>> Laurie Allen: Thank you so
much for being here with us.
I'll start with some
housekeeping.
This is the Connecting
Communities Digital Initiative
Grant for Artist or Scholar in
Residence Informational Webinar.
This webinar is being recorded.
And we ask as we go
through the webinar
that you please post your
questions and answers
in the Q&A feature on Zoom.
This helps us keep track
on how to just make sure
that any questions that
we're not able to answer
or that we don't get to, we
can answer later on the blog.
And we'll talk more
about that as we go.
I'm one of your hosts.
My name is Laurie Allen.
I'm here with my
colleagues, Sahar Kazmi
and Eileen Jakeway Manchester.
We all work in the Office of
the Chief Information Officer.
And we're also joined
by Hope O'Keeffe,
from the Office of
General Counsel.
I work in digital strategy
where we're shepherding
in this brand new program
that I'm really excited
to share with you about today.
Okay, so let's talk
about the next hour.
In this hour, we're going
to talk briefly about the
"Of the People" program.
And then we'll have to -- sorry
we're going to talk briefly
about the "Of the
People" program,
and then I'll just describe
the Connecting Communities
Digital Initiative.
And then we'll spend the bulk
of the time on the Artist
or Scholar in Residence
Program; how to apply.
I'm going to really walk
through that process.
And then as we go, we'll --
I hope that you'll be
adding questions to the Q&A.
We'll pause after
I've kind of gone
through the application
process after the slides,
shown some slides, and make sure
that we are addressing
the questions there.
And then there's a -- you know,
we can share a little bit more
about how -- learn more about
what the Library offers,
so that you can see the
project that you have in mind
in the Library; what kinds
of collections the Library might
have that would appeal to that.
And the whole time
that we're talking,
I'll keep mentioning that, you
know, questions, information,
and that kind of thing,
will be posted to the blog.
And that, that's the URL there.
Hopefully you've seen it, but
if not please do go take a look.
Okay, and I'll show you how to
get to that in just a moment.
So let's get into number
one, a review of people.
So "Of the People"
was made possible
by a $50 million grant
-- four-year gift --
sorry, four-year gift from the
Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
to the Library.
"'Of the People: Widening the
Path' is a multiyear initiative
that creates new opportunities
for more Americans to engage
with the Library of Congress,
and to add their perspectives
to the Library's collections,
allowing the national library
to share a more inclusive
American story."
So that's the overarching
project; that's the overarching
"Of the People" program.
"Of the People" is composed of
three different initiatives,
three separate initiatives.
One is through the
Office of the Internships
and Fellowships office,
one is the American
Folklife Center's Initiative,
and then this third one
[inaudible] Digital Initiative
that we'll spend most of our
time talking about today is
through the Digital
Strategy Directorate.
So I'll just briefly talk
about the first two --
the two-thirds that we are not
going to spend most of our time
on today, what is
the Internships
and Fellowships Program?
And I want to call
attention to this
because they currently
are accepting applications
until November 30th.
Actually, I believe
they're [inaudible].
I'll look into that; sorry.
They're currently
accepting applications --
or they're available
to look at now;
and then accepting applications
from November 5th
to November 30th.
There's an amazing array
of remote internship
opportunities available,
and I really hope that you all
check those out for students;
for undergraduate and
graduate students.
The American Folklife
Center has a program called
"The Collecting --
" ooh, excuse me,
"The Community Collections
Grants".
So in their program, they
are supporting cultural
documentation by communities.
That's -- so it's public
participation in the creation
of archival collections, seeking
to support contemporary
cultural documentation,
focusing on the culture
and traditions of diverse
and underrepresented communities
in the United States.
And the key to that program is
that they're funding communities
who document their cultural
and life and experiences
from their own perspective.
So it's not about
[inaudible] who are coming
from outside a community to
go in and record or document,
it's actually about people
from within communities.
And that program comes
with the funding --
it's, you know, a grant funding
program, but it also comes
with training, cultural
documentation methods,
interviews, photography,
as well as the preparation
and management of digital files.
And as part of that program,
collections that are created
or documents that are created
through that are offered
to the Library of Congress
or come into the Library
of Congress and become
part of discussions
of the American Folklife
Center, in addition to living
in their own communities.
So that's a really
wonderful program.
I talk about it because I think
there are some really cool
overlaps here on purpose.
And but I will also mention
that the 2021 application
period is now closed.
So they are currently
in the review process,
and they will award ten grants
out of that grant process,
and they will start the process
of opening another funding round
for that sometime
in the next year.
Okay; so here let's get
to the third program,
that is the Connecting
Communities Digital Initiatives.
It's brand new.
The Connecting Communities
Digital Initiatives is not
like FC or [inaudible] existing,
this is a brand new program,
but it's in digital strategy but
inspired by the work of LC Labs.
LC Labs has been creating
demonstration projects.
They've been innovating
and they've been
incubating new kind --
ways of engaging technology to
engage people in the Library --
with the Library's collections.
And they are a number of
really fantastic examples
that including an Innovator
and Residence Program,
which will open I think
relatively soon or sometime
in the next few months;
again, programs designed
to help the Library expand the
connections that we can make
and use the technology
and connections.
So that's Labs, and they've
been ongoing for a while.
And so this program is in
part inspired by the work
that LC Labs has been doing.
In addition, though, a
large part of the impetus
to this project comes
from the recognition
that right now many people
around the country are exploring
and engaging with the histories
of their own communities,
especially around the
people whose perspectives
and experiences have
not been at the center
of the mainstream
historical record,
often because of their
race or ethnicity.
People, and especially black
people, indigenous people,
Asian Americans, Hispanic
and Latino people,
and members of other
communities are building
and sharing collections to
document the broad, deep,
and diverse American story.
And so at the same time,
here at the Library,
we've been collecting
digital materials
and digitizing manuscripts,
books, letters, recordings,
papers, maps, images,
photographs, prints newspapers,
and other materials for decades.
We've been investing
a huge amount
in making our collections,
and the description
of these collections
are available online,
and hopefully findable.
So -- oops, excuse me; so that's
what the Connecting Communities
Digital Initiative
is designed to do.
It's designed to help all of
these communities, collectors,
recollectors, curators,
and remixers,
make use of the wonderful
treasure trove
of materials we have, and
to demonstrate all kinds
of new ways of doing that.
So how is CCDI -- which
I'll probably call it
from now on, going to do that?
Little bit of a program
overview; there are a lot
of pieces of the program.
Two that I'll call attention
to right now are Grants
to Higher Education
Institutions, targeting two-
and four-year minority
serving institutions,
and grants to libraries,
archives, and museums.
And those funding
opportunities are open now.
Those are open now and we
have a webinar, for instance,
on Friday for the
higher education grants.
So if you're interested in
that, please do take a look
at "Of the People" blog and sign
up for webinars for
those programs.
A little bit more about them;
the Grant for Higher
Education Institutions --
it's up to $60,000, will
award one in this cycle,
but probably more
in future cycles,
to support the development of a
digital interface, publication,
exhibit, or experimental
approach
to bringing digital Library
of Congress materials together
with a course, program,
or interest group,
that will make use of it
for educational purposes,
and then the other
grants to libraries,
archives, and museums.
Again, we're issuing one grant
in that program for this year,
and maybe more in future years;
most likely more
in future years.
I think I can say that
pretty confidently,
because there's more money
for a grant for that.
But for that it's
about designing
and implementing digital
projects, exhibits,
digital exhibits, interfaces,
multimedia productions
or publications, that
use digital materials
from the Library of Congress
to engage black, indigenous,
or other community
members of color.
So that's available there.
Okay, so let's get
into this one.
This is the Artist or
Scholar in Residence program.
It's a two-year residency
for scholars or artists,
so people's work it
crosses those boundaries,
to engage with digital
collections
to demonstrate possibilities and
to share insights, all in favor
of exploring ways that
the technology, Library,
and memory communities
can be transformed
by welcoming unheard
voices and stories.
Okay, so from here
on we're going
to spend just a few minutes --
I see that there are
already questions coming in,
and that's really fantastic.
And I hope they'll keep
coming, and I'll get
to those in just a minute.
I'm going to have a
run through the Notice
of Funding Opportunities.
First I'll start with how do
you get to it, and then I'll go
into the pieces of it that are
useful to pay attention to,
and then we'll come back
around to these questions.
Okay, so the Notice of
Funding Opportunity is --
contains all the information
that's necessary to apply.
So that's where the information
that's necessary to apply is,
and -- sorry okay; and here's
where you can get to it.
It is the easiest way --
and I keep pointing back
to this log is to go to the
"Of the People" blog, click
on where it says "Artist
or Scholar in Residence".
And then on this page, which
is where we post the answers
to questions, it's where
we do all kinds of updates.
If there are any updates to the
program, we'll post them here.
This will be the place to look.
But if you go there, all
across the page you'll see --
I have it highlighted
here, those --
this is many times over
the [inaudible] page,
"Visit the Notice of Funding
Opportunity on grants.gov.
Click on "related documents",
and download all forms.
When you click on that,
you get to this page.
And when you click on
"related documents,"
you'll see the Budget
Plan template,
which we'll come back
to, and the Notice
of Funding Opportunity itself,
which is where all this
information is going
to come from.
It looks like this.
It has a table of contents.
A is the program description,
B is the federal award
information, and on and on.
So let's get into,
"What is the process?"
Okay, "Reading the NOFO".
I'm going to call it
the "NOFO" from now on.
So the -- I -- I'm going
to start with Section A,
but I want to call attention --
because so many questions
we get are about,
"How will proposals
be evaluated?"
And that is actually
described in the NOFO
in Section E. It talks about
what are the features --
factors that we'll consider
in evaluating criteria
for evaluating those proposals.
So questions about that I
encourage you to take a look
at Section E. And I put this at
the start because I've heard now
from a number of people, when
I'm looking at whether you apply
for a grant, I skip
down to the Criteria
for Proposal Evaluation, and
then I go back to the beginning.
Okay, so it's just
a recommendation.
Check out the criteria
and then go back.
So in Section A of the NOFO, we
talk about what the program is;
and it's a two-year residency.
So in the first year
you have to be --
come in person for ten days
barring pandemic requirements.
We ask that you spend that
year getting to know people,
undertaking research, getting
familiar with the Library,
and refining your
proposed project plan,
so that you can produce or
revise an expanded work plan
and budget to reflect the
developments in the first year.
So that's -- we expect that
the budgets that we see,
we expect those to come at about
$50,000 in that first year,
and then about $100,000
in the second year.
Year two is visit the
Library for at least 20 days,
so more time onsite, to engage
more deeply in the scholarly
and artistic life
of the Library.
And then also to create the
technical artistic and/or
scholarly products
should be created
and shared during this year,
including a public-facing
research
or artistic publication,
project, exhibition, or event.
So you're -- as we
talk about what goes
into the project proposal, this
is the backgrounds [inaudible],
this one- or two-year --
I'm sorry, this two-year --
not one- or two-year, two-year
residency to look like.
Section A.2 talks
about the purpose.
And I'm going to read it here.
I'm going to read
it on two screens,
and then we'll get
into the details.
"The purpose of this program is
to help the American people
benefit from the expertise
of leading creators and
thinkers with expertise
at the intersections of race,
technology, and history,
to demonstrate and
explore possibilities
for the largest digital
library in the world."
That's us.
"With this program, the Library
is inviting a scholar or artist
to explore the largest
Library in the --
" oops, sorry, "to explore the
largest Library in the world,
and to help reimagine
the technical
and social possibilities for the
digital Library of Congress."
So I'll say that again, "To
help reimagine the technical
and social possibilities for
the digital Library of Congress,
by centering the perspectives
of Black, indigenous, Hispanic,
Asian American, or Pacific
Islander, or other communities
of color across the
United States.
