FY24 LB21 NOFO Phase 1 and 2

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LAURA BUSH 21ST CENTURY
LIBRARIAN PROGRAM
FY 2024 NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY
Federal Awarding Agency

Institute of Museum and Library Services

Funding Opportunity Title

Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program

Announcement Type

Modification of FY2023 Notice of Funding Opportunity

Funding Opportunity Number

LB21-FY24

Assistance Listing Number

45.313

Application Deadline

Preliminary Proposals: Submit through Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. U.S.
Eastern Time on September 20, 2023.
Invited Full Proposals: Submit through Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. U.S.
Eastern Time on March 20, 2024.

Anticipated Date of Notification of
Award Decisions

July 2024 (subject to the availability of funds and IMLS discretion)

Beginning Date of Period of
Performance

Projects must begin on August 1, 2024.

Table of Contents
A. Program Description ............................................................................................................................... 2
B. Federal Award Information ..................................................................................................................... 7
C. Eligibility Information .............................................................................................................................. 8
D. Application and Submission Information ............................................................................................ 10
E. Application Review Information............................................................................................................ 24
F. Award Administration Information........................................................................................................ 27
G. Contacts ................................................................................................................................................ 28
H. Other Information ................................................................................................................................. 29
Appendix One – IMLS Assurances and Certifications ............................................................................. 30
Appendix Two – Guidance for Required Registrations ........................................................................... 34
Appendix Three – Guidance for Completing Forms and Other Application Components ..................... 36
Appendix Four – Guidance for Creating a Digital Products Plan ............................................................ 44
Appendix Five – Guidance for Research Applications ............................................................................ 46
Appendix Six – Conflict of Interest Requirements................................................................................... 48
Appendix Seven – Keywords .................................................................................................................... 50
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Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program
A. Program Description
A1. Agency Mission, Goals, and Objectives
The mission of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is to advance, support, and
empower America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research,
and policy development. Guiding our grantmaking are three agency-level goals with two objectives
each.
•

Goal 1: Champion Lifelong Learning
o
o

•

Objective 1.2: Support the training and professional development of the museum and
library workforce.

Goal 2: Strengthen Community Engagement
o

o

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Objective 1.1: Advance shared knowledge and learning opportunities for all.

Objective 2.1: Promote inclusive engagement across diverse audiences.
Objective 2.2: Support community collaboration and foster civic discourse.

Goal 3: Advance Collections Stewardship and Access
o
o

Objective 3.1: Support collections care and management.
Objective 3.2: Promote access to museum and library collections.

The Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program supports the achievement of agency-level Goal 1,
Champion Lifelong Learning, and Objective 1.2, Support the training and professional development
of the museum and library workforce. Like all IMLS grant programs, it is also designed to facilitate
the delivery of significant results consistent with the IMLS federal authorizing legislation (20 U.S.C. §
9101 et seq.; in particular, § 9165 (Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program)). Each award that
IMLS makes through the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program will thus contribute meaningfully
to the achievement of both program and agency-level goals.
Click here to search awards made through the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program by year,
log number, state, city, and/or keyword.
Throughout its work, IMLS places importance on diversity, equity, and inclusion. This may be
reflected in an IMLS-funded 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; and underserved urban and rural communities, including children from families
with incomes below the poverty line.

A2. Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program
Goals and Objectives
This program is designed to support the development of a diverse workforce of librarians and
archivists in order to meet the information needs of their communities. Projects are expected to:
•

propose far-reaching impact to influence practice across one or more disciplines
within the libraries and archives fields;

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reflect a thorough understanding of current practice, knowledge about the subject
matter, and an awareness of and support for current strategic priorities in the field;

•

use collaboration to demonstrate broad need, wide buy-in and input, and access to
appropriate expertise.

As a result, Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program grants have significant potential to generate
positive societal impact through project activities undertaken as part of the grant-funded work,
activities that may be complementary to the project, and through applied research designed
specifically for this purpose. IMLS does not prescribe the type, focus, reach, or scale of societal
impact required for each project, but the questions to be addressed in the application Narrative and
the review criteria reflect the agency’s commitment to both advancing knowledge and understanding
and to ensuring that the federal investment made through grants generates benefits to society.
Applicants should keep these two agency commitments in mind when they conceptualize their
projects, identify the target group(s) they propose to reach, prepare their work plans, and formulate
their intended results.
Reflecting IMLS’s agency-level goal to champion lifelong learning, the Laura Bush 21st Century
Librarian Program has three program goals and from three to five objectives associated with each
goal. Each applicant should align their proposed project with one of these three program goals and
one or more of the associated objectives. Goal and objective choices should be identified clearly in
the Narrative (see Section D2c of this Notice of Funding Opportunity for Preliminary Proposals and
Section D3c for Invited Full Proposals).
•

•

Goal 1: Recruit, train, develop, and retain a diverse workforce of library and archives
professionals.
o

Objective 1.1: Develop programs encouraging diverse students to pursue careers in
library and information science. Delivery mechanisms may include, but are not
limited to, summer institutes, workshops, certificate programs, and online networks.

o

Objective 1.2: Collaborate with formal and/or informal learning organizations to
incorporate promising practices from allied domains into library and archives
services. Partners may include, but are not limited to, museums, school systems,
universities, extension programs, youth-serving organizations, departments of
correction, and workforce or economic development organizations.

o

Objective 1.3: Develop workforce training to support families, groups, and individuals
of diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds and needs. These may include,
but are not limited, to young children and their caregivers, tweens and teens, un- and
under-employed adults looking to make career transitions or re-enter the workforce,
veterans, immigrants and refugees, individuals with disabilities, English-language
learners, and senior citizens.

Goal 2: Develop faculty, library, and archives leaders by increasing the institutional
capacity of libraries, archives, and graduate programs related to library and information
science.
o

Objective 2.1: Support large-scale organizational change addressing diversity, equity,
and inclusion (DEI). Activities may include, but are not limited to, needs assessments;
formal and informal training at the individual and group level in relevant areas such
as cultural awareness and competence, cross-cultural knowledge and skills,
stakeholder management and engagement, organizational dynamics, and agile
project management; facilitated cross-departmental workshops; and external
evaluation.

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•

o

Objective 2.2: Create DEI initiatives, activities, and curricula to recruit, develop, and
retain leaders from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds.

o

Objective 2.3: Support the research of untenured tenure-track library and information
science faculty, furthering the faculty member’s long-term research agenda, career
trajectory, and professional development.

Goal 3: Enhance the training and professional development of the library and archival
workforce to meet the needs of their communities.
o

Objective 3.1: Develop training to equip the library and archival workforce to engage
in sustained community development. Approaches may include, but are not limited
to, design thinking, data analytics, impact assessment, leadership development,
organizational change, asset mapping, and collective impact.

o

Objective 3.2: Create and/or refine training programs that build library and archival
workforce skills and expertise in contributing to the well-being of communities. This
work may relate to workforce and economic development; financial, health, social, or
legal services; or efforts that increase equity and access.

o

Objective 3.3: Create and/or refine training programs to build library and archival
workforce skills and expertise in developing engaging lifelong learning opportunities,
fostering attitudes of discovery, cultivating critical and creative thinking skills, and
facilitating experiential and self-directed learning opportunities for all.

o

Objective 3.4: Support training of the library and archival workforce to advance digital
inclusion for the benefit of community members. Approaches may include, but are
not limited to, enhancing digital infrastructures, platforms, technologies, online
services, connectivity, digital literacy, privacy, and security, as well as creating new
processes and procedures needed to sustain a robust online environment.

o

Objective 3.5: Support training of the library and archival workforce in digital
collection management. This may include, but not be limited to, preservation and
access to information and resources through retrospective and born-digital content;
digital preservation strategies; community archives; web archiving; and improving
cataloging and inventory practices.

A3. Project Types
The Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program has five project types, and applicants must designate
one of them for each application they submit. Applicants may submit more than one application to
the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program; however, they may not submit the same proposal
under more than one project type.
The project types and corresponding periods of performance are:
Project Type

Period of Performance

Planning

1 to 2 years

Forum

1 to 2 years

Implementation

1 to 3 years

Early Career Research Development

1 to 3 years

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Applied Research

1 to 3 years

Planning projects support exploratory activities, such as analyzing needs and feasibility; solidifying
partnerships; developing project work plans; or developing prototypes, proofs of concept, and pilot
studies. Applications should identify planning activities that have the potential to lead to future
implementation. The period of performance for a Planning project is one to two years.
Forum projects support convening qualified experts and key stakeholders, including those from
adjacent fields as appropriate, to help explore current or emerging issues or opportunities that are
important to professional development and education-related issues in libraries and archives across
the nation. Reports and other deliverables should be prepared for wide dissemination. Convenings
should leverage technology, such as virtual meetings or live streaming, to allow broad participation.
Additional mechanisms for engaging stakeholders and building awareness of the findings are
encouraged. The period of performance for a Forum project is one to two years.
Implementation projects support developing faculty, library, and archives leaders and contributing to
the professional development and retention of library and archives staff who serve the nation.
Implementation projects may develop new tools and resources or expand existing products or
services for new audiences or in new contexts. Applicants should design their proposed work to
ensure that new practices have the potential to be easily adaptable, sustainable, and widely
implementable across the field. The period of performance for an Implementation project is one to
three years.
Early Career Research Development projects support the research of untenured tenure-track library
and information science faculty, furthering the faculty member’s long-term research agenda, career
trajectory, and professional development. Early Career Research Development project proposals
must have a single Project Director with no co-Project Directors; consultants and students may be
included. The period of performance for an Early Career Research Development project is one to
three years.
By the deadline for submission of Invited Full Proposals, the Project Director must:
•

hold a doctoral degree,

•

be untenured tenure-track library and information science faculty, and

•

have both teaching and research responsibilities.

Applicants invited to submit a full proposal must include a letter of departmental endorsement,
verifying that the Project Director meets the above criteria.
Applied Research projects support the investigation of key questions relevant to library or archival
professional practice, building on prior empirical, theoretical, or exploratory work in libraries and
archives or other relevant disciplines. Applicants must include clearly articulated research questions
and feature appropriate methods, including relevant theoretical or conceptual approaches, data
collection, and analysis. Findings and their implications for library and archival practice should be
shared broadly throughout the grant period of performance, rather than exclusively at the end of the
project. Dissemination activities should extend beyond publishing journal articles and presenting at
academic conferences. Research projects should not be designed with a deterministic agenda or
predetermined outcomes. Proposals focused on evaluation are not appropriate for the Applied
Research project type and should be submitted under the Implementation project type category
above. The period of performance for an Applied Research project is one to three years. See
Appendix Five of this Notice of Funding Opportunity for Guidance for Research Applications.

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Note: Phase II: Invited Full Proposals submitted for Early Career Research Development projects or
Applied Research projects will be considered incomplete if they do not include Data Management
Plans that explain how the applicant will manage, share, preserve, document, and enable reuse of
the research data and accompanying documentation created during the project. See Appendix Five
of this Notice of Funding Opportunity for guidance on creating a Data Management Plan.

A4. Performance Measures
The Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program uses four performance measures as a basis for
understanding (1) how well the grant program is meeting its goals and (2) how individual projects are
being managed.
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Effectiveness: The extent to which activities contribute to achieving the intended results

•

Efficiency: How well resources (e.g., funds, expertise, time) are used and costs are
minimized while generating maximum value for the target group

•

Quality: How well the activities meet the requirements and expectations of the target
group

•

Timeliness: The extent to which each task/activity is completed within the timeframe
proposed

Each applicant preparing an Invited Full Proposal is asked to describe how they will monitor and
assess their performance in carrying out their project as a whole, using these four measures (see
Section D3c, Item 7 of this Notice of Funding Opportunity).

A5. Authorizing Statute and Regulations
Statute: 20 U.S.C. § 9101 et seq.; in particular, § 9165 (Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian
Program).
Regulations: 45 C.F.R. Chapter XI and 2 C.F.R. Chapter XXXI
Recipients must follow the IMLS regulations that are in effect at the time of the award.
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. part 200. With certain IMLS-specific additions, IMLS regulations at 2 C.F.R. part 3187 formally
adopt the 2 C.F.R. part 200 Uniform Guidance.

A6. 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.

