07 - 030ADV26R0021 - Questions and Answer 03252026.pdf

Innovator In Residence - Attachment 07 - 2026 Q&A

# Question Answer

This might be a silly question, but does government employees include local/municipal employees or just federal employees? Current federal employees are ineligible.

Hello! To confirm, non-immigrant visa holders are not eligible for this, am I correct?

This announcement is limited to individuals who are citizens or permanent residents of the United States.

How many proposals do you typically get? Or how many did you get in 2025? The Library is not releasing this information.

Does the role require a full time commitment or as long as I meet the deadline and content quality matter more?

It can be a full time commitment, but it doesn’t have to be. When submitting your project plan, estimate a scope of work that is feasible to execute successfully amongst your other commitments.

will we need to provide a portfolio at any point in the application process?

All requirements for submission can be found in section 4 of the BAA.

Why would we attend both webinars? Is the second one different from this one?

The Library intends for both webinars to contain the same content. The transcripts for both webinars will be made available on the Innovator in Residence page.

To be sure, is it not permissible to reach out to prior Innovators for a sense of their experience during their residency, given the review committee may include past Innovators etc?

Members of the review committee will not provide answer any questions related to this

BAA.

8 Hello, How many innovators are accepted? The Library intends to make a single award.

Will someone from the residence program be able to view my concept paper before I submit in case any detail might need to be added?

Concept papers will not reviewed prior to submission.

So to confirm, we have to register on SAM.gov, but apply through the email address?

Please refer to APPENDIX A of the BAA for SAM.gov registration instructions.

Are there font size and page size restrictions for the concept paper? Like don’t submit your 3 page proposal at 10 pt type with no margins?

Please refer to Section 3.2 of the BAA for concept paper guidelines.

Are we allowed to submit projects that have a physical and digital aspect? Yes.

Is this program only eligible for current graduate school attendees? Is this program available to post-graduates? Both are eligible.

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Also I know that it says organizations will not be chosen. Can I apply as an individual even if the work overlaps with my work at my design company?

It is permissible for the applicant to bring their expertise to this residency, but the contract is with an individual, not a company, and the LC will not endorse that company as part of this contract.

How can we display or show the relevant experience?

For example, can we link out to a personal website?

Yes, links can be included, but applicants need to briefly describe their capability in providing the services described, such as those that support the exercise of good judgement in public communications, relevant experience to the proposed project and connecting with the proposed audience of the public work.

16 Can we submit more than one proposal? Question Closed due to duplicate.

If we use a subcontractor, must they be based in the United States?

All applicants may sub-contract for any type of work during their residency, such as development work, if they do not have the skills or time to execute their concept independently. However, identifying potential sub-contracted individuals or teams will make for a stronger application if subcontracting will be necessary.

Is there a set hourly rate for our time working on this (for the estimated price)

Applicants propose their own hourly rates.

Price data submitted will be evaluated for reasonableness. The Library will assess the reasonableness of the proposed labor rates and other costs in relation to projects of similar scope and complexity for the deliverables identified.

How detailed do we need to be when describing the audience? For example, can you gear it towards youth or does it need to be 14-18 years living in cities?

Applicants are encouraged to be as specific as possible when describing their audience.

Sorry, for the question about submitting more than one proposal, I meant CONCEPT PAPER :) More than one concept paper

Applicants may submit more than one concept paper.

Can you speak more about the backgrounds of the Library Experts reviewing the concept papers?

Different audiences have different language and ways of communicating.

Yes, the review committee is a mix of technologists and curatorial staff. Feel free to use the language necessary to describe your project.

am I still eligible to submit if I have contracted/subcontracted with the LOC in the past? Yes, you are.

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Can proposal and concept paper be authored an proposed by a small team of 2-3 people? or one person has to submit and hire team as contractors

The Library will not accept concepts or proposals from organizations or for teaming arrangements.

Does the concept paper need to include visual mock-ups like Vivians? No, it does not.

26 what is the acceptance rate? The Library is not releasing this information.

Does the Library have a preference for projects that do or do not include a second-year option? The library does not have a preference.

28 How many concept papers will be invited? The Library is not releasing this information.

How specific should subcontractor information be in the concept papers (example: list general support they’d be providing, or name of the potential subcontractor?)

Applicants are encouraged to be as specific as possible when describing their subcontracting arrangement.

