Opportunity Information: Apply for BOR UC 16 N004
Apply for BOR UC 16 N004
- The DOI-BOR in the humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Long Term Curation" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.511.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jan 15, 2016 and posted on Jan 15, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 29, 2016. (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 $96,119.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.
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Opportunity Summary:
The "Long Term Curation" grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number BOR UC 16 N004) is a discretionary grant offered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation (DOI-BOR), specifically through its Upper Colorado Region. It focuses on ensuring the proper long-term care and stewardship of federal archeological and historical collections created as a result of Reclamation projects and associated activities. The funding is positioned within the humanities/cultural affairs space (CFDA 15.511), reflecting that the work supported is about preserving cultural heritage materials and the records that document them, rather than infrastructure or construction.
At the core of the opportunity is a federal compliance and collections management need. Under 36 CFR 79, federal agencies are required to curate archeological collections and related records in facilities that meet recognized professional standards, either those of the Department of the Interior or the American Association of Museums. The Museum of Northern Arizona (MNA) is identified as meeting these standards and is therefore an appropriate repository for these federal holdings. The notice also explains the historical context: MNA was originally engaged by the Secretary of the Interior (through the National Park Service) to create and document collections in advance of major dam construction tied to the Colorado River Storage Project during the 1950s and 1960s. Those materials were deposited at MNA in the 1950s, and the original agreements between the United States (via the National Park Service) and MNA stipulated that the museum would retain the collection in perpetuity. In other words, this grant supports the continued fulfillment of long-standing federal-to-repository arrangements and ongoing legal and professional obligations for curation.
The award structure is narrow and targeted. The agency anticipated making a single award (Expected Awards: 1) with an award ceiling of $96,119, indicating a defined scope and budget for a specific curation need rather than a broad, multi-recipient program. Eligible applicants were limited to nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status that are not institutions of higher education, which aligns with the intended recipient profile of a museum or similar nonprofit repository. The posting and creation dates were January 15, 2016, and the application deadline was January 29, 2016, showing a short application window consistent with a focused funding action tied to a particular collection and repository relationship.
Overall, this opportunity is best understood as funding to support compliant, professional, long-term stewardship of federally owned archeological and historical objects and records already housed at an accredited, standards-based repository. It reinforces the federal requirement to ensure these collections are preserved, managed, and made responsibly accessible under established museum and Department of the Interior curation standards, while honoring historical agreements that placed the materials at the Museum of Northern Arizona for permanent care.
Long Term Curation Grant (BOR UC 16 N004) - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the "Long Term Curation" grant opportunity (BOR UC 16 N004)?
The "Long Term Curation" opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number BOR UC 16 N004) is a discretionary grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation (DOI-BOR), through its Upper Colorado Region. The purpose is to support the proper long-term care and stewardship of federal archeological and historical collections and the related records that were created as a result of Reclamation projects and associated activities.
Which federal agency is offering this grant?
This grant is offered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation (DOI-BOR), specifically through its Upper Colorado Region.
What types of work does this funding support?
The funding supports long-term curation and collections stewardship activities for federally owned archeological and historical objects and the records that document them. The emphasis is on preservation, professional management, and responsible accessibility of cultural heritage materials housed in a qualified repository, rather than construction or infrastructure work.
Is this considered a humanities or cultural affairs opportunity?
Yes. The opportunity is positioned within the humanities/cultural affairs space and is associated with CFDA 15.511. This reflects that the supported work centers on preserving cultural heritage collections and documentation.
Why is long-term curation a federal compliance requirement?
Federal agencies must ensure archeological collections and related records are curated in facilities that meet recognized professional standards. Under 36 CFR 79, these collections must be curated in facilities meeting standards of the Department of the Interior or the American Association of Museums, which is why this opportunity is framed as a compliance and collections management need.
What is 36 CFR 79 and how does it relate to this grant?
36 CFR 79 is a federal regulation that requires federal agencies to curate archeological collections and associated records in facilities that meet recognized professional museum and curation standards. This grant opportunity supports work that helps meet those requirements for collections connected to Reclamation projects.
Which repository is identified as meeting the required curation standards?
The Museum of Northern Arizona (MNA) is identified as meeting the professional standards referenced in the notice, making it an appropriate repository for these federal archeological and historical holdings.
Why is the Museum of Northern Arizona (MNA) specifically mentioned in the opportunity?
MNA is referenced because it is a standards-based repository for the federal collections in question and has a long-standing historical role tied to these materials. The notice explains that MNA was originally engaged (through the National Park Service) to create and document collections in advance of major dam construction associated with the Colorado River Storage Project during the 1950s and 1960s.
What historical projects are connected to the collections covered by this funding?
The collections were created and documented in advance of major dam construction activities tied to the Colorado River Storage Project during the 1950s and 1960s.
When were the materials deposited at the Museum of Northern Arizona?
According to the notice, the materials were deposited at MNA in the 1950s.
Do existing agreements affect how long the Museum of Northern Arizona holds the collection?
Yes. The notice states that the original agreements between the United States (via the National Park Service) and MNA specified that the museum would retain the collection in perpetuity. This grant supports continued fulfillment of those long-standing arrangements alongside ongoing legal and professional curation obligations.
Is this grant intended for new excavations or creating new collections?
The described purpose centers on long-term care and stewardship of federal archeological and historical collections and their associated records that already exist as a result of Reclamation projects and related activities. The opportunity is best understood as supporting curation of existing holdings rather than initiating new field collection activities.
How many awards did the agency expect to make?
The agency anticipated making a single award (Expected Awards: 1), indicating a narrow and targeted funding action.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling listed for this opportunity is $96,119.
What does it mean that this is a "discretionary" grant?
Based on the notice, this opportunity is described as a discretionary grant, meaning the awarding agency has discretion in making the award consistent with the targeted purpose and stated eligibility and scope.
Who was eligible to apply for this grant?
Eligible applicants were limited to nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status that are not institutions of higher education. This eligibility profile aligns with a museum or similar nonprofit repository.
Are institutions of higher education eligible?
No. The eligibility criteria limited applicants to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that are not institutions of higher education.
What was the application window for this opportunity?
The posting and creation dates were January 15, 2016, and the application deadline was January 29, 2016. This indicates a short application period consistent with a focused, specific funding action.
When was this opportunity posted?
The opportunity was posted on January 15, 2016 (with the creation date also noted as January 15, 2016).
When was the application deadline?
The application deadline listed was January 29, 2016.
What is the main goal of the funding in practical terms?
The main goal is to ensure federally owned archeological and historical objects and their associated records receive compliant, professional, long-term stewardship in a facility that meets recognized standards, supporting preservation and responsible management while honoring historic federal-to-repository agreements.
How is this opportunity different from broad, multi-recipient grant programs?
This opportunity is narrow and targeted: it anticipated only one award, has a defined award ceiling ($96,119), and is oriented around a specific long-term curation need linked to existing federal collections already housed at a qualified repository.
Does the opportunity emphasize construction, renovation, or infrastructure?
No. The notice frames the funding as supporting humanities/cultural affairs collections stewardship and compliance-related long-term curation, rather than infrastructure or construction activities.
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