Shared Beringian Heritage Program 2018 Funding Call | P18AS00026

Opportunity Information: Apply for P18AS00026

The Shared Beringian Heritage Program (SBHP) 2018 Funding Call was a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, offered through a cooperative agreement. The program focuses on the Beringia region, an area stretching from the Kolyma River in Russia to the Alaska-Yukon border in the United States. This landscape and seascape is widely recognized for its global significance because it once formed a connection between Asia and North America during the Pleistocene ice ages, creating exceptional opportunities to understand both natural history (including environmental change and ecosystems) and human history (including migration, settlement, and long-standing Indigenous lifeways). SBHP is built around the idea that Beringia represents a shared heritage across national boundaries, and that protecting and interpreting that heritage requires collaboration, local knowledge, and sustained cultural connections.

The overall purpose of SBHP funding was to increase understanding and preservation of Beringia's natural and cultural resources while supporting the cultural vitality of the region's Indigenous peoples. The National Park Service framed this purpose in practical program goals. Projects were expected to strengthen conservation and sustainability efforts and expand knowledge about natural and cultural resources in the region. They were also meant to help preserve subsistence opportunities and other historic traditions and practices, reflecting the reality that subsistence is not only an economic activity but also a core part of cultural identity, intergenerational teaching, and community well-being. Another major emphasis was interpretation and communication: helping communities, visitors, and broader audiences understand what makes Beringia internationally significant and why its resources and values matter. Finally, SBHP explicitly encouraged cultural connections and knowledge exchange, supporting activities that connect people across communities and, where feasible, across the U.S.-Russia context, in ways that promote shared learning and mutual respect.

In terms of who could apply, eligibility was broad and included state, county, and local governments; public and state-controlled colleges and universities; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Tribal governments; other Tribal organizations; and nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (excluding higher education institutions in that specific nonprofit category). The funding activity areas were equally broad, spanning education, environment, humanities (including cultural affairs), information and statistics, and natural resources, reflecting the program's interdisciplinary nature and its interest in both research and community-centered cultural work.

For the 2018 call, the opportunity number was P18AS00026, and it was associated with CFDA numbers 15.944, 15.945, and 15.946. The notice was created on December 11, 2017, with an application deadline of February 12, 2018. All application materials had to be received by 3:00 PM Alaska Standard Time on the deadline date, and applicants needed to meet all stated eligibility and submission requirements by that time to be considered. The maximum award amount (ceiling) was $225,000, and the National Park Service anticipated making about 9 awards under this funding call.

Overall, this funding opportunity was designed for projects that protect and sustain Beringia's resources, keep culturally important practices strong (especially subsistence traditions), and improve how the story and significance of Beringia are shared and understood. The cooperative agreement format also signals that the National Park Service expected an active partnership role, not just a passive funder relationship, aligning with SBHP's collaborative approach to stewardship, interpretation, and cultural exchange.

• The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the education, environment, humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda), information and statistics, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Shared Beringian Heritage Program 2018 Funding Call" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.944, 15.945, 15.946.
• This funding opportunity was created on Dec 11, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 12, 2018 All applications materials must be received no later than February 12, 2018, 1500, Alaska Standard Time. Applicants must meet all eligibility criteria and submission requirements by the application deadline for consideration under this NOFO.. (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 $225,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 9 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), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), 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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