Funding

Deadline Passed 06/10/2019. Deadline Unknown for 2020. The Rural Housing Service (Agency), an Agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), announces the acceptance of applications under the Rural Community Development Initiative (RCDI) program. Applicants must provide matching funds in an amount at least equal to the Federal grant. These grants will be made to qualified intermediary organizations that will provide financial and technical assistance to recipients to develop their capacity and ability to undertake projects related to housing, community facilities, or community and economic development that will support the community.

Categories: rural development, tribal housing, facilities, development projects, non-profit housing, economic development, infrastructure, capacity building

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: April 24, 2023. The purpose of this cooperative agreement program is to deliver crop insurance education and risk management training to U.S. agricultural producers to assist them in identifying and managing production, marketing, legal, financial, and human risk.

Categories: climate change, human health, sustainability, agriculture, economy, management, planning, policy

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: February 4, 2022. The USDA has extended the deadline for the Organic and Transitional Education and Certification Program. This extension is eligible for expenses in 2020 and 2021. Organic farming may help farmers prepare for a changing climate, as organic practices can increase soil water-holding capacity, which can help crops grow in drought years. Learn more and apply here.

Categories: Agriculture, organic, certification, education, pandemic

Deadline passed as of June 28, 2017. Deadline for 2018 unknown. The Agriculture and Natural Resources Science for Climate Variability and Change Challenge Area RFA focuses on the societal challenge to adapt agroecosystems and natural resource systems to climate variability and change and implement mitigation strategies in those systems. In the Agriculture and Natural Resources Science for Climate Variability and Change Challenge Area RFA, specific program areas are designed to achieve the long-term outcome of reducing the use of energy, nitrogen, reducing GHG emissions from practices, and water in the production of food, feed, fiber, and fuel; reduce GHG emissions from these agroecosystems; and increase carbon sequestration. Project types supported by AFRI within this RFA include multi-function integrated research, education, and/or extension projects and Food and Agricultural Science Enhancement (FASE) Grants.

Categories: Education, Natural Resources, Research, Adaptation, Mitigation, Land, Health, Energy, Water

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: 9/9/2022. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is announcing the availability of up to $17 million in funds in the National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program (NADPRP) to support projects in topic areas including, but not limited to: Develop, enhance, and exercise state and Tribal animal disease outbreak emergency response plans; Support livestock and poultry biosecurity; enhance animal disease traceability for a disease outbreak; Support outreach and education on animal disease prevention, preparedness, and response topics. Learn more and apply here.

Categories: Agriculture, livestock disease preparedness, education

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: April 19, 2022. The USDA has opened up grant applications to the RISE program, which seeks to increase equity in rural America by offering grants of up to $2 million to consortiums of local governments, investors, industry, institutions of higher education, and other public and private entities that create projects in distressed communities. Communities that have traditionally had high concentrations of employment in fossil fueled energy production and are transitioning away from this are encouraged to apply. Learn more and apply here.

Categories: Job creation, business development, rural areas, worker training, local economies

Applications accepted continuously. The Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) helps agricultural producers maintain and improve their existing conservation systems and adopt additional conservation activities to address priority resources concerns. Participants earn CSP payments for conservation performance—the higher the performance, the higher the payment.

Categories: Stewardship, Conservation, IRA

Last deadline: January 19, 2023. The AgrAbility program increases the likelihood that farmers, ranchers, farm workers and farm family members with disabilities will experience success in agricultural production. The program supports projects between State Cooperative Extension System and private, non-profit disability organizations who work in partnership to provide agricultural education and assistance directed at accommodating disability in farm operations for individuals with disabilities, and their families, who engage in farming and farm-related occupations.

Categories: agriculture, equity, inclusion, social justice, disability services

Deadline Passed 7/30/2018. Deadline Unknown for 2019. The purpose of the Targeted States program is to deliver crop insurance education and information to U.S. agricultural producers in States where there is traditionally, and continues to be a low level of Federal crop insurance participation and availability, and producers are underserved by the Federal crop insurance program. These states, defined as Targeted States for the purposes of this RFA, are Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Any cooperative agreements that may be funded will not exceed the maximum funding amount established for each of the Targeted States. Recipients must agree to the substantial involvement of RMA in the project.

Categories: crop insurance, education, farm management, planning

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: April 19, 2022. USDA has opened up grant applications for communities to further develop renewable energy through REPP. Funds can be used to support community energy planning, community efficiency and weatherization, installing and equipping community scale renewable energy. Learn more and apply here.

Categories: Renewable energy, rural areas, efficiency, weatherization, community development

The USDA Rural Business Cooperative-Service Agency is accepting applications for Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvement Guaranteed Loans to assist agricultural producers and rural small businesses with evaluating energy efficiency and the potential to incorporate renewable energy technologies into their operations.

