Utah Oral History Grant Program

The Oral History Grant is a collaborative funding opportunity provided by Utah Humanities and the Utah Historical Society. The grant supports oral history research by offering financial assistance for interviews, transcription, and research costs. The program aims to collect and preserve oral histories, ensuring that transcripts and recordings are made publicly available through the Utah Historical Society Library and other designated depositories. The initiative is tied to the Peoples of Utah Revisited project, which aligns with the Utah250 and America250 commemorations.

The grant provides up to $3,000 per project, with a requirement that the project be completed within a 12-month period. Extensions are rarely approved and must be requested in writing. Funding is intended for well-defined, innovative, and community-focused oral history projects. Grant recipients must ensure that oral history products are accessible to the public by depositing transcripts and recordings in the Utah Historical Society Library. A mandatory public program must also be conducted to share collected stories and encourage community discussion.

Eligible applicants include organizations based in Utah such as historical societies, museums, tribes, government agencies, colleges and universities, statewide heritage organizations, and other nonprofit or ad hoc groups engaged in oral history research. Individual applicants and for-profit entities are not eligible. All applicants must register with SAM.gov and obtain a Unique Entity ID to receive funding, as the grants are federally funded.

The grant requires a 50% match, which can be fulfilled through in-kind contributions or cash. Examples of in-kind contributions include volunteer time, facilities, and services, while cash match refers to direct expenses such as honoraria, travel, and transcription costs. Grantees must document all expenditures and provide matching contribution records. Requests for international travel or equipment purchases are rarely approved.

Projects must adhere to oral history standards set by the national Oral History Association. Interviewees must be informed of project purposes and provide legal consent before their stories are used. Scholars trained in oral history methodologies must be involved in the project, and training for interviewers and transcribers is required through the Utah Historical Society. Grant recipients must submit final products, including audio recordings, transcripts, legal release forms, and documentation of the required public program.

Draft applications are due on March 1, June 1, September 1, and December 1, with final applications reviewed in April, July, October, and January. Notifications of award decisions are typically made by the 15th of the following month. Interested applicants are encouraged to seek early guidance from grant administrators and ensure that all project details and personnel commitments are finalized before submission. Contact information for inquiries includes Caitlin McDonald, Grants Program Officer at Utah Humanities, and Monique Davila, Community Engagement Coordinator at the Utah Historical Society.