The 2024 NOAA Hawaii Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Program | NOAA NOS ONMS 2024 2008250

Opportunity Information: Apply for NOAA NOS ONMS 2024 2008250

The 2024 NOAA Hawaii Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Program is a competitive federal grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Commerce (NOAA) designed to strengthen environmental education across the Hawaiian Islands. It is built around NOAA's broader mission of science, service, and stewardship, with a clear long-term vision of communities and ecosystems in Hawaii being healthy and resilient even as they face sudden events and long-term pressures like climate change. The program focuses on building a better-informed public by supporting projects that help students and educators understand and make decisions that positively affect coastal, marine, and watershed ecosystems in Hawaii.

At the heart of the opportunity is funding for K-12 focused, locally relevant, hands-on learning that connects classrooms to real places and real environmental issues. Funded projects are expected to deliver Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs) for students, which generally means learning that goes beyond lectures and worksheets and instead engages students in outdoor, experiential, and place-based watershed investigations tied to authentic environmental questions and community context. Alongside student programming, the grant also supports professional development for teachers so that educators can strengthen their ability to teach watershed and coastal science in ways that align with regional priorities and school requirements.

The program encourages applicants to develop new education programs, form innovative partnerships among environmental education providers, and implement geographically targeted efforts that complement national and state school standards. Priority Content Areas include science, with a strong emphasis on climate-related learning, and the integration and respect of Indigenous Knowledge (IK). In practice, this means NOAA is looking for projects that are not only scientifically sound, but also culturally grounded and relevant to Hawaii, reflecting community knowledge and local environmental relationships while supporting student learning outcomes.

Eligibility is broad within the non-federal space, as long as the work is conducted in Hawaii, including the islands of Hawaii, Maui, Kahoolawe, Lanai, Molokai, Oahu, Kauai, Niihau, and/or the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Eligible applicants include K-12 public and independent schools and school systems, institutions of higher education, nonprofit and commercial organizations, state or local government agencies, and Indian tribal governments. Individuals are not eligible to apply, and federal agencies are not eligible to receive funds through this announcement.

Equity and inclusion are explicitly emphasized. NOAA states a strong commitment to cultural and gender diversity and to broadening participation by organizations that promote inclusion, including tribal colleges, minority serving institutions, universities, and groups working in historically underserved communities. The notice uses the definition of underserved communities tied to Executive Order 13985, framing underserved communities as populations or geographic areas that have been systematically denied full participation in economic, social, and civic life. This signals that proposals serving these communities, or led by organizations rooted in them, are aligned with a stated program priority.

Federal agencies and federal employees cannot receive grant funds under this opportunity, but they can participate as collaborative partners by providing in-kind services such as technical expertise, review roles, or participation in working groups or leadership teams. If an applicant includes a federal agency collaborator, the proposal should clearly describe what that federal engagement will look like. Importantly, any in-kind federal contributions cannot be counted as part of an applicant's cost share or matching requirement (if applicable), and NOAA employees are not allowed to help prepare grant applications.

Key opportunity details include a grant funding instrument, a maximum award amount (ceiling) of $150,000 per award, and an anticipated number of around 10 awards. The opportunity is listed under CFDA 11.429, with the funding opportunity number NOAA NOS ONMS 2024 2008250. The original application closing date is January 31, 2024. Additional background on the B-WET program, including its broader national context, is available through NOAA's Office of Education at https://www.noaa.gov/office-education/bwet.

• The Department of Commerce in the environment, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "The 2024 NOAA Hawaii Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 11.429.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-11-01.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-01-31. (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.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for NOAA NOS ONMS 2024 2008250

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