, archives, and other collecting institutions strive to be effective stewards of humanities collections, they must find ways to implement preventive conservation measures that are sustainable. This program therefore helps cultural repositories plan and implement preservation strategies that pragmatically balance effectiveness, cost, and environmental impact. Sustainable approaches to preservation can contribute to an institution¿s financial health, reduce its use of fossil fuels, and benefit its green initiatives, while ensuring that collections are well cared for and available for use in humanities programming, education, and research.

The Big Read supports organizations across the country in developing community-wide reading programs which encourage reading and participation by diverse audiences. These programs include activities such as author readings, book discussions, art exhibits, lectures, film series, music or dance events, theatrical performances, panel discussions, and other events and activities related to the community's chosen book or poet. Activities focus on one book or poet from The Big Read catalog.

National Leadership Grants support projects that address challenges faced by the museum, library, and/or archive fields and that have the potential to advance practice in those fields. Successful proposals will seek innovative responses to the challenge(s) identified in the proposals, and will have national impact. IMLS invites libraries to address STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) in their programs and projects in order to advance learning and support the acquisition of STEM knowledge at all ages, but particularly for at-risk youth. Click here to learn more about IMLS's role in STEM initiatives. Projects addressing STEM learning should check the appropriate box on the Program Information Sheet component of the application.

Museums, Libraries, and Cultural Organizations grants provide support for museums, libraries, historic places, and other organizations that produce public programs in the humanities. Grants support the following formats:¿ exhibitions at museums, libraries, and other venues;¿ interpretations of historic places, sites, or regions;¿ book/film discussion programs; living history presentations; other face-to-face programs at libraries, community centers, and other public venues; and¿ interpretive websites and other digital formats.Types of Museums, Libraries, and Cultural Organizations awards Planning grants support the early stages of project development, including consultation with scholars, refinement of humanities themes, preliminary design, testing, and audience evaluation. Implementation grants support final scholarly research and consultation, design development, production, and installation of a project for presentation to the public.

National Leadership Grants support projects that address challenges faced by the museum, library, and/or archive fields and that have the potential to advance practice in those fields. Successful proposals will seek innovative responses to the challenge(s) identified in the proposals, and will have national impact. For FY2014, IMLS continues to pursue its commitment to early learning by seeking proposals addressing learners from ages 0-8 and their parents and caregivers. Library applicants are encouraged to partner with community organizations to address at least one of the challenges identified by the Campaign for Grade Level Reading including school readiness, summer reading loss, and chronic school absence. Click here to learn more about IMLS's role in this initiative. 

To encourage and enrich international partnerships between art museums, and to enable curators outside the United States both to learn more about historical American art and to develop exhibitions of American art at their home institutions, the foundation offers two types of Exhibition Research and Development Grants: Convening Grants for Internationally Collaborative Exhibitions and Curatorial Travel Grants to the United States. Applications will be judged competitively on an annual basis beginning in spring 2011.

The Medici Archive Project (MAP) wishes to provide graduate and doctoral students from diverse disciplines with the opportunity to have exposure to original source materials and training in their use. For this reason MAP is offering five short-term fellowships sponsored by the SAMUEL FREEMAN CHARITABLE TRUST (SFCF) for graduate students in any field of the humanities or social sciences who are in the early stages of their dissertation work. The SFCF fellowships have been developed to enable students working on their dissertations to conduct primary research using the Mediceo del Principato and other collections housed in the Archivio di Stato in Florence. This scholarly residence will be of considerable benefit in helping the students to gain the necessary skills, experience and confidence to continue independent academic research in the later stages of their graduate trajectory. While undertaking primary research for their dissertation in the Florentine state archives, the Fellows will benefit from the supervision of the MAP Staff, academics drawn from a variety of disciplines who are experts in archival research, paleography and the digital humanities. The Fellows will also have the opportunity to expand their academic networks through contact with the many international scholars who regularly visit and collaborate with MAP. Finally, Fellows will be enrolled in the annual MAP Archival Studies Seminar. The fellowships last for an uninterrupted period of two-and-a-half months, taking place at any point between 1 January 2014 and 15 July 2014. The SFCT Fellows will undertake their dissertation research on-site in the Archivio di Stato. The candidates will have the following qualifications: a completed M.Phil (or equivalent) in any field of early modern humanities and fluency in English and Italian.

The Sparks! Ignition Grants for Libraries are a special funding opportunity within the IMLS National Leadership Grants for Libraries program. These small grants encourage libraries and archives to test and evaluate specific innovations in the ways they operate and the services they provide. Sparks Grants support the deployment, testing, and evaluation of promising and groundbreaking new tools, products, services, or organizational practices. You may propose activities or approaches that involve risk, as long as the risk is balanced by significant potential for improvement in the ways libraries and museums serve their communities. Successful proposals will address problems, challenges, or needs of broad relevance to libraries and/or archives. A proposed project should test a specific, innovative response to the identified problem and present a plan to make the findings widely and openly accessible.

Sparks! Ignition Grants for Libraries (Sparks Grants) are a special funding opportunity within the IMLS National Leadership Grants for Libraries program. These small grants encourage libraries, and archives to prototype and evaluate specific innovations in the ways they operate and the services they provide, resulting in new tools, products, services, or organizational practices. You may propose activities or approaches that involve risk, as long as the project results - be they success, failure, or a combination thereof - offer valuable information to the library field and the potential for improvement in the ways libraries serve their communities. You are required to submit a short white paper, with the results of your work to be publicly posted and shared with the field.

Selected Fellows will participate in curatorial work and research for a period of four to twelve months at museums or art institutions (in China, Taiwan, Canada, Germany, U.K. or U.S.A.) outside their national borders. Young fellows with less experience will have the opportunities to work under leading curatorial professionals. Round-trip airfare, accommodation, and living expenses during the attachment period will be covered.