Funding

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: October 7, 2022. This grant aims to assist at-risk communities and tribes in preparing against and reducing the risks due to wildfire by restoring and maintaining landscapes, creating fire adapted communities, and improving wildfire response. Up to $250K is available for qualifying community wildfire protection plan development or updates. Up to $10M is available for qualifying community wildfire protection plan implementation. Tribes are also welcome to apply to the corresponding state Notices of Funding Opportunity. Learn more and apply here.

The National Disaster Resilience Competition makes $1 billion available to communities that have been struck by natural disasters in recent years. The competition promotes risk assessment and planning and will fund the implementation of innovative resilience projects to better prepare communities for future storms and other extreme events. Funding for the competition is from the Community Development Block Grant disaster recovery (CDBG-DR) appropriation provided by the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2013 (PL 113-2). PLEASE NOTE THAT THE DEADLINE IS ONLY AN ESTIMATE--SEE LINK FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Deadline Passed. Most Recent Deadline: 3/11/2020. EDA, in collaboration with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet), is seeking applications from eligible parties to create a strategic nationwide network of organizations working to address disaster response and resiliency (R2) challenges with innovative technologies. The Accelerate R2 Network Challenge seeks to create a nationwide network or networks that will enable and support innovators, entrepreneurs, researchers, and investors to bring transformative technologies into the response and resiliency markets.

The 1996 amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act (SWDA), established the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF). The DWSRF makes funds available to drinking water systems to finance infrastructure improvements.

The SDWA also authorized EPA to set-aside up to 1.5% of the DWSRF for grants to improve the infrastructure of drinking water systems that serve tribes (SDWA §1452i). Starting in 2010, Congress increased the tribal set aside funds to 2%.

Through this solicitation, the NW CSC is seeking innovative projects to help us assess which ecosystem components and ecological processes are most vulnerable to pronounced water deficiencies and to test or demonstrate new methods or technologies intended to lessen or adapt to the ecological impacts of drought. Study areas should be located in the region serviced by the NW CSC (Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and western Montana). Collaboration with federal, state, tribal, and other resource-management organizations that may apply the project results and products is strongly encouraged. For more information and to download the funding announcement, visit: https://my.usgs.gov/rfpManager/event/show/48399.

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.

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).

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: June 30, 2022. The Tepa Native American Scholarship Fund was established by the Tepa Companies who are wholly owned subsidiaries of the Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians. The scholarship was created to build personal and lasting relationships with students who will become the future leaders in Native American communities and possibly within the Tepa Companies. Two awards of $1,000 will be provided to Native American students majoring in Environmental Science, Earth Science, Computer Science, Engineering, Finance or Business Administration for the 2022 Fall semester. Learn more and apply here.

Rolling Deadline. The Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant program provides funding for rural projects through local utility organizations. USDA provides zero-interest loans to local utilities which they, in turn, pass through to local businesses (ultimate recipients) for projects that will create and retain employment in rural areas. The ultimate recipients repay the lending utility directly. The utility is responsible for repayment to USDA.

Deadline Passed. Most recent deadline: March 31, 2023. The purpose of the Social and Economic Development Strategies (SEDS) program is to promote economic and social self-sufficiency for American Indians, Alaska Natives, native Hawaiians, and Native American Pacific Islanders from American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The SEDS program supports the principal that social and economic development are inter-related and essential for the development of thriving Native communities. The Administration for Native Americans (ANA) is interested in support community-driven projects designed to grow local economies, increase the capacity of tribal governments, strengthen families, preserve Native cultures, and increase self-sufficiency and community well-being. Funded SEDS projects will reflect specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timebound outcomes and include specific strategies for reducing or eliminating community problems and achieving long-range community goals.

The Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development (IEED), through its Native American Business Development Institute (NABDI), is soliciting proposals from federally recognized American Indian Tribes and Alaska federally recognized Tribal entities for technical assistance funding to hire consultants to perform feasibility studies of economic development opportunities. These feasibility studies will empower American Indian Tribes/Alaska federally recognized Tribal entities and Tribal businesses to make informed decisions regarding their economic futures. Feasibility studies may concern the viability of an economic development project or business or the practicality of a technology a Tribe or entity may choose to pursue.  Grant selection priority will be given to applicants whose proposals focus on businesses and projects located in Opportunity Zones.

Deadline Passed. Most recent deadline: March 16, 2023. One of the BLM's highest priorities is to promote ecosystem health and one of the greatest obstacles to achieving this goal is the rapid expansion of weeds across public lands. These invasive plants can dominate and often cause permanent damage to natural plant communities. If not eradicated or controlled, noxious weeds will continue to jeopardize the health of the public lands and to constrain the myriad activities that occur on public lands. BLM Invasive and Noxious Plant Management Programs work to prevent, detect, inventory, control and monitor weed populations on public lands.

The goal of this Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO) is to strengthen the public’s and/or K-12 students environmental literacy to enable informed decision-making necessary for community resilience to extreme weather events and environmental changes. Many U.S. communities face significant environmental changes, natural disasters, or economic disruptions (U.S Department of Commerce FY2014-FY2018 Strategic Plan). Projected future environmental changes include increased global temperatures, more frequent heat waves, rising sea levels, increased frequency of extreme precipitation events, acidification of the ocean, modifications of growing seasons, changes in storm frequency and intensity, alterations in species ranges and migration patterns, earlier snowmelt, increased drought, and altered river flow volumes (NOAA’s Next Generation Strategic Plan, 2010; The Third National Climate Assessment, 2014). Communities must increase their resilience now and build a long-term foundation for resilience in the future. Projects should build the environmental literacy necessary for community resilience by focusing on geographic awareness and an understanding of Earth systems and the threats and vulnerabilities that are associated with a community’s location.

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: April 22, 2023. The National Marine Fisheries Service is soliciting competitive applications for the fiscal year 2023 Alaska Marine Education and Training Mini-Grant Program. Projects are being solicited to improve education and training on marine resource issues throughout the region and increase scientific education for marine-related professions among coastal community residents.