R Package Development and Data Certification for the National Park Service Units of the National Capital Region and the Northeast
🏛 National Park Service (DOI-NPS)
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Jul 15, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for research institutions, universities, nonprofit organizations, and technical specialists to develop R packages and provide data certification services for National Park Service units in the National Capital Region and the Northeast. The funding supports software development that enables NPS to manage, analyze, and certify park data more effectively. Eligible applicants typically include academic institutions, research organizations, and consulting firms with demonstrated expertise in R programming, data science, and geospatial analysis. The geographic scope is limited to the National Capital Region and Northeast NPS units, though applications may be submitted from anywhere if they directly support parks in these regions. Eligible activities include R package development, data quality assessment, documentation, training, and certification processes.
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Program description
The objective of this Agreement is to advance historic preservation at the local level by establishing a task agreement between the National Park Service and the National Alliance of Preservation Commissions (NAPC) to provide training opportunities, promote the Federal Certified Local Government program, and strengthen local preservation commissions by providing bi-annual State Certified Local Government Coordinator Training
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
How to apply
Application links
Required documents
- SF-424 (federal application form)
- Project narrative describing the R package scope, data certification approach, and deliverables
- Detailed budget and budget justification
- Letters of support from target NPS units in the National Capital Region or Northeast
- Organizational capacity statement demonstrating prior experience with R development and/or data management projects
- Timeline with milestones for package development, testing, and certification processes
- Data management plan explaining how data will be handled, validated, and certified
- Evaluation plan showing how success will be measured
- Letters of commitment from partners or collaborators (if applicable)
Program contact
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 15.945 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
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$10,167,653
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$7,597,500
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$5,526,806
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$5,343,415
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$3,866,668
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$3,596,467
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$3,351,611
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$3,000,000
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$2,999,788
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$2,993,815
Top States by Funding
- HI 9 awards $23.0M
- FL 11 awards $14.2M
- CO 5 awards $9.0M
- OR 4 awards $5.9M
- VI 4 awards $4.5M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 15.945). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2019 | $39,157,560 | |
| 2020 | $39,783,735 | |
| 2021 | $45,193,276 | |
| 2022 | $50,964,626 | |
| 2023 | $70,083,605 | |
| 2024 | $86,083,277 | |
| 2025 est. | $80,000,000 | |
| 2026 est. | $80,000,000 |
FAQ
What types of organizations can apply for this grant?
Research institutions, universities, nonprofits, and technical consulting firms with expertise in R programming and data management are typically eligible. Some applications may be accepted from federal contractors or individuals with specialized technical skills.
What is the geographic scope of this grant?
The grant specifically supports work for National Park Service units in the National Capital Region and the Northeast. However, applicants do not need to be located in these regions—they need to demonstrate how their work will benefit NPS parks in these areas.
What activities does this grant fund?
Typical funded activities include R package development, data certification and quality assurance, documentation, user training, and implementation of data standards for NPS operations.
What is the typical funding range?
Specific amounts vary by project scope. Check with NPS for typical award ranges, as this varies based on project complexity and the number of parks served.
How competitive is this grant?
This is a specialized grant with relatively limited competition. Strong proposals demonstrate prior experience with NPS systems, existing data certification frameworks, or similar environmental data projects.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Establish partnership with at least one NPS unit in the target regions early in your planning process; direct stakeholder input strengthens applications and ensures your work meets real operational needs.
- Emphasize reproducibility and open-source practices in your R package design; NPS values code that other parks can easily adopt and maintain beyond the grant period.
- Include a clear data governance and quality assurance plan that explains how certification will be sustained after grant funding ends.
- Provide detailed documentation plans, including vignettes and tutorials that NPS staff (who may have varying technical skill levels) can use to adopt your tools.
- Budget for training and capacity-building activities; demonstrating how park staff will learn to use your package increases the likelihood of long-term adoption and impact.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Many applications fail by proposing overly complex R packages with unclear relevance to NPS operational needs, or by underestimating the effort required for documentation and training. Applicants often neglect to secure buy-in from target NPS units before submission, resulting in proposals that don't address real park priorities. Weak applications also lack a sustainability plan for how parks will maintain the software and data certification processes after grant funding concludes.
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