The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is accepting grant applications to the agency's FY 2009 Conservation Project Support (CPS) program, and has scheduled two technical assistance conference calls to offer museum professionals from around the country a chance to ask questions and learn about the program.
Application guidelines are available on the IMLS website at
http://www.imls.gov/applicants/grants/conservProject.shtm. The application deadline is October 1, 2008.
The IMLS initiative, Connecting to Collections: A Call to Action (see
http://www.imls.gov/collections/index.htm), and the agency-funded report, A Public Trust at Risk, The Heritage Health Index Report on the State of America's Collections (see
http://heritagepreservation.org/hhi), highlight the dire need for conservation and collections care in American museums, and IMLS encourages all museums to consider submitting an application to improve the care of their collections. Through the CPS program, the Institute awards matching grants of up to $150,000 to help museums identify their conservation needs and priorities, and to help them ensure the safe-keeping of their collections through the implementation of sound conservation practices.
The Institute funds conservation activities for all types of collections: Nonliving, Natural History/Anthropology, Living Plants, and Living Animals. There are six categories of Conservation Project Support activities:
* General Conservation Survey
* Detailed Conservation Survey
* Environmental Survey
* Environmental Improvements
* Treatment
* Training
IMLS has scheduled two audio conference calls to give prospective applicants an opportunity to ask IMLS staff questions pertaining to the Conservation Project Support program. Callers will need the following information to participate:
Thursday, August 21 at 3:00pm ET
Conference ID#: 60865332; Dial-in#: 1-800-603-9527
Wednesday, September 3 at 3:00pm ET
Conference ID#: 60868321; Dial-in#: 1-800-603-9527
For questions about the CPS program, contact Senior Program Officer,
Christine Henry, 202-653-4674, chenry@imls.gov, or Program Specialist,
Mark Feitl, 202-543-4635, mfeitl@imls.gov.