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B. Federal Award Information
Total amount of funding IMLS expects to award
through this announcement

$8,500,000

Expected performance indicators, targets,
baseline data, and data collection

See Section A4 of this Notice of Funding
Opportunity.

Anticipated number of awards

31

Expected amount of individual awards

Planning

$50,000 - $150,000

Forum

$50,000 - $150,000

Implementation

$50,000 - $1,000,000

Early Career Research
Development

$50,000 - $750,000

Applied Research

$50,000 - $750,000

Average amount of funding per award
experienced in previous years

$306,451

Anticipated start dates for new awards

Projects must begin on August 1, 2024.

Anticipated period of performance

August 1, 2024 – July 31, 2027. Project activities
may be carried out for one to three years, based
on the selected project type. See Section A3 of this
Notice of Funding Opportunity.

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 as shown on the IMLS Budget Form, including all direct and
indirect costs, is outside the applicable range as designated above, your application may be rejected
from consideration for funding in this program.
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 pool of unfunded applications from this competition.
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C. Eligibility Information
C1. Eligible Applicants
To be eligible for an award under the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program, you must:
1. be either a unit of State or local government or be a private, nonprofit organization that has
nonprofit status under the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended, and
2. 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.
In addition, you must qualify as one of the following seven types of organizations*:
1. A library or a parent organization, such as a school district, a municipality, a State agency, or
an academic institution, that is responsible for the administration of a library. Eligible
libraries include:
(a) Public libraries.
(b) Public elementary and secondary school libraries.
(c) College (including community college) and university libraries.
(d) Research libraries and archives that are not an integral part of an institution of
higher education and that make publicly available library services and materials that
are suitable for scholarly research and not otherwise available. Research libraries
must be under the supervision of at least one permanent professional staff
librarian/archivist** and must be either generally recognized as possessing unique,
scholarly research materials and services that are made available to the public,***
or able to demonstrate that such is the case when submitting an application to IMLS.
(e) Private or other special library, but only if the State in which such private or special
library is located determines that the library should be considered a library for
purposes of Library Services and Technology (see 20 U.S.C. § 9121-9165);
2. An archives or parent organization, such as city or state archives, institutional archives,
community-based archives, special collections, or historical society that is responsible for the
administration of an archive;
3. An academic or administrative unit, such as a graduate school of library and information
science that is part of an institution of higher education through which it would apply;
4. A digital library or archives, if it makes library materials publicly available and provides library
services, including selection, organization, description, reference, and preservation, under
the supervision of at least one permanent professional staff librarian/archivist**;
5. A library or archival agency that is an official agency of a State or other unit of government
and is charged by the law governing it with the extension and development of public library
services within its jurisdiction;
6. A library or archives consortium that is a local, statewide, regional, interstate, or international
cooperative association of library entities that provides for the systematic and effective
coordination of the resources of eligible libraries or archives, as defined above, and
information centers that work to improve the services delivered to the clientele of these
libraries or archives; or
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7. A library or archives association that exists on a permanent basis; serves libraries, archives,
or library or archival professionals on a national, regional, State, or local level; and engages
in activities designed to advance the well-being of libraries and the library profession.
NOTES
*

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

**

What does it mean to be “under the supervision of at least one permanent professional staff
librarian or archivist”?
A research library or archives is under the supervision of at least one permanent professional
staff librarian/archivist if it employs at least one staff member, whether paid or unpaid,
primarily engaged in the management and provision of library/archival materials and services.

*** What does it mean to be “made available to the public”?
An institution makes library or archival services and materials available to the public if it has
posted regular open hours for the public.
IMLS recognizes the potential for valuable contributions to the overall goals of the Laura Bush 21st
Century Librarian Program by entities that do not meet the eligibility requirements above. Although
such entities may not serve as the legal applicants, they are encouraged to participate in projects.
Consult with an IMLS Program Contact about any eligibility questions before submitting an
application.

C2. Cost Share Requirements
For the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program, the requirements to provide cost share from nonfederal sources differ according to project type.
Project Type

Award Amount

Cost Share Requirement

Planning

$50,000 - $150,000

No cost share required.

Forum

$50,000 - $150,000

No cost share required.

Implementation

$50,000 - $1,000,000

Requests of more than $249,999 in IMLS funds
require at least 1:1 cost share from non-federal
sources.

Early Career Research
Development

$50,000 - $750,000

No cost share required.

Applied Research

$50,000 - $750,000

No cost share required.

Cost sharing is an eligibility criterion and is not considered in the peer review of applications. Cost
share that appears in the project budget should be calculated carefully. Recipients are expected to
meet their cost share commitments.
Click here for further information on cost share.
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C3. Other Eligibility Information
There is no limit to the number of applications an eligible applicant may submit under this
announcement. Individual Project Directors may be named on multiple applications. However, the
same proposal may not be submitted to IMLS under more than one project type, listed in Section A3
of this Notice of Funding Opportunity.
Applications involving partnerships or collaborations are welcome. When two or more eligible
institutions or organizations work together on a project, one of them must meet all eligibility
requirements, serve as the lead applicant, and administer the award on behalf of the other(s). The
lead applicant must meet all eligibility requirements. If IMLS funds the project, the lead applicant will
be programmatically, fiscally, and legally responsible for the award.
IMLS will not review applications from ineligible applicants. IMLS will notify each applicant whose
application will not be reviewed because the organization is determined to be ineligible.
IMLS will not make awards to ineligible applicants. In order to receive an IMLS award, an
organization must be eligible and be in compliance with applicable requirements.
The application process for the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program consists of two phases.
For Phase I, all applicants must submit Preliminary Proposals (see Section D2 of this Notice of
Funding Opportunity). For Phase II, selected applicants will be invited to submit full proposals (Invited
Full Proposals) (see Section D3 of this Notice of Funding Opportunity). For both phases, applicants
must submit their materials by the deadlines indicated on page 1 of this Notice of Funding
Opportunity. Late applications will not be considered for funding under this notice. Only Invited Full
Proposals will be considered for funding.

D. Application and Submission Information
D1. Application Package
Applicants must apply electronically through Grants.gov Workspace or a Grants.gov system-to-system
solution. Use one of the following identifiers to locate the application package in Grants.gov:
•
•

Funding Opportunity Number: LB21-FY24
Assistance Listing Number: 45.313

To request an audio recording of this announcement, call 202-653-4744. To request a paper copy of
this announcement, call 202-653-4744 or email imls-librarygrants@imls.gov.
Persons who are deaf or hard of hearing (TTY Users) can contact IMLS at 202-207-7858 via 711 for
TTY-Based Telecommunications Relay Service.

D2. Content and Form of Application Submission for
Phase I Preliminary Proposals
The Table of Application Components below will help you prepare a complete Preliminary Proposal
application. The links lead to more information and instructions for each application component.
Applications missing any Required Documents from this list will be considered incomplete and may
be rejected from further consideration. (See 2 C.F.R. § 3187.9.)

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D2a. Table of Application Components for Phase I Preliminary Proposals
Component

Format

File name to use

Required Documents
Please see the guidance in Section D2c of this Notice of Funding Opportunity
for more information.
The Application for Federal Domestic
Assistance/Short Organizational Form
(SF-424S)

Grants.gov form

n/a

IMLS Library - Discretionary Program
Information Form

Grants.gov form

n/a

Preliminary Proposal Narrative (two
pages max.)

PDF document

Narrative.pdf

D2b. Format, Name, and Sequence of the Application Components for
Phase I Preliminary Proposals
Document format: The SF-424S and the IMLS Library - Discretionary Program Information Form are
created in Grants.gov Workspace. The Preliminary Proposal Narrative must be submitted as a PDF
document.
Page limits: Note the page limit for the Preliminary Proposal Narrative in the table above. IMLS will
remove any additional pages and will not send them to reviewers as part of your application.
Naming convention: Use the naming conventions indicated in the table above. IMPORTANT:
Attachment file names are limited to the following characters: A-Z, a-z, 0-9, underscore (_), hyphen (-),
space, period (.). If attachment file names use any other characters, the application may be rejected
by Grants.gov.
Attachment order: In Grants.gov, attach all application components in the sequence listed in the
table above.
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 for Phase I Preliminary Proposals
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 Library - Discretionary Program Information Form
The IMLS Library - Discretionary Program Information Form is part of the application package
that you complete in Grants.gov Workspace. Click here for instructions on completing it.
3. Preliminary Proposal Narrative
Write a Narrative structured and formatted as described below and save it as a PDF.
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•

Limit the Narrative to two numbered pages. IMLS will remove any additional pages
and will not send them to reviewers as part of your application.

•

Use at least 0.5-inch margins on all sides and a font size of at least eleven points.

•

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

•

Consider the review criteria listed in Section E1a of this Notice of Funding
Opportunity.

•

Organize the Narrative by using the following section headings.
•

Introduction

•

Project Justification

•

Project Work Plan

•

Diversity Plan (Optional)

•

Project Results

•

Budget Summary

Introduction: In one paragraph, identify the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian
Program (LB21) goal and objective(s) you have chosen (see Section A2 of this Notice
of Funding Opportunity); the name of the lead applicant organization; the need,
problem, or challenge your project will address; the amount of IMLS funds requested
and the amount of funds provided as cost share (if required); the names of partner
organizations; and the intended project result(s).
Project Justification: In 1-2 paragraphs, describe in greater detail the overall need,
problem, or challenge that will serve as the focus of your project and its relevance to
the project type as well as the LB21 program goal and associated objective(s) you
have selected.
Project Work Plan: In 2-3 paragraphs, identify the high-level activities you will carry
out and the sequence in which they will occur; who will plan, implement, and manage
your project; the time, personnel, and other resources you will need to carry out the
activities; and how you will track your progress in achieving your intended results.
Diversity Plan (Optional): In one paragraph, describe how your project will strengthen
the fields’ commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion practices and contribute to
the recruitment, development, and/or retention of a diverse workforce of
library/archives professionals.
Project Results: In 1-2 paragraphs, identify the project’s intended results and how
they will address the need, problem, or challenge you have identified; describe how
you will ensure that project deliverables are readily adaptable, generalizable, and
usable by other institutions and communities.
Budget Summary: In one paragraph, provide a breakdown of how both IMLS and cost
share funds (if required) would be allocated. Provide the total dollar amount
requested for each of the following categories: (1) Salaries and Wages; (2) Fringe
Benefits; (3) Travel; (4) Supplies, Materials, and Equipment; (5) Subawards and
Contracts; (6) Student Support; (7) Other Costs; and (8) Indirect Costs.
Implementation project proposals requesting more than $249,999 must include at
least a 1:1 cost share from non-federal sources. To calculate the minimum required
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cost share, subtract Student Support costs from the total requested IMLS funds
(including indirect costs). Provide your cost-share calculations, if applicable.
Preliminary Proposal Narratives for Early Career Research Development and Applied Research
projects must also include clearly defined research questions in the Introduction and should include
a summary of the research methods in the Project Work Plan. See Appendix Five of this Notice of
Funding Opportunity for Guidance for Research Applications.
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.
If your proposal is selected for funding, the Preliminary Proposal Narrative may be published online,
or otherwise shared, by IMLS. As such, it must not include any sensitive, proprietary, or confidential
information.

D2d. Additional Information
Applicants may contact an IMLS Program Contact prior to submitting a Preliminary Proposal for
general information regarding the application process. Contact information is available on the Laura
Bush 21st Century Librarian Program page.
Contact Grants.gov or call their help line at 1-800-518-4726 for assistance with software issues,
registration issues, and technical problems.

D3. Content and Form of Application Submission for
Phase II Invited Full Proposals
Of those applicants who submit Preliminary Proposals, IMLS will invite a subset to submit full
proposals. An applicant who is asked to submit an Invited Full Proposal must submit an application
by 11:59 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time on March 20, 2024. IMLS makes awards only to eligible applicants
that submit Invited Full Proposal applications through Grants.gov on or before this deadline.
Complete applications will be accepted only from applicants who have submitted Preliminary
Proposals and have been invited to submit full proposals.
The Table of Application Components for Phase II Invited Full Proposals below will help you prepare a
complete Invited Full Proposal application. The links lead to more information and instructions for
each application component.
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.)
Please note that IMLS may share grant applications, products, and reports to further the mission of
the agency and the development of museum, library, and information services. As a general practice,
and except for information that is privacy-protected, information contained in IMLS applications that
receive funding may be made public. Please identify any information you deem confidential and/or
proprietary and seek to have protected.

