Q&A about CCDI Round Two Grants

This post was updated on October 3, 2022 to include additional answers to questions about the CCDI Round 2 Grant Opportunities.

The Connecting Communities Digital Initiative (CCDI) announced Round 2 grants for Higher Education and Libraries, Archives, Museums on June 7, 2022. Applications are due by 12pm (noon) Eastern Standard Time on September 30, 2022.

If you have a question about the Higher Education grant or the Libraries, Archives, Museums grant, please send an email to [email protected]. In the subject line, please include the Notice Number for the grant.

The Higher Education grant Notice Number is 030ADV22R0048.

The Libraries, Archives, Museums grant Notice Number is 30ADV22R0037.

For example, the subject of an e-mail for the Libraries, Archives, and Museums grant should read as follows: Notice 030ADV22R0037 – Of the People Widening the Path: Connecting Communities Digital Initiative – 2022

Below you will find responses to questions we have received about CCDI’s Round 2 grants.

Higher Education

1. After reading the NOFO, it appears that there is not a cost share/match requirement. However, Synopsis 1 on grants.gov states ‘Yes’ on the cost share/match requirement.  Would you be able to confirm this?

   Cost share/match is not required. See Section D.5.2.1 Budget Items under G) Cost Share in the Notice for details.

2. Can eligible institutions partner together to submit a single application?

   The Library will only issue a grant to a single institution that meets the eligibility requirements stated in the NOFO. The institution can choose to sub-contract part of the work to other institutions. However, the institution to which the grant is issued is responsible for all aspects of the grant as the Library will have no contractual relationship with any other institution or contractor.

3. Can a faculty member of a minority higher education institution apply for the CCDI grant, or should librarians apply and just include faculty on the project team?  Or is it acceptable for a faculty member to be the principal investigator/project manager, and include library staff on the team in significant ways?

   The Library does not have requirements regarding which employee(s) at a higher education institution can apply for the grant or serve as PI or project manager. Personnel selection should be based on the needs of your proposed project.

4. Can you tell me if this program offered last November will be offered in 2022 – and, if not, if a future competition is anticipated? I’d like to share this opportunity with our member campuses if it will be available again.

   Yes. The Connecting Communities Digital Initiative Grant for Higher Education is currently open and accepting applications until 12:00 PM (noon) Eastern Time on September 23, 2022. Eligible institutions may apply under Notice #030ADV22R0048.

5. We have a few questions about the funding opportunity package.

   1) When our university has submitted for federal grants before (with Sam-e registration) our controller has signed off on the submission on grants. gov. Since this process is different (submission via email) do we need to include a signatory document to include with the appendices documents? We understand we will be including a letter of support in the appendices, which we already have in place.
   In addition to the Letter of Support from a senior administrator or director as stated in section D.5.1 of the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), applicants will also need to sign the SF-424 form.

   2) I want to confirm that the budget workbook described in the funding opportunity in section D.5.2 is the budget workbook/worksheet listed on the CCDI grant info page under the questions area (I’ve attached that file to this email).
   The Budget Plan Worksheet Template for this opportunity can be found on the CCDI Grant for Higher Education website as well as in the Related Documents section of notice #030ADV22R0048 on Grants.gov.

6. My colleagues and I are interested in applying for this grant, but had some questions:

   1) Are we restricted to selecting a specific population? We have an idea about looking at immigrant populations in New York City, but we didn’t want to narrow our scope to one particular group.
   Please see Section A.2 (Purpose) of the Notice of Funding Opportunity, which details the specific communities around whom eligible projects must be centered. Applicants can select one or more of the specific communities.

   2) If we were to be awarded the grant, when would funds be released? We are planning on working with classes and we adhere to a semester based schedule.
   The grant payment schedule will be included with the award agreement for successful applicants.

   The expected start date will not occur before 2/1/2023 or after 5/1/2023. The total grant award amount will be paid in three installments. The schedule will be included in the grant agreement and successful applicants will use the SF 270 Form to request funding: up to 60% within 30 days of start date; up to 30% within 180 days of start date; and remaining 10% following receipt of the final report.

