WEBVTT Kind: captions Language: en 1 00:00:01.920 --> 00:00:06.162 Welcome to the Institute of Museum and Library Services, 2 00:00:06.162 --> 00:00:10.107 Office of Museum Services Informational Video Native 3 00:00:10.107 --> 00:00:14.944 American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services Grant Program Applicant 4 00:00:14.944 --> 00:00:19.484 Information Session. The goal of this video is to provide an 5 00:00:19.484 --> 00:00:23.578 overview of our Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum 6 00:00:23.578 --> 00:00:28.193 Services Grant Program, which we call NANH for short, and the 7 00:00:28.193 --> 00:00:31.840 process of preparing an application for funding. 8 00:00:34.320 --> 00:00:38.142 This video is organized into six chapters. What is the Native 9 00:00:38.142 --> 00:00:41.841 American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services Grant Program? The 10 00:00:41.841 --> 00:00:45.910 section explains the purpose and eligibility criteria of the NANH 11 00:00:45.910 --> 00:00:49.301 Grant Program. What can NANH Grants Fund? This section 12 00:00:49.301 --> 00:00:53.247 explains the types of projects that could be funded in NANH and 13 00:00:53.247 --> 00:00:55.960 the amounts of funds that can be requested. 14 00:00:56.790 --> 00:01:01.235 Application Components Overview. This section describes the types 15 00:01:01.235 --> 00:01:04.805 of documents that are needed to create an NANH grant 16 00:01:04.805 --> 00:01:08.308 application. Application Components Narrative. This 17 00:01:08.308 --> 00:01:12.416 section provides guidance on composing the narrative part of 18 00:01:12.416 --> 00:01:16.256 your application. Application Components Budget provides 19 00:01:16.256 --> 00:01:20.365 details on the information to include in your project budget 20 00:01:20.365 --> 00:01:22.790 and application tips and next steps 21 00:01:23.490 --> 00:01:26.855 is a concluding section to provide a few tips and next 22 00:01:26.855 --> 00:01:30.464 steps. The complete set of instructions for how to prepare 23 00:01:30.464 --> 00:01:33.952 and submit an NANH grant application can be found in the 24 00:01:33.952 --> 00:01:37.500 Notice of Funding Opportunity published on grants.gov and 25 00:01:37.500 --> 00:01:41.233 available on the IMLS website. Please refer to the Notice of 26 00:01:41.233 --> 00:01:45.209 Funding Opportunity for the most detailed information to prepare 27 00:01:45.209 --> 00:01:46.250 your application. 28 00:01:50.400 --> 00:01:53.808 To get the most out of this video, we recommend that you 29 00:01:53.808 --> 00:01:57.516 watch it in its entirety. This will give you an understanding 30 00:01:57.516 --> 00:02:01.164 of the NANH grant program, the types of projects that can be 31 00:02:01.164 --> 00:02:04.633 funded, and the necessary application components. You may 32 00:02:04.633 --> 00:02:08.161 also want to review the NANH Notice of Funding Opportunity 33 00:02:08.161 --> 00:02:11.630 before, during, or after you watch this video. Notices of 34 00:02:11.630 --> 00:02:14.680 Funding Opportunities, also called NOFOs for short 35 00:02:15.070 --> 00:02:19.697 are documents that detail the requirements of each of our 36 00:02:19.697 --> 00:02:24.564 grant programs for fiscal year 2024. All of our NOFOs can be 37 00:02:24.564 --> 00:02:29.271 found via imls.gov\grants. As you navigate the application 38 00:02:29.271 --> 00:02:34.217 process. You can use this video as a reference tool. If you'd 39 00:02:34.217 --> 00:02:39.004 like to skip to a specific section, please use the time bar 40 00:02:39.004 --> 00:02:43.632 below or the links in the description box to navigate the 41 00:02:43.632 --> 00:02:44.429 chapters. 42 00:02:45.070 --> 00:02:49.317 What is NANH? In this section, we will answer that question and 43 00:02:49.317 --> 00:02:53.299 provide information on the purpose and intent of this grant 44 00:02:53.299 --> 00:02:57.348 program and who it is designed to serve. The overall goal of 45 00:02:57.348 --> 00:03:01.198 the NANH grant program is to build the capacity of Native 46 00:03:01.198 --> 00:03:04.715 American tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations to 47 00:03:04.715 --> 00:03:08.830 provide museum services to their communities in order to help 48 00:03:08.830 --> 00:03:11.950 their heritage, culture, and knowledge thrive. 49 00:03:12.780 --> 00:03:16.120 Some, but not all of the ways tribes and Native Hawaiian 50 00:03:16.120 --> 00:03:19.929 organizations might do this are through exhibitions, educational 51 00:03:19.929 --> 00:03:22.976 services and programs, professional development and 52 00:03:22.976 --> 00:03:26.610 collection stewardship. It's important to note, however, that 53 00:03:26.610 --> 00:03:30.184 applicants do not have to have a physical museum or Cultural 54 00:03:30.184 --> 00:03:33.876 Center constructed in order to provide museum services to your 55 00:03:33.876 --> 00:03:34.580 communities. 56 00:03:39.650 --> 00:03:43.400 The NANH program has unique eligibility criteria from other 57 00:03:43.400 --> 00:03:47.464 museum grant programs offered at IMLS. Specifically, in order to 58 00:03:47.464 --> 00:03:50.902 be eligible for an award under this program, the legal 59 00:03:50.902 --> 00:03:54.340 applicant must be either a federally recognized Indian 60 00:03:54.340 --> 00:03:58.341 tribe, an Alaskan Native village or corporation, or a nonprofit 61 00:03:58.341 --> 00:04:01.904 organization that primarily serves and represents Native 62 00:04:01.904 --> 00:04:02.530 Hawaiians. 63 00:04:03.260 --> 00:04:07.241 Definitions of eligible tribal organizations can be found on 64 00:04:07.241 --> 00:04:11.352 our IMLS Eligibility Criteria web page, linked here, or within 65 00:04:11.352 --> 00:04:14.942 the Notice of Funding Opportunity for this program. In 66 00:04:14.942 --> 00:04:18.335 most circumstances. other entities such as museums, 67 00:04:18.335 --> 00:04:22.121 libraries, cultural centers, schools, tribal colleges, or 68 00:04:22.121 --> 00:04:26.363 departments of education are not eligible to apply on their own, 69 00:04:26.363 --> 00:04:26.820 however 70 00:04:27.480 --> 00:04:32.598 the three types of eligible entities listed here are welcome 71 00:04:32.598 --> 00:04:37.633 to partner with non-eligible entities or organizations. The 72 00:04:37.633 --> 00:04:42.667 applicant for the grant must meet the eligibility criteria, 73 00:04:42.667 --> 00:04:46.360 but the partners aren't required to do so. 74 00:04:46.800 --> 00:04:50.589 In this section we will answer the question, "What can NANH 75 00:04:50.589 --> 00:04:54.695 fund," providing details on the types of projects and objectives 76 00:04:54.695 --> 00:04:58.548 within the NANH Grant program, as well as offer some summary 77 00:04:58.548 --> 00:05:02.464 data on the number and type of NANH projects that were funded 78 00:05:02.464 --> 00:05:05.432 last year. NANH grants are designed to support 79 00:05:05.432 --> 00:05:09.285 project-based activities, so let's take a minute to consider 80 00:05:09.285 --> 00:05:13.201 exactly what that means. The Project Management Institute has 81 00:05:13.201 --> 00:05:14.970 a good definition, which is, 82 00:05:15.300 --> 00:05:19.063 "a project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a 83 00:05:19.063 --> 00:05:22.956 unique product, service, or result." A project is temporary 84 00:05:22.956 --> 00:05:26.525 because it has a defined beginning and end in time and 85 00:05:26.525 --> 00:05:30.159 therefore defined scope and resources. And a project is 86 00:05:30.159 --> 00:05:33.727 unique in that it's not a routine operation or general 87 00:05:33.727 --> 00:05:37.685 operating support, for example, but rather a specific set of 88 00:05:37.685 --> 00:05:41.059 activities designed to accomplish a singular goal." 89 00:05:42.040 --> 00:05:45.587 We recommend that you keep this definition in mind as you 90 00:05:45.587 --> 00:05:49.319 conceptualize your NANH project. Think of it as a temporary, 91 00:05:49.319 --> 00:05:52.744 non-routine set of activities which collectively have a 92 00:05:52.744 --> 00:05:56.721 beginning and an end in time, a defined scope requiring specific 93 00:05:56.721 --> 00:05:59.779 resources, and which are designed to accomplish a 94 00:05:59.779 --> 00:06:03.572 specific, singular goal. How long can your NANH project last? 95 00:06:03.572 --> 00:06:07.242 Your scheduled completion must be at least one year, but no 96 00:06:07.242 --> 00:06:09.200 more than three years in length. 