Deadline: 1/13/22

Amount: $50,000-$350,000

Website: https://www.neh.gov/grants/preservation/sustaining-cultural-heritage-collections

Description:

The Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections program helps cultural institutions meet the complex challenge of preserving large and diverse holdings of humanities materials for future generations by supporting sustainable conservation measures that mitigate deterioration, prolong the useful life of collections, support institutional resilience, as well as the ability to anticipate and respond to disasters resulting from natural or human activity.

Planning proposals might be used to:

  1. re-evaluate environmental parameters for collections and establish realistic and achievable targets.
  2. study the performance characteristics of buildings and building envelopes to understand how they might be used to moderate collection environments.
  3. examine passive (non-mechanical) and low-energy alternatives to conventional energy sources and energy-intensive mechanized systems for managing environmental conditions.
  4. analyze and optimize existing climate control systems to enable improved operation, effectiveness, and energy efficiency.
  5. explore the potential of actively managed mechanical systems to achieve desired conditions along with energy and cost savings.
  6. conduct a risk assessment to improve institutional resilience in the face of disasters resulting from natural or human activity.
  7. examine options and develop strategies for lighting collection spaces in ways that protect collections while achieving improved energy efficiency.
  8. evaluate the effectiveness of preventive conservation strategies previously implemented, including energy-efficient upgrades to existing systems and performance upgrades to buildings and building envelopes.
  9. perform a building reserve study or reinvestment plan for infrastructure and systems associated with collection storage and display.

Eligible applicants:

  1. Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
  2. Special district governments
  3. County governments
  4. Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
  5. Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
  6. City or township governments
  7. Private institutions of higher education
  8. State governments

PROGRAM CONTACT

preservation@neh.gov

(202)-606-8570