7. I have a question about institutional eligibility to apply for the CCDI Grant for Higher Education. At my institution, XX, we serve a student population made up of 54% undergraduate ethnic minority students, many of whom are also first-generation college students.Does this make us eligible to apply for this grant, as a minority-serving institution?

   Institutions must meet the eligibility requirements as set out in Section C.1 of the Notice of Funding Opportunity to apply for this award. With respect to minority-serving requirements, the description of your stated student population and services would satisfy that requirement.

8. I just downloaded all of the materials for a grant that I would like to apply for on behalf of a Community College. I’m a bit overwhelmed with everything I’m looking at, as I just registered with SAM.gov and this will be my first grant application. Any suggestions or tips for getting started? I’m new at the College as well ;).
   We recommend that new applicants view one of the recordings of the CCDI Program’s webinars for details about the Higher Education Grants, eligibility information, and the application process. You can view the recordings here: blogs.loc.gov/ofthepeople/2022/08/connecting-communities-digital-initiative-grant-opportunities-webinar-recordings-available/

   In addition, applicants can consult the Q&A webpage for this grant opportunity, which is regularly updated as the CCDI Program receives new questions sent to [email protected]. The Q&A page can be accessed here: blogs.loc.gov/ofthepeople/2022/07/qa-about-ccdi-round-two-grants/

   As you’re working on the application, we recommend that you focus on the application checklist because it provides a list of all of the components needed for submission. Also, we recommend consulting, well in advance of submission, with a finance or grants administrator, if applicable, at your college to discuss and/or assist you with the budget plan worksheet.

9. My colleagues and I applied for this esteemed award last year and we would like to apply again, could we submit the same project proposal as we did last year?

   Yes, you would be able to submit the same proposal as last year. However, we highly recommend that you review the Round 2 Notice before submitting the proposal, as there are a few changes from the Round 1 Notice. One of those changes is that proposals must include links to Library digital materials that you plan to use in your project.

10. I am interested in applying for this announcement: 030ADV22R0048. Is it possible to submit a letter of intent or to discuss my proposal with a grants officer?

    Thank you for your interest. Unfortunately, we are not able to receive a letter of intent or to discuss a proposal.

11. Is it possible to watch a webinar that has already been presented. I am just finding out about these grant opportunities. I would like to view the previously aired webinars concerning the grant.

    Yes. The Library has posted recordings of CCDI’s Libraries, Archives, and Museums and Higher Education informational webinars on the CCDI website. You will find links to the recordings here: blogs.loc.gov/ofthepeople/2022/08/connecting-communities-digital-initiative-grant-opportunities-webinar-recordings-available/

12. A team at my college is working on an application for this grant. My question is about the links to LOC sources. Do we have to have an exhaustive list in the application process or a sampling of the digital items we would make use of? We are working on a proposal that focuses on the convict experience and there are dozens of songs, newspapers, pamphlets, and photos in the LOC collection. Could we provide links to a few of each?

    Applicants may provide a sampling of the LOC sources they plan to use for their projects. Applicants must include links to Library digital collections that they have researched and plan to use in their projects However, we understand that the collections you use may change. If your proposal is selected, you retain the right to revise some collection choices once your project begins, as long as those choices have been researched and fit within your project scope.

    Please view Section D.5 of the Notice of Funding Opportunity for additional information regarding the content and format of the Higher Education application. The Project Narrative template also provides additional guidance.

13. I would like to apply for the CCDI for Higher Ed grant, but I first have a few questions. I’ve taken the liberty of listing them in bullets below:

    1) I note that the webinar recordings are currently unavailable unless one registered for the event, but that registration is now closed. Will the recordings be available to those of us who did not register for the webinar in advance?
    The Library has posted recordings of CCDI’s Higher Education informational webinars on the CCDI website. You can find the links to the recordings here: blogs.loc.gov/ofthepeople/2022/08/connecting-communities-digital-initiative-grant-opportunities-webinar-recordings-available/

    2) The CCDI-HE webpage says that a PDF with FAQs is forthcoming. When can applicants expect that document to be posted online?
    All questions and answers received at [email protected] by 23 September 2022 as stated in section D.2 of the Notice of Funding Opportunity are hosted in an online document available on the Of the People blog: blogs.loc.gov/ofthepeople/2022/07/qa-about-ccdi-round-two-grants/ and as a PDF on the Of the People website: loc.gov/programs/of-the-people/represent/higher-education-application/

