Funding Opportunities
The Community Foundation of Northern Nevada accepts proposals year-round for grants from the Dream Tags Charitable Fund. Proposals will be considered by the Advisory Board on Dream Tags at their next meeting and on an as-needed basis for emergency funding requests. Grant recommendations must be approved by the Board of Trustees of the Community Foundation. The deadline to apply for non-emergency proposals is noon on Friday, July 26, 2024. Emergency funding requests may be submitted at any time using the Emergency Request for Proposal form.
The Dream Tags Charitable Fund provides funding to engage Nevadans in wildlife conservation by focusing donated funds to restore resilience in at-risk Nevada habitats with strategic collaborative projects for sustained impact that supports the preservation, protection, management, or restoration of big game, other wildlife, and their habitat. To be considered for funding, project proposals must demonstrate measurable impact in accordance with this purpose.
Applicants must be registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit agencies, nonprofit educational institutions, or governmental entities. Projects must be performed in Nevada. Grants are typically paid on a reimbursable basis for actual expenditures. Funding will not be provided for work performed prior to grant approval.
GRANTEE REQUIREMENTS
To be eligible for funding, grantees must adhere to the following requirements:
Monies are to be used and/or disbursed exclusively for the charitable uses and purposes.
The Dream Tags Fund shall be used exclusively to provide support for the preservation, protection, management or restoration of Nevada’s big game and wildlife habitat
The Charitable Beneficiaries may include 501(c)(3) organizations and governmental entities. Any grants to governmental entities must be made exclusively for public benefit purposes.
All grantees will be required to sign a grant agreement stipulating their agreement with all of the terms, conditions, and reporting requirements.
To maintain eligibility to receive grant funds, each Charitable Beneficiary must comply at all times with the following requirements:
Charitable Beneficiaries must be exempt from federal income taxation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Code;
Charitable Beneficiaries shall use all Fund distributions toward projects that are appropriate and legal public expenditures;
Charitable Beneficiaries must provide financial details and/or reports of their organizations upon request;
Charitable Beneficiaries must not use any Fund distributions for political contributions or political advocacy;
Charitable Beneficiaries must implement the projects, activities, and/or programs for which they received Fund distributions as agreed upon in the grant acceptance agreement or must return all such distributions to the Community Foundation forthwith;
Charitable Beneficiaries must provide the Community Foundation with quarterly reports detailing the activities of their projects and/or programs; and
Charitable Beneficiaries must sign an agreement regarding their compliance with the qualifications hereof.
The Community Foundation of Northern Nevada is accepting proposals for grants from the Truckee River Fund. Proposals will be considered by the Truckee River Fund Advisory Committee and grant recommendations must be approved both by the TMWA Board and the Board of Trustees of the Community Foundation. The fund advisors may recommend up to a total of $550,000 in grant awards per fiscal year but may choose to award less than the amount available.
The mission of the Truckee River Fund is to protect and enhance water quality or water resources of the Truckee River or its watershed. To be considered for funding, project proposals must demonstrate measurable impact in accordance with this mission. Please note that land and/or water rights acquisition projects are not considered to be a Truckee River Fund priority. To see projects funded by the Truckee River Fund, please go to http://www.truckeeriverfund.org.
Projects must begin within 180 days of award. Applicants must be registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit agencies, nonprofit educational institutions, or governmental entities. Grants are paid on a reimbursable basis for actual expenditures.
The deadline for proposals is Friday, July 26, 2024 at noon. Applications must be confirmed as received by the Community Foundation of Northern Nevada by the deadline to be considered for funding. A project budget must be submitted with your application. A sample budget template is available for download. For questions or additional information, contact the Community Foundation or visit the Truckee River Fund website at www.truckeeriverfund.org.
GRANT PRIORITIES
Truckee Meadows Water Authority (TMWA) recommends that the Truckee River Fund (TRF) Advisory Committee (the “Committee”) give preference to well-supported, clearly drafted grant requests that consider substantial benefits to TMWA customers for projects and programs that mitigate substantial threats to water quality and the watershed, particularly those threats upstream or nearby water treatment and hydroelectric plant intakes.
Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS): Projects/Programs that support the prevention or control of aquatic invasive species in the mainstem Truckee River, Lake Tahoe, other tributaries and water bodies in the Truckee River system.
Watershed Improvements: Projects that reduce erosion or sediment, suspended solids, or total dissolve solids (TDS) discharges, nutrients, industrial contaminants, or bacterial pollutants to the River. Projects or programs that are located within 303d (impaired waters) and total maximum daily load (TMDL) sections of the River should be considered, both in California and Nevada. Innovative techniques should be encouraged. The following link identifies impaired sections of the river and its tributaries: https://mywaterway.epa.gov/.
Local Stormwater Improvements: Projects that demonstrably mitigate storm water run-off due to urbanization of the local watershed. Priority should be given to those improvement projects in close proximity to TMWA’s water supply intakes and canals and which will improve the reliability and protect the quality of the community’s municipal water supply.
Re-Forestation and Re-Vegetation Projects: Projects to restore forest and upland areas damaged by fire and historical logging operations, and to improve watershed resiliency in drought situations. Projects/programs in this category should be given a high priority due to urbanization of the watershed and increased susceptibility of the urban and suburban watershed to wildfire.
Support to Rehabilitation of Local Tributary Creeks and Drainage Courses: Projects to support water quality improvement in creeks and tributaries to the Truckee River.
Stewardship and Environmental Awareness: Support to clean-up programs and the development and implementation of educational programs relative to water, water quality and watershed protection that do not fall clearly into the one of the above-mentioned categories.
The Western Integrated Pest Management Center (“The Center”) engages a broad diversity of stakeholders in the West to identify strategic directions and set priorities for integrated pest management (IPM) research, education, and extension for pest management in all settings. Through these activities the Center promotes the USDA Research, Education, and Economics Action Plan goals of effective, affordable, and environmentally sound integrated pest management practices and improved response to emerging or reemerging pests of high consequence. The Center supports the National Roadmap for Integrated Pest Management (http://bit.ly/IPMRoadMap)
The Center works to reduce the risks that pests and pest-management practices pose to people, the environment and the economy of the American West by supporting the development and adoption of smart, safe and sustainable pest management. Our vision is a healthier West with fewer pests.
This RFA covers Planning Documents and Economic Analysis projects. This includes the development of Pest Management Strategic Plans, Integrated Pest Management Plans, Pest Management Prioritysetting for First Nation Food Sovereignty Initiatives, or similar planning documents, and Economic Analysis of IPM Systems.
Pest Management Strategic Plans (PMSPs) are developed with a group of producers and other stakeholders to identify the pest management needs and priorities of a particular commodity, industry, system, site or setting. The plans document current pest management practices and those under research and demonstration trial development. The plans also indicate priorities for research to fill knowledge gaps, regulatory changes, and education or training programs to support adoption of integrated pest management practices.
There are two current models for producing PMSPs, and either is acceptable.
• Guidelines for producing a traditional PMSP can be found on the National IPM Database web site at https://ipmdata.ipmcenters.org/pmsp_workshopguidelines.pdf
• Guidelines for producing an Integrated Pest Management Strategic Plan, an approach pioneered by researchers at Oregon State University, can be found at https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/em9238
Pest Management Priority-setting for First Nation Food Sovereignty Initiatives may query producers, pest management professionals, IPM practitioners or other pest management stakeholders to gather information about the current pest management methods and challenges in a particular commodity, system, site or setting.
The Economic Analysis of IPM Systems assessment focuses on the economic impacts associated with IPM practices in commodity, industry, system, sites or settings. As an example, the Crop Pest-Loss and Impact Assessment Signature Program tracks the economic impacts associated with IPM implementation. For more information on Signature Programs, see the Center Projects section of the westernipm.org website. Additional recent examples include the economic analysis of the IR-4 program (available at www.ir4project.org/outreach/), the economic value of screening grapevines for viruses (available at doi: 10.5344/ajev.2020.19047) the University of California IPM program (2016 ARE Update University of California Giannini Foundation of Agricultural Economics).
This program seeks to actively support early career IPM professionals and practitioners in their search for educational opportunities and networking experiences. The program is focused on supporting a deeper understanding of a wide variety of technology, pest management, sustainability, business, and government issues. The program also hopes to help young pest management professionals build a strong, enduring network of peers, and business and government contacts, not only in the academic realm but from private industry as well. Participants can apply to attend events and professional science society meetings or participate in internship programs that provide experiential learning so that students can explore potential careers and build professional networks or participate in other learning opportunities. Internship programs that include both research and extension or outreach are strongly encouraged.
