Application Guidelines

The DHP does not support the development of displays or exhibits of historical records.

DHP funding is available only to chartered or incorporated nonprofit archives, libraries, historical societies and museums and other nonprofit institutions in New York State which operate historical records programs. 

Arrangement & Description projects are eligible for funding only if the  records to be processed are, or will be housed in an appropriate New York repository

Discovering material not in institutional possession and ultimately insuring that it is collected by an appropriate repository is the primary goal of a Documentation project.  An event designed to raise awareness about the project and interest in participating would advance project goals and be eligible for funding.  

No. Attachments such as letters of justification, job descriptions, resumes, and sample pages from current finding aids are not counted in the seven-page maximum.

Applications that include historically valuable born-digital materials are encouraged. However, if the digital records are surrogates (digital copies of original photographs, for instance), they may not be included.

Yes. The grant review panel will need to verify that the proposed project is compatible with the missions of all collaborating organizations. 

Arrangement & Description projects should follow best practices and archival standards. Such best practices and standards include: the finding aid template DHP makes available, HDI, MPLP, MARC, EAD, DACS, etc.

DHP recommends no specific standards for Documentation projects, but we do make available several publications on Documentation that outline best practices.

Yes, an artificial collection would be eligible for funding. However the absence of provenance may decrease the archival value of the collection and merit of the grant application.

If the collection is held by an eligible repository, then the Arrangement & Description project would be eligible for funding.