Catalog and Describe Park Archives in the Southeast Region of the National Park Service | P17AS00432

Opportunity Information: Apply for P17AS00432

The Department of the Interior, National Park Service is funding a project called "Catalog and Describe Park Archives in the Southeast Region of the National Park Service" (Funding Opportunity Number P17AS00432). The central purpose is to improve public access to archival collections held by National Park Service units across the Southeast Region by surveying the materials, processing them to archival standards, and creating clear descriptive tools that researchers can use to find and request what they need. In practical terms, the work focuses on turning collections that may be minimally organized or difficult to navigate into properly arranged and described holdings that are discoverable and usable.

The main deliverable is the creation of archival finding aids. A finding aid is essentially a structured guide to a collection that typically explains what the collection is, why it exists, what time period it covers, what kinds of materials it contains (for example, reports, photographs, maps, correspondence, or field notes), and how it is organized. By producing these finding aids, the project aims to make it much easier for the public and scholars to locate relevant information about park history, scientific research, and the management and interpretation of cultural and natural resources. In addition to being used for reference and research support, the finding aids are intended to be posted to individual park websites, which expands visibility beyond on-site or internal databases and helps reach a wider audience that may not know the archives exist.

The opportunity is structured as a cooperative agreement, which generally indicates that the National Park Service expects to have substantial involvement in the project as it is carried out, rather than simply providing funds with minimal oversight. The funding activity category is listed as "Science and Technology and other Research and Development," reflecting the research value of the archival materials and the role the archives play in supporting science, resource stewardship, and historical understanding within parks. The CFDA number associated with the opportunity is 15.945.

This notice is not an open call for applications. Instead, it is a notice of intent to make a restricted award, meaning the National Park Service planned to make a single award rather than compete it broadly. The identified recipient is Auburn University, acting as a partner under the Piedmont South Atlantic Coast Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Unit. The opportunity lists an expected number of awards of 1, with an award ceiling of $73,929. The posting (creation) date is June 26, 2017, and the original closing date field clarifies again that it is not a request for applications due to the restricted-award approach.

A secondary but important goal is workforce development. The project is framed as a professional opportunity for an early career archivist, providing hands-on experience with National Park Service resources, workflows, and mission-driven archival stewardship. By embedding training and real-world deliverables into the work, the project supports both immediate public-access improvements and longer-term capacity building in the archival field, especially as it relates to preserving and interpreting park-related records and collections.

• The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Catalog and Describe Park Archives in the Southeast Region of the National Park Service" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.945.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jun 26, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by This is not a request for applications. This is a notice of intent to make a restricted award to Auburn University, a partner under the Piedmont South Atlantic Coast Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Unit.. (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 $73,929.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for P17AS00432

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