97 00:06:13.070 --> 00:06:16.385 Keeping our focus on project-based activities, let's 98 00:06:16.385 --> 00:06:20.138 look a little closer at what characteristics are most often 99 00:06:20.138 --> 00:06:23.016 seen in successful NANH applications. First - 100 00:06:23.016 --> 00:06:26.519 Institutional Impact. Your project should address a key 101 00:06:26.519 --> 00:06:30.084 need or challenge that faces your tribe or organization. 102 00:06:30.084 --> 00:06:33.900 Second - In-depth Knowledge. Your proposal should reflect a 103 00:06:33.900 --> 00:06:37.466 thorough understanding of current practice and knowledge 104 00:06:37.466 --> 00:06:39.030 about the subject matter. 105 00:06:39.860 --> 00:06:43.684 Third - Project based Design. Your work plan should consist of 106 00:06:43.684 --> 00:06:47.205 a set of logical interrelated activities tied directly to 107 00:06:47.205 --> 00:06:50.180 addressing the key need or challenge that you've 108 00:06:50.180 --> 00:06:53.336 identified, And Fourth - Demonstrable Results. Your 109 00:06:53.336 --> 00:06:56.493 project should generate measurable results that tie 110 00:06:56.493 --> 00:07:00.014 directly back to the need or challenge it was designed to 111 00:07:00.014 --> 00:07:00.500 address. 112 00:07:01.410 --> 00:07:05.719 It has been our experience that unfunded applications fail to 113 00:07:05.719 --> 00:07:10.028 deliver convincingly on one or more of these areas, so it's a 114 00:07:10.028 --> 00:07:13.850 good idea to make sure your application shows how your 115 00:07:13.850 --> 00:07:18.229 project will be strong in each. Still, keeping that concept of 116 00:07:18.229 --> 00:07:22.121 project in mind, let's turn to the program goal and its 117 00:07:22.121 --> 00:07:23.650 associated objectives. 118 00:07:24.240 --> 00:07:27.695 You should align your proposed project with one or more of 119 00:07:27.695 --> 00:07:31.208 these objectives and clearly identify which one or ones you 120 00:07:31.208 --> 00:07:34.897 have chosen in your application narrative. This goal and these 121 00:07:34.897 --> 00:07:38.587 objectives may seem broad and that's on purpose. You only need 122 00:07:38.587 --> 00:07:42.276 to choose the one that is the best fit or most closely aligned 123 00:07:42.276 --> 00:07:45.731 with the key need or challenge you plan to address in your 124 00:07:45.731 --> 00:07:46.200 project. 125 00:07:50.480 --> 00:07:54.281 This slide shows a list of some of the types of projects we can 126 00:07:54.281 --> 00:07:57.963 fund under the NANH program, and we invite you to develop and 127 00:07:57.963 --> 00:08:00.933 apply for projects that best meet your tribe's or 128 00:08:00.933 --> 00:08:04.497 institution's needs. Again, you're not necessarily required 129 00:08:04.497 --> 00:08:08.061 to have a physical museum or cultural center established in 130 00:08:08.061 --> 00:08:11.743 order to provide these types of services. Whatever activities 131 00:08:11.743 --> 00:08:15.070 you have in mind, you should make sure to describe them 132 00:08:15.070 --> 00:08:18.693 thoroughly and show how they will logically progress to meet 133 00:08:18.693 --> 00:08:20.000 your chosen objective. 134 00:08:21.300 --> 00:08:24.245 You should be cautious about trying to cram too many 135 00:08:24.245 --> 00:08:27.524 different types of activities into the same proposal. Just 136 00:08:27.524 --> 00:08:31.193 because they all might fit under the overarching goal of the NANH 137 00:08:31.193 --> 00:08:34.083 program to help you provide museum services to your 138 00:08:34.083 --> 00:08:37.640 communities to promote heritage, culture, and knowledge doesn't 139 00:08:37.640 --> 00:08:41.197 mean you should try to do them all at once. We often call those 140 00:08:41.197 --> 00:08:42.419 kitchen sink projects. 141 00:08:42.930 --> 00:08:47.256 You can certainly have a project that is multifaceted or that has 142 00:08:47.256 --> 00:08:50.928 multiple complementary components, if that's what makes 143 00:08:50.928 --> 00:08:54.992 the most sense for you and your goals. However, the strongest 144 00:08:54.992 --> 00:08:58.401 proposals are clearly defined projects with logical 145 00:08:58.401 --> 00:09:02.466 interrelated activities that have manageable scopes, budgets, 146 00:09:02.466 --> 00:09:06.006 and timelines. If you're not sure about which project 147 00:09:06.006 --> 00:09:10.005 objective or objectives are the best fit for your particular 148 00:09:10.005 --> 00:09:10.530 project, 149 00:09:11.080 --> 00:09:14.349 keeping in mind that you may choose more than one, but then 150 00:09:14.349 --> 00:09:17.618 you must address each in your narrative, here are some more 151 00:09:17.618 --> 00:09:20.942 ways to think about them. For projects focused on preserving 152 00:09:20.942 --> 00:09:24.048 and perpetuating native language or traditional cultural 153 00:09:24.048 --> 00:09:27.046 practices, make sure you think through who your target 154 00:09:27.046 --> 00:09:30.424 audiences are and what their needs are. What do you want them 155 00:09:30.424 --> 00:09:33.693 to learn or accomplish, and what's the best way to go about 156 00:09:33.693 --> 00:09:36.309 that. For professional development and capacity 157 00:09:36.309 --> 00:09:36.799 building, 158 00:09:37.360 --> 00:09:41.038 what does the successful outcome look like for your tribe or 159 00:09:41.038 --> 00:09:44.717 institution? Is it recruiting and training more staff? Is it 160 00:09:44.717 --> 00:09:48.335 enhancing technology such as your website or upgrading your 161 00:09:48.335 --> 00:09:52.074 software? Just remember that general operating support is not 162 00:09:52.074 --> 00:09:55.632 something we can fund. For projects focused on collections 163 00:09:55.632 --> 00:09:58.708 or conservation, we often encourage a step-by-step 164 00:09:58.708 --> 00:10:01.000 approach. This means assessing needs, 165 00:10:01.460 --> 00:10:05.962 creating a prioritized list of activities and following through 166 00:10:05.962 --> 00:10:10.182 by doing the most important and logical things first. Think 167 00:10:10.182 --> 00:10:14.544 carefully about what is in the center of your project and who 168 00:10:14.544 --> 00:10:18.694 will benefit from your work. NANH supports projects of all 169 00:10:18.694 --> 00:10:22.985 sizes, but there is a specific range of funding available in 170 00:10:22.985 --> 00:10:23.900 this program. 171 00:10:24.530 --> 00:10:28.502 You can request a minimum of $5000, up to a maximum of 172 00:10:28.502 --> 00:10:32.980 $250,000 in federal funds. If you ask for less than $5,000 or 173 00:10:32.980 --> 00:10:37.313 more than $250,000 in federal grant funds, your application 174 00:10:37.313 --> 00:10:41.358 may be rejected and not reviewed. Remember to keep your 175 00:10:41.358 --> 00:10:46.053 budget aligned to the scope and scale of your project, including 176 00:10:46.053 --> 00:10:50.170 all costs necessary to complete the proposed activities. 