OARS funding Environmental Sustainability

Founded in 1945, the J.M. Kaplan Fund is a family foundation with a longstanding history of advocacy for and support of social, artistic, and environmental causes. The fund's current initiatives are dedicated to social justice, the environment, and historic conservation. In honor of its history and mission, the fund is accepting applications for the 2019 J.M.K. Innovation Prize. Through the prize program, grants of up to $175,000 over three years will be awarded to ten early-stage innovators helming creative projects that stand to benefit numerous individuals, communities, and/or sectors. Project priorities include the preservation of natural resources and mitigation of the environmental impact of climate change; heritage conservation; and social justice-focused reforms of the criminal justice and immigration systems in the United States.

The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), Lower ColoradoRegion, Yuma Area Office (YAO) is requesting proposals to fund projects for activitiesin support of their Endangered Species and Environmental Restoration programsin Federal FY 2019 (October 1, 2018 through September 30, 2019). The YAO periodically makes funding availablefor conducting activities for Threatened and Endangered (T&E) species andtheir habitats under Section 7(a)1 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) underthe FWCAP. Please see the map attached to the package forareas covered under this FOA.

The community-based strategy of The Kresge Foundation's Climate Change, Health & Equity initiative is anchored by a multi-year effort that seeks to strengthen the leadership and effectiveness of community organizations working to implement policies and practices that improve climate resilience and reduce health risks equitably. Projects funded through the community-based strategy will advance the adoption and implementation of climate mitigation, climate adaptation and climate resilience policies and programs at the local, regional, and/or state levels that improve public health outcomes and drive investments to improve quality of life. This strategy will include a 14-month planning phase for roughly 12 to 15  sites, followed by a three-year implementation period. The deadline for submitting a letter of intent is 11:59 p.m. March 19, 2019. 

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) India is offering an engagement opportunity with interested organizations to provide comments, opinions, and recommendations related to an upcoming activity called South Asia Enhancing Growth and Development through Energy (South Asia EDGE). This activity aims to improve the delivery of affordable, secure, reliable and sustainable energy services through expanded, transparent and efficient energy markets across South Asia. USAID/India is soliciting written feedback and intends to host a multi-stakeholder consultative meeting on March 19, 2019, with interested stakeholders from the private sector, governmental agencies, think tanks, non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, and other sector experts to provide comments to refine the South Asia EDGE activity and its approach. This Request for Information (RFI) is issued solely for information and planning purposes. It does not constitute a request for proposal/application/quotation, an invitation for bids or solicitation, and any proposals/applications submitted in response to this request will not be considered.

The Kresge Foundation works to expand opportunities for those living in America's cities, including efforts to reduce the negative health consequences affiliated with climate change, which the foundation believes to be the greatest public health threat of the twenty-first century. To that end, the foundation is accepting applications for its Climate Change, Health and Equity initiative. Through the initiative, grants of up to $100,000 will be awarded to as many as fifteen community-based nonprofits working to implement solutions that address the links between climate change, health, and equity. To be eligible for a grant, programs must be rooted in racial equality and social justice. The initiative supports programs at the local, regional, and/or state level that have the potential to advance the adoption and implementation of climate mitigation, climate adaption, and climate resilience policies. Following a fourteen-month planning phase, up to twelve organizations will be invited to apply for multiyear implementation grants.

The Sustainable Ocean Alliance is dedicated to advancing the work of young people who are committed to sustaining and rehabilitating the planet's oceans. To that end, the alliance is accepting applications for its second annual Ocean Solutions Accelerator Program, an incubator program dedicated to young, eco-minded entrepreneurs who are building innovative businesses with the potential to have a positive impact on the planet's ocean. Through the program, grants of $25,000 each will be invested in fifteen startups. Startup teams selected for the program will have the opportunity to participate in a comprehensive and unique eight-week leadership and development course that provides them with mentoring, networking, and education aimed at helping them transform their innovative prototypes into scalable businesses. The eight-week course will be held in the Bay Area in June and August. In addition, one member of each team will be invited to participate in the Accelerator at Sea Alaska expedition, during which they will have the opportunity to explore iconic landscapes while refining their business model.

