Opportunity Information: Apply for 030ADV26R0050
The Lewis-Houghton Civics and Democracy Initiative: New Awards for 2027-2029 is a discretionary funding opportunity from the Library of Congress (LOC) that will make cooperative agreement awards to support education projects that use the Librarys digitized primary sources to strengthen history, civics, and democracy learning for middle and high school audiences. The initiative sits under the Librarys long-running Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) program, which since 2006 has funded organizations to help teachers and students learn to work with primary sources in ways that build literacy, critical thinking, content knowledge, and original research skills. These new LHI awards continue that broader TPS mission, while concentrating specifically on civics and democracy learning through creative, arts-driven approaches that are digitally enabled.
This opportunity is authorized under the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act of 2023 (Pub. L. 117-389, H.R. 8237), and it is explicitly subject to the availability of funds. Award administration will follow Library of Congress Regulation (LCR) 7-310. Because the Library of Congress is a legislative branch agency, it is not automatically subject to the full set of requirements in 2 CFR 200 (Uniform Guidance), but the notice explains that selected provisions of 2 CFR 200 will apply as determined by the Library and specified in the NOFO. In practical terms, applicants should expect federal-style compliance expectations, but defined by the Librarys rules and the specific terms of the award.
The initiative is named for Rep. John R. Lewis and Rep. Amo Houghton, reflecting a bipartisan congressional interest in expanding high-quality civics and democracy education. Congress established the initiative and directed funds to the Library of Congress to make grants to eligible organizations across the United States and its territories. The emphasis is on projects that use Library of Congress digitized primary sources in ways that are both creative and effective for teaching history, civics, and/or democracy, with a strong preference for digitally delivered or digitally supported models that can reach educators and learners beyond a single classroom.
A defining requirement of LHI-funded projects is that they must incorporate rights-free materials from the Librarys music and/or creative arts-related digital collections. The notice frames this broadly: proposals can draw from music, dance, theater, visual arts, folk arts, film, photography, book arts, and arts and literary manuscripts, among other creative arts holdings. The goal is not simply to showcase arts materials, but to make them central to inquiry-driven learning experiences where students analyze primary sources, strengthen civic skills, and are encouraged toward informed participation in democratic life. Projects can also incorporate arts-based pedagogies and other creative instructional approaches, as long as they expand the field of innovative strategies, tools, and materials for teaching and learning with Library of Congress resources.
The Library outlines several eligible project approaches, and applicants can build a proposal around one or more of them. Funded work may (a) deliver educational programming for secondary educators and learners (middle and high school), (b) create and distribute instructional materials or tools focused on specific history, civics, and/or democracy content, (c) convene organizations with shared interests to develop strategies and collaborations around using LOC music and arts collections for learning goals, and/or (d) conduct research, with significant practitioner involvement, that studies the impact of integrating LOC music or creative arts primary sources into civics and democracy education initiatives. Across these options, the notice stresses that projects should be designed around demonstrated educational needs for specific audiences and should propose solutions that are supported by standard practice, documented experience, and/or research.
Organizations that receive awards become members of the TPS Educational Consortium, a national network of TPS-funded partners that includes school districts, libraries, universities, cultural institutions, and technology firms. Consortium members are described as "connectors" who extend the Librarys reach by helping large numbers of educators and students engage with Library methods and materials. Membership implies expectations around collaboration, co-creation, sharing, and active participation in the TPS community, not just completing an isolated project. LHI awardees form a subset of this consortium with work aligned to areas such as arts integration, civics education, multimodal learning, and teaching with audiovisual primary sources.
From a funding and competition standpoint, the opportunity is listed under Funding Opportunity Number 030ADV26R0050, CFDA 42.015, with a cooperative agreement as the funding instrument (meaning the Library expects substantial involvement or partnership during project performance, beyond a standard grant relationship). The award ceiling is $100,000, with an anticipated six awards. The original closing date for applications is 2026-09-18, and the opportunity was created on 2026-08-07. The eligible applicant category is listed as "Others," which signals that a range of organization types may apply, but applicants should rely on the detailed eligibility language in the full NOFO for the controlling requirements.
For questions, the Library directs applicants to submit general program questions by email to tps-grant@loc.gov by the deadline in Section B of the notice, using a specific email subject line: "Notice 030ADV26R0050 - Lewis-Houghton Initiative New Awards - 2027." The Library will publish responses in a Q and A document on grants.gov, and late questions may not be answered. Applicants who run into submission issues can request technical assistance through the technical questions deadline listed in Section B, with additional instructions referenced in Section C of the notice.Apply for 030ADV26R0050
- The Library of Congress in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Lewis-Houghton Civics and Democracy Initiative: New Awards for 2027-2029" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 42.015.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2026-08-07.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-09-18. (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 $100,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 6 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) What is the Lewis-Houghton Civics and Democracy Initiative: New Awards for 2027-2029?
It is a discretionary funding opportunity from the Library of Congress (LOC) to make cooperative agreement awards supporting education projects that use the Library's digitized primary sources to strengthen history, civics, and democracy learning for middle and high school audiences.
2) Which Library of Congress program is this initiative part of?
This initiative sits under the Library's Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) program, which has funded organizations since 2006 to help teachers and students learn to work with primary sources to build literacy, critical thinking, content knowledge, and original research skills.
3) What is the main focus of these new awards compared to the broader TPS mission?
These awards continue the broader TPS mission but concentrate specifically on civics and democracy learning through creative, arts-driven approaches that are digitally enabled.
4) Who is the target audience for funded projects?
Funded projects are intended for middle and high school audiences, including secondary educators and learners.
5) What types of primary sources must projects use?
Projects must use the Library of Congress digitized primary sources, with a defining requirement that they incorporate rights-free materials from the Library's music and/or creative arts-related digital collections.
6) What does "rights-free materials" mean in the context of this opportunity?
The opportunity requires that projects incorporate rights-free materials from the Library's music and/or creative arts-related digital collections. The notice does not provide additional definitions in the summary provided, so applicants should follow the NOFO's language and the Library's collection rights information when selecting materials.
7) Which creative arts collections are considered eligible for meeting the arts requirement?
The notice describes this broadly and includes examples such as music, dance, theater, visual arts, folk arts, film, photography, book arts, and arts and literary manuscripts, among other creative arts holdings.
8) Is it enough to simply include arts materials in a project?
No. The goal is not simply to showcase arts materials. The arts-related primary sources should be central to inquiry-driven learning experiences where students analyze primary sources, strengthen civic skills, and are encouraged toward informed participation in democratic life.
9) Are digitally delivered projects required?
The opportunity expresses a strong preference for digitally delivered or digitally supported models that can reach educators and learners beyond a single classroom.
10) What kinds of project approaches are eligible?
Applicants may propose one or more of the following approaches:
- Deliver educational programming for secondary educators and learners (middle and high school).
- Create and distribute instructional materials or tools focused on specific history, civics, and/or democracy content.
- Convene organizations with shared interests to develop strategies and collaborations around using LOC music and arts collections for learning goals.
- Conduct research, with significant practitioner involvement, to study the impact of integrating LOC music or creative arts primary sources into civics and democracy education initiatives.
11) What does the notice say about how projects should be designed?
The notice stresses that projects should be designed around demonstrated educational needs for specific audiences and should propose solutions supported by standard practice, documented experience, and/or research.
12) What is the funding instrument for this opportunity?
The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, meaning the Library expects substantial involvement or partnership during project performance beyond a standard grant relationship.
13) What is the maximum award amount?
The award ceiling is $100,000.
14) How many awards does the Library anticipate making?
The opportunity anticipates six awards.
15) What is the application deadline?
The original closing date for applications is 2026-09-18.
16) When was this opportunity posted/created?
The opportunity was created on 2026-08-07.
17) What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this program?
The Funding Opportunity Number is 030ADV26R0050.
18) What is the CFDA number listed for this opportunity?
The opportunity is listed under CFDA 42.015.
19) Who is eligible to apply?
The eligible applicant category is listed as "Others," indicating that a range of organization types may apply. However, applicants should rely on the detailed eligibility language in the full NOFO as the controlling requirements.
20) What does it mean that this opportunity is "subject to the availability of funds"?
It means awards are contingent on funds being available. Even if applications are strong, the Library's ability to make awards depends on appropriated funding.
21) What authority authorizes this initiative?
This opportunity is authorized under the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act of 2023 (Pub. L. 117-389, H.R. 8237).
22) What rules govern award administration?
Award administration will follow Library of Congress Regulation (LCR) 7-310.
23) Does 2 CFR 200 (Uniform Guidance) apply to this opportunity?
Because the Library of Congress is a legislative branch agency, it is not automatically subject to the full set of requirements in 2 CFR 200. The notice explains that selected provisions of 2 CFR 200 will apply as determined by the Library and specified in the NOFO. Applicants should expect federal-style compliance expectations as defined by the Library's rules and the specific award terms.
24) Why is the initiative named the Lewis-Houghton Civics and Democracy Initiative?
It is named for Rep. John R. Lewis and Rep. Amo Houghton, reflecting a bipartisan congressional interest in expanding high-quality civics and democracy education.
25) What is the TPS Educational Consortium and what happens if an organization is awarded?
Organizations that receive awards become members of the TPS Educational Consortium, a national network of TPS-funded partners (including school districts, libraries, universities, cultural institutions, and technology firms). Consortium members are described as "connectors" who extend the Library's reach by helping large numbers of educators and students engage with Library methods and materials.
26) What expectations come with TPS Educational Consortium membership?
Membership implies expectations around collaboration, co-creation, sharing, and active participation in the TPS community, not only completing an isolated project.
27) Are LHI awardees treated differently within the TPS Educational Consortium?
LHI awardees form a subset of the consortium with work aligned to areas such as arts integration, civics education, multimodal learning, and teaching with audiovisual primary sources.
28) How should applicants submit general program questions?
General program questions should be submitted by email to tps-grant@loc.gov by the deadline in Section B of the notice, using the required email subject line specified by the Library.
29) What email subject line is required for questions?
The required subject line is: "Notice 030ADV26R0050 - Lewis-Houghton Initiative New Awards - 2027".
30) Will the Library answer questions submitted after the deadline?
The notice states that late questions may not be answered.
31) How will answers to submitted questions be shared?
The Library will publish responses in a Q and A document on grants.gov.
32) What if an applicant experiences technical issues during submission?
Applicants can request technical assistance through the technical questions deadline listed in Section B, with additional instructions referenced in Section C of the notice.
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