The awarded project
might take many forms.
So many forms, so long as it
addresses the intersection
of race, technology,
and cultural heritage.
Proposals should explain
how the artist or scholar
in residence would approach
materials, collections,
or practices in the Library, and
how they would create, engage,
or explore technological
and cultural approaches
to connect the Library
with communities
of color around the country.
While there is huge flexibility
-- " "tremendous" it says,
"in the form that
artists or scholars
in residence's projects
might take,
common to all projects
must be deep engagement
with digital materials
and tools made available
from the Library of Congress."
So that's the purpose.
What do we expect, a project;
some time at the Library,
which I just described;
some outreach
and engagement; and a symposium.
Attending a symposium, you
don't have to plan a symposium.
Okay, so that's what
Section A says.
Section B says -- there's a part
about the award information,
so the numbers you need.
Section C is about
eligibility requirements;
[inaudible] individual.
That doesn't mean that you
can't collaborate with others,
or that communities can't.
But it -- the grant, the award
will be given to an individual,
a person -- an individual
has to apply.
But they can include
contractors in the budget
so that they can make sure
to share the resources,
as long as the costs
are explained.
There is not cost sharing,
and only one application
per individual.
What is the application --
so Section D. That was
Section C was eligibility.
Section D, Application and
Submission Information;
what does the application
need to look like?
What's in the application
package?
There's a table that's for
your use there at the beginning
of that section to help you make
sure you have all those things.
It includes proposal narrative,
budget planning, worksheet
and budget narrative -- those
are two different documents,
as well as a really short form.
So let's get into -- okay so --
right okay it has to
have those things.
But what is the content of it?
For the narrative,
we've got cover page,
which is describe exactly
what it needs to say;
key staff and consultants.
And I'll point out that that's
the place where it says,
"In an appendix put
your CV or portfolio."
So you have to have
that in an appendix.
And key staff and
consultants is where you say,
"I'm also going to
pay these people.
And here's who they are, and
what role they'll have," if you,
the individual applicant,
needs that for your project.
It's not necessary, but
it's absolutely allowed.
A detailed description of
the project, which I'll get
into in a moment; a
description of past activities.
So that description of past
activities is basically where --
I don't have it in front
of me the exact language,
but it says in the description
of past activities what you
might put in an appendix
that demonstrates the work
that has been done in the past,
or you know, reviews of the
work in the past, or you know,
whatever is appropriate
for your disciplinary --
discipline or practice; budget
narratives and spreadsheet
as well as some conditional
information.
There's a whole long list
of things we need from you
in your application if you
meet a particular criteria.
And many of those will be
for only very few applicants,
but there's a list of, "If
you meet these criteria,
here's more information
we need from you."
Okay. In the -- so I
said I was going to pass
over the detailed
description of the project.
Here it is.
What does it mean to provide
a detailed description
of the project?
And I hope that you will really
treat this like an outline.
Okay it says I need
what question
or theme am I working on?
And that means you --
your question or theme
can be what it --
you know, what your
interests are,
what your artistic
work is about,
or your scholarly work is
about; that question or theme.
But then how does it
engage here at the Library
of Congress's reflections?
What's your idea, and
how does it engage
with the Library of Congress?
The context, theoretical
and artistic context
underpinning the work.
Who is the audience
for this project?
What technologies will be
used, developed, or explored?
And how do you anticipate your
project growing over two years;
because it's a two-year project.
We want to see that you
anticipate how it will change.
And then finally, a work plan;
what's going to happen when,
and -- yes what's
going to happen when,
and what will be the outcomes?
And then still in Section D --
this is all about
the application.
You still -- we need the budget.
So this is two parts, it's
the budget plan worksheet,
which is a worksheet
that's an Excel spreadsheet.
It's available on the same place
that the NOFO is;
and a narrative.
This is just sentences that
describe the connection
between the expenses and the
proposed project activities
and objectives; so why
do you need this money
to do this stuff?
It's distinct from the
proposal -- from the narrative;
it's a separate document,
the budget narrative.
It just says -- and the
numbers have to match, right,
the numbers have to match
why do you need this money
to do this thing?
So there's a spreadsheet
where you list all the budget
according to the categories,
which are listed there.
They're also in the spreadsheet.
And then in the narrative
describe why
that money is needed
for this project.
Okay; and then there's a form.
It's a -- quite a simple form
as far as federal forms go.
It looks like this.
Once you've got that whole
thing wrapped up, you email it
to locgrants dot -- @loc.gov.
The applications are not
accepted through grants.gov.
So we're different from NEH, and
NEA, and other federal agencies.
We do not accept
applications through grants.gov.
Instead, get the NOFO from
there, you take it away,
create the documents you need
to create, and then you email
that to this email address.
And, you know, I'll
-- questions I see
that there are some;
so getting help.
We'll put this webinar up.
It will take a few weeks.
We will be -- but questions
that we can't answer here we'll
be updating online in the --
on the website on the blog.
You can always email questions
to this locgrants@loc.gov.
Please include the subject.
It's the grant number.
It's also on the NOFO.
The grant number is
all over the NOFO.
But include that so we make sure
that we're answering
it in the right place.
All right, so let's
get into the questions.
Eileen, I'm going to ask you to
read me a question [overlapping]
>> Eileen Jakeway
Manchester: Yes, absolutely.
We've got quite a
few come in here.
And thank you to everyone
for using the Q&A tab.
It just makes it a lot
easier for us to keep track.
And thanks for your
questions and your attention.
So the first question is
about describing the word
"artist" and "scholar".
So I guess there are
two questions here.
One is sort of giving a
definition of those two terms,
and the second part is about how
many people we're looking for,
for this opportunity.
>> Laurie Allen: Okay,
I'll answer the second one
first, so how many people?
So this opportunity, this
grant will be awarded
to one person in this round.
It will be reposted
or some version,
some variation potentially.
Depending on what we learn from
this experience will be reposted
in the future, but for this
it's just going to be one award.