D3a. Table of Application Components for Phase II Invited Full Proposals
Component

Format

File name to use

Required Documents
Please see the guidance in Section D3c of this Notice of Funding Opportunity
for more information.
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The Application for Federal Domestic
Assistance/Short Organizational
Form (SF-424S)

Grants.gov form

n/a

IMLS Library – Discretionary Program
Grants.gov form
Information Form

n/a

Organizational Profile (one page
recomm.)

PDF document

Organizationalprofile.pdf

Narrative (ten pages max.)

PDF document

Narrative.pdf

Schedule of Completion (one page
per year, recomm.)

PDF document

Scheduleofcompletion.pdf

Performance Measurement Plan (two
PDF document
pages, recomm.)

Perfmeasurement.pdf

IMLS Budget Form

IMLS PDF form

Budget.pdf

Budget Justification

PDF document

Budgetjustification.pdf

List of Key Project Staff and
Consultants (one page, recomm.)

PDF document

Projectstaff.pdf

Resumes of Key Project Staff and
Consultants (two pages each,
recomm.)

PDF document

Resumes.pdf

Digital Products Plan (two pages,
recomm.)

PDF document

Digitalproduct.pdf

Conditionally Required Documents
Please see the guidance in Section D3d of this Notice of Funding Opportunity
for more information.
Proof of Private, Nonprofit Status

PDF document

Proofnonprofit.pdf

Final Federally Negotiated Indirect
Cost Rate Agreement

PDF document

Indirectcostrate.pdf

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Data Management Plan (two pages,
recomm.)

PDF document

Datamanagement.pdf

Letter of Departmental Endorsement
for an Early Career Research
Development Proposal

PDF document

Endorsement.pdf

Supporting Documents
Please see the guidance in Section D3e of this Notice of Funding Opportunity
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

D3b. Format, Name, and Sequence of the Application Components
for Phase II Invited Full Proposals
Document format: Aside from the SF-424S and the IMLS Library - Discretionary Program Information
Form, which are created in Grants.gov Workspace, all application components must be submitted as
PDF documents.
Page limits: Note the page limit for the Narrative listed in the table above. IMLS will remove any
additional pages and not send them to reviewers as part of your application.
Naming convention: Use the naming conventions indicated in the table above. IMPORTANT:
Attachment file names are limited to the following characters: A-Z, a-z, 0-9, underscore (_), hyphen (-),
space, period (.). If attachment file names use any other characters, the 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.

D3c. Instructions for Required Documents for Phase II Invited Full Proposals
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 it.
2. IMLS Library – Discretionary Program Information Form
The IMLS Library - Discretionary Program Information Form is part of the application package
that you complete in Grants.gov Workspace. Click here for instructions on completing it.
3. Organizational Profile
Write a brief Organizational Profile for the lead applicant, addressing the following, and save it as
a PDF. We recommend limiting the Organizational Profile to one page.
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•

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

•

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 organizational 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.
4. Invited Full Proposal Narrative
Write a Narrative structured and formatted as described below and save it as a PDF.
•

Limit the Narrative to ten numbered pages. We will remove any additional pages, and we
will not send them to reviewers as part of your application.

•

Use at least 0.5-inch margins on all sides and a font size of at least eleven points.

•

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

•

Include references throughout your Narrative to any Supporting Documents that provide
supplementary material.

•

Consider the review criteria listed in Section E1b of this Notice of Funding Opportunity.

•

Organize the Narrative by using the section headings of Project Justification, Project Work
Plan, Diversity Plan (Optional), and Project Results.
Project Justification
•

Which program goal and associated objective(s) of the Laura Bush 21st Century
Librarian Program will your project address? (See Section A2 of this Notice of
Funding Opportunity.)

•

What current, broadly significant need, problem, or challenge does your proposal
address, and how was it identified? Describe how you have used demographic
information, economic circumstances, and other relevant data from reliable
sources to define the need, problem, or challenge and develop the scope for the
project.

•

Who is the target group for your project? “Target group” refers to those who will
be most immediately and positively affected by your project. Identify the number
of individuals in the target group or in each target group, if you identify more than
one.

•

Who are the ultimate beneficiaries for this project? “Beneficiaries” refers to those
who are likely to be aided in the long-term by your project. They may or may not
be the same as your “target group.” Identify the number of individuals who will
benefit from your project in the long term, if reliable and defensible counts are
possible. Otherwise describe the characteristics of the beneficiaries you expect to
be served eventually by your project.

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•

How does this proposed project differ from, complement, or build upon existing
theory, scholarship, and practice?

•

For Early Career Research Development applicants only: How does this work fit
within the Project Director’s long-term research agenda?

Project Work Plan
•

What specific activities will you carry out and in what sequence?

•

Who will plan, execute, and manage your project?

•

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

•

How have the perspectives and contributions of the target group(s) been
incorporated into the Project Work Plan and how will ongoing external input,
validation, and consensus building be accommodated in the project? Have you
included evaluation or an iterative design, where appropriate?

•

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

•

How and with whom will you disseminate your project findings, coursework, or
training content?

Additional questions for Applied Research and Early Career Research Development
proposals only. See Appendix Five of this Notice of Funding Opportunity for Guidance for
Research Applications.
•

What are your research questions, methods, and theoretical framing?

•

What is the relevance of your proposed research for current practice?

•

What type of data will you gather for your research (separate from that identified in
your Performance Measurement Plan)?

•

How will you collect, analyze, and use the data?

•

Does your study require Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval? If so, what steps
have you taken to secure IRB approval?

Diversity Plan (Optional)
•

How will you include a diversity of perspectives and practices in the project?

•

How will the relevant participants and communities be involved in defining the
challenges or opportunities and creating and implementing the project?

•

How will the project strengthen the field’s commitment to diversity, equity, and
inclusion practices and contribute to the recruitment, development, and/or
retention of a diverse workforce of library and archives professionals?

Project Results
•

What are your project’s intended results, and how will they address the need,
problem, or challenge you have identified? Be sure to address this question from
the dual perspectives of advancing knowledge and understanding and ensuring
that the federal investment made through this grant generates benefits to society.

•

How will you ensure project deliverables are readily adaptable, generalizable, and
usable by other institutions and communities nationally?

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•

How will you sustain the benefit(s) of your project beyond the conclusion of the
period of performance?

Invited Full Proposal Narratives for Early Career Research Development and Applied Research
projects must also include clearly defined research questions and should include research
methods. See Appendix Five of this Notice of Funding Opportunity for Guidance for Research
Applications.
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.
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.
5. 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 should 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.
6. Performance Measurement Plan
The Performance Measurement Plan should show how you will monitor and assess your
performance as a grantee from the perspectives of Effectiveness, Efficiency, Quality, and
Timeliness for your overall project (see Section A4 of this Notice of Funding Opportunity).
For each measure, identify what data you will collect from what source, the method you will use
to collect it, and according to what schedule. The chart below provides sample statements for
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each measure and a space to record your own. Click here for a fillable version of this chart
(DOCX, 25KB), which you are welcome, but not required, to use. We recommend limiting your
Performance Measurement Plan to two pages. Save your document as a PDF.
If your proposal is selected for funding, the Performance Measurement Plan may be published
online, or otherwise shared, by IMLS. As such, it must not include any sensitive, proprietary, or
confidential information.

7. IMLS Budget Form
Download and complete the current IMLS Budget Form (PDF, 1.1MB). Click here for instructions
on completing it.
8. 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.
9. List of Key Project Staff and Consultants
Write a 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

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include the Project Director listed in Item 7 of the SF-424S. We recommend limiting this list to
one page.
10. Resumes of Key Project Staff and Consultants
Provide a resume for each individual whose expertise is essential to the success of the project.
We recommend limiting each resume to two pages. 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 deadline, then instead of a resume, provide position
description(s) including the qualities, range of experience, and education necessary to
successfully implement and complete project activities.
11. Digital Products Plan
IMLS defines digital products very broadly to include digital content, resources, assets, and/or
software. In a Digital Products Plan , address each of the following for each type of major digital
output you will create during your project. We recommend limiting your plan to two pages.
•

Type: What types of digital products will you create?

•

Availability: How will you make your digital products openly available (as appropriate)?

•

Access: What rights will you assert over your digital products, and what limitations, if any,
will you place on their use? Will your products implicate privacy concerns or cultural
sensitivities, and if so, how will you address them?

•

Sustainability: How will you ensure the sustainability of your digital products?

Click here for Guidance for Creating a Digital Products Plan. Save the document as a PDF.
If your proposal is selected for funding, the Digital Products Plan may be published online, or
otherwise shared, by IMLS. As such, it must not include any sensitive, proprietary, or confidential
information.
(Back to Table of Application Components)

D3d. 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 SF424S 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.

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We will not accept a letter of
State sales tax exemption as
proof of nonprofit status.

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If you do not have a current
negotiated (including
provisional) indirect cost rate
and elect to charge a de minimis
rate of 10 percent of Modified
Total Direct Costs (see 2 C.F.R.
part 200, including 2 C.F.R. §§
200.1 and 200.414(f)), you do
not need to provide any
documentation.

Using a federally negotiated
indirect cost rate in your
budget.

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

Submitting an Early Career
Research Development project
proposal, as described in
Section A3 of this Notice of
Funding Opportunity.

By the deadline for submission of
A letter of departmental
Invited Full Proposals, the Project
endorsement, verifying that
the Project Director meets the Director must:
Early Career Research
• hold a doctoral degree;
Development eligibility criteria.
• be untenured tenuretrack, library and
information science
faculty; and
•

Submitting an Early Career
Research Development or an
Applied Research project
proposal.

A Data Management Plan (two
pages, recomm.)
Explain how you will manage,
share, preserve, document,
and enable reuse of the
research data and
accompanying documentation
you will create during the
project.

have both teaching and
research responsibilities.

See Appendix Five of this Notice
of Funding Opportunity for
guidance on creating a Data
Management Plan.

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

(Back to Table of Application Components)

D3e. Supporting Documents
Applicants may submit a reasonable number of supporting documents that supplement the Narrative
in support of the project description. Supporting Documents should help IMLS staff and reviewers
envision the project in greater detail, but they should not be used to introduce new topics nor to
continue answers to the Narrative questions. Give each document a clear, descriptive title at the top
of the first page. You may wish to consider the following:
•

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

•

Letters of commitment from partners, consultants, or others who will work closely with you
on your project, receive grant funds, or contribute funds to the completion of project
activities

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•

Letters of support from experts and stakeholders

•

Reports from planning activities

•

Contractor quotes

•

Equipment specifications

•

Needs assessments or asset maps developed specifically for this project or community

(Back to Table of Application Components)

D4. Registration Requirements
Before submitting an application, an applicant organization must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)
number; a current and active System for Award Management (SAM) registration; and an active
Grants.gov registration with an approved Authorized Organization Representative (AOR). Check your
materials and registrations well in advance of the application deadline to ensure that they are
accurate, current, and active.

D4a. Unique Entity Identifier
The Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number is a non-proprietary alphanumeric identifier assigned to all
entities (public and private companies, individuals, institutions, or organizations) who register to do
business with the Federal Government. The UEI has replaced the D-U-N-S® Number and is requested
in, and assigned by, the System for Award Management (SAM). Award recipients must inform any
subrecipients that the recipient may not make a subaward unless the subrecipient has also obtained
a UEI.

D4b. System for Award Management (SAM)
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.

D4c. Grants.gov
Grants.gov is the centralized location for grant seekers to find and apply for federal funding
opportunities.
Applicants must register with Grants.gov prior to submitting an application package. The multistep
registration process generally cannot be completed in a single day. If your organization is not already
registered, 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.
The Grants.gov user ID and password obtained during the registration process are required to submit
an application when it is complete.
Click here to learn more about Grants.gov registration and tips for using Grants.gov.

