Develop and Implement Educational Needs Assessment for Antietam National Battlefield | P19AS00044

Opportunity Information: Apply for P19AS00044

Develop and Implement Educational Needs Assessment for Antietam National Battlefield is a National Park Service (NPS) discretionary funding opportunity under the U.S. Department of the Interior. It is offered as a cooperative agreement rather than a standard procurement, meaning the intent is not for the federal government to buy a product or service for its direct use, but to support a broader public purpose. In practical terms, the project is framed as a collaborative effort that strengthens public education and stewardship connected to Antietam National Battlefield and, by extension, the wider National Park System.

The core focus of the opportunity is to design and carry out an educational needs assessment for Antietam National Battlefield. A needs assessment typically examines what audiences currently know, what they want to learn, what barriers prevent participation, and what interpretive or educational gaps exist in current programming and materials. While the notice emphasizes public-purpose outcomes more than a detailed scope, the underlying aim is to generate usable findings that help the park and its partners improve education and interpretation related to the site’s cultural, historic, and educational resources.

A major theme throughout the description is increasing public understanding of national parks. The project is expected to help promote and improve how people learn about cultural and educational resources tied to the park, including history, preservation, and the significance of protected places. Another key expectation is dissemination: information, products, and/or services created through the project should be shared through multiple strategies so that the results reach beyond the immediate partner group. This can include sharing research findings, educational resource information, or other deliverables that build public awareness, knowledge, and support for stewardship of national resources.

The opportunity also strongly emphasizes workforce development and experiential learning, especially for undergraduate and graduate students working with the cooperating organization. The grant is structured to provide students with meaningful, hands-on experience in real park settings, allowing them to engage directly with natural, cultural, and/or historical resource projects. The NPS benefits indirectly because student-supported work contributes to resource conservation, protection, and improved educational programming, while students gain practical experience outside the classroom and exposure to professional work in public history, interpretation, education, or related research fields.

Another intended outcome is to encourage longer-term civic and professional engagement. By involving students and partners in park-based projects, the program aims to motivate participants to become more involved in cultural and historical resource protection in their own communities and beyond. In addition, the broader education community and researchers outside the NPS are positioned as beneficiaries through the creation of new knowledge and the dissemination of results, particularly information that can inform educational resources, interpretive approaches, and engagement strategies for park audiences.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is identified by Funding Opportunity Number P19AS00044 and is associated with CFDA 15.945. It falls under the Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity category, reflecting its assessment and research-oriented nature rather than construction or routine operations. The award ceiling is $34,401, and the NPS anticipated making a single award. The opportunity was posted on March 5, 2019, with an original closing date of March 15, 2019. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with the expectation that applicants would refer to the additional eligibility language in the full notice for clarification on which organizations can apply.

Overall, this grant opportunity supports a targeted research and planning effort at Antietam National Battlefield that is meant to improve educational effectiveness, broaden public understanding of the park’s resources, share findings and products with wider audiences, and provide structured, real-world learning experiences for students. The emphasis is less on delivering a one-time report for internal government use and more on producing knowledge, tools, and engagement benefits that advance public education and stewardship related to national parks.

• 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 and Implement Educational Needs Assessment for Antietam National Battlefield" 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 Mar 05, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 15, 2019. (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 $34,401.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for P19AS00044

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