Opportunities for Funding

Carbon Dioxide Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation (CIFIA) Program: Future Growth Grants The carbon dioxide transportation infrastructure finance and innovation (CIFIA) program was appropriated $2.1 billion to provide federal government financing to large-scale common-carrier carbon dioxide (“CO2”) transportation infrastructure projects. (42 U.S.C.A. § 16378). Requirements for Future Growth Grants (this FOA) are established in 42 U.S.C.A. § 16374 (a), which authorizes the secretary to provide grants to pay a portion of the cost differential, with respect to any projected future increase in demand for carbon dioxide transportation by an infrastructure project between--(1) the cost of constructing the infrastructure asset with the capacity to transport an increased flow rate of carbon dioxide, as made practicable under the project; and (2) the cost of constructing the infrastructure asset with the capacity to transport carbon dioxide at the flow rate initially required, based on commitments for the use of the asset.

This Innovation Challenge seeks to fund research projects and teams that will, in accordance with USDA’s S&RS, drive U.S. agricultural science successfully and cooperatively forward into the next generation of sustainable, resilient, and healthy food systems. With a focus on the next generation of research, this opportunity emphasizes providing resources to support highly creative and highly promising early-career researchers. Proposals will undergo an administrative review followed by a technical peer review.

Top proposals will then be shared with the Innovation Challenge Steering Committee. Based on the technical peer review and the Innovation Challenge Steering Committee review, proposals will be recommended for funding, based on the applicant’s ability to conduct the proposed research; integrate the themes of human health, climate-smart agriculture, and social equity, justice, and opportunity; and articulate innovative ideas for high-risk, high-reward research to improve nutrition security.

Funding will be provided for up to four (4) awards of between $350,000 and $500,000 each. The performance period for awards will be two years. In addition to funding, awardees will gain access to collaboration and networking opportunities with USDA and FFAR scientists and leaders.

The Rural Housing Service (RHS) announces a notice in funding availability under its Housing Preservation Grant (HPG) program. The HPG program is a grant program which provides qualified public agencies, private nonprofit organizations, which may include but not be limited to, Faith-Based and Community Organizations, and other eligible entities grant funds to assist very low- and low-income homeowners in repairing and rehabilitating their homes in rural areas. In addition, the HPG program assists rental property owners and cooperative housing complexes in repairing and rehabilitating their units if they agree to make such units available to low- and very low-income persons. This action is taken to comply with Agency regulations found in 7 CFR part 1944, subpart N, which require the Agency to announce the opening and closing dates for receipt of preapplications for HPG funds from eligible applicants. The intended effect of this Notice is to provide eligible organizations notice of these dates.

Approximately $2.2 million of FY2024 funding is available for disaster assistance ($50,000 maximum award). Preapplications for disaster assistance grants may be utilized for calendar year 2022 presidentially declared disaster area(s) only (2022 presidentially declared disaster areas can be viewed at https://www.fema.gov/disaster/declarations).

Through two phases, CONCEPT and DEVELOP, the Power at Sea Prize will provide winners with access to direct support, including trainings, testing assets, and new connections that aim to accelerate the advancement of concepts into real prototypes.

In the CONCEPT Phase, competitors will select a blue economy application that their proposed system, subsystem, or component will support, and an integration challenge their solution intends to resolve. (See official rules for complete lists of challenges and applications). At the end of this phase, up to 20 winners will be awarded from a cash prize pool of up to $200,000.

In the DEVELOP Phase, teams will continue their concept development and prepare it for future technology development after the prize. Up to 20 winners will be awarded from a cash prize pool of up to $1,500,000.

Non-native, invasive plants are a major threat across the state of Arizona. They recognize no borders and occur across all land ownerships. Non-native invasive plants change the natural fire regime, alter watersheds, degrade wildlife habitat, out-compete native vegetation and crops, and destroy the natural beauty of the Arizona landscape.

Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, with funding provided by the State of Arizona and US Forest Service, is soliciting project proposals from $10,000-200,000 to treat invasive plant infestations that threaten Arizona's lands and waters.

Program Objectives
DFFM's Invasive Plant Grant program focuses on prevention, control, and eradication of invasive plants and aims to achieve the following objectives:

Target and treat invasive plants that are capable of transforming native plant communities in forests, woodlands, or rangelands
Assist in preventing fire and flooding, conserving water, and restoring habitat to wildlife
Increase local capacity to manage and prevent encroachment of invasive plants
Use an integrated weed management approach when treating areas infested with invasive plants through the utilization of available tools, including manual, cultural, mechanical, chemical, and biological control methods. Reseeding and planting native vegetation are also components of an invasive plant project

Solar Technologies’ Rapid Integration and Validation for Energy Systems (STRIVES) The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) and Wind Energy Technologies Office (WETO) announced the Solar Technologies’ Rapid Integration and Validation for Energy Systems (STRIVES) funding opportunity, which will provide up to $31 million for research, development, and demonstration projects to improve power systems simulation software tools and demonstrate new business models for distribution systems operations to integrate and optimize the value of inverter-based resources (IBRs) and distributed energy resources including solar generation, wind generation, energy storage, and other technologies such as buildings and electric vehicles. The large-scale deployment of clean energy technologies is driving a transition to a digitally controlled, decentralized, and distributed electric grid that will require coordination of large numbers of diverse and geographically dispersed assets. New operational tools and methods are needed to coordinate these assets while maintaining a reliable, resilient, and secure electric grid. The clean energy transition also introduces new stakeholders to electricity generation, transmission, and distribution, which creates opportunities for new organizational models to provide equitable access and participation in electricity markets. This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is part of a collaborative effort by the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) to issue multiple FOAs totaling more than $100 million for field demonstration projects and other research to support better planning and operations of the electric grid. Topic Area 1: Robust Experimentation and Advanced Learning for Distribution System Operators Projects in this topic area will design and perform field demonstrations of distribution system operator models that consider technology development and the roles of non-traditional stakeholders in potential distribution electricity services and markets. Topic Area 2: Improved Simulation Tools for Large-Scale IBR Transient and Dynamic Studies Projects in this topic area will develop and demonstrate software tools and methodologies to improve the ability of power systems engineers to accurately and efficiently model the dynamics of power systems with large amounts of geographically dispersed IBRs.

The primary objective of the Indian Community Development Block Grant (ICDBG) program is the development of viable Indian and Alaska Native communities, including the creation of decent housing, suitable living environments, and economic opportunities primarily for persons of low-and moderate-incomes. See the ICDBG regulations at 24 CFR 1003.2, the full text of which is available at 24 CFR part 1003.a. Single Purpose Grants. Projects funded by the ICDBG program must principally benefit low- and moderate-income persons (24 CFR 1003.208). These are competitive grants and are the subject of this NOFO.b. Imminent Threat Grants. Projects funded with Imminent Threat grant funds are to address issues that have an immediate negative impact on public health or safety of tribal residents.You do not have to apply for an Imminent Threat grant by the deadline established in this NOFO. These funds are awarded on a first-come first-serve basis until the amount set aside for this purpose is expended. The Imminent Threat request must be submitted to the Area Office of Native American Programs (ONAP) for your region in accordance with ONAP Program Guidance 2018-04, “Imminent Threat Grants” and the requirements in 24 CFR part 1003 subpart E.

This notice announces the availability of funds and solicits applications from eligible entities to incentivize and accelerate the replacement of existing non-ZE Class 6 and 7 heavy-duty vehicles with ZE vehicles. The EPA anticipates awarding up to $932 million in funds under this Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles (CHDV) Grants NOFO, subject to the availability of funds, the quantity and quality of applications received, support for communities overburdened by air pollution, applicability of different business models, and other applicable considerations described in this document. This funding to support ZE vehicles will benefit communities across the United States (U.S.), especially communities that are disproportionately burdened by air pollution and marginalized by underinvestment. These replacement vehicles will ensure cleaner air for the communities in which they operate. The reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from these vehicle replacements will also help address the outsized role of the transportation sector in fueling the climate crisis.

