NPS-FY21-WASO-NAGPRA Repatriation Grants | P21AS00208

Opportunity Information: Apply for P21AS00208

The National Park Service (NPS) FY21 WASO NAGPRA Repatriation Grants opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number P21AS00208; CFDA 15.922) is a discretionary grant program designed to support repatriation actions carried out under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). The central purpose is to fund the real-world, on-the-ground work required to complete repatriation, defined here as the transfer of control of Native American human remains and/or specific categories of cultural items to the appropriate lineal descendants, Indian Tribes, and Native Hawaiian organizations. The program also recognizes that repatriation can include the disposition of culturally unidentifiable Native American human remains (often referred to as CUI) when handled in accordance with federal regulations at 43 CFR 10.11.

In practical terms, the grant is meant to cover the direct, often expensive logistics that can stand between an agreement to repatriate and the ability to actually carry it out respectfully and safely. Funded project costs can include packaging and preparing human remains and cultural items for transfer, transportation expenses, contamination removal when needed (for example, addressing conservation materials or other contaminants that complicate safe handling), and the costs associated with reburial, temporary storage, or other handling directly tied to the repatriation process. The emphasis is not on general collections management or research unrelated to transfer, but on defraying costs that make the physical and administrative completion of repatriation possible.

Eligibility is focused on the entities that are directly involved in NAGPRA repatriation responsibilities and outcomes. One eligible category is an Indian Tribe or a Native Hawaiian organization. For this program, an "Indian tribe" is defined broadly to include any tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or community of Indians, including Alaska Native villages recognized by the federal government as eligible for the special programs and services provided to Indians because of their status. The Department of the Interior interprets this to apply to more than 573 federally recognized tribes and Alaska Native villages, with the Bureau of Indian Affairs maintaining the official list. The opportunity notes that Alaska regional or village corporations are not on that list, though Alaska Native villages may contract grant work to such corporations if appropriate. A "Native Hawaiian organization" is defined as an organization that serves and represents the interests of Native Hawaiians, has as a primary and stated purpose the provision of services to Native Hawaiians, and has expertise in Native Hawaiian affairs; NAGPRA explicitly includes the Office of Hawaiian Affairs within this category.

A second eligible category is museums that have control of Native American human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, or objects of cultural patrimony and that have received federal funds. The term "museum" is used in an inclusive way and can cover state or local government agencies, private institutions, and institutions of higher education, as long as they have received federal funding and meet the control criteria under NAGPRA. Federal agencies are specifically not eligible to apply for these grants.

The announcement also flags a performance-related consideration in the review process: applicants that previously received a NAGPRA grant but allowed it to expire without completing major elements of the proposed work, or without meeting award conditions, may be penalized during review. For applicants that are uncertain about whether they qualify, the opportunity directs them to contact the awarding agency using the contact information provided in the announcement (referenced as Section G).

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is offered by the National Park Service, uses a grant funding instrument, and lists an award ceiling of $15,000. The original closing date shown is May 14, 2021, and the posting indicates a creation date of November 30, 2020. Eligible applicant types listed in the source data include federally recognized tribal governments, nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status, state and local governments, and public or private institutions of higher education, which aligns with the broader definitions of eligible tribes, Native Hawaiian organizations, and museums that have received federal funds and hold relevant NAGPRA-controlled items.

• The National Park Service in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NPS-FY21-WASO-NAGPRA Repatriation Grants" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.922.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2020-11-30.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-05-14. (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 $15,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township 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, Others.

Apply for P21AS00208

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