Opportunity Information: Apply for NCAP FY15
Apply for NCAP FY15
- The Institute of Museum and Library Services in the arts (see cultural affairs in cfda) humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "National Conservation Assessment Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 45.312 National Leadership Grants.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jun 29, 2015 and posted on Jun 29, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 1, 2015. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $500,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- To be eligible for an award under the National Conservation Assessment Program, you must be an organization that meets all three of the following criteria 1. You must be either a unit of State or local government or be a private nonprofit organization that has tax exempt status under the Internal Revenue Code 2. You must be located in one of the 50 States of the United States of America, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau and 3. You must qualify as one of the following a. A museum that, using a professional staff, is organized on a permanent basis for essentially educational or aesthetic purposes owns or uses tangible objects, either animate or inanimate cares for these objects and exhibits these objects to the general public on a regular basis through facilities that it owns or operates. What types of institutions are included in the term museum If they otherwise meet these requirements, including the criteria in (3) (a) above, museums include, but are not limited to, aquariums, arboretums, art museums, botanical gardens, children s/youth museums, general museums (those having two or more significant disciplines), historic houses/sites, history museums, natural history/anthropology museums, nature centers, planetariums, science/technology centers, specialized museums (limited to a single distinct subject), and zoological parks. What does it mean to be using a professional staff An institution uses a professional staff if it employs at least one staff member, or the full time equivalent, whether paid or unpaid, primarily engaged in the acquisition, care, or exhibition to the public of objects owned or used by the institution. What does it mean to exhibit the objects to the general public An institution exhibits objects to the general public if such exhibition is a primary purpose of the institution. An institution that exhibits objects to the general public for at least 120 days a year is deemed to exhibit objects to the general public on a regular basis. An institution which does not have the exhibition of objects as a primary purpose and/or does not exhibit objects to the public for at least 120 days a year may be determined to be eligible as a museum under certain circumstances. For more information, please see 45 CFR 1180.2(d). b. An organization or association that engages in activities designed to advance the well being of museums and the museum profession c. An institution of higher education, including public and nonprofit universities or d. A public or private nonprofit agency which is responsible for the operation of a museum that meets the eligibility criteria in (a) above may apply on behalf of the museum.
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Opportunity Summary:
The National Conservation Assessment Program (NCAP FY15) was a discretionary funding opportunity from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) offered through its National Leadership Grants for Museums program (CFDA 45.312). The purpose of the award was to support a single cooperative agreement to create a practical, low-cost, and easy-to-access conservation assessment program aimed specifically at small and midsize museums. In plain terms, IMLS was looking for one lead organization to build a national program that helps museums better understand the condition of their collections and improve how they care for them, using an approach that can realistically work for institutions with limited budgets and staff.
IMLS planned to make one award for up to three years, structured as a cooperative agreement rather than a standard grant. That matters because a cooperative agreement typically involves more active participation from the funding agency in shaping or overseeing the work as it develops. Although the project period was expected to be three years, the funding would be obligated one year at a time, with continued support dependent on the availability of federal funds, IMLS judgment, and formal notification to the selected cooperator. The overall estimated funding level was $500,000, with an award ceiling of $500,000 and an award floor of $50,000, and the opportunity required cost sharing or matching.
The work IMLS wanted funded followed a clear sequence. First, the cooperator would be expected to conduct or provide a field-wide needs assessment to identify what small and midsize museums actually require from a conservation assessment program and what barriers prevent them from getting that help now (for example, lack of access to conservators, limited travel budgets, geographic isolation, or lack of staff time and expertise). Second, the cooperator would design and run a pilot phase to test the proposed program model in real-world settings, gather feedback, and evaluate what is effective or needs revision. Finally, after the pilot and evaluation, the cooperator would move into full-scale implementation, meaning the program would be rolled out more broadly so museums across the eligible regions could use it.
Eligibility was limited to organizations that met three baseline requirements and then fit into at least one of several eligible institutional categories. Applicants had to be either a unit of state or local government or a private nonprofit with IRS-recognized tax-exempt status. They also had to be located in the United States or specific U.S. jurisdictions and affiliated Pacific entities listed in the notice: the 50 states, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau. On top of that, the applicant needed to qualify as (a) a museum meeting the federal definition in 45 CFR 1180.2(d), (b) an organization or association that supports the well-being of museums and the museum profession, (c) an institution of higher education (public or nonprofit), or (d) a public or private nonprofit agency responsible for operating an eligible museum and applying on that museum’s behalf.
The notice also spelled out what IMLS means by a “museum†for eligibility purposes. A qualifying museum is a permanent institution organized for educational or aesthetic purposes that owns or uses tangible objects (living or nonliving), cares for those objects, and exhibits them to the public on a regular basis through facilities it owns or operates. The definition is intentionally broad, covering institutions such as art museums, science and technology centers, historic houses and sites, botanical gardens, zoos, aquariums, nature centers, planetariums, children’s museums, specialized museums, and general museums spanning multiple disciplines. The notice emphasized that museums must use a professional staff, meaning at least one staff member (or full-time equivalent, paid or unpaid) primarily engaged in acquiring, caring for, or exhibiting objects. It also clarified that “regular basis†public exhibition is generally understood as at least 120 days per year, though there is some flexibility for institutions that do not meet that threshold if they can still be determined eligible under the regulation.
Administratively, the opportunity was posted June 29, 2015, with an original and final closing date of September 1, 2015, and it was later archived on October 1, 2015. The program fell under arts and humanities-related cultural affairs categories. For questions or access issues, the notice provided IMLS contacts Christopher J. Reich (Senior Advisor) and Connie Bodner (Supervisory Grants Management Specialist), along with email addresses and phone numbers. The funding announcement link was hosted on the IMLS applicant site.
National Conservation Assessment Program (NCAP FY15) - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the National Conservation Assessment Program (NCAP FY15) funding opportunity?
NCAP FY15 was a discretionary funding opportunity from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), offered through the National Leadership Grants for Museums program (CFDA 45.312). It was intended to fund the creation of a national conservation assessment program tailored to small and midsize museums.
What was IMLS trying to fund through this opportunity?
IMLS sought one lead organization to create a practical, low-cost, and easy-to-access conservation assessment program. The goal was to help small and midsize museums understand the condition of their collections and strengthen collections care in ways that fit limited budgets and staffing.
How many awards did IMLS plan to make?
IMLS planned to make a single award.
What type of award was it (grant vs. cooperative agreement)?
The award was structured as a cooperative agreement rather than a standard grant. This matters because a cooperative agreement typically involves more active participation by the funding agency in shaping or overseeing the work as it develops.
How long was the project period expected to last?
The project period was expected to be up to three years.
Was funding provided all at once for the full project period?
No. Although the project period was expected to be three years, funding would be obligated one year at a time.
What conditions applied to continued funding after the first year?
Continued support depended on the availability of federal funds, IMLS judgment, and formal notification to the selected cooperator.
How much funding was available?
The overall estimated funding level was $500,000.
What were the minimum and maximum award amounts?
The award ceiling was $500,000 and the award floor was $50,000.
Was cost sharing or matching required?
Yes. The opportunity required cost sharing or matching.
What sequence of work did IMLS expect the selected cooperator to follow?
IMLS described a three-part sequence: (1) conduct or provide a field-wide needs assessment, (2) design and run a pilot phase to test the program model and evaluate it, and (3) move into full-scale implementation after the pilot and evaluation.
What was the purpose of the field-wide needs assessment?
The needs assessment was intended to identify what small and midsize museums require from a conservation assessment program and what barriers currently prevent access to that help.
What kinds of barriers did the notice mention?
Examples included lack of access to conservators, limited travel budgets, geographic isolation, and limited staff time and expertise.
What did IMLS mean by a pilot phase?
The pilot phase was meant to test the proposed program model in real-world settings, gather feedback, and evaluate what works and what needs revision before broader rollout.
What did full-scale implementation mean in this opportunity?
After the pilot and evaluation, full-scale implementation meant rolling the program out more broadly so museums across the eligible regions could use it.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was limited to organizations that met baseline requirements (government unit or private nonprofit with IRS-recognized tax-exempt status, and located in the eligible geographic areas) and that fit into at least one eligible institutional category listed in the notice.
What were the baseline eligibility requirements?
Applicants had to be either a unit of state or local government or a private nonprofit with IRS-recognized tax-exempt status. They also had to be located in the United States or the specified U.S. jurisdictions and affiliated Pacific entities listed in the notice.
Which geographic locations were eligible?
Eligible locations included the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau.
What types of institutions were eligible categories under the notice?
The applicant also needed to qualify as at least one of the following: (a) a museum meeting the federal definition in 45 CFR 1180.2(d), (b) an organization or association that supports the well-being of museums and the museum profession, (c) an institution of higher education (public or nonprofit), or (d) a public or private nonprofit agency responsible for operating an eligible museum and applying on that museum's behalf.
How did the notice define a museum for eligibility purposes?
A qualifying museum was defined as a permanent institution organized for educational or aesthetic purposes that owns or uses tangible objects (living or nonliving), cares for those objects, and exhibits them to the public on a regular basis through facilities it owns or operates.
What kinds of institutions could fit the museum definition?
The notice described the definition as broad and gave examples such as art museums, science and technology centers, historic houses and sites, botanical gardens, zoos, aquariums, nature centers, planetariums, children's museums, specialized museums, and general museums covering multiple disciplines.
Did museums need professional staff to qualify?
Yes. The notice emphasized that museums must use a professional staff, meaning at least one staff member (or full-time equivalent, paid or unpaid) primarily engaged in acquiring, caring for, or exhibiting objects.
What did "regular basis" public exhibition mean?
The notice stated that "regular basis" is generally understood as at least 120 days per year. It also noted there is some flexibility for institutions that do not meet that threshold if they can still be determined eligible under the regulation.
When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?
The opportunity was posted on June 29, 2015. The original and final closing date was September 1, 2015.
When was the opportunity archived?
It was archived on October 1, 2015.
What program and CFDA number was associated with this opportunity?
This opportunity was offered through IMLS's National Leadership Grants for Museums program and referenced CFDA 45.312.
What general subject area did this funding opportunity fall under?
The notice categorized it under arts and humanities-related cultural affairs categories.
Who were the IMLS contacts listed for questions or access issues?
The notice listed Christopher J. Reich (Senior Advisor) and Connie Bodner (Supervisory Grants Management Specialist) as contacts, and provided their email addresses and phone numbers.
Where was the funding announcement link hosted?
The notice stated that the funding announcement link was hosted on the IMLS applicant site.
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