FY2023 Historic Preservation Fund - Historically Black Colleges and Universities Grants | P23AS00501

Opportunity Information: Apply for P23AS00501

The FY2023 Historic Preservation Fund - Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Grants (Funding Opportunity Number P23AS00501) is a National Park Service discretionary grant program under CFDA 15.932 that supports the preservation of historic resources on HBCU campuses. The program was first established in 1988 with a clear preservation purpose: to document, preserve, and stabilize historic structures tied to the history and legacy of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. In practice, the funding is aimed at repairing and rehabilitating significant campus buildings and related historic structures so they can remain usable and protected for future generations, while also ensuring that the work respects recognized preservation standards.

Eligible applicants are accredited Historically Black Colleges and Universities, including public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and other qualifying HBCU entities. A key threshold requirement is that the property involved in the proposed project must already be listed in the National Register of Historic Places, or be eligible for listing, or be designated as a National Historic Landmark. Properties may qualify either as individually listed sites or as contributing resources within a National Register or National Historic Landmark historic district. If a property is not yet listed but is eligible, the application must include a formal Determination of Eligibility from the relevant State Historic Preservation Office. If the property is not listed at the time of application, the project is expected to include preparing a new National Register nomination or amending an existing nomination as part of the grant-funded scope of work.

The program primarily funds physical preservation work, especially repairs that address deterioration and threats to historic fabric, with the goal of long-term stabilization and continued use. At the same time, it is not limited strictly to construction or repair; it can also support preservation planning activities that are often necessary to do the work correctly and in compliance with preservation rules. This includes historic resource surveys, documentation, nomination work for National Register listing, and broader campus preservation planning efforts that help institutions understand what they have, what is historically significant, and how to prioritize and manage preservation over time.

All proposed work must meet the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and Guidelines for Archeology and Historic Preservation, which effectively means projects need to follow best-practice preservation methods rather than treating historic buildings like ordinary facilities projects. That requirement shapes everything from architectural and engineering approaches to materials selection, treatment methods, and documentation, and it is also part of what the program uses to judge whether a proposal is feasible and appropriate. Projects are expected to align with major program selection criteria (not detailed in the provided text), which typically means the National Park Service will be looking for strong historic significance, clear need, readiness and capacity to complete the work, and a sound plan and budget that can deliver preservation outcomes consistent with federal standards.

For FY2023, the opportunity lists an award ceiling of $750,000. The original closing date for applications is January 17, 2024, and the opportunity record shows a creation date of October 4, 2023. Overall, the grant is designed to help HBCUs protect historically and architecturally important campus resources, support formal recognition of those resources through National Register processes when needed, and ensure that preservation work is carried out in a way that maintains historic integrity while extending the life and usefulness of these places.

• The National Park Service in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY2023 Historic Preservation Fund - Historically Black Colleges and Universities Grants" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.932.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-10-04.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-01-17. (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 $750,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others.

Apply for P23AS00501

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