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Institute of Museum and Library Services opens applications for six grant programs

Institute of Museum and Library Services

On August 18, the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) issued notices of funding opportunities (NOFOs) for six museum grant opportunities:

ASTC members have historically been successful in receiving awards from many of these programs, including more than $7 million in grants from the fiscal year 2020 competitions announced earlier this month.

To help you decide which funding opportunity may be the best fit for your project idea and institution, IMLS recorded a webinar on choosing a funding opportunity. IMLS representatives will also be participating in the ASTC Virtual 2020 Annual Conference and are available to answer questions from prospective applicants.

Applications for all six programs are due on November 16, 2020. Where cost share requirements apply, applicants must provide funds from non-Federal sources in an amount equal to or greater than the amount of the IMLS request.

Museums for America

The Museums for America program supports projects that strengthen the ability of an individual museum to serve its public. Applications are accepted in three project categories:

Lifelong Learning. Supporting the ability of museums to empower people of all ages and backgrounds through experiential and cross-disciplinary learning and discovery, IMLS is seeking applications for projects that position museums as unique teaching and inquiry-focused institutions within today’s formal and informal learning ecosystem.

Community Anchors. Promoting the role of museums as essential partners in addressing the needs of their communities by leveraging their expertise, knowledge, physical space, collections, technology, and other resources to identify and implement solutions, IMLS is seeking applications that strengthen museums’ capacities for civic engagement and that contribute to the creation of livable, sustainable communities.

Collections Stewardship and Access. Supporting the role of museums as trusted stewards of museums collections, IMLS is seeking applications for projects that support the exemplary management, documentation, conservation, long-term preservation, and access to and use of the materials entrusted to a museum’s care.

  • Program Information: Museums for America
  • Notice of Funding Opportunity: FY 2021 Museums for America (PDF)
  • Application Deadline: November 16, 2020
  • Anticipated Awards: 120
  • Grant Amount: $5,000-$250,000
  • Grant Period: Up to three years
  • Cost Share Required: Yes

Inspire! Grants for Small Museums

The Inspire! Grants for Small Museums program, a special initiative of Museums for America, is designed to help small museums implement projects that address priorities identified in their strategic plans. IMLS invites applications that focus on providing rich learning experiences for individuals of all ages, backgrounds, and circumstances; supporting partnerships aimed at assessing and addressing the needs of their communities; strengthening the role of museums as trusted stewards of the collections in their care; and/or expanding access to collections and associated resources.

In evaluating whether it is a good fit for this special initiative for small museums, applicants should consider a range of attributes, including the number of staff and volunteers, operating budget, facility size, audience served, and size relative to other organizations of the same discipline or within the same geographic region.

As with its parent program, applications must align with one of the three project categories:

Lifelong Learning. Supporting the ability of museums to empower people of all ages and backgrounds through experiential and cross-disciplinary learning and discovery, IMLS is seeking applications for projects that position museums as unique teaching and inquiry-focused institutions within today’s formal and informal learning ecosystem.

Community Anchors. Promoting the role of museums as essential partners in addressing the needs of their communities by leveraging their expertise, knowledge, physical space, collections, technology, and other resources to identify and implement solutions, IMLS is seeking applications that strengthen museums’ capacities for civic engagement and that contribute to the creation of livable, sustainable communities.

Collections Stewardship and Access. Supporting the role of museums as trusted stewards of museums collections, IMLS is seeking applications for projects that support the exemplary management, documentation, conservation, long-term preservation, and access to and use of the materials entrusted to a museum’s care.

Museums Empowered

The Museums Empowered: Professional Development Opportunities for Museum Staff program, a special initiative of Museums for America, has the goal of strengthening the ability of an individual museum to serve its public through professional development activities that cut across various departments to generate systemic change within the museum.

This program has four project categories:

Digital Technology. To empower museum staff to fully explore, understand, adopt, and optimize the use of digital technology in museums.

Diversity and Inclusion. To empower museum staff to develop cultural competency and support museum relevancy in their communities.

Evaluation. To empower museum staff to use formative and summative evaluation of programs, practices, and products that can help the museum yield indicators and measurable outcomes.

Organizational Management. To empower museum staff to learn best practices in organizational management, strategic thinking, innovation, and managing change.

National Leadership Grants for Museums

National Leadership Grants for Museums support projects that address critical needs of the museum field and that have the potential to advance practice in the profession so that museums can improve services for the American public.

Applicants must choose one of three funding levels:

  • Non-research grant, $50,000-$1,000,000 for 1-3 years with 1:1 cost share required
  • Research grant, $50,000-$1,000,000 for 1-3 years with no cost share required
  • Rapid prototyping grant, $5,000-$50,000 for up to 1 year with no cost share required

Projects must align with one of the five project categories:

Collections Stewardship and Access. In support of efforts by museums of all types and sizes to care for, conserve, and manage collections, IMLS welcomes applications for projects that help the museum field address state-of-the-art collections care and collections-information management, curation, preventive conservation, conservation treatments as well as provide broad access to and use of museum collections. Applicants may collaborate with libraries, archives, and other collecting institutions.

Data and Evaluation. In support of encouraging data collection and evaluation studies that can be used to identify current and future trends, gaps, and opportunities to contribute to improved practices and to better understand the landscape of museum programs and services, IMLS welcomes applications for projects that use qualitative and quantitative approaches to shed new light on museum services to the public.

Digital Platforms and Applications. In support of innovative approaches that use technology to advance the work of museums and museum professionals in service of the community, IMLS welcomes applications for projects that explore, test, and optimize the use of digital technology in the museum field.

Diversity and Inclusion. In support of the work of the museum field in engaging with communities and providing inclusive services designed for audiences of various backgrounds, circumstances, and abilities, IMLS welcomes applications for innovative and replicable projects that help museums work with community members and community-based organizations as equal partners to broaden opportunity and access and to address adaptations in museum programs and services reflecting changes in community demographics.

Professional Development. In support of the recruitment and training of museum staff, volunteers, and interns to grow a skilled, professional, diverse, and inclusive workforce and to strengthen museums’ capacity to serve the public, IMLS encourages the development of best practices and innovations by creating skill-building and capacity-expanding programs that are applicable across all levels of museum staff.

Museum Grants for African American History and Culture

The Museum Grants for African American History and Culture program has the goal of building the capacity of African American museums and support the growth and development of museum professionals at African American museums. The program supports projects that nurture museum professionals, build institutional capacity, and increase access to museum and archival collections at African American museums and Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

IMLS welcomes applications from museums of all sizes and geographic areas whose primary purpose, as reflected in their mission, is African American art, life, history, and culture.

Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services

The Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services program has the goal of supporting Indian tribes and organizations that primarily serve and represent Native Hawaiians in sustaining heritage, culture, and knowledge through exhibitions, educational services and programming, professional development, and collections stewardship.

To be eligible for an award under this notice of funding opportunities, recipients must be an Indian tribe or an organization that primarily serves and represents Native Hawaiians. Other entities are encouraged to serve as project partners.

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