In its first year, NOAA’s Preserve American Initiative Grant Program (PAIG) has awarded funding to six heritage proposals that…

…Preserve and highlight NOAA’s heritage resources
…Foster heritage tourism in the United States and its territories
…Boost and recharge our partnerships
…Promote research of heritage resources
…Develop educational programs and events
…Find new and exciting ways to capitalize on NOAA’s legacy

The PAIG is a competitive grant program that is internal to NOAA. Funds were awarded through NOAA program offices, though other federal, state, tribal, Native Hawaiian, academic, and non-profit organizations were encouraged to act as partners in the project.

NOAA is pleased to announce the following six proposals to receive funding in 2005:

The “Lure” of History: 75 Years of Fisheries Research at NOAA’s Montlake Facility
Creates a new partnership with the Museum of History and Industry to: prioritize and preserve NOAA heritage resources (books, photos, instruments, oral histories, documents), create both a permanent exhibit at the Museum and a 75th anniversary display, create a website for the 75th anniversary designed for middle school students, host a lecture at the Museum by a local historian and author.

Click here to view the RFP that was submitted for this project. This successful example can be helpful when submitting a proposed project for the FY06 PAIG!

Using Oral Histories to Preserve the Heritage of NOAA’s Arctic Research Programs
Conduct oral history interviews producing transcripts and digital versions, identify photos and documents referenced in the interviews and create a digital archive, create timeline of NOAA arctic activities, link timeline to available bibliographies.

Click here to view the RFP that was submitted for this project. This successful example can be helpful when submitting a proposed project for the FY06 PAIG!

NOAA’s Lesser Known Heritage: Vindicating Seward’s Folly
Recognizes NOAA’s diverse heritage in the Pribilof Islands, and the contributions of the Pribilovians, through preservation of the sealing plant on St. George Island, and development of interpretive displays and videos to be housed there.

Preserving Local Fisheries Heritage: Jonesport, ME
In conjunction with the NOAA/NMFS Local Fisheries Knowledge (LFK) Pilot Project, develops a local heritage center in the Peabody Memorial Library, Jonesport, ME. Provides equipment to record oral history interviews, preserve photographs and documents, make cultural heritage presentations, and computer support for the above.

Preserving Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Maritime Heritage:
Live Broadcast from the Steamship Portland
Provides hardware and software to enable live broadcast of an ROV survey of the Portland, to be viewed by the public at the New England Aquarium, and sent out over the World Wide Web.

Treasures of NOAA’s Ark at Nauticus, The National Maritime Center
Design, construct, and install a display based on Treasures of NOAA’s Ark to include local NOAA heritage resources housed at Nauticus. Develops a template that can be used at similar locations to highlight local NOAA heritage resources through the successful Treasures of NOAA’s Ark theme.

For questions, please contact John.Collins@noaa.gov.