fy21-arp-nofo.pdf

OMB Control #: 3137-0127, Expiration Date: 11/30/2021

IMLS AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN

FY 2021 NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

Federal Awarding Agency Institute of Museum and Library Services

Funding Opportunity Title IMLS American Rescue Plan

Announcement Type New

Funding Opportunity Number ARP-FY21

Assistance Listing Numbers 45.308 and 45.312

Application Deadline Submit through Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time on June 28, 2021.

Anticipated Date of Notification of Award Decisions

October 2021 (subject to the availability of funds and IMLS discretion)

Beginning Date of Period of Performance Projects must begin on November 1, 2021.

Table of Contents A. Program Description B. Federal Award Information C. Eligibility Information D. Application and Submission Information E. Application Review Information F. Award Administration Information G. Contacts H. Other Information Appendix One–IMLS Assurances and Certifications Appendix Two–Guidance for Required Registrations Appendix Three–Guidance for Completing Forms and Other Application Components Appendix Four–Guidance for Creating a Digital Products Plan Appendix Five–Conflict of Interest Requirements

IMLS American Rescue Plan

A. Program Description A1. Agency Mission, Goals, and Objectives The mission of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is to advance, support, and empower America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development. Guiding our grantmaking are three agency-level goals with two objectives each.

• Goal 1: Champion Lifelong Learning o Objective 1.1: Advance shared knowledge and learning opportunities for all.

o Objective 1.2: Support the training and professional development of the museum and library workforce.

• Goal 2: Strengthen Community Engagement o Objective 2.1: Promote inclusive engagement across diverse audiences.

o Objective 2.2: Support community collaboration and foster civic discourse.

• Goal 3: Advance Collections Stewardship and Access o Objective 3.1: Support collections care and management.

o Objective 3.2: Promote access to museum and library collections.

The IMLS American Rescue Plan grant program initiative (American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Pub. L.

No. 117-2 [March 11, 2021]) is designed to support the achievement of these agency-level goals and to facilitate the delivery of significant results consistent with the IMLS authorizing legislation (20 U.S.C. § 9101 et seq.; in particular, § 9161 (Services for Native Americans), § 9162 (National leadership grants), § 9173 (Museum services activities), and § 9173 (d) (Services for Native Americans). Each award that IMLS makes through the IMLS American Rescue Plan grant program will align with one of these agency-level goals and one associated objective and will thus contribute meaningfully to the achievement of both program and agency-level goals.

Throughout its work, IMLS places importance on diversity, equity, and inclusion. This may be reflected in an IMLS-funded project in a wide range of ways, including efforts to serve individuals of diverse geographic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds; individuals with disabilities;

individuals with limited functional literacy or information skills; individuals having difficulty using a library or museum; and underserved urban and rural communities, including children from families with incomes below the poverty line. This may also be reflected in efforts to recruit future professionals in the library or museum fields as well as strategies for building or enhancing access to collections and information.

It may also be reflected in proposal budgets that compensate project participants (students, staff, community members, advisors, etc.) as appropriate for their time and expertise. Project budgets can also be used to support paid internships and career growth opportunities for project participants.

A2. IMLS American Rescue Plan Goals and Objectives This program supports museum and library services in addressing community needs created or exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and in assisting with recovery. Projects may continue, enhance, or expand existing programs and services, or they may launch new ones to address emergent needs and unexpected hardships. As a result, the IMLS American Rescue Plan grant program has significant potential to generate positive societal impact through project activities undertaken as part of the grant-funded work or through activities that may be complementary to the project. IMLS does not prescribe the type, focus, reach, or scale of societal impact required for each project funded through this program, but the questions to be addressed in the application Narrative and the review criteria reflect the agency’s commitment to ensuring that the federal investment made through grants generates tangible benefits to society. Applicants should keep this in mind when they conceptualize their projects, identify the target group(s) they propose to reach, prepare their work plans, and formulate their intended results.

Reflecting IMLS’s agency-level goals, the IMLS American Rescue Plan grant program has two program goals and three objectives associated with each goal. Each applicant should align their proposed project with one of these two goals and one or more of the associated objectives. Goal and objective choices should be identified clearly in the Narrative (see Section D2c).

• Goal 1: Strengthen the institutional capacity of museums, libraries, and related organizations to respond to community needs quickly, effectively, efficiently, and responsibly.

o Objective 1.1: Advance digital inclusion through approaches that may include, but are not limited to, improving digital platforms, online services, connectivity (e.g., hotspots), and creating digital literacy programs, as well as creating new processes and procedures needed to sustain a robust online environment.

o Objective 1.2: Support hiring new staff and training or retraining existing staff to ensure a workforce that has the appropriate knowledge, skills, and abilities.

o Objective 1.3: Build community-focused partnerships, networks, and alliances with organizations such as other nonprofits, school systems, service organizations, community groups, government agencies, and institutions of higher education with an emphasis on complementing, rather than duplicating, resources and services.

• Goal 2: Increase the ability of museums, libraries, and related organizations to deliver programs and services that contribute to the well-being of families, groups, and individuals of all cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds.

o Objective 2.1: Support the creation and delivery of online and in-person educational, interpretive, and experiential programs and exhibitions for learners of all ages.

o Objective 2.2: Provide trusted spaces for community engagement and dialogue to foster recovery and rebuilding.

o Objective 2.3: Support efforts to collect, preserve, manage, and interpret documentary sources and tangible objects representing all aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic experience.

A3. Performance Measures The IMLS American Rescue Plan grant program uses two performance measures as a basis for understanding (1) how well the grant program is meeting its goals and (2) how individual projects are being managed.

• Quality: How well the activities meet the requirements and expectations of the target group

• Timeliness: The extent to which each task/activity is completed within the timeframe proposed

Each applicant is asked to describe how they will monitor and assess their performance in carrying out their project as a whole using these two measures (see Section D2c Item 7).

A4. Authorizing Statute and Regulations Statute: American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Pub. L. No. 117-2 [March 11, 2021]); 20 U.S.C.

§ 9101 et seq.; in particular, § 9161 (Services for Native Americans), § 9162 (National leadership grants), § 9173 (Museum services activities), and § 9173 (d) (Services for Native Americans)

Regulations: 45 C.F.R. Chapter XI and 2 C.F.R. Chapter XXXI

Recipients must follow the IMLS regulations that are in effect at the time of the award.

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance on Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance) can be found at 2 C.F.R. part 200. With certain IMLS-specific additions, IMLS regulations at 2 C.F.R. part 3187 formally adopt the 2 C.F.R. part 200 Uniform Guidance.

A5. Equal Opportunity IMLS-funded programs do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age. For further information, email the Civil Rights Officer at CivilRights@imls.gov or write to the Civil Rights Officer, Institute of Museum and Library Services, 955 L’Enfant Plaza North, SW, Suite 4000, Washington, DC, 20024-2135.

B. Federal Award Information

Total amount of funding IMLS expects to award through this announcement $15,000,000

Expected performance indicators, targets, baseline data, and data collection See Section A3.

Anticipated number of awards 375

Expected amount of individual awards $10,000 - $50,000

Average amount of funding per award experienced in previous years N/A

Anticipated start dates for new awards Projects must begin on November 1, 2021.

Anticipated period of performance November 1, 2021- October 31, 2022. Project activities may be carried out for one year.

Type of assistance instrument Grant

The funding in the above Federal Award Information table is subject to the availability of funds and IMLS discretion. IMLS is not bound by any estimates in this announcement.

mailto:CivilRights@imls.gov

If your request for federal funding, including all direct and indirect costs, is less than $10,000 or more than $50,000, your application will be rejected from consideration for funding in this program.

Applications for renewal or supplementation of existing projects are not eligible to compete with applications for new awards.

Contingent upon the availability of funds, the quality of applications, and IMLS discretion, IMLS may make additional awards from the pool of unfunded applications from this competition.

C. Eligibility Information C1. Eligible Applicants To be eligible for an award under the IMLS American Rescue Plan grant program, an applicant must meet the eligibility requirements of a Museum Entity, a Library Entity, a Federally Recognized Tribe, or a Nonprofit Organization that Primarily Serves and Represents Native Hawaiians as outlined below.

Museum Entity To be eligible as a Museum Entity, your organization must meet all three of the following criteria:

1. Must be either a unit of State, local, or tribal government or be a private, nonprofit organization that has tax-exempt status under the Internal Revenue Code;

2. Must be located in one of the 50 States of the United States of America, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau; and

3. Must qualify as one of the following:

(a) A museum that, using a professional staff, is organized on a permanent basis for essentially educational, cultural heritage, or aesthetic purposes; owns or uses tangible objects, either animate or inanimate; cares for these objects; and exhibits these objects to the general public on a regular basis through facilities that it owns or operates.

1) What types of institutions are included in the term “museum”? If they otherwise meet these requirements, “museums” include, but are not limited to, aquariums, arboretums, art museums, botanical gardens, children’s/youth museums, general museums (those having two or more significant disciplines), historic houses/sites, history museums, natural history/anthropology museums, nature centers, planetariums, science/technology centers, specialized museums (limited to a single distinct subject), and zoological parks.

2) What does it mean to be “using a professional staff”? An institution uses a professional staff if it employs at least one staff member, or the full-time equivalent, whether paid or unpaid, primarily engaged in the acquisition, care, or exhibition to the public of objects owned or used by the institution.

3) What does it mean to “exhibit the objects to the general public”? An institution exhibits objects to the general public if such exhibition is a primary purpose of the institution. An institution that exhibits objects to the general public for at least 120 days a year is deemed to exhibit objects to the general public on a regular basis.

An institution that does not have the exhibition of objects as a primary purpose and/or does not exhibit objects to the public for at least 120 days a year may be determined to be eligible as a museum under certain circumstances. For more information, see 2 C.F.R. § 3187.3.

(b) An organization or association that engages in activities designed to advance the well-being of museums and the museum profession;

(c) An institution of higher education, including public and nonprofit universities; or

(d) A public or private nonprofit agency that is responsible for the operation of a museum that meets the eligibility criteria in 1, 2, and 3(a) above may apply on behalf of the museum.

Native American tribal organizations may apply as Museum Entities if they otherwise meet the above eligibility requirements.

Eligibility of Museums Located within a Parent Organization

A museum located within a parent organization that is a State, local, or tribal government or multipurpose nonprofit entity, such as a municipality, university, historical society, foundation, or cultural center, may apply on its own behalf if the museum:

• is able to independently fulfill all the eligibility requirements listed in the above three criteria;

• functions as a discrete unit within the parent organization;

• has its own fully segregated and itemized operating budget; and

• has the authority to make the application on its own.

When any of the last three conditions cannot be met, a museum may only apply through its parent organization.

Eligibility of Nonprofit Organization Affiliated with a Museum

IMLS may determine that a nonprofit organization that is affiliated with a museum is eligible for this program where the organization can demonstrate that it has the ability to administer the project and can ensure compliance with the terms of this Notice of Funding Opportunity and the applicable law, including the IMLS Assurances and Certifications. The applicant organization must submit an agreement from the museum that details the activities that the applicant and museum will perform and binds the museum to the statements and assurances made in the grant application.

Library Entity To be eligible as a Library Entity, your organization must:

1. be either a unit of State or local government or be a private, nonprofit organization that has nonprofit status under the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended, and

2. be located in one of the 50 States of the United States of America, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau.

In addition, you must qualify as one of the following six types of organizations:

1. A library or a parent organization, such as a school district, a municipality, a State agency, or an academic institution, that is responsible for the administration of a library. Eligible libraries include:

(a) Public libraries

(b) Public elementary and secondary school libraries

(c) College (including community college) and university libraries

(d) Research libraries and archives that are not an integral part of an institution of higher education and that make publicly available library services and materials that are suitable for scholarly research and not otherwise available. Research libraries must be under the supervision of at least one permanent professional staff librarian and must be either generally recognized as possessing unique, scholarly research materials and services that are made available to the public, or able to demonstrate that such is the case when submitting an application to IMLS.

(e) Private or other special library, but only if the State in which such private or special library is located determines that the library should be considered a library for purposes of Library Services and Technology (see 20 U.S.C. § 9121-9165);

2. An academic or administrative unit, such as a graduate school of library and information science that is part of an institution of higher education through which it would make application;

3. A digital library, if it makes library materials publicly available and provides library services, including selection, organization, description, reference, and preservation, under the supervision of at least one permanent professional staff librarian;

4. A library agency that is an official agency of a State or other unit of government and is charged by the law governing it with the extension and development of public library services within its jurisdiction

5. A library consortium that is a local, statewide, regional, interstate, or international cooperative association of library entities that provides for the systematic and effective coordination of the resources of eligible libraries, as defined above, and information centers that work to improve the services delivered to the clientele of these libraries; or

6. A library association that exists on a permanent basis; serves libraries or library professionals on a national, regional, State, or local level; and engages in activities designed to advance the well-being of libraries and the library profession.

Native American tribal organizations may apply as Library Entities if they otherwise meet the above eligibility requirements.

Federally Recognized Indian Tribe To be eligible for funding as a Federally Recognized Tribe, your organization must be an “Indian tribe” which means any tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or community, including any Alaska native village, regional corporation, or village corporation (as defined in, or established pursuant to, the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. § 1601 et seq.)), which is recognized as eligible for the special programs and services provided by the United States to Indians because of their status as Indians. A list of eligible entities is available from the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Entities such as schools, tribal colleges, or departments of education are not eligible and may not serve as the lead applicant organization. However, they are encouraged to participate in projects as partners.

Note: Native American tribal organizations may apply as Museum or Library Entities if they otherwise meet those eligibility requirements (see above).

Nonprofit Organization that Primarily Serves and Represents Native Hawaiians To be eligible for funding as this type of entity, you must be a nonprofit organization that primarily serves and represents Native Hawaiians as that term is defined in 20 U.S.C. § 7517.

C2. Cost Share Requirements The IMLS American Rescue Plan grant program requires at least 1:1 cost share from non-federal sources for organizations applying as Museum or Library Entities. Cost share is not required in this program for organizations applying as Federally Recognized Indian Tribes or Nonprofit Organizations that Primarily Serve and Represent Native Hawaiians.

Cost sharing is an eligibility criterion and will not be considered in the peer review of applications.

Cost share that appears in the project budget should be calculated carefully. Recipients are expected to meet their cost share commitments.

Click here for further information on cost share.

C3. Other Eligibility Information An eligible legal applicant may submit only one application under this announcement.

IMLS will not review applications from ineligible applicants. IMLS will notify each applicant whose application will not be reviewed because the organization is determined to be ineligible.

IMLS will not make awards to ineligible applicants. In order to receive an IMLS award, an organization must be eligible, and be in compliance with applicable requirements.

All application materials must be received through Grants.gov by the application deadline, 11:59 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time on June 28, 2021. Late or ineligible applications will not be considered for funding under this notice.

D. Application and Submission Information D1. Application Package Applicants must apply electronically through Grants.gov Workspace or a Grants.gov system-to-system solution. This funding opportunity is available in Grants.gov under number ARP-FY21.

There are two application packages that can be found under the Grants.gov Package tab. Each includes an identical series of required and conditionally required forms. Select the application package that best aligns with the eligibility criteria under which you are applying (see Section C1 for detailed descriptions of eligibility requirements):

ARPML-FY21: Museum Entities and Library Entities (45.312)

ARPNA-FY21: Federally Recognized Tribes and Nonprofit Organizations that Primarily Serve and Represent Native Hawaiians (45.308)

To request an audio recording of this announcement, call 202-653-4744. To request a paper copy of this announcement, call 202-653-4744 or email imls-museumgrants@imls.gov.

Persons who are deaf or hard of hearing (TTY Users) can contact IMLS at 202-207-7858 via 711 for TTY-Based Telecommunications Relay Service.

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html

D2. Content and Form of Application Submission The Table of Application Components below will help you prepare a complete application. The links lead to more information and instructions for each application component.

Applications missing any Required Documents or Conditionally Required Documents from this list will be considered incomplete and may be rejected from further consideration. (See 2 C.F.R. § 3187.9.)

D2a. Table of Application Components

Component Format File name to use

Required Documents Please see the guidance in Section D2c for more information.

The Application for Federal Domestic Assistance/Short Organizational Form

(SF-424S)

Grants.gov form n/a

IMLS Supplementary Information Form (including Abstract) Grants.gov form n/a

IMLS Program Information Form IMLS PDF form n/a

Organizational Profile (one page max.) PDF document Organizationalprofile.pdf

Narrative (three pages max.) PDF document Narrative.pdf

Performance Measurement Plan (one page max.) PDF document Perfmeasurement.pdf

Schedule of Completion (one page max.) PDF document Scheduleofcompletion.pdf

IMLS Budget Form IMLS PDF form Budget.pdf

Budget Justification PDF document Budgetjustification.pdf

Resume of Project Director (two pages max.) PDF document Resume.pdf

Conditionally Required Documents Please see the guidance in Section D2d for more information.

Proof of Private, Nonprofit Status PDF document Proofnonprofit.pdf

Proof of Eligibility (for Nonprofit Organizations that Primarily Serve and Represent Native Hawaiians)

PDF document Proofeligibility.pdf

Final Federally Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement PDF document Indirectcostrate.pdf

Digital Products Plan (two pages max.) PDF document Digitalproduct.pdf

D2b. Format, Name, and Sequence of the Application Components Document format: Aside from the SF-424S, the IMLS Supplementary Information Form (including Abstract), and the IMLS Program Information Form, which are created in Grants.gov Workspace, all application components must be submitted as PDF documents.

Page limits: Note the page limits listed in the table above. IMLS will remove any additional pages and will not send them to reviewers as part of your application.

Naming convention: Use the naming conventions indicated in the table above. IMPORTANT:

Attachment file names are limited to the following characters: A-Z, a-z, 0-9, underscore (_), hyphen (-), space, period (.). If attachment file names use any other characters, the application may be rejected by Grants.gov.

Attachment order: In Grants.gov, attach all application components in the sequence listed in the table above. Use all available spaces in the “Attachments Form” first. Attach any additional application components using the “Other Attachment File(s)” boxes.

Complete applications: Use the table above as a checklist to ensure that you have created and attached all necessary application components.

D2c. Instructions for Required Documents

1. The Application for Federal Domestic Assistance/Short Organizational Form (SF-424S)

The SF-424S is part of the application package that you complete in Grants.gov Workspace. Click here for instructions on completing the SF-424S.

