Opportunity Information: Apply for P18AS00432
The grant opportunity "Preserve, Catalog and Digitize Oral History, Video and Film Collections" (Funding Opportunity Number P18AS00432) is a Department of the Interior, National Park Service (NPS) cooperative agreement intended to support Yellowstone National Park (YNP) in stabilizing and improving access to a large, nationally significant media archive. Through a collaboration with Western Washington University (WWU), the project focuses on preserving, cataloging, and digitizing roughly 22,000 archival items so they can be protected from ongoing deterioration and made usable for park operations, researchers, and the public. A core deliverable is bringing these materials under stronger intellectual and physical control by cataloging them into the Interior Collection Management System (ICMS), aligning the work with broader Department of the Interior priorities around long-term conservation stewardship and responsible collections management.
The collection itself documents major moments in the history and management of the worlds first national park. It includes audiovisual records tied to the 1988 Yellowstone fires, which reshaped modern thinking about wildfire and fire ecology; documentation of wolf reintroduction, widely viewed as a landmark conservation and resource-management effort; extensive coverage of bison management from the early 1930s to the present; and what may be among the earliest audio recordings of Yellowstones geysers. Collectively, these recordings provide rare visual and audio evidence of the parks resources, changing conditions, and management decisions connected to the purpose of Yellowstone as established under the 1872 Yellowstone National Park Protection Act.
A central reason the project is framed as urgent is the physical fragility and advanced deterioration risk of the original formats. A 2005 condition survey found that much of the film was cellulose acetate, a format vulnerable to progressive chemical breakdown that can produce the characteristic odor of "vinegar syndrome." The survey also highlighted substandard storage: films in poor quality boxes, on open shelving, often still in original metal canisters and on metal reels. Many items are edited films with numerous splices, which increases handling risk. Some materials are reportedly too fragile to run through playback equipment for evaluation, meaning stabilization and treatment have to come before basic activities like inspection, description, or digitization.
Beyond film, the opportunity emphasizes the threat to magnetic media such as audio cassettes and videotapes, which were not fully addressed in the 2005 survey but represent a large portion of Yellowstones holdings, including the oral history collection and substantial video documentation. The notice cites professional guidance that magnetic tape has a finite and often shorter-than-expected lifespan, making timely reformatting essential because deterioration can reach a point where playback becomes impossible and content is effectively lost. Referencing lifespan estimates of roughly 10 to 20 years for many magnetic formats, the opportunity notes that by 2018 the vast majority of the collection would be beyond the 20-year mark, underscoring the need for immediate preservation copying and digitization.
WWU is positioned as the primary partner because its Archives and Records Management Program is described as the only comprehensive graduate archivist training program in the Pacific Northwest, with curriculum requirements that include a substantial internship (500 hours) and a masters thesis. The cooperative agreement leverages this training environment to provide skilled labor and professional oversight while giving graduate students practical experience with real-world audiovisual preservation and archival description. The program also has a track record of similar collaborations with Mount Rainier, Olympic, and North Cascades National Parks, suggesting the partnership model has been tested in comparable NPS settings.
Administratively, this is a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement instrument, with eligibility limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education. The opportunity was posted July 16, 2018 with an original closing date of July 25, 2018, anticipated to make one award with a ceiling of $91,075. The funding is listed under CFDA 15.945 and sits within the Natural Resources activity category, reflecting the projects role in protecting irreplaceable documentation of park resources and management history while expanding secure, organized access through formal cataloging and digitized surrogates.Apply for P18AS00432
- The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Preserve, Catalog and Digitize Oral History, Video and Film CollectIons" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.945.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jul 16, 2018.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 25, 2018. (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 $91,075.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the name of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "Preserve, Catalog and Digitize Oral History, Video and Film Collections."
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) for this grant?
The Funding Opportunity Number is P18AS00432.
Which federal agency is offering this opportunity?
This is a U.S. Department of the Interior opportunity administered by the National Park Service (NPS).
What type of funding instrument is being used?
The opportunity uses a cooperative agreement.
Is this a discretionary or formula grant?
This is a discretionary funding opportunity.
What is the main purpose of the project funded by this opportunity?
The project is intended to support Yellowstone National Park (YNP) in stabilizing, preserving, cataloging, and digitizing a large, nationally significant media archive so the materials are protected from deterioration and made more accessible for park operations, researchers, and the public.
What kinds of materials are included in the archive?
The archive includes oral history, video, and film materials, as well as other audiovisual recordings, including magnetic media such as audio cassettes and videotapes.
Approximately how large is the collection to be addressed?