Categories: Renewable energy, Agriculture, small businesses

Application Window Closed. This program provides funding to assist in the development of essential community facilities in rural communities with extreme unemployment and severe economic depression. An essential community facility is one that provides an essential service to the local community, is needed for the orderly development of the community, serves a primarily rural area, and does not include private, commercial or business undertakings.

Categories: community facilities, development, economic depression, rural areas, public health

Deadline is ongoing. This program provides funding to 1994 Land Grant Institutions (Tribal Colleges) to make capital improvements to their educational facilities and to purchase equipment.

Categories: community facilities, development, educational facilities, infrastructure, renovation and improvements, cultural projects

Application Deadline April 16, 2019. The purpose of the Crop Protection and Pest Management program is to address high priority issues related to pests and their management using IPM approaches at the state, regional and national levels. The CPPM program supports projects that will ensure food security and respond effectively to other major societal pest management challenges with comprehensive IPM approaches that are economically viable, ecologically prudent, and safe for human health. The CPPM program addresses IPM challenges for emerging issues and existing priority pest concerns that can be addressed more effectively with new and emerging technologies. The outcomes of the CPPM program are effective, affordable, and environmentally sound IPM practices and strategies needed to maintain agricultural productivity and healthy communities.

Categories: pest, food security, human health, agriculture

Applications are accepted year-round. This program provides low-income communities, which face significant health risks, access to safe, reliable drinking water and waste disposal facilities and services.

Categories: low-income communities, public health, safe drinking water, waste disposal

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.

Categories: Rural communities, agriculture, forestry, farmers, ranchers, emissions reduction, climate solutions, resilience

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: June 10, 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 $250,000 to $4,999,999 are in the second funding pool and are limited to particularly innovative pilot projects. These projects should place an emphasis on: enrollment of small and/or underserved producers; and/or monitoring, reporting and verification activities developed at minority-serving institutions. Learn more and apply here.

Categories: Rural communities, innovation, underserved communities, agriculture, forestry, farmers, ranchers, emissions reduction, climate solutions, resilience

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: May 23, 2022. The Agency will make grants to public bodies and private nonprofit corporations, (such as States, counties, cities, townships, and incorporated towns and villages, boroughs, authorities, districts, and Indian tribes on Federal and State reservations) to provide associations Technical Assistance and/or training with respect to essential community facilities programs. The Technical Assistance and/or training will assist communities, Indian Tribes, and Nonprofit Corporations to identify and plan for community facility needs that exist in their area. Once those needs have been identified, the Grantee can assist in identifying public and private resources to finance those identified community facility needs.

Categories: community facilities, infrastructure, planning, training, technical assistance

Deadline Passed. Latest deadline: March 28, 2023. The purpose of this program is to promote and strengthen the ability of Alaska Native-Serving Institutions and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions to carry out education, applied research, and related community development programs in food and agricultural sciences-related disciplines. Priority will be given to those projects that enhance educational equity for underrepresented students; strengthen institutional educational capacities; prepare students for careers related to the food, agricultural, and natural resource systems of the United States; and maximize the development and use of resources to improve food and agricultural sciences teaching programs. Learn more here.

Categories: Alaska Native-serving institutions, Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, agricultural sciences, career development, equity, youth

Applications accepted year round. This program assists low-income communities with initial planning and development of applications for USDA Rural Development Water and Waste Disposal direct loan/grant and loan guarantee programs. The area must also have a median household income below the poverty line or less than 80 percent of the statewide non-metropolitan median household income

Categories: water, waste disposal, planning, development, infrastructure, rural communities

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: April 5, 2022. The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) will establish cooperative agreements with state and tribal governments for the purpose of supporting local, regional, and socially disadvantaged farmers/producers through food purchasing under the Build Back Better Initiative. These cooperative agreements will allow for entities to procure local, domestic foods that are unique to their geographic area and meet the needs of the populations. In addition to increasing local food consumption, funds are expected to help build and expand economic opportunity for local and socially disadvantaged farmers/producers. Learn more and apply here.

Categories: Food assistance, economic opportunity, food storage, food distribution

Applications accepted continuously. Provides grants to qualified organizations to help them carry out local self-help housing construction projects. Grant recipients supervise groups of very-low- and low-income individuals and families as they construct their own homes in rural areas. The group members provide most of the construction labor on each other’s homes, with technical assistance from the organization overseeing the project. Funds may be used to:Give technical and supervisory assistance to participating familiesHelp other organizations provide self-help technical and supervisory assistanceRecruit families, help them complete loan applications and carry out other related activities that enable them to participate

Categories: housing, rural areas, low-income communities, technical assistance

Deadline passed. Modt recent deadline: June 6, 2022. The Rural Cooperative Development Grant program helps improve the economic condition of rural areas by helping non-profit corporations or higher education institutions in the startup, expansion or operational improvement of rural cooperatives and other mutually-owned businesses through cooperative development.

