Opportunity Information: Apply for 20200611 PE
The Preservation and Access Education and Training grant is a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) funding opportunity run through NEH's Division of Preservation and Access. It is designed to strengthen the field by building practical knowledge and hands-on skills for the people who care for humanities collections and make them usable by the public. In plain terms, the program invests in training that helps librarians, archivists, museum professionals, and other cultural heritage staff preserve collections over the long term while also improving how those materials can be accessed, used, and understood.
This opportunity supports organizations that provide structured education and training programs at the national, regional, or statewide level. The emphasis is on training that is broad-serving and capacity-building: workshops, institutes, multi-session courses, and similar programs that teach recognized best practices in preservation and access. The intended outcome is a stronger workforce across cultural institutions, where staff leave with concrete competencies to act as effective stewards of humanities collections. While the description does not list specific subject areas, the program focus typically aligns with real-world preservation and access needs in libraries, archives, museums, and historical organizations, such as caring for physical and digital materials, improving preservation workflows, and responsibly expanding access to collections.
The award instrument is a discretionary grant, identified under Funding Opportunity Number 20200611 PE and CFDA 45.149, categorized under Humanities (Cultural Affairs). The maximum award amount (ceiling) is $350,000, and NEH anticipated making about six awards under this cycle, indicating a competitive program that tends to fund a limited number of higher-impact training efforts rather than many small projects.
Eligibility is broad across the public and nonprofit cultural and educational landscape. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; and nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (excluding higher education institutions, since they are listed separately). In practice, that means a wide range of entities can apply as long as they can credibly deliver training that serves professionals responsible for humanities collections.
For this specific posting, NEH created the opportunity on April 3, 2020, with an original application deadline of June 11, 2020. The core purpose remains consistent: to fund organizations capable of delivering high-quality education and training that improves preservation practice and strengthens access planning across cultural institutions, ultimately helping humanities collections endure and remain usable for researchers, students, and the public.Apply for 20200611 PE
- The National Endowment for the Humanities in the humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Preservation and Access Education and Training" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 45.149.
- This funding opportunity was created on Apr 03, 2020.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 11, 2020. (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 $350,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 6 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district 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.
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Preservation and Access Education and Training (NEH) - FAQs
What is the Preservation and Access Education and Training grant?
The Preservation and Access Education and Training grant is a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) funding opportunity administered through NEH's Division of Preservation and Access. It funds education and training programs that build practical knowledge and hands-on skills for people who care for humanities collections and make them usable by the public.
What is the main goal of this grant program?
The main goal is to strengthen the preservation and access field by supporting training that improves long-term stewardship of humanities collections while also improving how materials can be accessed, used, and understood.
Who is this grant intended to benefit?
The funded training is intended to benefit professionals who care for humanities collections, including librarians, archivists, museum professionals, and other cultural heritage staff. The broader intended outcome is a stronger workforce across cultural institutions.
What types of activities or programs does the grant support?
The program supports structured education and training programs that teach recognized best practices in preservation and access. Examples mentioned include workshops, institutes, multi-session courses, and similar structured training formats.
At what scale should the training be delivered (local vs. broader reach)?
The opportunity emphasizes programs delivered at the national, regional, or statewide level. The focus is on broad-serving, capacity-building training rather than narrowly targeted efforts.
What kind of outcomes does NEH want from funded projects?
NEH expects that participants will leave with concrete competencies and practical skills that enable them to act as effective stewards of humanities collections. The intended result is improved preservation practice and stronger access planning across cultural institutions.
Does the opportunity specify exact subject areas that must be taught?
The description provided does not list specific required subject areas. It describes a general focus on real-world preservation and access needs across libraries, archives, museums, and historical organizations, including caring for physical and digital materials, improving preservation workflows, and responsibly expanding access to collections.
Which NEH office runs this grant program?
This funding opportunity is run through NEH's Division of Preservation and Access.
What is the funding mechanism or award type?
The award instrument is a discretionary grant.
What is the maximum (ceiling) award amount?
The maximum award amount (ceiling) listed for this opportunity is $350,000.
How many awards did NEH anticipate making?
NEH anticipated making about six awards under this cycle, indicating a competitive program with a limited number of awards.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number and CFDA number for this grant?
The Funding Opportunity Number is 20200611 PE, and the CFDA number is 45.149.
How is this opportunity categorized?
The opportunity is categorized under Humanities (Cultural Affairs).
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants include:
- State governments
- County governments
- City or township governments
- Special district governments
- Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education
- Private institutions of higher education
- Federally recognized Native American tribal governments
- Nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (excluding higher education institutions, which are listed separately)
Is eligibility limited only to nonprofits?
No. Eligibility is broad and includes various government entities, institutions of higher education (public/state-controlled and private), federally recognized tribal governments, and 501(c)(3) nonprofits (with higher education institutions treated as a separate eligibility category).
What kinds of organizations are best positioned to apply?
Based on the description, organizations best positioned to apply are those that can credibly deliver high-quality, structured education and training programs that broadly serve professionals responsible for humanities collections and build capacity across institutions.
When was this opportunity created and what was the original deadline?
NEH created the opportunity on April 3, 2020, and the original application deadline was June 11, 2020.
What is the overarching public benefit of the program?
The program aims to help humanities collections endure and remain usable for researchers, students, and the public by improving preservation practice and strengthening access planning across cultural institutions.
Does this grant focus only on preservation, or also on access?
It focuses on both. The program funds training that supports long-term preservation of collections and also improves access so materials can be used and understood by the public.
Is this program designed for small one-off trainings or larger capacity-building efforts?
The emphasis is on broad-serving, capacity-building training efforts (for example, workshops, institutes, and multi-session courses) rather than small or narrowly focused activities.
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Humanities (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA)
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Previous opportunity: Access 2020: Training for Access Administrators from India and Afghanistan
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