Internships to Increase Public Access to Archival Resources in the NPS National Capital Region | P17AS00783

Opportunity Information: Apply for P17AS00783

The grant opportunity titled "Internships to Increase Public Access to Archival Resources in the NPS National Capital Region" is a National Park Service (NPS) cooperative agreement action under the U.S. Department of the Interior. It is listed as a discretionary opportunity in the Employment, Labor and Training activity category (CFDA 15.945). The core purpose of the action is not to launch a new competitive grant round, but to modify and increase funding for an existing, ongoing effort tied to Task Agreement P16AC01692 and its later modifications. In practical terms, this notice signals the NPS intent to continue supporting the same project partner and scope of work, with additional funds added so the previously defined tasks can be completed or expanded.

The project itself focuses on improving public access to archival resources within the NPS National Capital Region by investing in internship-based capacity building. The underlying need is that curated archival collections, including museum archives, function as primary source data that support long-term research, interpretation, and stewardship. Despite their value, the opportunity notes a workforce gap: relatively few students pursuing cultural resource stewardship receive hands-on training in archival management. This initiative is designed to address that gap by placing interns into real-world archival curation environments where they can contribute meaningfully to organization, preservation, and access-oriented work.

A central feature of the program is the partnership between the University of Maryland iSchool and the National Park Service. Through this collaboration, students receive structured mentoring from NPS professionals and gain practical experience that is difficult to replicate in classroom settings alone. The mentoring component is positioned as more than routine supervision; it is intended to help interns build professional relationships and understand how archival management, preservation practices, and museum archive curation operate inside a major federal cultural resource agency. The program also emphasizes career exploration, helping participants see what day-to-day work looks like across archives and related cultural heritage roles.

The opportunity frames the internships as resume-building experiences that develop both technical and transferable skills. By participating in archival curation activities, interns strengthen research strategies, learn how to evaluate and handle primary sources, and practice critical thinking and problem solving in applied scenarios. It also highlights professional communication and collaboration, describing participation in networked conversations and the ethical use of information, which are important expectations in archival and library settings where access, rights, sensitivity, and documentation standards matter.

In terms of eligibility and administrative posture, the notice specifies that eligible applicants are public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, aligning with the continuation nature of the award and the existing university partnership. It also clearly states that it is not a request for applications, meaning the NPS is not soliciting new proposals and expects to make a single continuation award without further competition. The expected number of awards is one, with an award ceiling of $95,000, reflecting the funding increase associated with the modification rather than a broad multi-recipient grant program. The notice was created on September 6, 2017, with an original closing date of September 10, 2017, consistent with the short administrative window often used for public notices of intent rather than open competitions.

Finally, the opportunity identifies the kind of student who would benefit most from the internship experience. It is described as especially relevant for students interested in archeology, American history, archives, library science, and material culture studies. This reflects the interdisciplinary nature of museum and archival work in the NPS context, where historical documentation, cultural resource stewardship, and public access goals intersect, and where archival processing and preservation decisions can directly shape future research and interpretation.

• The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the employment, labor and training sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Internships to Increase Public Access to Archival Resources in the NPS National Capital Region" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.945.
• This funding opportunity was created on Sep 06, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 10, 2017 This is not a request for applications. This is a notice to inform the public of National Park Service Intention to fund a continuation without further competition.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $95,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.

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