PUBLISHING HISTORICAL RECORDS COLLABORATIVE DIGITAL EDITIONS | EDITIONS 202405

Opportunity Information: Apply for EDITIONS 202405

The National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC), part of the National Archives and Records Administration, is offering competitive grants to support the creation and publication of collaborative digital editions of historical records. The basic aim is to expand public access to primary sources that help tell the American story by making them available online with strong editorial support. The program is open to a wide range of record types, including traditional paper documents, photographs, born-digital materials, and analog audio, as long as the project results in a thoughtfully edited digital edition rather than a film or video documentary.

In terms of subject matter, the opportunity is intentionally broad, supporting projects that cover major movements and themes in U.S. history. The NHPRC specifically welcomes projects that document African American, Asian American, Hispanic American, and Native American history, and it places special emphasis on editions that center the voices and experiences of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. The announcement also highlights the approaching 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence as a moment to encourage projects that deepen discovery of collections exploring the nation’s founding ideals and the long, ongoing public debate over those ideals up to the present. Across topics, the core expectation is that projects provide both access and meaningful editorial context so users can understand what the records are and why they matter.

A major requirement is adherence to established scholarly and editorial standards. Applicants are expected to demonstrate familiarity with best practices from the Association for Documentary Editing (ADE) and/or the Modern Language Association (MLA) Committee on Scholarly Editions. Because the program is designed for historical documentary sources, it generally will not fund critical editions of already-published works unless those published materials are only a small component of a larger documentary records edition. Applications built entirely around activities the program does not fund will not move forward in review.

The grant is structured around collaboration and digital publication. Awards are intended for teams that include at least two scholar-editors and also involve the additional expertise needed to produce a durable digital edition, such as archivists, digital humanities specialists, data curators, and other technical and support staff. Funded activities can include collecting and compiling materials, describing and preserving them, transcribing, annotating, editing, encoding, and publishing them online. The NHPRC encourages applicants to build teams that include BIPOC faculty and staff in key roles and to partner with Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Tribal Colleges, and other Indigenous and Native American tribal scholars and communities, as well as members of the Asian American community. Projects are also encouraged to include community contributors and undergraduate and graduate students in meaningful ways across project phases.

Digital dissemination and preservation planning are not optional in this program, especially for first-time applicants. New projects (meaning projects that have never received NHPRC funding) must present clear, definitive plans to publish and preserve a searchable online edition that includes full transcriptions and annotations. Print volumes can be part of the overall publishing strategy, but the contents of any print publication must also appear in a fully searchable digital edition within a reasonable timeframe after print release. The NHPRC strongly encourages free public access to online editions, and it will not consider proposals that lack suitable plans for digital dissemination and long-term preservation at the time of application.

For teams seeking renewed funding, the NHPRC expects evidence of performance and forward momentum. Renewal applicants must show they met objectives tied to prior NHPRC awards, provide current information and a clear description of the next set of activities, identify the specific materials to be edited during the proposed year and explain their historical significance, demonstrate progress toward completing the edition, and present a well-justified updated budget. There is also a firm cap on how long the NHPRC will support projects in this category: renewal funding is limited to a maximum of 10 total years of support beginning with and including any funding awarded since FY 2022, even if those funding years are not consecutive.

On funding specifics, awards are for one year at up to $125,000 per project per year, with the Commission expecting to make up to 28 awards totaling up to $3.5 million. Funded projects are expected to start no earlier than January 1, 2025. Recipients must acknowledge NHPRC support in any publications, publicity, or products produced with grant assistance. The application deadline listed is May 8, 2024, and the funding opportunity number is EDITIONS 202405 under CFDA 89.003.

Eligibility covers a range of U.S.-based entities, including nonprofit organizations (including 501(c)(3) nonprofits), colleges and universities (public or private), and state or local government agencies. Federally recognized Native American tribal governments are eligible, and the narrative also references state-recognized Native American tribes or groups. Applicants are expected to review NHPRC rules under the “Administering an NHPRC Grant” guidance to confirm they meet program requirements.

Cost sharing is required and is a central part of this opportunity. The NHPRC will cover no more than 75 percent of total project costs, meaning the applicant must provide at least 25 percent through a mix of allowable contributions such as direct and indirect expenses, in-kind support, third-party non-federal contributions, and project-generated income. A key budget rule is that NHPRC grant funds cannot be used for indirect costs; if indirect costs are included in the overall project budget, they must be counted under the applicant’s cost share rather than charged to the federal share.

Finally, there are important registration and compliance steps that can affect basic eligibility. Applicant organizations must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) before submitting, must maintain an active SAM registration throughout the application and award process, and must include a valid Unique Entity ID in the application. Because SAM.gov and Grants.gov registrations can take weeks to establish or reactivate, applicants are cautioned to plan ahead; the NHPRC will not extend deadlines due to registration delays.

• The National Archives and Records Administration in the humanities sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "PUBLISHING HISTORICAL RECORDS COLLABORATIVE DIGITAL EDITIONS" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 89.003.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-11-27.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-05-08. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $125,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 28 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.

Apply for EDITIONS 202405

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