    3) Our application would be administered through an HSI (Hispanic-Serving Institution), but our project budget would include a sub-contract for one of our collaborators who does not work at an HSI. Is this permissible under the rules of the NOFO? The sub-contract would amount to more than 10-20% of the final budget, and the rest would stay at the HSI.
    Yes, a sub-contract may be made to a non-MSI so long as the sub-recipient is not debarred, suspended, or otherwise excluded from or ineligible for participation in federal assistance programs per Appendix B of the Notice of Funding Opportunity.

14. We have a very interesting project from a PI up at University of XX and I have a technical question about the eligibility.

    XX is a four-year institution with two campuses that are MSI’s – as all campuses are under the umbrella of XX, does it matter that some are MSI’s while others are not?

    Other question is do we have to be both a 2/4 year institution AND a 501 c 3? The XX Foundation is a 501 c 3, and XX is a non-profit, but I don’t believe they are a 501 c 3 (they are another non-profit designation)?

    Asking the latter as the XX Foundation is not permitted to accept federal grants but the university is – so we are curious who the proper applicant can/should be.
    Per section C of the Notice of Funding Opportunity, eligible applicants must be a 2-year or 4-year minority serving higher education institution and a non-profit institution. 501c3 status is not required in order to apply.

    Given these eligibility requirements, the university should apply.

15. As we complete our budget preparation for the above grant, a question has arisen re: the 15% maximum for indirect costs. Should we base our IDC amount on a modified direct cost rate or use our college policy of basing IDC on salary and fringe only?
    The indirect cost rate should be based on expenses related to the project for which you are applying for federal assistance.

16. I am preparing my application for the CCDI grant for Higher Education and I have a few questions.

    First, the NOFO states that the “main body of the proposal” should not exceed 5 double-spaced pages. Does that mean that the Title Page, the Proposal Narrative, and all relevant Appendices should fit within that 5-page limit, or does it mean that the Proposal Narrative should be 5-pages, within additional pages for appendices as needed?
    The 5-page limit on the main body of the Proposal Narrative does not include the Cover Page or Appendices.

    Second, I note that the website still says that the PDF of FAQs is still forthcoming. When can applicants expect that document to be posted?
    Per section D.2 of the Notice of Funding Opportunity, an online Questions and Answers document is currently hosted at loc.gov/programs/of-the-people/represent/connecting-communities-digital-initiative. You can find all Q&A from the current competition round on this page: blogs.loc.gov/ofthepeople/2022/07/qa-about-ccdi-round-two-grants/

    The PDFs of FAQs can be found here: loc.gov/programs/of-the-people/represent/higher-education-application/

    Finally, while I will be applying through a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), I may need to sub-contract a fraction of the grant money to an outside vendor. Is that acceptable, and is there a limit I should know about?
    Yes, subcontracts are allowable on this award, so long as sub-recipients are not debarred, suspended, or otherwise ineligible to receive federal assistance (as outlined in Appendix B of the Notice). There is no limit on subcontract amounts. However, the Library will have not contractual relationship with the sub-contractor and the applicant is responsible for all work under the grant agreement.

17. Our program is designed to be offered during the summer and fall ’23 academic semesters and the spring ’24 academic semester. We are also planning a panel discussion about the project at the XX March 2024. The grant states that it is for a twelve-month period of time. Will the grant funds cover the time period through spring 2024?
    We expect to award grants in Spring 2023. The twelve-month period begins from the date of award.

