Opportunity Information: Apply for P13AS00191
Apply for P13AS00191
- The National Park Service in the community development education humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Research and write Manzanar Historica Site history" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.954 National Park Service Conservation, Protection, Outreach, and Education.
- This funding opportunity was created on Aug 9, 2013 and posted on Aug 9, 2013.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 22, 2013. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $100,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $100,000.00 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:
This notice is a "notice of intent to award," not an open call for applications. The National Park Service (NPS), within the U.S. Department of the Interior, is announcing its plan to provide up to $100,000 in funding through a cooperative agreement task agreement to support a specific history project at Manzanar National Historic Site (California). The award is tied to an existing cooperative agreement (H2261100002) and is expected to run from the date of award through 09/30/2016, with no cost share or matching funds required. The opportunity is listed under CFDA 15.954 (Cooperative Research and Training Programs - Resources of the National Park System) and uses the cooperative agreement instrument under statutory authority 16 USC 1g, which allows NPS to partner with eligible entities for public-purpose work connected to NPS programs.
The project itself is to research and write a comprehensive administrative history of Manzanar National Historic Site, a unit established by Congress in 1992 after decades of organizing and advocacy led largely by Japanese Americans and allies, alongside significant political controversy and opposition. The deliverable is meant to be a published-quality, peer-reviewed, scholarly manuscript that documents how Manzanar was preserved and interpreted over time, and how the site has been managed administratively from its establishment to the present. NPS frames this as more than a standard site history: because Manzanar is the first nationally preserved site specifically interpreting the forced confinement of Japanese Americans during World War II, the administrative story is positioned as a model for understanding preservation of civil rights sites and for navigating partnerships and community expectations around painful, politically charged history.
The intended recipient is the Organization of American Historians (OAH), with Aidan Smith named as the principal investigator/program manager. OAHs responsibilities include recruiting and retaining a qualified professional historian who meets the Secretary of the Interior standards, serving as the liaison between NPS and the historian, and managing the production of the manuscript through research, drafting, peer review, and professional editing so that it meets both scholarly expectations and NPS standards. The scope is wide-ranging and intentionally includes the long arc of postwar preservation and memory work, not simply wartime events. Research topics listed in the notice include post-WWII land management by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (1947-1997), the evolution of pilgrimages and commemorations (including the annual public pilgrimage beginning in 1969), the development of advocacy groups like the Manzanar Committee (from 1972 onward), key designation milestones (California State Historic Landmark in 1972 and National Register listing in 1985), failed and successful attempts to secure public stewardship (including a failed state park proposal in the 1970s and the push to bring Manzanar into NPS between 1988 and 1992), the role of the Manzanar Advisory Commission (1992-2002), land and building acquisition and exchanges in the 1990s, and the planning and public involvement behind site facilities, exhibits, media, and programs from 1996 to the present. The work is also expected to map major partnerships over time, including relationships with groups such as the Eastern California Museum, Friends of Manzanar, and the Manzanar History Association.
A major component is oral history. The recipient must ensure interviews are conducted according to NPS standards, including proper preparation and transcription, and must include a broad mix of perspectives connected to the site and its stewardship: NPS staff and volunteers, members of advocacy and advisory bodies, partner organizations, civil rights activists, and academics. In addition to building the Manzanar narrative, the project is also supposed to place Manzanar in a wider NPS and national context by comparing the development and management of other Japanese American confinement sites under NPS stewardship (explicitly Minidoka in Idaho and Tule Lake in California) and by considering NPS involvement in the Japanese American Confinement Sites (JACS) program. The scope also calls for analyzing how the meaning and public relevance of Manzanar shifted before and after September 11, 2001, reflecting the way civil liberties debates and national security concerns can shape interpretation of historic sites.
Because this is a cooperative agreement, NPS is not simply providing funds and stepping back; the notice spells out "substantial involvement" by the agency. NPS will participate in selecting the historian, host an initial planning meeting or workshop at Manzanar, provide access to staff and archival materials, point the research team toward relevant collections beyond the park, and supply available high-resolution images from park holdings and the public domain. NPS also commits to ongoing review and feedback, participation in two half-day meetings (one at Manzanar and one in Los Angeles) to share findings with staff and community stakeholders, and distribution of the final administrative history and related research so it can be used by park personnel, partners, and the public. The recipient is also responsible for obtaining high-resolution scans and securing rights for any non-NPS images or graphics used, which is an important practical requirement for a publication-ready product.
Finally, the notice explains why there is no competition. The award is being made as a single-source action under the Department of the Interior policy for noncompetitive assistance, using the "unique qualifications" justification. In other words, NPS is stating that the Organization of American Historians is uniquely suited to carry out this work based on demonstrable expertise and capability, so a full and open competitive process is not being used. The NPS point of contact listed for the opportunity is June Zastrow (303-987-6718, junezastrow@nps.gov), and the posting information indicates it appeared on Grants.gov in August 2013 with an original closing date of August 22, 2013, reflecting that the posting functions primarily as public notice rather than an invitation for proposals.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is this an open grant opportunity that new applicants can apply to?
No. The notice is a "notice of intent to award," meaning it is public notice of NPS plans to make an award, not an open call for applications or proposals.
Who is issuing the notice and what agency program is it connected to?
The notice is issued by the National Park Service (NPS), within the U.S. Department of the Interior. It is listed under CFDA 15.954, "Cooperative Research and Training Programs - Resources of the National Park System."
What is the purpose of the planned award?
The award is intended to support research and writing of a comprehensive administrative history of Manzanar National Historic Site (California), produced as a published-quality, peer-reviewed, scholarly manuscript that meets NPS standards.
What type of funding instrument will be used?
The notice describes the instrument as a cooperative agreement task agreement. Because it is a cooperative agreement, NPS expects substantial involvement in the work rather than simply providing funds.
What is the statutory authority for using a cooperative agreement on this project?
The notice cites 16 USC 1g as the statutory authority, which allows NPS to partner with eligible entities for public-purpose work connected to NPS programs.
How much funding is planned?
NPS states it plans to provide up to $100,000 in funding through this cooperative agreement task agreement.
Is a cost share or matching funds requirement included?
No. The notice states there is no cost share or matching funds required.
What is the expected period of performance?
The award is expected to run from the date of award through 09/30/2016.
Is this award connected to an existing agreement?
Yes. The notice ties the award to an existing cooperative agreement identified as H2261100002.
Who is the intended recipient of the award?
The intended recipient is the Organization of American Historians (OAH).
Who is named as the principal investigator/program manager?
The notice names Aidan Smith as the principal investigator/program manager.
Why is NPS not running a competitive process for this funding?
The notice states the award is being made as a single-source action under Department of the Interior policy for noncompetitive assistance using a "unique qualifications" justification. NPS indicates OAH is uniquely suited to carry out the work based on demonstrated expertise and capability.
What is the main deliverable for the project?
The main deliverable is a comprehensive administrative history of Manzanar National Historic Site in the form of a scholarly, peer-reviewed manuscript of publishable quality that documents preservation, interpretation, and administrative management from the site's establishment to the present.
Is this administrative history meant to cover only World War II incarceration events?
No. The notice emphasizes a wide scope focused on the long arc of preservation, memory work, partnerships, and administrative management, not only wartime events.
Why does NPS describe this as more than a standard site history?
NPS frames Manzanar as the first nationally preserved site specifically interpreting the forced confinement of Japanese Americans during World War II, and positions the administrative story as a model for understanding preservation of civil rights sites and for navigating partnerships and community expectations around politically charged history.
What major subject areas does the notice say the research should include?
The notice lists topics including post-WWII land management by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (1947-1997), the evolution of pilgrimages and commemorations (including the annual public pilgrimage beginning in 1969), advocacy group development such as the Manzanar Committee (from 1972 onward), designation milestones (California State Historic Landmark in 1972 and National Register listing in 1985), failed and successful stewardship efforts (including a failed 1970s state park proposal and the push to bring Manzanar into NPS between 1988 and 1992), the Manzanar Advisory Commission (1992-2002), 1990s land and building acquisition/exchanges, and planning and public involvement behind facilities, exhibits, media, and programs from 1996 to the present.
Does the scope include partnerships and community organizations?
Yes. The notice calls for mapping major partnerships over time, including relationships with groups such as the Eastern California Museum, Friends of Manzanar, and the Manzanar History Association.
Is oral history required as part of the work?
Yes. Oral history is described as a major component of the project.
What standards apply to the oral history work?
The notice states interviews must be conducted according to NPS standards, including proper preparation and transcription.
Whose perspectives are expected to be included in the oral histories?
The notice calls for a broad mix of perspectives connected to the site and its stewardship, including NPS staff and volunteers, members of advocacy and advisory bodies, partner organizations, civil rights activists, and academics.
Does the project include comparison to other NPS sites related to Japanese American confinement?
Yes. The notice explicitly calls for comparing the development and management of other Japanese American confinement sites under NPS stewardship, including Minidoka (Idaho) and Tule Lake (California).
Does the notice mention the Japanese American Confinement Sites (JACS) program?
Yes. The scope includes considering NPS involvement in the Japanese American Confinement Sites (JACS) program.
Is the project expected to address changes in the public meaning of Manzanar over time?
Yes. The notice calls for analyzing how the meaning and public relevance of Manzanar shifted before and after September 11, 2001, in light of civil liberties debates and national security concerns.
What does "substantial involvement" by NPS mean in this cooperative agreement?
The notice describes NPS participation in selecting the historian, hosting an initial planning meeting/workshop at Manzanar, providing access to staff and archival materials, directing the research team to relevant collections beyond the park, supplying available high-resolution images from park holdings and the public domain, providing ongoing review and feedback, participating in two half-day meetings (one at Manzanar and one in Los Angeles) to share findings, and distributing the final administrative history and related research for use by park personnel, partners, and the public.
What responsibilities does OAH have under the notice?
OAH is responsible for recruiting and retaining a qualified professional historian who meets the Secretary of the Interior standards, serving as liaison between NPS and the historian, and managing manuscript production through research, drafting, peer review, and professional editing to meet scholarly expectations and NPS standards.
Who selects the historian for the project?
The notice indicates NPS will participate in selecting the historian, and OAH is responsible for recruiting and retaining a qualified professional historian who meets the Secretary of the Interior standards.
Are there specific meetings required as part of the project?
Yes. NPS will host an initial planning meeting/workshop at Manzanar, and NPS will participate in two half-day meetings to share findings: one at Manzanar and one in Los Angeles.
Will NPS provide images for the publication?
NPS commits to supplying available high-resolution images from park holdings and the public domain.
Who is responsible for obtaining non-NPS images and securing rights?
The recipient is responsible for obtaining high-resolution scans and securing rights for any non-NPS images or graphics used, which the notice highlights as important for a publication-ready product.
How will the final administrative history be used or shared?
The notice states NPS will distribute the final administrative history and related research so it can be used by park personnel, partners, and the public.
When and where was this notice posted?
The posting information indicates it appeared on Grants.gov in August 2013 and shows an original closing date of August 22, 2013, reflecting that it functions primarily as public notice rather than an invitation for proposals.
Who is the NPS point of contact for this notice?
The notice lists June Zastrow as the point of contact, with phone number 303-987-6718 and email junezastrow@nps.gov.
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