State Board | STATE 201906

Opportunity Information: Apply for STATE 201906

The "State Board" grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number: STATE 201906; CFDA: 89.003) is offered by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC), part of the National Archives and Records Administration. It is a discretionary grant program focused on strengthening the nationwide archival system by funding work led by State Historical Records Advisory Boards (SHRABs) and, in many cases, the state archives or other designated state entities that support them. The central aim is to improve how historical records are preserved, managed, and shared, with a strong emphasis on expanding online access, promoting sound archival practices, and helping the public connect with primary sources both locally and digitally.

Projects funded under this program are expected to improve archival capacity at the state level through practical, community-facing activities. NHPRC is looking for proposals that help state boards run regrant programs that push resources out to local repositories to preserve historically significant records and make them accessible online. The program also supports educational and outreach efforts such as workshops, trainings, and public programs that increase engagement with historical records among citizens, educators, and students. Another priority is institutional advancement, especially for organizations in underserved communities; this can include scholarships, training opportunities, and other support designed to build skills, infrastructure, and long-term stewardship capacity. In addition, the program encourages collaboration, whether within a single state or across a consortium of states, to address shared challenges or seize common opportunities across archives and records programs. Funding can also support meetings and public forums that elevate statewide or national archival issues and help coordinate action across the archival community. Across all of these activities, NHPRC encourages applicants to actively involve the public in the work of the project, not just treat outreach as an add-on.

Funding is offered in two tiers. Level I grants provide up to $12,000 for one year. Level II grants can fund up to $40,000 for one year, or up to $80,000 for two years. Applicants must choose either Level I or Level II and cannot request both in the same application. NHPRC anticipated making up to 30 awards under this category, totaling up to $800,000. For the cycle described, applications were due June 12, 2019, and awards were set to begin no earlier than January 1, 2020. Grant recipients must acknowledge NHPRC support in publicity, publications, and any products created with grant assistance.

Eligibility is narrowly defined: awards are intended for the official State Historical Records Advisory Board in each state, or the state agency responsible for that board, which is typically the state archives. However, another state agency or an eligible nonprofit organization (such as a foundation or university) may apply on behalf of the designated state agency. The geographic definition of "states" includes the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and US territories. The opportunity listing also notes eligible applicant types broadly (state governments, public and state-controlled higher education institutions, private higher education institutions, and 501(c)(3) nonprofits), but this is conditioned by the program rule that applications must be connected to the designated state board structure.

The program requires cost sharing. NHPRC will cover no more than 75 percent of total project costs, meaning the applicant (and/or partners) must provide at least 25 percent of the total through cash or allowable contributions. The non-federal share can include direct costs and indirect costs, in-kind contributions, third-party non-federal support, and project-generated income, but indirect costs cannot be charged to NHPRC funds and must be counted only as part of the applicant's cost share (consistent with the cited federal regulation at 2 CFR 2600.101). Applicants also need to pay close attention to NHPRC's published list of what it will and will not fund; proposals made up entirely of ineligible activities are rejected without review, so aligning the work plan to eligible activities is essential.

Administratively, applicants must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) before applying and must maintain an active SAM registration throughout the submission and award process. A valid DUNS number is required in the application (as stated in the opportunity materials), and applicants are directed to SAM.gov guidance documents for registration steps and requirements.

• The National Archives and Records Administration in the humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "State Board" 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 27, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 12, 2019. (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 $80,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 30 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for STATE 201906

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