Internship Training Program Zion National Park | P17AS00033

Opportunity Information: Apply for P17AS00033

The "Internship Training Program Zion National Park" (Funding Opportunity Number P17AS00033) is a discretionary funding opportunity from the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, issued under the Education activity category (CFDA 15.946). The program is structured as a cooperative agreement, meaning the National Park Service anticipates active involvement in guiding or collaborating on the work rather than simply issuing funds with minimal federal participation. The purpose of the award is to expand practical, career-relevant training opportunities for qualified students by placing them in internship roles where they can learn directly from federal professionals working in cultural resources.

The core focus of the internship experience is historic preservation and closely related disciplines that support the stewardship of public heritage resources. Interns are intended to work alongside National Park Service staff and other federal practitioners in fields such as archeology, history, museum management, and landscape architecture. Assignments are described as directed, which signals structured learning objectives and supervised tasks rather than unplanned or purely observational work. Overall, the intent is to give students real exposure to how the federal government manages, documents, and protects cultural resources, particularly within a high-profile setting like Zion National Park.

The duties described cover a broad and hands-on range of cultural resource management activities. On the field and survey side, interns may participate in archeological, architectural, or landscape surveys that support inventory and evaluation of historic and prehistoric resources. On the research and documentation side, they may conduct historical research, compile resource documentation, and contribute to technical writing and publication development, which are central to how the National Park Service records findings, justifies management decisions, and communicates significance. On the collections and museum support side, work may include cataloging artifacts and records, supporting conservation and collections management, and maintaining accurate documentation that ensures resources are tracked and preserved appropriately. The description also emphasizes practical technical skills such as creating and maintaining databases and web pages, reflecting the modern need for digital recordkeeping and public-facing information systems. Finally, the opportunity may include direct preservation work through condition assessments and minor repair activities on historic structures, giving interns experience with the applied side of preservation and the basics of maintaining historic fabric under professional oversight.

In terms of funding and award structure, the opportunity lists an award ceiling of $26,712 and anticipates a single award. However, it is not an open, competitive solicitation. The original closing information specifies a "Notification of Intent to Award" to the National Council for Preservation Education under an existing cooperative agreement (P15AC30140), and it explicitly states that no applications will be accepted. In practical terms, that means the funding was intended to be directed to a pre-identified partner organization through an existing agreement framework, with the partner supporting the internship program in coordination with the National Park Service.

In short, this grant action supports a structured internship pipeline at Zion National Park aimed at developing the next generation of cultural resource professionals. It combines supervised training with real project work across survey, research, documentation, collections care, digital information management, and basic preservation fieldwork, all within the operational context of federal cultural resources management and protection.

• The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Internship Training Program Zion National Park" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.946.
• This funding opportunity was created on Dec 13, 2016.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Notification of Intent to Award to National Council for Preservation Education under existing cooperative agreement P15AC30140 without additional competition. No applications will be accepted.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $26,712.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for P17AS00033

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