Opportunity Information: Apply for 20190115 PJ
The National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP) is a cooperative effort between the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Library of Congress (LC) designed to build a long-term, nationwide digital collection of historically important U.S. newspapers. The program focuses on newspapers published between 1690 and 1963 across all states and U.S. territories, with the end goal of making these materials freely searchable online for researchers, educators, genealogists, students, and the general public. The digitized pages are hosted and permanently maintained by the Library of Congress and made accessible through the Chronicling America Historic American Newspapers website. Alongside the digitized newspaper pages, the initiative also maintains a national newspaper directory that provides bibliographic details and holdings information, helping users locate newspaper titles in any format, not just digital.
The grant opportunity supports state- or territory-based projects, typically led by a single organization within a state or territory that coordinates with key local partners such as state libraries, archives, historical societies, universities, and other repositories with newspaper collections. The NDNP has already brought in most of the country, with forty-six states and one territory previously funded, including a long list of participants such as California, Texas, New York, Florida, Ohio, Puerto Rico, and many others. Even with that progress, NEH states an intention to support projects in every state and U.S. territory over time, and it structures the program so places that have not yet received NDNP funding, or have received fewer than three awards, are given priority consideration.
The work funded under NDNP is substantial and very specific. Over a two-year project period, awardees are expected to select historically significant newspaper titles published in their jurisdiction within the 1690 to 1963 window and digitize approximately 100,000 pages, preferably using existing microfilm as the source. Digitization must follow Library of Congress technical guidelines so that the resulting files are consistent, searchable, and suitable for long-term preservation and public access through the LC platform. The typical longer-term pathway for a state partner is to apply for a first award and then pursue second and third awards, with the program encouraging participants to ultimately reach roughly 300,000 digitized pages per state through successive rounds of funding. While additional support beyond a third award can occur, the program emphasizes expanding coverage and bringing in jurisdictions with little or no prior NDNP funding.
A major requirement of this opportunity is that only public domain newspaper content is eligible for digitization and inclusion. Applicants must confirm that selected titles are in the public domain, and there is added scrutiny for anything published after 1922. For post-1922 newspapers, eligibility is limited to titles published without copyright or titles for which copyright was not registered or renewed by 1963, meaning they are considered to be in the public domain. If an awardee chooses to digitize newspapers published after 1922, there is also a specific condition of award requiring the recipient to indemnify NEH and the Library of Congress, reflecting the legal risk associated with copyright determinations and reinforcing the expectation that awardees will do careful rights verification.
The program also explicitly welcomes collaboration models, particularly partnerships that pair experienced NDNP awardees with new or less-experienced entrants. These collaborations can include arrangements where an established project helps manage workflows, advises on file creation and delivery, provides ongoing consultation, or hosts formal training for project staff through workshops or onsite institutes. NDNP has already supported several cross-state or cross-territory collaborations, including Arkansas and Mississippi, Florida and Puerto Rico, multiple Minnesota partnerships (with Iowa and the Dakotas), Montana and Idaho, Texas with New Mexico and Oklahoma, and Virginia and West Virginia, showing that the program values shared expertise and scalable approaches that can accelerate successful digitization and compliance with LC standards.
From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary federal funding opportunity issued by NEH under CFDA 45.149, offered as a cooperative agreement, which typically implies a more active federal role in oversight and coordination compared to a standard grant. Eligible applicants are broad and include state, county, and local governments; special district governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; and nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education). The listed award ceiling is $325,000 for the opportunity described, and the original closing date for the referenced cycle was January 15, 2019, with the opportunity created on November 20, 2018. The core purpose remains consistent regardless of cycle: to digitize and deliver high-quality, standards-compliant, rights-cleared historic newspaper pages that become part of a free, permanent national resource maintained by the Library of Congress.Apply for 20190115 PJ
- The National Endowment for the Humanities in the humanities sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "National Digital Newspaper Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 45.149.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2018-11-20.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2019-01-15. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $325,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.
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National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP) Grant FAQs
What is the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP)?
The National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP) is a cooperative effort between the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Library of Congress (LC) to build a long-term, nationwide digital collection of historically important U.S. newspapers.
What is the main goal of the NDNP?
The goal is to create a free, searchable online resource of historic U.S. newspaper pages for researchers, educators, genealogists, students, and the general public, and to maintain a national newspaper directory with bibliographic and holdings information.
Which newspapers are eligible by publication date?
The program focuses on newspapers published between 1690 and 1963.
Does NDNP cover every state and U.S. territory?
NDNP is structured as state- or territory-based projects, and NEH states it intends to support projects in every state and U.S. territory over time.
Where will the digitized newspaper pages be hosted?
