Funding Opportunities

Grant information: https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/environmental-justice-small-grants-program

Incorporated non-profit organizations —including, but not limited to, environmental justice networks, faith based organizations and those affiliated with religious institutions, federally recognized tribal governments—including Alaska Native Villages; OR tribal organizations.

Entire USA

Each project must include activities related to at least one of the following federal
environmental statutes: Clean Air Act, Section 103(b)(3), Clean Water Act, Section 104(b)(3), Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, Section 20(a), Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act, Section 203, Safe Drinking Water Act, Section 1442(b)(3), Solid Waste Disposal Act, Section 8001(a), Toxic Substances Control Act, Section 10(a). Eligible Activities include: research, public education, demonstration projects, training, monitoring, development, investigations, surveys and studies, experiments. Also, projects focusing on addressing the impacts of: 1) the
COVID-19 pandemic on underserved communities, 2) Climate and Disaster Resiliency as well as Emergency Preparedness for underserved communities, 3) projects Diesel pollution in underserved communities living near ports and rail yards as part of EPA’s Ports Initiative , and 4) projects proposed by small non-profit organizations of 10 or fewer full-time employees.

The Environmental Justice Small Grants (EJSG) Program provides funding directly to community-based organizations for projects that help residents of underserved communities understand and address local environmental and public health issues. For purposes of this announcement, the term “underserved community” refers to a community with environmental justice concerns and/or vulnerable populations, including minority, low income, rural, tribal, indigenous, and homeless populations that may be disproportionately impacted by environmental harms and risks. In general, the EJSG program awards grants that support community-driven projects designed to engage, educate, and empower communities to better understand local environmental and public health issues and develop strategies for addressing those issues, building consensus in the community, and setting community priorities. Community-driven projects are projects that include activities where community residents and/or representatives are integrally involved in the thinking behind and execution of those activities. Therefore, applying organizations should have a direct connection to the underserved community impacted by environmental harms and risks.

Grant information: https://www2.epa.gov/education/environmental-education-ee-grants

Local education agency, state education or environmental agency, college or university, non-profit organization as described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, noncommercial educational broadcasting entity, tribal education agency (which includes schools and community colleges controlled by an Indian tribe, band, or nation and which are recognized as eligible for special programs and services provided by the US.) (Applicant organizations must be located in the United States or territories and the majority of the educational activities must take place in the United States; or in the United States and Canada or Mexico; or in the U.S. Territories.)

Entire USA, with caveats: Applicant organizations must be located in the United States or territories and the majority of the educational activities must take place in the United States; or in the United States and Canada or Mexico; or in the U.S. Territories

Environmental education projects based on sound science that teach or enhance critical-thinking, problem-solving, and decision making skills that lead to responsible actions to protect human health and the environment.

Under the Environmental Education Grants Program, EPA seeks grant applications from eligible applicants to support environmental education projects that promote environmental awareness and stewardship and help provide people with the skills to take responsible actions to protect the environment. This grant program provides financial support for projects that design, demonstrate, and/or disseminate environmental education practices, methods, or techniques.

Grant information: https://www.epa.gov/wifia

Local, state, tribal, and federal government entities, partnerships and joint ventures, corporations and trusts, and Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) programs.

Entire USA

Projects that are eligible for the Clean Water SRF, notwithstanding the public ownership clause, projects that are eligible for the Drinking Water SRF, enhanced energy efficiency projects at drinking water and wastewater facilities, brackish or seawater desalination, aquifer recharge, alternative water supply, and water recycling projects, drought prevention, reduction, or mitigation projects, and acquisition of property if it is integral to the project or will mitigate the environmental impact of a project.

The WIFIA program accelerates investment in our nation’s water infrastructure by providing long-term, low-cost supplemental loans for regionally and nationally significant projects.

Grant information: https://www.epa.gov/dwcapacity/water-infrastructure-improvements-nation-act-wiin-act-grant-programs

The geographical 50 states, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and tribes within the U.S.

