Notice of Intent: Special History Study: The Rockefellerâ¿¿s Familyâ¿¿s Contribution to Cultural Resources in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is this funding opportunity about?

This Notice of Intent describes the National Park Service (Department of the Interior) plan to fund a single cooperative agreement to produce a focused special history study. The study will document the Rockefeller family's role in shaping cultural resources across the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, with a specific focus on Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park, and the John D. Rockefeller Memorial Parkway.

What is the purpose of the special history study?

The purpose is to assemble a clear, well-supported narrative explaining how Rockefeller family efforts influenced historic preservation activities, museum collections, and broader cultural resource management in the parks. The National Park Service wants to make the cultural resource dimension of the Rockefeller legacy more visible, cohesive, and usable for contemporary park needs.

Why is the National Park Service commissioning this study now?

According to the description, much of the Rockefeller story in the region has been told mainly through the lens of conservation and land protection. Their preservation-related work and museum/collections influence is described as under-documented, fragmented, or treated as secondary. This project is intended to correct that imbalance by consolidating the cultural resource history into an authoritative, practical report.

Which members of the Rockefeller family are central to the study?

The study centers on John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and Laurance S. Rockefeller.

What parks and areas are included in the study scope?

The scope specifically includes cultural resources within Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park, and the John D. Rockefeller Memorial Parkway, within the broader context of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

Is this grant focused on environmental conservation or cultural resources?

The opportunity emphasizes cultural resources. While acknowledging the Rockefellers are widely associated with land protection and the expansion of Grand Teton, the study focuses on how their efforts affected human history, historic preservation, museum collections, interpretation, and cultural resource management in the same landscapes.

What types of Rockefeller activities does the study need to cover?

Based on the notice description, the study is expected to address how Rockefeller initiatives intersected with questions of historic value, community history, and stewardship of cultural sites and artifacts, and how those intersections led to preservation and cultural-history projects during the early to mid twentieth century. It also notes that conservation initiatives carried out through entities such as the Snake River Land Company and later Jackson Hole Preserve, Inc. repeatedly intersected with cultural resource issues.

What is the main deliverable?

The main deliverable is a final written report: the focused special history study.

How does the National Park Service intend to use the final report?

The report is framed as a practical tool for park cultural resource managers and interpreters. It is intended to support on-the-ground management and public interpretation by providing fuller context on what the Rockefellers supported, how those efforts were carried out, and what lasting impacts they had on preservation decisions and museum/collections development.

How will this study help park management and interpretation?

The notice indicates the study is expected to help inform future management decisions involving cultural resources, provide better context for interpreting historic places and collections to visitors, and improve institutional understanding of how private philanthropy and conservation strategies interacted with cultural stewardship in the parks.

What kind of award instrument is being used?

The funding is described as discretionary funding using a cooperative agreement.

What does it mean that the award is a cooperative agreement?

A cooperative agreement is described as an assistance relationship where the National Park Service typically anticipates substantial involvement during the period of performance. The notice gives examples such as coordination on scope, access to archival materials, review of drafts, and alignment with National Park Service standards for historical research and reporting.

How many awards does the National Park Service anticipate making?

The notice anticipated one award (a single cooperative agreement).

What is the maximum funding amount (ceiling) for the award?

The notice listed a funding ceiling of $89,713.

What is the funding activity category?

The funding activity category is listed as Natural Resources.

What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?

The CFDA number is 15.945.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is limited primarily to nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education). The notice also references an "Others" category that may include additional eligible applicants as clarified in the full eligibility text.

Are universities or institutions of higher education eligible?

The eligibility language provided states that 501(c)(3) nonprofits are eligible other than institutions of higher education, indicating that institutions of higher education are excluded under the primary eligibility category described.

Is this opportunity competitive or targeted?

The notice describes an intent to fund a single cooperative agreement to produce a specific research product, and it reflects a short application window consistent with a targeted, scoped project.

What were the key dates for this opportunity?

The opportunity was created on August 3, 2016, and had an original closing date of August 12, 2016.

How long was the application window?

Based on the dates provided (August 3, 2016 to August 12, 2016), the original application window was short.

What gap in the historical record is this project trying to address?

The notice states that the conservation narrative is strong, but the cultural resource narrative (including preservation and museum-related work) is fragmented or incomplete. The project is intended to pull together these threads into a concise, comprehensive, well-supported synthesis.

What kinds of cultural resource topics are expected to be included?

From the description, the study is expected to address historic preservation activities, museum collections, interpretation, stewardship of cultural sites and artifacts, and broader cultural resource management practices influenced by Rockefeller involvement.

What time period does the study emphasize?

The description references preservation and cultural-history projects during the early to mid twentieth century.

What is the overarching theme of the study?

The overarching theme is how private philanthropy and conservation strategies associated with John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and Laurance S. Rockefeller intersected with, influenced, and shaped cultural resource stewardship, preservation decisions, and museum/collections development in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem parks.