Libraries, Archives, Museums

1. I am a research coordinator at the University of Florida. Are we eligible for this grant opportunity? We do have libraries and museums.
   You are not eligible under this Notice. You may apply under the Notice for Higher Education institutions – see the connected Notice #030ADV22R0048.
2. I am wondering which grant is the best for me to apply as I am a librarian in at a university branch campus serving underserved populations.  We are an HSI serving campus (designated in 1988 while the main campus was designated last year).  I am unclear as to the differences between the grant for higher education versus the grant for libraries, museums, and archives.
   Per section C.2 of the Notice of Funding Opportunity, an Organization that is a legal component of an institution of higher education is not eligible for award under this Notice but may apply under the Notice for Higher Education institutions – see the connected Notice #030ADV22R0048.
3. I am the Grants Coordinator for XX. XX is interested in applying for the Connecting Communities Digital Initiative (CCDI) with the Museum of Social Justice. However, we are concerned that we cannot fulfill the project purpose of remixing and reusing Library digital collections as we presume there are not many, if at all, collections on the Thai community in the U.S. If there are any mentions of the Thai community in the Library’s collections, we presume they are in the broader scope of the Asian population in the U.S. as a whole.We would like to ask if there are sufficient collections we might be able to use for this project, and if not, how this affects our eligibility.
   The Library offers several tools for learning what is available in the digital collections. Here are three suggestions:

   1) The Library’s Ask a Librarian service. On the page, you will see a tab labeled “Ask a Specialist.” You can click on a subject in the “Subjects and Formats” list, such as “History, Humanities, Social Sciences”, and then complete the “Ask a Question” form.
   2) The Library offers a chat service, which can be accessed on the right side of the “Ask a Librarian” page. This service is available from noon-4pm EDT.
   3) You can search loc.gov/collections for digital collections on Thai individuals and groups in the U.S.

   Finally, the Notice does not require a specific number of collections needed in order to apply. Applicants must show that they have researched the Library’s digital collections by providing links to materials that they plan to use for their projects.

4. My name is XX and I am an Assistant Professor and Executive Director of the Museum of XX, which is a virtual museum about the world’s cities – past, present, and future first established in 2006. I am currently overseeing the radical redesign of this museum which includes creating new permanent digital collections and I think this CCDI grant would be a great opportunity to advance some of our projects.

   Upon transferring the Museum to me in 2021, the former Executive Director dissolved the 501C3 that the museum was registered under and my University became the fiscal sponsor.  I wanted to find out if I were to apply for this award, could I do so under my institution of higher learning  as the fiscal sponsor since it is unlikely that I will be able to establish a new 501C3 by the application deadline.  This would include having the institution submit the application on behalf of the Museum of the XX and using their SAM ID?
   If the University is currently the fiscal sponsor of the museum and otherwise qualifies under section C.2 of the Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Higher Education Grant, you can apply for this opportunity under connected Notice #030ADV22R0048.

5. After reading Part C of the Notice of Funding Opportunity for the CCDI Grant for Libraries, Archives, Museums, I ask confirmation, on the eligibility of my organization.

   My organization is a nonprofit corporation registered in Georgia. The organization has been assigned an EIN; has adopted and filed its articles of incorporation, bylaws, and conflict of interest policy; has submitted its application for UEI; and is completing its 501(c)(3) application.
   The Library is not reviewing/evaluating concepts for projects. Each applicant should review the requirements of the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to determine if their project meets the requirements stated in the NOFO and make sure their organization meets the eligibility requirements as set out in Section C.1 of the Notice of Funding Opportunity. With respect to the non-profit eligibility requirement, the description of your organization would satisfy that requirement.

   501(c)(3) status is not required in order to apply for this opportunity, per Section C.1 of the Notice of Funding Opportunity.

6. It appears from the NOFO that equipment is an allowable cost for the CCDI Grant for Libraries, Archives, and Museums program. What about other capital costs, like construction, renovation, building an exhibit, and the like?

   Construction and renovation costs are not allowed. Costs for building digital and analog exhibits are allowed.

7. The XX Museum of Natural History is in the final phase of a major transformation that is completely reimagining all of our exhibits and creating an entirely new model of natural history museum. As part of this transformation, and our strategic plan, we are engaging with, and increasing access for, and engagement of, the communities noted in the purpose of the CCDI Libraries, Archives, and Museums program:

   “..center the lives, experiences, and perspectives of Black, Indigenous, Hispanic or Latino, Asian American and Pacific Islander and/or other communities of color”

   Would you please provide more information about what you mean by “center the lives, experiences, and perspectives”? For example, does program or exhibit content need to center this, or does centering their lives, experiences, and perspectives in increasing access and inclusion through direct engagement, conversations, and partnerships that result in addressing the needs of these communities also qualify?
   Thank you for your question. The project content has to “center the lives, experiences, and perspectives of Black, Indigenous, Hispanic or Latino, Asian American and Pacific Islander and/or other communities of color.” This is connected to another requirement, which is to include links to digital collections at the Library of Congress that would be used in the project.

