Castillo de San Marcos & Fort Matanzas National Monuments Metals Preservation and Conservation | P17AS00843

Opportunity Information: Apply for P17AS00843

The National Park Service (NPS) grant opportunity titled "Castillo de San Marcos and Fort Matanzas National Monuments Metals Preservation and Conservation" (Funding Opportunity Number P17AS00843) is a discretionary cooperative agreement focused on protecting and extending the life of important historic metal artifacts held and displayed at two nationally significant coastal forts in Florida. The project is grounded in the NPS core mission to preserve natural and cultural resources "unimpaired" for current and future generations, with an emphasis here on cultural resources that are especially vulnerable because they are exposed to harsh outdoor conditions. The funding supports hands-on conservation work and related professional practices that help the NPS meet its long-term obligation to preserve museum collections in perpetuity.

The need for the project is driven by the reality that NPS cultural resources, including museum objects and historic building materials, often exist in environments that accelerate deterioration. At Castillo de San Marcos and Fort Matanzas, those risks are especially pronounced because of the sub-tropical, coastal marine setting. Fluctuating temperature and relative humidity, salt-laden air, storms, hurricanes, and general weathering all contribute to corrosion and material breakdown, particularly for iron. The opportunity also recognizes that older preservation approaches or repairs using incompatible materials can worsen deterioration over time, making modern, well-documented conservation treatments essential. In that context, the NPS highlights that effective stewardship frequently requires interdisciplinary expertise, experimentation, and up-to-date research and documentation methods.

The central objective of the grant is the conservation of museum-collection artillery on public display at Castillo de San Marcos and Fort Matanzas National Monuments. Specifically, the project is designed to treat 28 iron cannons dating to the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. These cannons are part of the park's museum collection and represent significant historical technology and military heritage. The treatments supported under this award are intended to improve the cannons' long-term condition and stability, addressing corrosion and other forms of deterioration so the objects can remain safely displayed and interpreted for visitors while reducing ongoing damage from the environment.

Administratively, this opportunity was issued by the National Park Service under CFDA Number 15.945, with the funding instrument set as a cooperative agreement, meaning the NPS would typically expect substantial involvement in project coordination or technical oversight rather than simply issuing a hands-off grant. The opportunity anticipated a single award (Expected Awards: 1) with an award ceiling of $500,000. The opportunity was created on September 29, 2017, and had an original closing date of November 27, 2017.

Eligibility is targeted rather than open to all applicants. The solicitation specifies that eligible applicants are institutions that are active members of one of four Regional Critical Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) Networks: Gulf Coast, South Florida-Caribbean, Piedmont-South Atlantic Coast, and Southern Appalachian Mountains. This requirement ties the project to the CESU partnership framework, which is commonly used by federal land management agencies to collaborate with qualified research and technical institutions. In practical terms, the grant is aimed at partners with demonstrated capacity to support specialized conservation work, research, and documentation aligned with NPS standards, ultimately ensuring these historically important iron cannons receive professional preservation treatments suited to their demanding coastal environment.

• The National Park Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Castillo de San Marcos & Fort Matanzas National Monuments Metals Preservation and Conservation" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.945.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-09-29.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-11-27. (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 $500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for P17AS00843

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: