Application Guidelines

Please note: the application period for the 2013 cycle is now closed, and the information provided below is for reference only. Pending renewed funding, the application for the 2014 cycle will be available on this site in early 2014.

Carefully read the guidelines below prior to beginning the application process. You will find answers to most of your questions on this page. Should you have questions which are not answered below, contact Amy Lucko, Program Officer, at hiddencollections@clir.org. During the application period, CLIR accepts inquiries by e-mail only — no phone calls, please.

SEE ALSO

Introduction

All applications must be completed and submitted via the online application system. You may save your application, log out, and return to edit or complete the information in the application at any time prior to submission.

Top three FAQs

When I enter the application system, I see only the first few tabs. Where is the rest of the application? You must first complete the Eligibility section and confirm your organization is eligible to submit a proposal under the guidelines of this program. When the required information is provided and the screens have been saved, you will be able to access the full application.

How do I submit my application? The system will not enable you to submit your application until all required elements have been completed. When all required questions have been answered and saved, and all required documents have been uploaded, a button allowing you to submit your application will appear at the top of the tabs on the left-hand side. Before the deadline of 5:00 pm Eastern time on July 31, 2013, you do not need to submit your application immediately, but may continue to revise it (including saving, exiting and re-logging into the system) until you are confident that you are ready to submit.

How can I confirm my application has been received? The application system will send an automatic e-mail message confirming that your application has been successfully submitted to the e-mail address associated with the account on file. The message is generated immediately upon submission of the application; however, because this e-mail is automatically generated, please be advised it may be quarantined by your institution's spam filter.

Applicants may also log into the application system at any time to verify their proposal's current status. When an application has been successfully submitted, the status line will read "Final-Proposal Submitted." This indicates the application is ready for review. The application does not "go" anywhere; CLIR staff and reviewers use the same online system to retrieve and view your documents, so if you can see your answers and documents in your own application, you may be confident they are successfully stored in the system. However, please note that applications which are not marked "Final-Proposal Submitted" by the application deadline will not be eligible for review.

Technical guidelines

The application system has been designed and tested to work with the following browsers:
PC Browsers:
Internet Explorer
Mozilla Firefox
Google Chrome
Safari
Mac browsers:
Safari
Mozilla Firefox

The following are some common questions related to technical use of the system and the application's supporting documents:

When attempting to upload documents, I am unable to upload, or am receiving a "runtime error" message from the system. This is generally a browser issue and is not an error in the online application system itself. Try completely exiting and restarting your browser before attempting another upload. You may also wish to try another browser, or try uploading the documents from another computer.

The text box cuts off my entry, even though I've checked my answer to ensure it's within the allotted character count. Word processing programs such as MS Word may add hidden characters to text, e.g. a "character" for bold or italicized format; a "character" for a paragraph break, etc. Try saving your answer in plain text format (.txt) prior to copy/pasting it into the application text box.

I am seeing a series of ### symbols in my budget spreadsheet, instead of numbers. This is a function of Excel. If a given column is not wide enough to show all the numbers, it will show instead only the # symbols. The column must be re-sized to be large enough to show all the figures. There are several ways to accomplish this; one is to right-click on the top of the column in question. One of the choices in the drop-down list is "Column Width". Re-sizing the column to a width of "14" generally resolves the issue, although it may be necessary to test another width depending on the size of the figure in question.

Tab 1: General Information

Please complete all sections of the application.
The application itself consists of two parts:

• A description of the collection(s), which will be made public.
• Technical and financial information, which is confidential.

All sections of this application are required. You will not be able to submit the application until you have provided and saved all the required information. When all the required elements have been completed and saved, a button allowing you to submit your application will appear at the top left (above the tabs).

To navigate through the application form, click on the tabs on the left-hand side.

You may partially complete your application, save your work, and return to complete and submit it at a later date by logging back in to the application site.

Please note that changes made on each screen must be saved using the "Save" button at the bottom of each page. Any unsaved text will be lost when you exit the screen OR click to upload a document. Before uploading a document, be sure to save any text you've entered on the screen (if applicable).

Changes and revisions to your responses may be made throughout the application period at any time prior to your submission of the application. You may revise responses, including those which have already been saved, by making changes and clicking the "Save" button. These changes will then overwrite your previous responses. Once you have submitted your application, you may no longer alter it.

The information requested in the tabs marked with ** may be made available to the public at CLIR's discretion. By either applying for funding or submitting your collection information for our database, you agree that any information submitted under the Identification and the main Description of Content tabs may be made public by CLIR. All other information (including the sub-tabs Contents, Characteristics, Rights and Access Policy under Description of Content) will be confidential and may not be released by CLIR or any other party without your express permission.

Cover Sheet
Please upload a document using the template located here.

Tab 2: Eligibility Information

NOTE: Applicants must complete and save the information on this tab indicating their organization is eligible to submit a proposal under the guidelines of this program, prior to obtaining access to the full application. When the required information is provided and the screen has been saved, the full application will appear.

Is the applicant institution a not-for-profit organization?

Generally speaking, in order to be eligible for this program applicants must be recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as tax-exempt under one of the following:

• IRS Code Section 501(c)3: "To be tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, an organization must be organized and operated exclusively for exempt purposes set forth in section 501(c)(3), and none of its earnings may inure to any private shareholder or individual." (From the IRS Exemption Requirements)
• IRS Code Section 115 or IRS Code Section 170(c)(1): These codes apply to governmental organizations including state universities, land-grant institutions and similar establishments.

Some governmental instrumentalities, such as public libraries or historical societies that are not organized under IRS Section 501(c)3, may also be eligible to apply for grants through this program. While government units are not technically public charities, grants to government units and their agencies or instrumentalities for charitable purposes may be treated as grants to public charities for the purposes of this program. Most units of government (e.g., school boards, fire departments, public libraries) do not have an IRS tax determination letter. Organizations that fall into this category should contact CLIR to ensure eligibility prior to beginning the application process. Such organizations should be prepared to provide documentation that establishes the entity's governmental status (such as a copy of the legislative act creating the unit) as proof of their non-profit status.

Is the applicant institution located in the U.S.?

The applicant institution must be located in the United States or in an associated entity, e.g. the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or American Samoa.

Beginning in 2013, CLIR will consider collaborative projects that include partnerships between U.S. and Canadian institutions. Collaborators at Canadian institutions may serve as co-PIs, but the lead institution (i.e. the institution that will lead the work; that will manage the project, including assuming financial responsibility for any funds awarded; and that submits the application) on any project submitted to this program must be a U.S. institution that meets the criteria listed above.

For the purposes of this award, the term "U.S." includes not only the 50 states and the District of Columbia, but also entities associated with the U.S. which are defined as "dependent areas" according to the CIA World Factbook. Those areas are as follows:

• American Samoa
• Baker Island
• Guam
• Howland Island
• Jarvis Island
• Johnston Atoll
• Kingman Reef
• Midway Islands
• Navassa Island
• Northern Mariana Islands
• Palmyra Atoll
• Puerto Rico
• Virgin Islands
• Wake Island

(Source: CIA World Factbook)

Provide proof of applicant organization's non-profit status (.pdf).

This must include:

Applicants whose organizations are 501(c)3 private foundations will be asked to provide an additional section in the budget narrative addressing their institutional need for external funding support through this program (please see the Budget Narrative description under Tab 21: Funding).

For those institutions which are not college or universities, upload a list of board or trustee members (.pdf).

The list must be on the applicant organization's letterhead. Lists not on letterhead will not be accepted.

REMINDER: Some of the descriptive information that you provide will be disclosed as part of the overall cataloging effort.

Following submission of the application, information on the Project Summary and Description of Content tabs (the tabs marked **) may be made available to the public by CLIR through our online registry or elsewhere. All other information in the application will be considered confidential, and will not be disclosed without permission.

Tab 3: Project Summary

Collection/Project Title. Word limit: 150 characters.
List the name of the collection or, if your project encompasses several collections, the project title.

Summary. Word limit: 750 characters.
Provide a brief summary of your project. This should include the project length and general information about the collection(s) to be cataloged. If the proposed project represents a collaboration or consortium, the partnering institutions should be included in the description.

Should funds be awarded, this summary will provide the basis for the project's description on CLIR's website in the Funded Projects section (see 2008 Funded Projects | 2009 Funded Projects | 2010 Funded Projects | 2011 Funded Projects | 2012 Funded Projects).

Approximate amount of materials to be cataloged during the course of the proposed project (you must answer at least one; you may fill in all that apply). Seven-digit limit each.

Provide the size of the collection in cubic feet, linear feet and/or the number of objects. You may provide measurements in one, two, three, or all four units if you like; you must provide at least one. If your project encompasses several collections, your figures should reflect the aggregate for each category. You will be given an opportunity to list individual collection titles, formats and sizes (and also related institutions, if applicable) as an appendix to your project plan (see Tab 14: Project Plan).

If the materials are listed in a directory (e.g., Archive Finder, ArchivesUSA, the National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections (NUCMC), OCLC WorldCat, etc.), please list the directory name(s) below.

Collections do not have to be registered in a directory to be eligible for this grant. If your project encompasses several collections, please select and/or list any directories or registries in which any of the collections are listed. (If you do not have room to list all the applicable directories, select those in which the bulk of the materials are represented.)

Tab 4: Description of Content

Provide a brief description of the materials (e.g., topic, period covered, geographic scope, relevance to individuals, etc.). Word limit: 1,500 characters, or about 250 words.

For large, multi-institution submissions, please characterize the aggregate.

From what period do the materials date?

