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In addition to responding to some of your frequently asked questions below, DT Heritage hosted a webinar as a resource for applicants to get a better understanding of the grant. You can watch the event here.

During the webinar, DT Heritage presented information relating to the grant including grant criteria, application process, our intention behind funding the project, and details related to equipment loans and technical support for digitization.

Experts in Artificial Intelligence (machine learning and computer vision) from RIVER ai discussed what kinds of problems and tasks AI is well suited for. A member of the DT Heritage team described AI’s capabilities for digitization and outline the resources that will be available to applicants should they need assistance, in the form of digitization services, in order to complete their project. Additionally, a Digital Transitions staff member described their product line and outline the digitization hardware and technical support that will be available to the applicants throughout the duration of their projects.


Brady Wilks, the primary contact for the grant, will be answering questions during two one-hour sessions, which will be held via Demio. The format will be similar to that of in-person office hours in an academic setting.

You can register for the third Q+A session on September 17th here.

You can re-watch previous Q+A sessions here.


Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Who is eligible to apply for the PA ArCHER Grant?

A. All private, commercial, non-profit, individual, and government institutions with digitization programs or projects within North America and associated territories may apply. Please see the Eligibility section of this document for more specific information.

Q. Will existing clients or customers be eligible for the grant?

A. Yes, but the selection process does not measure that factor in the decision making process. Please see the Eligibility section of this document. 

Q. What kind of projects will be considered for this grant?

A. As an exploratory grant the definitions are purposefully vague so that applicants will have freedom to create a proposal unique to their own idea. We have provided some broad examples in the ‘About Artificial Intelligence’ section of this document, which might be exactly what you are looking for or simply provide an example of what is possible, leading you to your own idea.

Q. Will applicants be allowed to witness or review the Granting Advisory Board selection process?

A. We will publish the results of the Granting Advisory Board selection but have yet to decide on logistics regarding a review process or specifics to the selection process.

Q. Will the Granting Advisory Board provide feedback to applicants that were not selected?

A. We will make a concentrated effort to provide feedback to every application. We cannot absolutely guarantee this should the number of proposals be unexpectedly large. If we decide to make this a recurring grant for future years, we will distill some of the feedback provided in order to help future applicants on additional granting periods. 

Q. If a grant is funded and it proves to be a success that should continue beyond the grant term, will you be able to provide additional support for continuing the effort?

A. At the conclusion of the project the results will be published and presented to the community at large. Should the grantee want to continue the project, we can meet as a group to discuss potential for continued support. We can not commit specifically to any extensions of equipment use, funding, or licensing of software, but we are willing to discuss potential ways of continued support. 

Q. Should we have a professional grant writer help us with the application?

A. We have worked to make this a simple process and we feel it is not necessary to hire any outside support but should you have staff with grant writing experience on your team, then certainly take advantage of any resource you have to assist in preparing your proposal.

Q. Who is financially backing the award?

A. DT Heritage, a division of Digital Transitions Inc., is leading the grant project. Each of our divisions has multiple responsibilities, both financial and supportive. Together our team is funding the monetary portion of the award. DT Heritage is offering digitization support. Digital Transitions is providing equipment for digitization and technical support for that system. RiverAI is providing the AI/ML components of the grant with their support focused on building the AI. All other granting advisory board members are volunteering their time to make suggestions for the selection process. 

Q. Due to COVID-19, my institution is not sure when or even if we will be able to open our digitization facilities to in-person access. Is this still a grant we can apply for?

A. Absolutely. In fact, this grant is ideal for institutions looking for projects that bring value to their collections and stakeholders in a period where traditional digitization is slowed or halted due to physical distancing and other restrictions. Please specify if the collection in question is already digitized and if your IT team can provide us remote access to the digital assets, if the collection has not been digitized, and your facility is inaccessible (or lacks spare capacity for this project). We are able to digitize them at one of our facilities provided you are able to arrange for them to be shipped or driven.

Questions not found in the FAQ resource can be asked during our Grant Overview Webinar, which is scheduled to take place August 13, 2020. Questions deemed relevant during the webinar will be compiled, organized, and answered at the end of the webinar. 

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