I hope that isn't a
discouraging fact.
I hope we'll get lots
of really amazing ideas.
But there will only
be one award.
I think in terms of the terms
"scholar" or "artist", we are --
I hope those will be
expansive and not --
I'd like to invite people
to view those expansively
and not narrowly.
So we really want this --
you know, I think "artist"
or "scholar" it's, you know,
"creator" and "thinker",
there are many ways
that a person could be
really successful with this.
And I think the goal is to
have an impact in the way
that the Library imagines its
use of technology in this area.
So I hope that answers that.
But the answer is
big in both places.
>> Eileen Jakeway
Manchester: Thank you.
Yes; and please feel free
to follow up, you know,
if there are additional
questions
that are born out
of our responses.
So the next two questions are
pretty specific, about the NOFO.
>> Laurie Allen: Okay.
>> Eileen Jakeway Manchester:
The first is regarding letters
of support being mentioned
in the last webinar.
And this person would
like to know --
they do not see letters
of support in the NOFO --
>> Laurie Allen: Yes.
>> Eileen Jakeway
Manchester: And they would
like to [inaudible], you know,
to receive some information
about that.
>> Laurie Allen: That's a
great question; and thank you.
I -- as I've done these webinars
-- this is my second go-round,
I have continued to learn.
So I think that when I said --
I mentioned that
background -- oh where is it?
So we don't require letters of
reference; are not required.
And I'm just looking
at the NOFO now,
because I actually
remember this from today.
Where is the --
sorry; "Description
of Past Activities",
so Section D -- let
me make sure.
Yes, Section D.5.1.4 says, "In
addition to a CD or portfolio,
applicants should
provide descriptions
of past activities relevant
to the grant project,
proposed incorporating
as applicable links,
user testimonials,
reviews, featured articles,
research findings, et cetera."
So that -- the question was
about letters of support.
And so they are not required,
and I'm sorry if I said
that they were; really
hope I didn't,
but I wouldn't be surprised.
But if you -- if our
letter of support --
if someone wanted to include one
and put it in the "Description
of Past Activities",
I don't think we --
you know, we wouldn't
throw it out.
>> Eileen Jakeway
Manchester: Right.
Okay, yes; thank you
for pulling that up.
And again, that's
the section called
"Description of Past
Activities".
And so that actually answers
one of the next questions.
And this person would also
like to know if they need
to request a DUNS number,
because they are an individual
scholar, not an organization.
And they would like more
information about how
to apply for a DUNS number.
>> Laurie Allen: Okay, so
there's a lot of information
on the website about how
to apply for a DUNS number.
And I actually -- I
think it's possible
that this very person sent an
email with the same question,
because we've -- I've been --
we've been researching
the answer just today.
And I'll point out that.
So thank you for your
patience and diligence
in getting this question
answered
because it's a really good one.
So there's a lot of information
about how to get a DUNS number.
And it's a little bit
confusing right now,
because the federal government
is swapping out DUNS numbers
for another thing, and so the
information is a little tricky.
The Library can't fully
fill -- figure out --
I mean, can't fully tell you
how to get the DUNS number
because that's a
separate federal agency.
However, according
to Section D4,
the "System for Award
Management/Vendor Survey Form",
it says, "To receive an
award from the Library,
successful applicants
will be -- need to --
will need to be registered
in a federal system
that supports the
payment process.
Applicants can either
register on sam.gov,
or complete the vendor
survey form."
So the vendor survey form,
it can be used instead
of registration on sam.gov
and getting a DUNS number.
So if you opt not to get a DUNS
number or register on sam.gov,
you can instead fill out
a vendor survey form,
which will ask for your name,
address, and phone number,
social security number,
or TIN or DUNS number,
but if you have social
security or TIN,
you can use those
instead of a DUNS.
Your -- and then some banking
information; it's about how
to make sure that
they can pay you.
So because this is [inaudible]
grant to an individual rather
than an organization,
it is acceptable
to use the vendor survey form,
rather than the DUNS number.
While the DUNS number will
work, and it sort of gets you
in the system of sam.gov so
you can get federal money
for all kinds of things,
if you're not trying
to get federal money
for all kinds of things,
or instead just going for
this one, you're totally fine
to use the vendor
survey form instead.
I am working hard on trying
to get that vendor survey --
information about whether that
it's vendor survey form --
basically trying to link
the vendor survey form
from that page; I very
much hope to do that.
But I can say that the
award cannot be given
without a completed
vendor survey form,
but that doesn't mean that
an application can't be
in without it, and I really
ask that you just check
in on the webpage for
more information on that.
Thank you again for that.
The vendor survey form is an
alterative to registering on SAM
and getting a DUNS number.
>> Eileen Jakeway
Manchester: Okay.
Please bear with me for
the next few questions,
because we've actually
had a couple mentions
of this sam.gov registration,
versus DUNS,
versus the vendor survey
form, and I want to kind
of address them all
since we're on the topic.
So if someone is registered in
SAM with their organization,
should they create a new
registration as an individual
in order to apply
for this grant?
And I -- what I heard you say
was that if a individual wants
to use the vendor survey form in
lieu of a sam.gov registration
or a DUNS number,
they could also use
that to satisfy [overlapping].
>> Laurie Allen: That
is certainly true.
Hope, are you unmuted?
>> Hope O'Keeffe: Yes, I
unmuted to say you don't want
to use your organization,
SAM, if you're applying
as an individual because you
want the money coming to you
and not to your organization.
>> Eileen Jakeway
Manchester: Got it.
>> Laurie Allen: Thank you.
That was a simple answer.
>> Eileen Jakeway
Manchester: That makes sense.
[laughter] And there
was one more.
I think we did cover the
question whether an applicant
has to apply for a DUNS number.
And then, yes, same
kind of related question
about using a DUNS number for --
in this case, a sole
proprietary business,
in which case the
individual is the owner,
it looks like from the question.
Hope, do you want to
chime in on that one?