8. I am having trouble accessing the SF424 form. When I click to download the form, the following message appears:

   “The document you are trying to load requires Adobe Reader 8 or higher. You may not have the Adobe Reader installed or your viewing environment may not be properly configured to use Adobe Reader.”

   “For more information on how to install Adobe Reader and configure your viewing environment please see http://wwww.adobe.com/go/pdf_forms_configure.”

   I downloaded the latest version of Adobe Reader, but I still could not access the form. I would be grateful for any advice or suggestions you might have to help me access this form.

   If applicants experience any issues downloading the Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424) form while using the Internet Edge or Google Chrome browsers, please try again using the Mozilla Firefox browser. You can download and install Firefox here: https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new/

9. I am reaching out from XX, a DC-based non-profit organization that installs museum-quality exhibits based on archival research done in collaboration with school communities and we’d like to get more information on our eligibility for this grant program — for either this round or future rounds.

   Under this grant program only Libraries, Archives and Museums are eligible as further defined in the Notice. Museum quality exhibit installers/fabricators are not eligible.

10. The project expenses we would like to apply for support from the Library of Congress are not supported by the XX grant. I wanted to confirm if we are eligible to apply since the Andrew Mellon Foundation is already supporting a portion of this project.
    Section D.5.1.1(D) of the Notice of Funding Opportunity requires applicants to identify potentially duplicative federal funding by providing project proposal information and a statement regarding the applicant’s notification of the Library of Congress if such funding is obtained. Section D.5.2.1 (G) requires inclusion of cost-sharing arrangements in the budget. If your application involves a project with multiple sources of funding, including non-Federal funding, your budget should identify such resources and distinguish expenses for which you are requesting Library of Congress funding.

    If we are eligible, I have two more questions:
    1) Do we need to provide XX’s organizational budget and/or financial statements? Or does this grant just require a project budget?
    This grant requires a project budget and supporting budget narrative as outlined in section D.5.2 of the Notice of Funding Opportunity.

    2) Is it acceptable to use grant funds for expenses toward producing a presentation/performance relevant to the work created using the Library of Congress resources that will be open to the public?
    Yes. Funds may be used for presentations and performances about the final project.

11. The Non-profit organization XX a non-profit 501c3 is a new organization looking to secure a grant to help with the digital content and development of its digital travel platform. I noticed there are only 3 grants awarded as part of this grant application. Is this a highly competitive grant and do you feel our program fits within the scope of the grant requirements.

    The Library is not reviewing/evaluating concepts for projects. Please note that only libraries, archives, and museums are eligible to apply for this award. Eligibility is described in Section C of the notice.

12. We have developed an Archiving system through our company XX CORPORATION …. our website is i-live-on.XX.com ….

    My questions are:

    1. Given we have a for Profit Corporation – are we ineligible to apply for this 030ADV22R0037 grant?
    All applicants must be non-profits and meet the eligibility requirements stated in section C of the notice.

    2. Does the Library of Congress have any interest in our offering (refer attached pdf that would allow you to download our Creator App – for free)? Who could I speak to about this idea please?
    Please check SAM.gov periodically and register to receive notifications. If there is a need for such a system, the Library will post a solicitation on SAM.gov.

    3. Does the Library of Congress (LOC) ever have Grants for Profit Organizations such as ours – we think we have a pretty unique offering that would be of interest to the LOC.
    Yes, the Library does offer grants to for-profit entities. All current and upcoming opportunities are posted on Grants.gov.

Informational Webinars

We also invite you to register and join our webinars next week to learn more about these exciting opportunities!

Higher Education webinar:

• Tuesday, 7/19 from 4pm-5pm EDT: Zoom Registration, Webinar Recording

Libraries, Archives, Museums webinar:

• Thursday, 7/21 from 4pm-5pm EDT: Zoom Registration, Webinar Recording