177 00:10:51.210 --> 00:10:54.895 In the NANH grant program, project budgets are not required 178 00:10:54.895 --> 00:10:58.641 to have any non-federal cost share, although you may include 179 00:10:58.641 --> 00:11:02.265 it if your organization will contribute funds towards your 180 00:11:02.265 --> 00:11:06.134 particular project. Cost share is not considered in the review 181 00:11:06.134 --> 00:11:09.942 of NANH applications. It's also important to note that if you 182 00:11:09.942 --> 00:11:13.812 decide to include a cost share in your application, it must be 183 00:11:13.812 --> 00:11:17.804 met by the end of the award. We will hold you to that figure, so 184 00:11:17.804 --> 00:11:19.770 keep that in mind when applying. 185 00:11:20.540 --> 00:11:25.136 Cost share may be in the form of cash, staff, or volunteer time, 186 00:11:25.136 --> 00:11:29.380 or third-party contributions. It may not include funds from 187 00:11:29.380 --> 00:11:33.481 another federal source. There's no limit to the number of 188 00:11:33.481 --> 00:11:37.724 applications you can submit in response to the FY24 funding 189 00:11:37.724 --> 00:11:41.543 announcement for the NANH program. However, if you do 190 00:11:41.543 --> 00:11:45.787 submit multiple applications, they must be for separate and 191 00:11:45.787 --> 00:11:47.060 discreet projects. 192 00:11:47.460 --> 00:11:51.512 Meaning they must not overlap in terms of staffing or costs. For 193 00:11:51.512 --> 00:11:55.253 example, you could submit a proposal to support your native 194 00:11:55.253 --> 00:11:58.744 language revitalization programs, as well as a separate 195 00:11:58.744 --> 00:12:02.360 proposal to inventory and rehouse your museum collection. 196 00:12:02.360 --> 00:12:05.976 You'll want to consider your organization's capacity, not 197 00:12:05.976 --> 00:12:09.467 just to write and submit multiple strong proposals, but 198 00:12:09.467 --> 00:12:12.460 then to manage multiple federal awards at once. 199 00:12:13.160 --> 00:12:17.027 Demonstrating that you have the internal administrative and 200 00:12:17.027 --> 00:12:20.894 financial controls necessary to track and maintain multiple 201 00:12:20.894 --> 00:12:24.955 federal awards simultaneously will be important. The amount of 202 00:12:24.955 --> 00:12:28.693 applications we receive varies from year to year, and the 203 00:12:28.693 --> 00:12:32.625 number of awards we make is dependent on how much funding is 204 00:12:32.625 --> 00:12:36.557 appropriated by Congress for the program each year. Here's a 205 00:12:36.557 --> 00:12:39.200 snapshot of our most recent award cycle. 206 00:12:40.060 --> 00:12:44.493 In FY23, IMLS funded 35 out of 36 eligible applications, 207 00:12:44.493 --> 00:12:49.393 awarding $3.772 million. This was the largest amount allocated 208 00:12:49.393 --> 00:12:53.904 for this program since it was founded in 2005. The funded 209 00:12:53.904 --> 00:12:58.415 awards represent 18 Native American tribes based in seven 210 00:12:58.415 --> 00:13:03.471 states, 4 Alaska Native villages and corporations, and 12 Native 211 00:13:03.471 --> 00:13:05.260 Hawaiian organizations. 212 00:13:06.020 --> 00:13:10.926 8 of these 35 awards, 23%, were from first time applicants to 213 00:13:10.926 --> 00:13:15.833 the NANH program. On the IMLS website, you can use the Search 214 00:13:15.833 --> 00:13:20.345 Awarded Grants function to explore our archive of grants 215 00:13:20.345 --> 00:13:25.093 that we have awarded in past years. All 35 of the FY23 NANH 216 00:13:25.093 --> 00:13:29.763 Awards announced in June are listed here, along with those 217 00:13:29.763 --> 00:13:34.986 from prior years. You can search this database using a variety of 218 00:13:34.986 --> 00:13:35.620 criteria 219 00:13:35.900 --> 00:13:39.247 such as institution name, location, and keyword. Your 220 00:13:39.247 --> 00:13:42.781 search will retrieve basic information about each award, 221 00:13:42.781 --> 00:13:46.377 including the amount of federal funds awarded and a brief 222 00:13:46.377 --> 00:13:50.096 description of the proposed activities and expected results 223 00:13:50.096 --> 00:13:53.506 for each project. We have also posted some examples of 224 00:13:53.506 --> 00:13:56.916 successful application narratives from recent years on 225 00:13:56.916 --> 00:13:57.659 our website. 226 00:13:58.330 --> 00:14:02.673 To find these, go to the Sample Applications page on the IMLS 227 00:14:02.673 --> 00:14:06.876 website and scroll down the page to find the NANH examples. 228 00:14:06.876 --> 00:14:11.359 Looking at these proposals might help you clarify your thinking 229 00:14:11.359 --> 00:14:15.773 about your own project. In this section, we will introduce the 230 00:14:15.773 --> 00:14:19.625 components of an NANH grant application and provide an 231 00:14:19.625 --> 00:14:23.618 overview about the Required, Conditionally Required, and 232 00:14:23.618 --> 00:14:25.090 Supporting documents. 233 00:14:27.370 --> 00:14:31.292 The NANH Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) includes a 234 00:14:31.292 --> 00:14:35.214 complete list of all the application components starting 235 00:14:35.214 --> 00:14:38.861 on page 6. The table of application components lists 236 00:14:38.861 --> 00:14:42.714 which application documents are required, conditionally 237 00:14:42.714 --> 00:14:46.774 required, or optional. Aside from the SF-424S and the IMLS 238 00:14:46.774 --> 00:14:50.972 Museum Program Information form, which are both completed as 239 00:14:50.972 --> 00:14:54.894 fillable forms within the grants.gov workspace, the rest 240 00:14:54.894 --> 00:14:56.890 of the application components 241 00:14:57.330 --> 00:15:01.769 must be created by you, the applicant and saved as PDF 242 00:15:01.769 --> 00:15:06.935 documents to be uploaded as part of your application package in 243 00:15:06.935 --> 00:15:10.971 grants.gov. These are the required documents. All 244 00:15:10.971 --> 00:15:15.976 applicants and applications must include the documents listed 245 00:15:15.976 --> 00:15:20.254 here. Omission of even just one might result in your 246 00:15:20.254 --> 00:15:24.209 application's rejection. Also important to note, 247 00:15:24.640 --> 00:15:28.178 there is a 7-page limit for the narrative. If you exceed the 248 00:15:28.178 --> 00:15:31.600 page limit specified in the NOFO, we must remove the extra 249 00:15:31.600 --> 00:15:35.196 pages before your application goes out for review. That means 250 00:15:35.196 --> 00:15:38.850 your reviewers may well see a paragraph or sentence cut off in 251 00:15:38.850 --> 00:15:42.331 midair and will wonder about your organizational skills and 252 00:15:42.331 --> 00:15:45.927 your attentiveness to detail. Not to mention, any information 253 00:15:45.927 --> 00:15:49.523 contained within those excess pages won't be visible to them, 254 00:15:49.523 --> 00:15:53.119 so make sure your content fits into the page limits specified 255 00:15:53.520 --> 00:15:57.854 and double check the number of pages is still correct after you 256 00:15:57.854 --> 00:16:01.579 convert your document to a PDF. The second category of 257 00:16:01.579 --> 00:16:05.439 application components is that of conditionally required 258 00:16:05.439 --> 00:16:09.705 documents. Some applicants must include 1, 2, or all of these, 259 00:16:09.705 --> 00:16:13.836 and it's important that you know which are required for your 260 00:16:13.836 --> 00:16:17.493 application. If you are a nonprofit organization that 261 00:16:17.493 --> 00:16:20.880 primarily serves and represents Native Hawaiians, 262 00:16:21.300 --> 00:16:25.060 then you must include your proof of nonprofit status issued by 263 00:16:25.060 --> 00:16:28.223 the IRS, as well as appropriate proof of eligibility 264 00:16:28.223 --> 00:16:32.043 documentation as outlined in the Notice of Funding Opportunity. 