D5. Submission Dates and Times
All organizations must submit their applications for funding using Grants.gov Workspace. Do not
submit through email or postal mail to IMLS.
For the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program, Grants.gov will accept Preliminary Proposal
applications through 11:59 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time on September 20, 2023. IMLS plans to extend
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invitations to submit full proposals in February 2023. Invited Full Proposal applications will be due
through Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time on March 20, 2024.
Under certain circumstances, IMLS allows an extension of grant application deadlines for adversely
affected applicant organizations that are located in counties listed in Emergency Declarations and/or
Major Disaster Declarations. See Application Deadlines for further information.
IMLS strongly recommends that applicants obtain a UEI number, register with SAM and Grants.gov,
and complete and submit applications early. IMLS makes 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.
Visit Grants.gov Support, email support@grants.gov, or call Grants.gov Applicant Support at 1-800518-4726 for technical assistance. Grants.gov Applicant Support is available 24 hours a day, seven
days a week, except for federal holidays.
Grants.gov will generate a series of emails confirming the status of each application. Applicants can
check the status of their application(s) in Grants.gov by using “Track My Application.” For further
details, visit Check Application Status at Grants.gov.

D6. Intergovernmental Review
This funding opportunity is not subject to intergovernmental review per Exec. Order No. 12372.

D7. Funding Restrictions
D7a. Allowable and Unallowable Costs
Applicants may use IMLS funds and cost share only for allowable costs as found in IMLS and OMB
government-wide cost-principle rules. Please consult 2 C.F.R. part 200 and 2 C.F.R. part 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

•

adaptive and/or assistive technologies and other resources and services to improve
accessibility for persons with disabilities

•

third-party costs

•

publication design and printing

•

program evaluation

•

staff and volunteer training

•

paid internships/fellowships

•

indirect or overhead costs

Applicants must explain all proposed expenses in the Budget Justification.
The following list includes some examples of unallowable costs, both for IMLS funds and for cost
share (if applicable), under this announcement:
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•

general fundraising costs, such as development office staff or other staff time devoted to
general fundraising (see 2 C.F.R. § 200.442)

•

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 (see 2 C.F.R. § 200.421)

•

construction or renovation of facilities (see 20 U.S.C. § 9109, Prohibition on use of funds
for construction)

•

social activities, receptions, or entertainment (see 2 C.F.R. § 200.438)

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

D7b. Costs for Third Parties
When a project requires the payment of federal funds to third parties (such as partners, consultants,
collaborators, vendors, and/or service providers), it is the applicant organization’s 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 made with each third party. (See
2 C.F.R. § 200.1 for definitions of contract, contractor, subaward, and subrecipient; see also 2 C.F.R.
§ 200.331 (Subrecipient and contractor determinations).) IMLS grant funds may not be provided to
any federal agency serving as a third party.

D7c. Indirect Costs
An applicant can choose to:
•

use a rate not to exceed their 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 percent of the Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) if the
organization currently does not have a Federally Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate
Agreement (NICRA) and is not subject to other requirements (e.g., for States and local
governments); or

•

not include any indirect costs.

Click here for further information on indirect costs.

E. Application Review Information
E1. Review Criteria
IMLS instructs reviewers to evaluate applications according to the review criteria listed in this section
and to consider all Required, Conditionally Required, and Supporting Documents as listed in Section
D2a and Section D3a of this Notice of Funding Opportunity.

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Cost share is an eligibility criterion and is not considered in the review of applications. Cost share
requirements for this grant program are addressed in Section C2 of this Notice of Funding
Opportunity.

E1a. Phase I Preliminary Proposals
IMLS will instruct reviewers to consider the following when evaluating Preliminary Proposals.
Reviewers will consider all application components listed in Section D2a of this Notice of Funding
Opportunity.
•

Project Justification: How well does the proposal align with the selected LB21 program
goal and objective(s)? (See Section A2 of this Notice of Funding Opportunity.) How well
does it address current broadly significant needs, problems, or challenges in the field?

•

Project Work Plan: What elements are in place and what elements are missing for
successful execution of the proposed project? What recommendations do you have for
improving the proposal?

•

Diversity Plan (Optional): To what degree will the project strengthen the field’s
commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion practices and contribute to the
recruitment, development, and/or retention of a diverse workforce of library and archives
professionals?

•

Project Results: Considering the topic, project type selection, amount of funds requested,
and scope of the potential impact, should the applicant be invited to submit a full
proposal at this time? Why or why not?

E1b. Phase II: Invited Full Proposals
IMLS will instruct reviewers to consider the following when evaluating Invited Full Proposals.
Reviewers will consider all application components listed in Section D3a of this Notice of Funding
Opportunity.
Project Justification
•

How well does the proposal align with the selected LB21 program goal and objective(s)?
(See Section A2 of this Notice of Funding Opportunity.)

•

How well is the identified need, problem, or challenge current, broadly significant, clearly
described, and fittingly supported by relevant data? Do the applicant’s choices and use
of specific data to define the problem to be addressed demonstrate a sufficient ability to
manage and analyze data?

•

Has the applicant appropriately defined the target group(s) and beneficiaries, as
applicable, for this work?

•

Does the applicant clearly articulate how the proposed work differs from, complements,
or builds upon existing theory, scholarship, and practice?

For Early Career Research Development proposals only:
•

Is the Project Director’s long-term research agenda thoroughly described, and does the
proposed research fit within that agenda?

Project Work Plan
•

Are the proposed activities informed by appropriate theory and practice?

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•

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

•

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

•

Is there evidence that the perspectives and contributions of the target group(s) have
been incorporated into the Project Work Plan? Does the project design allow for ongoing
external input, validation, and/or consensus building? Has evaluation or an iterative
design been included, where appropriate?

•

Is the proposed Performance Measurement Plan likely to generate the required
measures of Effectiveness, Efficiency, Quality, and Timeliness?

•

Does the Digital Products Plan reflect an adequate understanding of appropriate
practices and standards for creating and managing the types of digital products
proposed?

•

Are the methods proposed for dissemination or reuse of project findings, coursework, or
training content likely to be effective?

Additional questions for Applied Research and Early Career Research Development
proposals only. See Appendix Five of this Notice of Funding Opportunity for Guidance for
Research Applications.
•

Are the proposed research questions, methods, and theoretical framing appropriate for
addressing the identified need, problem, or challenge?

•

Is the research informed by current practice and does it have the potential to produce
generalizable results that could advance professional practice?

•

Are the selected methods for data collection and analysis appropriate for the project?

•

Is the approach to securing Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval appropriate?

•

Is the Data Management Plan for managing, sharing, preserving, documenting, and
enabling reuse of the information and research products created during this project
appropriate?

•

Is the dissemination and communication plan comprehensive in terms of broad reach to
practitioners and other communities of interest?

Diversity Plan (Optional)
•

What specific activities in the proposal will contribute to diversity, equity, and inclusion
practices in the library and archival fields?

•

Have the relevant participants and communities been included in defining the challenges
or opportunities and implementing the project?

•

Will the project strengthen the field’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion
practices and contribute to the recruitment, development, and/or retention of a diverse
workforce of library and archives professionals?

Project Results
•

How well will the project advance knowledge and understanding by building greater
knowledge, skills, and abilities in the library and archives professions?

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•

Is it clear that the federal investment made through this grant will generate identifiable
benefits to society?

•

Are project deliverables readily adaptable, generalizable, and usable by other institutions
and communities nationally?

•

Is the plan to sustain the benefits of the project beyond the conclusion of the period of
performance reasonable and practical?

E2. Review and Selection Process
IMLS uses 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. IMLS instructs reviewers to evaluate applications according to
the review criteria. Peer reviewers must comply with IMLS’s federal ethics and conflicts of interest
requirements. Click here for more information about the IMLS peer review process for grant
applications.
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. Designated Integrity and Performance System
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), IMLS is required to review and
consider any information about the applicant that is in the designated integrity and performance
system accessible through SAM (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. § 200.206 (Federal awarding agency review of risk posed by
applicants).

E4. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates
IMLS will not release information about the status of an application until the applications have been
reviewed and all deliberations are complete at the conclusion of each phase. IMLS expects to notify
both successful and unsuccessful applicants of (1) invitation decisions by email in February 2024
and (2) final funding decisions by email in July 2024.

F. Award Administration Information
F1. Federal Award Notices
IMLS will notify both successful and unsuccessful applicants of funding decisions by email.

F2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
Organizations that receive IMLS grants or cooperative agreements are subject to 2 C.F.R. part 200
Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, 2
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C.F.R. part 3187, the IMLS General Terms and Conditions for IMLS Discretionary Grant and
Cooperative Agreement Awards (PDF, 460KB) and the IMLS Assurances and Certifications.
Organizations that receive IMLS funding must be familiar with these requirements and comply with
applicable law.
Applicants for federal funds must certify that they 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
submitting the application, which includes the IMLS Assurances and Certifications, applicants certify
that they are in compliance with these requirements and that they will maintain records and submit
any reports that are necessary to ensure compliance. Failure to comply with these statutory and
regulatory requirements may result in the suspension or termination of an award and require that
the recipient return funds to the government. For information about award termination, please see
the IMLS General Terms and Conditions for IMLS Discretionary Grant and Cooperative Agreement
Awards and 2 C.F.R. § 200.340.

F3. Reporting
Recipients must comply with the following reporting requirements.
Interim and final financial and performance reports are due according to the reporting schedule that
is part of the official award notification. Grantees must submit reports using the IMLS electronic
grants management system. 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, please see the Manage Your Award: Grant Administration page on the IMLS website.
Grantees must also comply with 2 C.F.R. §§ 180.335 and 180.350 and 2 C.F.R. part 3185 with
respect to providing information regarding all debarment, suspension, and related offenses, as
applicable.
If the federal share of the federal award is more than $500,000 over the period of performance,
recipients should refer to the reporting requirements reflected in 2 C.F.R. part 200, Appendix XII –
Award Term and Condition for Recipient Integrity and Performance Matters (see also 2 C.F.R. §§
200.113 (Mandatory disclosures) and 2 C.F.R. §§ 200.211(c)(1)(iii) (Information contained in a
Federal award).)

G. Contacts
Click here for IMLS staff contact information for this program. IMLS staff are available by phone and
email to answer programmatic and administrative questions relating to this grant program. IMLS
staff also host webinars to introduce potential applicants to funding opportunities. Click here for a
list of webinars and instructions for accessing them.
Visit the Federal Service Desk or call 1-866-606-8220 for questions about registering or renewing
your registration with login.gov or SAM.gov. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to
8 p.m. Eastern Time.
Visit Grants.gov Support, email support@grants.gov, or call Grants.gov Applicant Support at 1-800518-4726 for assistance with software issues, registration issues, and technical problems.
Grants.gov Applicant Support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, except for federal
holidays.
Be sure to obtain a case number when calling the Federal Service Desk or Grants.gov for support.
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H. Other Information
H1. Acknowledging IMLS Support
Awardees must include an acknowledgement of IMLS support in all grant products, publications,
websites, and presentations developed with IMLS funding. All work products should reference IMLS
and include the associated grant award number(s). Click here for the Grantee Communications Kit,
which provides guidance for fulfilling these requirements.

H2. Disclosure of Information in Applications
IMLS may share grant applications, products, and reports to further the mission of the agency and
the development of museum, library, archival, and information services.
As a general practice, and except for information that is privacy-protected, information contained in
IMLS applications that receive funding may be made public. Please identify any information you
deem confidential and/or proprietary and seek to have protected.

H3. Conflict of Interest Requirements
As non-federal entities, award recipients must follow IMLS conflict of interest policies for federal
awards. Click here for more information about IMLS conflict of interest requirements.

H4. Additional Information about IMLS
Visit the IMLS website for additional information on IMLS and IMLS activities.

H5. IMLS Obligations to Make Awards
IMLS is not obligated to make any federal award or commitment as a result of this announcement.

H6. Peer Review
Any individual who is interested in serving as a peer reviewer is welcome to enter their contact
information and identify their experience and expertise through the IMLS online reviewer application
portal. IMLS staff will notify the individuals who are identified as potential reviewers by email prior to
the next review period to confirm availability.

H7. Copyright Information
Awardees may copyright any work that is subject to copyright and was developed under an award or
for which ownership was acquired under a federal award. IMLS reserves a royalty-free, nonexclusive,
and irrevocable right to reproduce, publish, or otherwise use the work for federal purposes and to
authorize others to do so. (For additional information, please see 2 C.F.R. § 200.315 (Intangible
property).).