Please list your best estimate of the date range covered by the collection(s), in whole years (e.g. 356 BC - 542 AD).

For the purposes of this question, the "date" refers to the physical age of the materials themselves, not the date of the subject matter. For example, an 11th edition copy of Edith Hamilton's Mythology published in 1998 would be considered to date from 1998, not from the original publication date of 1942, nor from the classical period of Ancient Greece.

For large, multi-institution submissions, please characterize the aggregate.

What is the geographic scope of the project? 150 character limit.

Please list your best estimate of the geographic range covered by this collection. For large, multi-institution submissions, please characterize the aggregate.

What is the format?

You must select at least one format. You may select as many as are applicable.

Is there a preliminary finding aid or description of this collection/project?

The existence of a preliminary finding aid or description is not a requirement for this award. For the purposes of this program, a preliminary finding aid is generally considered one which does not rise to the level of a traditional, readily accessible catalog format (see What if some finding aids already exist for the collection? under General guidelines for the application on the For Applicants page).

Please be advised that this program does not fund retrospective conversions of paper catalogs which can already be accessed, understood and used by scholars on-site.

If a preliminary finding aid or description does exist, in either analog or digital form (e.g., catalog cards, paper finding aids, Excel spreadsheet), provide a brief description and include the URL, if applicable. Explain why it is not effective for users of the collections. Non-unique materials may be described in a catalog record or finding aid by another institution; in these cases, applicants should explain how describing them again according to the current proposal will increase accessibility to the materials. NOTE: this program does not fund retrospective conversion projects. Word limit: 1,500 characters, or about 250 words.

If your collection/project does have a preliminary finding aid or description online, please provide a URL or other contact information as applicable.

If your project does not currently make these preliminary finding aids available online but you would like to post them so the review panel may view them during the course of your application's evaluation, you may provide a private link. If you do so, you should be sure to explain why this is not yet available to, or useful for, scholars.

If your project encompasses several collections, you do not have to provide all the information here. You will be given the opportunity to provide URLs for any extant finding aids for each collection in your project in the appendix to your project plan (see Tab 14: Project Plan).

Tab 5: Characteristics

Are the contents of the collection(s) in any way at risk or endangered? If Yes, please explain briefly the nature of the threat. Word limit: 1,500 characters, or about 250 words.

Does the holding institution have a conservation plan for these materials? Word limit: 1,500 characters, or about 250 words.

A "No" answer will not automatically render an application ineligible, although reviewers may question the long-term benefits of cataloging materials if they perceive them to be at risk. You will have an opportunity to explain your institution's approach to conservation below.

If this is a multi-institution or consortial project, answer "Yes" if all participating institutions have conservation plans in place. Otherwise, answer "No."

Are there physical or artifactual characteristics of the materials that would inhibit either the cataloging effort or future digitization?

A "Yes" answer will not automatically render an application ineligible.

If applicable, describe your institution’s approach to conservation of these materials. Also explain any physical or artifactual characteristics of the materials that would affect either the cataloging effort or future digitization. NOTE: No funds under this request may be directed toward conservation, stabilization or digitization activities. Word limit: 1,500 characters, or about 250 words.

Tab 6: Rights

Does the institution hold the rights to these materials, including the rights or permission to digitize the materials at a future date?

A "No" answer will not automatically render an application ineligible.

Please explain any limitations, embargoes, or other restrictions. Word limit: 1,500 characters, or about 250 words.

A "No" answer will not automatically render an application ineligible. However, in cases where applicants do not own the rights to the materials, they should explain why they believe the proposed investment in cataloging is justified and will benefit scholars long-term. Any agreements with the rights holders should be directly addressed and explained in this section.

If this is a multi-institution or consortial project, answer "Yes" if all participating institutions have the rights listed above for all collections related to this project. Otherwise, answer "No" and provide an explanation. .

Tab 7: Access Policy

What is the current access policy with respect to the use of these materials? If this will change as a result of this project, or subsequent to other future initiatives (e.g. digitization), please include a discussion of the potential changes in your answer below. Word limit: 1,500 characters, or about 250 words.

In general, CLIR expects that collections cataloged and/or processed through this program should be made freely and openly accessible to scholars and other potential users of the materials during normal operating hours at the holding institution. If legal, financial, or other circumstances dictate imposing conditions or restrictions upon access, the applicant should explain in full why these conditions or restrictions are necessary.

Tab 8: Value and Significance

Upload three letters of support for your project. These letters must come from individuals knowledgeable about the collections or some other aspect of the project, but may not come from those who are directly affiliated with the project. It is strongly recommended that applicants obtain these letters of support from scholars outside their home institution. Reviewers generally look more favorably upon external letters as representative of the materials' value to the wider scholarly community. For the same reason, applicants are also advised to include at least one letter from a scholar outside their local region.

