Performing Arts Japan

This program is designed to provide financial assistance for non-profit organizations in the US that aim to introduce Japanese performing arts to local audiences. PAJ Touring Grants help present Japanese performing arts at multiple locations in the United States and Canada, with an emphasis on locations outside major metropolitan areas. PAJ Collaboration Grants help American and Japanese artists develop a new work, which will further an appreciation of Japanese culture when presented to an American audience.

Amount: 50% of cost

Date due: November 2, 2009

For more information, click here.

International Education Research Grants

The International Education Research Foundation's mission is to conduct research and disseminate information on world educational systems and to facilitate the integration of individuals educated outside the United States into the U.S. educational environment and work force. Proposals are particularly sought for the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Costa Rica, Finland, Greece, Paraguay, Portugal, and Uraguay.

Amount: Varies

Date Due: Rotating until December 31, 2010.

Each research grant proposal is evaluated on how well its project design and expected outcomes address the following criteria:

• Supporting research for the evaluation of foreign academic credentials,
• Promoting the integration of students, scholars and professionals holding non-U.S. academic credentials into the United States,
• Facilitating the publication and dissemination of the results of the research and
• Encouraging the exchange of information about educational systems.

For more information, click here.

CNCS National Planning Grants and Indian Tribes Planning Grants CFDA 94.006

The purpose of planning grants is to support the development of AmeriCorps programs so applicants are better prepared to compete for a multi-state AmeriCorps grant in the following grant cycle. These grants are awarded for 12 months. They may not be used to support AmeriCorps members. National Planning Grant applicants must not have previously received a multi-state AmeriCorps grant and must be interested in applying for AmeriCorps funding for a program that will operate in two or more states. Indian Tribes Planning Grant applicants must not have received an AmeriCorps grant in the past and must be an Indian Tribe. Applications must be submitted using eGrants and not through Grants.gov. Applications are due by October 19, 2009.


When will the grants be awarded?
Contingent upon appropriations, the grants will be awarded in late January 2010 so that successful applicants will have a full year to prepare for their competitive application which will be due in January of 2011, again contingent upon appropriations.

What are the matching requirements for these grants?
Applicants must provide 24% of the total project cost in match. Match may be cash or in-kind. The Corporation complies with Executive Order 13175 and will handle any waiver request from an Indian Tribe in an expedited manner.

Document Type: Grants Notice
Funding Opportunity Number: CNCS-GRANTS-09092009-001
Opportunity Category: Discretionary
Posted Date: Sep 09, 2009
Creation Date: Sep 09, 2009
Original Closing Date for Applications: Oct 19, 2009 Applications must be submitted using eGrants. Applications must arrive at the Corporation by the indicated date and time in order to be considered on time.
Current Closing Date for Applications: Oct 19, 2009 Applications must be submitted using eGrants. Applications must arrive at the Corporation by the indicated date and time in order to be considered on time.
Archive Date: Oct 20, 2009
Funding Instrument Type: Grant

Category of Funding Activity: Community Development
Disaster Prevention and Relief
Education
Employment, Labor and Training
Environment
Food and Nutrition
Health
Housing
Law, Justice and Legal Services
Natural Resources
Regional Development

Category Explanation: National Planning Grants Public or private nonprofit organizations, including labor organizations; faith-based and other community organizations; institutions of higher education; government entities within states or territories (e.g., cities, counties); Indian Tribes; or partnerships or consortia operating in more than one state are eligible. Community-based organizations, including faith-based organizations and intermediary organizations operating in more than one state are encouraged to apply for planning grants. Indian Tribes Planning Grants Indian Tribes are eligible to apply. Indian Tribe is defined as a federally recognized Indian Tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or community, including any Native village, Regional Corporation, or Village Corporation, as defined under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. § 1602), that the United States Government determines is eligible for special programs and services provided under federal law to Indians because of their status as Indians. Indian Tribes also include tribal organizations controlled, sanctioned, or chartered by one of the entities described above.
Expected Number of Awards: 5
Estimated Total Program Funding: $250,000
Award Ceiling:
Award Floor:
CFDA Number(s): 94.006 -- CFDA Update to Include ARRA - Americorps
Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: No

Full Announcement Description

NCPTT 2010 Call for Proposals CFDA 15.923

The National Center for Preservation Technology & Training (NCPTT) seeks innovative projects that advance the application of science and technology to historic preservation. The PTT Grants program funds projects that develop new technologies or adapt existing technologies to preserve cultural resources. Projects may include, but are not limited to:

• laboratory or field research that explores or assesses novel or adaptive methods;
• training activities, including workshops, and course or curriculum development that promote the use of new or adaptive technologies;
• documentation using new methods;
• manuscript or website development that disseminates innovative preservation technologies; and
• meetings that convene experts to discuss the use of technologies to address preservation problems.

NCPTT does not fund “bricks and mortar” projects or straight-forward documentation projects using well-established methods. Grants are awarded competitively with a maximum award of $25,000 (including indirect costs). All grants require a one-to-one match of cash or in-kind services. Source of the match may be federal or non-federal resources. Grants are funded by annual federal appropriation and are subject to availability of funds. Application are submitted directly to NCPTT and not through Grants.gov. Applications are due by October 15, 2009.


Research Priorities:
NCPTT funds projects within several overlapping disciplinary areas. These include: archeology, collections management, architecture, engineering, historic landscapes, and materials research.

Although any proposal will be considered that advances NCPTT’s mission, NCPTT will give preference to proposals that advance technologies or methods to:

• conserve cultural resources of the “recent past,”
• monitor and evaluate preservation treatments,
• investigate minimally invasive techniques to inventory and assess cultural resources
  protect cultural resources against natural and human threats,
• preserve cemeteries and places of worship, and
• safeguard resources from effects of pollution and climate.

Who Is Eligible
The following organizations are eligible to submit proposals:

• U.S. universities and colleges,
• U.S. non-profit organizations: Museums, research laboratories, professional societies and similar organizations in the U.S. that are directly associated with educational or research activity, and
• Government agencies in the U.S.: National Park Service and other federal, state, territorial and local government agencies, as well as Hawaiian Natives, Native American and Alaska Native tribes and their Tribal Historic Preservation Offices.

Other organizations can participate only as contractors to eligible U.S. partners. Grants funds support only portions of projects that are undertaken or managed directly by U.S. partners. Grant funds can be used in support of projects outside of the U.S., provided the principal organization conducting the work is an eligible U.S. institution and the project’s results address a national preservation need.

Review Criteria
Reviewers evaluate each project proposal by the following criteria. The successful proposed project should thoroughly:

• address an identifiable national need in preservation technology,
• present innovate technologies,
• demonstrate a technically sound methodology,
• have a principal investigator well qualified to conduct the proposed work,
• disseminate project results effectively,
• be cost effective given the scope of work and the audience,
• provide a one-to-one match of funding with cash or in-kind services, and
• result in tangible grant products that disseminate information beyond traditional ways (e.g. online web based training, webinars, podcasts, videos, DVDs, electronic publishing, etc.).

Other Considerations
NCPTT reviews proposals for disciplinary, geographical and institutional distribution. Additionally, a National Park Service grants administrator reviews them for financial and policy matters. Special consideration will be given to proposals that leverage resources through public and private partnerships.

The Grant Application Process
Applicants desiring assistance may submit an optional preproposal anytime up to October 1, 2009. The preproposal may not exceed one page in length, and it should be an informal abstract of the project. Provide a brief description that highlights the innovative nature of the project, how it applies to preservation technology, the national need, the time frame, and approximate overall cost. NCPTT staff will provide timely feedback on the degree of fit between your preproposal and NCPTT’s mission.
Applicants must submit a PTT Grant application between September 1, 2009 and October 15, 2009.

The applicant will provide details on the following:

• abstract (100 words)
• description of innovation (100 words)
• project narrative, which should include a discussion of the technical soundness of the methods (1000 words)
• a bibliography of references cited in the narrative
• statement about how the project addresses an identifiable national need in preservation technology (250 words)
• a list of project tasks and their schedule (500 words)
• a dissemination plan (250 words)
• a description of the deliverables (500 words)
• summary of the expertise and project-related experience of the principal investigator (500 words)
• summary of the expertise and project-related experience of the research team (1000 words)
• an itemized budget listing the funds requested from NCPTT, as well as the funds provided in cash and in-kind donation from other parties, and
• listing of congressional district and names of congressional representatives.

NCPTT internal review panels provide their evaluations around November 5, 2009.
A national panel meets to evaluate finalists around November 17, 2009.
Applicants will receive notification of their status in early December, 2009.
Successful projects can begin in March 1, 2010, pending availability of funding.

NCPTT Website

NCPTT Application

Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad Program

This program supports overseas projects in training, research, and curriculum development in modern foreign languages and area stuidies for groups of teachers, students, and faculty engaged in a common endeavor. Projects are short-term and include seminars, curriculum development, or group research or study.

Amount: $$90,000 for 12 months

Due: October 6, 2009

Projects must focus on one or more of the following geographic regions of the world: Africa, East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific, the Western Hemisphere (Central and South America, Mexico, and the Caribbean), East Central Europe and Eurasia, and the Near East.

There are two competitive preferences and one invitational priority. Competitive Preference 1 is for projects focusing on any of the 78 languages deemed critical on the U.S. Department of Education's list of Less Commonly Taught Languages (list within RFP). Competitive Preference 2 is for projects that develop and improve foreign language and/or area studies at elementary and secondary schools. Invitational Priority is for collaborative efforts between colleges and/or departments that provide pre-service traning for K-12 teachers in foreign languages and international area studies in teacher education programs.

For more information, click here.

IMLS: Museums for America CFDA 45.301

Museums for America is the Institute’s largest grant program for museums, supporting projects and ongoing activities that build museums’ capacity to serve their communities. Museums for America grants strengthen a museum’s ability to serve the public more effectively by supporting high-priority activities that advance the institution’s mission and strategic goals. Museums for America grants are designed to be flexible: funds can be used for a wide variety of projects, including: ongoing museum work, research and other behind-the-scenes activities, planning, new programs, purchase of equipment or services, and activities that will support the efforts of museums to upgrade and integrate new technologies. Grants are awarded in the following categories: Engaging Communities (Education, Exhibitions, and Interpretation); Building Institutional Capacity (Management, Policy, and Training); and Collections Stewardship. Applications are due by November 2, 2009


Document Type: Grants Notice
Funding Opportunity Number: MFA-FY10
Opportunity Category: Discretionary
Posted Date: Aug 26, 2009
Creation Date: Aug 26, 2009
Original Closing Date for Applications: Nov 02, 2009
Current Closing Date for Applications: Nov 02, 2009
Archive Date: Dec 02, 2009
Funding Instrument Type: Grant
Category of Funding Activity: Arts (see "Cultural Affairs" in CFDA) Humanities (see "Cultural Affairs" in CFDA)
Category Explanation:
Expected Number of Awards: 150
Estimated Total Program Funding: $17,000,000
Award Ceiling: $150,000
Award Floor: $5,000
CFDA Number(s): 45.301 -- Museums for America
Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: Yes
Eligible Applicants
Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)

Additional Information on Eligibility:
All types of museums, large and small, are eligible for funding. Eligible museums include aquariums, arboretums and botanical gardens, art museums, youth museums, general museums, historic houses and sites, history museums, nature centers, natural history and anthropology museums, planetariums, science and technology centers, specialized museums, and zoological parks. Federally operated and for-profit museums may not apply for IMLS funds.

An eligible applicant must be: either a unit of state or local government or a private not-for-profit organization that has tax-exempt status under the Internal Revenue Code; located in one of the fifty states of the United States of America, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated states of Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau; and a museum that, using a professional staff, (1) is organized on a permanent basis for essentially educational or aesthetic purposes; (2) owns or uses tangible objects, either animate or inanimate; (3) cares for these objects; and (4) exhibits these objects to the general public on a regular basis through facilities which it owns or operates.

An organization uses a professional staff if it employs at least one professional staff member, or the fulltime equivalent, whether paid or unpaid primarily engaged in the acquisition, care, or exhibition to the public of objects owned or used by the institution.