H8. Application Completion Time
Complete applications include the elements listed in the Table of Application Components in Section
D2a and Section D3a of this Notice of Funding Opportunity. IMLS estimates the average amount of
time needed for one applicant to complete the narrative portion of a Preliminary Proposal to be 15
hours and for an Invited Full Proposal to be 45 hours. This includes the time for reviewing
instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and
writing and reviewing the answers.

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IMLS estimates that it will take an average of 30 minutes per response for the IMLS Library
Discretionary Program Information Form and three hours per response for the IMLS Budget Form.
IMLS welcomes your suggestions for improving this collection of information and for making it as
easy to use as possible. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this
collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to grantsadmin@imls.gov.
Please note that applicants are not required to respond to any collection of information unless it
displays a currently valid U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number.

H9. PRA Clearance Number
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Appendix One – IMLS Assurances and Certifications
As a federal agency, IMLS is required to obtain from all applicants certifications, including those
regarding Nondiscrimination, Debarment and Suspension, Federal Debt Status, and Drug-Free
Workplace. Applicants requesting more than $100,000 in grant funds must also certify regarding
lobbying activities and may be required to submit a “Disclosure of Lobbying Activities” form
(Standard Form LLL). Some applicants will be required to certify that they will comply with other
federal statutes that pertain to their particular situation. These requirements are incorporated in the
Assurances Statement below. The authorized representative must review the statement and provide
the certification in item 9 on the SF-424S.
Assurances Statement
By submitting the application, the authorized representative, on behalf of the applicant, assures and
certifies that, should a federal award be made, the applicant will comply with the statutes outlined
below and all related IMLS regulations (for example, see 2 C.F.R. Chapter XXXI and 45 C.F.R. Chapter
XI). These assurances are given in connection with any and all financial assistance from IMLS after
the date this form is signed, but may include payments after this date for financial assistance
approved prior to this date. These assurances shall obligate the applicant for the period during which
the federal financial assistance is extended. The applicant recognizes and agrees that any such
assistance will be extended in reliance on the representations and agreements made in these
assurances, and that the United States Government has the right to seek judicial enforcement of
these assurances, which are binding on the applicant, its successors, transferees, and assignees,
and on the authorized representative whose signature appears on the application form.

Certifications Required of All Applicants
Financial, Administrative, and Legal Accountability
The authorized representative, on behalf of the applicant, certifies that the applicant has legal
authority to apply for federal assistance and the institutional, managerial, and financial capability
(including funds sufficient to pay the non-federal share of project costs) to ensure proper planning,
management, reporting, recordkeeping, and completion of the project described in this application.
The authorized representative, on behalf of the applicant, certifies that the applicant will cause to be
performed the required financial and compliance audits in accordance with applicable law. The
authorized representative, on behalf of the applicant, certifies that the applicant will comply with the
provisions of applicable OMB Circulars and regulations.

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Nondiscrimination
The authorized representative, on behalf of the applicant, certifies that the applicant will comply with
the following nondiscrimination statutes and their implementing regulations:
1. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended (42 U.S.C. § 2000 et seq.), which
prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin (note: as clarified by
Exec. Order No. 13166, the applicant must take reasonable steps to ensure that limited
English proficient (LEP) persons have meaningful access to the applicant’s programs (see
IMLS guidance at 68 Federal Register 17679, April 10, 2003));
2. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. § 701 et seq.,
including § 794), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability (note: IMLS applies
the regulations in 45 C.F.R. part 1181 in determining compliance with Section 504 as it
applies to recipients of federal assistance);
3. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, as amended (20 U.S.C. §§ 1681–1689),
which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs;
4. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1975, as amended (42 U.S.C. § 6101 et seq.),
which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age; and
5. The requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s) which may apply to the
application.
Debarment and Suspension
The applicant shall comply with 2 C.F.R. part 3185 and 2 C.F.R. part 180, as applicable. The
authorized representative, on behalf of the applicant, certifies to the best of his or her knowledge
and belief that neither the applicant nor any of its principals:
1. are presently excluded or disqualified;
2. have been convicted within the preceding three years of any of the offenses listed in 2 C.F.R.
§ 180.800(a) or had a civil judgment rendered against it or them for one of those offenses
within that time period;
3. are presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity
(federal, state, or local) with commission of any of the offenses listed in 2 C.F.R. §
180.800(a); or
4. have had one or more public transactions (federal, state, or local) terminated within the
preceding three years for cause or default.
Where the applicant is unable to certify to any of the statements in this certification, the authorized
representative, on behalf of the applicant, shall attach an explanation to the application.
The applicant, as a primary tier participant, is required to comply with 2 C.F.R. part 180 (Subpart C)
(Responsibilities of Participants Regarding Transactions Doing Business with Other Persons) as a
condition of participation in the award. The applicant is also required to communicate the
requirement to comply with 2 C.F.R. part 180 (Subpart C) (Responsibilities of Participants Regarding
Transactions Doing Business with Other Persons) to persons at the next lower tier with whom the
applicant enters into covered transactions.
As noted in the preceding paragraph, applicants who plan to use IMLS awards to fund contracts
should be aware that they must comply with the communication and verification requirements set
forth in the above Debarment and Suspension provisions.

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Federal Debt Status
The authorized representative, on behalf of the applicant, certifies to the best of his or her
knowledge and belief that the applicant is not delinquent in the repayment of any federal debt.
Drug-Free Workplace
The authorized representative, on behalf of the applicant, certifies, as a condition of the award, that
the applicant will or will continue to provide a drug-free workplace by complying with the
requirements in 2 C.F.R. part 3186 (Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace (Financial Assistance)).
In particular, the recipient must comply with drug-free workplace requirements in Subpart B (or
Subpart C, if the recipient is an individual) of 2 C.F.R. part 3186, which adopts the Government wide
implementation (2 C.F.R. part 182) of the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 (41 U.S.C. §§ 81018106). This includes, but is not limited to: making a good faith effort, on a continuing basis, to
maintain a drug-free workplace; publishing a drug-free workplace statement; establishing a drug-free
awareness program for employees; taking actions concerning employees who are convicted of
violating drug statutes in the workplace; and identifying (either at the time of application or upon
award, or in documents kept on file in the recipient’s offices) all known workplaces under federal
awards.
Trafficking in Persons
The authorized representative, on behalf of the applicant, certifies, as a condition of the award, that
the applicant will comply with the trafficking in persons requirements that are set out in the General
Terms and Conditions for IMLS Discretionary Awards (2 C.F.R. § 175.15 (Award Term)).
Certification Regarding Lobbying Activities
(Applies to Applicants Requesting Funds in Excess of $100,000) (31 U.S.C. § 1352)
The authorized representative certifies, to the best of his or her knowledge and belief, that:
(a)

No federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid, by or on behalf of the
authorized representative, to any person for influencing or attempting to influence an
officer or employee of an agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of
Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress in connection with the awarding
of any federal contract, the making of any federal grant, the making of any federal
loan, the entering into of any cooperative agreement, and the extension,
continuation, renewal, amendment, or modification of any federal contract, grant,
loan, or cooperative agreement.

(b)

If any funds other than federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to
any person (other than a regularly employed officer or employee of the applicant, as
provided in 31 U.S.C. § 1352) for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or
employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress,
or an employee of a Member of Congress in connection with this federal contract,
grant, loan, or cooperative agreement, the authorized representative shall complete
and submit Standard Form LLL, “Disclosure of Lobbying Activities,” in accordance
with its instructions.

(c)

The authorized representative shall require that the language of this certification be
included in the award documents for all subawards at all tiers (including
subcontracts and contracts under grants, loans, and cooperative agreements) and
that all subrecipients shall certify and disclose accordingly.

This certification is a material representation of fact upon which reliance is placed when the
transaction is made or entered into. Submission of this certification is a prerequisite for making or
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entering into the transaction imposed by 31 U.S.C. § 1352. Any person who fails to file the required
certification shall be subject to a civil penalty of not less than $10,000 and not more than $100,000
for each such failure.
General Certification
The authorized representative, on behalf of the applicant, certifies that the applicant will comply with
all applicable requirements of all other federal laws, executive orders, regulations, and policies
governing the program.

Certifications Required for Certain Projects
The following certifications are required if applicable to the project for which an application is being
submitted. Applicants should be aware that additional federal certifications, not listed below, might
apply to a particular project.
Subawards
Under IMLS regulations at 2 C.F.R. § 3187.14, a recipient may not make a subaward unless
expressly authorized by IMLS. A recipient may contract for supplies, equipment, and services, subject
to applicable law, including but not limited to applicable Office of Management and Budget Uniform
Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards set forth
in 2 C.F.R. part 200.
Native American Human Remains and Associated Funerary Objects
The authorized representative, on behalf of the applicant, certifies that the applicant will comply with
the provisions of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990 (25 U.S.C. §
3001 et seq.), which applies to any organization that controls or possesses Native American human
remains, associated funerary objects and/or cultural items and which receives federal funding, even
for a purpose unrelated to the Act.
Historic Properties
The authorized representative, on behalf of the applicant, certifies that the applicant will assist the
awarding agency in ensuring compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act
of 1966, as amended (54 U.S.C. § 306108 et seq.), Exec. Order No. 11593, and any related
applicable preservation laws.
Environmental Protections
The authorized representative, on behalf of the applicant, certifies that the project will comply with
environmental standards, including the following:
a. institution of environmental quality control measures under the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. § 4321 et seq.) and Exec. Order No. 11514;
b. notification of violating facilities pursuant to Exec. Order No. 11738;
c. protection of wetlands pursuant to Exec. Order No. 11990, as amended by Exec. Order
No. 12608;
d. evaluation of flood hazards in floodplains in accordance with Exec. Order No. 11988, as
amended (see Exec. Order No. 12148);
e. assurance of project consistency with the approved state management program
developed under the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, as amended (16 U.S.C. §
1451 et seq.);
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f.

conformity of federal actions to State (Clean Air) Implementation Plans under Section
176(c) of the Clean Air Act of 1955, as amended (42 U.S.C. § 7401 et seq.);

g. protection of underground sources of drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act
of 1974, as amended (42 U.S.C. § 300f et seq.); and
h. protection of endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as
amended (16 U.S.C. § 1531-1543).
The authorized representative, on behalf of the applicant, certifies that the project will comply with
the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968, as amended (16 U.S.C. § 1271 et seq.), related to protecting
components or potential components of the national wild and scenic rivers system.
The authorized representative, on behalf of the applicant, certifies that the applicant will comply with
the flood insurance purchase requirements of the Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973, as
amended (42 U.S.C. § 4001 et seq.), which requires recipients in a special flood hazard area to
participate in the program and to purchase flood insurance if the total cost of insurable construction
and acquisition is $10,000 or more, or as otherwise designated.
Research on Human Subjects
The authorized representative, on behalf of the applicant, certifies that the project will comply with
45 C.F.R. part 46 regarding the protection of human subjects involved in research, development, and
related activities supported by this award of assistance.
Research on Animal Subjects
The authorized representative, on behalf of the applicant, certifies that the project will comply with
the Animal Welfare Act of 1966, as amended (7 U.S.C. § 2131 et seq.) pertaining to the care,
handling, and treatment of warm-blooded animals held for research, teaching, or other activities
supported by this award of assistance.
For further information on these certifications, contact IMLS at 955 L’Enfant Plaza North, SW, Suite
4000, Washington, DC, 20024-2135.

Appendix Two – Guidance for Required Registrations
Acquiring a Unique Entity Identifier
The Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) has replaced the D-U-N-S® Number and is requested in, and
assigned by, the System for Award Management (SAM). Applicants with active SAM registrations
can find their assigned UEI in their SAM records. Applicants without active SAM registrations will
receive a UEI when they register in SAM.
For more information about the UEI, visit gsa.gov/entityid.

Registering with SAM
The System for Award Management (SAM) is a federal repository that centralizes information about
grant applicants and recipients and is always free to all users. Applicants must be registered with
SAM before registering with Grants.gov. Click here to learn how to check on an organization’s
registration status in SAM.
Representatives of organizations that must register with SAM for the first time must begin by
creating a SAM user account through Login.gov. Click here to learn how to create a secure Login.gov
account. Then proceed to the SAM registration process.
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IMLS recommends that applicants allow several weeks to complete the SAM registration.
Each applicant and recipient must maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all
times during which it has an active award or an application under consideration by IMLS. IMLS may
not make an award to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable Unique Entity
Identifier and SAM requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by
the time IMLS is ready to make a federal award, IMLS may determine that the applicant is not
qualified to receive a federal award and use that determination as a basis for making an award to
another applicant.
Applicants and recipients must renew their registrations in SAM at least every 12 months—and
sooner if their information changes. An expired registration will prevent an organization from
submitting applications via Grants.gov and receiving awards or payments. Grant payments will be
made to the bank account that is associated with the organization’s SAM registration.

