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Institute of Museum and Library Services

Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services (2027)

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Key facts

Deadline
Due Nov 13, 2026 · 35 days left
Award size
$5,000 – $250K
Total available
$3.8M · about 20 awards
Match ?
Not required · Work out your budget and match
Who can apply
Set by the official notice: see Who can apply below
Where
Anywhere in the U.S., including Tennessee

How this fits you

  • Only tribes or Native American / Native Hawaiian organizations can apply

Tell us who you are to see whether you're eligible.

About this grant

The Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services program (NANH) supports Native American Tribes, Alaska Native Villages, and organizations that primarily serve and represent Native Hawaiians in sustaining heritage, culture, and knowledge. The program supports projects such as educational services and programs, workforce professional development, organizational capacity building, community engagement, and collections stewardship.

Who can apply, from the official notice

See the Notice of Funding Opportunity for program eligibility criteria.

View on Grants.gov Add deadline to my calendar

Ask a partner for a letter

Your schedule, working back from the deadline

  1. Oct9
    Check that your SAM.gov registration is active (or start it now)
    Grants.gov: allow up to 10 business days for SAM registration, weeks or months if information isn't verified. It must be renewed every year. Grants.gov
  2. Oct23
    Ask partners for letters of support or commitment
    Suggested: partners need about three weeks to write and sign letters.
  3. Nov6
    Finish a complete draft for a final review
    Suggested: leave about a week for someone else to read the draft.
  4. Nov11
    Submit
    Grants.gov: submit at least 24–48 hours before the deadline: uploads fail, systems slow down, errors need fixing. Grants.gov blog
  5. Nov13
    Deadline
    From the funder.

Save this grant to put these dates in My grants and your private calendar.

Writing the need statement? Davidson County facts with citations.

What the official notice requires

Pulled from the official notice fy27-oms-nanh-NOFO.pdf (77 pages) so you can see the requirements at a glance. Each item shows the notice's own words. Open the page to read it in context.

Award size and project length

  • Award amounts here are per year · p. 27
    “You must include $3,000 per year in your project budget for travel to attend IMLS-designated meetings. o How will you track your progress toward achieving your intended results?” Open page 27

Registrations you need first (2)

  • SAM.gov, Unique Entity ID (UEI), Grants.gov · p. 3
    “Set up your SAM.gov (including Unique Entity Identifier) and Grants.gov registrations now.” Open page 3
  • Login.gov · p. 3
    “You’ll need an active SAM.gov account and a Login.gov account to register and access Grants.gov.” Open page 3

Registration is free but can take weeks, so start now, not when the deadline is close. Get-ready checklist

What to submit

  • Indirect cost rate agreement · p. 16
    “However, the rate must be finalized by the time your budget is approved before we make an award;  use a rate not to exceed 15 percent of the Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) if your organization currently does not have a Federally Negotiated Indirect Cost…” Open page 16
  • Budget narrative / justification · p. 29
    “Budget Justification Write a Budget Justification to identify how each expense supports your proposed activities, detail how you calculated all costs, and provide supporting documentation, including any dollar amounts that you may have consolidated and…” Open page 29
  • Resumes or bios of key staff · p. 30
    “Resumes of Key Project Staff and Consultants Provide a resume for each person whose expertise is essential to the success of the project.” Open page 30
  • Timeline or schedule of completion · p. 36
    “Forms (follow form and Grants.gov instructions) □ SF-424S □ IMLS Museum Program Information Form Files Formatting Instructions □ Organizational Profile □ Narrative □ Schedule of Completion □ IMLS Budget Form □ Budget Justification □ List of Key Project Staff…” Open page 36

Length limits

  • Page limit (see quote): 1 page (suggested, not required) · p. 21
    “PDF Page Limit: 1 page (recommended).” Open page 21
  • Page limit (see quote): 7 pages max · p. 21
    “PDF Page Limit: 7 pages max.” Open page 21
  • Page limit (see quote): 2 pages (suggested, not required) · p. 22
    “PDF Page Limit: 2 pages each (recommended) File Name:” Open page 22
  • Character limit (see quote): 200 characters max · p. 58
    “Enter a brief descriptive title for your project, using no more than 200 characters, including spaces.” Open page 58
  • Abstract: 3,000 characters max · p. 61
    “Abstract Write an Abstract of no more than 3,000 characters (including spaces) in a concise narrative format for a general audience.” Open page 61

Formatting rules

  • 11-point font · p. 26
    “PDF Font Size: 11-point or higher Margins: 0.5 inches or greater Components:” Open page 26

Cost share or match

  • Cost share / match · p. 42
    “Cost share is not required for NANH and is not considered in the review of applications.” Open page 42
  • Cost share / match · p. 61
    “Enter “0” if your budget includes no cost share/match.” Open page 61

Dates in the notice

  • November 13, 2026 · p. 1
    “FY 2027 Notice of Funding Opportunity Applications Due November 13, 2026 Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services Funding Opportunity Number:” Open page 1

Mistakes that get applications rejected (3)

  • Not an eligible applicant: We will notify you if your application will not be reviewed because the organization is determined to be... · p. 10
    “We will notify you if your application will not be reviewed because the organization is determined to be ineligible.  To receive an IMLS award, your organization must be determined to be eligible and must comply with all applicable IMLS, administrative and…” Open page 10
  • Over the length limit: We will remove any pages over the stated limits, and they will not be sent to peer review; any additional... · p. 24
    “We will remove any pages over the stated limits, and they will not be sent to peer review; any additional pages will not be considered part of your application.” Open page 24
  • Over the length limit: Narrative - Required Format Page Limit: 7 numbered pages We will remove any pages over the limit and will... · p. 26
    “Narrative - Required Format Page Limit: 7 numbered pages We will remove any pages over the limit and will not send them to peer review; any additional pages will not be considered part of your application.” Open page 26

More from Institute of Museum and Library Services

About the federal program

Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services Program
Program number 45.308 (the federal Assistance Listing number) · The Institute of Museum and Library Services · Project grant, direct payment for a set purpose

How applications are judged

Successful applications in this grant program are structured to address an identified need or challenge facing an organization; reflect a thorough understanding of current practice and knowledge about the subject matter; define a work plan consisting of a set of logical, interrelated activities tied directly to addressing a key need or challenge; and are designed to generate measurable results that tie directly to the identified need or challenge. IMLS staff review applications for eligibility and completeness. IMLS uses a peer review process to evaluate all eligible and complete applications. Peer reviewers are experts 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 outlined in the Notice of Funding Opportunity. Peer reviewers must comply with Federal ethics and conflicts of interest requirements.

Match

None required (federal program listing).

This program on SAM.gov

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Source: Federal grants from Grants.gov · the official federal record. Last checked by GrantMe Oct 9, 2026.

Reference numbers: official notice number NANH-FY27 · program number 45.308