An organization “exhibits objects to the general public” if such exhibition is a primary purpose of the institution. Further, an organization which exhibits objects to the general public for at least 120 days a year shall be deemed to exhibit objects to the general public on a regular basis. An organization which exhibits objects by appointment may meet the requirement to exhibit objects to the general public on a regular basis, if it can establish, in light of the facts under all the relevant circumstances, that this method of exhibition does not unreasonably restrict the accessibility of the institution's exhibits to the general public. Please note that an organization which does not have as a primary purpose the exhibition of objects to the general public but which can demonstrate that it exhibits objects to the general public on a regular basis as a significant, separate, distinct, and continuing portion of its activities, and that it otherwise meets the museum eligibility requirements, may be determined to be eligible as a museum under these guidelines.

A museum located within a parent organization that is a state or local government or multipurpose non-profit entity, such as a municipality, university, historical society, foundation, or a cultural center, may apply on its own behalf, if the museum: (1) is able to independently fulfill all the eligibility requirements listed above; (2) functions as a discrete unit within the parent organization; (3) has its own fully segregated and itemized operating budget; and (4) has the authority to make the application on its own. When any of the last three conditions cannot be met, a museum may apply through its parent organization. Prospective applicants that cannot fulfill all of these requirements should contact IMLS to discuss their eligibility before applying. IMLS may require additional supporting documentation from the applicant to determine the museum’s autonomy. Each eligible applicant within a single parent organization should clearly delineate its own programs and operations in the application narrative. A parent organization that controls multiple museums that are not autonomous but which are otherwise eligible may submit only one application per grant program; the application may be submitted by the parent organization on behalf of one or more of the eligible museums.

http://www.imls.gov/applicants/grants/forAmerica.shtm

Helping Johnny Walk to School: Sustaining Communities through Smart Policies Request for Proposal (Round 2)

Driven by concerns about the abandonment of older neighborhood schools and the siting of new schools outside of communities, the National Trust is offering a 12-month program to help organizations secure community-centered schools through implementation of state-level policies and practices. Through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the National Trust will select organizations in up to three states to receive a year of technical assistance and a $6,000 grant to: 1) research state policies and practices; 2) convene stakeholders to develop recommendations; 3) develop educational materials; and 4) publicly share policy findings. By participating in this program, organizations will help localities within their state site their schools in a way that not only achieves their educational objectives, but also anchors the local neighborhood, supports better public health, creates a cleaner environment, spurs economic development, and offers additional amenities to the community. Applications are due by September 16, 2009.

This is the second round of grants; in 2008, we provided six sub-grants to organizations in California, Illinois, New Hampshire, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina.

Through this grant and with help from the project’s Advisory Committee, the National Trust will provide grantees with the following technical assistance:

• up-to-date research on issues affecting community-centered schools;
• access to a network of policy experts and peer mentors;
• help with placing state policy and practices in a national context; and
• an in-state visit to your state by a policy expert or peer mentor to provide examples from other states and/or speak to a convening of stakeholders.

This program will help a nonprofit organization or coalition working on school policies, leverage their existing resources to:

• research and summarize state policies and practices that impact school siting decisions;
• create a network of interested stakeholders across the state;
• develop policy recommendations;
• develop a public information campaign to increase visibility of the issue statewide; and
• ensure state-level policies and practices encourage community-centered schools.
  

FINANCIAL COMMITMENT: Each grantee will receive 12 months (October 2009 – October 2010) of technical assistance and a $6,000 grant to help encourage community-centered schools through state-level policies and practices. Selected grantees will be required to:

• provide an in-kind match to cover costs of convening stakeholders (e.g., space rental, audio-visual equipment, catering, photo-copying, etc.);
• provide one-night of lodging for a mentoring visit by a policy expert or peer mentor (if such guidance is requested by sub-grantee, the National Trust will cover travel costs); and
• print and distribute educational materials (e.g., policy briefs, Fact Sheets, etc.).
  

This project is funded through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the conditions of which will be passed down to the successful grantee. Organizations unable or unwilling to comply with the standard conditions outlined in CFR40 Part 30, should not reply.

GRANTEE SELECTION PROCESS: To apply, organizations should submit the application form with supporting materials by September 16, 2009 at 5:00 p.m. eastern time.

For more information about this issue and details about applying for this new grant opportunity, visit preservationnation.org/issues/historic-schools
or contact Renee Viers Kuhlman, Director of Special Projects, Center for State and Local Policy, at Phone: 202-588-6234, e-mail: renee_kuhlman@nthp.org.