Entire USA

Grants can be used to support projects and activities in underserved, small and disadvantaged communities that include: Investments necessary for a public water system to comply with the SDWA, Assistance that directly and primarily benefits a disadvantaged community, Programs to provide household water quality testing, including testing for unregulated contaminants, Activities necessary and appropriate for a State to respond to a contaminant.

The principal objective of the Grant Program is to support drinking water projects and activities in underserved, small and disadvantaged communities that are unable to finance projects to comply with drinking water regulations under the SDWA. Additionally, the grant funding provides assistance to communities to manage drinking water concerns through household water quality testing, including testing for unregulated water contaminants. Projects and activities eligible for assistance can include infrastructure projects; technical, managerial, and financial capacity building activities; and activities necessary for a state to respond to a contaminant.

Grant information: https://www.epa.gov/dwcapacity/wiin-grant-lead-testing-school-and-child-care-program-drinking-water

The geographical 50 states, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and tribes within the U.S. Additionally, 6.44 percent of appropriated funding will be distributed to assist tribal education agencies (including in Alaska Native Villages) in testing for lead contamination in drinking water at schools and child care programs.

Entire USA

Grant funds shall be expended in accordance with The EPA’s 3Ts for Reducing Lead in Drinking Water in Schools and Child Care Facilities guidance or Applicable state regulations or guidance regarding reducing lead in drinking water in schools and child care programs that are not less stringent. Under this grant local education agencies must also (1) Make available a copy of the results of any testing for lead in drinking water carried out using grant funds, if applicable, in the administration offices and, to the extent practicable, on the internet website of the local educational agency for inspection by the public and (2) Notify parent, teacher, and employee organizations of the availability of the results.

The principal objective of the assistance to be awarded under this program is to provide grants to states and territories to help assist schools and child care programs to test for lead in drinking water, utilizing EPA’s 3Ts for Reducing Lead in Drinking Water in Schools and Child Care Facilities guidance or applicable state regulations or guidance regarding reducing lead in drinking water in schools and child care programs that are not less stringent. The goals of the grant program are to (1) Reduce children’s exposure to lead in drinking water (2) Help states target funding toward schools unable to pay for testing (3) Utilize the 3Ts model to establish best practices for a lead in drinking water prevention program (4) Foster sustainable partnerships at the state and local level to allow for more efficient use of existing resources and exchange of information among experts in various education and health sectors (5) Enhance community, parent, and teacher cooperation and trust.

Grant information: https://www.epa.gov/exchangenetwork/exchange-network-grant-program

States, U.S. Territories, Federally Recognized Tribes and Alaska Native Villages, Inter-tribal Consortia of Federally Recognized Tribes, Some other entities, if they are an agency or instrumentality of a state (Must include a letter from the appropriate state Attorney General certifying the applicant is an agency or instrumentality of the state)

Entire USA

Projects that result in Data flow(s), data publishing service, web service, or other eligible activities (e.g. pilot projects) into production.

Between FY 2002 and FY 2019, EPA provided approximately $236 million for state, tribal, and territorial awards and associated program support through the grant program. These grants support better environmental decisions by promoting the use of more timely and consistent data which is shareable by partners across the EN as well as by environmental professionals and the public. Grant purpose: (1) To develop technologies to share data among partners through the EN (2) Develop underlying shared or reusable services that provide the foundation of EN operations (3) Make data available to partner personnel, the public or other communities of interest.

Grant information: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/documents/2006-0325-ppg-guide.pdf

States, tribes, and interstate agencies are eligible for PPGs. The state or interstate agency must be eligible to receive each of the two or more grants combined in the PPG.

