AFN would like to share the Department of Energy, Tribal Energy Department’s courtesy of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) list of nearly $35.8 Million in funding for projects and programs to support climate, renewable energy, environmental job training, and other energy initiatives. Many of these grants are available to tribes, ANSCA corporations, and other government and non-government organization in Alaska. Checkout to see if you or your organization are eligible to apply for these funding opportunities from the list below.
Nearly $35.8 Million in Funding Available for State, Local, and Tribal Governments
March 22, 2013
The Tribal Energy Program is pleased to forward the following information, courtesy of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Nearly $35.8 million of funding is available for state, local, and tribal governments from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. EPA, the Economic Development Administration (EDA), and the National Tribal Air Association (NTAA). This funding can be used to support climate and energy initiatives, including renewable energy, environmental job training, and local agriculture. For full eligibility and application details, please visit the links provided below.
In addition, please visit the calendar of 2013 EPA grant opportunities that may be of particular interest to communities.
HUD Transformation Initiative: Sustainable Construction in Indian Country Small Grant Program – $400,000
Applications due: March 25, 2013
Eligible entities: Tribes and tribal organizations, nonprofit organizations, foundations, think tanks, consortia, institutions of higher education, and other entities that will sponsor a researcher, expert, or analyst
HUD invites applicants to submit funding proposals for projects that encourage the use of sustainable construction practices in Native American housing. Proposals should take into account the multiple geographic, economic, and cultural aspects of Native American residential design and construction. HUD seeks applications in four broad areas: demonstration, technical assistance, curriculum development/training, and information dissemination related to sustainable construction in the Native community. Activities performed under the program should document the impact of one or more innovative approaches to sustainable construction in Indian Country, identify a set of lessons learned, and then develop, deploy, or distribute a tool highlighting those lessons.
For more information, visit the grant notice.
2013 NTAA – Nearly $1,005,000 Over Three Years
Applications due: April 1, 2013
Eligible entities: States, local governments, territories, Indian tribes, and possessions of the United States, including the District of Columbia, international organizations, public and private universities and college, hospitals, laboratories, and other public or private nonprofit institutions
NTAA announces the availability of funds to provide comprehensive air quality policy and regulatory analysis, including support and national coordination activities to assist Tribes in understanding, participating in, and responding to EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation’s (OAR) policy and regulatory activities. NTAA is an organization that increases national coordination among and between Indian Tribes and EPA/OAR in matters related to air quality policy and regulatory planning, development, and implementation.
For more information, visit the funding announcement.
NOAA Climate Program Office – $17 Million
Applications due: April 8, 2013
Eligible entities: State and local governments, federally recognized Tribes, nonprofits, institutions of higher education
The NOAA Climate Program Office’s Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments (RISA) program supports research teams that conduct innovative, interdisciplinary, user-inspired, and regionally relevant research that informs resource management and public policy. NOAA seeks to marshal climate assets and partners toward the common goal of assessing regional needs and vulnerabilities and then supporting the development and delivery of timely climate services that aid adaptation and mitigation choices.
Competition 1 is soliciting proposals for two priority projects: one RISA team focused on the South Central region of the United States (Priority 1), and another RISA team focused on the upper midwestern United States (Priority 2). For Competition 1, approximately $3.5 million over five years will be available for each priority, pending budget appropriations. Awards will be at a funding level of approximately $700,000 per year. Competition 2 is soliciting proposals only from RISA teams and their partners to conduct projects relevant to one of four priorities: 1) preparing for floods in urban coastal communities, 2) scenario and management planning processes, 3) drought monitoring and prediction products to support decision making, and 4) climate impacts on marine and Great Lakes ecosystems. For Competition 2, an estimated $500,000 to $3 million will be available for approximately 5 to 15 awards.
For more information, visit the grant synopsis.
USDA Woody Biomass Utilization Grant – $3 Million
Applications due: April 8, 2013
Eligible entities: State, county, city or township, special district, and federally recognized Native American tribal governments; independent school districts; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations; private institutions of higher education; for-profit organizations
The goals of the grant program are to promote projects that target and help remove economic and market barriers to using woody biomass for renewable energy. The program also intends to reduce the public’s cost for forest restoration by increasing the value of biomass and other forest products generated from hazardous fuels reduction and forest health activities on forested lands.
For more information, see the grant synopsis.