The digitized pages are hosted and permanently maintained by the Library of Congress and made accessible through the Chronicling America Historic American Newspapers website.
What is the Chronicling America Historic American Newspapers website?
It is the Library of Congress platform where NDNP digitized newspaper pages are made freely searchable online for public use.
What is the national newspaper directory mentioned in the program description?
In addition to digitized pages, the initiative maintains a national newspaper directory that provides bibliographic details and holdings information to help users locate newspaper titles in any format, not only digital.
What types of projects does this grant opportunity support?
The opportunity supports state- or territory-based projects, typically led by a single organization within a state or territory that coordinates with key local partners holding newspaper collections.
Who are typical local partners on an NDNP project?
Examples include state libraries, archives, historical societies, universities, and other repositories with newspaper collections.
How many pages are awardees expected to digitize during the project period?
Over a two-year project period, awardees are expected to digitize approximately 100,000 newspaper pages selected from historically significant titles within their jurisdiction.
What is the expected project period?
The funded work described is planned over a two-year project period.
What source materials are preferred for digitization?
The program prefers using existing microfilm as the source for digitization.
Are there specific technical standards for digitization?
Yes. Digitization must follow Library of Congress technical guidelines so the resulting files are consistent, searchable, suitable for long-term preservation, and compatible with LC public access systems.
What is the longer-term participation pathway for a state or territory?
The program encourages a typical pathway where a state partner applies for a first award and then pursues second and third awards, with the aim of reaching roughly 300,000 digitized pages per state through successive rounds of funding.
Can a state or territory receive more than three NDNP awards?
Additional support beyond a third award can occur, but the program emphasizes expanding coverage and bringing in jurisdictions with little or no prior NDNP funding.
How does NEH prioritize applications among states and territories?
NEH structures the program so jurisdictions that have not yet received NDNP funding, or have received fewer than three awards, are given priority consideration.
Is all historic newspaper content eligible for digitization under NDNP?
No. A major requirement is that only public domain newspaper content is eligible for digitization and inclusion.
What must applicants do to address copyright eligibility?
Applicants must confirm that selected newspaper titles are in the public domain. There is added scrutiny for materials published after 1922.
What is the rule for newspapers published after 1922?
For post-1922 newspapers, eligibility is limited to titles published without copyright or titles for which copyright was not registered or renewed by 1963, meaning they are considered to be in the public domain.
Are there any special conditions if a project digitizes newspapers published after 1922?
Yes. If an awardee digitizes newspapers published after 1922, there is a specific condition of award requiring the recipient to indemnify NEH and the Library of Congress, reflecting the legal risk associated with copyright determinations.
Does the program encourage collaboration?
Yes. The program explicitly welcomes collaboration models, including partnerships that pair experienced NDNP awardees with new or less-experienced entrants.
What kinds of collaboration activities are supported?
Examples include an established project helping manage workflows, advising on file creation and delivery, providing ongoing consultation, or hosting formal training for project staff through workshops or onsite institutes.
Are there examples of NDNP cross-state or cross-territory collaborations?
Yes. Examples cited include Arkansas and Mississippi; Florida and Puerto Rico; Minnesota partnerships (with Iowa and the Dakotas); Montana and Idaho; Texas with New Mexico and Oklahoma; and Virginia and West Virginia.
What kind of federal funding mechanism is this opportunity?
This is a discretionary federal funding opportunity issued by NEH as a cooperative agreement, which typically implies a more active federal role in oversight and coordination than a standard grant.
What is the CFDA number for this program?
The opportunity is issued under CFDA 45.149.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants include state, county, and local governments; special district governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; and nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education).
What is the maximum award amount listed for this opportunity?
The listed award ceiling is $325,000.
When was the referenced funding opportunity created and when did it close?
The referenced cycle was created on November 20, 2018, and the original closing date for that cycle was January 15, 2019.
What is the core purpose of the NDNP grant regardless of cycle?
The core purpose is to digitize and deliver high-quality, standards-compliant, rights-cleared historic newspaper pages that become part of a free, permanent national resource maintained by the Library of Congress.
What does it mean that NDNP pages are "permanently maintained" by the Library of Congress?
It means the Library of Congress hosts and maintains the digitized newspaper pages over the long term, providing stable public access through Chronicling America.
What should projects select for digitization?
Projects are expected to select historically significant newspaper titles published in their jurisdiction within the 1690 to 1963 window.
Who benefits from NDNP digitization work?
The program is designed to serve researchers, educators, genealogists, students, and the general public by making historic newspapers freely searchable online.
Why does the program emphasize compliance with LC standards?
Because the files need to be consistent and searchable across jurisdictions and suitable for long-term preservation and public access through the Library of Congress platform.
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