PKG00263042-instructions.pdf

OMB Control #: 3137-0107, Expiration Date: 6/30/2023

MUSEUMS EMPOWERED

FY 2021 NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

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 – Required Federal Systems

Appendix Three – Explanation of Forms for Reference

Appendix Four – IMLS Products Guidance

Appendix Five – Conflict of Interest Requirements

Museums Empowered

FY 2021 NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

Federal Awarding Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services

Funding Opportunity Title: Museums Empowered

Announcement Type: Notice of Funding Opportunity

Funding Opportunity Number: ME-FY21

Catalog of Federal Financial Assistance (CFDA) Number:

45.301

Due Date:

Submit through Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time on November 16, 2020.

Anticipated Date of Notification of Award Decisions:

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

Beginning Date of Period of Performance:

Projects must begin on 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 special initiative?

Museums Empowered: Professional Development Opportunities for Museum Staff is a special initiative of the Museums for America grant program with the goal of strengthening the ability of an individual museum to serve its public through professional development activities that cut across various departments to generate systemic change within the museum.

mailto:CivilRights@imls.gov

Museums need to be dynamic to respond to fast-evolving technological advances and changing demographics. Museums also need to generate and share results to demonstrate their community impact.

In addition, they need to develop sustainable organizational structures and flexible strategies for long-term stability. Professional development is critical for museums to deliver on these areas of need.

IMLS encourages applicants to invest in the professional development of museum staff, leadership, and volunteers to enhance their skills and ensure the highest standards in all aspects of museum operations.

Potential projects should involve multiple levels of staff and generate organizational change.

Your project should align with one of the following four categories:

• Digital Technology: To empower museum staff to fully explore, understand, adopt, and optimize the use of digital technology in museums

• Diversity and Inclusion: To empower museum staff to develop cultural competency and support museum relevancy in their communities

• Evaluation: To empower museum staff to use formative and summative evaluation of programs, practices, and products that can help the museum yield indicators and measurable outcomes

• Organizational Management: To empower museum staff to learn best practices in organizational management, strategic thinking, innovation, and managing change

A2. What are indicators of successful projects?

Indicators (characteristics) of successful Museums Empowered projects are as follows:

• Institutional Impact: The project strengthens the ability of an individual museum to serve its public through professional development activities that cross-cut various departments to generate systemic change within the museum.

• In-depth Knowledge: The project design reflects a thorough understanding of current practice and knowledge about the subject matter.

• Project-based Design: The work plan consists of a set of logical, interrelated activities tied directly to addressing the key need or challenge identified in the application.

• Demonstrable Results: The project generates measurable results that tie directly to the need or challenge it was designed to address.

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 https://www.imls.gov/about-us/strategic-plan https://www.imls.gov/about-us/strategic-plan 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 wellbeing 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 project categories?

There are four project categories within this special initiative. Your project must align with one of them.

Digital Technology

IMLS supports the work of museums in adopting and adapting the use of existing and emerging digital technology to transform audience engagement, collections care and management, communication, and general operations. IMLS welcomes applications to develop training and professional development learning opportunities for museum staff to fully explore, understand, and optimize the use of digital technology in museums.

Projects may be introductory, intermediate, or advanced in nature depending on the size and needs of the applicant institution. Projects should reference current research, incorporate best practices, and use models with proven outcomes.

Projects may include, but are not limited to, the following activities:

• Training programs for museum staff to become more effective and efficient users of digital technology

• Developing fellowships, internships, and mentoring programs to attract and retain a tech savvy workforce and cross-train museum staff

• Developing strategies and enhancing staff capacity to use digital technology, such as social media, for audience engagement and community outreach

• Building staff capacity to enable optimal use and development of open source educational products, services, and programs

• Exploring and adopting new ways to expand digital access to collections by training staff in emerging technologies

• Developing institutional digital strategies to leverage big data and provide the training and support for staff to sustain and maintain open data resources

Diversity and Inclusion

IMLS supports the work of museums in engaging with communities and providing inclusive services to people of diverse geographic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds and to individuals with disabilities.

IMLS welcomes applications for staff professional development and museum capacity building projects that increase cultural competency within a museum and support relevancy through projects that connect, engage, and strengthen the museum’s ties with diverse communities.

Projects may be introductory, intermediate, or advanced in nature depending on the size and needs of the applicant institution. Projects should reference current research, incorporate best practices, and use models with proven outcomes.

