FY2024 NAGPRA Repatriation Grants | P24AS00502

Opportunity Information: Apply for P24AS00502

The FY2024 NAGPRA Repatriation Grants opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number P24AS00502) is a discretionary grant program run by the National Park Service under CFDA 15.922. Its purpose is narrow and practical: the funds must be used specifically to carry out repatriation under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), meaning the formal transfer of control of Native American human remains and certain cultural items to lineal descendants, Indian tribes, and Native Hawaiian organizations. The program also supports repatriation actions involving culturally unidentifiable Native American human remains (often referred to as CUI) when disposition is completed consistent with the NAGPRA regulations at 43 CFR 10.11.

The grant is designed to cover real, on-the-ground costs that can otherwise delay or prevent repatriation. Eligible project expenses include packaging and preparing remains or cultural items for return, transportation and shipping, contamination removal (when needed to ensure safe handling and proper care), reburial activities, and temporary storage directly tied to NAGPRA-related repatriation work. In other words, the funding is meant to remove logistical and financial barriers so that returns can happen respectfully, safely, and in accordance with the law and applicable agreements.

Eligibility is focused on the parties most directly involved in NAGPRA repatriation. Applicants may include Indian Tribes, Alaska Native villages, and Native Hawaiian organizations (NHOs). For tribes, the Department of the Interior interprets the NAGPRA definition as applying to the federally recognized tribes and Alaska Native villages (noting the commonly cited figure of 574 recognized tribes and villages), consistent with the Bureau of Indian Affairs list of federally recognized tribes available through bia.gov. Alaska regional or village corporations are not listed as eligible applicants under this definition, but the notice indicates they may participate as partners on a project. For NHOs, the opportunity uses the NAGPRA-based framing: an eligible organization must serve and represent the interests of Native Hawaiians, have the provision of services to Native Hawaiians as a primary and stated purpose, and demonstrate expertise in Native Hawaiian affairs; NAGPRA also specifies that this category includes the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

Museums may also be eligible to apply, but only if they have control of Native American human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, or objects of cultural patrimony and have received federal funds. The term "museum" is used broadly here and can include state or local government agencies, private institutions, and institutions of higher education, as long as they have received federal funds. A key limitation is compliance: museums found to be out of compliance with NAGPRA may be excluded from consideration, reflecting the program's emphasis on supporting lawful and timely repatriation rather than rewarding institutions that are not meeting statutory obligations.

There are clear exclusions and review considerations as well. Federal agencies and the Smithsonian Institution are not eligible to apply. In addition, past performance can matter: applicants who previously received a NAGPRA grant but allowed it to expire without completing major elements of the work, or without meeting the award conditions, may be penalized during the review process. The notice also advises that anyone uncertain about eligibility should contact the awarding agency using the contact information referenced in Section G of the full announcement.

In terms of basic award structure and timing, the listed award ceiling is $25,000. The original closing date shown is May 9, 2025. The funding instrument is a grant, the opportunity category is discretionary, and the activity category is listed as "Other." The eligible applicant types shown in the source data include a wide mix of government entities and organizations (such as state and local governments, public and private higher education institutions, nonprofits, and tribal governments), but the narrative eligibility language clarifies that NAGPRA repatriation grants are specifically intended for tribes/villages/NHOs and eligible museums with control of NAGPRA items and federal funding history, with certain exclusions for noncompliance and federal entities.

• The National Park Service in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY2024 NAGPRA Repatriation Grants" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.922.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-11-20.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-05-09. (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 $25,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others.

Apply for P24AS00502

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