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Program Of the People: Widening the Path

CCDI Grant for Higher Education Application

Applications for the Grant for Higher Education are now closed.

The Grant for Higher Education supports minority serving higher education institutions in the development of projects that use Library of Congress digital materials and that center one or more of the following groups: Black, Indigenous, Hispanic or Latino, Asian American and Pacific Islander, and/or other communities of color in the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, territories and commonwealths (Puerto Rico, Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, American Samoa, U.S. Virgin Islands).

The program was open to 2-year or 4-year minority serving higher education institutions based in the United States.

Applications for the Grant for Higher Education are now closed.

Webinars

View the webinar recordings below to learn more about the Grant for the Higher Education program.

Commonly Asked Questions

Applications for the Grant for Higher Education are now closed. These questions remain for archival purposes only.

  1. How do I apply?

    Step 1: Download and review all forms and documents (including the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) here:

    * To save this file to your own device for completion, right-click on link and use Save Link As option. Then, open this file with Adobe Reader. You may download the latest version of the free Adobe Reader at https://get.adobe.com/reader/

    You may encounter the following message while accessing the form via Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge: “The document you are trying to load requires Adobe Reader 8 or higher. You may not have the Adobe Reader installed or your viewing environment may not be properly configured to use Adobe Reader.”

    If you encounter the above message, please access the form link via Firefox.

    Step 2: Register as an entity on the SAM.gov. It may take 12-15 days for your registration to activate.

    Step 3: Fill out application materials and submit to LOC-grants@loc.gov.

  2. What is the purpose of this program?

    The Library of Congress will expand the connections between the Library and the public and strengthen the use of Library of Congress digital collections. The Library seeks to award grants to support projects that remix and reuse Library digital collections in creative ways and that center the lives, experiences and perspectives of Black, Indigenous, Hispanic or Latino, Asian American and Pacific Islander and/or other communities of color in the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, territories and commonwealths (Puerto Rico, Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, American Samoa, U.S. Virgin Islands).

  3. Who is eligible to receive this grant?

    Applicants should be a 2-year or 4-year minority serving higher education institution, such as, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions (ANNHs), American Indian Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Native American-Serving, Nontribal Institutions (NASNTIs), and Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs); and be a non-profit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3), U.S. organization. Additional information about eligibility is found in Section C of the Notice.

  4. Will the Library accept multiple proposals from the same applicant?

    An eligible applicant may submit only one application under this announcement. Applicants may be included in multiple proposals as members of collaborative partnerships or within a single organization.

  5. When will the Library communicate grant decisions?

    The Library intends to communicate funding decisions by late Fall 2023.

  6. Who do I contact if I have more questions?

    Staff will be available to answer questions at the Higher Education grant webinars. Questions about this grant program may be submitted until 2:00 pm Eastern Time on August 25, 2023 to LOC-grants@loc.gov.

  7. What is meant by the “Library’s digital materials and collections”?

    Broadly speaking, these are Library materials that are born digital or have been digitized and available online via the Library’s digital collections website. Here you can browse or search our digital collections by keyword. A Digital Scholarship Research Guide provides more in-depth information about ways to access digital materials at the Library of Congress such as APIs and datasets.

  8. How can I tell if an item or collection is legally available to use?

    When viewing an item in the Library’s digital collections, look for a statement called “Rights and Access” or “Rights Advisory.” It contains the most accurate information we have about the rights status of the material. If the statement includes text like “public domain” or “no known copyright restrictions,” the item is free to use. Otherwise, it is up to you to determine if the details of the statement is compatible with your specific use, such as “research and educational use.” Library’s Copyright Guide provides fuller information on rights status for Library digital materials.

Resources

For more information about the upcoming application cycle, view the links below:

Grant Program Information

Using Library Digital Collections

Submission Information

Proposal Development Resources

Questions and Answers