Projects may include, but are not limited to, the following activities:

• Developing and implementing recruitment and retention programs designed to attract and retain a diverse and inclusive workforce

• Building the capacity of museum staff to develop, support, and sustain inclusive fellowship, internship, and mentoring programs to attract diverse emerging professionals

• Training for museum staff in effective engagement strategies to raise early awareness of and interest in museum careers with middle and high school students from diverse backgrounds

• Enhancing the skills and ability of museum staff to develop and deliver inclusive programs and outreach activities to engage with diverse audiences

• Participating in immersive cultural competency opportunities and exchanges by actively working with local, state, national or global organizations that are advancing multi-cultural efforts

• Developing and strengthening competencies among staff to revise and implement institutional plans such as a strategic plan, interpretive plan, and/or collections plan to incorporate diversity and inclusion objectives

Evaluation

IMLS supports the use of formative and summative evaluation or developmental evaluation of museum programs, practices, and products to help museums best serve their intended audiences and demonstrate their impact to stakeholders. IMLS welcomes applications that use training and professional development to improve and enhance the ability of museum staff to augment their knowledge of the broad spectrum of evaluation methods and techniques as well as better use evaluation reports, data, and metrics in order to make improvements in their program or product design and delivery.

Projects may use new tools, software, training, or consultants to develop a strong and integrated museum evaluation program. Evaluation activities should incorporate both quantitative and qualitative data, indicators, and measurable outcomes. Projects should reference current research, incorporate best practices, and use models with proven outcomes.

Projects may include, but are not limited to, the following activities:

• Implementing training programs for museum staff on evaluation tools, strategies, and formative and summative evaluation techniques customized to address a specific institutional or audience need

• Developing and strengthening competencies among staff to establish baseline data for a museum evaluation program through audience research, needs assessment, gap analysis, and/or benchmarking

• Building staff capacity to create a robust museum evaluation program by developing logic models and frameworks to differentiate between output-focused and outcomes-based data

• Building staff capacity to access and use open source software, open data, and online tools in evaluation

• Building staff capacity to develop an institution-wide evaluation framework that integrates impact, assessment and learning strategies

Organizational Management

IMLS supports museums’ efforts to develop resilient organizations with the goal of long-term sustainability and relevancy. IMLS welcomes applications to develop training and professional development opportunities for museum staff to learn best practices in organizational management, strategic thinking, embracing innovation, and managing change in order to foster continued growth, relevancy, and vitality.

Projects may use replicable models within the museum field as well as look beyond the museum field for transferrable techniques and strategies to build the capacity of the museum and support its long-term sustainability. Projects should reference current research, incorporate best practices, and use models with proven outcomes.

Projects may include, but are not limited to, the following activities:

• Creating a more resilient workforce through training programs for museum staff on topics such as project management, strategic thinking, and managing change, including succession planning.

• Creating a more innovative workforce through training programs for museum staff on topics such as design-thinking, human-centered design, and rapid prototyping

• Supporting executive coaching opportunities in a museum context

• Fostering a business mindset among museum staff to assess, evaluate, and adopt current business practices in order to identify areas for improvement or to respond to new opportunities

• Building skills in data analysis using both institutionally generated and publicly available data to inform decision-making for program development and business planning

Click here for samples of recently funded applications in the Museums Empowered special initiative.

A5. Where can I find examples of projects funded by this initiative?

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

https://www.imls.gov/grants/apply-grant/sample-applications https://www.imls.gov/grants/awarded-grants https://www.imls.gov/grants/awarded-grants https://www.imls.gov/grants/awarded-grants

A6. Where can I find the authorizing statute and regulations for this funding opportunity?

Statute: 20 U.S.C. § 9101 et seq.; in particular, § 9173 (Museum services activities).

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.

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

$3,000,000

Anticipated number of awards 20

Expected amount of individual awards $5,000 - $250,000

Average amount of funding per award experienced in previous years

$150,000

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

Anticipated period of performance September 1, 2021 – August 31, 2024. Project activities may be carried out for one to three years.

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 less than $5,000 or more than $250,000, your application will be rejected from consideration for funding in this initiative.

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 initiative?

To be eligible for an award under this Notice of Funding Opportunity, you must be an organization that meets all three of the following criteria:

1. You 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. You 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. You 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 which 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, please see 2 C.F.R.

§ 3187.3.

(b) 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), applying on behalf of the museum.

If my museum is located within a parent organization, can my museum apply on its own?

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.

Is a nonprofit organization eligible if it is affiliated with a museum?

IMLS may determine that a nonprofit organization that is affiliated with a museum is eligible for this initiative 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.

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

C2. What are the cost-sharing requirements for this initiative?

For the Museums Empowered initiative, at least 1:1 cost share from non-federal sources is required. Cost sharing that appears in your project budget should be carefully calculated. Grantees are expected to meet their cost share commitments. If you do not include at least 1:1 cost share in your project budget, your application will be rejected from further consideration.

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 your museum may submit under this announcement.

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, your organization must be eligible, be in compliance with applicable requirements, and be in good standing on all active IMLS awards.

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. 45.301, or

• Funding Opportunity Number: ME-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?

The Table of Application Components below will help you prepare a complete application. You will find links to more information and instructions for each application component in the table.

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 Museum Program Information Form Grants.gov form n/a

Organizational Profile (one page max.)

PDF document Organizationalprofile.pdf

Strategic Plan Summary (two pages max.)

PDF document Strategicplan.pdf

Narrative (seven 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

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

Proof of Private, Nonprofit Status PDF document Proofnonprofit.pdf

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

Digital Product Form IMLS PDF form Digitalproduct.pdf

Supporting Documents Please see the guidance in Section D2e 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

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

Document format: Aside from the SF-424S, the IMLS Supplementary Information Form (including Abstract), and the IMLS Museum Program Information Form, 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 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 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. Click here for instructions on completing it.

3. IMLS Museum Program Information Form

The IMLS Museum Program Information Form is part of the application package that you complete in Grants.gov Workspace. Click here for instructions on completing it.

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 museum is located within a parent organization or if your organization is a nonprofit affiliated with a museum.

• 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. Strategic Plan Summary

Write a two-page summary of your organization’s strategic plan as context for linking your project to your institutional goals and objectives. Please do not submit a copy of your organization’s entire strategic plan. Indicate when and by whom the plan was approved. Save this document as a PDF.

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

6. Proposal Narrative

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

• Limit the Narrative to seven 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.

• Be clear and concise with a minimum of technical jargon and acronyms.

• Include references throughout your Narrative to any Supporting Documents that help make your case.

• 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.

• 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 these section headings: Project Justification, Project Work Plan, and Project Results.

Project Justification

• What need, problem, or challenge will your project address, and how was it identified?

• What other studies, plans, or best practices have you used in developing your project?

• Who or what will benefit from your project?

• How will your project advance your institution’s strategic plan?

• How will your project address the goals of the Museums Empowered initiative (as described above in Section A1) to strengthen the ability of an individual museum to serve its public through professional development activities that cross-cut various departments to generate systemic change within the museum?

• How will your project align with one of the four project categories: Digital Technology, Diversity and Inclusion, Evaluation, or Organizational Management?

Review Criteria:

• Is the need, problem, or challenge to be addressed clearly identified and supported by relevant evidence?

• Have appropriate studies, plans, or best practices been considered in developing the project?

• Are the stakeholders and/or people who will benefit from the project clearly identified, and have they been involved in planning the project?

• Are the ways in which this project advances the institution’s strategic plan specific, actionable, and measurable?

• Will the project activities cross-cut various departments to generate systemic change within the museum?

• Will the project align with one of the four Museums Empowered project categories: Digital

Technology, Diversity and Inclusion, Evaluation, or Organizational Management?

Project Work Plan

• What specific activities, including evaluation, will you carry out?

• What are the risks to the project and have you identified ways to monitor or mitigate risk in the work plan?

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

• How is the project team organized and structured in a way that is equitable and mutually beneficial?

• When and in what sequence will your activities occur?

• What time, financial, personnel, and other resources will you need to carry out the activities?

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

• How and with whom will you share your project’s results?

Review Criteria:

• Are the proposed activities informed by appropriate theory and practice?

• Are the goals, assumptions, and risks clearly stated?

• Are the proposed evaluation activities appropriate for the project? Will they result in valid, reliable, and generalizable findings?

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

• Is the proposed project team structured in a way that is equitable and mutually beneficial to those involved?

• Is the schedule of work realistic and achievable?

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

• Is a clear methodology described for tracking the project’s progress and adjusting course when necessary?

• Is there an effective plan for communicating results and/or sharing discoveries?

Project Results

• What are your project’s intended results and how will they address the need, problem, or challenge you have identified?

• How will the knowledge, skills, behaviors, and/or attitudes of the intended audience change as a result of your project?

• What data will you collect and report to measure your project’s success?

• What tangible products will result from your project?

• How will you sustain the benefit(s) of your project?

Review Criteria:

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

• Is the plan to effect meaningful change in knowledge, skills, behaviors, and/or attitudes solidly grounded and appropriately structured?

• Is the plan for collecting and reporting data well designed and feasible?

• Will the tangible products be useful?

• Is there a reasonable and practical plan for sustaining the benefits of the project beyond the conclusion of this award?

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.

7. 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.

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

8. IMLS Budget Form

Download and complete the current IMLS Budget Form (PDF, 1.1MB). Click here for instructions for completing it. Java Script must be enabled in your web browser.

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. List of Key Project Staff and Consultants

Write a one-page list of only those staff and consultants whose expertise is essential to the success of the project and save it as a PDF. Do not list all staff involved in the project. If you cannot identify key project staff by the application deadline, then list the position title(s) instead. This list must include the Project Director listed in Item 7 of the SF-424S.

11. Resumes of Key Project Staff and Consultants

Provide a resume of no more than two pages for each individual whose expertise is essential to the success of the project. Save all the resumes in a single PDF. You must include the resume of the Project Director listed in Item 7 of the SF-424S. If you cannot identify key project staff by the application https://www.imls.gov/sites/default/files/budgetform.pdf https://www.imls.gov/sites/default/files/budgetform.pdf https://www.imls.gov/sites/default/files/budgetform_2018.pdf deadline, then (in lieu of a resume) provide position description(s) including the qualities, range of experience, and education necessary to successfully implement and complete project activities.

(Back to Table of Application Components)

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

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 or State sales tax exemption as proof of nonprofit status.

Using a federally negotiated indirect cost rate in your budget

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

If you are eligible for and are choosing the option of claiming an indirect cost rate of 10 percent of modified total direct costs (see 2 C.F.R. part 200, including 2 C.F.R. 200.68, 200.414(f), and 200.510(b)(6)), you do not need to provide any documentation.

Proposing to generate digital products, software, and/or research data

A completed Digital Product Form (PDF, 180KB; Word, 46KB).

Click here for Guidance for Projects that Develop Digital Products, Software, and/or Research Data.

(Back to Table of Application Components)

D2e. Supporting Documents You may submit a reasonable number of supporting documents that supplement your Narrative and support the project description. Supporting documents should help IMLS staff and reviewers envision your project in greater detail, but they should not be used to introduce new topics nor to continue answers to the https://www.imls.gov/sites/default/files/digitalproduct.pdf https://www.imls.gov/sites/default/files/digitalproduct.pdf https://www.imls.gov/sites/default/files/digitalproduct.docx

Narrative questions. Give each document a clear, descriptive title at the top of the first page. You may wish to consider the following:

• Letters of commitment from any third party that will receive grant funds or from entities that will contribute substantive funds to the completion of project activities

• Letters of commitment from partners or other groups who will work closely with you on your project

• Bibliography or references relevant to your proposed project design or evaluation strategy

• Letters of support from experts and stakeholders

• Position descriptions for project staff (if not included with resumes for key personnel) to be supported by grant or cost share funds

• Relevant images to support your proposed project

• Reports from planning activities

• Contractor quotes

• Equipment specifications

• Products or evaluations from previously completed or ongoing projects of a similar nature

• Collections, technology, or other departmental plans for the organization as applicable to the proposed project

• Web links to relevant online materials

• Needs assessments

(Back to Table of Application Components)

D3. What are the registration requirements for submitting an application?

Before submitting an application, your organization must have a current and active D-U-N-S® number (a unique entity identifier), System for Award Management (SAM) registration, and Grants.gov registration.

Check your materials and registrations well in advance of the application deadline to ensure that they are accurate, current, and active.

If your D-U-N-S® number and SAM registration are not active and current at the time of submission, your application will be rejected; if they are not active and current at the time an award is made, we may determine that you are not qualified to receive an award and use that determination as a basis for making an award to another applicant.

D3a. What is a D-U-N-S® number and how do we get one?

A D-U-N-S® number is a unique nine-digit number assigned to all types of business organizations, including nonprofits and government entities. Click here to learn more about getting a D-U-N-S® number.

D3b. What is the System for Award Management (SAM) and how do we register?

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. What is Grants.gov and how do we register?

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

You must register with Grants.gov prior to submitting your application package. The multistep registration process generally cannot be completed in a single day. If you are not already registered, you should 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.