Fellowship applications are capped at $1,000. The award should be used to fund travel to meetings or other professional development opportunities, meeting registration, costs associated with internships with private companies, research and Extension programs or other professional development opportunities.
The Western IPM Center announces the availability of funds and requests proposals to address special issues in the West – specifically time-sensitive issues that cannot wait until the next regular RFA period. Special issues grants may be requested to bring together groups to address emerging pests.
The Western IPM Center will give priority to requests that are multi-state/island/tribal nation in scope. Projects must be completed within one year of funding and be single-issue oriented. Funds are available until exhausted. The maximum amount of a request can be $5,000.
The Land and Water Conservation Fund was established by Congress in 1964 to fulfill a bipartisan commitment to safeguard our natural areas, water resources and cultural heritage, and to provide recreation opportunities to all Americans. Using zero taxpayer dollars, the fund invests earnings from offshore oil and gas leasing to help strengthen communities, preserve our history and protect our national endowment of lands and waters. The LWCF program can be divided into the "State Side" which provides grants to State and local governments, and the "Federal Side" which is used to acquire lands, waters, and interests therein necessary to achieve the natural, cultural, wildlife, and recreation management objectives of federal land management agencies.
Available Funds: Variable (based on project needs and timeline)
Eligible Applicants: Eligible applicants include governmental entities (cities, towns, counties, tribal governments, state and federal agencies). Non-profits and clubs are not eligible for the LWCF.
Eligible Projects: Funding can be used for outdoor recreation facilities; ADA/accessibility upgrades; acquisition of park lands; baseball & soccer fields, bike parks, pools, playground equipment.
The NSF SBIR/STTR program encourages startups and small businesses to submit proposals across nearly all areas of science and engineering. *
While startups and small businesses face many challenges, the NSF SBIR/STTR funding is intended to specifically focus on challenges associated with technological innovation; that is, on the creation of new products, services, and other scalable solutions based on fundamental science or engineering. A successful Phase I proposal demonstrates how NSF funding will help the small business create a proof-of-concept or prototype by retiring technical risk. Funding from NSF may only be used to conduct research and development (R&D) to demonstrate technical feasibility.
NSF seeks SBIR/STTR proposals that represent success in three distinct, but related merit review criteria: Intellectual Merit, Broader Impacts, and Commercialization Potential.
The Intellectual Merit criterion encompasses the potential to advance knowledge and leverages fundamental science or engineering research techniques to overcoming technical risk. This can be conveyed through the Research and Development (R&D) of the project. R&D is broadly defined in 2 CFR § 200.1, but specified for the NSF SBIR/STTR program as follows:
the application of creative, original, and potentially transformative concepts to systematically study, create, adapt, or manipulate the structure and behavior of the natural or man-made worlds;
the use of the scientific method to propose well-reasoned, well-organized activities based on sound theory, computation, measurement, observation, experiment, or modeling;
the demonstration of a well-qualified individual, team, or organization ready to deploy novel methods of creating, acquiring, processing, manipulating, storing, or disseminating data or metadata; and/or
the novel integration of new theories, analysis, data, or methods regarding cognition, heuristics, and related phenomena.
NSF SBIR/STTR proposals are evaluated via the concepts of Technical Risk and Technological Innovation. Technical Risk assumes that the possibility of technical failure exists for an envisioned product, service, or solution to be successfully developed. This risk is present even to those suitably skilled in the art of the component, subsystem, method, technique, tool, or algorithm in question. Technological Innovation indicates that the new product or service is differentiated from current products or services; that is, the new technology holds the potential to result in a product or service with a substantial and durable advantage over competing solutions on the market. It also generally provides a barrier to entry for competitors. This means that if the new product, service, or solution is successfully realized and brought to the market, it should be difficult for a well-qualified, competing firm to reverse-engineer or otherwise neutralize the competitive advantage generated by leveraging fundamental science or engineering research techniques.
The Broader Impacts criterion encompasses the potential benefit to society and contribution to the achievement of specific, desired societal outcomes as outlined in the NSF PAPPG Merit Review Broader Impacts Criteria.
The NSF SBIR/STTR program funds the development of new, high-risk technology innovations intended to generate positive societal and economic outcomes. Proposers should also consider the Broader Impacts Review Criterion at 42 U.S.C. §1862p-14:
Increasing the economic competitiveness of the United States.
