Friends and Colleagues: Museums constantly lament the lack of funding for creating and deploying innovative technology projects. But here is an almost always overlooked excellent mechanism for realizing a creative idea for the use of technology, which includes hardware, software, training, network costs, etc: The U.S. Department of Commerce (yes, commerce) Technology Opportunities Program (TOP). Technology. Opportunities. Program.
The Cleveland Museum of Art, as previous beneficiary of this program, was able to implement a broadband, interactive video, lifelong learning program for older persons at adult residencies, adult day care, and for isolated persons at home. But the examples of museums trying for this money are few and far between! [Examples are on the TOP web site. see link below] Program staff have been knowledgeable, supportive and great to work with. Continued federal funding has just been approved, but the postmark deadline is April 23! [But the process is not as onerous as the ones used by some other agencies.] Go for it! As a frequent attendee of Museums and the Web and MCN conferences, I know there are lots of great ideas out there! The program is NOT looking for anyone to INVENT technology. Use up to date or emerging technology in AN INNOVATIVE WAY. Partnerships/collaboration is vital so get started. Contact Don Druker at the TOP program for more information and advice. NO ONE ELSE. He is the "museum" guy and will give excellent feedback to your ideas, as well as resources. If museums do not actively pursue funding opportunities that are available, then we will lose them to other federal priorities, and deprive ourselves of the "moral authority" to demand more funds. The program description is below. Good Luck! Len Steinbach Chief Information Officer Cleveland Museum of Art Past-president on the Board of MCN FROM THE TOP SITE http://www.ntia.doc.gov/top/grants/application.htm As a national program, TOP emphasizes innovation, learning, and diffusion of new ideas and practical knowledge. Through TOP, NTIA provides organizations with opportunities to explore the possibilities that new telecommunications and information technology offer to improve the provision of educational, cultural, health care, public information, public safety, or other social services. TOP projects demonstrate innovative applications of new telecommunications and information technology to address pressing needs in the public and non-profit sectors. Therefore, TOP expects applicants to present a clear vision and a workable plan to apply technologies to address specific challenges in their communities. Rather than simply requesting funds to build capacity or upgrade existing equipment, each application should describe a project that pinpoints specific problems, proposes creative solutions, and postulates measurable outcomes. All funded projects must be interactive in that they foster the exchange and sharing of information among individuals and/or groups, as opposed to one-way or broadcast systems. Because these grants will serve as national models for other communities, NTIA expects each project to include provisions for a thorough, independent evaluation that will provide valid and reliable data as well as valuable lessons learned to be shared with others interested in the project. In previous fiscal years, NTIA supported planning projects. The emphasis for Fiscal Year 2003 is on projects that deploy, use, and evaluate applications of new telecommunications technology. NTIA will, however, support projects that incorporate some planning activities as part of the proposed project. --- You are currently subscribed to mcn_mcn-l as: rlancefi...@mail.wesleyan.edu To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-mcn_mcn-l-12800...@listserver.americaneagle.com
