Fiscal Year 2022 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Education and Training Program/State Capacity Building | NOAA NMFS HCPO 2022 2007119

Opportunity Information: Apply for NOAA NMFS HCPO 2022 2007119

The Fiscal Year 2022 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Education and Training Program (Chesapeake B-WET) State Capacity Building opportunity is a competitive federal grant program run by the U.S. Department of Commerce through NOAA. Its purpose is to strengthen environmental literacy across the entire Chesapeake Bay watershed by investing in statewide capacity for high-quality K-12 environmental education. Rather than focusing only on isolated classroom projects, this particular funding track emphasizes building the systems, partnerships, and professional support that make hands-on, place-based environmental learning more consistent and sustainable across a state.

The program is designed to support existing strong environmental education efforts, encourage the growth of innovative approaches, and expand collaboration among organizations involved in K-12 environmental literacy. Projects funded under this announcement are expected to advance the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement environmental literacy goal and align with the NOAA Education Strategic Plan. A major emphasis is helping educators deliver meaningful, hands-on learning experiences for students and providing related professional development for the adults who support K-12 education, including teachers, school administrators, and other formal educators. The solicitation specifically targets proposals that support Statewide K-12 Environmental Literacy Initiatives, meaning the work should be organized at a statewide level and aimed at improving the overall capacity to deliver environmental literacy programming, not just implementing activities in a single district or school.

This opportunity is offered as a discretionary cooperative agreement, which typically means NOAA expects to have substantial involvement during the project period compared with a more hands-off grant. The funding opportunity number is NOAA NMFS HCPO 2022 2007119, and it is associated with CFDA 11.457. The funding activity categories include natural resources, science and technology and other research and development, and business and commerce, reflecting the program's intersection of education, stewardship, and workforce or community capacity outcomes.

A wide range of applicants are eligible, including state, county, and city or township governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; other tribal organizations; and nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (with the noted limitation that those nonprofit categories are listed as other than institutions of higher education). This breadth of eligibility fits the program's partnership-driven model, where statewide environmental literacy work often involves state agencies, school systems, nonprofits, universities, and community or tribal organizations working together.

For FY 2022, NOAA anticipated making about six awards. The award ceiling listed for a single award is $100,000. The opportunity was created on November 16, 2021, and the original closing date for applications was March 3, 2022. Applicants were also alerted that a separate Chesapeake B-WET funding announcement exists for a different but related purpose: implementing Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs) in school districts and supporting school district capacity for environmental literacy. In other words, this specific notice is aimed at statewide initiative and capacity-building work, while another notice focuses more directly on district-level MWEE implementation and district capacity.

• The Department of Commerce in the business and commerce, natural resources, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Fiscal Year 2022 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Education and Training Program/State Capacity Building" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 11.457.
• This funding opportunity was created on Nov 16, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 03, 2022. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $100,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 6 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.

Apply for NOAA NMFS HCPO 2022 2007119

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