Nature crimes, criminal forms of logging, mining, wildlife trade, land conversion, and associated criminal activities, as well as crimes associated with fishing, pose serious threats to the environment and to national security. They undermine the rule of law and fuel corruption. They also spread disease globally, drive species to the brink of extinction, and rob governments, indigenous peoples, and local communities of their natural resources and legitimate revenue.The goal of this program is to increase global grassroot civil society engagement in addressing nature crimes. To advance the policy goal described above, OES seeks one or two lead implementing partners to form consortia with grassroots civil society organizations across various countries to deploy community-led approaches that address global nature crime trends. By taking advantage of the valuable knowledge offered by these partners, OES aims to strengthen their efforts to expose nature crimes, hold perpetrators accountable, reduce profits from these crimes, and support the environment and local livelihoods.

All proposals must specifically address how the proposed project will directly and measurably contribute to the accomplishment of the Pollinator Fund’s goals as outlined in NFWF’s Monarch Butterfly Business Plan. As such, all proposals must provide the number of acres restored or enhanced as a result of the project.

Proposals must include plans to restore or enhance a minimum of 100 acres in California or 500 acres in all other eligible states. For project ideas related to overwintering sites in California that anticipate preserving, restoring, or improving less than 100 acres, please contact Senior Program Manager Crystal Boyd (crystal.boyd@nfwf.org) to discuss before applying. Acres may be counted from multiple sites; the sites do not need to be contiguous. Since 2015, successful proposals have included a median of 960 acres and an average of 2,120 acres restored or enhanced.

If a project is expected to benefit multiple at-risk native insect pollinator species, the applicant should list the relevant species and how they will benefit. Priority will be given to projects that benefit the monarch butterfly and one or more native insect pollinator species that are federally listed, candidate, or proposed native insect pollinators.

Community Impact and Engagement: Projects that incorporate outreach to communities, foster community engagement, and pursue collaborative management leading to measurable conservation benefits are encouraged. When possible, projects should be developed through community input and co-design processes. Additionally, projects should engage community-level partners (e.g., municipalities, NGOs, community organizations, community leaders) to help design, implement, and maintain projects to secure maximum benefits for communities, maintenance, and sustainability post-grant award.

Each applicant will identify one category that best describes the project. The Pollinator Fund seeks projects in the following two categories:

1. Technical Assistance for Private Working Lands

Funding in this category will support implementation of technical assistance to increase the number of private landowners voluntarily engaged in monarch butterfly and pollinator conservation practices on private working lands. Up to $2 million is expected to be available for grants ranging from $150,000 to $500,000. Funding will be awarded for projects up to three years in length following finalization of the grant agreement.

This category aims to support conservation planning and practice design with private landowners to advance voluntary conservation efforts on working lands that align with NRCS Working Lands for Wildlife frameworks or initiatives, and especially increase Working Lands for Wildlife participation among farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners in the Historically Underserved and Special Emphasis categories.*

2. Habitat Improvement

Funding in this category will support on-the-ground work to increase the quality, quantity, and connectivity of habitat for the monarch butterfly and other native insect pollinators. Up to $3.1 million is expected to be available for grants ranging from $200,000 to $300,000. Funding will be awarded for projects up to two years in length following finalization of the grant agreement.

Applicants in this category should define a step-by-step restoration plan including site preparation, equipment used, planting techniques, size of the project area, description of target native plant community, and maintenance plan (e.g., prescribed burning, mowing, grazing schedules).

If preparing a proposal that includes collecting or propagating native plants, applicants should describe the intended use of the seed or seedlings and how planting success will be monitored. Giveaways of milkweed seeds or seedlings are discouraged unless significant staff time is committed for follow-up, support, monitoring, and mapping with the milkweed recipients.

Plantings must include at least one species of regionally appropriate milkweed. To help meet the nutritional needs of a broad range of pollinator species, plantings must also provide at least three native blooming nectar species (in addition to milkweed) during each of the following periods: spring, summer, and fall.

Projects proposed to benefit other at-risk native insect pollinators should specify habitat needs for those species and how the proposed work will support their breeding, nectaring, nesting, or other habitat needs.