Registering with Grants.gov
Grants.gov is a website owned and operated by the Federal Government and is always free to all
users. Applicants must register with Grants.gov before submitting an application to IMLS. Click here
to learn more about the multistep registration process. Applicants should make sure that their
institution’s SAM registration is current and active before registering with Grants.gov. Allow several
weeks to complete the Grants.gov registration.
After an organization registers with Grants.gov and creates an Organizational Applicant Profile, the
request for the organization’s Grants.gov roles and access is sent to the EBiz POC. The EBiz POC will
then log into Grants.gov and assign the appropriate roles to individuals within the organization. This
will include the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) which will give permission to complete
and submit applications on behalf of the organization. Click here for more detailed instructions for
creating a profile on Grants.gov.
Designating more than one Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) when registering in
Grants.gov will help avoid last-minute crises in the event that a single AOR is unavailable when the
organization is ready to submit the application. It is also important to update the contact information
and password in Grants.gov whenever an AOR changes.
Visit Grants.gov Support, email support@grants.gov, or call Grants.gov Applicant Support at 1-800518-4726 for technical assistance. Grants.gov Applicant Support is available 24 hours a day, seven
days a week, except for federal holidays. Click here for Grants.gov Applicant FAQs with links to
additional applicant resources.

Working with Grants.gov Workspace
Grants.gov applicants apply online using Workspace. Workspace is a shared, online environment
where members of a grant team may simultaneously access and edit different forms within an
application. For each funding opportunity, applicants can create individual copies of a workspace to
complete an application. Click here for an overview of Grants.gov Workspace with links to interactive
graphics, videos, and Help Articles.

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Appendix Three – Guidance for Completing Forms and
Other Application Components
Grants.gov SF-424S Form
The SF-424S Form, or the Application for Federal Domestic Assistance/Short Organizational Form, is
part of the application package downloaded from Grants.gov.
Items 1 through 4
These items are automatically populated by Grants.gov.
Item 5. Applicant Information
a. Legal Name: Enter your organization’s legal name as it appears in your SAM registration. This
is the organization with the authority to apply directly for funding in this program. If you have
an organizational unit that will be carrying out the project, be sure that it is specified as the
organizational unit on the IMLS Library – Discretionary Program Information Form.
b. Address: Enter your legal applicant’s address as it appears in your SAM registration.
c. Web Address: Enter your web address.
d. Type of Applicant: Select the code that best characterizes your organization from the menu in
the first dropdown box. Leave the other boxes blank.
e. Employer/Taxpayer Identification Number (EIN/TIN): Enter the EIN or TIN assigned to your
organization by the Internal Revenue Service.
f.

Organizational UEI: Enter your organization’s Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). If your
organization’s SAM registration is active, you can find your assigned UEI in your SAM record.
If you cannot locate your UEI, contact the Federal Service Desk at www.fsd.gov or 1-866-6068220.

g. Congressional District: Enter your organization’s congressional district. Use the following
format: two-letter state abbreviation, followed by a hyphen, followed by a zero, followed by
the two-digit district number. For example, if the organization is located in the 5th
Congressional District of California, enter “CA-005.” For the 12th Congressional District of
North Carolina, enter “NC-012.” For states and territories with “At Large” Congressional
Districts—that is, one representative or delegate represents the entire state or territory—use
“001,” e.g., “VT-001.”
If your organization does not have a congressional district (e.g., it is located in a U.S. territory
that does not have districts), enter “00-000.” To determine your organization’s district, click
here to visit the House of Representatives website and use the “Find Your Representative”
tool.
Item 6. Project Information
a. Project Title: Enter a brief descriptive title for your project, using no more than 200
characters, including spaces. IMLS may use this title for public information purposes.
b. Project Description: Enter a brief description (about 120 words) of your project. Tell us about
the purpose of the project, the activities to be performed, the deliverables and expected
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outcomes, and the intended beneficiaries. Use clear language that can be understood by
readers who might not be familiar with the discipline or subject area.
c. Proposed Project Start Date/End Date: Enter the start date and end date of the proposed
period of performance in the format mm/dd/yyyy. The project period begins on the first day
of the month in which project activities start and ends on the last day of the month in which
these activities are completed. Refer to Section B of this Notice of Funding Opportunity to
determine when your project can begin.
Item 7. Project Director
The Project Director is the person who will have primary responsibility for carrying out your project’s
activities. Enter the requested information for this individual here.
IMLS requires that the Project Director be a different person than the Authorized Representative.
Item 8. Primary Contact/Grants Administrator
The Primary Contact/Grants Administrator is the person who has the core responsibility for
administering the award. Enter the requested information for this individual here. If the Primary
Contact/Grants Administrator is the same as the Authorized Representative, please still complete
both Items 8 and 9.
In some organizations this individual may be the same as the Project Director. If this is the case,
check the box and skip to Item 9.
Item 9. Authorized Representative
The Authorized Representative is the person who has the authority to legally bind your organization.
Enter the requested information for this individual here. The Authorized Representative cannot be
the same person as the Project Director. By checking the “I Agree” box at the top of Item 9, this
individual certifies the applicant’s compliance with the IMLS Assurances and Certifications and any
other relevant federal requirements.
The “Signature of Authorized Representative” and “Date Signed” boxes will be automatically
populated by Grants.gov upon submission of the application. This will be the person whose name
was listed as your organization’s authorized representative when you registered with Grants.gov.
Please note that this name might not be the same as the name and other information you entered in
Item 9 above; however, the person whose name appears in the “Signature of Authorized
Representative” box must have authorization from your organization to submit this application on
behalf of your organization.
Submission of the electronic application acknowledges that your organization certifies compliance
with relevant federal requirements, including but not limited to the IMLS Assurances and
Certifications, to the same extent as the signature does on a paper application.

IMLS Library - Discretionary Program Information Form
Sections of this form are dynamic, so your answers to certain questions will determine what
questions you see next.
Section 1. Applicant Information: Does this entity have an organizational unit that will carry out the
activities described in your application?
Refer to the entity listed in Item 5a of the Grants.gov SF-424S Form that you are submitting with your
application, and review the Helpful Definitions of organizational unit and legal applicant on the
Program Information Form. Then select YES if your organization has an organizational unit and NO if
it does not. Next, make selections from among the choices and provide the information requested.
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Section 2. Financial Information: Provide the information requested in a-d. If you named an
organizational unit in Section 1 of this form, this information must pertain to that unit. Please
complete the table with figures representing the most recently completed fiscal year in the top row,
followed by those for the previous year, and concluding with those for the year before that.
Section 3. Agency-Level Goals and Objectives: Refer to Section A1 of this Notice of Funding
Opportunity. Select the IMLS agency-level goal that best aligns with your proposed project. Once you
have selected a goal, then select one associated objective.
Section 4. Grant Program: Select Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program. Then select one project
type. See Section A3 of this Notice of Funding Opportunity for more information about project types.
Grant Program Goals and Objectives: Refer to Section A2 of this Notice of Funding Opportunity.
Select the grant program goal that best aligns with your proposed project. Once you have selected a
goal, select one or more associated objectives.
Section 5. Funding Request: Refer to the Grant Fund and Cost Share totals in Section 10 of the IMLS
Budget Form that you are submitting with your application. Provide the amount in dollars that you are
requesting from IMLS and the amount of non-federal funding you are providing as cost share/match.
Enter “0” if your budget includes no cost share/match.
Section 6. Indirect Costs: Refer to the Options for Calculating and Including Indirect Costs in a Project
Budget in Appendix Three of this Notice of Funding Opportunity. Select one option and provide the
information requested.
Section 7. Abstract: Write an Abstract of no more than 3,000 characters (including spaces) in a
concise narrative format for experts as well as a general audience. Address the following:
•

Identify the lead applicant and, if applicable, any collaborators.

•

Describe the need, problem, or challenge your project will address, and how it was
identified.

•

List the high-level activities you will carry out and identify the associated time frame.

•

Identify who or what will benefit from your project.

•

Specify your project’s intended results.

•

Describe how you will measure your success in achieving your intended results.

Enter or paste your text into the form.
If your proposal is selected for funding, the Abstract may be published online, or otherwise shared,
by IMLS. As such, it must not include any sensitive, proprietary, or confidential information.
Preliminary Proposals do not require a full abstract. You may enter the “Project Description” (about
120 words) from the SF-424S.
Section 8. Project Keywords: Select from one to eight keywords that best characterize your project
from the options provided on the form. An identical list of keywords is provided in Appendix Seven of
this Notice of Funding Opportunity for your reference. IMLS may use these keywords as search terms
in its compilations describing the agency’s grantmaking and/or provide them as tools to help
applicants, other awardees, and the public understand more about what IMLS supports.

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IMLS Budget Form
Make sure that JavaScript is enabled in your web browser. Download the IMLS Budget Form (PDF,
1.1MB) to your computer and work on it outside your web browser. When it is complete, save it as a
PDF and upload it as part of your application through Grants.gov.
The IMLS Budget Form accommodates up to three years of project activities and expenses. Project
timelines, allowable costs, and other budget details vary by program. Be sure to review the Notice of
Funding Opportunity for the grant program/project type to which you are applying and the cost
principles in 2 C.F.R. part 200 and 2 C.F.R. part 3187.
The Year 1 columns should include costs for activities that begin on the project start date (as listed
on 6c of the SF-424S) and end 12 months later. If the project timeline exceeds one year, list the
costs for the next 12 months in the Year 2 columns. If the project extends beyond two years, list the
costs for the next 12 months in the Year 3 columns.
The budget should include the project costs that will be charged to grant funds as well as those that
will be supported by cost share, if any. In-kind contributions to cost share may include the value of
services (e.g., donated volunteer or consultant time) or equipment donated to the project between
the authorized start and end dates of your project. All the items listed, whether supported by grant
funds or cost share, must be necessary to accomplish project objectives, allowable according to the
applicable federal cost principles, auditable, and incurred during the award period of performance.
Charges to the project for items such as salaries, fringe benefits, travel, and contractual services
must conform to the written policies and established practices of your organization. You must report
all revenues generated with project funds during the award period of performance as program
income.
If you need more lines for a specific section, summarize the information in the IMLS Budget Form
and explain it further in the Budget Justification.
1. Salaries and Wages: Include both temporary and permanent staff as well as volunteers engaged
in project activities. Document the method of cost computation in your Budget Justification by
including the base salary or wages for each person and the percentage of time each person is
allocated to the project activities, which may be shown as a percentage of time, number or days,
or number of hours.
2. Fringe Benefits: Fringe benefits can be claimed as a direct cost for only those positions included
in your direct cost pool and only on the portion of salaries and wages identified for this project.
Indicate your organization’s fringe benefit rate (in percent) and the base (in dollars) to which the
rate is applied (e.g., 20% x $175,089.00).
3. Travel: Explain the method of cost computation for each travel cost, including subsistence,
lodging, and transportation, in your Budget Justification.
You must use the lowest available commercial fares for coach or equivalent accommodations,
and you must use U.S. flagged air carriers for foreign travel when such services are available, in
accordance with applicable U.S. legal requirements.
Please refer to the Narrative section of this Notice of Funding Opportunity for information about
special travel requirements, if any.
4. Supplies, Materials, and Equipment: List the costs of supplies, materials, and equipment
purchased specifically for the proposed project. For definitions and other information, please see
2 C.F.R. part 200. Use the Budget Justification to explain or describe these items in further
detail.
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5. Subawards and Contracts: List each third party that will undertake project activities and their
associated costs as an individual line item on your IMLS Budget Form. Designate each third party
as either a subaward or a contract using the dropdown menu on each line.
To explain or describe these items in further detail, you may either:
•

itemize these third-party costs in your Budget Justification or

•

include a separate IMLS Budget Form as a Supporting Document and refer to it in the
Budget Justification for more complex projects.