Reference letters must be sent directly to the applicant, and the applicant must upload each letter to the online application system in PDF format. CLIR cannot accept reference letters in hard copy and is not able to attach them to an application. The reference letters should be from scholars who are able to speak compellingly to the collection's value, use, and significance to research, teaching, and the creation of new knowledge.

Reference providers should not be directly connected to the project or to participant institutions.

Multi-institution or consortial projects may only submit three letters, regardless of the size of the project.

Reference letters may be addressed "To the Hidden Collections Review Panel".

All files must be in PDF format. Filenames must not include spaces or any of the following characters:
< > : " / \ | ? * & ' , ; { } [ ] ( )
(Please note that when you "browse" to select a file, the upload box may show the entire file path, which will include characters such as "\". This will not affect the upload.)

Only one letter may be uploaded at a time.

Upload one letter indicating the applicant institution's support for the proposed project. This letter must be from the head administrator of the applicant institution, and must explicitly acknowledge that grant funds will not be used for infrastructure or overhead costs. This letter should also speak to the institution's willingness to house and support the project locally, including sharing costs as indicated in the project budget.

This should not be taken to mean the head of a department or division, such as a dean of libraries. The letter must be from the primary applicant's head administrator, for example, the President or CEO, Chancellor, or Provost. If desired, the applicant may include as an appendix an additional letter from a department/division head or dean indicating support, but such a letter will not be accepted in place of a letter from the institution's head administrator.

A letter of institutional support is only required of the primary applicant institution.

• If an applicant elects to submit more than one letter of institutional support, the letters and/or documents must be combined into one PDF document with the head administrator's letter placed first. An example of this would be an institution whose Office of Sponsored Projects requires submission of a form with any grant application; the form should be appended to, and follow, the primary letter of institutional support.


• Multi-institution or consortial projects may submit letters from each institution's head administrator if they wish. If so, the letters must be combined into one PDF document with the applicant institution's letter placed first.

All files must be in PDF format. Filenames must not include spaces or any of the following characters:
< > : " / \ | ? * & ' , ; { } [ ] ( )
(Please note that when you "browse" to select a file, the upload box may show the entire file path, which will include characters such as "\". This will not affect the upload.)

Describe the value of the collection(s) to scholarship and the ways that scholarship would be enriched by greater access to these materials. Word limit: 3,000 characters, or about 500 words.

This part of the narrative should address the importance of the collections to teaching, research, and the creation of new knowledge specifically and not merely provide a more detailed description of the materials than given elsewhere in the application. In other words, this statement should go beyond asserting the significance of the subjects covered in the collections and instead explain how a scholar's understanding of those subjects could be transformed by using the collections.

Tab 9: Related Collections

Identify other collections (if any), not held by the applicant institution(s), whose value would be enriched as a result of improved access to these materials. Word limit: 1,500 characters, or about 250 words.

In their evaluation, reviewers will use this information in part to assess applicants' awareness of the wider context within which their collections are situated. This information may also be used to alert applicants to potential partnerships or areas for collaboration. Your information will not be shared with other institutions without your permission.

Tab 10: Innovation

Describe models that have informed or inspired your project’s design and why they are well suited to your project’s aims, and/or describe how your project will serve as a model for others. Word limit: 3,000 characters, or about 500 words.

CLIR expects that this program will bring to light innovative and increasingly efficient methods of cataloging, archival processing, and dissemination of information about cultural heritage materials to scholars and the broader public. Applications that propose sound yet truly ground-breaking innovations in practice generally receive preference in the review process, while those that propose adopting others' established best practices in ways that improve the efficiency of local methods and maximize access are also highly prized.

CLIR leaves the definition of "innovative" deliberately open so that applicants may describe what it means in their own institutional and professional contexts. Although describing special collections and archives has historically been handled differently in different institutions and with different types of materials, understanding hidden collections as a national problem requires an acknowledgment that in the 21st century, collaboration, coordination, and coherence of response to users is fundamental and takes precedence over local practice. Applicants should demonstrate an understanding of how their proposed approach to description fits into this national picture.

Innovative practices may include but are not necessarily limited to:

1. approaches that make records more descriptive and therefore more helpful to users;
2. those that employ widely used standards in ways that make records more compatible with multi-institutional federated search systems;
3. those that improve the cost and speed at which records are generated;
4. those that employ automated methods for generating descriptions (as in the case of indexing born digital materials);
5. those that efficiently address the complexities of multi-format analog or mixed analog/digital collections; or
6. those that forge new connections between collections and potential users.

When warranted, applicants should consider adopting or improving upon practices employed by previous recipients of grants from this program.

Any examples of innovations mentioned by CLIR, whether on its website or in other venues, are intended to be just that: examples. CLIR encourages applicants to consider a variety of methods as they develop their proposals, and to make persuasive and cogent arguments for their choices.

Tab 11: Impact

Describe your approach to expanding the impact of your project through outreach and professional activities. Word limit: 3,000 characters, or about 500 words.