EPA Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training Grants – $2.4 Million
Applications due: April 9, 2013
Eligible entities: General-purpose units of local governments; land clearance authorities; government entities created by state legislature; regional councils or groups of general-purpose units of local governments; redevelopment agencies; Indian Tribes other than in Alaska; Alaska Native Regional Corporations, Alaska Native Village Corporations and the Metlakatla Indian Community; nonprofit organizations
EPA announces the availability of funds to deliver environmental workforce development and job training programs that recruit, train, and place local, unemployed, and under-employed residents with the skills needed to secure full-time employment in the environmental field. Eligible uses of grant funds include training in technologies that use alternative energy or alternative fuels, training in energy efficiency retrofitting and building weatherization, and training in management techniques to support the assessment and cleanup of sites for urban agriculture and horticulture. Under this competition, applicants should intend to serve dislocated workers, or those laid off as a result of recent manufacturing plant closures, as well as those severely under-employed or unemployed in the target community.
For more information, visit the grant synopsis.
EPA National Award for Smart Growth Achievement
Applications due: April 12, 2013
Eligible entities: Public-sector, private-sector, or nonprofit entity in the United States, but all applications must include a public-sector partner. Public-sector entities include federal agencies and tribal, state, regional, and local governments.
The application period for EPA’s 12th annual National Award for Smart Growth Achievement is now open. This competition is open to public- and private-sector entities that have successfully used smart growth principles to improve communities environmentally, socially, and economically. There is one application form for four categories: 1) Built Projects; 2) Corridor and Neighborhood Revitalization; 3) Plazas, Parks, and Public Places; 4) Policies, Programs, and Plans. The review panel will also choose an Overall Excellence winner from those that apply in these four categories.
For more information, visit the Smart Growth Awards website.
NOAA Sea Grant Community Climate Adaptation Initiative 2013 – $1 Million
Applications due: April 19, 2013
Eligible entities: Sea grant programs (colleges, institutions, and coherent area programs). Interested parties are encouraged to work with sea grant programs in the area to explore opportunities for partnering.
NOAA seeks to fund climate adaptation efforts for FY 2013-14 as part of an overall plan to enhance climate adaptation in coastal communities. Climate adaptation projects are expected to be conducted in partnership with local community governments, state, and federal agencies. It is a programmatic priority for this competition to fund technical assistance projects for coastal community climate adaptation where the outcomes of the project improve the capacity of a specific coastal community to adapt to climate change, which may include adaptation to economic, ecological, or cultural changes.
For more information, visit the funding synopsis.
USDA Farm to School Grant Program – $5 Million
Applications due: April 24, 2013
Eligible entities: Eligible schools, state and local agencies, Indian tribal organizations, agricultural producers or groups of agricultural producers, and nonprofit entities
The purpose of the USDA Farm to School Grant Program is to assist implementation of programs that improve access to local foods in eligible schools. The program’s grants help schools foster sustainability by connecting with local agricultural producers and help improve the health and well being of their students. Applicants may apply for three types of grants: 1) a planning grant, for schools just getting started on farm to school activities; 2) an implementation grant, for schools seeking to augment or expand existing efforts; or 3) a support service grant, to conduct trainings, create complementary curriculum, or further develop supply chains, among other activities. Planning grants will represent approximately 25% of the total grant funding, while implementation and support service grants are expected to represent approximately 75%. For all three types of grants, the applicant must provide at least 25% of the costs of the total project.
For more information, visit the funding synopsis.
EDA Economic Development Assistance Programs Federal Funding Opportunity – Total Funding Available TBD
Applications due: Varies by program year; next due date is June 13, 2013
Eligible entities: State and local governments, federally recognized Tribes, nonprofits, institutions of higher education
Under the Economic Development Assistance Programs (EDAP) Federal Funding Opportunity announcement, EDA will make construction, nonconstruction, and revolving loan fund investments under the Public Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance Programs. Grants made under these programs will leverage regional assets to support the implementation of regional economic development strategies designed to create jobs, leverage private capital, encourage economic development, and strengthen America’s ability to compete in the global marketplace. EDA is soliciting applications from rural and urban communities to develop initiatives that advance new ideas and creative approaches to address rapidly evolving economic conditions. EDA’s investment priorities include environmentally sustainable development and economically distressed and underserved communities.
For more information, visit the grant synopsis.
EPA Science for Sustainable and Healthy Tribes – $6 Million
Applications due: June 25, 2013
Eligible entities: State and local governments, federally recognized Indian tribal governments, U.S. territories or possessions, public nonprofit institutions/organizations (includes public institutions of higher education and hospitals), and private nonprofit institutions/organizations (includes private institutions of higher education and hospitals) located in the United States
EPA, as part of its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program, is seeking applications proposing research to develop sustainable solutions to environmental problems that affect tribes. The objectives of the awards to be made under this solicitation are to improve understanding of: 1) the health impacts of climate change on tribal populations; and 2) the health impacts of indoor air pollution exposures that derive from or are directly affecting traditional tribal life-ways and cultural practices. In both cases, projects should focus on impacts to vulnerable subpopulations of the tribal communities. Proposals should also consider sustainable, culturally appropriate and acceptable pollution prevention, and adaptation/mitigation strategies.
For more information, visit the funding announcement.