Registration deadline: March 3
Application deadlines: April 1, July 1

A better understanding of an institution's material holdings is key to the development of exhibitions, public dialogues, and collecting practices. This category offers support to museums to conduct new research on collections, provide accountability for collections through cataloguing, and initiate collections care activities. Support is focused on non-living collections owned by the applicant museum.

Organizations with comprehensive collections management projects should consider applying for a component of the overall plan that can be accomplished within the 12-month grant period.

For requests involving the processing of archival collections (letters, ledgers, and business records), please contact your regional Documentary Heritage Program. (See Arts Resources section for access to regional sites.) For library materials, please contact the New York State Program for the Conservation and Preservation of Library Research Materials.

Support may be requested for such activities as storage improvement, conservation surveys, collections assessment, new collections research, catalogues of permanent collections, historic furnishings reports, cataloguing, and digitizing collections. Support for an exhibition catalogue is available in the Exhibitions category. Requests for extensive storage improvements are referred to NYSCA's Capital Projects category. The Program discourages requests primarily for purchasing equipment or transferring data. The strongest requests in this category clearly connect the importance of the work to a public dimension and broader organizational capacity. To be competitive, organizations should have an up-to-date collections management plan/policy.

Organizations may receive up to three years of support in this category for the same project. If support is requested for a second or third year, applicants must describe and present work already accomplished to justify continued support.

Application Instructions

The on-line application form includes the following questions, and a project budget. Required support materials are listed below.

Application Narrative Questions

1. Project Summary
What is the purpose of the project? Why is it important to do this project now?

2. Collections
Describe the overall collection, and any sub-collection which is to be part of this request. What is the significance of the collection within its geographical, cultural, historical and/or artistic context?  

3. Methodology
What is the process by which you will complete this project? Describe your research plan, if appropriate.  

4. Project Context
How does this project relate to the organization's mission, collections management policy, and long-range plan? What impact do you anticipate it will have on the organization as a whole? How will it inform or relate to public programs and/or exhibitions?

5. Project Staff
What staff and/or consultants will work on this project? Please summarize their background and related qualifications.

6. Work Plan
Describe the key tasks and time line for successful completion of this project. Bullet or outline format is welcome.

7. Finances
Describe your plans for meeting current the expenses of this project.

8. Publication
If support for a catalog of the collection is being sought, what is the content and who are the authors? How will this catalog be marketed?

9. Technology
What cataloguing system do you use? If this is a technology-based project, what is the organization's technical capacity for such a project, and who will provide staff support?

Support materials must be postmarked or hand-delivered to the program by the application deadline. If you want support materials returned, provide a self-addressed stamped envelope.

1. Resumés or biographical statements of key personnel/consultants. (maximum 1-2 pages each)

2. Up to 10 images or website reference, that best illustrates your project. Be sure to identify the images. Powerpoint is preferred, but not required.

3. If you are seeking NYSCA support for a catalog, please provide samples of designer/ publisher's work.

4. Collections management plan (optional)