6. Student Support: If your project includes Student Support costs, enter them in this section. Click
here for a definition and examples of Student Support.
7. Other Costs: Use this section for costs that cannot be assigned to other categories. Do not use
this section to list items that do not fit in the lines allotted for another section.
8. Total Direct Costs: These amounts will total automatically.
9. Indirect Costs: Indirect costs are expenses that are incurred for common or joint objectives that
cannot be easily identified with a particular project. Indicate your organization’s indirect cost rate
(in percent) and the base (in dollars) to which the rate is applied (e.g., 34% x $123,456.78). Click
here for more information about indirect costs.
10. Total Project Costs: These amounts will total automatically.

Cost Share in the Budget
Cost share is that portion of the project costs that is not paid by IMLS funds. Common examples of
cost share include cash outlays; contribution of property and services; and in-kind contributions,
such as staff or volunteer time that support project activities.
In this grant program, Implementation project proposals requesting more than $249,999 must
include at least a 1:1 cost share from non-federal sources. To calculate the minimum required cost
share, subtract Student Support costs from the total requested IMLS funds (including indirect costs).
All expenses, including cost share, must be incurred during the award period of performance unless
otherwise specified and allowed by law. Federal funds from other federal awards may not be used for
cost share. All federal, IMLS, and program requirements regarding the use of funds apply to both
requested IMLS funds and to cost share. See 2 C.F.R. §§ 200.1 and 200.306 for more information
on cost share.

Indirect Costs in the Budget
Indirect costs are expenses that are incurred for common or joint objectives and therefore cannot be
readily identified with a particular project. Some examples include depreciation on buildings and
equipment, the costs of operating and maintaining facilities, and general administration and general
expenses, such as the salaries and expenses of executive officers, personnel administration, and
accounting. See 2 C.F.R. part 200 for additional guidance.
Options for Calculating and Including Indirect Costs in a Project Budget
You can choose to:
•

use a rate not to exceed your current indirect cost rate already negotiated with a federal
agency;

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•

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 percent of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) if the
organization currently does not have a Federally Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate
Agreement (NICRA) and is not subject to other requirements (e.g., for States and local
governments); or

•

not include any indirect costs.

Using a Federally Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement
A Federally Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA) is a document that reflects an estimate
of indirect costs negotiated between the Federal Government and a non-federal entity. There are
several types of indirect cost rates (e.g., Provisional, Predetermined, Fixed, Final), and some
agreements identify several locations to which a particular rate applies (e.g., on-site/campus, offsite/campus), and/or program types for which a particular rate may be used (e.g., Instruction,
Organized Research, All Programs, Other Sponsored Activities).
If your organization already has a NICRA in effect, you may use one of the approved rates in the
calculation of your project’s indirect costs and by extension, your total project costs, as long as you
apply the appropriate rate and include a copy of the current agreement with your grant application.
You may choose to use a rate lower than a rate in your agreement, but you may not choose a higher
one. We will only accept NICRAs that are current by the award date.
Carefully review your institution’s negotiated indirect cost rate(s) to make sure you are using the
appropriate rate for your project. For the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program, the Research
rate will be accepted in your IMLS project budget only if the project type selected is Applied Research
or Early Career Research Development (see Section A3 of this Notice of Funding Opportunity).
Please be aware that the indirect cost rate used in your approved IMLS budget (and that will also
appear on the Official Award Notification if an award is made) will apply throughout the life of your
award. You may not use a different rate for the award, even if you negotiate a new rate with your
cognizant agency.
Using a Proposed Indirect Cost Rate
If your organization is in the process of negotiating a NICRA with a federal agency, you may use the
indirect cost rate that was proposed to the federal agency to estimate indirect and total project
costs. In such situations, if we issue an award, we will accept the rate only if the negotiations are
final by the award date and a copy of the final agreement is submitted to us. IMLS staff will work with
you to adjust your budget prior to issuing an award.
Using the 10 Percent De Minimis Indirect Cost Rate
Except for State and local government entities described in paragraph D.1.b. of Appendix VII to 2
C.F.R. part 200, you may choose to charge a de minimis rate of 10 percent of Modified Total Direct
Costs (MTDC), as long as you do not have a current NICRA and you meet the applicable
requirements. See 2 C.F.R. part 200, including 2 C.F.R. §§ 200.1, 200.414(f), and 200.510(b)(6),
for additional guidance.
Modified Total Direct Costs means all direct salaries and wages, applicable fringe benefits, materials
and supplies, services, travel, and up to the first $25,000 of each subaward (regardless of the period
of performance of the subawards under the award). MTDC excludes equipment, capital
expenditures, charges for patient care, rental costs, tuition remission, scholarships and fellowships,
participant support costs, and the portion of each subaward in excess of $25,000. Other items may
only be excluded when necessary to avoid a serious inequity in the distribution of indirect costs, and
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with the approval of the cognizant agency for indirect costs. See 2 C.F.R. § 200.1 for additional
information.
If you are using the 10 percent de minimis indirect cost rate, check the box indicated on the IMLS
Budget Form. No additional documentation is required.
Applying an Indirect Cost Rate to the Cost Share Portion of a Budget
You may, if consistent with 2 C.F.R. part 200 (Uniform Guidance), apply your indirect cost rate to your
total direct costs covered by cost share, but any costs you claim as cost share must be accounted for
in the cost share column on the IMLS Budget Form. IMLS funds can be used for indirect costs, but
only for the portion of the total direct costs for which you are requesting IMLS funds (the Grant Funds
column). (See, for example, 2 C.F.R. §§ 200.412-414.)
Restrictions on Project Costs Included in Indirect Cost Calculations
If you have a current NICRA, you must follow its conditions and requirements.
As noted above, if you do not have a current NICRA and meet applicable requirements, you may elect
to charge a de minimis rate of 10 percent of the Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) in your indirect
cost calculations.
If you have a current NICRA with a rate of less than 10 percent, you must use it rather than the de
minimis rate in your indirect cost calculations.
Please see the section above on the 10 percent de minimis rate as well as 2 C.F.R. § 200.414(f) and
§ 200.1.

Student Support Costs in the Budget
Students are understood to be:
•

Students enrolled in a community college, undergraduate, or graduate program of study

•

Individuals participating in post-master’s or post-doctoral programs that are focused on
supporting their careers or professional development

•

Library, archives, and museum staff participating in education and training activities
focused on their careers or professional development

Examples of Student Support include:
•

Tuition support for students participating in the project

•

Salaries or stipends for graduate assistant work, so long as their work is focused on
research and teaching activities (therefore contributing to their education)

•

Pay and benefits for a resident or fellow to work in a position that is intended to support
their learning outcomes or professional development

•

Costs for travel and conference registration provided to support a student or participant’s
learning outcomes or professional development

•

Costs of supplies and equipment provided to students to support a student’s learning
outcomes or professional development

Activities not considered Student Support include:
•

Students employed in roles that are primarily administrative or clerical, doing work that is
not primarily focused on their career or professional development. These costs should be

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listed in the Salaries and Wages section of the budget, and tuition paid on behalf of
these students would not be considered Student Support.
(See 2 C.F.R. § 200.466 (Scholarships and student aid costs); see also 2 C.F.R. § 200.430
(Compensation – personal services).)

Budget Justification
To write your Budget Justification, follow the format of the IMLS Budget Form’s section headings and
save it as a PDF. Address both grant funds and cost share, if included.
1. Salaries and Wages
Identify each person whose salary or wages will be paid with IMLS funds or by cost share, provide
their names, and describe their role in the project. Document the method of cost computation by
including the base salary or wages for each person and the percentage of time each person is
allocated to the project activities, which may be shown as a percentage of time, number of days, or
number of hours. If cost share is being provided by unpaid volunteers, explain how you arrived at the
dollar amount used to represent the value of their services.
If you are requesting IMLS funding for salaries of permanent staff, explain the reason for the request
and how the regular duties of these individuals will be performed during the award period of
performance. For new staff positions included in this project, provide information on how the
estimated salary and wages align with industry standards and prevailing wages for your local area.
2. Fringe Benefits
Identify your organization’s fringe benefit rate (in percent) and the base (in dollars) to which the rate
is applied for each person. If you have consolidated several persons’ fringe benefits into a single line
on the IMLS Budget Form, break out the detail here.
3. Travel
For each trip, explain the purpose of the trip and specify the points of origin and destination, the
name of the traveler, and break out the costs of transportation, lodging, per diem, and any other
expenses associated with the travel. Explain how you arrived at these dollar amounts.
4. Supplies, Materials, and Equipment
List each type of supply, material, and equipment you propose to purchase or provide as cost share
for the project. Detail the number and unit cost for each item and explain how you arrived at the
dollar amounts. Provide vendor quotes or price lists as Supporting Documents with your application.
5. Subawards and Contracts
List the costs of project activities to be undertaken by third parties for the project. (Familiar terms for
third parties can include partners, consultants, subgrantees, contractors, collaborators, vendors, and
service providers.) Identify each third party by name, describe their role in the project, the activities
they will carry out, and the cost. For each entry, designate the third party as either a subrecipient
(who receives a subaward) or a contractor (who receives a contract). Explain costs for third parties
and provide relevant Supporting Documents with your application. IMLS grant funds may generally
not be provided to other U.S. government agencies.
You are responsible for making a case-by-case determination as to whether the agreement you make
with a third party should be a subaward or a contract. That determination will depend upon the
nature of your relationship with the third party with respect to the activities to be carried out. (See 2
C.F.R. § 200.331 (Subrecipient and contractor determinations).)
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6. Student Support
Explain your method for calculating the costs listed in this section. Click here for a definition and
examples of Student Support.
7. Other Costs
Use this section for costs that cannot be assigned to other categories.
8. Total Direct Costs
Indicate the total direct costs and specify how much you are asking from IMLS and how much you
intend to provide as cost share, if any.
9. Indirect Costs
If you include indirect costs in your project budget, identify the indirect cost rate (in percent) and the
base (in dollars) to which the rate is applied. Click here for more information about indirect costs.
10. Total Project Costs
Indicate the total project costs here and specify how much you are asking from IMLS and how much
you intend to provide as cost share, if any.

Proof of Private, Nonprofit Status
An organization applying as a private, nonprofit institution must submit a copy of the letter from the
Internal Revenue Service indicating its eligibility for nonprofit status under the applicable provision of
the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended. (See 2 C.F.R. § 3187.7(b).) IMLS will not accept a
letter of state sales tax exemption as proof of nonprofit status.

Appendix Four – Guidance for Creating a Digital
Products Plan
IMLS is committed to expanding public access to digital products that are created using federal
funds. The digital products you create with IMLS funding require careful stewardship to protect and
enhance their value, and they should be freely and readily available for use and re-use by libraries,
archives, museums, and the public. IMLS also recognizes that technology is dynamic and does not
want to inhibit innovation by prescribing set standards and practices that could become quickly
outdated. Therefore, IMLS asks each applicant to create and submit a Digital Products Plan
describing how they will address specific aspects of creating and managing digital products,
employing practices and standards that are most appropriate for their specific project. Like all
components of an IMLS application, your plan will be closely scrutinized by IMLS staff and by expert
peer reviewers, and it will be important in determining whether your project will be funded. Organize
your plan to address the following: Type, Availability, Access, and Sustainability.
IMLS participates in the Federal Agencies Digital Guidelines Initiative (FADGI), a collaborative effort
by federal agencies to define common standards, guidelines, methods, and best practices for
creating digital collections. The FADGI website includes a growing list of links to relevant standards,
recommendations, and other resources. While this list is not exhaustive—nor does IMLS endorse any
specific resource—applicants considering digital projects may find the information useful. Click here
to access the FADGI website.

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Type
What digital products will you create?
Most projects are likely to generate digital content, resources, or assets. They may be digitized or
born-digital products created by individuals, project teams, or through community gatherings.
Examples include, but are not limited to, still images, audio files, moving images, microfilm, object
inventories, object catalogs, artworks, books, posters, curricula, field books, maps, notebooks,
scientific labels, metadata schema, charts, tables, drawings, workflows, teacher resources, and
software, including source code, algorithms, applications, and digital tools, plus accompanying
documentation.
In your Digital Products Plan, describe the digital content, resources, or assets you will create or
collect, the quantities of each type, the digital file format(s), the accompanying metadata, and any
relevant standards you will use. If you are developing software, you should also specify the
programming languages, platforms, frameworks, software, or other applications you will use to
create your software and explain why you chose them.

