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Call for Applications 2025-26
The UCLA Library Modern Endangered Archives Program (MEAP) offers grants to support the documentation and digitization of at-risk global cultural heritage collections. Funded by Arcadia, MEAP has been awarding grants since 2019 to preserve and create access to endangered archival materials from the 20th and 21st Centuries, including print, photographic, film, video, audio, ephemeral, and born-digital objects.
MEAP invites applications for its eighth cohort of projects to document, digitize, and make accessible collections at risk from environmental conditions, political uncertainty, inherently unsustainable media, inappropriate storage, or communal and social change. All materials created with MEAP funding will be published on the open access UCLA Digital Library.
The 2025-26 Call for Applications is available for download in Arabic(opens in a new tab), English(opens in a new tab), French(opens in a new tab), Indonesian(opens in a new tab), Portuguese(opens in a new tab), Spanish(opens in a new tab), Swahili(opens in a new tab).
Available Grants
MEAP offers three grants during this application cycle: Regional Grants, Project Grants, and Planning Grants.
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Regional Grants
Opportunity to expand on previous MEAP digitization. Create digital collections that include cultural heritage materials from three or more institutions, families, or archival repositories. - about
Project Grants
Funding for digitizing and documenting archival content or curating already-digital assets. - about
Planning Grants
Funding to evaluate and prepare materials for digitization.
Application Cycle 2025 - 26
MEAP has a two round application process. All applicants must submit a Preliminary Application through our online application system available at meap.smapply.io(opens in a new tab). All applications must be submitted in English.
Applications open September 16, 2025
Applicant Webinar October 9, 2024 at 8am Pacific Time | Registration Required(opens in a new tab)
Preliminary Applications due November 17, 2025
Preliminary Application decisions communicated December 2024
Detailed Applications (for invited applicants) due February 20, 2026
Awards announced Summer 2025
Open Access Requirement
MEAP is an Open Access program. All content created through grant funding must be shared openly online at meap.library.ucla.edu. This includes surveys or inventories for Planning Grants and digital images, audio, film, or video files for Project and Regional Grants.
Project teams are responsible for securing necessary permissions for Open Access publication.
Project and Regional Grant applicants must provide evidence of permission for publication at the Detailed Application phase.
Planning Grant projects may build in time to explore rights-related questions.
Application Resources
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Program Guidelines
These guidelines define the scope and eligibility requirements for the MEAP grant program. - default
MEAP Applicant Handbook 2025-26
The updated MEAP Applicant Handbook includes details about the MEAP application process and shares resources for drafting a strong application. - default
MEAP Application Checklist (2025-26)
Need some guidance working through the MEAP Application Process? Download the 2025-26 Application Checklist. - default
Preliminary Application Template 2025-26 (Cohort 8)
Template for Application Planning Purposes. Applications are due November 17, 2025 via the MEAP online application portal. *Note that the Preliminary Application has been edited for 2025-26.