>> Hope O'Keeffe: I'm not sure
that a sole proprietor business
that isn't a nonprofit
is eligible here.
>> Eileen Jakeway
Manchester: Yes.
>> Hope O'Keeffe: I think you
have to apply as an individual
or as a nonprofit, but I'll
defer to Laurie on that.
>> Laurie Allen: No, you have
to apply as an individual.
We can't award this
to a business.
We have to award it
to an individual.
So yes, I -- maybe I'll flagged
that one as a -- let me just --
because a sole -- no,
it's a sole proprietor,
it has to be an individual.
Sorry, I understood.
>> Eileen Jakeway
Manchester: Thank you.
Okay, so the next question is
about the applicant and whether
or not they have to
be a -- "Everyone --
does one have to be a member
of a marginalized community,
or is it open to everyone?"
>> Laurie Allen: It is open
to everyone; absolutely.
>> Eileen Jakeway
Manchester: Okay.
We're going to move right
onto the next question
because we've got several
still in the queue.
"Can work [inaudible]
for this grant build
on previous projects,
such as Citizen DJ?"
>> Laurie Allen: Aw,
I love Citizen DJ.
Yes, absolutely.
I work -- I mean, my love
of Citizen DJ is not advice
on an individual project.
That's just a thing that
is true in the world.
But yes, building on an existing
project, as long as it's
within keeping within,
you know, rights,
which in that case it would
be, is absolutely fine,
as long as it meets
the criteria.
The -- you know, the work
produced has to be new work,
but you could certainly
produce new work
that builds on previous work.
In fact, one might argue
that all new work builds
on previous works [inaudible].
>> Eileen Jakeway Manchester:
So the next set of questions --
I'll answer the first two
because they've already
been sort of answered.
The first is that the
recording will be available
for online viewing, and Sahar
shared that link in the chat.
And one applicant will be
selected for this cycle.
And then the third
question is for you, Laurie.
"Who will jury these
applications?"
>> Laurie Allen: It's
a great question.
What we've said at this
point -- and I'll --
just calling attention
to you, encouraging folks
to use the Q&A rather than the
chat, unless you're chatting.
But okay, who will jury these?
There will be probably more.
There will be -- the panel
will be composed primarily
of Library of Congress staff.
But there are some thousands
of Library of Congress staff,
so we'll -- we're going to make
a really big effort to make sure
that the expertise of the
panel matches the requirements
of the grant.
But the panel will be primarily
focused from within the Library.
>> Eileen Jakeway
Manchester: Okay.
So we have several questions
that are grouped
around the budget.
So the first one is
whether the budget needs
to match the amount
of funds available.
>> Laurie Allen: No, it
doesn't, but it can't go over.
So if a proposal came
in for 130,000 with --
you know, I don't think
we would -- that's okay.
But it's -- yes, it's
not more than 150,000.
>> Eileen Jakeway
Manchester: Okay.
So is a budget expected
to not go
over $150,000; you
just said that.
>> Laurie Allen: Yes.
>> Eileen Jakeway
Manchester: The answer is yes.
And do we pay ourselves
out of that budget?
>> Laurie Allen: Yes,
absolutely; yes, please do.
>> Eileen Jakeway Manchester:
This is a related question
but it's about the demarcation
between 50,000 in year one
and 100,000 in year two.
Are we expected to use
50,000 for ourselves?
>> Laurie Allen:
No, not necessarily.
And Hope -- can I try to answer
and you tell me if I'm --
if I've got it wrong
[overlapping] --
>> Hope O'Keeffe: You bet.
>> Laurie Allen: Okay.
>> Hope O'Keffee: Yes, I
am -- I just never remuted.
>> Laurie Allen: Okay.
>> Hope O'Keffee: But there's
also a question, if you can look
at it in the chat, about
the budget question you
just answered.
>> Laurie Allen: Okay.
Let me go take a look at that.
So I'm going to try to say
about -- yes, yes, if -- okay.
>> Eileen Jakeway
Manchester: And maybe, Laurie,
you can speak -- I don't
know if this is related,
but it might be helpful to
talk about the kinds of work
that might happen in
year one versus year two
and why there is
a difference in --
>> Laurie Allen: Yes.
And so the way that the --
the Notice on Funding
Opportunities sort
of outlines the way that the --
so what I'll say is in Section
I, which I haven't discussed --
but in Section I of the Notice
of Funding Opportunity --
when I said all the
answers are in the NOFO,
I really meant it;
it's a lot in there.
When I -- in Section I of the
Notice of Funding Opportunity,
we talk about the payments
and invoice instruction.
And it says, "The total grant
award amount will be paid
in six installments.
The schedule will be included
in the grant agreement,
and successful applicants
will be required to submit --
" something, to just file --
fill out some paperwork
to get the funds.
But it's up to 15% within 30
days, up to 15% within 180 days,
up to 30% within 360, and
up to 30% within 540 days,
with the remaining ten percent
following the final report.
So -- and I did the -- I mean, I
know that it's those percentages
because I did the counting.
So you'll -- you know, within
-- so as soon as it starts,
you can file a request for
funding in the first 15%.
So you can anticipate how
the money will be out --
how the money will be delivered
over the course of the program.
So it's not like -- I don't
know if that helps in terms
of the question about like
what's the expectation.
So you could -- if you
say, "I don't need $50,000
for the first year," it's up to
15% within the first 30 days.
So if you said, "No, no,
no, I'd rather get --
" you know, "five percent in the
first 30 days and five percent
in the 180 days," and
then -- you know, we --
I think as long as the program
sort of matches the expectation
that in year one
the project will --
the artist or scholar and
resident will be getting
to know people in the
Library, you know,
getting to know their --
the collections, building --
just sort of refining the idea,
and then in the second year,
they'll be doing
something that culminates
in a public forum of some sort.
I hope -- I hope that
answers that question.
But I'll point out
to that payment
and invoice instruction
for more information.
>> Eileen Jakeway
Manchester: Awesome; thank you.
Last sort of budget-related
question before I want to move
on to a group of sort of
questions about the application
and sort of the proposal itself.
So the person wants to know,
"If the project exceeds $150,000
budget, can it be supported
by multiple sources of funding?"
>> Laurie Allen: Okay,
so this is -- so --
I don't -- I'm going to just
say, I don't -- I believe so.
I don't know the
answer for sure.
I don't see why not.
There's nothing that
I remember in the NOFO
that says you can't do that,
so I would assume that you can.
So I believe the answer
is yes, but I want to make
that a tentative, and try to
come back to that and answer it
in -- you know, on the blog
after just doing a
little bit of making sure.
And just to come back to
Hope's question about I think,
you know, if you -- I
think Hope had a question
in the chat about,
"Can the budget go
over if you have
additional funds?"
So and it's sort of
the same question.
And the answer is yes.
So one of the things -- there's
-- some grants have cost sharing
where there's -- you
know, where you --
where like an institution
will -- is required to match.
And this doesn't have that.
But it doesn't mean that you
can't use additional funds --
the budget, you know, but
just be really explicit
about where the Library of
Congress grant money is going.
I think that that's
the answer to that.
>> Eileen Jakeway
Manchester: Thank you.
So, "When artists are applying,
what work samples are
recommended to include?
And as a follow-up,
will the jurors --
" or I guess the viewers,
"review the portfolio
of a visual artist as part
of the review process?"
>> Laurie Allen: Yes to the
second question; that is yes.
The first question I think it --
the honest answer is that
we will leave it to you
to give us what you
think is relevant.
I think, you know, this
is the very first time
that we're doing this, and so
we are going to look to you
to tell us which works
are relevant and what --
yes; so I think that that's
-- I don't have a like,
"It should be this
kind of thing,"
because I think we're
looking to you
to tell us what's the relevant
background information you
would need.
>> Eileen Jakeway
Manchester: Okay.
Thank you again.
So the next sort of pair of
questions is about the nature
of the relationship between
the proposal and existing work.
So, "If someone has a project
that has already launched
but would like to expand
and develop it further,
can they still apply?
And similarly, if this
proposal focuses on --
can it focus on a component
of a larger project?"
>> Laurie Allen: Both
of those the answer I --
is yes as long as it meets the
requirements of the proposal.
So you know, if it does all
the things we're looking for,
then yes.
>> Eileen Jakeway Manchester:
I'm going to return
to the [inaudible].
I'm sorry, they had submitted
their question 20 minutes ago.
I've been trying to do
these somewhat thematically,
so I'm sorry for leaving
your question waiting.
But they would like to know
if it's okay to apply --
to basically submit project
proposals for various grants;
so for example, applying to both
the artist scholar grant and one
of the organizational grants?
>> Laurie Allen: Yes.
And I actually see
this one, is it --
>> Eileen Jakeway
Manchester: Okay, okay.
>> Laurie Allen: [Inaudible] the
organizational ones require a
physical sponsor, or --
so the organizationals
do require this --
sorry, the organizationals
require a nonprofit status.
And they are organizational and
I will encourage you to come
to the organizational -- to
the Library's archives museums
or other one for the higher-ed
for more information
about those.
But to -- the other part of that
question was if you could apply
with different project
proposals for different grants.
As long as they are
different, yes.
An individual can't apply for
more than one of these grants.
So if you're -- if
you have four ideas,
don't submit four ideas; please.
So just submit one or,
you know, for this one.
But if you're applying in
different programs, then yes.
But again, for example, if a --
you know, you can't apply twice
for any of the individual
ones, but you can overlap;
I mean, you can cross.
>> Eileen Jakeway
Manchester: Okay.
The question at the top reads --
like basically the person would
like to know more
about how we gauge --
how the applicant would engage
with the Library of Congress
under the auspices of
this [overlapping].
>> Laurie Allen: I
love that question.
No, you're -- it's a
great question; right,
what is it when we say, "Engage
with the Library of Congress"?
So I love that question.
And one -- I think the -- I
mentioned it at the start,
that the Connecting Communities
Digital Initiative has more
to it than these
grant opportunities.
And among the "more to it"
is that the Library is funded
for four fulltime -- not
fulltime, for four positions
that will go for four years.
So four people who will have
four-year term positions
in the Library of
Congress who are going
to be working on this program.
We're in the process of
doing that hiring now.
And it is -- so we're
just a little bit ahead
of the folks who will be here.
But by the time these
artists or scholars start,
we have every expectation
that we'll have staff who's --
part of their job -- part
of their jobs is going
to be connecting with the
artist or scholar in residence.
So this one artist or scholar
is going to have people
at the Library whose
work is to make sure
that they get introductions
to curators
who have the materials --
or who know the materials
that are relevant to them.
They're going to make
all those introductions.
They're going to host meetings.
They're going to help them
figure out what are the kind
of barriers to run into,
and they're also going
to open their kind of horizons
to the materials that we have.
There is so much --
so many resources,
so much expertise
around the Library.
And so there will be staff
in the Connecting Communities
Digital Initiative whose work is
to connect the artist or
scholar and residents to sort
of really make sure that their
work speaks to the realities
of what the Library of
Congress is, does, and has.
And I think there's --
so I think, you know,
we don't know exactly what
that engagement will look like,
but the -- one of
the big reasons
that this program is
actually two years is
because we've had the
experience with LC Labs
where they've had an
innovator-in-residence program,
which is slightly
different from this.
But what they know is
that a project that comes
into the Library gets --
when you get to know what all is
here, and what's hard to find,
and what's easy to find and,
you know, the brilliant curators
in so many different divisions,
in music, in manuscripts,
in prints and photographs,
in geography and maps.
And all these expert -- all
this expertise in various parts
of the agency, your kind of
projects changes a little bit.
And so we're kind of building
in time in that first year
for that process to happen.
So I hope that that helps
answer that question.
[ Overlapping Dialogue ]
And I guess the [inaudible]
answer is to say in your --
in the work that is produced,
whether it's scholarly
or artistic, it needs
to include in --
the materials of
references for the Library.
So again, that's really
broadly considered,
but they have to be in there.
>> Eileen Jakeway
Manchester: And this --
and the next two
questions really are also
about sort of those collections.
So the first question
is about the --
>> Hope O'Keeffe: Yes, I'm going
to take the copyright question.
>> Eileen Jakeway Manchester:
Yes, okay, all right.
[laughter]
>> Laurie Allen: Please.
[laughter]
>> Hope O'Keeffe:
Sorry; this is Hope.
"Will the library help with
copyright acquisition?"
Yes and no.
First of all, as you
talk to the curators
and you identify the collections
you want to work with,
they will let you know what
the right status of things
in the library's collections
are; so that for example, to --
a lot of times in the ideal it's
going to be in the metadata,
but for example,
if you want to work
on the Rosa Parks collection, we
will introduce you to the folks
at the Rosa and Raymond
Parks Foundation.
If you want to work with
the NAACP collection,
we'll find you those
contacts there.
We are not going to do your
copyright clearance for you.
That is your responsibility.
We will help with
the networking.
And Laurie, can you correct
me on this, but I do believe
that any -- you know,
we are big believers
in creators being paid,
so I think the copyright
acquisition permissions expenses
could appropriately
be part of the budget.
>> Laurie Allen: Yes, for sure.
Thank you, Hope.
>> Eileen Jakeway Manchester:
The next collections
related question is whether
or not a proposal
should be limited
to collections already
digitized.
>> Laurie Allen: The
program really is
about the digital Library of
Congress, so absolutely fine
to include nondigitized
materials.
But if there isn't
-- you know, the --
we can't promise to digitize
things for a particular project,
and since the program is really
about the library's digital
collections, digitized
and more digital, it's
going to be easier
to suit the program objectives
if you're using digital
collections; which isn't to say
that nondigital collections
can't be included
or that there aren't --
you know, or that someone
couldn't really blow our minds
with an idea that is about,
you know, how to make digital
but nondigital without
digitizing.
I don't know.
But I think, you know, roughly
speaking, our expectation is
that the projects will engage
with the digital materials.
>> Eileen Jakeway Manchester:
And in terms of timeline,
is the award sort of this cycle
specifically for 2022 to 2023,
and then the next award
announcement would be for '23
to '24, and '24 to '25?
>> Laurie Allen: So -- okay
so that's a great question.
And I'm going to come back.
So the expected start
date for --
as it's currently in the
Notice of Funding Opportunity,
the current start date
expectation is expected
after February 24th, 2022,
and before March 30th, 2022.
So that's what's in the Notice
of Funding Opportunity
right now is
that that's the expectation
of the start date.
So then it's two
years from then.
The -- one of the things
that I am excited about
but that makes it
a little tricky is
that this program is going
to have overlapping scholars,
artists, and residents.
So this one will be from
basically, you know,
spring 2022 until spring 2024.
We'll actually have a
new scholar or artist --
and then there will be another
call, and then a new scholar
or artist will be chosen
with a new project.
And their first year will
be during the second year
of the first Scholar and Artist.
And we really hope that whoever
is awarded it this time lays a
groundwork, but also that
there will be some interaction.
Their projects don't -- they
don't have to work together.
They're each doing
their own project.
But we certainly are excited
at the idea for some overlap
between scholars and
artists and residents,
so that this is a kind of
continuing conversation
across the years of the grant.
So the first -- so this
is for 2022 to 2024.
The next one will likely start
either late 2022 to late 2024,
or early 2023 to early 2024;
but they will be overlapping.
>> Eileen Jakeway Manchester:
I'm looking at this timeline.
Is there anything you can say
about when applicants can expect
to hear back about
the final decision?
>> Laurie Allen: There is not.
I'm sorry.
It's sometime between November
22nd and February 24th, I think;
is assuming that
the timeline for --
assuming that the
deadline stays --
that November 22nd it's
going to be the same.
It's sometime in there.
I honestly -- I can't
-- I cannot say.
>> Eileen Jakeway
Manchester: Okay; thank you.
So the next two questions
are related.
It's about the sort of mechanics
of submitting work samples.
And one attendee wants to know
if they could include links
to videos in their application.
>> Laurie Allen: Yes, links is
one of the things that is fine.
>> Eileen Jakeway Manchester:
Is there another way you
would recommend submitting a
work sample?
>> Laurie Allen: No,
links is great; thank you.
>> Eileen Jakeway
Manchester: All right.
So this is back to
the DUNS number.
It's a question about whether or
not someone could use their --
create the number with listing
their name as the business name.
>> Laurie Allen: I --
honestly, I don't know.
And I think that it is --
that the DUNS and sam.gov,
and then associated DUNS,
they have like a call line
where you can call to get
answers to those questions.
I wish I knew the
answer, and I'm sorry.
But I do know that it's
a separation agency.
And I'm hesitant to even answer
because their practices
are changing.
But we require that either -- as
I said, either a registration,
sam.gov, which requires a
DUNS number, is necessary,
or this other process,
which is to fill
out a vendor survey form.
So it's one of those two.
So I can't answer
specific questions
about sam.gov and DUNS.
And I -- partially because
this is the first time,
but also partially because
their practices are changing
and they're just a
different agency.
>> Eileen Jakeway
Manchester: Great; thank you.
I'm just going to
keep on moving.
So is the award aimed towards
a particular career stage
for the scholar and/or artist?
>> Laurie Allen: No.
No, I think we're -- no.
I'll just say no; okay.
[laughs]
>> Eileen Jakeway
Manchester: And would you say
that the project could
be a musical work?
>> Laurie Allen:
Sure, absolutely.
Yes.
>> Eileen Jakeway
Manchester: Okay, great.
And then there is a question
about the final report; whether
or not you could
say more about that.
>> Laurie Allen: I believe
that is also in Section --
I'm so glad I have the
NOFO up in front of me.
I just spend a lot of
time on this thing.
The Section F is Project
Management and Reporting.
And it talks about what goes in
the interim and final report.
"The final report -- performance
report must provide qualitative
information describing
activities carried out
and specific results
achieved during the period,
namely a description
of activities."
It's all in the NOFO in
Section F2.2 on page 14.
There is like a bulleted
list of what needs to go
into that final report
and what are the interim.
And we really try to
make the interim reports,
just to let us know
what's happening; so yes.
>> Eileen Jakeway
Manchester: Excellent.
And I'm really glad
we got this question,
because it's actually part
of sort of the second half
of the presentation, which we
probably won't get to fully
because of all of your
amazing questions.
He or she wants to know
if there are resources
for orienting prospective
applicants to the kinds
of collections that
are available.
>> Laurie Allen: Ooh.
[makes sound] So I'm just
going to zoom through a list.
I would really encourage folks
to go to guides.loc.gov and look
at the research guides
that have been prepared
by reference librarians and
curators around the library
on really specific topics,
but also really broad topics.
So for example, here's
"African-American Women Authors
of the Civil War Era:
A Resource Guide",
how can you find
those materials.
But bigger and broader, "Jazz
Research at the Library",
or "Native American Spaces:
Cartographic Resources".
So there are these really
incredible guides that we have
that I hope that
you'll check out.
And also I would love to
see folks who are interested
in this opportunity sending
questions into ask.loc.gov,
to the Ask A Librarian service.
These are real people,
librarians, archivists,
curators at the Library
answering questions.
These are really -- just
you're sending in a question
and a person is going
to take a look at it
and see what they
can do to help you.
So this is a great
resource as you're thinking
about preparing your
grant, to get information
about what the Library has
that might be useful for you.
Okay, thanks for that one.
>> Eileen Jakeway
Manchester: Absolutely, yes.
These are all really,
really wonderful resources.
So this is about
the sort of criteria
that someone here referenced
in developing their topic
for their project, and whether
or not there is a place
they could go to look
at the most relevant
criteria for deciding
on what would be best
suited for this grant.
>> Laurie Allen: I'm going to
come right back to the Notice
of Funding Opportunity.
I think -- you know, I really
try to pull from the Notice
of Funding Opportunity
areas for close reading.
I would really closely
read the purpose.
And I would really closely read
that section -- where is it?
I'm going to all the way back
to the beginning; Section E --
E.1, "What are the criteria
for proposal evaluation?"
You know, it's in there.
I would just read it closely.
I would look at the -- you
know, especially I would look
at the -- what the library has.
Some projects are easier
to do without collections
that are online and some
projects are harder.
So those are some of
the factors I would use.
>> Eileen Jakeway
Manchester: Great; thank you.
So the -- one of the
questions is about whether
or not the nonprofit with which
an individual is affiliated
could advertise the
culminating public-facing event
on the website, social
media, or to other audiences,
or if this would be a
compromising factor.
>> Laurie Allen: Hope.
>> Hope O'Keeffe: Absolutely.
Publicize it however you can.
We prefer that you not use it
for fundraising, but again,
though, we want to
spread the word.
The whole point of this
project is to spread the work.
And if [inaudible] gets it,
plug it, Facebook it, Insta it.
[laughter] Tell the world.
Tell the world.
Bring it on.
>> Laurie Allen: Thank you.
>> Eileen Jakeway
Manchester: Amazing.
And honestly, well
done to everyone here,
because we've only have
two questions left,
so I think we might be
able to get through them.
So there's a question about,
"A small exhibit requires a lot
of Library of Congress
staff time.
Does that have to
go into the grant?"
>> Laurie Allen: So not -- no,
it does not, because this --
you know, this program,
the Connecting Communities
Digital Initiative,
comes with its own staff.
So if the Library were
offering these funds, you know,
without staff, it
certainly would be tricky.
But we have staff who are
going to join the program
who can help with this.
I will make really -- I really
want to be very explicit
that we are not guaranteeing
by any stretch --
I mean guarantee is the
last thing we're doing.
There has been an exhibition
produced by this scholar
or artist to be on display
in the physical building
for the Library.
And so that's not part of the --
that's not part of
what we are offering.
We are not offering like -- and
then you'll have an exhibition
at the Library of
Congress's physical --
you know, in the Johnson
Building [phonetic]
or anything like that.
So I don't know, maybe that's
a possibility at some point.
But as you -- but any exhibition
anywhere requires some
staff time.
So that's part of what --
you know, what the Connecting
Communities Digital Initiative
is all about, is making
sure that the folks
who do these are supported
by the Library staff.
>> Eileen Jakeway Manchester:
So we've only got
a minute remaining,
and we do a couple
more questions left.
Do you want to, Laurie, say
more about how people could send
in their questions even outside?
>> Laurie Allen:
Sure, thank you.
So again, we can't
answer particular --
we can't questions about
particular projects.
So if your question is
like, "I have this idea;
is it a good idea,"
we can't answer that.
But questions about,
you know, the --
how to approach this
project, please do send them
to locgrants@loc.gov, and
then use this long number,
which is also in the NOFO.
Thank you.
And it's the hardest added
to the chat in the subject
and we'll try to
get back to you.
I see here we've got
like half a minute,
so I'm just going
to run through.
I see, "Can we create
our own topic?"
Yes, please do.
"Thoughts on cohorts
or affiliations
for the chosen individual."
We really want the
cohorts and affiliations
that you already have.
You probably already have really
amazing affiliations, and,
you know, you're in
community with other people.
So those are the
ones that we want.
"Can the project
be an animation?"
Absolutely it can
be; so thank you.
[ Inaudible ]
[Laughter] Thank you
all so much for your --
for joining us, and for your
really, really great questions.
I'm really excited to see
the interest in this program.
We are really eager for
feedback about the opportunity,
about the process, about the
Notice of Funding Opportunity.
And we thank you so
much for your time.
[ Music ]