Internships to Increase Public Access to Archival Resources in the NPS National Capital Region | P18AS00039

Opportunity Information: Apply for P18AS00039

The grant opportunity titled "Internships to Increase Public Access to Archival Resources in the NPS National Capital Region" is a National Park Service (NPS) initiative under the U.S. Department of the Interior focused on strengthening archival stewardship and expanding public access to archival resources. The core idea behind the project is that curated archival collections function as essential primary-source evidence for long-term research, interpretation, and preservation of cultural heritage, yet many students pursuing cultural resource careers do not receive enough hands-on training in how archival collections are managed, preserved, and made accessible. By investing in internships centered on real archival curation work, the program aims to build practical workforce skills while also improving the usability and visibility of museum and archival holdings connected to NPS sites in the National Capital Region.

This opportunity is structured as a cooperative agreement, meaning the federal agency expects active involvement in the project rather than a hands-off grant relationship. It is also categorized as a continuation and, specifically, a notice of intent to award a modification to an existing partner: the University of Maryland (UMD), through its iSchool. The listing makes clear that this is not an open competition at the time of posting and that no new applications are being accepted. The work previously competed under announcement number P17AS00037, and this notice (Funding Opportunity Number P18AS00039) reflects a continuation or modification of that prior relationship rather than a new solicitation for additional applicants. Eligible applicants are identified as public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, aligning with the university partnership model described in the project narrative.

Programmatically, the internship effort is designed to give students direct exposure to professional archival environments and mentoring relationships with NPS staff. Interns are expected to participate in archival curation activities that reflect the day-to-day realities of archival and museum archive work, including organizing and describing materials, supporting preservation and curation tasks, and helping improve access pathways so that collections can be used by researchers and the broader public. A major emphasis is career exploration and professional development: the NPS provides mentorship, helps interns build practical experience, and supports relationship-building with working professionals and organizations in archival management and preservation. The goal is not only to benefit the collections, but also to produce interns who can demonstrate credible, job-ready experience on their resumes.

The opportunity also highlights specific learning outcomes tied to modern information and archival practice. Through participation in curation activities, interns are positioned to strengthen research strategies and evaluation skills, practice critical thinking and problem solving, and engage in professional, networked conversations in the field. Ethical information use is explicitly called out, reflecting the responsibilities common in archival work, such as handling sensitive materials appropriately, maintaining provenance and context, and applying standards that support trustworthy access and interpretation. The description frames the internship as particularly well-suited for students interested in archaeology, American history, archives, library science, and material culture studies, which reflects the interdisciplinary nature of NPS cultural resource collections and the broad range of formats and historical contexts commonly encountered in museum archives.

In terms of basic award details, the posting lists an award ceiling of $49,900 with an expectation of one award. The opportunity falls under the CFDA number 15.945 and is categorized in the funding activity area of employment, labor, and training, reinforcing that the primary deliverable is workforce development through structured internship experiences rather than a purely research-driven or infrastructure-driven grant. The notice was created on December 12, 2017, with an original closing date of December 22, 2017, though the document simultaneously clarifies that this is an intent-to-award modification to UMD and that no applications are being accepted at the time, indicating the closing date is largely procedural rather than a window for new proposals.

• The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the employment, labor and training sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Internships to Increase Public Access to Archival Resources in the NPS National Capital Region" 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 Dec 12, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Dec 22, 2017 This Cooperative Agreement previously competed under announcement number quotP17AS00037quot. This is a Notice of NPS intent to award the Modification to UMD. No applications are being accepted at this time.. (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 $49,900.00 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.

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