Cultural Antiquities Task Force

An interagency body of U.S. federal law enforcement and other agencies, the Cultural Antiquities Task Force (CATF) supports projects and other activities intended to disrupt the illegal trafficking of cultural property from other countries into the U

The CATF supports projects that improve the capabilities of law enforcement, heritage site managers, civil society organizations, and museum staff to protect and preserve cultural heritage from theft, looting, and trafficking. It is the Federal Government's main program for improving the protection of cultural heritage via law enforcement training and related activities.

Embassies must vet applicants for eligibility and ensure that the applicants are able to receive U.S. federal assistance. Cultural Property Agreement Implementation Grants (CPAIG) are open to U.S. embassies in countries with which the United States has a signed bilateral cultural property agreement or where emergency import restrictions on archaeological and ethnological material are in effect under the Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act (19 U.S.C. 2601 et seq). The CATF may also fund projects at its discretion outside of the CPAIG framework in countries where cultural heritage is at risk from theft, looting, and trafficking.

Successful projects must adhere to international standards for the protection of cultural heritage around specific themes, including fostering cooperation, building best practices, and engaging communities, through the following types of activities: A) Training: Build capacity of foreign law enforcement and cultural property managers to protect sites and objects. Examples include country-specific or regional workshops on investigation and interdiction techniques, effective record keeping, the role of the judiciary, increased communication between ministries of culture and law enforcement authorities, and training for cultural property stewards. B) Inventories: Support the creation and maintenance of centralized, digital, and secure inventories of cultural objects or sites to better support resource allocation, aid in recovery in cases of theft, and promote public appreciation for cultural property protection. C) Site Security and Protection: Support practical and sustainable measures to more effectively secure archaeological sites (on land or underwater), museums, libraries, archives, and other collecting institutions against looting and theft. Examples include development of site security plans, installation of security systems, and training for guards or site stewards. D) Public Education and Outreach for Crime Prevention: Support strategies to prevent looting and trafficking through heightened public awareness and outreach. Examples include educational materials, community engagement and media programs, storytelling, distance learning courses, 3D models, and virtual experiences like games and augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR).

A) Privately or Commercially Owned Property: Preservation or purchase of privately or commercially owned cultural objects, collections, or real property, including those whose transfer from private or commercial to public ownership is envisioned, planned, or in process but not complete at the time of application. B) Natural Heritage: Preservation of natural heritage (physical, biological, and geological formations, paleontological collections, and other natural collections) unless the natural heritage has a cultural heritage connection or dimension. C) Mandated Educational Materials: Development of curricula or educational materials for required classroom use. D) New Construction: Construction of new buildings, building additions, or permanent coverings (over archaeological sites, for example). E) Relocation: Relocation of cultural sites from one physical location to another unless under imminent threat of irreversible damage or destruction. F) Removal: Removal of cultural objects or elements of cultural sites from the country for any reason. G) Digitization: Digitization of cultural objects or collections, unless part of a clearly defined documentation effort. H) Repatriation: Repatriation of cultural property from the United States to another country unless part of a larger, clearly defined protection, documentation, or public diplomacy effort. I) Cash Reserves or Endowments: Cash reserves, endowments, or revolving funds (funds must be expended within the award period [up to five years] and may not be used to create an endowment or revolving fund). J) Fund-Raising Campaigns: Costs of fund-raising campaigns. K) Contingency Costs: Contingency, unforeseen, or miscellaneous costs. L) Pre-Award Costs: Costs of work performed prior to the announcement of the award unless allowable per 2 CFR 200.458 and approved by the GO. M) Project Cost Limits: Individual projects which cost less than US $25,000 or more than $150,000. N) Independent U.S. Projects: Independent U.S. projects overseas.

Maximum of 5 years. Method of awarding/releasing assistance: Assistance customarily released in a minimum of three installments tied to project benchmarks.

Contact the Public Diplomacy Section at the U.S. embassy in the country where the project is to take place for detailed application instructions.

Proposals for the Cultural Property Agreement Implementation Grants are selected based on the criteria specified in the annual Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) and based on the applicant's technical eligibility, responsiveness to the Cultural Antiquities Task Force program objectives, advancement of U.S. public diplomacy, and the quality of the application contents.

Following submission through U.S. embassies, applications for support from the Cultural Property Agreement Implementation Grants undergo a comprehensive screening, rating, ranking, and selection process. U.S. embassies announce award recipients.

Application deadlines determined independently by participating U.S. embassies.