NOAA’s community resilience education grant competition now open

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The NOAA Office of Education is pleased to announce the Environmental Literacy Program (ELP) fiscal year 2022 funding opportunity. This grant competition is designed to fund projects that develop collective environmental literacy to enhance community resilience to climate change. There is a particular emphasis on supporting diversity, equity, inclusion, and climate justice in all aspects of each project.

 
Theory of Change community illustration, which includes lush greenery, people playing and conversing outside, and community buildings and houses.

Theory of Change community illustration, which includes lush greenery, people playing and conversing outside, and community buildings and houses. (Image credit: NOAA Office of Education)

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Facing threats ranging from severe storms to flooding and heat waves, communities across the country need to be ready, responsive, and resilient to extreme weather and climate change. Education plays an important role in helping individuals and communities learn how to make informed decisions about the environmental hazards they face, and become empowered to protect themselves, their families, and their communities.

Since the program’s inception in 2005, ELP’s grants have supported projects that educate and inspire people to use Earth system science toward improving ecosystem stewardship and increasing resilience to environmental hazards. Informed by NOAA’s Community Resilience Education Theory of Change, the 2022 opportunity will fund projects that empower communities to develop and apply environmental literacy to accomplish their resilience goals.

2022 ELP competition at a glance

Priority 1

 
  • Supports new projects located in the Central and Eastern Regions of the United States. See eligible states.
  • Awards from $250,000 - $500,000.
  • Pre-applications are required; due November 1, 2021.
  • Full applications (for selected pre-applications) are due March 17, 2022.

Priority 2

 
  • Supports the continued evolution of Environmental Literacy Program grant projects funded in 2015-2018. See eligible projects. 
  • Awards from $250,000 - $500,000.
  • Pre-applications are NOT required.
  • Full applications are due January 25, 2022.

This funding opportunity is soliciting requests of $250,000 - $500,000 for two types of projects through separate competitive priorities. 

  • Priority 1 will support new projects located in the Central and Eastern Regions of the United States. See the apply page for eligible states.
  • Priority 2 will support the continued evolution of Environmental Literacy Program grant projects funded in 2015-2018. See a list of eligible projects.

For both priorities, eligible applicants include:

  • 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 Priority 1, the deadline for pre-applications (required) is 11:59 pm EDT on November 1, 2021 and the deadline for full applications is 11:59 pm EDT on March 17, 2022. For Priority 2, pre-applications are not required and the deadline for full applications is 11:59 pm EST on January 25, 2022.

To learn more about the competition and past projects, visit the Environmental Literacy Program grants web page. To read the full funding announcement (NOAA-SEC-OED-2022-2006995), please visit Grants.gov. Applicants are strongly encouraged to review resilience education projects funded by this program since 2015 and proposed projects should be informed by the lessons learned by these grantees. Applicants are also strongly encouraged to read NOAA’s Community Resilience Education Theory of Change, which should be used to inform key aspects of the projects. 

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