Access to Historical Records: An Overview (and Several Tips) You may either have ATT Connect call you or dial in yourself Access code: Alex Lorch, ,

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Agenda 1. Important webpages 2. Eligible applicants 3. Eligible/ineligible activities 4. Deadlines 5. Drafts 6. Application Details 7. About Those Records… 8. The Review Process Explained 9. Your Questions Answered Alex Lorch, ,

- Access to Historical Records grant announcement webpage faqs.htmlhttp:// faqs.html - Access to Historical Records FAQs - What We Do/Do Not Fund webpage *** I will post this page again later in the presentation Alex Lorch, ,

Eligible Applicants Nonprofit organizations or institutions United States colleges, universities, and other academic institutions State or local government agencies Federally-acknowledged or state-recognized Native American tribes or groups Alex Lorch, ,

Eligible Activities Preservation, arrangement, and online description of archival materials Digital preservation of electronic records and unstable audio/moving image formats Retrospective conversion of descriptive information (legacy finding aids to EAD, for instance) Digitization of collections or series processed during the grant project Alex Lorch, ,

Examples of Ineligible Activities Digitization of already processed records (see Digital Dissemination of Archival Records grant announcement to do this) Preservation surveys or archival needs assessments Documentation surveys Collecting/acquiring archival records Archival start-ups, including electronic records start-ups Projects involving books, newspapers, museum objects, and art Transcription Alex Lorch, ,

Deadlines Drafts: Monday, 4 April 2016 Final application: Wednesday, 15 June 2016 Awards announced: November/December 2016 NHPRC support begins 1 January 2017 or later (likely later) Alex Lorch, ,

Drafts: Optional, but… Submit to me via at Requires narrative and budget at minimum. Don’t procrastinate. Drafts read in the order they are received. Final application submitted via Grants.gov website according to application instructions.

Must include project narrative (20 pp. maximum), summary (3 pp. max), and federal budget form (found on our website) Pages must be double-spaced, 12-pt. font, with standard margins Must also include several required “supplementary materials” About those supplementary materials… Application Details

Prepare up to 20 pages, including: Brief résumés of key, named staff members Use only institutional addresses and phone numbers and limit to two pages per staff member Position descriptions for staff to be hired with grant funds Detailed work plan charts that supplement the Narrative Institution's preservation plan for digital materials (if applicable) Samples from existing finding aid(s) or indexes for selected materials Letters of support Note: If these materials are available on a web site, please provide the URL(s). Reviewers appreciate application with fewer supplemental pages. Supplementary Materials

Cost share equaling at least 50% of total project costs is required Grant funds cannot pay indirect costs Grants for 1 or 2 years and up to $200,000. The Commission would expect to make about 14 awards for a total of $1,000,000 Commission typically frowns on grant funds paying significant portion of existing FTE Important Budget Considerations

About Those Records… They must: – Benefit a broad American public – Not be federal – Not be restricted – Have full and clear rights (if digitization is taking place) You must: – Demonstrate how access will increase public understanding of the national experience – Include usage statistics (preferably data but anecdotal ok, too) – Include citations or bibliographies showing published use by researchers And also… Letters of support from scholars/researchers are your friend Alex Lorch, ,

Common Questions About the Records “But the collection isn’t processed yet. How can I demonstrate use?” “These are local records/university records, and so they aren’t “nationally significant,” right?” “Well, we have the papers of [insert prominent historical figure name] and the historical significance is obvious, right?” “Can we crowdsource transcription activities?” Alex Lorch, ,

The Review Process Explained 1. Pre-application 2. Apply 3. Receive acknowledgment from NHPRC if eligible 4. Receive formal ineligible letter if not 5. NHPRC staff, 5-7 Peers, and SHRABs review each proposal 6. Applicant receives those reviews, along w/”questions letter” 7. Applicant responds (or doesn’t) to reviews/letter or 8. Applicant chooses to withdraw 9. Commission recommends funding at its meeting 10. Applicants receive letter from NHPRC Alex Lorch, ,

Read, digest, and follow grant announcement rules and instructions Contact an NHPRC program officer Contact your SHRAB coordinator Contact current/former grantees Contact your institution’s Sponsored Programs/Grants Office Become familiar with Grants.gov You’d Be Surprised How Many Applicants Don’t…

- Access to Historical Records grant announcement webpage - Access to Historical Records FAQs - What We Do/Do Not Fund webpage Alex Lorch, ,

Alex Lorch, Director, Access to Historical Records : or Fire Away: Your Questions