National Endowment for the Humanities: Preservation and Access Education and Training Grants

The Preservation and Access Education and Training program supports the development of knowledge and skills among professionals responsible for preserving and establishing access to humanities collections. Thousands of libraries, archives, museums, and historical organizations across the country maintain important collections of books and manuscripts, photographs, sound recordings and moving images, archaeological and ethnographic artifacts, art and material culture collections, electronic records, and digital objects. The challenge of preserving and making accessible such large and diverse holdings is enormous, and the need for knowledgeable staff is significant and ongoing.

Preservation and Access Education and Training grants are awarded to organizations that offer national or regional education and training programs that reach audiences in more than one state. Grants aim to help the staff of cultural institutions, large and small, obtain the knowledge and skills needed to serve as effective stewards of humanities collections. Grants also support educational programs that prepare the next generation of preservation professionals, as well as projects that introduce the staff of cultural institutions to new information and advances in preservation and access practices.

Preservation and Access Education and Training grants support activities such as:

• Preservation field services that provide a range of education and training programs (for example, surveys, workshops, consultations, reference services, and preparation of informational resources about the care of humanities collections), especially for staff at smaller libraries, museums, archives, and other cultural organizations
• Master’s degree programs in preservation and conservation
• Continuing education opportunities and specialized workshops that address emerging topics of national significance and broad impact related to the preservation and access of humanities materials

Preservation field service organizations may also apply for funds enabling them to provide a one-year postgraduate training fellowship in preventive conservation for emerging preservation professionals. These fellowships aim to bridge the gap between completion of graduate training and full-time employment, by offering specialized training in preventive conservation and preservation services.

Amount: Grants for preservation field services may not exceed $175,000 per year and may request support for up to two years. Preservation field service organizations may request an additional $45,000 per year to support a one-year postgraduate fellowship. For all other activities, the maximum award is $100,000 per year.

Eligibility: Nonprofit organizations; state and local governments; and federally recognized Indian tribal governments.

Link: http://www.neh.gov/grants/preservation/preservation-and-access-education-and-training

This post was filed under: