PKG00262433-instructions.pdf

OMB Control #: 3137-0091, Expiration Date: 8/31/2021

LAURA BUSH 21ST CENTURY

LIBRARIAN PROGRAM

FY 2021 NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

Table of Contents

Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program

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 – Required Federal Systems

Appendix Three – Explanation of Forms for Reference

Appendix Four – IMLS Products Guidance

Appendix Five – Conflict of Interest Requirements

Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program

FY 2021 NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

Federal Awarding Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services

Funding Opportunity Title: Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program

Announcement Type: Notice of Funding Opportunity

Funding Opportunity Number: LB21-FY21

Catalog of Federal Financial Assistance (CFDA) Number:

45.313

Due Date:

Preliminary Proposals: Submit through Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time on October 2, 2020 Invited Full Proposals: Submit through Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time on March 26, 2021.

Anticipated Date of Notification of Award Decisions:

July, 2021 (subject to the availability of funds and IMLS discretion).

Beginning Date of Period of Performance:

Projects must begin on August 1 or September 1, 2021.

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.

A. Program Description A1. What is this grant program?

The Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program (LB21) supports developing a diverse workforce of librarians to better meet the changing learning and information needs of the American public by enhancing the training and professional development of library and archives professionals;

mailto:CivilRights@imls.gov developing faculty and library leaders; and recruiting, educating, and retaining the next generation of library and archives professionals.

To foster the adoption and spread of innovations and practices, IMLS encourages proposals at varying stages of maturity including the emergence of new ideas, validation of existing approaches, and practices for scaling up across library and archives communities. Successful proposals may generate new tools, research findings, models, services, practices, or alliances that can be widely used, adapted, scaled, or replicated to extend the benefits of federal investment. Each phase in a project’s life cycle offers opportunities to learn, discover, develop, and test new ideas, activities, software, services, etc.

Note: Proposals that address challenges faced by the library and archival fields but do not focus on education and training of library and archives professionals should be submitted to the National Leadership Grants for Libraries Program.

A2. What are the indicators of successful projects?

Indicators (characteristics) of successful Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program projects are as follows:

• Broad Impact: Successful projects address key needs, high priority gaps, and opportunities for training and educating library and archives professionals. They expand the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the workforce; demonstrate potential for far-reaching impact among different types and sizes of institutions across the United States; and exert a positive influence on theory and practice.

• Current Significance: Successful projects address a critical issue or opportunity for library and archives professionals and build on current strategic initiatives, knowledge, and agendas in these fields. They are based on a clear understanding of existing work and the broader environments (e.g., economic, demographic, technological, social) in which library and archives professionals operate.

• Strategic Collaborations: Successful projects involve key stakeholders and partners. These collaborations establish or deepen strategic relationships and partnerships or engage intermediaries, both inside and outside the library and archival fields. Collaborations strengthen expertise, leverage resources and relationships, expand development or implementation of services, and elevate the role of library and archives professionals.

• Demonstrated Expertise: Successful projects employ a team possessing the necessary skills, experience, and knowledge to realize significant shifts across the field. They are based on a thorough understanding of the current state of—and gaps in—relevant theory and practice.

They also demonstrate sound theoretical framing as well as a solid understanding of the realities of professional practice.

• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Successful projects thoughtfully address issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion. They strive to broaden participation in the library and archives profession through the recruitment, education, and retention of a diverse workforce. They strive to promote the successful participation of students and trainees from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds and empower library and archives professionals to provide inclusive services to diverse communities.

https://www.imls.gov/grants/available/national-leadership-grants-libraries

A3. What are the IMLS Agency-Level Goals and Objectives?

The mission of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is to inspire libraries and museums to advance innovation, lifelong learning, and cultural and civic engagement. We provide leadership through research, policy development, and grant making.

In FY2018-2022, each award funded under this initiative will support one of the following three goals and associated objectives from the IMLS strategic plan, Transforming Communities:

• Promote Lifelong Learning: IMLS supports learning and literacy for people of all ages through museums and libraries.

o Early, digital, information, health, financial, media, civic, and other literacies o Cross-disciplinary and inquiry-based learning methods o Continuous learning for families and individuals with diverse backgrounds and needs o Distinctive role of museums and libraries as trusted sources of information

• Build Capacity: IMLS strengthens the capacity of museums and libraries to improve the well-being of their communities.

o Recruitment, training, and development of library and museum workforces o Share and adopt best practices and innovations o Identify trends to help organizations make informed decisions o Serve as trusted spaces for community engagement and dialogue

• Increase Public Access: IMLS makes strategic investments that increase access to information, ideas, and networks through libraries and museums.

o Support stewardship of museum and library collections o Tools, technology, and training enabling discovery and use of collections and resources by all o Policies and partnerships to address access barriers to collections, programs, and information o Increased access to knowledge through effective communications

These agency goals and objectives focus on achieving positive public outcomes for communities and individuals; supporting the unique role of museums and libraries in preserving and providing access to collections and content; and promoting library, museum, and information service policies that ensure access to information for all Americans.

IMLS places importance on diversity, equity, and inclusion. This may be reflected in a 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; 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.

A4. What are the funding categories, project categories, and project types?

A4a. What are the funding categories?

https://www.imls.gov/about-us/strategic-plan https://www.imls.gov/about-us/strategic-plan

The funding categories and corresponding periods of performance are:

Funding Category Period of Performance

Planning Grants 1 to 2 years

National Forum Grants 1 to 2 years

Project Grants 1 to 4 years (doctoral-level project types) 1 to 3 years (all other project types)

Research in Service to Practice Grants 1 to 3 years

Your application must designate one of these four funding categories. You may submit as many applications as you wish; however, the same proposal may not be submitted to IMLS under more than one funding category.

Planning Grants allow grantees to perform exploratory activities, such as analyzing needs and feasibility; solidifying partnerships; developing project work plans; or developing prototypes, proofs of concept, and pilot studies. Methods used to assess the outcomes should be appropriate to the planning category. Applications are expected to provide a basic framework for planning activities that have the potential to lead to a future project. The period of performance for a Planning Grant is one to two years.

National Forum Grants provide an opportunity to convene qualified experts and key stakeholders, including those from adjacent fields as appropriate, to help explore current or emerging issues or opportunities that are important to professional development and education-related issues in libraries and archives across the nation. National Forum Grants may support one or more meetings and related activities. Grantees are expected to produce reports or other deliverables for wide dissemination and are encouraged to consider leveraging technology to allow broad participation, such as virtual meetings or live-streaming. Additional mechanisms for engaging stakeholders and building awareness of the findings are encouraged. The period of performance for a National Forum Grant is one to two years.

Project Grants support recruiting and educating the next generation of library and archives professionals, developing faculty and library leaders, and contributing to the professional development and retention of library and archives staff who serve the nation. Projects may further pilot, test scalability or feasibility, expand existing products or services into new audiences or contexts, or enhance existing projects or initiatives. Proposals should not simply aim to sustain current activities or represent incremental improvements in existing programs. Rather, applicants should design their proposed work to ensure that new practices have the potential to be easily adoptable, sustainable, and widely implementable across the field. The period of performance for a Project Grant is typically one to three years. However, that for a Project Grant for a doctoral-level project type is one to four years (see Section A4C).

Research in Service to Practice Grants involve the investigation of key questions relevant to library or archival professional practice. These proposals should build on prior empirical, theoretical, or exploratory work in libraries and archives or other disciplines (as they relate to libraries or library services). Proposals must include clearly articulated research questions and feature appropriate methods, including relevant theoretical or conceptual approaches, data collection, and analysis.

Findings and their implications for library and archival practice should be shared broadly throughout the grant period, rather than exclusively at the end of the project. Dissemination activities should not be limited to publishing journal articles and presenting at academic conferences. Research projects should not be designed with a deterministic agenda or predetermined outcomes. Proposals focused on evaluation are not appropriate for the Research in Service to Practice Grants category and should be submitted to the Project Grants category above. The period of performance for a Research in Service to Practice Grant is one to three years. See Guidance for Research Applications.

A4b. What are the project categories?

The project categories are:

• Lifelong Learning

• Community Catalysts

• National Digital Infrastructures and Initiatives

Your application must designate one of these three project categories. You may submit as many applications as you wish; however, the same proposal may not be submitted to IMLS under more than one project category.

In November 2017, IMLS hosted a meeting focused on Positioning Library and Information Science Graduate Programs for 21st Century Practice and produced a report (PDF 529KB). We encourage applicants to address one or more themes or gaps described in the report in developing their proposals.

Lifelong Learning: We are interested in proposals that will recruit, train, develop, and retain a diverse workforce of library and archives professionals; and have a significant impact on the capacity of library and archives professionals to support cross-disciplinary and inquiry-based methods of learning, foster attitudes of discovery, and cultivate skills such as critical thinking, innovation, creativity, communication, and collaboration. Work in this category may include exploring, piloting, scaling, or enhancing education and training programs, services, and partnerships focused on developing the skills and expertise of in-service or pre-service library and archives professionals in facilitating experiential and self-directed learning opportunities. Proposals should address substantial opportunities in library and archival practice and ensure that proposed activities exemplify library principles and values.

Proposals in this category may focus on enhancing professionals’ capacity for:

• Fostering collaborations with formal or informal learning organizations to address issues of shared concern and incorporate promising practices from allied domains into library services.

They should reinforce the role of library staff as facilitators of lifelong learning and leverage the distinct role of libraries as trusted sources of information. Possible partners and intermediaries might include, but are not limited to, staff at museums, school systems, universities, extension programs, youth-serving organizations, departments of correction, and workforce or economic development organizations.

• Exploring, piloting, scaling, and enhancing programming models and tools that support cross-disciplinary and inquiry-based learning opportunities in libraries for users of all ages. Topics addressed may include, but are not limited to, informal STEM or other types of participatory learning; community or citizen science; community and expert Narratives; early learning;

workforce development; and digital, information, health, financial, media, civic, and other types of literacies.

• Investigating questions related to how library services impact user learning. They should be informed by current library and archival practice, demonstrate mutually beneficial relationships between researchers and practitioners, and communicate findings in ways that lead to demonstrable improvements to library services.

• Facilitating opportunities for continuous learning for families and individuals of diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds and needs, including, but not limited to, young https://www.imls.gov/events/positioning-library-and-information-science-graduate-programs-21st-century-practice https://www.imls.gov/events/positioning-library-and-information-science-graduate-programs-21st-century-practice https://www.imls.gov/sites/default/files/publications/documents/imlspositioningreport.pdf children and their families or caregivers; tweens and teens; un- and under-employed adults looking to make career transitions or re-enter the workforce; veterans; immigrants and refugees; individuals with disabilities; English language learners; and senior citizens.

Community Catalysts: We are interested in proposals that will recruit, train, develop, and retain a diverse workforce of library and archives professionals, and have a significant impact on the capacity of library and archives professionals to contribute to the well-being of communities. Work in this category may include exploring, piloting, scaling, or enhancing educational or training programs related to professionals’ skills and expertise in strengthening civic and cultural engagement, fostering community health, promoting digital inclusion, increasing equity and access, supporting economic vitality, or decreasing social isolation. Proposals should address substantial opportunities in library and archival practice and ensure that the proposed outcomes exemplify library principles and values.

Proposals in this category may focus on expanding professionals’ capacity for:

• Identifying community opportunities, addressing community needs, providing community-based programs, and enhancing services that support and engage the community by leveraging the distinct role of libraries as trusted spaces for community engagement, dialogue, and information.

• Integrating into library theory and practice approaches and techniques including, but not limited to, design thinking, data analytics, impact assessment, leadership development, organizational change, asset mapping, and collective impact (see IMLS Community Catalyst and Community Salute initiatives).

• Developing, implementing, assessing, and scaling programs, services, tools, and partnership models focused on enhancing opportunities, community networks, and well-being in communities. Topics may include, but are not limited to, workforce and economic development; financial, health, or legal services; and increasing equity and access. Some factors to consider may be social and economic conditions, types of anchor institutions, infrastructure, transportation, and geographic and physical barriers.

• Exploring widespread community challenges and opportunities for growth and collaboration that are informed by or build on current library and archival practice and feature mutually beneficial relationships between researchers and practitioners. Findings should be communicated in ways that could lead to demonstrable improvements in library services, sustained community engagement, and increased reach to new and existing library and archives users and underserved audiences.

National Digital Infrastructures and Initiatives: We are interested in proposals that will recruit, train, develop, and retain a diverse workforce of library and archives professionals, and have a significant impact on the capacity of library and archives professionals to provide access to diverse digital content, collections, and services to a wide range of users. Work in this category may include exploring, piloting, scaling, or enhancing educational or training programs related to professionals’ skills and expertise in open source digital library infrastructures, efforts to engage communities with digital library content and collections, and other activities related to leveraging shared tools and services. This work may also involve assessing opportunities for and impact of investments in education and training to support digital libraries and archives. Proposals should address substantial opportunities in library and archival practice and ensure that the proposed outcomes exemplify library principles and values.

Applicants are encouraged to reference National Digital Infrastructures and Initiatives: A Report on the 2017 NDP at Three Forum (PDF 139KB) in developing their proposals.

Proposals in this category may focus on expanding professionals’ capacity for:

• Designing, developing, implementing, and maintaining digital tools and services.

https://www.imls.gov/our-work/community-catalyst-initiative https://www.imls.gov/issues/national-initiatives/community-salute https://www.imls.gov/sites/default/files/publications/documents/imls-digital-platform-report.pdf https://www.imls.gov/sites/default/files/publications/documents/imls-digital-platform-report.pdf https://www.imls.gov/sites/default/files/publications/documents/imls-digital-platform-report.pdf

• Providing access to digital content and collections at scale for users of all interests and skill levels.

• Assessing barriers to the adoption of tools and services and increasing the accessibility of content and collections to a wide range of users.

• Integrating shared resources and collaborative networks for public access to and preservation of digital library content and collections at institutions of all types and sizes.

• Investigating the sustainability, interoperability, accessibility, and long-term value and impact of digital content and collections to diverse and evolving user communities.

• Fostering community memory and identity through the development, enhancement, and long-term maintenance of digital collections and community collaborations.

• Curating new or complex content types or digital formats.

• Enabling the ethical stewardship of diverse or culturally sensitive digital content and collections.

• Enhancing information literacy and digital inclusion efforts through expanded broadband connectivity, data privacy and security, innovative collaborations, or civic data use.

• Engaging communities in the co-creation, interpretation, and stewardship of digital library content and collections, while keeping in mind broader applicability to other contexts and future sustainability.

A4c. What are the project types?

The project types are:

• Pre-Professional

• Master’s-level

• Doctoral-level

• Early Career Development

• Continuing Education

Your application must designate one of these five project types. If you have selected the Research in Service to Practice funding category, please select the project category that best aligns with your research focus. Note that all Early Career Development applicants should select the Early Career Development project type regardless of research focus. You may submit as many applications as you wish; however, the same proposal may not be submitted to IMLS under more than one project type.

Pre-Professional: Pre-Professional projects support the development of a diverse workforce in library and information science by introducing middle school, high school, community college, or undergraduate students to careers in library and information science. Mentorship, cohort-building, service learning, internships, or part-time employment may be key components of projects in this category.

Master’s-level: Master’s-level projects educate the next generation of library and archives leaders to meet the evolving needs of the profession and society. Projects in this category support the recruitment, instruction, and formal educational experiences of Master’s students in graduate departments of library and information science and graduate departments that provide school library media certification programs.

Doctoral-level: Doctoral-level projects in library and information science develop library and archives leaders to assume positions as managers, administrators, researchers, or faculty to meet the evolving needs of the profession and society. See Section A4e for additional eligibility criteria related to this project type.

Early Career Development: Early Career Development proposals support the research of untenured tenure-track library and information science faculty, furthering the faculty member’s long-term research agenda, career trajectory, and professional development. Note that all applicants submitting Early Career Development proposals must also select the Research in Service to Practice Grants funding category. See Section A4e for additional eligibility criteria related to this project type.

Continuing Education: Continuing Education projects aim to improve the knowledge, skills, and abilities of library and archives professionals through formal and informal programs such as post- Master’s programs, residencies, enhanced work experiences, blended learning opportunities including mentorships, online learning modules, and developing communities of practice.

A4d. Where can I find examples of projects funded by this program?

Click here to search awarded grants by program, category, and/or key word.

A4e. Are there special eligibility conditions for specific project types?

Yes, some project types have special eligibility conditions, as outlined below. All eligible entities may apply, either individually or collaboratively, to the Pre-Professional, Master’s-level, and Continuing Education project types.

Doctoral-level Project Type:

Only graduate departments offering programs of study at the doctoral level for library or information science, or school library media, are eligible to apply for funding of doctoral-level scholarships and fellowships, either individually or collaboratively.

Early Career Development Project Type:

• Early Career Development proposals must select the Research in Service to Practice funding category

• Projects must have a single Project Director with no co-Project Directors. Consultants and students may be included in the project.

• By the deadline for submission of Invited Full Proposals, the Project Director must:

o hold a doctoral degree o be untenured tenure-track library and information science faculty o have both educational and research responsibilities

• If invited to submit a Full Proposal, proposals must include a letter of departmental endorsement, verifying that the Project Director meets the above criteria.

Note: There are funding restrictions that could affect the eligibility of a project. See Section D7 for details.

A5. Where can I find the authorizing statute and regulations for this funding opportunity?

Statute: 20 U.S.C. § 9101 et seq.; in particular, § 9165 (Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program grants).

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

Note: You are required to follow the IMLS regulations that are in effect at the time of the award.

Note: 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. pt.

200. With certain IMLS-specific additions, IMLS regulations at 2 C.F.R. pt. 3187 formally adopt the 2 C.F.R. pt.

200 Uniform Guidance.

https://www.imls.gov/grants/awarded-grants

B. Federal Award Information Total amount of funding expected to be awarded through this announcement

$8,000,000

Anticipated number of awards 25

Expected amount of individual awards Planning Grants Up to $100,000

National Forum Grants Up to $150,000

Project Grants Up to $1,000,000

Research in Service to Practice Grants

Up to $750,000

Average amount of funding per award experienced in previous years

$333,500

Anticipated start dates for new awards Not earlier than August 1, 2021. Projects must begin on August 1 or September 1, 2021.

Anticipated period of performance August 1, 2021 – August 31, 2025. Project activities may be carried out for one to four years based on the selected funding category. See Section A4.

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.

If your request for federal funding, including all direct and indirect costs, is outside the applicable funding level range, 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 list of unfunded applications from this competition.

C. Eligibility Information C1. What are the eligibility requirements for this program?

To be eligible for the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program, you 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.

We recognize the potential for valuable contributions to the overall goals of the LB21 program by entities that do not meet the eligibility requirements above. Although such entities may not serve as the legal applicants, they are encouraged to participate in projects. Consult with us about any eligibility questions before submitting an application.

C2. What are the cost sharing requirements for this program?

For the LB21 program, the requirements to provide cost share from non-federal sources differ according to funding level.

LB21 Funding Category Cost Share Requirement

Planning Grants No cost share required.

National Forum Grants No cost share required.

Project Grants Projects requesting more than $249,999 in IMLS funds require at least 1:1 cost share from non-federal sources, excluding Student Support costs.

Research in Service to Practice Grants

No cost share required.

Cost sharing is an eligibility criterion and is not considered in the peer review of applications. Cost sharing that appears in your project budget should be carefully calculated. Grantees are expected to meet their cost share commitments. Click here for further information on cost sharing.

C3. Other Information C3a. How many applications can we submit under this announcement?

There is no limit to the number of applications you may submit under this announcement. Individual Project Directors may be named on multiple applications under this announcement. However, the same proposal may not be submitted to IMLS under more than one funding category, project category, or project type, listed in Sections A4a, A4b, and A4c.

C3b. What if our organization fails to meet an eligibility criterion by the time of the application deadline?

IMLS will not review applications from ineligible applicants. We will notify you if your application will not be reviewed because your organization is determined to be ineligible.

C3c. What if our organization fails to meet an eligibility criterion at the time of award?

IMLS will not make awards to ineligible applicants. In order to receive an IMLS award, you must be eligible, be in compliance with applicable requirements, and be in good standing on all active IMLS awards.

C3d. Additional Eligibility Information The application process for the LB21 program consists of two phases. For Phase I, all applicants must submit two-page Preliminary Proposals (see Section D2). For Phase II, selected applicants will be invited to submit full proposals (Invited Full Proposals) (see Section D3). For both phases, applicants must submit their materials by the deadlines indicated on page 2 of this Notice of Funding Opportunity. Only Invited Full Proposals will be considered for funding.

D. Application and Submission Information D1. How can we find the application package?

This announcement contains all application materials needed to apply. Use one of the following identifiers to locate the application package in Grants.gov:

• CFDA No. 45.313, or

• Funding Opportunity Number: LB21-FY21

D1a. Can we request an audio recording of this announcement?

Yes, call 202-653-4744 to request it.

D1b. Can we request a paper copy of this announcement?

Yes, call 202-653-4744 to request it.

Persons with hearing difficulty are welcome to use Teletype (TTY/TDD) 202-653-4614.

D2. What content and forms are required to make a complete application for Phase I: Preliminary Proposals?

The Table of Application Components for Preliminary Proposals below will help you prepare a complete Preliminary Proposal application.

Applications missing any 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 for Preliminary Proposals

Component Format File name to use

Required Documents

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 Library - Discretionary Program Information Form IMLS PDF form Programinfo.pdf

Preliminary Proposal Narrative (two pages max.)

PDF document Preliminaryproposal.pdf

D2b. How should we format, name, and sequence the application components?

Document format: The SF-424S and the IMLS Supplementary Information Form (including Abstract) are created in Grants.gov Workspace. The IMLS Library - Discretionary Program Information Form and the Preliminary Proposal Narrative must be submitted as PDF documents.

Page limits: Note the page limit for the Preliminary Proposal Narrative listed in the table above. We will remove any additional pages, and we will not send them to reviewers as part of your application.

Naming convention: Use the naming conventions indicated in the table above. IMPORTANT: You are limited to using the following characters in all attachment file names: A-Z, a-z, 0-9, underscore (_), hyphen (-), space, period. If you use any other characters when naming your attachment files, your application will be rejected by Grants.gov.

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. Click here for instructions on completing it. Preliminary Proposals do not require a one-page abstract. and applicants are encouraged to reuse the “Project Description” (about 120 words) entered into the SF-424S form.

3. IMLS Library - Discretionary Program Information Form

Download the current IMLS Library - Discretionary Program Information Form (PDF, 204 KB). Click here for instructions on completing it.

• Applicants submitting a Preliminary Proposal may skip Section 1 but should complete Sections 2 and 3 of this form.

4. Preliminary Proposal Narrative

Write a Narrative that includes the elements described below, and save it as a PDF.

• Limit the Narrative to two (2) numbered pages. We will remove any additional pages, and we will not send them to reviewers as part of your application.

• Be clear and concise with a minimum 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 twelve points.

• Include a project title at the top of the first page.

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

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

Your Preliminary Proposal Narrative should follow the general sections of an Invited Full Proposal Narrative: Statement of Broad Need, Project Design, Diversity Plan, and Broad Impact. Begin with a summary that includes the name of the lead applicant organization, the amount of IMLS funds requested and amount of funds provided as cost share (if required), the names of partner organizations, the broad need to be addressed, and the intended broad impact of the project.

Then with the indicators of successful projects (see Section A2) in mind, describe in greater detail the broad need that will serve as the focus of your project and its relevance to the selected project category and project type. Lay out the project’s design, diversity plan, and intended broad impact, including specific goals and outcomes. Please note that a summary of the Diversity Plan is a required element for Preliminary Proposal Narratives; those that do not include them will be rejected from further consideration.

The Preliminary Proposal Narrative for a Research in Service to Practice application must also include clearly defined research questions. See Guidance for Research Applications.

You must conclude the Preliminary Proposal Narrative with a budget summary. Preliminary Proposal Narratives that do not include budget summary paragraphs will be rejected from further consideration. The budget summary must include a breakdown by category of how both IMLS and cost share (if required) funds would be allocated, and the total anticipated costs of the project.

Proposals for Project Grants requesting more than $249,999, excluding Student Support costs, must include at least a 1:1 cost share from non-federal sources (see Section C2). Preliminary Proposal Narratives that do not clearly demonstrate that cost share requirements will be met will be rejected from further consideration.

D2d. Whom should we contact if we have questions while developing our proposal?

Prior to submitting a Preliminary Proposal, applicants are encouraged to contact IMLS program officers, who can offer general information about the Notice of Funding Opportunity and the review process. Contact information is available on the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian program page.

Contact Grants.gov or call their help line at 1-800-518-4726 for assistance with software issues, registration issues, and technical problems.

D3. What content and forms are required to make a complete application for Phase II: Invited Full Proposals?

If you are asked to submit an Invited Full Proposal, you must submit a complete application by 11:59 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time on March 26, 2021. We make grants only to eligible applicants that submit complete Invited Full Proposal applications through Grants.gov, on or before this deadline. Complete applications will be accepted only from applicants who have submitted Preliminary Proposals and have been invited to submit a full proposal.

The Table of Application Components for Invited Full Proposals below will help you prepare a complete Invited Full Proposal application. 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.)

https://www.imls.gov/grants/available/laura-bush-21st-century-librarian-program http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html

D3a. Table of Application Components for Invited Full Proposals

Component Format File name to use

Required Documents

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

Grants.gov form n/a

IMLS Supplementary Information Form Grants.gov form n/a

IMLS Library - Discretionary Program Information Form

IMLS PDF form Programinfo.pdf

Organizational Profile PDF document Organizationalprofile.pdf

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

Schedule of Completion (one page per year max.)

PDF document Scheduleofcompletion.pdf

IMLS Budget Form IMLS PDF form Budget.pdf

Budget Justification PDF document Budgetjustification.pdf

List of Key Project Staff and Consultants (one page max.)

PDF document Projectstaff.pdf

Resumes of Key Project Staff and Consultants (two pages each max.)

PDF document Resumes.pdf

Digital Product Form IMLS PDF form Digitalproduct.pdf

Conditionally Required Documents Please see the guidance in Section D3d for more information.

Proof of Private, Nonprofit Status

PDF document Proofnonprofit.pdf

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

Letter of Departmental Endorsement for an Early Career Development grant

PDF document Endorsement.pdf

Supporting Documents Please see the guidance in Section D3e for more information.

Information that supplements the Narrative and supports the project description provided in the application

PDF document

Supportingdoc1.pdf

Supportingdoc2.pdf

Supportingdoc3.pdf

D3b. How should we format, name, and sequence the application components?

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

Page limits: Note page limits listed in the table above. We will remove any pages over the limit, and we will not send them to reviewers as part of your application.

Naming convention: Use the naming conventions indicated in the table above. IMPORTANT: You are limited to using the following characters in all attachment file names: A-Z, a-z, 0-9, underscore (_), hyphen (-), space, period. If you use any other characters when naming your attachment files, your application will 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.

D3c. 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. Click here for instructions on completing it.

3. IMLS Library - Discretionary Program Information Form

Download and complete the current IMLS Library - Discretionary Program Information Form (PDF, 204 KB). Click here for instructions on completing it.

• Applicants submitting an Invited Full Proposal should complete Sections 1, 2, and 3 of this form.

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

4. Organizational Profile

Create an Organizational Profile for the legal applicant (as identified on the SF-424S), addressing Sections A, B, and C, and save it as a PDF.

A. Organizational Description

Provide a brief description of your organization. This can include your organization’s statement of purpose, a description of your service area, and/or a brief history of your organization.

B. External Funding

1) Proposed Project: Provide a table listing any previous, current, or pending support from any federal or non-federal sources (of more than $10,000 and within the past three years) for the proposed project. Include the source, dates, amount of funds, and time commitment per year devoted to the project by any key staff overlapping between existing projects and the project proposed in this application (even if they receive no salary support). If there is no additional external funding, indicate N/A in this section of the Organizational Profile.

2) Proposed Project Director: Provide a table listing any current or pending support for the Project Director (as identified on the SF-424S) not yet listed above, that will overlap with the proposed project’s period of performance. If the Project Director listed on the SF-424S is not actually the person running or leading the project, please include information for both the Project Director and this leader. Include the sources, dates, amount of funds, and time commitment per year devoted to the project (even if they receive no salary support). If there is no additional external funding, indicate N/A in this section of the Organizational Profile.

C. External Partnerships

List and briefly describe key institutional partners, subrecipients, contractors, and/or expert consultants participating in this proposed project. Include only those partnerships that will be in place during the project period of performance. You may describe potential future beneficiaries and advisory board members in the Narrative. If the proposed project does not include any external partners, indicate N/A in this section of the Organizational Profile.

5. Invited Full Proposal Narrative

Write a Narrative that includes the elements described below in the Invited Full Proposal Outline, and save it as a PDF.

▪ Limit the Narrative to ten (10) numbered pages. We will remove any additional pages, and we will not send them to reviewers as part of your application.

▪ Be clear and concise with a minimum 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 twelve points.

▪ Include a project title at the top of the first page.

▪ Use Supporting Documents to provide supplementary material. Bibliographies or works cited should be included as an appendix and not included as part of the Narrative.

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.

Invited Full Proposal Outline

Your Narrative should include sections with the following titles: Statement of Broad Need, Project Design, Diversity Plan, and Broad Impact. Each section should address questions listed in the Invited Full Proposal Outline below. The Project Design for an Invited Full Proposal for a Research in Service to Practice application must also include clearly defined research questions. See Guidance for Research Applications.

Throughout the Narrative, you should also address the indicators of successful LB21 projects as described in Section A2, the IMLS agency-level goal selected on the IMLS Library – Discretionary Program Information Form and as described in Section A3, and the selected funding category, project category, and project type as described in Section A4.

A. Statement of Broad Need

Provide a justification for the proposed project as it relates to a challenge or opportunity for library and archives professionals. Questions to consider may include:

• What current, broadly significant challenge or opportunity does your proposal address, and how was it identified?

• How does this proposed project differ from, complement, or build upon existing theory, scholarship, and practice?

• If you are an Early Career Development applicant, how does this work fit within your long-term research agenda?

B. Project Design

Provide a description of the proposed work plan. Questions to consider may include:

• What are the goals of the project?

• When and in what sequence will activities occur? What time, personnel, financial, project management, and other resources will you need to carry out the activities?

• How will you ensure…