Inventory and Assessment of NPS Alaska Archaeological Collections at the Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology, Brown University | P19AS00574

Opportunity Information: Apply for P19AS00574

The grant opportunity titled "Inventory and Assessment of NPS Alaska Archaeological Collections at the Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology, Brown University" is a National Park Service (NPS) cooperative agreement focused on gaining clearer control, documentation, and long-term stewardship of major archaeological collections from Alaska that are currently housed at Brown University. The underlying context is that Brown-affiliated archaeologists conducted federally permitted fieldwork on what are now NPS-managed lands in Alaska beginning in the 1940s. The artifacts and samples resulting from that work are described as nationally significant, including type collections for the Western Arctic and the archived professional legacy of two influential researchers in the region, Louis Giddings and Doug Anderson. The opportunity also notes that places like Cape Krusenstern and Kobuk Valley became protected in part because of the importance of the archaeological record revealed through these earlier investigations. Like many collections formed in that era, the materials remained in the care of a non-federal repository, in this case the Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology at Brown, even though the collections themselves remain federal property.

The central purpose of the project is to conduct a comprehensive, item-by-item inventory of archaeological collections that originated on federal lands in Alaska that are now administered by the NPS, and that are currently curated at the Haffenreffer Museum. This is not just a paperwork exercise. The project is meant to produce baseline documentation grounded in a physical inventory, and then use that work to update the museum database so that NPS and the repository have accurate, standardized, and current records of what exists, where it is, and how it is described. Because archaeological collections recovered under federal permits remain the property of the federal government in perpetuity, the inventory serves as a practical mechanism for NPS to meet federal collections management responsibilities while recognizing that the objects are housed outside a federal facility.

A second major goal is knowledge transfer to NPS park management and cultural resource staff. The opportunity emphasizes that the documentation generated through the inventory will be provided to NPS personnel so they can make informed decisions about long-term preservation, conservation priorities, and access policies, including how researchers may access materials held in non-federal institutions. In other words, the project is designed to reduce uncertainty about what is in the collection and to strengthen NPS capacity to plan for preservation, decide what needs conservation attention, and manage research use in a way that aligns with federal standards and obligations.

The opportunity also highlights compliance considerations under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). Because the project involves a comprehensive inventory of archaeological holdings, it may identify items that fall under NAGPRA categories, such as certain cultural items requiring consultation, documentation, and potentially repatriation processes. The inventory is therefore positioned as a step that can support legal and ethical responsibilities by ensuring potentially sensitive or culturally affiliated materials are properly identified and addressed according to applicable requirements.

In addition to identifying and documenting the materials, the project includes a condition assessment component. As the inventory is conducted, the physical condition of items will be evaluated, which helps determine what needs stabilization, conservation treatment, improved housing, or environmental adjustments. This practical assessment is tied directly to the long-term care of the collections and to NPS decision-making about supporting preservation actions, even when items are curated at a partner institution.

A key deliverable implied by the notice is that the final, comprehensive inventory will enable the NPS to establish formal museum object loans with the Haffenreffer Museum. The purpose of these formalized loan agreements is to ensure NPS can adequately track, manage, and support the long-term care of federally owned collections held at a non-federal repository. In effect, the inventory becomes the foundation for improved accountability, clearer legal and administrative arrangements, and a more sustainable curatorial relationship between NPS and Brown.

Administratively, this opportunity is listed as a discretionary cooperative agreement under the Department of the Interior, National Park Service, within a humanities and cultural affairs funding activity category (CFDA 15.946). The eligible applicant category is private institutions of higher education, but the posting is explicitly a notice of intent to award to Brown University, meaning it is not open competition and applications from other entities are not accepted. The opportunity number is P19AS00574, the notice was created on August 22, 2019, and the original closing date was August 31, 2019. The expected number of awards is one, with an award ceiling of $560,530, reflecting the scale of work required to inventory, assess, and properly document a large and historically important set of archaeological collections spanning decades of research.

• The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Inventory and Assessment of NPS Alaska Archaeological Collections at the Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology, Brown University" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.946.
• This funding opportunity was created on Aug 22, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 31, 2019 This is a notice of intent to award to Brown University. Applications will not be accepted from any other entity.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $560,530.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Private institutions of higher education.

Apply for P19AS00574

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