Recipients of grants from this program are encouraged, and expected, to share what they are learning with other scholars and professionals both during projects and after projects are concluded. Applicants are encouraged to adopt simple, low-cost outreach strategies that maximize public awareness of their work without impeding progress toward cataloging and processing goals. Outreach to multiple disciplinary and professional communities is strongly encouraged.

List and describe all expected project outcomes, mentioning how each outcome will be made available to others. Explain any intellectual property rights, restrictions, or licensing policies related to these outcomes. Word limit: 1,500 characters, or about 250 words.

In addition to metadata, catalog records, finding aids, or authority files, applicants may plan to produce cataloging manuals, training materials, improved software tools, reference guides, or other outcomes during the course of their projects. In response to this question, applicants should briefly describe all expected outcomes, how each will be made accessible to others, and under what conditions. Detailing all relevant intellectual property rights or restrictions or licensing terms is especially important for datasets, indexing algorithms, or other software tools that applicants expect to produce during the course of their work.

Tab 12: Initiatives

Describe any initiatives that might be triggered by availability of access to these materials. Word limit: 1,500 characters, or about 250 words.

Such initiatives may be those planned by the applicant institution or consortium or those that would be made possible at other institutions or consortia as a result of the project.

Tab 13: Technical Approach, Management, Staffing and Training

Upload a PDF document that details the relevant technologies, standards, and working practices that will be employed to realize the project's goals. The approach must result in the creation of web accessible records that are (at least potentially) interoperable with other systems, and it must be sustainable by the applicant beyond the life of the project. Applicants should explain how the proposed methods and tools relate to current local and national practices and emphasize any innovative features of the approach. Applicants should describe how progress will be tracked and assessed and should enumerate what factors they will use to determine the project's ultimate success or failure.

Document guidelines for the technical plan:

• Maximum 3 pages.
• Text must be in Times New Roman font, 12pt size.
• The document should be single-spaced and aligned left.
• Minimum margins are 1 inch.
• Applicants may include tables, images, etc. at their discretion, but may not exceed the 3 page limit.

Provide a short summary of your technical approach. Word limit: 1,500 characters, or about 250 words.

This response is required for both the initial and final proposals. Upon entering their summary response, applicants should immediately save this response before entering details for one or more Principal Investigator(s). Entering and saving details for a Principal Investigator(s) without saving other information in this section will result in the loss of that information and require it to be re-entered.

Who will serve as the Principal Investigator(s) for the duration of this project?

You must enter at least one Principal Investigator. You may enter up to three. If the person submitting the application will serve as a Principal Investigator on this project, his/her information must be also included in this section.

**Please note: If you have entered text regarding your technical approach in the text box above, be sure to save the tab before you begin entering information for your Principal Investigator(s). Any unsaved text will be lost when a new Principal Investigator's information is entered.

Tab 14: Project Plan

Upload a document that details the project plan, including staffing, milestones, and deliverables. The document should also address plans to insure the long-term sustainability of the project at the institution(s), and any plans to promote the use of the targeted collections.

Document guidelines for the project plan:

• Maximum 2 pages (not including the appendix; see below).
• Text must be in Times New Roman font, 12pt size.
• The document should be single-spaced and aligned left.
• Minimum margins are 1 inch.
• Applicants may include tables, images, etc. at their discretion, but may not exceed the 2 page limit.

Project plan appendix: If this is a multi-institution or consortial project, you must append to your Project Plan a list outlining the participating institutions and identification information about the collections to be cataloged. This appendix must follow the format outlined here. A single-institution applicant may also include this appendix as a way of providing additional detail about the collections that applicant proposes to describe, although in this case providing the appendix is entirely optional.

The project plan must be uploaded in PDF format.

Is this a collaborative project? If yes, list the names of the participant institutions here. Word limit: 550 characters.

In cases where collaborators will be contributing to a project in different ways (i.e. where one institution provides collections, another provides space and/or expertise, and another provides a cataloging tool, authority files, or a search interface), describe briefly the role of each institutional partner.

How many staff will be assigned to this project? Complete all that apply. Field limits: three digits.

For each of the designations, list the number of applicable staff.

All numbers must be whole numbers.

For the purposes of this question, "full time" refers to those individuals who will be spending 75% or more of a full-time (37.5+ hours/week) position devoted to the project. "Part time" refers to those individuals who will be spending less than 75% of a full-time (37.5+ hours/week) position on the project.

An individual who regularly works only 20 hours/week, but will spend all 20 hours devoted to this project, should be marked "part time," as should an individual who regularly works a 40 hour week but will spend 20 hours/week devoted to this project.

You will be given the opportunity to indicate the percentages of staff members' time which will be dedicated to this project in the Budget Detail section that follows.

While volunteer time may not be included in the budget, CLIR welcomes projects that include them along with paid staff. However, the inclusion of volunteer time is not a requirement.

