December 2021 Grants Newsletter via Senator Mazie Hirono

December 2021 Federal Grant Opportunities

Aloha,

This Grants Newsletter is a resource for governments, schools, non-profit organizations and businesses interested in pursuing opportunities for federal grant and cooperative agreement funding. Grant notices have been compiled for opportunities published in www.grants.gov, the Federal government’s central website for grant funding. To access my grants e-newsletter click on the December 2021 Federal Grant Opportunities title above.

Section 1 of the newsletter contains current discretionary program listings and research opportunities.  Section 2 is a compilation of websites and links to general grant information provided by the Federal Agencies that most often have discretionary grant solicitations.

We continue to recommend reviewing the special section with information from several agencies on the federal government’s response to the Coronavirus. Agencies continue to update their information regularly and we will continue to provide updated information each month.

Here is a reminder of a Hawaii- specific program currently available:

Department of Labor- Employment and Training Administration Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), Indian and Native American Programs CFDA Number 17.265 supports employment and training activities for Native Hawaiian individuals in order to:  (A) more fully develop the academic, occupational, and literacy skills of such individuals; (B) make such individuals more competitive in the workforce and equip them with the entrepreneurial skills necessary for successful self-employment; and (C) promote the economic and social development of Native Hawaiian communities in accordance with the goals and values of such communities. 

Department of Commerce- 2022 NOAA Hawaii Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Program CFDA Number 11.473 supports a vision of a future where societies and ecosystems are healthy and resilient in the face of sudden or prolonged change. The purpose for this financial assistance is to support our communities by developing well-informed members of society involved in decision-making that positively impacts our coastal, marine, and watershed ecosystems in the Hawaiian Islands. This is a competitive opportunity for grants to assist in the development of new programs, encourage innovative partnerships among environmental education programs, and support geographically targeted programs to advance environmental education efforts that complement national and state school requirements.

Department of Commerce- FY22 Pacific Islands – Hawaii Marine Wildlife Response, Outreach, and Population Monitoring Program CFDA Number 11.454 support specific programmatic activities related to the Hawaiian Monk Seal and Sea Turtle Management Support, Public Education and Awareness Programs for Hawaiian monk seals on Oahu, Public Education and Awareness Programs at Green Turtle Basking Locations on Oahu and Maui, Population Monitoring and Conservation of Hawaiian Hawksbill Sea Turtle on Molokai and Hawaii Island and Population Monitoring and Outreach of Hawaiian Spinner Dolphin on Oahu and Hawaii Island.

National competitions of interest include:

Department of Energy- Office of Science Building EPSCoR-State/National Laboratory Partnerships CFDA Number 81.049 will advance understanding of the physical world by supporting fundamental, early-stage energy research collaborations with the DOE National Laboratories.

Department of Housing and Urban Development- FY 2021 Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant Program CFDA Number 14.889 support the implementation of comprehensive neighborhood revitalization plans that are expected to achieve the following three core goals: 1. Housing: Replace distressed public and assisted housing with high-quality mixed-income housing that is well-managed and responsive to the needs of the surrounding neighborhood; 2.  People: Improve outcomes of households living in the target housing related to employment and income, health, and children’s education; and  3. Neighborhood: Create the conditions necessary for public and private reinvestment in distressed neighborhoods to offer the kinds of amenities and assets, including safety, good schools, and commercial activity, that are important to families’ choices about their community.

Department of Labor- Employment and Training Administration Apprenticeship Building America (ABA) Grant Program CFDA Number 17.805 supports  a coordinated, national investment strategy that aims to strengthen and modernize the RAP system centered on equity and promote Registered Apprenticeship as a workforce development solution. 

Department of Labor- Employment and Training Administration YouthBuild CFDA Number 17.274 funds organizations to provide a pre-apprenticeship program model that encompasses education, occupational skills training, leadership development, and high-quality post-program placement opportunities to youth.  (January 21 deadline)

Department of Labor – Employment and Training Administration Pathway Home 3 CFDA Number 17.270 supports occupational training aligned with their applicants career and educational goals, and provides funding for services, such as case management, legal assistance, and transportation that support participants’ participation and success.  

National Endowment for the Arts- Challenge America, FY2023 CFDA Number 45.024 offers support primarily to small organizations for projects in all artistic disciplines that extend the reach of the arts to populations that are underserved.

National Endowment for the Art- Grants for Arts Projects 1, FY2023 CFDA Number 45.024 supports public engagement with, and access to, various forms of art across the nation, the creation of art, learning in the arts at all stages of life, and the integration of the arts into the fabric of community life.

National Endowment for the Humanities- Landmarks of American History and Culture CFDA Number 45.163 supports a series of one-week workshops for K-12 educators across the nation to enhance and strengthen humanities teaching at the K-12 level.

These additional competitions from previous newsletters are included as a reminder:

Department of Agriculture- Rural Business Development Grants CFDA Number 10.351 will be making approximately 450 awards to promote economic development and job creation projects. Applications will compete in two separate categories, business opportunity grants and business enterprise grants, for use in funding various business and community projects that serve rural areas.

Department of Agriculture- Food and Nutrition Service Farm to School Grant CFDA Number 10.575 awards approximately 200  competitive grants, designed to improve access to local foods in eligible schools, and for activities such as: Training; Supporting operations; Planning; Purchasing equipment; Developing school gardens; Developing partnerships; and Implementing farm to school programs. (January 10 deadline)

Department of Agriculture- National Institute of Food and Agriculture Food Safety Outreach Competitive Grants Program CFDA Number 10.225 funds projects that will develop and implement food safety training, education, extension, outreach and technical assistance projects that address the needs of owners and operators of small to mid-sized farms, beginning farmers, socially-disadvantaged farmers, small processors, or small fresh fruit and vegetable merchant wholesalers.

