Justification for Change - Sparks FY16

Justification for Change
3137-0029 General Clearance Grant Application and Post-Award Processes
IMLS is requesting a change to a previously approved clearance in order to change the verbiage
for the grant program, Sparks! Ignition Grants for Museums (Sparks-Museums). This verbiage
change for Sparks-Museums is requesting the same expiration date of 07/31/2018.
Previous request abstract:
IMLS requests delegation of authority to review and approve all agency information collection
requests (excluding surveys, evaluations, and data calls used for policy-making purposes, under
the Paperwork Reduction Act. The information collections in this package include all of the
guidelines and instructions to (1) apply for IMLS support, (2) identify grant reviewers, and (3)
complete post-award reports for the agency's grant programs. In a separate clearance submission
(3137-0071) and justification, IMLS has requested a three-year generic clearance for all forms
used in its grant programs, including application materials and post-award reports.

Justification for National Leadership Grants for Museums

The Sparks! Ignition Grants for Museums program is a special funding opportunity within the
IMLS National Leadership Grants for Museums program. These small grants encourage
museums to prototype and evaluate specific innovations in the ways they operate and the
services they provide. Project results – be they success, failure, or a combination thereof – should
offer valuable information to the museum field and the potential for improvement in the ways
museums serve their communities.
The attached draft contains a few minor language clarifications to reduce applicant confusion in
several sections of the NOFO; removes a few errors introduced during the agency
standardization of NOFOs; and responds to requests from both internal staff, as well as the
applicant community, to better align the Sparks-Museums grant program language with other
museum grant programs.
The respondent burden should remain the same.