Tab 15: Qualifications

Résumés for up to three key personnel on this project may be provided below. Résumés are required for Principal Investigators listed on the Technical Approach, Management, Staffing and Training tab. Résumés must not exceed 2 pages each.

Although a project may have more than three assigned persons, no more than three résumés may be uploaded. Only include résumés for the primary personnel on the project.

If a project does not have three listed Principal Investigators, any remaining slots may be used to upload résumés of other key personnel (or, in cases where key personnel are TBD, a job description may be provided instead).

Large multi-institution or consortial projects are limited to three résumés of key personnel.

Applicants may describe the qualifications for those personnel for whom résumés are not provided in the space provided below the uploaded résumés, as directed:

Describe the relevant qualifications of the Principal Investigator, project manager, supervisory personnel and/or technical specialists, e.g. experience with special collections, cataloging projects, and/or work with students or volunteers. Word limit: 1,500 characters, or about 250 words.

Tab 16: Training

Will training be required? Word limit: 1,500 characters, or about 250 words.

If "Yes," explain what training will be required and how your institution intends to provide it.

Tab 17: Institutional Capacity

Describe the institutional strengths that justify undertaking this project, including infrastructure, experience, access to local expertise (including volunteers or students), resources, professional leadership, etc. Word limit: 3,000 characters, or about 500 words.

Will funds from the grant be applied to current staff salaries, infrastructure or other elements of technical support? If so, justify the need to cover such costs with external funds and their relevance to the proposed cataloging effort. Word limit: 1,500 characters, or about 250 words.

Costs falling within the category "infrastructure" include items such as space rental; electricity and other utilities; furniture and basic equipment such as computers; regular telephone, internet or server space charges; etc.

Refer to the general guidelines in the Appendix: Budget Detail section below for more detailed information about approved costs for this program.

Would your institution be willing to participate in an ongoing CLIR study focusing on innovative aspects of hidden collections cataloging projects, and/or in a post-project evaluation? Note: Participation in these activities is encouraged but not required, and your answer will not affect consideration of your application in any way.

Participation is not mandatory.

Tab 18: Prior Collaborations

Provide up to three examples of prior collaborations, particularly those that resulted in shared data or federated information programs. Word limit: 600 characters, or about 100 words, for each description.

Evidence of such prior collaboration is not a requirement.

If you have no prior collaborations, please enter "N/A" in the first box and save the screen.

If you have more than three such collaborations, please select those you feel are most relevant to this particular project.

Tab 19: Cataloging Backlog

Does the institution (or, in the case of multi-institution or consortial projects, institutions) have a cataloging backlog? If Yes, how large is the cataloging backlog? Describe the institution's (or institutions') strategic plan to address the backlog. Word limit: 1,500 characters, or about 250 words.

Indicate how much progress the proposed project would allow the applicant institution and (if applicable) its partners to make toward the elimination of the backlog(s).

Tab 20: Institutional Priorities

Describe institutional priorities for cataloging, including addressing the backlog, if applicable, and explain how this project addresses one or more of these priorities. Word limit: 1,500 characters, or about 250 words.

Indicate how the proposed project serves the institution's or institutions' strategic goals for cataloging, controlling or eliminating backlogs, creating access to all collections, and/or outreach to scholars and other users.

For applicants proposing a collaborative project or partnership only: Explain how the collaboration or partnership advances the missions and meets the priorities of the partner organizations or institutions. To what extent will the project enhance the capacity of each partner to provide access to its collections and support the creation of new knowledge? Describe any additional benefits afforded by the project that would not be possible if the partners worked individually. (Note: In the event that the collaboration includes a non-U.S. institution or institutions, the applicant should make sure to demonstrate that the U.S. institution is not merely a fiscal agent for the project). Word limit: 1,500 characters, or about 250 words.

For 2013, eligible non-U.S. partners must be Canadian not-for-profit educational, research, or cultural heritage institutions or organizations. Only U.S. domestic or U.S.-Canadian collaborations are eligible to apply for funding through this program in 2013; partnerships involving institutions from outside the U.S. and Canada are not eligible for consideration or funding at this time.

Tab 21: Funding

CLIR requires all applicants to complete and upload two budget documents.

1. The Budget Narrative
Your Budget Narrative should include a full description of the budget, explaining the need for each budget line and the method(s) used to compute the projected costs. If software or equipment is being purchased or work is being outsourced, the vendors being considered should be mentioned. A brief explanation of how the grantee institution would manage the grant funds should also be included in this section.

**Applicants whose organizations are private foundations must provide an additional section in the budget narrative addressing their institutional need for external funding support through this program. The rationale should identify the major funding sources of the organization and state the reasons the activities described in the proposal cannot be supported from these sources.

You may also provide additional narrative related to your budget in this section. For example, the Budget Narrative is a good place to address issues related to cost share; if your institution restricts your ability to indicate cost-sharing in your budget, you may explain those restrictions here.

2. The Budget Detail
You must provide a detailed budget broken out by year. The Budget Detail must be submitted using CLIR's budget form (.xls). The form must be re-saved into PDF format prior to upload, with any subcontracts appended to the end of the document.

• Your budget must be submitted in the spreadsheet format provided by CLIR. The template for this spreadsheet is in Excel format, and may be found here. Your completed budget form must be re-saved into PDF format prior to upload. The system will not accept an Excel document. You may "print" your completed form into PDF format using a PDF converter, such as the free CutePDF Writer.

• If this is a multi-institution or consortial project, funds will be disbursed to the applicant institution. CLIR will not disburse funds for one award to several institutions. The submitted budget should aggregate the total funds requested.

• For more detailed information about the budget, please refer to the Appendix: Budget Detail section below.

What is the proposed start date for the project? (mm/dd/yyyy)

Projects must start between January 1, 2014 and June 1, 2014. Projects that propose start dates before or after this time period are not eligible for consideration in this cycle.

What is the proposed end date for the project? (mm/dd/yyyy)

Projects must be at least 12 months and no more than 36 months long. Projects that are shorter than 12 months, longer than 36 months, or will end after May 31, 2017 are not eligible for consideration in this cycle.

What is the size of the request?

Requests may range in size from $50,000 to $500,000. Requests for amounts outside this range are not eligible for consideration. Please ensure the figure entered on this tab matches the figure listed in your uploaded budget.

If this is a multi-institution or consortial project, all amounts requested should be aggregated.

Your answer should be in whole dollars. You may use commas or dollar signs in the field, but please do not enter decimals. If you enter a decimal into this field, the system will not recognize the entry and you will receive an error message when you attempt to save the tab. The field may reformat automatically to show only numbers (without commas or dollar signs). This is not cause for concern.

How large is the institutional cost share?

Cost sharing is encouraged, but is not required. However, applicants are advised that reviewers will consider cost sharing as one indicator of institutional support when evaluating the proposal. If your institution prohibits cost share in grant proposal, you should specifically note this in your Budget Narrative. Please ensure the figure entered on this tab matches the figure listed in your uploaded budget.

If this is a multi-institution or consortial project, all amounts being contributed as cost-share should be aggregated.

Your answer should be in whole dollars. You may use commas or dollar signs in the field, but please do not enter decimals. If you enter a decimal into this field, the system will not recognize the entry and you will receive an error message when you attempt to save the tab. The field may reformat automatically to show only numbers (without commas or dollar signs). This is not cause for concern.

What is the total value of the project, including requested and matching funds?

Please do not attempt to type into this field. The field will calculate automatically after the previous two fields are completed AND the tab has been saved.

Have other sources of funding been considered? Describe prior efforts, if any, to identify other sources of funding for this project, and explain why this project is uniquely suited to this funding program. Word limit: 1,500 characters, or about 250 words.

Evidence of attempts to secure other funding is not required. Regardless of any prior attempts to secure funding, applicants must explain why this collection is uniquely suited to this funding program in particular.

Do you agree to participate in periodic meetings other grant recipients, to be held up to twice a year?

CLIR will reimburse participants or their institutions for all expenses related to travel to these meetings for up to two representatives from each funded project, provided such expenses are in accordance with CLIR's travel policy for the meeting.

These meetings are separate from the proposed project, and support for this travel should not be requested in the detailed budget form or included in the amount requested by the applicant.

Appendix: Budget Detail

BUDGET SUMMARY

The Budget Summary will be populated from information provided in the Budget Detail on the following pages. Please do not attempt to enter figures into the fields.

General information about the budget (Note: The information below may also be found in the FAQs posted on the main Hidden Collections For Applicants page).

Applicants may request funds for:

• Salaries/wages and applicable fringe benefits for new staff members who will be specifically dedicated to the project.

• Consultant and/or training fees related to the project.

• Consumable supplies and materials for the project, including expendible equipment and dedicated software.

• Other services (e.g. equipment rental, server time, backup charges) related to project objectives.

Requests for the following are discouraged. If requested, they must be specifically and strongly justified in the proposal:

• Salaries/wages and applicable fringe benefits for current full-time staff who will work on the project. This program is not intended to provide salary relief for current employees. Applicants must explain in the narrative how the staff member's normal duties will be covered during the time for which grant funds are requested.

• Tuition remission for student employees.

• Hardware and peripheral costs such as computers, servers, etc.

• Travel funds (travel for which support is requested must be justified as necessary to carry out the proposed project).

• Conference registration and related travel. Applicants should explain how attendance at a given conference is related to scholarly outreach and should be planning to attend as presenters rather than attendees. In no instance should a proposal request funding for conference attendance that exceeds $5,000.

• Translation or format migration services. This is specifically a cataloging grant, and in general the panel considers these services to fall outside the scope of the program. Requests to fund digitization of materials are not allowable in any circumstance and proposals which request support for such activities may be considered ineligible for review.

Requests for the following are not allowed. Proposals which include a request for funds for these items may be rejected as ineligible for review:

• Indirect costs.

• Indirect costs listed as direct costs. This includes items such as network charges, telephone, photocopying, etc.

• Retrospective conversion. The simple transformation of existing analog records or finding aids into their equivalent digital form is beyond the scope of the program.

• Any activities related to the digitization of materials. This includes digitization activities that may be generally thought of as necessary to the cataloging process, e.g. conversion of audio files from tape to digital format during the cataloging process. Any digitization must be covered by the applicant institution; funds will not be granted for this purpose in any circumstance nor may they be included in the applicant's cost share.

• Membership fees (consortial, professional organizations, etc.).

• General-purpose items which may reasonably be expected to have a useful life after the project, such as office furniture, shelving, or archival cabinets.

BUDGET DETAIL

Salaries and wages

Name/Title: Provide the names and titles of the principal project personnel. For support staff, include the title of each position.

No.: For support staff, indicate the number of persons who will be employed in that capacity. Method of computation: Indicate the calculation used, e.g. "20% of salary".

$ Requested: List the amount being requested, in whole dollars. It is advised that you do not use commas or decimals; the field will automatically format the number entered as currency.

Cost share: List the institutional cost share, in whole dollars. It is advised that you do not use commas or decimals; the field will automatically format the number entered as currency.

Total: This column is populated by the information provided above. Please do not attempt to enter figures into the field.

Fringe benefits

Rate / Salary Base: If more than one rate is used, list each rate and aggregated salary base individually. $ Requested: List the amount being requested, in whole dollars. It is advised that you do not use commas or decimals; the field will automatically format the number entered as currency.

Cost share: List the institutional cost share, in whole dollars. It is advised that you do not use commas or decimals; the field will automatically format the number entered as currency.

Total: This column is populated by the information provided above. Please do not attempt to enter figures into the field.

Consultant and training fees: Include payments for professional or technical consultants.

Name/type: Provide the name or type, as appropriate, of any consultants or training services which will be used.

No.: Indicate the quantity, e.g. number of consultants, days of training, etc.

Method of computation: Indicate the calculation used, e.g. "2 days @ $500/day".

$ Requested: List the amount being requested, in whole dollars. It is advised that you do not use commas or decimals; the field will automatically format the number entered as currency.

Cost share: List the institutional cost share, in whole dollars. It is advised that you do not use commas or decimals; the field will automatically format the number entered as currency.

Total: This column is populated by the information provided above. Please do not attempt to enter figures into the field.

Supplies and materials: Include consumable supplies, materials to be used in the project and items of expendable equipment (i.e., equipment items costing less than $5,000 and with an estimated useful life of less than a year). The purchase of software which is both essential and will be dedicated to the project may be included here.

Item: Provide the item description.

Method of computation: Indicate the calculation used, e.g. "6 widgets @ $30/widget".

$ Requested: List the amount being requested, in whole dollars. It is advised that you do not use commas or decimals; the field will automatically format the number entered as currency.

Cost share: List the institutional cost share, in whole dollars. It is advised that you do not use commas or decimals; the field will automatically format the number entered as currency.

Total: This column is populated by the information provided above. Please do not attempt to enter figures into the field.

Services: Include the cost of other services (e.g. equipment rental, server time, backup charges) related to project objectives that are not included under other budget categories.

For subcontracts, append an itemization of subcontract costs to the end of your budget; merge the documents into a single PDF.

Item: Provide the item description.

Method of computation: Indicate the calculation used to determine the amount requested.

$ Requested: List the amount being requested, in whole dollars. It is advised that you do not use commas or decimals; the field will automatically format the number entered as currency.

Cost share: List the institutional cost share, in whole dollars. It is advised that you do not use commas or decimals; the field will automatically format the number entered as currency.

Total: This column is populated by the information provided above. Please do not attempt to enter figures into the field.

Other costs: Include any items not previously listed. Please note that "miscellaneous" and "contingency" are not acceptable budget categories. Funds may not be requested to cover indirect costs.

Item: Provide the item description.

Method of computation: Indicate the calculation used to determine the amount requested.

$ Requested: List the amount being requested, in whole dollars. It is advised that you do not use commas or decimals; the field will automatically format the number entered as currency.

Cost share: List the institutional cost share, in whole dollars. It is advised that you do not use commas or decimals; the field will automatically format the number entered as currency.

Total: This column is populated by the information provided above. Please do not attempt to enter figures into the field.

For additional information, contact Amy Lucko, Program Officer, at hiddencollections@clir.org. During the application period, CLIR accepts inquiries by e-mail only —no phone calls, please.