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IMLS Announces Grants of $25 Million for U.S. Museums

Announcing awards for two largest federal museum grant programs

Washington, DC—The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) today announced grants for 186 museum projects totaling $25,173,005. The museums were selected from 707 applications requesting a total of $97,777,608 and were awarded through the highly competitive Museums for America and National Leadership Grants for Museums programs. Institutions receiving the awards are matching them with $35,243,683 in non-federal funds.

“Federal support from IMLS helps museums provide opportunities for children, families, and adults to explore science, history, art, and the natural world,” said IMLS Director Susan Hildreth. “With these grants, museums of all sizes and types provide new and memorable learning experiences, care for treasured collections, and take an active role in strengthening communities.”

The Museums for America grants support projects that strengthen the ability of an individual museum to address its key needs or challenges for better service to its community. The National Leadership Grants for Museums support projects that address critical needs of the museum field and that have the potential to advance practice in the profession so that museums can improve services for the American public.

This year’s grants support a wide range of projects including

• a neighborhood learning initiative by a children’s museum developed in partnership with the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) that will include a preschool, school fieldtrips, afterschool learning opportunities, college scholarships, and workforce development opportunities;
• a project to digitize and preserve a university museum’s video recordings of 282 Holocaust survivors;
• an aquarium STEM project, to be developed with scientists, to create classroom kits that enable children to conduct research on sea otters or ocean acidification;
• a major research and development project to address conservation of modern inkjet prints—which are more sensitive to water damage than traditional prints—in museum collections;
• a history museum project that enables individuals to tell the history of their communities by adding content to a statewide digital museum; and
• a multimedia project called Story Hub that makes it possible for young visitors to children’s museums to record a video “story” of their visits, helping them understand their experiences.

Click here to view the complete list of museums with funded projects and their contacts by state and city.

For information about Museums for America, see http://www.imls.gov/applicants/detail.aspx?GrantId=11. For information about National Leadership Grants for Museums, see http://www.imls.gov/applicants/detail.aspx?GrantId=22.

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. Our mission is to inspire libraries and museums to advance innovation, lifelong learning, and cultural and civic engagement. Our grant making, policy development, and research help libraries and museums deliver valuable services that make it possible for communities and individuals to thrive. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.