265 00:16:32.043 --> 00:16:35.684 If you're using a federally negotiated indirect cost rate in 266 00:16:35.684 --> 00:16:39.145 your budget, then you must include a copy of your current 267 00:16:39.145 --> 00:16:42.727 final rate agreement. If you create digital products during 268 00:16:42.727 --> 00:16:46.546 the course of your project, then you must complete and submit a 269 00:16:46.546 --> 00:16:47.860 Digital Products Plan. 270 00:16:48.750 --> 00:16:51.907 And if you are requesting support for conservation 271 00:16:51.907 --> 00:16:55.684 treatments or for collection subjects, then you must include 272 00:16:55.684 --> 00:16:59.028 detailed condition reports and/or formal conservation 273 00:16:59.028 --> 00:17:02.991 treatment proposals. Just like the required documents, omission 274 00:17:02.991 --> 00:17:06.520 of even one of these can result in the exclusion of your 275 00:17:06.520 --> 00:17:09.988 application from further consideration. And please note 276 00:17:09.988 --> 00:17:13.827 that the term digital product includes any digitized and born 277 00:17:13.827 --> 00:17:17.480 digital content, resources or assets, software or research 278 00:17:17.480 --> 00:17:17.790 data. 279 00:17:18.300 --> 00:17:22.406 So, if you are creating any of these types of materials, you 280 00:17:22.406 --> 00:17:26.714 must include the plan with your application. The third group of 281 00:17:26.714 --> 00:17:30.686 application components is Supporting Documents, and here's 282 00:17:30.686 --> 00:17:34.254 a partial list of examples. Supporting documents are 283 00:17:34.254 --> 00:17:38.562 optional. You may submit some or none. We urge you to make good 284 00:17:38.562 --> 00:17:42.534 decisions here and include those that will supplement your 285 00:17:42.534 --> 00:17:43.140 proposal. 286 00:17:43.800 --> 00:17:47.006 This is not the place to introduce brand new information. 287 00:17:47.006 --> 00:17:50.489 Rather, as the name suggests, they should lend support to your 288 00:17:50.489 --> 00:17:53.806 project justification, work plan, and intended results that 289 00:17:53.806 --> 00:17:57.234 you've already spelled out in your application narrative. For 290 00:17:57.234 --> 00:18:00.772 example, have you identified a partner whose involvement is key 291 00:18:00.772 --> 00:18:03.869 to the project's success? If so, a letter of support or 292 00:18:03.869 --> 00:18:07.186 commitment would go a long way to reassuring reviewers that 293 00:18:07.186 --> 00:18:09.840 they are on board and the project will succeed. 294 00:18:10.790 --> 00:18:14.428 Pictures can help give reviewers who may not be familiar with 295 00:18:14.428 --> 00:18:17.772 your institution's programs, collections, or community a 296 00:18:17.772 --> 00:18:20.706 better idea of what you're describing within your 297 00:18:20.706 --> 00:18:24.110 narrative. Vendor quotes or equipment specifications show 298 00:18:24.110 --> 00:18:27.630 that you've done some of the legwork in getting appropriate 299 00:18:27.630 --> 00:18:31.444 estimates for project costs. We recommend that you be respectful 300 00:18:31.444 --> 00:18:34.965 of your reviewer's time and avoid any temptation to include 301 00:18:34.965 --> 00:18:37.429 hundreds of pages of extraneous material, 302 00:18:38.220 --> 00:18:42.364 especially if it's not directly related and relevant to your 303 00:18:42.364 --> 00:18:46.373 project. Being judicious really does work to your benefit. 304 00:18:46.373 --> 00:18:50.858 Supporting documents can make or break an application, so include 305 00:18:50.858 --> 00:18:55.138 what is important and helpful and stop there. In the following 306 00:18:55.138 --> 00:18:58.943 sections of this presentation, we will focus on two key 307 00:18:58.943 --> 00:19:02.680 application components - the project narrative and the 308 00:19:02.680 --> 00:19:03.700 project budget. 309 00:19:04.510 --> 00:19:08.650 Refer to the NOFO for complete instructions on how to prepare 310 00:19:08.650 --> 00:19:12.390 and complete all of the application components. In this 311 00:19:12.390 --> 00:19:15.997 section, we'll go over the questions you will need to 312 00:19:15.997 --> 00:19:20.137 answer your project narrative and offer details on the review 313 00:19:20.137 --> 00:19:24.278 criteria associated with each section: project justification, 314 00:19:24.278 --> 00:19:26.950 project work plan, and project results. 315 00:19:30.350 --> 00:19:33.995 The narrative is the heart of your proposal, and the Notice of 316 00:19:33.995 --> 00:19:37.293 Funding Opportunity provides lengthy guidance on what it 317 00:19:37.293 --> 00:19:40.938 should cover and how it should be formatted. The first section 318 00:19:40.938 --> 00:19:44.352 is your project justification. This section should clearly 319 00:19:44.352 --> 00:19:47.824 identify which program objective or objectives your project 320 00:19:47.824 --> 00:19:51.643 supports, as well as how it will support the overall NANH program 321 00:19:51.643 --> 00:19:54.709 goal of strengthening your tribe's or organization's 322 00:19:54.709 --> 00:19:57.950 ability to provide museum services to your communities. 323 00:19:59.060 --> 00:20:02.649 What needs, problem or challenge will your project address and 324 00:20:02.649 --> 00:20:06.067 how was it identified? Describe how you've used demographic 325 00:20:06.067 --> 00:20:08.744 information, economic circumstances, condition 326 00:20:08.744 --> 00:20:12.276 assessments, and other relevant data from reliable sources to 327 00:20:12.276 --> 00:20:15.752 define the need, problem, or challenge and develop the scope 328 00:20:15.752 --> 00:20:19.170 for the project. Who is the target audience or target group 329 00:20:19.170 --> 00:20:22.360 for your project and how have they been involved in the 330 00:20:22.360 --> 00:20:25.379 planning? Target group refers to those who will most 331 00:20:25.950 --> 00:20:29.146 immediately and positively be affected by your project. 332 00:20:29.146 --> 00:20:32.285 Identify the number of individuals in the target group 333 00:20:32.285 --> 00:20:35.880 or in each target group if you have more than one, and who are 334 00:20:35.880 --> 00:20:39.248 the ultimate beneficiaries for this project. Beneficiaries 335 00:20:39.248 --> 00:20:42.843 refers to those who are likely to be aided in the long term by 336 00:20:42.843 --> 00:20:46.325 your project. They may or may not be the same as your target 337 00:20:46.325 --> 00:20:49.692 group. Identify the number of individuals who will benefit 338 00:20:49.692 --> 00:20:53.288 from your project in the long term, if reliable and defensible 339 00:20:53.288 --> 00:20:54.429 counts are possible. 340 00:20:55.120 --> 00:20:58.071 Otherwise, describe the characteristics of the 341 00:20:58.071 --> 00:21:01.651 beneficiaries you expect to be served eventually by your 342 00:21:01.651 --> 00:21:05.357 project. In Section E of the Notice of Funding Opportunity 343 00:21:05.357 --> 00:21:09.250 under Review criteria, you will find a list of questions that 344 00:21:09.250 --> 00:21:13.144 reviewers are asked to answer when they review your proposal. 345 00:21:13.144 --> 00:21:16.536 It's a good idea to refer to these as your write your 346 00:21:16.536 --> 00:21:20.429 narrative to be certain you are providing your reviewers with 347 00:21:20.429 --> 00:21:22.000 clear, solid information. 348 00:21:22.570 --> 00:21:25.906 You will see that they correspond fairly directly with 349 00:21:25.906 --> 00:21:29.850 the prompts that you're given to write in your narrative. One of 350 00:21:29.850 --> 00:21:33.247 the prompts in the project justification section of the 351 00:21:33.247 --> 00:21:36.645 narrative is the identification of the need, problem or 352 00:21:36.645 --> 00:21:40.042 challenge your project addresses. It is foundational in 353 00:21:40.042 --> 00:21:43.683 your application, so keep these points in mind. The federal 354 00:21:43.683 --> 00:21:47.505 government wants its investment to result in something getting 355 00:21:47.505 --> 00:21:47.930 better. 356 00:21:48.790 --> 00:21:51.539 As you define your need, problem, or challenge, 357 00:21:51.539 --> 00:21:55.147 articulate what will get better as a result of your project as 358 00:21:55.147 --> 00:21:58.640 precisely as possible. Will someone learn something? Develop 359 00:21:58.640 --> 00:22:02.077 a skill? Change an attitude? Will members of your community 360 00:22:02.077 --> 00:22:05.284 be better able to work together to solve problems? Will 361 00:22:05.284 --> 00:22:08.778 collections be better cared for? What will their lifespan be 362 00:22:08.778 --> 00:22:12.329 extended? Will access to your collections and the information 363 00:22:12.329 --> 00:22:13.990 surrounding them be expanded? 364 00:22:14.900 --> 00:22:18.995 Identify why it is important that this particular change 365 00:22:18.995 --> 00:22:22.946 happens. In other words, why should we care? Hone your 366 00:22:22.946 --> 00:22:27.257 problem definition carefully, in clear, succinct terms, and 367 00:22:27.257 --> 00:22:31.065 gather and present data that supports your problem's 368 00:22:31.065 --> 00:22:35.161 definition. If the Project Justification section was the 369 00:22:35.161 --> 00:22:39.256 Why, the Project Work Plan section is where you identify 370 00:22:39.256 --> 00:22:41.340 the who, what, when, and how. 371 00:22:42.160 --> 00:22:45.607 Who will do what activities when, and using what resources? 372 00:22:45.607 --> 00:22:49.054 You should explain how you will track your progress towards 373 00:22:49.054 --> 00:22:52.674 achieving your intended results and what you'll do if you need 374 00:22:52.674 --> 00:22:56.236 to correct course. You should also think about risks that are 375 00:22:56.236 --> 00:22:59.626 inherent in your particular project and tell us how you've 376 00:22:59.626 --> 00:23:03.188 taken that into account in your planning. I'll say more about 377 00:23:03.188 --> 00:23:06.348 risks in a few minutes. Remember, your project must be 378 00:23:06.348 --> 00:23:09.565 at least one year (12 months) and up to three years (36 379 00:23:09.565 --> 00:23:10.599 months) in length. 380 00:23:14.390 --> 00:23:17.383 Again, this is the list of questions that reviewers are 381 00:23:17.383 --> 00:23:20.857 asked to answer for this section when they review your proposal. 382 00:23:20.857 --> 00:23:24.117 So, make sure your narrative is answering these effectively. 383 00:23:24.117 --> 00:23:27.645 Remember, the people reading and scoring your application may not 384 00:23:27.645 --> 00:23:30.478 be familiar with your specific history, institution, 385 00:23:30.478 --> 00:23:32.670 collection, etcetera, so don't be vague. 386 00:23:33.300 --> 00:23:36.878 You want to provide enough detail to reassure them that 387 00:23:36.878 --> 00:23:40.711 your project is manageable and can be accomplished with the 388 00:23:40.711 --> 00:23:44.354 staff, time and resources allocated. Your work plan will 389 00:23:44.354 --> 00:23:48.507 be built on activities, so it's important to be clear about what 390 00:23:48.507 --> 00:23:52.532 an activity is. An activity is something that someone does. It 391 00:23:52.532 --> 00:23:56.749 has a beginning and an end, just like projects, and you know when 392 00:23:56.749 --> 00:24:00.583 you finished it because it doesn't need to be done anymore. 393 00:24:00.583 --> 00:24:02.819 It's no longer on your To Do List. 394 00:24:03.450 --> 00:24:07.072 An activity is not a goal, a result or an outcome. Rather, 395 00:24:07.072 --> 00:24:11.001 it's something you do as part of striving to achieve those. Aim 396 00:24:11.001 --> 00:24:14.991 for a reasonable level of detail in identifying your activities. 397 00:24:14.991 --> 00:24:18.184 Too much and your work plan becomes bogged down and 398 00:24:18.184 --> 00:24:21.683 confusing, but too little and someone who's reading your 399 00:24:21.683 --> 00:24:25.735 application won't understand the who, when, what, and how of your 400 00:24:25.735 --> 00:24:28.130 project. You should aim for a balance. 401 00:24:31.290 --> 00:24:35.184 We also ask that you think about risks that are inherent in your 402 00:24:35.184 --> 00:24:38.719 particular project and tell us how you've taken those into 403 00:24:38.719 --> 00:24:42.613 account in your planning. Think of it as answering the question, 404 00:24:42.613 --> 00:24:46.448 "What if X doesn't go according to plan?" There is no checklist 405 00:24:46.448 --> 00:24:50.162 of risks, but every project has them. The best proposals will 406 00:24:50.162 --> 00:24:53.937 show that you're aware of the risks and have thought through a 407 00:24:53.937 --> 00:24:57.652 plan for dealing with them. Look at your activities and think 408 00:24:57.652 --> 00:24:59.209 about what could go wrong. 409 00:24:59.750 --> 00:25:03.307 Focus on the ones where your experience tells you, "Yes, that 410 00:25:03.307 --> 00:25:06.290 could happen," and identify steps you would take in 411 00:25:06.290 --> 00:25:09.962 response. We know things often go differently than expected, we 412 00:25:09.962 --> 00:25:13.060 just want you to prepare by identifying implementable 413 00:25:13.060 --> 00:25:16.388 options. And here are some examples of types of risks. If 414 00:25:16.388 --> 00:25:20.060 you intend to hire someone into a grant funded position to work 415 00:25:20.060 --> 00:25:23.674 on the project activities, what will you do if it takes longer 416 00:25:23.674 --> 00:25:27.289 than expected to find the right candidate, bring them on board 417 00:25:27.289 --> 00:25:28.150 and train them. 418 00:25:29.410 --> 00:25:32.800 Another example, a project depends on your community 419 00:25:32.800 --> 00:25:36.575 partners to achieve success. But what if a partner becomes 420 00:25:36.575 --> 00:25:40.798 unavailable? What do you do now? And finally, a project involving 421 00:25:40.798 --> 00:25:44.892 rehousing collections into new museum-quality storage might run 422 00:25:44.892 --> 00:25:48.859 into delays in the delivery of the cabinets. So, what happens 423 00:25:48.859 --> 00:25:52.698 to the collection items then? How will you ensure that they 424 00:25:52.698 --> 00:25:54.170 remain safe and secure? 425 00:25:57.950 --> 00:26:01.013 The third section of your narrative should be devoted to 426 00:26:01.013 --> 00:26:04.077 articulating your intended project results. This is your 427 00:26:04.077 --> 00:26:07.302 chance to convince the reviewers that the activities you've 428 00:26:07.302 --> 00:26:10.689 spelled out in your project work plan will result in something 429 00:26:10.689 --> 00:26:13.860 getting better. The need or problem you identified in your 430 00:26:13.860 --> 00:26:16.817 project justification will be diminished or eliminated 431 00:26:16.817 --> 00:26:20.042 altogether. This section should be should logically tie the 432 00:26:20.042 --> 00:26:23.321 narrative together by explaining how you will know that your 433 00:26:23.321 --> 00:26:26.599 project has been successful and how you will measure project 434 00:26:26.599 --> 00:26:27.029 success. 