Department of Agriculture- Rural Utilities Service Rural eConnectivity Program CFDA Number 10.752 provides loans, grants, and loan/grant combinations to facilitate broadband deployment in rural areas. In facilitating the expansion of broadband services and infrastructure, the program will fuel long-term economic development and opportunities in rural America.

Department of Agriculture- Rural Utilities Service Solid Waste Management Grant Program CFDA Number 10.762 funds projects to evaluate current landfill conditions to determine threats to water resources; provide technical assistance and/or training to enhance operator skills in the operation and maintenance of active landfills; provide technical assistance and/or training to help communities reduce the solid waste stream; provide technical assistance and/or training for operators of landfills which are closed or will be closed in the near future with the development and implementation of closure plans, future land use plans, safety and maintenance planning, and closure scheduling within permit requirements. (December 31 deadline)

Corporation for National and Community Service- FY 2022 AmeriCorps Seniors – American Rescue Plan Senior Demonstration Program CFDA Number 94.017 provides additional federal resources to AmeriCorps Seniors in order to assist communities in COVID-19 recovery. This funding will be made available throughout the United States, with a particular interest in programs that will serve communities hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Department of Health and Human Services– Health Resources and Service Administrationannounced several programs in November.  The multiple programs are abstracted in the newsletter for easy reference and have deadlines in late December and mid-January.

Department of Commerce- Economic Development Administration FY 2020 EDA Public Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance Programs CFDA Number 11.300  and 11.307 solicits applications from applicants in rural and urban areas to provide investments that support construction, non-construction, technical assistance, and revolving loan fund projects under EDA’s Public Works and EAA programs. Grants and cooperative agreements made under these programs are designed to leverage existing regional assets and support the implementation of economic development strategies that advance new ideas and creative approaches to advance economic prosperity in distressed communities.

Department of Education- Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE): Project to Support America’s Families and Educators (Project SAFE) Grant Program CFDA Number 84.184 provides grants to eligible LEAs to improve student safety and well-being by advancing strategies consistent with CDC guidance to reduce transmission of COVID-19 in schools.

Department of Health and Human Services- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Connecting Kids to Coverage HEALTHY KIDS 2022 Outreach and Enrollment Cooperative Agreements CFDA Number 93.767 provides funding opportunities to reduce the number of children who are eligible for, but not enrolled in, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and to improve retention of eligible children who are enrolled in the programs.

Department of Interior- Fish and Wildlife Service 2021 National Fish Passage Program CFDA Number 15.608 works in partnership to provide fish (and other aquatic organisms) passage and restore aquatic connectivity for the benefit of Federal trust resources. In doing so, the program aims to maintain or increase fish populations in order to improve ecosystem resiliency and to provide quality fishing experiences for the American people. Activities that restore fish passage also support the modernization of country’s infrastructure such as road culverts, bridges, and water diversions. Example project types include dam removals, culvert replacements, and the installation of fishways. (December 31 deadline)

Department of Interior- Fish and Wildlife Service 2021 National Fish Habitat Action Plan CFDA Number 15.608 funds projects to protect, restore, and enhance fish and aquatic habitats, as outlined in the National Fish Habitat Action Plan (Action Plan). Projects under this program, directly or indirectly, support and promote public access to recreational fishing opportunities. Funded projects may be carried out by Fish Habitat Partnerships (FHPs) recognized by the National Fish Habitat Board (Board), in cooperation with their partners. (December 31 deadline)

Department of Labor- Employment and Training Administration National Dislocated Worker Grants Program Guidance CFDA Number 17.277 are discretionary grants awarded by the Secretary of Labor under Section 170 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) to provide employment-related services for dislocated workers. The Department funds two types of DWGs: Disaster Recovery and Employment Recovery.

Department of Labor- Veterans Employment and Training Service Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Program (HVRP), Incarcerated Veterans’ Transition Program (IVTP), and the Homeless Female Veterans’ and Veterans’ with Children Program (HFVVWC) (referred to collectively as HVRP) CFDA Number 17.285 is currently under development.  Prospective applicants and interested parties are encouraged to expect that an announcement of these funds is imminent.

Veterans Administration- Capital Grants for Transitional Housing announces the availability of approximately $75 million for the renovation, acquisition or construction of GPD transitional housing to improve personal safety for Veterans, reduce risks associated with close quarters living and increase the availability of individual unit style transitional housing

Grantee Spotlight:

The Kohala Center is an independent, community based nonprofit focused on research, education, and land stewardship for healthier ecosystems. By turning ancestral knowledge and research into action, the Center cultivates conditions that reconnects Hawaii’s community with their place, water, food, and people, so that Hawaii and around the world can thrive ecologically, economically, culturally, and socially. 

The Kohala Center received a USDA Rural Development grant that will be used to provide technical assistance to 176 socially disadvantaged producers who are members of five rural cooperatives, and three rural groups operating across the State of Hawaii.

Federal grants are very competitive. To ensure your application is processed, please verify that your organization’s registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) is valid and current. Go to SAM: Systems for Award Management and follow the FAQs and User Guides to update and verify your SAM data. Current SAM registration is mandatory for most agencies, and grants will not be awarded to applicants without valid and current registration in SAM. Remember: Registration on SAM.gov is free of charge.

If you are applying for a federal grant and would like to request a letter of support, or have questions about the application process, please contact my state office at Hawaiioffice@hirono.senate.gov, and include this form and an abstract of your project. Letters of support are submitted directly to the granting agency from my office once the complete application has been submitted. Please do not hesitate to contact my staff if you have any questions before submitting your application.

I encourage you to pass along these resources to anyone you believe would benefit from this information. If you do submit a grant proposal, please stay in touch by contacting my state office.

Mahalo,