[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 25 (Friday, February 6, 1998)] [Notices] [Pages 6230-6232] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 98-2966] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- NATIONAL FOUNDATION ON THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES Institute of Museum and Library Services; Grant Application Availability Notice for FY 98 AGENCY: Institute of Museum and Library Services. ACTION: Grant application availability notice for fiscal year 1998. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: This grant application announcement applies to the following Office of Museum Service programs: General Operating Support (GOS), Conservation Project Support (CP), Conservation Assessment Program (CAP), Museum Assessment Program (MAP I), Museum Assessment Program (MAP II), Museum Assessment Program III (MAP III), Museum Leadership Initiative (MLI) and Professional Services Program (PSP). This announcement also applies to the following Office of Library Services program: National Leadership Grants. All IMLS awards are under 45 CFR part 1180 for Fiscal Year 1998. ADDRESSES: Institute of Museum and Library Services, 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20506 http://www.imls.fed.us/. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on museum programs call (202) 606-8540. For information on library programs call (202) 606-5227. For the Director's office call (202) 606-8537. Or contact the agency's website at http:// www.imls.fed.us/. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of for museum awards is to ease the financial burden borne by museums as a result of their increased use by the public and to help them carry out their educational role, as well as other functions. The purpose for National Leadership Grants is to improve library services and collaboration between libraries and museums. Eligibility Museums meeting the definitions in 45 CFR 1180.3 may apply for these programs. The definition of ``museum'' includes (but is not limited to) the following institutions if they satisfy the other provisions of this section: Aquariums and zoological parks; botanical gardens and arboretums; nature centers; museums relating to art; history (including historic buildings); natural history; science and technology; and planetariums. To be eligible for support from IMLS a museum must: Be organized as a public or private nonprofit institution and exit on a permanent basis for essentially educational or aesthetic purposes; and Exhibit tangible objects through facilities it owns or operates; and Have at least one professional staff member or the full-time equivalent whose primary responsibility is the care, or exhibition to the public of objects owned or used by the museum; and Be open and have provided museum services to the general public on a regular basis for at least two full years* prior to the date of application to IMLS; and --------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Applicants to the Museum Assessment Program and the Conservation Assessment Program need not be open for two years. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Be located in one of the fifty States of the Union, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, or the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. For National Leadership Grants All types of libraries may apply including public, school, academic, research (which makes publicly available library services and materials suitable for scholarly research and not otherwise available to the public and is not on integral part of an institution of higher learning), special, private (not-for-profit), archives, library agencies, and library consortia. Libraries may apply individually or in partnership. All disciplines of museums may apply, including art, children and youth, history, natural history, anthropology, nature center, science/ technology centers, zoos, aquariums, arboretums, botanical gardens, historic houses and sites, planetariums, general, specialized, museum agencies, and museum consortia. Museums may only apply in a partnership that includes at least one library partner. Institutions of higher education including public and not-for profit universities and colleges. Graduate library and information science schools may apply as part of an institution of higher education. Institutions of higher education may apply individually or in a partnership. IMLS recognizes the potential for valuable contributions to the overall goals of the National Leadership Grants program by other public, not-for-profit [[Page 6231]] and for profit organizations and encourages their participation in a partner application. They, however, may not be the official applicant. Program Categories General Operating Support (GOS) IMLS makes awards under the GOS program to museums to maintain, increase, or improve museum services through support for basic general operating expenses. Conservation Project Support Program (CP) Awards are made through the CP program to assist with the conservation of museum collections, both living and non-living. Conservation Assessment Program (CAP) Awards are made through CAP to provide an overall assessment of the condition of a museum's environment and collections to identify conservation needs and priorities. CAP is a non-competitive, one-time funding opportunity, offered on a first-come, first-served basis. It is administered in cooperation with the National Institute for Conservation. See 45 CFR 1180, subpart D. Museum Assessment Program (MAP) The MAP I funds an overall assessment of a museum's operations. The MAP II funds an assessment of the museum's collection-related policies. The MAP III provides an assessment of the public dimension of museum operations. All of the Museum Assessment Programs are non-competitive, one-time funding opportunities, offered on a first-come, first-served basis. The Museum Assessment Programs are administered in cooperation with the American Association of Museums through a memorandum of understanding. See 45 CFR part 1180, subpart D. Professional Services Program (PSP) This program provides matching funds to professional museum associations for projects that serve the museum community. Museum Leadership Initiatives (MLI) Museum Leadership Initiative address national issues for museums. Program priorities may change annually. National Leadership Grants (NLG) This program was created to enhance the quality of library services nationwide and to provide coordination between libraries and museums. Awards will be made for (1) education and training for library and information science, (2) research and demonstration projects in library and information science, (3) preservation and digitization of library materials, (4) model programs of collaboration between libraries and museums. Deadline Date for Transmittal of Applications Applications must be mailed or hand-delivered by the deadline date: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Program Deadline ------------------------------------------------------------------------ GOS.................................... Jan. 23, 1998. CP..................................... Mar. 6, 1998. PSP.................................... Apr. 10, 1998. CAP.................................... Dec. 5, 1997. MAP I.................................. Apr. 24, 1998. MAP II................................. Mar. 13, 1998. MAP III................................ Feb. 27, 1998. MLI.................................... June 19, 1998. NLG.................................... Apr. 17, 1998. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ For GOS, CP, MLI, NLG and PSP Applications that are sent by mail must be addressed to the Institute of Museum and Library Services, 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Room 609, Washington, DC 20506. An applicant must be prepared to show one of the following as proof of timely mailing: (1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark. (2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the U.S. Postal Service. (3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial carrier. (4) Any other dated proof of mailing acceptable to the Director of IMLS. If any application is mailed through the U.S. Postal Service, the Director does not accept either of the following as proof of mailing: (1) A private metered postmark; or (2) a mail receipt that is not date- canceled by the U.S. Postal Service. Applications that are hand-delivered must be taken to the Institute of Museum and Library Services, 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20506. Hand-delivered applications will be accepted between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. (Washington D.C. time) daily, except Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays. An application that is hand- delivered will not be accepted after 4:30 p.m. on the deadline date. For MAP I, MAP II, and MAP III Applicants must apply to IMLS through the American Association of Museums (AAM). IMLS supplies the AAM with application forms and instructions. These are forwarded by AAM to applicant museums. The Director of IMLS approves applications meeting the MAP I, MAP II, and MAP III requirements on a first-come, first-served basis (i.e., in the order in which an application is received and has been determined to have met applicable requirements). Applications will be approved for awards, subject to the availability of funds. If a museum's MAP I, MAP II or MAP III application is received on or before the indicated dates, it will be processed together with other MAP I, MAP II, or MAP III applications received during that period. Applications received after the indicated dates will be processed during the subsequent MAP I, MAP II or MAP III periods. In no event will MAP applications received after April 24, 1998, MAP II applications received after March 13, 1998, or MAP III applications received after February 27, 1998 be processed for Fiscal Year 1998 awards. Applicants should contact the American Association of Museums, 1575 Eye Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005, for application packets. For CAP Applicants must apply to IMLS through the Heritage Preservation NIC. IMLS supplies the NIC with application forms and instructions. These are forwarded by Heritage Preservation NIC to applicant museums. The Director of IMLS approves applications meeting the CAP requirements on a first-come, first-served basis (i.e., in the order in which an application is received and has been determined to have met applicable requirements). Applications will be approved for awards, subject to the availability of funds. Applicants must be received by December 5, 1997. Applications for FY 1998 awards which cannot be funded will not be carried over to the next fiscal year. All unfunded applicants who wish to receive an award in the subsequent year, must reapply. Interested parties should contact the Heritage Preservation NIC, 3299 K Street, NW, Suite 403, Washington, DC 20007 for applications. Program Information GOS program regulations are contained in 45 CFR ch. XI, Sec. 1180.7 (1988) and related provisions. CP program regulations are contained in 45 CFR 1180.20 (1988) and related provisions. CAP and MAP program regulations are contained in 45 CFR part 1180, subpart D (1988). PSP program regulations are contained in 45 CFR part 1180, subpart E (1988). Further program information may be found in the Application forms and accompanying instructions in the application. See paragraph on Application Forms. [[Page 6232]] Available Funds GOS For FY 1998, $16,060,000 is available for this program. The GOS program award is equal to 15% of the museum's operating budget to a maximum of $112,500 to be spent over a two year period. The grant amount is determined annually by the National Museum Services Board. A museum that receives an award in one fiscal year may not apply for the following year's competition. (See 45 CFR 1190.16(b)). CP For FY 1998, $2,310,000 is available for this program. Normally, IMLS makes matching conservation grants of no more than $25,000 in Federal funds. Unless otherwise provided by law, if the Director determines that exceptional circumstances warrant, the Director, with the advice of the Board, may award a Conservation Project Support grant which obligates in excess of $25,000 in Federal funds to a maximum of $75,000. The Director may make such a determination with respect to a category of Conservation grants by notice published in the Federal Register. IMLS awards Conservation Project Support grants only on a matching basis. At least 50% of the costs of a project must be met with non-federal funds. (See 45 CFR 1180.20 (f)). CAP For FY 1998, $820,000 is available for this program. MAP, MAP II, MAP III For FY 1998, $450,000 is available for this program. PSP For FY 1998, $600,000 was available is this program. This program provides matching funds for cooperative agreements that generally do not exceed $50,000. MLI For FY 1998, $600,000 is available. NLG For FY 1998, $1,371,937 is available for collaborative projects between museums and libraries, of which $1,000,000 is contributed by they IMLS Office of Museum Services and the remainder by the IMLS Office of Library Services. The library appropriation also provides $4,115,813 for the other three categories of National Leadership Grants. Funding Priorities for Conservation Project Support Program The National Museum Services Board, by notice published in the Federal Register, may establish funding priorities among the types of projects. IMLS Conservation Project Support guidelines identify four broad categories of museum collections: non-living; systematics/natural history collections; living collections/animals; and living collections/plants. For each of the categories, with the exception of living collections/animals, the funding priority is a general conservation survey of collections and environmental conditions including development of institutional-range conservation plans. For living collections/animals the funding priority is research for improved conservation techniques. Application Forms IMLS mails application forms and program information in General Operating Support, Conservation Project Support, Museum Leadership Initiatives, National Leadership Grants and Professional Services Program application packets to museums and other institutions on its mailing list. Applicants may obtain application packets by writing or telephoning the Institute of Museum and Library Services, 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20506. For National Leadership Grants call (202) 606-5227. For all other programs call (202) 606-8540. Application forms are available on the agency's website http:// www.imls.fed.us/ To receive an application for the Conservation Assessment Program contact the Heritage Preservation NIC, 3299 K Street, NW, Suite 403, Washington, DC 20007 (202) 625-1495. To receive an application for the Museum Assessment Programs contact the American Association of Museums, 1575 Eye Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005 (202) 289-1818. (Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance No. 45.301 Institute of Museum and Library Services) (Museum and Library Services Act of 1996, Pub. L. 104-208 as amended) Dated: January 21, 1998. Mamie Bittner, Director, Legislative and Public Affairs. [FR Doc. 98-2966 Filed 2-5-98; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7036-01-M