You will need your Grants.gov user ID and password that you obtain during the registration process to submit your application when it is complete.

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

D4. When and how must we submit our application?

You must submit your application through Grants.gov. Do not submit through email or postal mail to

IMLS.

For the Museums Empowered initiative, Grants.gov will accept applications through 11:59 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time on November 16, 2020.

We strongly recommend that you obtain a D-U-N-S® number, register with SAM and Grants.gov, and complete and submit the application early. We make 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.

Contact Grants.gov at support@grants.gov or call their help line at 1-800-518-4726 for technical assistance.

The help line is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, except for federal holidays.

D4a. What happens after we submit our application through Grants.gov?

Grants.gov will generate a series of emails confirming the status of your application. You can check the status of your application(s) in Grants.gov by using “Track My Application.” For further details, please consult Grants.gov.

D5. Is there an intergovernmental review?

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

D6. Are there funding restrictions?

You may only use IMLS funds, and your cost sharing, for allowable costs as found in IMLS and OMB government-wide cost-principle rules. Please consult 2 C.F.R. pt. 200 and 2 C.F.R. pt. 3187 for additional guidance on allowable costs.

The following list includes some examples of generally allowable costs, both for IMLS funds 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

• equipment to improve collections storage and exhibit environments

• third-party costs 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 mailto:support@grants.gov https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/track-my-application.html

• publication design and printing

• staff and volunteer training

• internships/fellowships

• indirect or overhead costs

You must explain all proposed expenses in your 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)

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

D6a. How do we include costs for third parties?

Your project may require you to provide federal funds to third parties (such as partners, consultants, collaborators, subgrantees, subawardees, vendors, and/or service providers). It is your 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 you make with each third party.

(See 2 C.F.R. § 200.330 (Subrecipient and contractor determinations).) IMLS grant funds may not be provided to any federal agency serving as a third party.

D6b. What are our options for including indirect costs in our budget?

You can choose to:

• use a rate not to exceed your 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% of the total modified direct costs if you have never had a federally negotiated indirect cost rate and you are otherwise eligible; or

• not include any indirect costs.

Click here for further information on indirect costs.

E. Application Review Information E1. What are the review criteria?

Reviewers are instructed to evaluate applications according to the review criteria included within the Narrative instructions in Section D2 of this document. Reviewers consider all Required, Conditionally Required, and Supporting Documents, as listed in Section D2.

E1a. Is cost sharing considered in the review process?

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

E2. What is the review and selection process?

We use a peer review process to evaluate 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. We instruct 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. What is the designated integrity and performance system and how does IMLS comply with its requirements?

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. § 200.205 (Federal awarding agency review of risk posed by applicants).

E4. When will we be notified of funding decisions?

We will not release information about the status of an application until the applications have been reviewed and all deliberations are concluded. We expect to notify both successful and unsuccessful applicants of the final decisions by August 2021.

F. Award Administration Information F1. How will we be notified of funding decisions?

We will notify both successful and unsuccessful applicants of funding decisions by email.

F2. What are the administrative and national policy requirements?

Organizations that receive IMLS grants or cooperative agreements are subject to the IMLS General Terms and Conditions for IMLS Discretionary Grant and Cooperative Agreement Awards (PDF 268 KB) and the IMLS Assurances and Certifications. Organizations that receive IMLS funding must be familiar with these requirements and comply with applicable law.

As an applicant for Federal funds, you must certify that you 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 signing the application form, which includes the Assurances and Certifications, you certify that you are in compliance with these requirements and that you will maintain records and submit any reports that are necessary to ensure compliance. Your failure to comply with these statutory and regulatory requirements may result in the suspension or termination of your award and require you to return funds to the government.

F3. What are the reporting requirements?

At a minimum, you will be required to submit a performance report and financial report annually.

Reports are due according to the reporting schedule that is part of your official award notification. Grantees must submit reports using the IMLS electronic grants management system, eGMS. 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 and forms, please see the Manage Your Grant: Grant Administration page on the IMLS website.

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

F3a. What do we need to know if the Federal share of our award is more than $500,000 over the period of performance?

If the Federal share of your award is more than $500,000 over the period of performance, you should refer to the post-award reporting requirements reflected in 2 C.F.R. pt. 200, Appendix XII – Award Term and Condition for Recipient Integrity and Performance Matters.

https://www.imls.gov/sites/default/files/gtc-after-october-012019.pdf…