Availability
How will you make your digital products openly available (as appropriate)?
IMLS encourages grant recipients to make works produced with IMLS support widely available, and
to share their work products (including publications, datasets, educational resources, software, and
digital content) whenever possible through free and open-access journals and repositories. Your
project may involve making digital products available through public or access-controlled websites,
kiosks, or live or recorded programs. IMLS expects applicants to ensure that publications produced
under an award (including but not limited to peer-reviewed manuscripts resulting from research
conducted under an award) are made available in a manner that permits the public to access, read,
download, and analyze the work without charge.
In your Digital Products Plan, describe how you will make the digital content, resources, assets,
software, and metadata available to the public. Include details such as the delivery strategy (e.g.,
openly available online, available to specified audiences) and underlying hardware/software
platforms and infrastructure (e.g., specific digital repository software or leased services, accessibility
via standard web browsers, requirements for special software tools to use the content, delivery
enabled by IIIF specifications). Identify and explain the reasons for any limitations in your Digital
Products Plan.

Access
What rights will you assert over your digital products, and what limitations, if any, will you place on
their use? Will your products implicate privacy concerns or cultural sensitivities, and if so, how will
you address them?
Grant recipients may copyright any work that is subject to copyright and that was developed under
an award or for which ownership was purchased. However, IMLS reserves, for Federal Government
purposes, a royalty-free, nonexclusive, and irrevocable right to reproduce, publish, or otherwise use
the work and authorize others to reproduce, publish, or otherwise use the work.
IMLS expects applicants receiving federal funds for developing or creating digital products to release
these files under open-source licenses to maximize access and promote reuse. All work products
resulting from IMLS funding should be distributed for free or at cost unless IMLS has provided
written approval for another arrangement.
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In your Digital Products Plan, identify any licenses under which digital products will be shared (e.g.,
Creative Commons licenses, RightsStatements.org statements). Describe what intellectual property
rights you will assert over your digital products and explain any limitations or conditions you will place
on their use. If your products implicate privacy concerns or cultural sensitivities, describe these
issues and how you plan to address them.

Sustainability
How will you address the sustainability of your digital products?
To the maximum extent possible, the digital products created with IMLS funding should be freely and
readily available for use and reuse by libraries, archives, museums, and the public. Some digital
products that are generated during a project should be long-lived, requiring permanent preservation,
and others (e.g., preliminary analyses, drafts of papers, plans for future work, peer-review
assessments, most social media communications, and communications with colleagues) should be
retained and shared in the medium- or short-term.
In your Digital Products Plan, describe your plan for preserving and maintaining digital products
during and after the period of performance and identify the appropriate length of time different
digital products should be curated. Address storage systems, shared repositories, technical
documentation, migration planning, and commitment of organizational funding for these purposes.
Note: You may charge the federal award before closeout for the costs of publication or sharing of
results if the costs are not incurred during the period of performance of the federal award (see 2
C.F.R. § 200.461).

Appendix Five – Guidance for Research Applications
Please note that research and information collections are subject to applicable law, including but not
limited to 45 C.F.R. part 46 (Protection of Human Subjects); see also the IMLS Assurances and
Certifications.

Narrative
A research application should answer the following questions in the project Narrative.
What are your research questions, methods, and theoretical framing?
List the question(s) that will drive your proposed activities. Research questions should be clear and
concise to help reviewers understand what you wish to learn.
Detail the methods you will use to collect and analyze data. Say why they are the most appropriate
for addressing the question(s) at hand. Your methods must be replicable and based on current
practices.
What are the concepts, assumptions, expectations, beliefs, and/or theories that support and inform
your research and guide your approach to data collection and analysis? If you are proposing to
conduct research that will build theory, explain why.
What is the relevance of your proposed research for current practice?
Discuss how your proposed work builds on existing projects or efforts, including those funded by
IMLS. Provide information about how your research can lead to improved museum, library, or
archival practice and demonstrate you are familiar with current scholarship, including empirical
work, in your area of interest.
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What type of data will you gather for your research (separate from that identified in your
Performance Measurement Plan)?
Describe the type of data you will collect and any measures you will take to ensure its validity and
reliability. Detail the methods for collecting information along with any potential privacy or human
subjects concerns that may arise. List potential challenges in gathering data and explain how you will
address them. As noted above, research and information collection are subject to applicable law,
including but not limited to privacy requirements and 45 C.F.R. part 46 (Protection of Human
Subjects), see also the IMLS Assurances and Certifications.
How will you collect, analyze, and use the data?
Describe how you will analyze the results of your research and relate them to your research
questions. If applicable, outline an analysis plan that links a set of testable hypotheses to the
proposed research question(s). Identify the variables of interest that are key to the investigation and
explain how you will deal with alternative explanations for the observed phenomena.
Does your study require Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval? If so, what steps have you taken
to secure IRB approval?
Describe your plan for the IRB approval process. If IRB approval is required, it is not necessary that
you secure approval before submitting your application, but you must receive approval prior to
initiating your study.
How will you report and disseminate your findings?
Address how you will communicate the results to a variety of target groups with different levels of
expertise, especially practitioners.

Data Management Plan
Data sharing is an essential component of research and expedites the translation of research results
into new knowledge and practices. Applications for projects that involve the collection and analysis
of research data must include a Data Management Plan that provides for long-term preservation of
and access to the project research data.
IMLS expects awardees to deposit data resulting from IMLS-funded research in a broadly accessible
repository that allows the public to use the data without charge no later than the date upon which an
awardee submits the final performance report to IMLS. The data should be deposited in a machinereadable, non-proprietary digital format to maximize search, retrieval, and analysis.
Project budgets may include the costs of preparing the data for public release and for making the
data publicly available. In their final performance reports, awardees are required to identify where
the data has been deposited and can be accessed by the public.
IMLS recognizes that in some cases data sharing may be complicated or limited by institutional
policies; local Institutional Review Board (IRB) rules; and local, state, and federal laws and
regulations, including those protecting confidentiality and personal privacy. The rights and privacy of
people who participate in IMLS-supported research must be protected at all times. Thus, data
intended for broader use should be free of anything that could lead to disclosure of the identity of
individual participants. Each applicant should identify and explain the reasons for any limitations in
their Data Management Plan.
Explain how you will manage, share, preserve, document, and enable reuse of the data you will
collect or generate during the project by addressing the following.

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•

Identify the type(s) and estimated amount of data you plan to collect or generate, and the
purpose or intended use(s) to which you expect them to be put. Describe the method(s)
you will use, the proposed scope and scale, and the approximate dates or intervals at
which you will collect or generate data. 

•

Will you collect any sensitive information? This may include personally identifiable
information (PII), confidential information (e.g., trade secrets), or proprietary information.
If so, detail the specific steps you will take to protect the information while you prepare it
for public release (e.g., anonymizing individual identifiers, data aggregation). If the data
will not be released publicly, explain why the data cannot be shared due to the protection
of privacy, confidentiality, security, intellectual property, and other rights or
requirements. 

•

What technical (hardware and/or software) requirements or dependencies would be
necessary for understanding retrieving, displaying, processing, or otherwise reusing the
data?  How can these tools be accessed (e.g., open-source and freely available,
commercially available, available from your research team)?

•

What documentation (e.g., consent agreements, data documentation, codebooks,
metadata, and analytical and procedural information) will you capture or create along
with the data? Where will the documentation be stored and in what format(s)? How will
you permanently associate and manage the documentation with the data it describes to
enable future reuse? 

•

What is your plan for managing, disseminating, and preserving data after the completion
of the award-funded project? If relevant, identify the repository where you will deposit
your data.  When and for how long will data be made available to other users?

•

When and how frequently will you review your Data Management Plan? How will the
implementation be monitored? 

A valid Data Management Plan may include only the statement that no detailed plan is needed if the
statement is accompanied by a clear justification.
Note: For the purposes of this section, “data” is defined consistent with OMB guidance (see 2 C.F.R.
§ 200.315). IMLS reserves a royalty-free, nonexclusive, and irrevocable right to: (1) obtain,
reproduce, publish, or otherwise use the data first produced under a grant; and (2) authorize others
to receive, reproduce, publish, or otherwise use such data for federal purposes.

Appendix Six – Conflict of Interest Requirements
As a non-federal entity, you must follow IMLS conflict of interest policies for federal awards. You must
disclose in writing any potential conflict of interest to an IMLS Program Officer, or to the pass-through
entity if you are a subrecipient or contractor. This disclosure must take place immediately whether
you are an applicant or have an active IMLS award.
The IMLS conflict of interest policies apply to subawards as well as contracts, and are as follows:
•

As a non-federal entity, you must maintain written standards of conduct covering
conflicts of interest and governing the performance of your employees engaged in the
selection, award, and administration of subawards and contracts.

•

None of your employees may participate in the selection, award, or administration of a
subaward or contract supported by a federal award if he or she has a real or apparent
conflict of interest. Such a conflict of interest would arise when the employee, officer, or

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agent, any member of his or her immediate family, his or her partner, or an organization
which employs or is about to employ any of the parties indicated herein, has a financial
or other interest in or a tangible personal benefit from an organization considered for a
subaward or contract. The officers, employees, and agents of the non-federal entity must
neither solicit nor accept gratuities, favors, or anything of monetary value from
subrecipients or contractors or parties to subawards or contracts.
•

If you have a parent, affiliate, or subsidiary organization that is not a state, local
government, or Indian tribe, you must also maintain written standards of conduct
covering organizational conflicts of interest. Organizational conflicts of interest means
that because of relationships with a parent company, affiliate, or subsidiary organization,
you are unable or appear to be unable to be impartial in conducting a subaward or
procurement action involving a related organization.

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Appendix Seven – Keywords
In Section 8 of the IMLS Library – Discretionary Program Information Form, we ask you to select from
one to eight keywords that best characterize your project from the options that appear alphabetically
below. IMLS may use these keywords as search terms in its compilations describing the agency's
grantmaking and/or provide them as tools to help applicants, other awardees, and the public
understand more about what IMLS supports. Please make sure to select no more than eight.
A-B-C
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
□

Accessibility / Universal Design / Inclusive
Design
Archives Practice / Management / Use
Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning
Broadband Access
Civic Engagement
Civic Technology
Collections Care / Conservation / Preservation
Collections Management
Community Engagement
Community Memory / Community History
Community Science
Crowdsourcing

D-E-F-G
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
□

Data Privacy / Security
Data Science / Computational Analysis
Digital Asset Management
Digital Preservation / Curation
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility
Early Learning
Emergency / Disaster / Crisis Preparedness and
Response
Environmental Education
Family Learning
Fellowship / Internship / Mentorship Programs
Gaming

H-I-J-K-L
□
□
□
□
□
□
□

Institutional Capacity Building
Language Preservation / Cultural Revitalization
Literacy: Civic
Literacy: Digital
Literacy: Financial
Literacy: Health and Wellness
Literacy: Information

M-N-O
□
□
□

Museum and Library Partnerships
Museum Education Technology
Museum Exhibitions

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□
□
□
□
□
□
□

Museum Interpretation
Museum Multilingual Programs / Resources
Museum Program Evaluations
Museum Visitor Services
Museum /Archives / Library Staff Professional
Development / Training
Open Educational Resources
Oral History

P-Q-R-S
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
□

Pre-K-12 Out of School / Summer Programs
Pre-K-12 School Programs
Public Programs
Scholarly Communications
School Libraries / Librarianship
Services and Programs for Adults
Services for Children and Families
Services for College Students
Services for Emerging Adults
Services for English-Language Learners
Services for Immigrants / Refugees
Services for Incarcerated Individuals / Returning
Citizens
Services for Individuals who are Neurodivergent
Services for Individuals with Disabilities
Services for LGBTQIA+
Services for Older Adults
Services for Rural Communities
Services for Those below the Poverty Line or
Unstably Housed
Services for Tribal Communities
Services for Urban Communities
Services for Veterans / Active-Duty Military
Services for Teens
Shared Infrastructures / Open-Source Software
STEM / STEAM Programming
Summer Services

T-U-V-W-X-Y-Z
□
□
□
□

Teacher / Educator Professional Development
Web Archiving
Website Creation / Enhancement
Workforce Development