New York State National Maritime Heritage Subgrant Program
The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) will administer a new grant program to support education and preservation projects related to maritime heritage in New York State.
Funding for this program comes from the National Park Service through the National Maritime Heritage Grant Program. In previous years, eligible applicants could apply directly to NPS for this funding. As of 2022, only State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPOs) are eligible to apply for prime awards from the NPS, which the SHPOs then may administer as a subgrant program through a competitive application process. Read the award announcement from NPS here.
OPRHP was awarded funding for both education and preservation categories and will launch the New York State National Maritime Heritage Subgrant Program in the fall of 2023. There are two award tracks: NYS Maritime Heritage Education Subgrant and NYS Maritime Heritage Preservation Subgrant.
Subgrant Opportunities for 2024
Who can Apply
Local governments, tribal governments, as well as 501(c)(3) and NYS qualified nonprofit organizations are eligible to apply to the New York State National Maritime Heritage Subgrant Program.
Award Types and Size
There are two subgrant categories: NYS Maritime Heritage Education Subgrant (MH/Education) and NYS Maritime Heritage Preservation Subgrant (MH/Preservation).
- Minimum grant award for MH/Education will be $5,000.
OPRHP anticipates $170,000 in available funds for MH/Education projects. - Minimum grant award for MH/Preservation will be $15,000.
OPRHP anticipates $90,000 for MH/Preservation projects.
Applicants may apply for one or both categories. Please note that there are separate applications for each category.
MH/Education Projects
The MH/Education subgrant awards are for projects that advance New York’s maritime heritage through public education in at least one of the following areas:
- curation, interpretation, and public access to collections;
- planning, developing, interpreting, and maintaining definable geographic areas encompassing one or more cultural and historic themes expressed through the area's extant historic maritime resources;
- developing and implementing waterborne-experience programs that include instruction and hands-on participation;
- participatory programs interpreting current scholarship to enhance public understanding and appreciation of New York’s maritime history;
- activities designed to encourage preserving traditional maritime skills and teach continuing generations those skills and techniques; or
- minor improvements to existing educational facilities and exhibit spaces of maritime museums, organizations, or historical societies
Eligible project examples include– but are not limited to– interpretive signage, walking tours, podcasts, oral histories, story maps, exhibitions, lecture series, shipwright workshops, and minor improvements to existing educational facilities and exhibit spaces.
Preference will be given to projects that:
- highlight underrepresented narratives/sites, namely Indigenous and non-European participants and perspectives
- explore New York’s rivers, canals, and waterways as links in the Underground Railroad
- are related to the American Revolution
- represent the history of the Erie Canal
MH/Preservation Projects
The MH/Preservation subgrants are for projects that advance New York’s maritime heritage through public education for a wide audience in at least one of the following areas:
- identify, document, and evaluate historic marine resources (may include archaeological resources);
- research, record, and plan for maritime resource preservation;
- repair, rehabilitate, stabilize, or maintain historic maritime resources with limited reconstruction or other capital improvements in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and Guidelines for Archeology and Historic Preservation (for the purposes of this grant program, the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Historic Vessel Preservation Projects may be especially relevant)
Eligible project examples include–but are not limited to–preservation of a historic maritime resource such as a lighthouse or vessel. Projects that are for the preservation of a historic maritime resource may also include costs or activities associated with research, recordation, and planning. This could include production of measured drawings, photography, feasibility studies, or architectural and engineering services.
Preference will be given to projects that:
- are for resources threatened by adverse circumstances, putting into question their continued use and long-term survival.
- advance preservation projects for maritime-related resources that require immediate intervention to ensure their long-term viability in a manner consistent with accepted preservation standards.
- are publicly accessible historic resources to ensure that grant funds both satisfy historic preservation goals and benefit public education and programming.
Matching Requirement
Both the MH/Education and MH/Preservation subgrants have a 1:1 matching requirement. Each federal dollar must be matched by one non-federal dollar. Match may be in the form of cash or in-kind donations of time, goods, or services.
Application Process & Schedule
Pre-Application Required
If you are interested in applying for a Maritime Heritage Subgrant, you must complete the pre-application form by December 15, 2023.
- The pre-application period will be open November 15-December 15, 2023.
- Pre-applications will be evaluated on a rolling basis.
- If your organization plans to apply for both MH/Education and MH/Preservation subgrants, you must complete a pre-application for each separately.
- If your organization and project qualify, you will be provided with the full subgrant application materials.
Schedule
- Pre-application form needs to be completed by December 15, 2023.
- Full applications will be due February 28, 2024.
- OPRHP anticipates making award notifications in April 2024.
- Projects must be completed by September 30, 2025.
Contact
Questions should be directed to Molly Donahue at (518) 268-2215 or molly.donahue@parks.ny.gov.