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National Leadership Grants

Program Information

Popular name

NLG; NLG-L; NLG-M

Program Number

45.312

Program objective

NLG supports projects that address critical needs of the museum and library fields and that have the potential to advance practice in these professions so that museums and libraries can strengthen services for the American public. NLG-Museums has three program goals with three associated objectives each. GOAL 1: Advance the museum field’s ability to empower people of all ages and backgrounds through experiential and cross-disciplinary learning and discovery. Obj. 1.1: Support the development, implementation, and dissemination of model programs that facilitate adoption across the field. Obj. 1.2: Support research focusing on the role of museums in engaging learners of all types. Obj. 1.3: Support forums that convene experts and stakeholders, including those from adjacent fields as appropriate, to explore current and emerging issues and inform the field. GOAL 2: Advance the museum field’s ability to maximize the use of museum resources to address community needs through partnerships and collaborations. Obj. 2.1: Support the development of new and innovative methods for addressing community challenges through partnerships, services, processes, or practices for use across the museum field. Obj. 2.2: Support research focusing on museums’ roles in engaging diverse audiences and fostering civic discourse. Obj. 2.3: Support forums that convene experts and stakeholders, including those from adjacent fields as appropriate, to explore current and emerging issues and inform the field. GOAL 3: Advance the museum field’s ability to identify new solutions that address high-priority and widespread collections care or conservation issues. Obj. 3.1: Support the development, implementation, and dissemination of new tools or services that facilitate access, management, preservation, sharing, and use of museum collections. Obj. 3.2: Support research focusing on any broadly relevant aspect of the management, conservation, and preservation of collections. Obj. 3.3: Support forums that convene experts and stakeholders, including those from adjacent fields as appropriate, to explore current and emerging issues and inform the field. NLG-Libraries has one program goal with four associated objectives. GOAL 1: Develop, enhance, or disseminate replicable practices, programs, models, or tools to strengthen library and archival services for the American public. Obj. 1.1: Serve the learning needs of the public through libraries and archives. Obj. 1.2: Improve community well-being through libraries and archives. Obj. 1.3: Provide broad access to and preservation of information and collections through libraries and archives. Obj. 1.4: Provide services to affected communities in the event of an emergency or disaster.

Program expenditures, by FY (2023 - 2025)

This chart shows obligations for the program by fiscal year. All data for this chart was provided by the administering agency and sourced from SAM.gov, USASpending.gov, and Treasury.gov.

For more information on each of these data sources, please see the About the data page.

Additional program information

  1. 2015

    69 awards made in FY15.

  2. 2021

    IMLS made 13 standard awards in NLG-Museums and 36 awards in NLG-Libraries plus an additional 67 awards funded through the CARES Act, designated CARES Act Grants for Museums and Libraries.

  3. 2024

    IMLS made 20 awards in NLG-Museums and 52 awards in NLG-Libraries.

Single Audit Applies (2 CFR Part 200 Subpart F):

For additional information on single audit requirements for this program, review the current Compliance Supplement.

OMB is working with the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) and agency offices of inspectors general to include links to relevant oversight reports. This section will be updated once this information is made available.

2 CFR Part 200, 2 CFR Part 3187. 20 USC Chapter 72 Museum and Library Services Act of 2018, § 9101-9176, in particular § 9162 (National leadership grants) and § 9173 (Museum services activities). Guidelines are available online at https://www.imls.gov/grants/grant-programs or upon request from IMLS, 955 L’Enfant Plaza North, SW, Suite 4000, Washington DC 20024-2135. See the IMLS website at www.imls.gov for the most current program information.

  1. 20 USC Chapter 72 Museum and Library Services Act of 2018 U.S.C. § § 9101-9176, in particular § 9162 (National leadership grants).
  2. Pub. L. 115, 410.