Funding Opportunities

Nonpoint source pollution is the primary cause of water quality impairments throughout Nevada and the nation. Nonpoint source (NPS) pollution, unlike pollution from industrial and sewage treatment plants, comes from many diffuse sources (See NAC 445A.309). NPS pollution is caused by rainfall or snowmelt moving over and through the ground. As the runoff moves, it picks up and carries away natural and human-made pollutants, finally depositing them into lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands, and ground water.

The overall aim of the federal Nonpoint Source Program administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) is to restore and protect waters across the nation. The focus of the federal NPS Program is the removal of waters from the state’s 303(d) impaired waterbodies list. This is primary accomplished through the issuance of Clean Water Act 319(h) funds to designated states and tribal agencies to implement their approved nonpoint source management plans. Within Nevada, most of this grant funding is passed on to proponents seeking to implement actions to improve water quality.

USEPA guidance prioritizes 319(h) funding be utilized on implementation efforts within watersheds with approved watershed-based plans (WBPs). To gain approval, WBPs should, at a minimum, include the following nine elements:
1. Pollutant sources or causes
2. Management measures to be implemented to address pollutant sources/causes
3. Load reduction estimates for management measures to be implemented
4. Estimate of technical and financial assistance needed
5. Stakeholder information and engagement component
6. Implementation schedule
7. Measurable implementation milestones
8. Indicators to measure progress
9. Monitoring component to evaluate progress.

Request for Proposals (RFP)

SUMMARY: The Secretary of the Department of the Interior (Secretary), through the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Office of Trust Services, Branch of Tribal Climate Resilience (TCR) solicits funding proposals from Federally recognized Tribes and authorized Tribal organizations (including Tribal consortia) to support Tribal climate resilience. This program will provide $120 million in funding in FY24 to support Tribal climate resiliency. Since 2020, TCR has funded 568 Tribal projects totaling $194.3M – peaking in FY23 at $120.8M (150 awards). FY24 marks the final year of increased available funding made possible through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act. Funds will be awarded on a competitive basis. Evaluations of project proposals will be based on the ranking criteria specified below.

The funding will support Tribes and authorized Tribal organizations as they prepare for and address climate change impacts on Tribal Treaty and Trust resources, economies, regenerative agriculture and food sovereignty, conservation practices, infrastructure, and human health and safety. Funding will be prioritized for projects that address imminent climate-related threats to human health and safety (including relocation, managed retreat, and protect-in-place efforts) and Tribal capacity to address such threats. Funds may also support projects addressing (but not limited to) environmental justice and equity, sustainability, sovereignty (e.g., energy, food), infrastructure, vulnerable economies, natural and cultural resources, agriculture, conservation, habitat restoration or improvements. These awards are critical to transforming America for the better, creating good-paying jobs, building and strengthening economies and infrastructure, and ensuring safety and security for local communities and Tribes.

The Fisheries Restoration and Irrigation Mitigation Act (FRIMA) (Public Law 106-502) of 2000 was established with the goals of decreasing fish mortality associated with the withdrawal of water for irrigation and other purposes without impairing the continued withdrawal of water for those purposes; and to decrease the incidence of juvenile and adult fish entering water supply systems. FRIMA is a voluntary fish screening and passage program targeted to Pacific Ocean drainage areas of Idaho, western Montana, Oregon, and Washington.

Eligible projects include fish screens, fish passage devices, and related inventories by the States. FRIMA was Reauthorized in FY2009. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 provided $5 million to the National Fish Passage Program (NFPP) for the implementation of FRIMA and added the Pacific Ocean drainage areas of California as eligible for FRIMA funds.The National Fish Passage Program (NFPP) is a voluntary program that provides direct technical and financial assistance to partners to remove instream barriers and restore aquatic organism passage and aquatic connectivity for the benefit of Federal trust resources. In doing so, NFPP aims to maintain or increase fish populations to improve ecosystem resiliency and provide quality fishing experiences for the American people. Funds provided to NFPP for the implementation of FRIMA will support the development, improvement, or installation of fish screens, fish passage devices and related features to mitigate impacts on fisheries associated with irrigation water system diversions in Pacific Ocean drainages in Oregon, Washington, Montana, Idaho, and California.

The NFPP is delivered through the Fish and Aquatic Conservation Program (FAC). We use our staff and cooperative partnerships to provide:
(1) information on habitat needs of fish and other aquatic species;
(2) methods for fish to bypass barriers;
(3) technical support to review project designs and recommend the most cost-effective techniques;
(4) assistance to partners in planning and prioritizing fish passage projects; and
(5) assistance in fulfilling environmental compliance requirements.

Activities proposed under this award for FRIMA:
(1) must be located in areas of California, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, or western Montana that drain into the Pacific Ocean,
(2) participation must be voluntary,
(3) must have 35% Non-Federal cost share per Public Law 106-502. Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) funding can be applied to the Non-Federal cost share,
(4) project type must be voluntary irrigation diversion passage, screening, barrier inventories, and ‘related features’,
(5) project components that receive funding under this Act shall be ineligible to receive federal funds from any other source (with the exception of BPA funds) for the same purpose,
(6) the project will be agreeable to Federal and non-Federal entities with authority and responsibility for the project,
(7) award minimum will be $100,000; award maximum will be $1,000,000, and
(8) the non-Federal participants in any project carried out under the Program on land or at a facility that is not owned by the United States shall be responsible for all costs associated with operating, maintaining, repairing, rehabilitating, and replacing the project.

The purpose of this notice is to solicit applications for Stage Two Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) grants. Funds for the fiscal year (FY) 2024 SMART Grants Program are to be awarded on a competitive basis to prior 2022 Stage One recipients in order to implement the plans and prototypes previously developed in Stage One that will advance smart city or community technologies and systems to improve transportation efficiency and safety.

Only recipients of SMART Stage One Planning and Prototyping Grants, or eligible entities designated by Stage One SMART recipients, awarded under the FY22 SMART Stage One NOFO, may apply for this Stage Two Implementation Grants.

For this Notice of Funding Opportunity, the Draft Implementation Report completed by each Stage One Recipient will be assessed. Any applicant that is not required to submit a Draft Implementation Report between July-September 2024, as their period of performance began after October 1, 2023, will not be eligible to respond to this Notice of Funding Opportunity. US DOT anticipates multiple additional Stage Two NOFOs will be released in 2025 and 2026 which other SMART Stage One recipient will be eligible to apply for.

The Arbor Day Foundation is supporting urban forestry projects led by all federally recognized Tribes, Alaska Native Corporations/villages, Tribal organizations, organizations working in Tribal communities, and community-based non-profits. The Community Roots Program, made possible through Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funding, makes community-empowering projects possible.

The Arbor Day Foundation (ADF) is pleased to be a recipient of grant funding from the USDA Forest Service Urban & Community Forestry Program, under the Inflation Reduction Act (Funding Opportunity #: USDA-FS-2023-UCF-IRA-01). We will serve as a national pass-through partner of the Forest Service, providing funding for community-based nonprofit organizations, as defined below.

The Arbor Day Foundation is positioned to drive investments in tree planting and maintenance, planning, and capacity building in selected communities. Subawardees will have access to a cohort of peers and experts within the Arbor Day Foundation and the Urban and Community Forestry Society (UCFS)’s networks and the opportunity to connect with mentors/coaches from around the nation. Subawardees will also be invited to attend the annual Partners in Community Forestry conference to further develop their urban forestry network.

The Period of Performance for this opportunity will start no later than September 30, 2024 and must be completed by September 29th, 2027. No-cost extensions may be available if needed and with approval for an additional 6 months.

The purpose of the Native American Research Centers for Health (NARCH) program is to fund federally-recognized American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) tribes, tribal colleges or universities, tribal health programs, or tribal organizations (collectively, eligible AI/AN tribal entities) to support health-related research, research career enhancement, and research infrastructure enhancement activities.

Program Description
A NARCH award supports health-related research, research career enhancement, and/or research infrastructure enhancement projects at one or more eligible AI/AN tribal entities (See Part II. Section III. Eligibility Information. An applicant organization must be one of the eligible AI/AN tribal entities, and must be committed to supporting a NARCH and its goals. The applicant organizations should also have the research administrative infrastructure to manage the multiple-component grant. An applicant organization (see Section III, Eligibility Information), may partner with other eligible AI/AN tribal entities as well as additional non-AI/AN organizations. In such cases, 60% or more of requested funds must remain with the eligible AI/AN tribal entities.

A NARCH supports an Administrative Core and one or more of the following components:

Research Projects (RPs)
Pilot Project Program (PPP)
Career Enhancement Projects (CEPs)
Research Infrastructure Enhancement Projects (RIEPs)
Each proposed component must contribute toward the overall goals of the NARCH. Each proposed component should be led by an individual with relevant expertise and experience. The PD(s)/PI(s) of the NARCH award may lead other proposed components in addition to the Administrative Core. Each proposed component will be reviewed on its own merit and may be selected for funding even if other components in the same application are not.

Administrative Core (Required): The Administrative Core (AC) manages the NARCH award and coordinates the Center’s activities. Its responsibilities include, but are not limited to, managing the NARCH's budget, preparing and submitting accurate and timely program and financial reports, ensuring all activities supported by the award are compliant with federal regulations, organizing and coordinating Center-wide activities such as seminars and workshops for research and career development, and coordinating activities of the proposed components. The AC is located within the applicant organization, led by a PD/PI, and supported by a staff needed to carry out the responsibilities. The AC should work closely with relevant components of the grantee organization, such as the Sponsored Programs Administration or Grants and Contracts Office, as well as those at any sub-contracting organizations, in order to carry out its functions.

Research Projects (RPs): RPs support innovative and culturally appropriate health-related research prioritized by the applicant organization and partner organizations that are eligible AI/AN tribal entities , if applicable. The research project(s) should focus on issues related to AI/AN health including strengths and resiliency factors contributing to and conditions hindering AI/AN health, mechanisms underlying diseases or conditions that are prevalent in AI/AN communities, and/or the development, implementation, and evaluation of interventions that address health challenges faced by the AI/AN communities. The scope of a project should be appropriate for 5 years of funding concurrent with the NARCH award. The RP Leader (RPL) should have expertise in the subject area. If the research involves human subjects, gaps in the RPL’s scientific and regulatory knowledge relevant to the study must be adequately addressed through mentorship, collaboration, and training. A NARCH may support up to three RPs. A RPL may not lead another RP or a pilot project supported by NARCH grants awarded to the same grantee organization simultaneously .

Pilot Project Program (PPP): A NARCH award may support a PPP to fund exploratory and/or preparatory research as Pilot Projects (PPs). PPs should be limited in scope compared to RPs but with the potential to develop into RPs. Each PP may have up to two years of support and should be led by Early Stage Investigators (ESIs) or New Investigators as defined by NIH. The PPP Director (PPPD) should have experience in mentoring, health-related research, and knowledge in culturally appropriate research approaches. The PPPD manages the solicitation and review of PP applications, and selection of meritorious projects for funding. The PPPD also assumes oversight responsibilities of funded PPs, including those with human subjects. A PP Leader (PPL) may not lead more than one PP nor a RP supported by NARCH grants awarded to the same grantee organization simultaneously . The PPPD is ineligible to receive a PP from the NARCH.

Career Enhancement Projects (CEPs): A CEP supports culturally appropriate career development programs to enhance knowledge and research skills of current and/or next generation participating health researchers. Participants of a CEP may be early career investigators, post-doctoral fellows, graduate students, undergraduate students, and/or high school students interested in AI/AN health-related research. Proposed program activities may include, but are not limited to, research internships, workshops, and courses. A CEP may support participants to attend career enhancement programs sponsored by organizations other than those supported by the NARCH award. A CEP Leader (CEPL) should be an investigator with experience in mentoring, career development, research, and knowledge of culturally appropriate research, mentoring and educational approaches. A NARCH can support up to two CEPs.

Research Infrastructure Enhancement Projects (RIEPs): RIEP projects aim to address a specific research infrastructural need of the NARCH. Examples of an RIEP can include, but are not limited to, support of technological or methodological cores that develop or strengthen technical capacity needed for health-related research at the applicant and partner organizations that are eligible AI/AN tribal entities; research resources such as a bio- or data-repository; or research administration infrastructure such as Tribal Institutional Review Boards (IRBs). An RIEP leader should have expertise in the appropriate area of scientific capacity building. A NARCH can support up to two RIEPs.

While NIGMS leads this FOA and will manage the NARCH awards, NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices (ICOs) participating in the FOA are committed to fund meritorious components that align with their research interests. A description of the participating NIH ICO's areas of scientific interest for this FOA can be found at Research Interests of NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices Participating in NARCH.

See Section VIII. Other Information for award authorities and regulations.

Investigators proposing NIH-defined clinical trials may refer to the Research Methods Resources website for information about developing statistical methods and study designs.

Nationwide Foundation grants fall into three categories:
General operating support
Project and/or program support
Capital support (these grants are limited and considered on a case-by-case basis)
We make our funding decisions based on a four-tier giving structure we call our Community Impact Model.

Tier 1: Emergency and basic needs
Aligned to our business, we're there to help in an emergency. We partner with organizations that provide life's necessities.

Tier 2: Crisis stabilization
Before a crisis happens or after one hits, we hold the safety net. We partner with organizations that provide resources to prevent crises or help pick up the pieces after one occurs.

Tier 3: Personal and family empowerment
We help at-risk youth and families in poverty situations who need tools and resources to advance their lives. We partner with organizations that assist individuals in becoming productive members of society.

Tier 4: Community enrichment*
We understand the well-being of a community affects all who live in it. We partner with organizations that contribute to the overall quality of life in a community.

*Tier 4 organizations, such as agriculture, arts and culture, civic and community, higher education/scholarships, and health research organizations, are by invitation only.

The USDA SBIR/STTR programs focus on transforming scientific discovery into products and services with commercial potential and/or societal benefit. Unlike fundamental research, the USDA SBIR/STTR programs support small businesses in the creation of innovative, disruptive technologies and enable the application of research advancements from conception into the market. The STTR program aims to foster technology transfer through formal cooperative R&D between small businesses and nonprofit research institutions.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the opportunity to apply for a total of $1,936,000 in Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Public Transportation Innovation funds in competitive cooperative agreement awards for projects that enhance mobility innovations for transit. Funds will be awarded for projects that advance emerging technologies, strategies, and innovations in traveler-centered mobility in two distinct areas. Of the total available funds, $968,000 is available for projects to accelerate innovations that improve mobility and enhance the rider experience with a focus on innovative service delivery models, creative financing, novel partnerships, and integrated payment solutions. Another $968,000 is available for projects to develop software solutions that facilitate the provision of integrated demand-response public transportation service that dispatches public transportation fleet vehicles through riders’ mobile devices or other means.

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.