Advancing of the health and welfare of the American public.
Supporting the national defense of the United States.
Enhancing partnerships between academia and industry in the United States.
Developing an American STEM workforce that is globally competitive through improved pre-kindergarten through grade 12 STEM education and teacher development and improved undergraduate STEM education and instruction.
Improving public scientific literacy and engagement with science and technology in the United States.
Expanding participation of groups underrepresented in STEM.
The Commercialization Potential of the proposed product or service is the potential for the resulting technology to disrupt the targeted market segment by way of a strong and durable value proposition for the customers or users.
The proposed product or service addresses an unmet, important, and scalable need for the target customer base.
The proposed small business is structured and staffed to focus on aggressive commercialization of the product/service.
The proposed small business can provide evidence of good product-market fit (as validated by direct and significant interaction with customers and related stakeholders).
More details and information regarding the NSF SBIR/STTR merit review criteria can be found in Section VI of this solicitation.
* The NSF SBIR/STTR program does not support clinical trials or proposals from companies whose commercialization pathway involves the production, distribution, or sale by the company of chemical components, natural or synthetic variations thereof, or other derivatives related to Schedule I controlled substances.
The NSF SBIR/STTR programs support moving scientific excellence and technological innovation from the lab to the market. By funding startups and small businesses, NSF helps build a strong national economy and stimulates the creation of novel products, services, and solutions in private, public, or government sectors with potential for broad impact; strengthens the role of small business in meeting federal research and development needs; increases the commercial application of federally supported research results; and develops and expands the US workforce, especially by fostering and encouraging participation by socially and economically disadvantaged and women-owned small businesses.
The NSF SBIR/STTR Phase II programs provide non-dilutive funding for the development of a broad range of technologies based on discoveries in science and engineering with potential for societal and economic impacts. Unlike fundamental or basic research activities that focus on scientific and engineering discovery itself, the NSF SBIR/STTR programs support the creation of opportunities to move use-inspired and translational discoveries out of the lab and into the market or other use at scale, through startups and small businesses. The NSF SBIR/STTR programs do not solicit specific technologies or procure goods and services. The funding provided is non-dilutive. Any invention conceived or reduced to practice with the assistance of SBIR/STTR funding is subject to the Bayh/Dole Act. For more information, refer to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), #75.
NSF encourages input and participation from the full spectrum of diverse talent that society has to offer which includes underrepresented and underserved communities.
NSF seeks unproven, leading-edge, technology innovations that demonstrate the following characteristics:
The innovations are underpinned and enabled by a new scientific discovery or meaningful engineering innovation.
The innovations still require intensive technical research and development to be fully embedded in a reliable product or service.
The innovations have not yet been reduced to practice by anyone and it is not guaranteed, at present, that doing so is technically possible.
The innovations provide a strong competitive advantage that are not easily replicable by competitors (even technically proficient ones).
Once reduced to practice, the innovations are expected to result in a product or service that would either be disruptive to existing markets or create new markets/new market segments.
The NSF SBIR/STTR programs focus on stimulating technical innovation from diverse entrepreneurs and start-ups and small businesses by translating new scientific and engineering concepts into products and services that can be scaled and commercialized into sustainable businesses with significant societal benefits. The program provides non-dilutive funding for research and development (R&D) of use-inspired scientific and engineering activities for startups and small businesses. In Phase I, the emphasis is on de-risking those aspects preventing the innovation from reaching technical feasibility and driving the intended impact. In Phase II, R&D continues, but the emphasis starts to shift away from research and to development challenges which, if solved, would result in new sustainable competitive advantages to allow the company to differentiate itself and drive new value propositions to the market and society.
This NSF program is governed by 15 USC 638 and the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended (42 USC §1861, et seq.).
Communities in the United States (US) and around the world are entering a new era of transformation in which residents and their surrounding environments are increasingly connected through rapidly-changing intelligent technologies. This transformation offers great promise for improved wellbeing and prosperity but poses significant challenges at the complex intersection of technology and society. The goal of the NSF Smart and Connected Communities (S&CC) program solicitation is to accelerate the creation of the scientific and engineering foundations that will enable smart and connected communities to bring about new levels of economic opportunity and growth, safety and security, health and wellness, accessibility and inclusivity, and overall quality of life.
For the purposes of this solicitation, communities are defined as having geographically-delineated boundaries — such as towns, cities, counties, neighborhoods, community districts, rural areas, and tribal regions — consisting of various populations, with the structure and ability to engage in meaningful ways with proposed research activities. A "smart and connected community" is, in turn, defined as a community that synergistically integrates intelligent technologies with the natural and built environments, including infrastructure, to improve the social, economic, and environmental well-being of those who live, work, learn, or travel within it. The S&CC program encourages researchers to work with community stakeholders to identify and define challenges they are facing, enabling those challenges to motivate use-inspired research questions. For this solicitation, community stakeholders may include some or all of the following: residents, neighborhood or community groups, nonprofit or philanthropic organizations, businesses, as well as municipal organizations such as libraries, museums, educational institutions, public works departments, and health and social services agencies. The S&CC program supports integrative research that addresses fundamental technological and social science dimensions of smart and connected communities and pilots solutions together with communities. Importantly, this program is interested in projects that consider the sustainability of the research outcomes beyond the life of the project, including the scalability and transferability of the proposed solutions.
This S&CC solicitation will support research projects in the following categories:
S&CC Integrative Research Grants (SCC-IRG) Tracks 1 and 2. Awards in this category will support fundamental integrative research that addresses technological and social science dimensions of smart and connected communities and pilots solutions together with communities. Track 1 proposals may request budgets ranging between $1,500,001 and $2,500,000, with durations of up to four years. Track 2 proposals may request budgets up to $1,500,000, with durations of up to three years.
S&CC Planning Grants (SCC-PG). Awards in this category are for capacity building to prepare project teams to propose future well-developed SCC-IRG proposals. Each of these awards will provide support for a period of one year and may be requested at a level not to exceed $150,000 for the total budget. S&CC is a cross-directorate program supported by NSF's Directorates for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE), Education and Human Resources (EHR), Engineering (ENG), and Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBE).
Communities in the United States (US) and around the world are entering a new era of transformation in which residents and their surrounding environments are increasingly connected through rapidly-changing intelligent technologies. This transformation offers great promise for improved wellbeing and prosperity but poses significant challenges at the complex intersection of technology and society. The goal of the NSF Smart and Connected Communities (S&CC) program solicitation is to accelerate the creation of the scientific and engineering foundations that will enable smart and connected communities to bring about new levels of economic opportunity and growth, safety and security, health and wellness, accessibility and inclusivity, and overall quality of life.
For the purposes of this solicitation, communities are defined as having geographically-delineated boundaries — such as towns, cities, counties, neighborhoods, community districts, rural areas, and tribal regions — consisting of various populations, with the structure and ability to engage in meaningful ways with proposed research activities. A "smart and connected community" is, in turn, defined as a community that synergistically integrates intelligent technologies with the natural and built environments, including infrastructure, to improve the social, economic, and environmental well-being of those who live, work, learn, or travel within it. The S&CC program encourages researchers to work with community stakeholders to identify and define challenges they are facing, enabling those challenges to motivate use-inspired research questions. For this solicitation, community stakeholders may include some or all of the following: residents, neighborhood or community groups, nonprofit or philanthropic organizations, businesses, as well as municipal organizations such as libraries, museums, educational institutions, public works departments, and health and social services agencies. The S&CC program supports integrative research that addresses fundamental technological and social science dimensions of smart and connected communities and pilots solutions together with communities. Importantly, this program is interested in projects that consider the sustainability of the research outcomes beyond the life of the project, including the scalability and transferability of the proposed solutions.
This S&CC solicitation will support research projects in the following categories:
S&CC Integrative Research Grants (SCC-IRG) Tracks 1 and 2. Awards in this category will support fundamental integrative research that addresses technological and social science dimensions of smart and connected communities and pilots solutions together with communities. Track 1 proposals may request budgets ranging between $1,500,001 and $2,500,000, with durations of up to four years. Track 2 proposals may request budgets up to $1,500,000, with durations of up to three years.
S&CC Planning Grants (SCC-PG). Awards in this category are for capacity building to prepare project teams to propose future well-developed SCC-IRG proposals. Each of these awards will provide support for a period of one year and may be requested at a level not to exceed $150,000 for the total budget. S&CC is a cross-directorate program supported by NSF's Directorates for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE), Education and Human Resources (EHR), Engineering (ENG), and Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBE).