Develop Historic Resource Study for Meridian Hill Park and its relation to the Civil Rights Movement | P17AS00765

Opportunity Information: Apply for P17AS00765

The grant opportunity titled "Develop Historic Resource Study for Meridian Hill Park and its relation to the Civil Rights Movement" (Funding Opportunity Number P17AS00765) was issued by the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service (NPS) as a discretionary, research-and-development focused cooperative agreement under CFDA 15.945. It was created on August 31, 2017, with an original closing date of September 8, 2017, and it anticipated a single award with a maximum funding amount (award ceiling) of $57,850. The listing is explicitly a Notice of Intent to Award rather than a request for applications, meaning NPS was providing public notice that it intended to fund these activities without full and open competition, instead of soliciting proposals broadly.

At its core, the project is about producing a Historic Resource Study (HRS) for Meridian Hill Park in Washington, DC. An HRS is a formal, research-based document commonly used by the National Park Service to establish a well-supported historical narrative for a site, identify and evaluate key themes, and compile source-based evidence that can guide interpretation, preservation, and future planning. In this case, the work centers on compiling historical research and then developing a written HRS report that documents how Meridian Hill Park and its surrounding communities changed over time, with particular emphasis on the African American experience. The scope is framed around the post-Civil War evolution of Meridian Hill, suggesting attention to Reconstruction and the decades that followed, when demographic shifts, housing patterns, civic institutions, and social dynamics in DC were changing in ways that shaped both the park and nearby neighborhoods.

A defining feature of the opportunity is its explicit connection to civil rights and social justice history. The HRS is meant to do more than outline dates of construction or landscape design; it is intended to connect the park and its adjacent neighborhoods to broader currents in the American civil rights and social justice movement. That implies research into significant events associated with the park (and potentially nearby gathering places, institutions, or community organizing efforts), how African American residents used and experienced public space, and how the park may have intersected with struggles over access, representation, policing, protest, and civic life. In practical terms, this kind of study typically draws on primary and secondary sources such as archival records, newspapers, photographs, maps, city planning documents, oral histories (when available), prior scholarly work, and NPS or DC government records to construct a credible, citable narrative.

The eligibility category listed is somewhat specific: "Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education." Coupled with the cooperative agreement instrument type, that signals NPS likely expected substantial involvement in shaping the work as it progressed, which is typical when an agency wants close coordination on research questions, interpretive framing, source standards, and deliverable formats. The single expected award and the short time window between posting and closing, along with the statement that it is not open competition, reinforce the idea that this announcement functioned primarily as a transparency step rather than an open call for new applicants.

In summary, this opportunity funded the development of an authoritative Historic Resource Study for Meridian Hill Park that foregrounds African American history from the post-Civil War era forward and situates the park within the wider story of civil rights and social justice in Washington, DC and the United States. The expected outcome was a well-documented report that could serve as a foundation for future interpretation, education, and preservation decisions by the National Park Service, ensuring that the park's historical narrative reflects both the evolution of the landscape and the lived experiences and civic struggles connected to it.

• The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Develop Historic Resource Study for Meridian Hill Park and its relation to the Civil Rights Movement" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.945.
• This funding opportunity was created on Aug 31, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 08, 2017 This funding opportunity is to provide public notice of NPSs intention to fund the following project activities without full and open competition. Notice of Intent to Award, not a request for applications. (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 $57,850.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.

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