Categories: Rural Development, Economic development, Business Development, Community Development, management, infrastructure, local economy,

Funding unknown for 2017. President Obama has challenged us all to help win the future by out-educating, out-innovating, and out-building our competitors in the 21st century. Know someone who is doing extraordinary things to make a difference in your community? Nominate them to be a Champion of Change. We’ll consider your nominations as we feature people who are bringing about change in their communities on the White House website to share their ideas on how to win the future.

Categories: Leadership, Award, Climate Initiatives

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: May 31, 2023. The NSF is calling for planning proposals for advancing inclusive wildland fire science via diverse knowledge systems. Proposals that aim to develop a deeper understanding of wildland fire as integrated social-cultural-ecological-technological systems and improve education across multiple levels, in informal settings and/or formal settings spanning pre-college through post-secondary levels, are also encouraged. Budget requests may not exceed $100,000 per year, with a duration of up to two years. Prospective investigators must submit a two-page description of the proposal concept to wildlandfire@nsf.gov.

Categories: fire, knowledge systems, education

Deadline: August 1, 2024.  Microbes and communities of microbes have remarkable genetic, physiological and biochemical diversity, allowing them to flourish in environments all over the planet and in a variety of substrates and hosts. The goal of this solicitation is to support research that addresses one or more of the three themes: 1) define the underlying mechanisms or rules that drive the formation, maintenance or evolution of synthetic microbial communities, 2) use synthetic microbial communities to address fundamental biological questions, including questions in molecular biology, cellular/organismal biology, ecology and evolution and/or 3) build synthetic communities with biotechnology, bioeconomy or environmental engineering applications, including but not limited to the production of novel biorenewable chemicals, biodegradation of recalcitrant or “forever chemicals,” enabling a circular bioeconomy, fostering sustainable agriculture and mitigating the impacts of climate change.

Categories: Scientific research, microbiology, forever chemicals, molecular biology, climate mitigation

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: November 21, 2023. Most climate change studies to date have lacked integration between the study of organismal mechanisms involved in the response to changing climates and eco-evolutionary approaches. This solicitation calls for proposals that integrate the study of genomic, physiological, structural, developmental, neural, or behavioral mechanisms of organismal response to climate change (ORCC) with eco-evolutionary approaches to better manage the effects of a rapidly changing climate on earth’s living systems. Specific areas of emphasis include but are not limited to: integrating physiology and genomics into the next generation of species distribution models; mechanistic understanding of plastic responses to climate change; functional genomics of organismal response to climate change; the role biological interactions play in organismal responses to climate change; and improving our ability to predict how organisms will respond to climate change and the consequences these responses will have across biological scales.

Categories: scientific research, adaptation, evolutionary biology, climate science

Deadline Passed 11/27/2019. Deadline Unknown for 2020. Congress established the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program (CFLRP) with Title IV of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (PDF, 40 KB) and reauthorized it in the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 Section 8629 (the Farm Bill). The purpose of the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program is to encourage the collaborative, science-based ecosystem restoration of priority forest landscapes and:encourage ecological, economic, and social sustainability;leverage local resources with national and private resources;facilitate the reduction of wildfire management costs, including through re-establishing natural fire regimes and reducing the risk of uncharacteristic wildfire;demonstrate the degree to which various ecological restoration techniques achieve ecological and watershed health objectives; and,encourage utilization of forest restoration by-products to offset treatment costs, to benefit local rural economies, to and improve forest health.

Categories: collaborative, forest restoration, old growth stands, fire adaptation, watershed health, ecological restoration

The purpose of the grant is to accelerate and expand the strategic protection of healthy freshwater ecosystems and their watersheds across the country. EPA expects to issue a cooperative agreement to fund a single grantee to manage the Healthy Watersheds Consortium grant program and issue sub-awards on a competitive basis.

Categories: Restoration, Mitigation, watershed

DOT is making available funding to develop innovative programs and activities in public transportation that address the human resources needs of public transportation operators, as well as build pathways to long-term careers in the public transportation industry. DOT is giving additional consideration to proposals that advance training related to maintenance of alternative energy, energy efficiency, or zero emission vehicles and facilities used in public transportation, as well as submissions that are geographically diverse, target areas with high rates of unemployment, and address current or projected workforce shortages in areas that require technical expertise.

Categories: Infrastructure, Planning, career building, Research