435 00:26:27.920 --> 00:26:31.762 If your project will generate tangible products, and most do, 436 00:26:31.762 --> 00:26:35.356 here's the opportunity to describe them and make the case 437 00:26:35.356 --> 00:26:38.888 that they will be useful. Remember that Digital products 438 00:26:38.888 --> 00:26:42.978 plan I mentioned as a supporting document can be useful to expand 439 00:26:42.978 --> 00:26:46.448 on this section if it's applicable. Last but not least, 440 00:26:46.448 --> 00:26:50.414 we ask that you tell us how you will sustain the benefit of the 441 00:26:50.414 --> 00:26:53.823 project. How will this improvement that you propose to 442 00:26:53.823 --> 00:26:56.240 make continue once your grant is over? 443 00:26:56.700 --> 00:27:00.509 What will the longer-term impacts be? And again, here's 444 00:27:00.509 --> 00:27:04.386 the list of questions that reviewers are asked to answer 445 00:27:04.386 --> 00:27:07.855 when they read the Project Results section of your 446 00:27:07.855 --> 00:27:12.004 narrative. Again, these are found in Section E of the Notice 447 00:27:12.004 --> 00:27:16.153 of Funding Opportunity. We often hear that defining intended 448 00:27:16.153 --> 00:27:20.438 results and success measures is challenging for applicants, so 449 00:27:20.438 --> 00:27:24.179 it's worth spending a little bit of time on this here. 450 00:27:24.970 --> 00:27:28.569 Essentially, we are asking you to explain what will be better 451 00:27:28.569 --> 00:27:32.343 as a result of this project and how will you know. Think back to 452 00:27:32.343 --> 00:27:35.653 the questions we referenced in the project justification 453 00:27:35.653 --> 00:27:39.137 section when we talked about defining the need, problem, or 454 00:27:39.137 --> 00:27:42.794 challenge that your project is addressing and how it fits into 455 00:27:42.794 --> 00:27:46.220 one or more of the program objectives. Your results should 456 00:27:46.220 --> 00:27:49.530 tie it back directly and logically to those elements. If 457 00:27:49.530 --> 00:27:52.839 you said someone will learn something, how will you show 458 00:27:52.839 --> 00:27:53.130 that? 459 00:27:53.820 --> 00:27:57.408 If your problem is related to the preservation of traditional 460 00:27:57.408 --> 00:28:00.591 cultural practices, how will you know when that's been 461 00:28:00.591 --> 00:28:04.064 successfully achieved? If you're saying collections will be 462 00:28:04.064 --> 00:28:07.363 better cared for, how will you be sure, and how will you 463 00:28:07.363 --> 00:28:10.199 measure "better"? If you're digitizing to expand 464 00:28:10.199 --> 00:28:13.846 accessibility, how will you know when you've successfully done 465 00:28:13.846 --> 00:28:14.020 it? 466 00:28:15.150 --> 00:28:18.739 You may think of tangential benefits or general positive 467 00:28:18.739 --> 00:28:22.518 outcomes, but make sure you identify them as in addition to 468 00:28:22.518 --> 00:28:26.611 and not instead of your original intended results. Reviewers are 469 00:28:26.611 --> 00:28:30.516 otherwise likely to catch that as a disconnect, so you should 470 00:28:30.516 --> 00:28:34.168 be specific and refrain from broad, vague, or unrealistic 471 00:28:34.168 --> 00:28:38.136 claims. This focus on project results and measuring success in 472 00:28:38.136 --> 00:28:41.789 meaningful ways is not new, but it isn't necessarily easy 473 00:28:41.789 --> 00:28:42.230 either. 474 00:28:42.840 --> 00:28:46.588 There are many ways to measure success, and each situation and 475 00:28:46.588 --> 00:28:50.397 project is unique. To aid you in visualizing what success could 476 00:28:50.397 --> 00:28:54.205 look like for your project, we encourage you to use or consider 477 00:28:54.205 --> 00:28:57.478 using a logic model or evaluation tool to explain your 478 00:28:57.478 --> 00:29:01.108 intended results and your plan for achieving them. And there 479 00:29:01.108 --> 00:29:04.619 are numerous examples and downloadable worksheets that you 480 00:29:04.619 --> 00:29:07.000 can find with a simple Internet search. 481 00:29:10.610 --> 00:29:14.166 So to recap, your narrative has three sections: Project 482 00:29:14.166 --> 00:29:17.912 Justification, Project Work Plan, and Project Results, and 483 00:29:17.912 --> 00:29:21.341 you have 7 pages for it. The sections are all equally 484 00:29:21.341 --> 00:29:24.898 important and should all logically tie together. Please 485 00:29:24.898 --> 00:29:28.835 write clearly, address what we asked you to address, and keep 486 00:29:28.835 --> 00:29:32.899 an eye on those review criteria. We're telling you exactly what 487 00:29:32.899 --> 00:29:37.026 the reviewers will look for, so make it easy for them to find it 488 00:29:37.026 --> 00:29:38.170 and understand it. 489 00:29:41.530 --> 00:29:45.748 In this section, we will provide information on what to include 490 00:29:45.748 --> 00:29:49.703 in your project budget and budget justification and provide 491 00:29:49.703 --> 00:29:53.790 some examples of allowable and unallowable costs. Your budget 492 00:29:53.790 --> 00:29:57.548 is a critically important component of your application. 493 00:29:57.548 --> 00:30:01.766 This is where you specify all of the costs associated with your 494 00:30:01.766 --> 00:30:05.326 proposed project. The budget consists of two required 495 00:30:05.326 --> 00:30:07.369 documents, the IMLS Budget form 496 00:30:07.860 --> 00:30:11.518 and the corresponding budget justification. The IMLS budget 497 00:30:11.518 --> 00:30:15.115 form is a fillable PDF that accommodates up to three years 498 00:30:15.115 --> 00:30:18.408 of project activities and expenses. The budget should 499 00:30:18.408 --> 00:30:22.189 include the project costs that will be charged to grant funds 500 00:30:22.189 --> 00:30:25.847 as well as those that will be supported by a cost share, if 501 00:30:25.847 --> 00:30:29.383 applicable. All of the items listed, whether supported by 502 00:30:29.383 --> 00:30:32.981 grant funds or cost share, must be necessary to accomplish 503 00:30:32.981 --> 00:30:34.140 project objectives, 504 00:30:34.620 --> 00:30:38.259 allowable according to the applicable federal cost 505 00:30:38.259 --> 00:30:42.540 principles, auditable, and incurred during the award period 506 00:30:42.540 --> 00:30:47.107 of performance. The IMLS budget form can be downloaded directly 507 00:30:47.107 --> 00:30:51.174 from the IMLS website and is linked within the Notice of 508 00:30:51.174 --> 00:30:55.242 Funding Opportunity. As you develop your budget, keep in 509 00:30:55.242 --> 00:30:59.523 mind that there are certain costs that are either allowable 510 00:30:59.523 --> 00:31:03.020 or unallowable according to federal regulations. 511 00:31:03.720 --> 00:31:08.058 The allowability of a cost item for all federal grants is 512 00:31:08.058 --> 00:31:12.697 specified in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), sometimes 513 00:31:12.697 --> 00:31:17.036 referred to as 2 CFR 200 for short, but the full title is 514 00:31:17.036 --> 00:31:21.898 Title 2, Subtitle A, Chapter 2, Part 200, Uniform Administrative 515 00:31:21.898 --> 00:31:26.237 Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for 516 00:31:26.237 --> 00:31:27.359 Federal Awards. 517 00:31:27.780 --> 00:31:31.069 Yes, that is a mouthful, but these regulations contain 518 00:31:31.069 --> 00:31:34.597 important guidance that all federal grant applications and 519 00:31:34.597 --> 00:31:38.126 recipients should be aware of. Using 2 CFR 200 as a basis, 520 00:31:38.126 --> 00:31:41.953 we've developed a short list of allowable costs that are common 521 00:31:41.953 --> 00:31:45.721 to IMLS projects. These costs may be part of what you ask IMLS 522 00:31:45.721 --> 00:31:49.548 to pay for with federal funds, or what you will pay for as part 523 00:31:49.548 --> 00:31:52.300 of your cost share, again if you include any. 524 00:31:53.290 --> 00:31:57.667 The rules about allowability apply equally to both, so when 525 00:31:57.667 --> 00:32:02.191 completing your project budget, be sure to check that all the 526 00:32:02.191 --> 00:32:06.422 costs you include, whether grant funds or cost share, are 527 00:32:06.422 --> 00:32:10.654 allowable. There are also some costs that are unallowable 528 00:32:10.654 --> 00:32:14.448 according to the federal regulations in 2 CFR 200. 529 00:32:14.448 --> 00:32:18.971 Unallowable costs may not be part of what you ask IMLS to pay 530 00:32:18.971 --> 00:32:20.650 for with federal funds, 531 00:32:21.030 --> 00:32:24.763 nor can they be part of what you will pay for as part of your 532 00:32:24.763 --> 00:32:28.677 cost share. Unallowable expenses cannot show up anywhere in your 533 00:32:28.677 --> 00:32:32.471 proposal. As you prepare your application, it's a good idea to 534 00:32:32.471 --> 00:32:36.084 compare your list of proposed expenses against these sample 535 00:32:36.084 --> 00:32:39.276 lists of allowable and unallowable costs and against 536 00:32:39.276 --> 00:32:43.009 the federal cost principles. If after that, you have specific 537 00:32:43.009 --> 00:32:46.924 questions about allowability of certain costs, please contact us 538 00:32:46.924 --> 00:32:48.550 and we'll be happy to help. 539 00:32:52.140 --> 00:32:55.933 In addition to the IMLS budget form, you must also prepare a 540 00:32:55.933 --> 00:32:59.603 budget justification. This is an opportunity to provide an 541 00:32:59.603 --> 00:33:03.459 explanation and justification for the project costs in a more 542 00:33:03.459 --> 00:33:07.128 detailed narrative format. The budget justification should 543 00:33:07.128 --> 00:33:10.549 correspond with the cost categories in the IMLS budget 544 00:33:10.549 --> 00:33:10.860 form. 545 00:33:11.630 --> 00:33:15.559 In the justification, you will identify each expense and show 546 00:33:15.559 --> 00:33:19.425 the method of cost computation used to determine each dollar 547 00:33:19.425 --> 00:33:22.975 amount, including any that you may have consolidated or 548 00:33:22.975 --> 00:33:26.714 summarized on the IMLS budget form. In other words, please 549 00:33:26.714 --> 00:33:30.517 show and please double check your math. For example, in the 550 00:33:30.517 --> 00:33:34.320 section Salaries and Wages, you should identify each person 551 00:33:34.320 --> 00:33:38.249 whose salary or wages will be paid with IMLS funds or by cost 552 00:33:38.249 --> 00:33:38.630 share. 553 00:33:39.140 --> 00:33:42.722 Provide their names and describe their role in the project. 554 00:33:42.722 --> 00:33:46.126 Document the method of cost computation by including the 555 00:33:46.126 --> 00:33:49.649 base salary or wages for each person and the percentage of 556 00:33:49.649 --> 00:33:53.590 time each person is allocated to the project activities, and that 557 00:33:53.590 --> 00:33:57.293 can be shown as a percentage of time or a number of days or a 558 00:33:57.293 --> 00:34:00.816 number of hours, or whatever makes sense. If cost share is 559 00:34:00.816 --> 00:34:03.981 being provided by unpaid volunteers, explain how you 560 00:34:03.981 --> 00:34:07.564 arrived at the dollar amount used to represent the value of 561 00:34:07.564 --> 00:34:08.460 their services. 562 00:34:09.520 --> 00:34:13.689 In the section for supplies, materials and equipment, you 563 00:34:13.689 --> 00:34:18.147 should list each type of supply, material or equipment you've 564 00:34:18.147 --> 00:34:22.676 proposed to purchase or provide as cost share for the project. 565 00:34:22.676 --> 00:34:27.134 Detail the number and unit cost for each item and explain how 566 00:34:27.134 --> 00:34:31.376 you arrived at the dollar amounts. You should also provide 567 00:34:31.376 --> 00:34:35.905 vendor quotes or price lists as supporting documents with your 568 00:34:35.905 --> 00:34:36.840 application. 569 00:34:37.370 --> 00:34:41.338 In this final section of our presentation, we will offer some 570 00:34:41.338 --> 00:34:45.306 application tips and next steps based on our experiences with 571 00:34:45.306 --> 00:34:49.338 the NANH application submission process each year. We can only 572 00:34:49.338 --> 00:34:52.922 make grants to eligible applicants that submit complete 573 00:34:52.922 --> 00:34:56.634 applications, including all attachments, on or before the 574 00:34:56.634 --> 00:35:00.730 deadline. So here are some tips to help you do just that. Start 575 00:35:00.730 --> 00:35:04.378 early, do not try to pull together an entire application 576 00:35:04.378 --> 00:35:05.530 within three days. 577 00:35:06.660 --> 00:35:09.905 Become familiar with grants.gov's workspace. It has 578 00:35:09.905 --> 00:35:13.899 many useful features, including upfront validation which allows 579 00:35:13.899 --> 00:35:17.831 you to correct errors prior to submission, and the opportunity 580 00:35:17.831 --> 00:35:21.576 to collaborate with others in creating your application. If 581 00:35:21.576 --> 00:35:25.445 you're not used to working with grants.gov, consider starting 582 00:35:25.445 --> 00:35:29.439 with the workspace overview and check out their tutorials. Make 583 00:35:29.439 --> 00:35:32.997 sure you're looking at and applying to the correct grant 584 00:35:32.997 --> 00:35:34.620 program within grants.gov. 585 00:35:35.360 --> 00:35:40.052 You can do a keyword search for the IMLS Native American/Native 586 00:35:40.052 --> 00:35:44.084 Hawaiian Museum Services Program, or you can enter the 587 00:35:44.084 --> 00:35:48.556 Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance CFDA number, which is 588 00:35:48.556 --> 00:35:53.101 45.308. Be sure your application is complete. Double check it 589 00:35:53.101 --> 00:35:57.573 against the table of application components in the Notice of 590 00:35:57.573 --> 00:35:59.040 Funding Opportunity. 591 00:35:59.840 --> 00:36:04.038 And make sure all of those application components are in 592 00:36:04.038 --> 00:36:08.826 the proper PDF format and follow the correct naming conventions. 593 00:36:08.826 --> 00:36:13.098 And finally, please submit to grants.gov early so you can 594 00:36:13.098 --> 00:36:17.885 correct any errors and avoid any issues created by slow Internet 595 00:36:17.885 --> 00:36:22.231 or other technology challenges. It's important to get your 596 00:36:22.231 --> 00:36:26.577 application submitted online through grants.gov before the 597 00:36:26.577 --> 00:36:27.239 deadline. 598 00:36:28.520 --> 00:36:32.150 IMLS does not accept applications by mail or e-mail, 599 00:36:32.150 --> 00:36:35.713 and nor do we accept late applications. In order to 600 00:36:35.713 --> 00:36:39.686 register with grants.gov, you must have an active sam.gov 601 00:36:39.686 --> 00:36:44.071 registration and unique entity identifier number. So, make sure 602 00:36:44.071 --> 00:36:48.318 your registrations for both of these sites are complete, your 603 00:36:48.318 --> 00:36:52.291 accounts are active, and that any necessary passwords are 604 00:36:52.291 --> 00:36:52.840 current. 605 00:36:53.680 --> 00:36:57.057 These registrations expire periodically, so do not wait 606 00:36:57.057 --> 00:37:00.615 until it's time to hit the submit button to check on them. 607 00:37:00.615 --> 00:37:03.872 You should coordinate with any other staff members or 608 00:37:03.872 --> 00:37:06.887 departments, such as your authorized organization 609 00:37:06.887 --> 00:37:10.747 representative or your financial or grants office, who may hold 610 00:37:10.747 --> 00:37:14.366 the accounts and passwords you'll need to submit. If you've 611 00:37:14.366 --> 00:37:18.045 had staff turnover in the past year, that might be a flag to 612 00:37:18.045 --> 00:37:20.880 double check who has access to these accounts. 613 00:37:22.020 --> 00:37:25.773 Both the sam.gov and grants.gov websites have robust help 614 00:37:25.773 --> 00:37:29.527 features and FAQ's. If you run into technical issues with 615 00:37:29.527 --> 00:37:33.281 either of these sites, you should reach out to their help 616 00:37:33.281 --> 00:37:37.165 desks and request a tracking case or ticket number in order 617 00:37:37.165 --> 00:37:40.918 to document your issue and attempts at resolving it. IMLS 618 00:37:40.918 --> 00:37:45.061 does not accept failure to have an active sam.gov or grants.gov 619 00:37:45.061 --> 00:37:49.203 registration by the deadline as an excuse for submitting a late 620 00:37:49.203 --> 00:37:49.980 application. 621 00:37:50.360 --> 00:37:54.548 So again, please start early. Peer reviewers who are museum 622 00:37:54.548 --> 00:37:58.527 professionals with experience working in or with tribal, 623 00:37:58.527 --> 00:38:02.785 Alaskan, and Native Hawaiian communities will be selected by 624 00:38:02.785 --> 00:38:06.903 IMLS to read each application and provide constructive and 625 00:38:06.903 --> 00:38:10.882 critical comments on the strengths and weaknesses of the 626 00:38:10.882 --> 00:38:15.141 proposed projects. They are instructed to base their reviews 627 00:38:15.141 --> 00:38:18.282 only on the information contained within the 628 00:38:18.282 --> 00:38:19.119 application, 629 00:38:19.690 --> 00:38:23.695 so don't assume that a reviewer or IMLS will know anything about 630 00:38:23.695 --> 00:38:27.455 your museum or your proposed project. To help make sure your 631 00:38:27.455 --> 00:38:31.091 narrative is as clear and complete as possible, you should 632 00:38:31.091 --> 00:38:34.665 revisit the NANH Notice of Funding Opportunity and follow 633 00:38:34.665 --> 00:38:37.870 the narrative outline it provides and make sure you 634 00:38:37.870 --> 00:38:41.753 address each prompt. Be sure to consider those review criteria 635 00:38:41.753 --> 00:38:44.649 associated with each section of the narrative. 636 00:38:45.530 --> 00:38:48.858 Please use the headings, subheadings, or numbered 637 00:38:48.858 --> 00:38:53.051 sections in your narrative to make it easier for the reviewers 638 00:38:53.051 --> 00:38:57.111 to read. Avoid generalities, acronyms and jargon. The people 639 00:38:57.111 --> 00:39:01.304 who will review your application are museum professionals, but 640 00:39:01.304 --> 00:39:05.098 they may not be familiar with your particular field's or 641 00:39:05.098 --> 00:39:09.025 tribe's shorthand or acronyms, so make it easy for them to 642 00:39:09.025 --> 00:39:10.689 understand what you mean. 643 00:39:11.830 --> 00:39:15.238 An advantage to starting your application early is you can ask 644 00:39:15.238 --> 00:39:18.268 a colleague or a friend to review everything with fresh 645 00:39:18.268 --> 00:39:21.622 eyes before you submit. Ask them to act like a reviewer who's 646 00:39:21.622 --> 00:39:25.030 seeing this for the first time and doesn't know any background 647 00:39:25.030 --> 00:39:28.493 information about your project or your institution. Remember to 648 00:39:28.493 --> 00:39:31.955 limit your narrative to 7 pages, and please try to stick to the 649 00:39:31.955 --> 00:39:35.310 recommended page limits for the other application components. 650 00:39:39.720 --> 00:39:44.455 Applications must be received through grants.gov by 11:59 PM 651 00:39:44.455 --> 00:39:48.336 Eastern Time on November 15th, 2023. This date is 652 00:39:48.336 --> 00:39:52.683 non-negotiable. The time stamp is auto-generated by the 653 00:39:52.683 --> 00:39:57.728 grants.gov system and we have no ability to override it. That is 654 00:39:57.728 --> 00:40:01.842 why we say repeatedly to start early and submit your 655 00:40:01.842 --> 00:40:03.240 application early. 656 00:40:03.740 --> 00:40:07.136 That way, if you encounter a difficulty of any kind when 657 00:40:07.136 --> 00:40:11.070 you're submitting your proposal, you'll have some time to resolve 658 00:40:11.070 --> 00:40:14.824 the problem and resubmit. After the application deadline, IMLS 659 00:40:14.824 --> 00:40:18.162 staff will review your application for completeness and 660 00:40:18.162 --> 00:40:21.797 eligibility, and you will hear from us via e-mail if there's 661 00:40:21.797 --> 00:40:25.015 any issues there. Next, peer reviewers will read your 662 00:40:25.015 --> 00:40:28.472 applications and provide scores and comments based on the 663 00:40:28.472 --> 00:40:30.260 criteria outlined in the NOFO. 664 00:40:31.290 --> 00:40:35.208 IMLS staff will closely review your project budget and your 665 00:40:35.208 --> 00:40:39.061 track record with past and current grants. We then prepare 666 00:40:39.061 --> 00:40:43.176 all of the application materials for review by the IMLS Deputy 667 00:40:43.176 --> 00:40:47.159 Director for Museums and the IMLS Director. By law, the IMLS 668 00:40:47.159 --> 00:40:51.143 Director is charged with the authority and responsibility to 669 00:40:51.143 --> 00:40:55.388 make final award decisions. This typically happens by the end of 670 00:40:55.388 --> 00:40:55.650 May. 671 00:40:56.370 --> 00:41:00.113 So, it's about a six-month turnaround time from when you 672 00:41:00.113 --> 00:41:03.791 submit your proposal to when you'll hear if you've been 673 00:41:03.791 --> 00:41:07.666 awarded. In June 2024, we will notify you by e-mail of the 674 00:41:07.666 --> 00:41:11.934 award decisions and provide the scores and comments generated by 675 00:41:11.934 --> 00:41:16.072 the reviewers. And NANH projects must be scheduled to start on 676 00:41:16.072 --> 00:41:20.210 July 1, 2024, and again they can last from one to three years. 677 00:41:23.870 --> 00:41:27.425 Please make sure everyone involved in preparing your grant 678 00:41:27.425 --> 00:41:31.222 application is aware of those dates and deadlines. As you read 679 00:41:31.222 --> 00:41:34.959 through the NOFO and prepare your application, you might have 680 00:41:34.959 --> 00:41:38.635 additional questions come up before the deadline. IMLS staff 681 00:41:38.635 --> 00:41:42.371 can help answer your questions about this or any other museum 682 00:41:42.371 --> 00:41:46.108 grant program. You may contact us by e-mail or phone. Contact 683 00:41:46.108 --> 00:41:49.784 information is listed on the NANH Grant Program landing page 684 00:41:49.784 --> 00:41:50.989 on the IMLS website. 685 00:41:51.630 --> 00:41:54.588 You can also schedule a counseling call to meet 686 00:41:54.588 --> 00:41:58.472 virtually with program staff. Use the scheduling link found on 687 00:41:58.472 --> 00:42:01.800 the NA and H Program landing page to find and book an 688 00:42:01.800 --> 00:42:05.499 available time slot on our calendars. You will then receive 689 00:42:05.499 --> 00:42:09.382 an e-mail with a calendar invite and a Microsoft Teams meeting 690 00:42:09.382 --> 00:42:13.266 link. Thank you very much for your interest in IMLS and in the 691 00:42:13.266 --> 00:42:16.718 Native American Native Hawaiian Museum Services funding 692 00:42:16.718 --> 00:42:20.416 opportunity. I hope you found the information in this video 693 00:42:20.416 --> 00:42:20.909 helpful. 694 00:42:21.470 --> 00:42:24.356 Good luck and we look forward to seeing your application in 695 00:42:24.356 --> 00:42:24.790 November.