Fiscal Year 2018 Chesapeake Bay-Watershed Education and Training Program | NOAA NMFS NCBO 2018 2005490

Opportunity Information: Apply for NOAA NMFS NCBO 2018 2005490

The Fiscal Year 2018 Chesapeake Bay-Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Program is a NOAA competitive grant opportunity designed to strengthen K-12 environmental literacy and stewardship across the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The program supports projects that deliver locally relevant, hands-on learning through Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs). These MWEEs are structured learning sequences that blend classroom instruction with outdoor field work, guiding students through defining a real environmental issue, conducting field experiences, analyzing and synthesizing what they find, drawing conclusions, and then completing an action project that connects learning to stewardship. The overall purpose is to build student understanding of the Chesapeake Bay system and their local watersheds, including rivers, upland streams, and surrounding natural habitats, while encouraging long-term care for these resources.

This funding announcement is especially focused on expanding NOAA B-WET into school districts that have not previously received B-WET funding for systemic programs. In other words, while past B-WET recipients may still apply, applications are expected to be most competitive when they directly address the priority of reaching new school districts and growing access to these watershed-based learning experiences. A key geographic eligibility condition also applies at the district level: only school districts with more than 25 percent of their land area within the Chesapeake Bay watershed are eligible under the stated program priorities, which effectively targets funds to communities most directly connected to the Bay and its tributaries.

The opportunity is offered by the Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), specifically through the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office. Awards are made as cooperative agreements, which typically means NOAA expects an active partnership role during the project period (for example, coordination, technical input, or shared implementation responsibilities) rather than a hands-off pass-through grant relationship. The opportunity is listed as discretionary funding and is associated with CFDA 11.457. The funding activity areas include environment, natural resources, science and technology, research and development, and related categories.

Eligible applicants span a wide range of organizations that can deliver education and community-based programming. These include K-12 public and independent schools and school systems, institutions of higher education, community-based and nonprofit organizations, state and local government agencies, interstate agencies, and Indian tribal governments. For-profit organizations, foreign organizations, and foreign public entities cannot apply as the lead applicant, but they are allowed to participate as partners under an eligible lead organization. Federal agencies also cannot receive federal assistance under this announcement, but they may participate as project partners, which can be helpful when a project benefits from federal scientific expertise, site access, or coordination with federal land or water programs.

NOAA also highlights an explicit interest in broadening participation among institutions and communities that have historically been underrepresented in federal funding. The agency notes a strong commitment to engaging historically black colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, tribal colleges and universities, and organizations that work in underserved areas, and it encourages proposals that involve these entities. This emphasis signals that proposals demonstrating inclusive partnerships, equitable access to outdoor learning, and meaningful benefits for underserved districts and communities align well with the program direction.

Key administrative details for this specific announcement include the funding opportunity title "Fiscal Year 2018 Chesapeake Bay-Watershed Education and Training Program" and funding opportunity number "NOAA NMFS NCBO 2018 2005490." The original closing date was March 9, 2018, and the listed award ceiling was $150,000. The announcement was created on December 22, 2017.

• The Department of Commerce in the business and commerce, environment, natural resources, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Fiscal Year 2018 Chesapeake Bay-Watershed Education and Training Program" 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 2017-12-22.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-03-09. (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 $150,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for NOAA NMFS NCBO 2018 2005490

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