Entire USA

Grants Eligible for Inclusion in State PPGs:
Air Pollution Control – CAA Sec.105, State Indoor Radon Grants –TSCA Sec. 306, Water Pollution Control – CWA Sec.106, Nonpoint Source Management -- CWA Sec. 319(h, Wetlands Development Grants Program – CWA Sec.104(b)(3), Water Quality Cooperative Agreements – CWA Sec. 104(b)(3), Public Water System Supervision --SDWA Sec. 1443(a, Underground Water Source Protection – SDWA Sec. 1443(b), Hazardous Waste Management – SWDA Sec. 3011(a), State and Tribal Response (Brownfields) – CERCLA Sec. 128(a), State Underground Storage Tanks – SWDA Sec. 2007(f)(2), Pesticides Cooperative Enforcement – FIFRA Sec.23(a)1, Pesticide Applicator Certification and Training -- FIFRA Sec. 23(a)(2), Pesticide Program Implementation -- FIFRA Sec. 23(a)(1), Lead-Based Paint Program – TSCA Sec. 404(g), Toxic Substances Compliance Monitoring – TSCA Sec. 28, Environmental Information Exchange Network–EPA Appropriations Acts, Pollution Prevention State Grants – PPA Sec. 6605, Multi-Media Sector Grants (compliance/enforcement).

Under traditional categorical environmental program grants, states receive funds to implement air, water, waste, pesticides, and toxics programs. Each categorical grant can only be used for the specific purposes set out in the authority for that particular grant. Performance Partnership grants allow states to combine up to 19 grants to streamline administrative requirements, give states greater flexibility to direct resources to their most pressing environmental problems, and make it easier to fund efforts that cut across program boundaries.

Grant information: https://www.usbr.gov/watersmart/weeg/index.html

An eligible applicant is a state, Indian tribe, irrigation district, water district, or other organization with water or power delivery authority. Applicants must also be located in the Western United States or Territories (Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands.)

Applicants must also be located in the Western United States or Territories (Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands.)

Projects eligible for funding include: water conservation projects (canal lining/piping, municipal metering, irrigation/flow measurement, supervisory control and data acquisition and automation, irrigation measures) and hydropower projects (installation of small scale hydroelectric facilities).

Through WaterSMART Water and Energy Efficiency Grants (formerly Challenge Grants) Reclamation provides 50/50 cost share funding to irrigation and water districts, tribes, states and other entities with water or power delivery authority. Projects conserve and use water more efficiently; increase the production of hydropower; mitigate conflict risk in areas at a high risk of future water conflict; and accomplish other benefits that contribute to water supply reliability in the western United States. Projects are selected through a competitive process and the focus is on projects that can be completed within two or three years.

Grant information: https://www.usbr.gov/research/st/index.html

BOR Employees

All of USA

Research projects that address the priority research areas and categories identified the S&T Program's Annual Science Strategy Implementation Plan. Currently S&T funds projects in the following research areas (1) Water Infrastructure, (2) Power and Energy, (3) Environmental Issues for Water Delivery and Management, (4) Water Operations and Planning (5) Developing Water Supplies. Each year, the S&T Program identifies the highest priority research needs within each research area, that researchers may choose to submit proposals to address.

The Science and Technology Program (S&T) is a Reclamation-wide competitive, merit-based applied research and development program. The program focuses on innovative solutions for water and power challenges in the Western United States for Reclamation water and facility managers and the stakeholders they serve. Each spring, the S&T Program seeks research proposals from BOR employees through an annual call for proposals. The call for proposals requests detailed information about a project's research strategy, the benefits to Reclamation Regions, expected impacts and outcomes, and other information to support a relevancy and technical review that enables the S&T Program to select the best projects for funding each year.

Grant information: https://www.usbr.gov/watersmart/appliedscience/index.html

(1) States, tribes, irrigation and water districts, and other organizations with water or power delivery authority located in the Western United States and territories. (2) Universities, nonprofit research institutions, federally funded research and development centers, and nonprofit entities who partner with an entity from Category 1.

Projects must be designed for use by water managers in the 17 westerns states, Alaska and Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands.

(1) Projects to enhance modeling capabilities; (2) develop reservoir operating alternatives for comparison; (3) improve or adapt forecasting tools; and (4) improve access to and use of hydrologic data, or develop new types of data to inform water management decisions.

Through WaterSMART, Reclamation provides financial assistance on a competitive basis for Applied Science Grants. Through these grants, Reclamation provides funding to non-Federal entities for the development of tools and information to support water management for multiple uses.