The project focuses on preserving, cataloging, and digitizing roughly 22,000 archival items.
Which park and partner organization are involved?
The work supports Yellowstone National Park (YNP) and is carried out through a collaboration with Western Washington University (WWU).
Why is Western Washington University (WWU) identified as the primary partner?
WWU is described as having the only comprehensive graduate archivist training program in the Pacific Northwest. The program includes requirements such as a 500-hour internship and a master's thesis, making it well-suited to provide skilled labor and professional oversight while giving graduate students practical experience in audiovisual preservation and archival description.
Has WWU done similar work with the National Park Service before?
Yes. The opportunity notes that WWU has a track record of similar collaborations with Mount Rainier, Olympic, and North Cascades National Parks.
What are the key deliverables mentioned in the opportunity?
Key deliverables include stabilizing at-risk media, improving intellectual and physical control over the collection, and cataloging the materials into the Interior Collection Management System (ICMS). The project also includes digitization to create usable, accessible surrogates and preservation copies.
What is ICMS and how is it used in this project?
ICMS refers to the Interior Collection Management System. A core deliverable is cataloging the materials into ICMS to strengthen intellectual control, improve organization, and align the work with responsible collections management practices.
Why is the project described as urgent?
The opportunity emphasizes that the original audiovisual formats are physically fragile and at advanced risk of deterioration. Some items are reportedly too fragile to play for evaluation, meaning stabilization and treatment must occur before inspection, description, or digitization can proceed safely.
What did the 2005 condition survey find about the film holdings?
A 2005 condition survey found that much of the film was cellulose acetate, which is vulnerable to progressive chemical breakdown often associated with "vinegar syndrome." The survey also highlighted substandard storage conditions, including films stored in poor quality boxes, on open shelving, often still in original metal canisters and on metal reels.
What is "vinegar syndrome" in the context of this collection?
In this opportunity, "vinegar syndrome" is referenced as a characteristic odor associated with the chemical breakdown risk of cellulose acetate film, underscoring the deterioration threat to the film materials.
Why are edited films with splices a concern?
The notice indicates many items are edited films with numerous splices. This increases handling risk and can make inspection and playback more hazardous for already fragile materials.
Why are magnetic media (audio cassettes and videotapes) highlighted as at risk?
The opportunity stresses that magnetic tape has a finite lifespan and that timely reformatting is essential. Deterioration can progress to the point where playback becomes impossible and the content is effectively lost.
What lifespan estimates are cited for many magnetic formats?
The opportunity references lifespan estimates of roughly 10 to 20 years for many magnetic formats.
Why does the opportunity mention the year 2018 in relation to magnetic tape risk?
It notes that by 2018 the vast majority of the collection would be beyond the 20-year mark, which is used to underscore the need for immediate preservation copying and digitization.
What historically significant events and topics are documented in the collection?
The collection documents major moments in the history and management of Yellowstone, including audiovisual records tied to the 1988 Yellowstone fires, documentation of wolf reintroduction, extensive coverage of bison management from the early 1930s to the present, and what may be among the earliest audio recordings of Yellowstone's geysers.
How does the opportunity frame the national significance of these materials?
It presents the archive as nationally significant because it provides rare visual and audio evidence of Yellowstone's resources, changing conditions, and management decisions connected to the park's purpose as established under the 1872 Yellowstone National Park Protection Act.
Who is intended to benefit from improved access to the digitized and cataloged materials?
The opportunity states that the materials will be made usable for park operations, researchers, and the public.
How does this project align with broader Department of the Interior priorities?
The work is described as aligning with Department of the Interior priorities around long-term conservation stewardship and responsible collections management, particularly through stabilization, preservation, and formal cataloging into ICMS.
Who is eligible to apply for this opportunity?
Eligibility is limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education.
How many awards were anticipated?
The opportunity anticipated making one award.
What is the maximum (ceiling) award amount listed?
The listed award ceiling is $91,075.
When was the opportunity posted, and what was the original closing date?
The opportunity was posted on July 16, 2018, with an original closing date of July 25, 2018.
What is the CFDA number associated with this funding?
The funding is listed under CFDA 15.945.
What activity category is associated with the opportunity?
The opportunity is placed within the Natural Resources activity category.
What practical access improvements are expected as a result of this project?
The notice emphasizes expanding secure, organized access through formal cataloging and digitized surrogates, while also protecting the originals through stabilization and preservation actions.
Does the opportunity indicate that some items cannot be safely played back for evaluation?
Yes. It states that some materials are reportedly too fragile to run through playback equipment for evaluation, which is why stabilization and treatment must come first.
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