[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 89 (Tuesday, May 7, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20545-20546]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-11261]



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NATIONAL FOUNDATION ON THE ARTS AND THE HUMANITIES


Institute of Museum Services; Research in Learning in Museums, 
Request for Proposals

AGENCY: Institute of Museum Services, NFAH.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of Funds for Cooperative Agreement to 
Support Research in Learning in Museums.

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SUMMARY: This announcement applies to a request for proposals to 
support, through a cooperative agreement(s), a collaborative team(s) 
which will design and conduct a program of theoretical and applied 
research on learning in museums. It is intended that support for this 
Request for Proposals is provided from the Institute of Museum 
Services, the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment 
for the Humanities and the National Science Foundation.

DEADLINE DATE FOR TRANSMITTAL OF PROPOSALS: Proposals must be received 
by Friday, August 2, 1996.

PROPOSALS DELIVERED BY MAIL: A proposal sent by mail must be addressed 
to the Institute of Museum Services, 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Room 
609, Washington, DC 20506.

PROPOSALS DELIVERED BY HAND: Proposals that are hand-delivered must be 
taken to the Institute of Museum Services, 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, 
NW, Room 609, Washington, DC 20506. Hand-delivered applications will be 
accepted between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. (Washington DC time) daily, 
except Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays. An application that is 
hand-delivered will not be accepted after 4:30 p.m. on the deadline 
date.

ADDRESSES: Institute of Museum Services, 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, 
Washington, DC 20506.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Rebecca Danvers, Program Director, (202) 606-8539. Deaf and hearing 
impaired individuals may call the TDD Line, (202) 606-8636.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The issue of learning in a museum setting is 
complex. Here, learning is viewed both as a process (involving 
perception and memory as shaped by prior experience to develop 
neurological structures) and as a product (including a range of ideas, 
feelings and sensations). This view mandates a broad conception in 
considering museum learning.
    As defined here, museums include art, history, natural history, and 
science museums; art, nature and science centers; historic houses and 
sites; children's museums planetariums, arboretums and botanical 
gardens, zoos and aquariums and general and specialized museums. They 
provide a wide range of content to a virtually unlimited variety of 
audiences. Thus the issues of museum learning cuts across a broad 
spectrum of contexts and contents.
    Museums share many of the characteristics of other educational 
organizations both in their educational missions and in their conduct 
of educational practice. However, museum based learning has important 
dimensions which may afford unique experiences for learners:
    Museums learning is inherently sensory, experiential and 
contextual. Much of what a visitor learns in a museum is subject 
specific, generally based on that museum's role as a repository of 
cultural artifacts, but much

[[Page 20546]]

of it is not. Museum learning is often ``object-centered'' and activity 
centered,'' but visitors also perceive and remember the other facets of 
a museum experience including the rich social, physical and personal 
contexts.
    Museum learning provides opportunities for active learning and 
provides for multiple points of entry into the learning experience. 
Because a museum visit may offer varied experiences, including the 
potential for discovery learning and for self-directed and self-paced 
inquiry, museums may provide learning experiences for a variety of 
learners with differing characteristics, needs expectations and 
learning styles.
    Although museum learning experiences include formal, nonformal. and 
informal modes, they often differ from or transcend the typical 
offerings of formal, sequential instruction tied to specified goals 
with clearly identified populations which are found in other 
educational organizations.

AVAILABLE FUNDS: An award(s) is expected to be no greater than 
$1,000,000 and may be less, depending on the availability of funds and 
the quality of proposals. The supporting funding agencies reserve the 
right to make one, multiple or no awards as a result of this request 
for proposals. The coordinating agency, the Institute of Museum 
Services, reserves the right to negotiate with the applicant to ensure 
that the goals of this request for proposals are met.

APPLICATION FORMS: Applicants may obtain application packets for 
Research in Learning in Museums, Request for Proposals, by contacting 
the Institute of Museum Services, 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Room 
609, Washington, DC 20506, (202) 606-8539, TDD Line--(202) 606-8636, or 
e-mail at [email protected].

APPLICABLE REGULATIONS: In addition to statutes and regulations 
referenced in the Statement of Assurances, these Office of Management 
and Budget Circulars may apply to the management of project activities 
by the cooperative team(s), depending on the organizational structure 
of the official applicant(s): A-21 Cost Principles for Educational 
Institutions; A-87 Cost Principles for State and Local Governments; A-
102 Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Cooperative 
Agreements to State and Local Governments; A-110 Uniform Administrative 
Requirement for Grants and Other Agreements to Non-Profit 
Organizations; A-122 Cost Principles for Non-Profit Organizations; A-
128 Audits of Institutions of Higher Education and Other Non-Profit 
Institutions; A-133 Audits of State and Local Governments.

(Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance No. 45.301, Institute of 
Museum Services)

    Dated: May 1, 1996.
Diane B. Frankel,
Director.
[FR Doc. 96-11261 Filed 5-6-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7036-01-M