The goal of the National Leadership Grants for Libraries (NLG-L) Program is to develop, enhance, or disseminate replicable practices, programs, models, or tools to strengthen library and archival services for the American public.  Additional objectives include: (a) Serve the learning needs of the public through libraries and archives, (b) Improve community prosperity through libraries and archives, (c) Provide broad access to and preservation of information and collections through libraries and archives, and (d) Provide services to affected communities in the event of an emergency or disaster. This limited submission call is for Community-Centered Implementation projects only.

The program supports projects that:

• manage and preserve the national information infrastructure;
• serve the public’s information and education needs;
• enhance library and information services through effective and efficient use of new and emerging technologies;
• improve community prosperity;
• provide emergency services to communities during disasters and emergencies; and
• build collaborative partnerships between libraries, archives, and museums that benefit the communities they serve.

Community-Centered Implementation projects adapt existing models (practices, findings, tools, and/or partnerships) to a specific organizational context. 

• You must identify and align your proposed work with an established model (standard, practice, toolkit, open-source software, or research finding).
• Your project should demonstrate how it is using or adapting what you have identified.
• Your project should share resources and lessons learned that can be used by libraries and archives in other communities throughout the nation.

Projects must begin on September 1, 2026and can run until August 31, 2029. Project activities may be carried out for one to three years, based on the selected project type. 

Deadlines:

• Internal concept paper: 02/10/2026, 11:59 pm
• Full proposal due: March 13, 2026

Link to FOA Here

PI Eligibility: Individuals with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as a Principal Investigator (PI) are invited to work with their organizations to develop an application. Individuals from underrepresented groups as well as individuals with disabilities are always encouraged to apply.  

Institutional Limit: UD may submit only one Community-Centered Implementation application to this funding opportunity. [Note: There are no limits on the number of Planning, Forum, National Implementation, and Applied Research projects an institution can submit.] 

Application Information: Interested applicants must submit a CV for the lead PI and a summary of their proposed project (< 2 pages). Applications not adhering to this requirement will be returned without review.