Do you limit the number of concept submissions?

Also do you select one or multiple IIR projects?

We do not limit the number of concept submissions. The Library has the right to select none, one or multiple projects.

We would like to know if this is a brand new contract OR if there is (was) an incumbent performing these services.

If not brand new, could you please provide the current / previous contract number?

Examples of current and previous innovator in residence projects can be found on the Innovator in Residence program page. The concept paper and full proposal for our current innovator in residence, Vivian Li, are provided as attachments.

. Unfortunately, I learned too late about the webinar that was held today.

Was it recorded? If so, would someone on your team share it with me? I'd like to gain a bit more context around this position in order to submit a strong application. Thanks for your kind consideration.

Transcriptions of the webinar will be made available on the Innovator in Residence Program page by 03/27/2026.

This web page, https://labs.loc.gov/about/opportunities/innovator-in-residence-program/ describes informational webinars that happened already.

It also mentions, "Transcripts and slides will be posted here afterwards." When will these be available?

Transcriptions of the webinar will be made available on the Innovator in Residence Program page by 03/27/2026.

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I had some questions regarding the Innovator in Residence Program. I am currently a PhD student. Is the program designed to be full-time for a year or is it something that can be done concurrently with my PhD responsibilities? Is the $90,000 award intended just to cover the actual costs of the project, or does that include living stipend as well (i.e. would part of the budget replace my PhD stipend)?

The residency can be completed concurrently with other commitments. When submitting your project plan, estimate a scope of work that is feasible to execute successfully amongst your other commitments. Project funding is inclusive of all costs incurred during the residency, including sub-contracted labor, participation honorariums, production supplies, travel to and from the Library and lodging.

If a developer I regularly work with lives outside of the U.S., is it permissible to sub-contract with them?

Unfortunately, there isn't enough information provided to answer this question. Applicants can sub-contract part of the services to be provided. The Library will make a determinations on applicants' proposed sub-contractor, if necessary.

How much help does the Innovator in Residence get in digitally filtering and downloading photos from LoC collections?

The Library can support the Innovator’s research with the collections by connecting you to the appropriate subject matter experts, curatorial and technical, and services at the Library and providing a space for them to work while on-site. In the full proposal process, evaluators can consult with Library staff on the feasibility of your proposal.

How would it work if an Innovator in Residence requested access to 50-100,000 photos? Are there capabilities to batch download?

The Library can support the Innovator’s research with the collections by connecting you to the appropriate subject matter experts, curatorial and technical, and services at the Library and providing a space for them to work while on-site. In the full proposal process, evaluators can consult with Library staff on the feasibility of your proposal.

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I noticed that the Newspaper Navigator project is no longer accessible. It seems like an incredible project. Is this no longer able to be used for a technical/sustainability issue or something else?

Yes, Newspaper Navigator was an incredible project and has had a big impact on the Library of Congress. It was formally retired in 2025 as it was designed to be temporary and experimental in nature, although aspects of it live on. Check out our blog post celebrating its retirement on the Library's Signal blog.

https://blogs.loc.gov/thesignal/2025/03/help-us-say-farewell-to-newspaper-navigator/

• Are there particular collections that you would like to see given more attention or visibility?

The program interest area in the BAA are meant to suggest possibilities for proposal concepts, but concepts are not limited to these areas. Program areas are not mutually exclusive and a proposal can speak to multiple program areas.

• On a related note, if chosen for the IIR position, would data about ongoing access and usage of collections be available for reference?

In the full proposal process, evaluators can consult with Library staff on the feasibility of access to data about collections access and usage.

• Do you have hourly rate guidelines or examples of how previous IIRs have been compensated for their efforts?

The applicant dictates their hourly rate . The Library will assess the reasonableness of the proposed labor rates and other costs in relation to projects of similar scope and complexity for the deliverables identified.

• What are your expectations for how much time would be dedicated to the IIR role? Do you consider this to be a full time or a % of an FTE?

The Residency can be the sole focus of the Innovator, but does not have to be. When submitting your project plan, estimate a scope of work that is feasible to execute successfully amongst your other commitments.

43 Where do we submit the Concept Paper?

Applicant shall email project concept papers and, upon invitation, proposals to LocBAA@loc.gov. The email shall include this BAA number (030ADV26R0021) and “BAA Innovator in Residence” in the subject line.

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