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B-WET regional funding opportunities are offered through local NOAA host offices and generally published in late summer or fall each year. Funded projects provide Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences for students and related professional development for teachers. MWEEs support regional education and environmental priorities.
[UPDATE] This year, COVID-19 has significantly impacted the ability of environmental education providers to engage with schools and therefore meaningfully reach students and teachers. The loss of programs will have lasting repercussions on the targeted audiences of these programs and to the institutions who provide these services. B-WET recognizes that support is needed to bridge this gap that has been created by the loss of revenue, the cancellation of programs, and the inequities that are being exacerbated by the pandemic. As a major contributor to environmental education programs, the B-WET program is committed to responding to the immediate needs of this pandemic and supporting these critical institutions that provide meaningful experiences for youth at all levels. See below for updates. See below for more information about each regional funding opportunity and applicant resources.
For general questions about the B-WET program, contact the B-WET National Coordinator: Bronwen Rice, NOAA Office of Education, 202-482-6797, bronwen.rice@noaa.gov.
Regional programs and funding opportunities
- California
- Chesapeake
- Great Lakes
- Gulf of Mexico
- Hawaii — open
- New England — open
- Pacific Northwest
California
Funding opportunity: The 2021 NOAA California Bay Watershed Education And Training Funding Opportunity is closed.
The full FY 2021 funding opportunity can be found at Grants.gov under funding opportunity number NOAA-NOS-ONMS-2021-2006749. Visit the California B-WET webpage for more information.
Deadline: February 16, 2021
Areas served: Monterey Bay watershed — the counties of San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, Monterey, San Benito, and San Luis Obispo; San Francisco Bay watershed — the counties of Marin, San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, Sonoma, Mendocino, Humboldt, Del Norte, Trinity, and Santa Rosa; and Santa Barbara Channel watershed — the counties of Santa Barbara and Ventura.
Contact: Seaberry Nachbar, NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries, 831-647-4201, seaberry.nachbar@noaa.gov
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Chesapeake Bay
Funding opportunity: The 2021 NOAA Chesapeake Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Funding Opportunity is closed.
The full FY 2021 funding opportunity can be found at Grants.gov under grant opportunity number NOAA-NMFS-HCPO-2021-2006735. Please see the funding opportunity for all application details.
Deadline: March 1, 2021
Informational Webinars: January 7, 2021 at 2:00 PM Eastern Time and January 19, 2021 at 11:00 AM.
Areas served: Chesapeake Bay watershed, including Maryland, the District of Columbia, and parts of Virginia, Delaware, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New York.
Contact: Elise Trelegan, NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office, 410-226-1015, elise.trelegan@noaa.gov
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Great Lakes
Funding opportunity: The 2021 NOAA Great Lakes Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Funding Opportunity is closed.
The full FY 2021 funding opportunity can be found at Grants.gov under federal opportunity number NOAA-NOS-ONMS-2021-2006522. Please see the funding opportunity for all application details.
Areas served: New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin
Contact: Sarah Waters, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, 989-884-6204, sarah.a.waters@noaa.gov
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Gulf of Mexico
Funding opportunity: The 2021 NOAA Gulf of Mexico Bay Watershed Education and Training Funding Opportunity is closed.
The full FY 2021 funding opportunity can be found at Grants.gov under funding opportunity number NOAA-NMFS-SE-2021-2006733. Visit the Gulf B-WET webpage for more information.
Deadline: February 26, 2021
Informational Webinars: January 11, 2021 at 11:00 AM CT (join at specified time/date at meet.google.com/pqe-pofn-nnpoffsite link). If you cannot join the webinar, the webinar slides will be available on the Gulf B-WET webpage.
Areas served: Coastal communities of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and in the Gulf coast of Florida
Contact: Amy Clark, NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office, 228-688-1520, amy.clark@noaa.gov
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Hawaii
Funding opportunity: The 2021 NOAA Hawaii Bay Watershed Education and Training funding opportunity is now open.
The full FY 2021 funding opportunity can be found at Grants.gov under funding opportunity number NOAA-NOS-OCM-2021-2006759. Please see the funding opportunity for all application details.
Deadline: April 23, 2021
Informational Webinars: February 24, 2021 at 1:30 PM HST, March 3, 2021 at 2:00 PM HST, and March 11, 2021 at 12:00 PM HST. Register hereoffsite link.
Areas served: Hawaii
Contact: Māhealani Bambico, NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, mahealani.bambico@noaa.gov
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New England
Funding opportunity: The 2021-2022 NOAA New England Bay Watershed Education And Training Funding Opportunity is now open.
The full FY 2021-2022 funding opportunity can be found at Grants.gov under Opportunity Number NOAA-NMFS-GARFO-2021-2006802. Please see the funding opportunity for all application details.
Deadline: April 1, 2021
Areas served: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island
Contact: Deirdre Kimball, Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office, 978-281-9290, deirdre.kimball@noaa.gov
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Pacific Northwest
Funding opportunity: The 2021 NOAA Pacific Northwest Bay Watershed Education and Training Funding Opportunity is closed.
The full FY 2021 funding opportunity can be found at Grants.gov under funding opportunity number NOAA-NOS-ONMS-2021-2006747. Visit the Pacific Northwest B-WET webpage for more information.
Deadline: February 15, 2021 Areas served: Oregon and Washington Contact: Jacqueline Laverdure, NOAA Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, 360-406-2084, jacqueline.laverdure@noaa.govBack to top
Applicant resources
The resources below may help you prepare to submit an application for B-WET grant funding. Some regions offer grant writing workshops for prospective applicants or provide templates and example proposals. See the regional website or contact the regional program manager for more information.
- This year, B-WET is putting greater emphasis on projects that develop meaningful and mutually‐beneficial partnerships that honor the strengths of community organizations. The North American Association for Environmental Education's Community Engagement: Guidelines for Excellenceoffsite link is an excellent resource to help applicants create inclusive environments that support effective partnerships and collaborations. NAAEE is offering an informational webinar to review this resource on January 22, 2021 at 2:00PM EST. Registeroffsite link in advance for this meeting.
- How to apply for a California B-WET grant — Includes examples of completed federal forms and sample applications.
- Applying for a Chesapeake B-WET grant — Includes resources from previous grant workshops.
- B-WET Hawai'i Grant Toolkit — Includes general guidance on applying for federal grants and use of NOAA Grants Online (for current grantees).
- Grants Dos and Don'ts handout and presentation — Guidance from NOAA’s Office of Education on how to write and submit grant applications.
B-WET applicants are encouraged to partner with local NOAA offices and programs. These resources may help you locate potential NOAA partners in your area: