Funding

Most recent deadline: 8/18/2021. The Gulf Research Program announced the availability of the full Request for Applications (RFA) on June 17, 2021. This funding opportunity focuses on advancing the understanding of the regional components of sea level variation and rise and then incorporating this understanding into more reliable forecast models and projections of relative sea level rise. 

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: April 8, 2022. Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities pilot projects must focus on the on-farm, on-ranch or forest production of climate-smart commodities and associated reductions of greenhouse gas emissions and/or carbon sequestration. Proposals from $5 million to $100 million are in the first funding pool and should include large-scale pilot projects that emphasize the greenhouse gas benefits of climate-smart commodity production and include direct, meaningful benefits to a representative cross-section of production agriculture, including small and/or historically underserved producers. Learn more and apply here.

The Lenfest Ocean Program is interested in funding projects that elevate Indigenous Peoples in sharing their traditions, culture, knowledge, and wisdom to improve evidence-based decision-making for the management, conservation, and restoration of coastal marine species, habitats, and ecosystems. Until recently, Indigenous Peoples' ways of knowing were not considered in planning and management decisions, prompting recent calls to rectify this situation. Thus, the Lenfest Ocean Program is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) to support: collection, analysis, and/or communication of Indigenous Knowledge and wisdom; and engagement approaches that facilitate the integration of this knowledge in ocean and coastal management decisions.

Rolling deadline. If you’re a Veteran, and either you or your spouse is Native American, our Native American Direct Loan (NADL) program may help you get a loan to buy, build, or improve a home on federal trust land. You may also get a loan to refinance an existing NADL and reduce your interest rate. Find out if you qualify for an NADL—and how to apply. An NADL offers many benefits, including:

No down payment required in most cases.
No need for private mortgage insurance (PMI), which is commonly charged to conventional loan borrowers.
Limited closing costs (fees you pay for services and other costs related to getting a loan and buying a home).
A low-interest, 30-year fixed mortgage (a fixed mortgage means your interest rate will stay the same over the full life of the loan). The current VA interest rate for NADLs starts at 2.5%. To find out what your interest rate will be, contact an NADL coordinator by email at NADL@va.gov or by phone at 888-349-7541 (TTY: 711). We’re here Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET.
A reusable benefit, which means you can get more than one NADL to buy, build, or improve another residence in the future.
The ability to refinance a current NADL for a lower interest rate.
The ability to borrow up to the Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac conforming loan limit on a no-down-payment loan in most areas—and more in some high-cost counties. You can borrow more than this amount if you want to make a down payment.

Completed proposals are due September 24th, 2021. Bureau of Reclamation - Emergency Drought Response Actions. Deadline to Apply: September 24, 2021. Bureau of Reclamation has an $8 million funding opportunity for Emergency Drought Response Actions. All actions need to be temporary activities that minimize losses and damages resulting from drought conditions. We anticipate announcing project selections in late October 2021. Please send the following information about applying for this funding to any interested parties. Projects that fall under this opportunity include but are not limited to water hauling, temporary pumps and pipes, water purchases, temporary water contracts (2-year limitation), and/or use of Reclamation Facilities for Storage and Conveyance. Reclamation is responsible for completing the work or contracting the work. Projects can improve health and safety of people or benefit fish and wildlife. There is no cost share or nexus to Reclamation required. If you are in the Columbia-Pacific Northwest Region, we have a process to be considered for this funding. Please email lmeeks@usbr.gov to request the 1-page initial request template. This information will be used to determine project eligibility. After sending the completed form to lmeeks@usbr.gov with "Drought Emergency Response" in the subject line, you will receive a template of the proposal for funding consideration. You can begin working on this proposal and will shortly hear from our office on your project’s eligibility status. Reclamation staff are available to discuss projects, explain the process, and answer any questions. Please contact Leah Meeks (lmeeks@usbr.gov or 208-378-5025) or Rebekah Triolo (rtriolo@usbr.gov or 208-378-5336).

Letters of Intent: January 31, 2024. The Marine Debris Challenge Competition will support original, innovative, and transformational marine debris prevention and removal research that pushes the boundaries of existing technologies and approaches, changes the current landscape of marine debris mitigation, and ties that research to tangible outputs. Brief Description: Sea Grant anticipates approximately $16,000,000 in FY 2024 and 2025 federal funds will be available to support research to application projects that will address the prevention and/or removal of marine debris, with award periods of three years. Applications DO NOT require the standard 50% non-federal match for Sea Grant projects. However, applicants are strongly encouraged to combine NOAA federal funding with formal matching contributions and informal leverage from a broad range of sources in the public and private sectors. Eligible Applicants: This opportunity is open to any person or group within the United States or its territories, as well as tribal nations within those geographies. Applicants must submit proposals in partnership with a relevant Sea Grant program. Please note that it is not a requirement that investigators, including the PI, are part of a Sea Grant program. Applicants and awardees from the FY22 National Sea Grant Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) Marine Debris Challenge Competition are eligible to apply for these funds. Please carefully review the specific instructions for the Marine Debris Challenge Competition opportunity found on the Sea Grant Funding page. Webinar: An optional webinar will be held to answer questions pertaining to this funding opportunity on October 3 at 1:00 pm Pacific. Please register here. Questions about the competitions may be sent to oar.sg.marine-debris@noaa.gov.

HUD Indian Housing Block Grants. Most recent deadline: December 10, 2020. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is accepting applications from eligible Indian tribes and tribally designed housing entities to carry out affordable housing activities for benefits of low-income Native American families. Grant funds may be used to develop, maintain, and operate affordable housing in safe and healthy environments on Indian reservations and in other Indian areas, and carry out other affordable housing activities. Grant funds must be used to primarily benefit low-income Indian families. https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/public_indian_housing/ih/grants/ihbg_cgp

Deadline: January 15, 2024. Transportation fatalities and injuries severely impact the quality of life in Indian country. Each year under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), as enacted by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117-58), 4% of the available TTP funds are set aside to address transportation safety issues identified by federally recognized Indian tribes through a competitive, discretionary program. Projects are chosen whose outcomes will reduce fatal and serious injuries in transportation related incidents, such as motor vehicle crashes.

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: November 1, 2021. The NOAA Office of Education has issued a competitive funding opportunity for projects that develop the collective environmental literacy necessary for communities to take actions that build resilience to extreme weather and climate change in ways that contribute to community health, social cohesion, and socio-economic equity. This funding opportunity is soliciting two types of projects through separate competitive priorities. Priority 1 awards are intended to fund new projects located in Central and Eastern Regions of the United States. These regions include the following states: Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. The entirety of a project must only serve audiences located in one or more of the listed states. Note: The previous funding opportunity for this program covered the other states and territories of the United States. Priority 2 awards will support the evolution of projects funded under the 2015-2018 funding opportunities from this program (NOAA-SEC-OED-2015-2004408, NOAA-SEC-OED-2016-2004737, and NOAA-SEC-OED-2018-2005455). Please note that NOAA does not anticipate issuing a solicitation for applications next year. Rather, applications to this funding opportunity may be funded with fiscal year 2022 and 2023 funds. Deadlines: For Priority 1, the deadline for pre-applications (required) is 11:59 pm EDT on November 1, 2021. Only those institutions that receive authorization from NOAA are eligible to submit a full application, which will be due 11:59 pm EDT on March 17, 2022. For Priority 2, pre-applications are not required and the deadline for full applications is 11:59 pm EST on January 25, 2022. For more information and to apply, visit: https://www.noaa.gov/office-education/elp/grants/apply.

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: 10/18/2021.This competition will focus on research to improve our understanding, early warning, and management of drought risk in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems to inform more deliberate and expanded decision-making that supports sustainable, healthy, and resilient ecosystems.

About the NIDIS Coping with Drought Competition. Since 2007, the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) has funded more than 60 innovative drought research projects through the Coping with Drought research competition. Research through the Coping with Drought competition assesses impacts of drought on agriculture, ecosystems, and water resources and develops decision support tools for regional, state, and local use. This research contributes to the understanding of how communities become aware of drought threats and how they can improve preparation and planning. The projects incorporate consultation with stakeholders, and focus on information that is most useful for decision-making to reduce vulnerability; models and tools that bring this information to decision makers; and strategies for improving NIDIS’ engagement with communities in preparedness.

Deadline Passed April 17, 2019. Deadline Unknown for 2020. The National Forest Foundation Ski Conservation Fund (SCF) and Forest Stewardship Fund (FSF) provide funding for action-oriented on-the-ground or citizen-based monitoring projects that improve forest health and outdoor experiences on National Forests and Grasslands. Award funds come from guest contributions at ski areas and lodges operating on or adjacent to National Forest System lands, with added National Forest Foundation federal funds for SCF.

EQIP provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers in order to address natural resource concerns and deliver environmental benefits such as improved water and air quality, conserved ground and surface water, reduced soil erosion and sedimentation or improved or created wildlife habitat. Eligible program participants receive financial and technical assistance to implement conservation practices, or activities like conservation planning, that address natural resource concerns on their land. Payments are made to participants after conservation practices and activities identified in an EQIP plan of operations are implemented. Contracts can last up to ten years in duration.

The purpose of this call for proposals (CFP) is to support Indigenous-led systematic inquiry to enhance the health and wellbeing of Indigenous Peoples and generate approaches to improve health equity. This will be achieved by funding community-prioritized investigation, elevating and integrating Indigenous cultures and knowledge-building practices. To support a diverse range of projects tailored to different phases of development and scope, awards will be made through two tracks, as described later in this solicitation. 

Number of Awards: The number of grants to be awarded (both by track and in total) will be determined based on the number, size, and scope of the studies proposed, and we expect to award grants in a range of sizes and durations.

• Amount of Award: A total of up to $4 million will be awarded through this CFP.  
Track 1: Initiating and Developing Research Capacity and Infrastructure

● There is not an explicit budget cap for awards funded under this track, but we expect that grants will be in the approximate range of $100,000–$400,000 total. We anticipate much of the grant duration to involve relationship-building, trust development, and community feedback processes. Proposals must demonstrate a clear plan for ongoing and sustained collaboration and continued work with newly engaged partners.

Track 2: Supporting Later-Stage, Sustained Research Efforts  

• There is not an explicit budget cap for awards funded under this track, but we expect grants will be in the range of approximately $500,000–$750,000 total. We expect project teams to demonstrate established, equitable partnerships with Indigenous communities who can begin testing a solution or strategy as part of their project.  
• Duration of Awards: Preference is for award durations between two and three years (24–36 months), but durations of up to five years (60 months) will be considered with reasonable justification. 

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: April 16, 2022. ETIPP is accepting applications through April 15 and has an informational webinar on Feb 16. Competitively selected communities receive technical assistance from the ETIPP network, working collaboratively with DOE and national laboratories and regional partner organizations on strategic energy planning and analysis to investigate solutions that address their specific challenges and goals. Spark Northwest is available to support rural communities and tribal governments with their applications. Learn more and apply here.