2. IMLS Supplementary Information Form (including Abstract)

The IMLS Supplementary Information Form (including Abstract) is part of the application package that you complete in Grants.gov Workspace. IMLS Supplementary Information Form

3. IMLS Program Information Form

Download and complete the current IMLS Program Information Form (PDF, 236 KB). Click here for instructions on completing it.

http://www.imls.gov/sites/default/files/2021-05/arp_program_information_form.pdf

4. Organizational Profile

Create a one-page Organizational Profile, addressing the following, and save it as a PDF.

• Your organization’s mission or statement of purpose, noting the source, approving body, and date of the official document in which it appears.

• Your organization’s governance structure if your organization is located within a parent organization or if your organization is a nonprofit affiliated with a museum or a library.

• Your service area (i.e., communities and/or audiences served, including size, demographic characteristics, and geographic area).

• A brief history of your organization, focusing on the unit that will be directly involved in carrying out the work.

If your proposal is selected for funding, the Organizational Profile may be published online, or otherwise shared, by IMLS. As such, it must not include any sensitive, proprietary, or confidential information.

5. Proposal Narrative

Write a Narrative that addresses the questions listed under each section heading, and save it as a PDF.

• Limit the Narrative to three numbered pages. We will remove any additional pages, and we will not send them to reviewers as part of your application.

• Consider each Narrative question and be mindful of each section’s review criteria as listed in Section E1.

• Be clear and concise with minimal use of technical jargon and acronyms.

• Make sure your organization’s name appears at the top of each page.

• Use at least 0.5-inch margins on all sides and a font size of at least eleven points.

If your proposal is selected for funding, the Narrative may be published online, or otherwise shared, by IMLS. As such, it must not include any sensitive, proprietary, or confidential information.

Organize your Narrative using the section headings of Project Justification, Project Work Plan, and Project Results. Consider the IMLS American Rescue Plan grant program goals and objectives (Section A2) as you develop the Narrative.

Project Justification

• Which program goal and associated objective(s) of the IMLS American Rescue Plan grant program will your project address (see Section A2)?

• What need, problem, or challenge will your project address, and how did you identify it?

Describe how you have used demographic information, economic conditions, and other relevant data from reliable sources to define the need, problem, or challenge and develop the scope for the project.

• Who will be served by your project in the short- and/or long-term?

Project Work Plan

• What specific activities will you carry out?

• Who will plan, implement, and manage your project?

• How will you track your progress toward achieving your intended results?

Project Results

• What are your project’s intended results?

• How will your project help with recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic?

See Section E1 for the review criteria.

Please be advised that reviewers may also choose to visit your organization's website, as listed on the SF-424S form provided with your application.

6. Schedule of Completion

The Schedule of Completion should reflect each major activity identified in your application Narrative and the project dates identified on the SF-424S and the IMLS Budget Form. It should show when each major project activity will start and end. The schedule must be no longer than one page per project year. See the sample Schedule of Completion below. Save this document as a PDF.

7. Performance Measurement Plan

The Performance Measurement Plan should show how you will monitor and assess your performance as a grantee from the perspectives of Quality and Timeliness for your overall project (see Section A3).

For each measure, identify what data you will collect from what source, the method you will use to collect it, and according to what schedule. The chart below provides sample statements for each measure and a space to record your own. Click here for a fillable version of this chart (DOCX, 25 KB), which you are welcome, but not required, to use. Limit your Performance Measurement Plan to one page and save your document as a PDF.

If your proposal is selected for funding, the Performance Measurement Plan may be published online, or otherwise shared, by IMLS. As such, it must not include any sensitive, proprietary, or confidential information.

http://www.imls.gov/sites/default/files/2021-05/arp_pmp.docx

8. IMLS Budget Form

Download and complete the current IMLS Budget Form (PDF, 1.1MB). Click here for instructions on completing it.

9. Budget Justification

Write a Budget Justification to identify each expense and show the method of cost computation used to determine each dollar amount, including any that you may have consolidated and summarized on the IMLS Budget Form. Save this document as a PDF. Click here for detailed instructions.

10. Resume of the Project Director

Provide a resume of no more than two pages for the Project Director listed in Item 7 of the SF- 424S. Save the document as a PDF.

(Back to Table of Application Components)

D2d. Conditionally Required Documents These are documents that may be required, depending upon the circumstances. See the table below.

Failure to provide a Conditionally Required Document will result in your application’s being considered incomplete, and it may be rejected from further consideration.

https://www.imls.gov/sites/default/files/budgetform.pdf

If you are: Then you must provide: Notes:

Applying as a private, nonprofit institution, as indicated by choosing “M” as the Applicant Type code in 5d of the SF- 424S form

A copy of the IRS letter indicating your eligibility for nonprofit status under the applicable provision of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended.

You must submit this letter with each application whether or not you have submitted it with other applications in the current year or in previous years.

We will not accept a letter of State sales tax exemption as proof of nonprofit status.

A nonprofit organization that primarily serves and represents Native Hawaiians

The organization’s charter documents, including the articles of incorporation and

Either a copy of the IRS letter indicating that organization’s nonprofit status or an official document identifying the organization as a unit of state or local government or other tax-exempt multipurpose organization (if prepared specifically for this application, the certification must be on the parent organization’s letterhead and certified by an official of the parent organization)

You must submit these documents with each application whether or not you have submitted it with other applications in the current year or in previous years.

Using a federally negotiated indirect cost rate in your budget

A current copy of your Final Federally Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement.

If you do not have a current negotiated (including provisional) indirect cost rate and elect to charge a de minimis rate of 10 percent of Modified Total Direct Costs (see 2 C.F.R.

part 200, including 2 C.F.R. §§

200.1 and 200.414(f)), you do not need to provide any documentation.

Proposing to generate digital content, resources, assets, or software

A Digital Products Plan (two pages max.)

Describe the types of digital products you will create during your project and address issues relating to availability, See Guidance for Creating a Digital Products Plan, which includes details on creating a Digital Products Plan.

If your proposal is selected for funding, the Digital Products permissions, and sustainability for each type.

Plan may be published online, or otherwise shared, by IMLS. As such, it must not include any sensitive, proprietary, or confidential information.

(Back to Table of Application Components)

D3. Registration Requirements Before submitting an application, an applicant organization must have a current and active Dun and Bradstreet Universal Numbering System (D-U-N-S®) Number; a current and active System for Award Management (SAM) registration; and an active Grants.gov registration with an approved Authorized Organization Representative (AOR). Check materials and registrations well in advance of the application deadline to ensure that they are accurate, current, and active.

Organizations must maintain current information in SAM, including information on their immediate and highest-level owner and subsidiaries, as well as on all of predecessors that have been awarded a federal contract or federal financial assistance within the last three years, if applicable. IMLS may reject an application if the SAM registration is not active and current at the time of submission. IMLS may determine that an applicant without an active and current SAM registration at the time an award is made is not qualified to receive an award and use that determination as a basis for making an award to another applicant.

D3a. Unique Entity Identifier The Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number is a non-proprietary alphanumeric identifier assigned to all entities (public and private companies, individuals, institutions, or organizations) who register to do business with the Federal Government. The UEI will replace the D-U-N-S® Number and will be requested in, and assigned by, the System for Award Management (SAM). Until then, the D-U-N-S® Number remains the official identifier, and applicants should continue to use it to register in SAM.

Award recipients must inform any subrecipients that the recipient may not make a subaward unless the subrecipient has also obtained a UEI. Click here to learn more about getting a D-U-N-S® number.

Click here to learn more about planned UEI updates.

D3b. System for Award Management (SAM) The System for Award Management (SAM) is a federal repository that centralizes information about grant applicants and recipients. There is no fee to register with SAM. Click here to learn more about SAM registration.

D3c. Grants.gov Grants.gov is the centralized location for grant seekers to find and apply for federal funding opportunities.

Applicants must register with Grants.gov prior to submitting an application package. The multistep registration process generally cannot be completed in a single day. If your organization is not already registered, allow several weeks before the application deadline to complete this one-time process.

Do not wait until the day of the application deadline to register.

The Grants.gov user ID and password obtained during the registration process are required to submit an application when it is complete.

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/planned-uei-updates.html

Click here to learn more about Grants.gov registration and tips for using Grants.gov.

D4. Submission Dates and Times All organizations must submit their applications for funding using Grants.gov Workspace. Do not submit through email or postal mail to IMLS.

For the IMLS American Rescue Plan grant program, Grants.gov will accept applications through 11:59 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time on June 28, 2021.

Under certain circumstances, IMLS allows an extension of grant application deadlines for adversely affected applicant organizations that are located in counties listed in Emergency Declarations and/or Major Disaster Declarations. See Application Deadlines for further information.

IMLS strongly recommends that applicants obtain D-U-N-S® Number or a Unique Entity Identifier, register with SAM and Grants.gov, and complete and submit applications early (see Section D3a).

IMLS makes grants only to eligible applicants that submit complete applications, including attachments, through Grants.gov, on or before the deadline, as indicated by the date stamp generated by Grants.gov.

Visit Grants.gov Support, email support@grants.gov, or call Grants.gov Applicant Support at 1-800- 518-4726 for technical assistance. Grants.gov Applicant Support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, except for federal holidays.

Grants.gov will generate a series of emails confirming the status of each application. Applicants can check the status of their application(s) in Grants.gov by using “Track My Application.” For further details, visit Check Application Status at Grants.gov.

D5. Intergovernmental Review This funding opportunity is not subject to intergovernmental review per Exec. Order No. 12372.

D6. Funding Restrictions D6a. Allowable and Unallowable Costs Applicants may use IMLS funds and cost share, if applicable, only for allowable costs as found in IMLS and OMB government-wide cost-principle rules. Consult 2 C.F.R. part 200 and 2 C.F.R. part 3187 for additional guidance on allowable costs.

The following list includes some examples of generally allowable costs and for cost share, if applicable, under this announcement:

• personnel salaries, wages, and fringe benefits

• travel expenses for key project staff and consultants

• materials, supplies, software, and equipment related directly to project activities

• adaptive and/or assistive technologies and other resources and services to improve accessibility for persons with disabilities

• equipment to improve collections storage and exhibit environments

• third-party costs

• publication design and printing

• program evaluation https://www.imls.gov/grants/apply-grant/notices-funding-opportunities/application-deadlines http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html mailto:support@grants.gov https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/track-my-application.html https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/Applicants/CheckApplicationStatus/CheckApplicationStatus.htm

• staff and volunteer training

• internships/fellowships

• indirect or overhead costs

Applicants must explain all proposed expenses in the Budget Justification.

The following list includes some examples of unallowable costs, both for IMLS funds and for cost share, if applicable, under this announcement:

• general fundraising costs, such as development office staff or other staff time devoted to general fundraising

• contributions to endowments

• general operating support

• acquisition of collections (see 2 C.F.R. § 3187.15(b))

• general advertising or public relations costs designed solely for promotional activities other than those related to the specific project

• construction or renovation of facilities (generally, any activity involving the construction trades is not an allowable cost)

• social activities, ceremonies, receptions, or entertainment

• research projects (see 2 C.F.R. § 200.87)

If you have questions about whether specific activities are allowable, contact IMLS staff for guidance.

D6b. Costs for Third Parties When a project requires the payment of federal funds to third parties (such as partners, consultants, collaborators, vendors, and/or service providers), it is the applicant organization’s responsibility to determine whether a third party should be characterized as a subrecipient or a contractor. The characterization must be reflected in the terms of each agreement made with each third party. (See 2 C.F.R. § 200.1 for definitions of contract, contractor, subaward, and subrecipient; see also 2 C.F.R.

§ 200.331 (Subrecipient and contractor determinations).) IMLS grant funds may not be provided to any federal agency serving as a third party.

D7c. Indirect Costs An applicant can choose to:

• use a rate not to exceed their current indirect cost rate already negotiated with a federal agency;

• use an indirect cost rate proposed to a federal agency for negotiation, but not yet finalized, as long as it is finalized by the time of the award;

• use a rate not to exceed 10 percent of the Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) if the organization currently does not have a federally negotiated indirect cost rate and is not subject to other requirements (e.g., for States and local governments and Indian tribes); or

• not include any indirect costs.

Click here for further information on indirect costs.

E. Application Review Information E1. Review Criteria IMLS instructs reviewers to evaluate applications according to the review criteria listed in this section and to consider all Required and Conditionally Required Documents as listed in Section D2a.

Cost share is an eligibility criterion and is not considered in the review of applications. Cost share requirements for this grant program are addressed in Section C2.

Project Justification

• Has the applicant selected an appropriate program goal and one or more associated objectives of the IMLS American Rescue Plan grant program described in Section A2?

• How well is the identified need, problem, or challenge described and fittingly supported by relevant data? Do the applicant’s choices and use of specific data to define the problem to be addressed demonstrate a sufficient ability to manage and analyze data?

• Has the applicant appropriately defined the people to be served in the short- and/or long-term for this work?

Project Work Plan

• Are the proposed activities appropriate for the project and likely to lead to the intended results?

• Are the time, financial, and other resources identified appropriate for the scope and scale of the project?

• Do the identified staff, partners, consultants, and service providers possess the experience and skills necessary to complete the work successfully?

• Is the proposed Performance Measurement Plan likely to be effective in producing the required measures of Quality and Timeliness?

Project Results

• Are the project’s intended results clearly articulated and linked to the need, problem, or challenge addressed by the project?

• If implemented as proposed, will this project be effective in helping with recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic?

E2. Review and Selection Process IMLS uses a peer review process to evaluate the merit of all complete applications from eligible institutions. Reviewers are professionals in the field with relevant knowledge and expertise in the types of project activities identified in the applications. IMLS instructs reviewers to evaluate applications according to the review criteria. Peer reviewers must comply with IMLS’s federal ethics and conflicts of interest requirements.

The Director takes into account the input provided by the review process and makes final funding decisions consistent with the purposes of the agency’s mission and programs.

E3. Designated Integrity and Performance System IMLS, prior to making a federal award with a total amount of federal share greater than the simplified acquisition threshold (currently $250,000 but periodically adjusted), is required to review and consider any information about the applicant that is in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM (currently FAPIIS) (see 41 U.S.C. § 2313 and 41 U.S.C. § 134).

An applicant, at its option, may review information in the designated integrity and performance systems accessible through SAM and comment on any information about itself that a federal awarding agency previously entered.

IMLS will consider any comments by the applicant, in addition to the other information in the designated integrity and performance system, in considering the applicant’s integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under federal awards when completing the review of risk posed by applicants as described in 2 C.F.R. § 200.206 (Federal awarding agency review of risk posed by applicants).

E4. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates IMLS will not release information about the status of an application until the applications have been reviewed and all deliberations are concluded. IMLS expects to notify both successful and unsuccessful applicants of the final decisions by email in October 2021.

F. Award Administration Information F1. Federal Award Notices IMLS will notify both successful and unsuccessful applicants of funding decisions by email.

F2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements Organizations that receive IMLS grants or cooperative agreements are subject to 2 C.F.R. part 200 Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, 2 C.F.R. part 3187, the IMLS General Terms and Conditions for IMLS Discretionary Grant and Cooperative Agreement Awards (PDF, 459KB) and the IMLS Assurances and Certifications.

Organizations that receive IMLS funding must be familiar with these requirements and comply with applicable law.

Applicants for federal funds must certify that they are responsible for complying with certain nondiscrimination, debarment and suspension, drug-free workplace, and lobbying laws. These are set out in more detail, along with other requirements, in the IMLS Assurances and Certifications. By submitting the application, which includes the Assurances and Certifications, applicants certify that they are in compliance with these requirements and that they will maintain records and submit any reports that are necessary to ensure compliance. Failure to comply with these statutory and regulatory requirements may result in the suspension or termination of an award and require that the recipient return funds to the government. For information about award termination, see the IMLS General Terms and Conditions for IMLS Discretionary Grant and Cooperative Agreement Awards and 2 C.F.R. § 200.340.

https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title02/2cfr200_main_02.tpl https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title02/2cfr200_main_02.tpl https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=1&ty=HTML&h=L&r=PART&n=pt2.1.3187 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=1&ty=HTML&h=L&r=PART&n=pt2.1.3187 https://www.imls.gov/sites/default/files/2021-01/gtc-after-december-21-2020.pdf https://www.imls.gov/sites/default/files/2021-01/gtc-after-december-21-2020.pdf

F3. Reporting Recipients must comply with the following reporting requirements.

Interim and final financial and performance reports are due according to the reporting schedule that is part of the official award notification. Grantees must submit reports using the IMLS electronic grants management system. In support of the agency’s commitment to open government, interim and final performance reports may be made accessible on the IMLS website to engage the public in communities of practice and to inform application development and grant-making strategies.

For details, see Manage Your Award: Grant Administration on the IMLS website.

Grantees must also comply with 2 C.F.R. §§ 180.335 and 180.350 and 2 C.F.R. part 3185 with respect to providing information regarding all debarment, suspension, and related offenses information, as applicable.

G. Contacts Click here for IMLS staff contact information for this program. IMLS staff are available by email to answer programmatic and administrative questions relating to this grant program. IMLS staff also host webinars to introduce potential applicants to funding opportunities. Click here for a list of webinars and instructions for accessing them.

Visit the Federal Service Desk or call 1-866-606-8220 for questions about registering or renewing your registration with login.gov or SAM.gov. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time.

Visit Grants.gov Support, email support@grants.gov, or call Grants.gov Applicant Support at 1-800- 518-4726 for assistance with software issues, registration issues, and technical problems.

Grants.gov Applicant Support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, except for federal holidays.

Be sure to obtain a case number when calling the Federal Service Desk or Grants.gov for support.

H. Other Information H1. Acknowledging IMLS support Grantees must include an acknowledgement of IMLS support in all grant products, publications, websites, and presentations developed with IMLS funding. All work products should reference IMLS and include the associated grant award number(s). Click here for the Grantee Communications Kit which provides guidance for fulfilling these requirements.

H2. Disclosure of Information in Applications IMLS may share grant applications, products, and reports to further the mission of the agency and the development of museum, library, and information services.

As a general practice, and except for information that is privacy-protected, information contained in IMLS applications that receive funding may be made public. Please identify any information you deem confidential and/or proprietary and seek to have protected.

https://www.imls.gov/grants/manage-your-grant/grant-administration https://www.imls.gov/grants/manage-your-award https://www.imls.gov/grants/available/imls-american-rescue-plan https://www.imls.gov/webinars https://www.imls.gov/webinars http://fsd.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html mailto:support@grants.gov https://www.imls.gov/grants/grant-recipients/grantee-communications-kit

H3. Conflict of Interest Requirements Non-federal…