Submit an application if you are a successful top-rank junior researcher from abroad, only completed your doctorate with distinction in the last six years, and have published work in prestigious international journals or publishing houses. The Sofja Kovalevskaja Award allows you to spend five years building up a working group and working on a high-profile, innovative research project of your own choice at a research institution of your own choice in Germany.

In selecting projects for funding, the Foundation seeks proposals for original initiatives led by outstanding individuals or teams.  We are interested in projects that have a high expected return to society, exhibit a high degree of methodological rigor, and for which funding from the private sector, government, or other foundations is not yet widely available.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) through the Marine Minerals Program (MMP) is offering a cooperative agreement opportunity to conduct research to serve the public interest in offshore sand resources, coastal restoration, coastal resiliency and to investigate the long-term recovery of benthic and fish communities following dredging of sand resources within Ship Shoal in the Gulf of Mexico. The objectives of this study are to examine the relationship of human disturbance to ecosystem services in offshore sand shoal habitats in the Ship Shoal borrow area and nearby control sites off Louisiana. Further, to determine if there are functional differences in control site and borrow sites (pre- and post-dredging) by examining species distribution, diversity, habitat use, population dynamics and rate of recovery of benthic habitats. If so, investigate if these differences correlate with biophysical differences (grain size, flow characteristics). Finally, determine if there are regional differences in recovery (Gulf of Mexico vs. Atlantic). Section 1346 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) mandates the conduct of environmental and socioeconomic studies needed for the assessment and management of environmental impacts on the human, marine, and coastal environments which may be affected by oil and gas or other mineral development.

The Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH) announces the availability of administrative supplements to support interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research focused on the effect of sex/gender influences at the intersection of several social determinants, including but not limited to: race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, education, health literacy and other social determinants in human health and illness. This research includes preclinical, clinical, behavioral and translational studies with the specific purpose to provide Administrative Supplements to active NIH parent grants for one year to address health disparities among women of populations in the US who are understudied, underrepresented and underreported in biomedical research. The proposed research must address an area specified within Goal 1 and 2 of the new Trans-NIH Strategic Plan for Women's Health Research "Advancing Science for the Health of Women". These goals focus on advancing rigorous research that is relevant to the health of women (Goal 1) and developing methods and leveraging data sources to consider sex and gender influences that enhance research for the health of women (Goal 2). Projects must include a focus on one or more NIH-designated health disparities populations, which include Blacks/African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, American Indians/Alaska Natives, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders, socioeconomically disadvantaged populations, underserved rural populations, and sexual and gender minorities (SGM). Combinations of one or more populations is also encouraged, e.g. socioeconomically disadvantaged sexual and gender minorities.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement addresses Congressional direction for support of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2017/Transportation Electrification; natural gas; fuel cells, hydrogen generation, deliver, and storage systems; biopower; technology integration, including Clean Cities; and off-road vehicles.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) advances the H2@Scale concept. The focus of H2@Scale is to enable affordable and reliable large-scale hydrogen generation, transport, storage, and utilization in the United States across multiple sectors. By producing hydrogen when power generation exceeds load, electrolyzers can reduce curtailment of renewables and contribute to grid stability. Hydrogen produced from existing baseload (e.g., nuclear power) assets can also be stored, distributed, and used as a fuel for multiple applications. Such applications include transportation, stationary power, process or building heat, and industrial sectors such as steel manufacturing, ammonia production and petroleum refining. Key challenges to the H2@Scale concept include affordability, reliability, and performance of emerging hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. Topics under this FOA to advance H2@Scale include: Topic 1: Advanced hydrogen storage and infrastructure R&D including novel materials or hydrogen carriers for transporting and storing hydrogen, and materials for hydrogen infrastructure components. Topic 2: Innovative concepts for hydrogen production and utilization including advanced water splitting materials, affordable domestic hydrogen production technologies, co-production of hydrogen for additional sources of revenue, and reversible fuel cell technologies. Topic 3: H2@Scale Pilot - integrated production, storage, and fueling systems including innovative approaches that successfully integrate and optimize the complete system encompassing hydrogen production, storage, distribution, and use.

The Maritime Administration, Office of Environment is issuing this request for proposals (RFP) for projects that demonstrate shipboard energy conservation or efficiency measures. Background: Over the past several years, the Maritime Administration (MARAD) has been partnering with government agencies, industry, and academia on efforts to reduce vessel and port emissions, as well as efforts to support the use of alternative fuel and energy sources. Currently, MARAD would like to focus on exploring and supporting proposals focused on shipboard energy efficiency and conservation. This RFP is specifically seeking to provide cost share funding through a cooperative agreement(s) for one or more proposals that offer the potential for advancement and improvement of energy efficiency for marine vessel operations. The MARAD cost share will not exceed 50% of the total project cost. Collaborative partnerships with other entities such as industry, ports, maritime organizations, and state or local governments are highly encouraged. This announcement is an expression of interest only and does not commit MARAD to make any award. The total amount of funding under the RFP will be up to $400,000.

Grants of up to $5,000 will be awarded to local nonprofit organizations located within the service area of individual Walmart stores in the areas of hunger relief and healthy eating, health and human services, quality of life, education, community and economic development, diversity and inclusion, public safety, and environmental sustainability.

The Environmental Studies Program (ESP) of the BOEM is offering a cooperative agreement opportunity through the University of Alaska Coastal Marine Institute (CMI) to units within the University of Alaska system that have the ability to conduct research in topics that serve the public interest of safe and environmentally sound energy production and meet the goals of the BOEM. The general types of studies that may be funded include scientific studies for better understanding marine, coastal or human environments affected or potentially affected by offshore oil and gas or other mineral exploration and extraction on the outer continental shelf (OCS); modeling studies of environmental, social, economic, or cultural processes related to OCS oil and gas activities in order to improve scientific predictive capabilities; experimental scientific studies for better understanding of environmental processes, or the causes and effects of OCS activities; projects which design or establish mechanisms or protocols for sharing data or information regarding marine or coastal resources, or human activities to support prudent management of oil, gas and marine mineral resources; and synthesis studies of scientific environmental or socioeconomic information relevant to the OCS oil and gas program. The most relevant geographic areas are potential OCS oil and gas lease areas off Alaska, including the Beaufort Sea, the Chukchi Sea, Cook Inlet, and the northern Gulf of Alaska. Following the submission of letters of intent (LOI) from the University of Alaska, the BOEM, in discussion with representatives from the State of Alaska, have selected the LOI topics listed below for development of full proposals.

EPA's Office of Air and Radiation (EPA/OAR) is seeking applications from eligible entities 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/OAR's policy and regulatory activities. EPA anticipates awarding approximately $1,005,000 over three years. EPA anticipates awarding up to one cooperative agreement from this announcement, subject to availability of funds, the quality of applications received, and other applicable considerations.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) Ecological Services Program provides Federal financial assistance on a competitive basis to states, landowners, educators, non-profit organizations, researchers and other potential partners to secure information about candidate and other at-risk species to avert listing of species pursuant to the Endangered Species Act, and to help conserve the ecosystems upon which these species depend. The overall goal of this Candidate Conservation funding opportunity is based on cooperative relationships with states, non-profit organizations, private landowners and those interested in habitat restoration or undertaking candidate and at-risk species research, surveys and monitoring, or educational outreach efforts. Work may be done via cooperative agreement and project grants.

The goals of the project is to increase opportunities for outdoor recreational and educational activities for students in grades K through 12 by providing a professional development training program for their teachers. Through training teachers about the educational resources and programs available through the National Park Service, more students reap benefits from the funding invested as each teacher impacts up to 300 students in the classroom each year following participation in the program. Also, teachers are more likely to engage their students in outdoor recreational and educational programs at National Park Service sites if they are knowledgeable and feel competent in the themes and resources available through the National Park Service.

The Montezuma Castle cliff dwelling and Casa Grande Great House are the American Southwest¿s most iconic earthen buildings. This cooperative agreement outlines work necessary to plan and implement pilot preservation treatments at both sites. Objectives of the project include, 1) plaster sampling and analysis to determine material constituency (MOCA/CAGR), 2) continued archeological analysis and evaluation (MOCA/CAGR), 3) implementation of pest management recommendations and pilot stabilization treatments (CAGR), 4) archival printing of select walls and features (CAGR/MOCA).

To raise awareness on wildlife trafficking within mail facilities and improve cooperation and coordination on wildlife interdiction between mail facility workers, wildlife authorities, and customs officials.