Digitizing Historical Documents and Media for Preservation and Accessibility Enhancement
Applying for an Archival Project Grant through the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) for FY 2026
The National Archives supports archival projects through the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC). For FY 2026, the NHPRC is accepting applications for Archival Project Grants that significantly improve online public discovery and use of historical records collections.
Key Details and Requirements
- Project Focus: Improve public access and use of historical records; engage public and civic education; promote understanding of American history and democracy.
- Eligible Content: Collections spanning from the founding era to present day; emphasis on early legal records is encouraged.
- Proposal Deadlines:
- Optional Draft Deadline: August 15, 2025
- Full Proposal Deadline: November 5, 2025
- Funding Amount: Up to $150,000 per project.
- Application Process: Submission of a full proposal by the deadline. An optional draft proposal can be submitted earlier for feedback.
- Additional Notes: Projects must align with NHPRC’s goals to deepen understanding of American history, culture, or government.
The Application Process
Applicants should submit a draft proposal prior to making a formal application. Draft materials should include, at minimum, the project narrative and budget, and drafts should be sent directly to the Director for Access Programs, Nancy Melley ([email protected]), who will provide comments on the proposal.
After submitting a proposal, applicants will receive an informal offer of award outlining the steps that must be accomplished to qualify for funding. Those steps include verification of their acceptance of general terms and conditions, completion of a survey on their Financial Capability and Accounting Systems, and finalization of performance objectives for their project.
The Proposal Structure
The Project Narrative should be no more than 20 double-spaced pages and should include a Statement of Purpose, Overview, Archival Program Description, Description of Collections, Archival Methodologies, Project Products, Project Publicity, Plan of Work, Staff Qualifications, Performance Objectives, Supplementary Materials, and a Project Budget.
Supplementary Materials should include brief resumes of all named staff members, position descriptions for staff to be hired with grant funds, detailed work plan charts, the institution's preservation plan for digital materials, samples from existing finding aid(s) or indexes for selected materials (if applicable), letters of support, and statements of commitment to the project by partners (if applicable).
Eligibility
Applicants must be U.S. nonprofit organizations or institutions, U.S. colleges, universities, and other academic institutions, state or local government agencies, or Federally-acknowledged or state-recognized Native American tribes or groups.
Applicant organizations must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) prior to submitting an application, maintain SAM registration throughout the application and award process, and include a valid Unique Entity ID in their application.
For awards that meet or exceed the Federal government's simplified acquisition threshold (currently $250,000), NHPRC staff will first review and consider any information about the applicant that appears in the designated integrity and performance system. This information is accessible through SAM (currently FAPIIS) (see 41 U.S.C. 2313). After this review, NHPRC staff will follow the procedures in 2 CFR 200, subpart F, Appendix I, part e.3.
Submission
You must use Grants.gov to submit your final Proposal. In the event of technical difficulties, applicants must resolve the issue with the Grants.gov Support Center. If Grants.gov cannot solve the problem, applicants may request an alternative. To make use of the NHPRC backup system, applicants must contact Jeff de la Concepcion ([email protected]) no later than 3:00 Eastern Time on the day of the deadline with their valid Grants.gov SupportCenter trouble-ticket number. Applications that fail to meet deadlines for reasons other than those noted will not be considered for funding.
The Funding Opportunity Number for Archival Projects in FY 2026 is ARCHIVAL-202511.
For more detailed information, please review the rules and regulations governing NHPRC grants under the "Administering an NHPRC Grant" section. The NHPRC encourages applicants to contact Director for Access Programs, Nancy Melley ([email protected]), for questions, advice, and review of preliminary drafts.
- The National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) offers Archival Project Grants that aim to significantly improve online public discovery and use of historical records collections for FY 2026, as part of the grants provided by The National Archives to support archival projects.
- As part of the application process for these grants, applicants must submit a full proposal that includes a Project Narrative, Supplementary Materials, and a Project Budget, and they must also be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) prior to submitting their application.
