Environmental Literacy Grants: Supporting the education of K-12 students and the public for community resilience

The goal of this funding opportunity is to build environmental literacy of K-12 students and the public so they are knowledgeable of the ways in which their community can become more resilient to extreme weather and/or other environmental hazards, and become involved in achieving that resilience.

Projects should build the collective environmental literacy necessary for communities to become more resilient to the extreme weather and other environmental hazards they face in the short- and long-term. Building sufficient environmental literacy in a community means that these communities are composed of individuals who are supported by formal and informal education that develop their knowledge, skills, and confidence to: (1) reason about the ways that human and natural systems interact globally and where they live, including the acknowledgement of disproportionately distributed vulnerabilities; (2) participate in scientific and/or civic processes; and (3) consider scientific uncertainty, cultural knowledge, and diverse community values in decision making. 

Projects should demonstrate how they will engage community members to build these capabilities, particularly through active learning, during the award period. Projects should leverage and incorporate relevant state and local hazard mitigation and/or adaptation plans and collaborate with individuals and institutions that are involved in efforts to develop or implement those plans. Projects may focus on a single location or multiple locations and a single type of environmental hazard or a range of hazards that impact a community or communities. Projects will be based on the established scientific evidence about current and future extreme weather and other environmental hazards facing communities and should consider relevant socioeconomic and ecological factors in the targeted location(s). Particular attention should be paid to populations within communities that have greater exposure and have fewer resources to deal with the impacts of extreme weather and/or environmental hazards that are the focus of the project. Projects must relate to NOAA’s mission in at least one of the following areas: ocean, coastal, Great Lakes, weather, and climate sciences and stewardship. They must also utilize NOAA’s scientific data, data access tools, data visualizations, and/or other physical and intellectual assets available on these topics. In order to facilitate the use of NOAA’s assets, projects are strongly encouraged to partner with relevant NOAA entities (offices, programs, etc.) and/or NOAA employees and affiliates. Also, projects should consider integrating citizen science tools when appropriate.

This funding opportunity has two priorities, numbered without regard to importance for funding.

Priority 1 awards will support new projects located in Southern and Western Regions of the United States. The Southern Region includes the following states and territories: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Tennessee, Texas, and the United States Virgin Islands. The Western Region includes the following states and territories: Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. 

Priority 2 awards will support the evolution of projects funded under the 2015-2016 funding opportunities from this program (NOAA-SEC-OED-2015-2004408 and NOAA-SEC-OED-2016-2004737). The full list of awards that support or supported eligible projects can be found here: https://go.usa.gov/xVGzr. Projects for this priority must be implemented within the United States and its territories. 

For both priorities of this funding opportunity, eligible applicants are limited to institutions of higher education; K-12 public and independent schools and school systems; other nonprofits, including community-based organizations and informal education institutions, such as museums, zoos, and aquariums; state and local government agencies; and Indian tribal governments in the United States. For-profit organizations, foreign institutions, and individuals are not eligible to apply; however, for- profit organizations, foreign institutions, and individuals may participate as project partners. Likewise, federal agencies are not eligible to receive federal assistance under this announcement, but may be project partners. 

For Priority 1, projects must be between 2 and 5 years in duration and the total federal amount requested from NOAA for each project must be no less than $250,000 and no more than $500,000 for all years of the project, including direct and indirect costs. For Priority 2, projects must be between 2 and 5 years in duration and the total federal amount requested from NOAA for each project must be no less than $100,000 and no more than $500,000 for all years of the project, including direct and indirect costs.

It is anticipated that awards funded under this announcement and selected this fiscal year will be made by September 30, 2020 and that the projects funded under this announcement in fiscal year 2020 will have a start date no earlier than October 1, 2020. Note: Links to helpful information for applying to this announcement are available at http://www.noaa.gov/office-education/elp/grants/apply.

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