Shared Beringian Heritage Program 2021 Funding Call | P21AS00337

Opportunity Information: Apply for P21AS00337

The Shared Beringian Heritage Program 2021 Funding Call (Funding Opportunity Number P21AS00337) is a discretionary National Park Service grant opportunity offered through a cooperative agreement. It is tied to the Shared Beringian Heritage Program, which generally supports projects connected to the natural and cultural heritage of the Beringia region, an area known for its ecological importance and long human history linking what is now Alaska and the Russian Far East. The public notice provided here is brief and repeatedly directs applicants to the full announcement for program priorities, required project elements, and detailed submission instructions, so the most important takeaway is that prospective applicants need to rely on the full solicitation text to understand what kinds of activities are being prioritized in 2021 and what the National Park Service expects as deliverables.

This opportunity uses the cooperative agreement instrument rather than a standard grant, which usually indicates that the National Park Service anticipates substantial involvement during the life of the project. In practice, that can mean collaboration on project design, coordination, technical input, data sharing expectations, review of interim products, or joint participation in outreach and reporting. The funding activity category is listed as "Other," and the program is associated with CFDA numbers 15.944, 15.945, and 15.946, which are National Park Service assistance listings that can cover a range of NPS resource stewardship, cultural resource, and partnership activities depending on the specific program and year.

The maximum award amount (award ceiling) is $75,000. The notice does not specify the total number of expected awards, leaving that field blank, so applicants should assume the number of awards could vary based on available funds, the quality of proposals, and program needs. The original closing date for applications was April 11, 2021, and the opportunity record shows a creation date of February 12, 2021, which reflects when the opportunity was posted or published in the system.

Eligible applicants are broad and include state governments, county governments, and city or township governments, as well as independent school districts. Higher education institutions are eligible in both categories: public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education. Federally recognized Native American tribal governments are eligible, along with nonprofit organizations that have IRS 501(c)(3) status (excluding those that are institutions of higher education). This mix of eligible entities suggests the program is designed to support partnerships that may include academic research, cultural heritage documentation, education and interpretation, community-based projects, and other public-facing or resource-focused work aligned with Beringian heritage, although the specific eligible project types and selection criteria must be confirmed in the full announcement.

A key condition highlighted in the description is related to Cooperative Ecosystem Study Unit (CESU) cooperative agreements. If the award is made through a CESU mechanism, the recipient must be a current member of the CESU National Network. CESUs are partnership networks that support collaborative research, technical assistance, and education, often with an emphasis on linking federal agencies with universities, tribes, nonprofits, and other partners. This requirement matters because CESU membership is not automatic; applicants considering a CESU cooperative agreement pathway would need to confirm that they (or their lead organization) are an active CESU member at the time of award, and they may need to structure the application accordingly. The short notice points applicants to the CESU National Network website for membership information, implying that this eligibility gate can affect whether an organization can receive funding under the CESU cooperative agreement route.

Overall, the opportunity can be summarized as an NPS-issued, partner-oriented funding call centered on Beringian heritage, offering awards up to $75,000 via cooperative agreement, open to governments, tribes, nonprofits, and higher education institutions, with a notable eligibility constraint for CESU-based agreements requiring current CESU network membership. The brief listing does not provide project themes, match requirements, period of performance, indirect cost treatment, or application components, so anyone evaluating fit or preparing a proposal would need to consult the full announcement to confirm program priorities, required narratives and budgets, review criteria, and any mandatory coordination or reporting expectations.

• The National Park Service in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Shared Beringian Heritage Program 2021 Funding Call" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.944, 15.945, 15.946.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2021-02-12.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-04-11. (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 $75,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.

Apply for P21AS00337

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