Connecting Communities Digital Initiative – Artist or Scholar in Residence Grant

The Library of Congress was awarded an Andrew W. Mellon Foundation grant titled “Of the People: Widening the Path” to fund a new, multi-part initiative to connect more deeply with Indigenous, Black, Hispanic, and other communities of color by exposing grantees to the Library’s expansive collections, using technology to enable storytelling and offering more internship and fellowship opportunities. Part of that grant establishes the four-year Connecting Communities Digital Initiative (CCDI) within the Digital Strategy Directorate. In this post, we invite applicants for the CCDI Artist in Residence or Scholar in Residence grant program.

Grant Overview

Artist or Scholar in Residence program: The Connecting Communities Digital Initiative (CCDI) Artist or Scholar in Residence program will fund an Artist in Residence or a Scholar in Residence in 2021, 2022, and 2023. Each Artist/Scholar in Residence will serve for 2 years, supported for $50,000 in their first year and $100,000 in their second year. Individuals selected will be either artists or scholars whose artistic or scholarly work connects with the intersections of technology and cultural heritage, and engages with the legacies of racial division in the United States. Proposed projects will help the Library and the American people imagine new ways of preserving, accessing, and sharing the stories of underserved communities, connecting the nation’s past to its future.

During the first year of the residency, the artist or scholar in residence will be expected to visit the Library for at least 10 days in person during their first year, and to utilize Library of Congress resources in their first year, and to participate in occasional CCDI activities. They should plan to work with Library staff and collections to refine their proposed project plan and to undertake necessary research in preparation for their second year. During the first year, the artist or scholar in residence will be required to submit quarterly project updates, and to participate in meetings and events at the Library. Before the second year of the grant, the artist or scholar in residence will produce a fully revised and expanded work plan and budget to reflect the developments in the first year for approval by Library staff.

During the second year, the artist or scholar in residence will be expected to visit the Library for at least 20 days in person to engage more deeply in the scholarly and artistic life of the Library. In addition, the technical, artistic, and/or scholarly product should be created and shared during this year, resulting in a public-facing research or artistic publication, project, exhibition, or event.

The scholar or artist in residence will be supported by the CCDI staff, who will introduce the artist or scholar in residence to Library colleagues, ensure access to appropriate collections materials, and otherwise liaise between the artist or scholar in residence and the Library.

Visit the Notice on grants.gov, click on “Related Documents” and download all forms

How to Apply and Important Dates

Read the Notice of Funding Opportunity fully and carefully to plan your application.  The notice contains detailed guidance about application requirements.

• Additional help is available by
  • Reviewing the Frequently Asked Questions
  • Send specific questions to Ramon Samuel at LOC-grants@loc.gov. The subject of each e-mail must read as follows: NOFO 030ADV21R0696
    • Answers will be provided in the FAQs below as updates on a weekly basis.
• Register to attend an informational webinar if available (dates below)
• “How to Develop and Write a Grant Proposal” [updated Aug. 28, 2019]

Webinars

The Library will host a series of webinars to walk through the Notice of Funding Opportunity, and to answer questions. These webinars will be recorded and linked below.

1. September 29 at 3 PM EST: REGISTER HERE

2. October 19 at 3 PM EST: REGISTER HERE

3. October 27 at 3 PM EST: REGISTER HERE

Application Deadlines

• November 14, 2021. Questions about applying for this funding opportunity may be submitted through email to LOC-grants@loc.gov with the subject of” NOFO 030ADV21R0696″ until 5:00 p.m. on this date. No questions will be accepted after this date.
• November 22, 2021.  Applications for this funding opportunity are due by 12:00 p.m. (noon ET) on the date identified here.  Full application packages should be emailed to the Library by this time. Applications must be submitted by email to LOC-grants@loc.gov.  See Section D.3 Application Package and Submission Requirements in the Notice of Funding Opportunity for more information.

Visit the Notice on grants.gov, click on “Related Documents” and download all forms

For more information and to apply, visit: https://blogs.loc.gov/ofthepeople/2021/09/ccdi-grant-asr/