Environmental Sciences

 Limit: 1  // PI:  M. S. Austin Cantu (NAP-Education (SNAP-Ed) and the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP))

Only one application per institution is allowed.

The CFPCGP is intended to bring together stakeholders from distinct parts of the food system and to foster understanding of national food security trends and how they might improve local food systems. Understanding that people with low incomes experience disproportionate access to healthy foods, projects should address food and nutrition security, particularly among our nation’s most vulnerable populations. Nutrition security is defined as having consistent access, availability, and affordability of foods and beverages that promote well-being. Applications from organizations that address food insecurity in rural, tribal, and underserved communities are encouraged. 

No Applicants  // Limit: 1 // Tickets Available: 1 

The purpose of the Food and Agriculture Service Learning Program is to increase the knowledge of agricultural science and improve the nutritional health of children. The program’s goal is to increase the capacity for food, garden, and nutrition education within host organizations or entities, such as school cafeterias and classrooms, while fostering higher levels of community engagement between farms and school systems by bringing together stakeholders from distinct parts of the food system. The initiative is part of a broader effort to not only increase access to school meals for low-income children, but also to dramatically improve their quality.

No applicants // Limit: 1 // Tickets Available: 1 

Only one application per institution is allowed.

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) was amended by the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act in 2002 to include Section 104(k), which provides federal financial assistance authorities for brownfields revitalization, including grants for assessment, cleanup, and revolving loan funds. The Brownfields Utilization, Investment, and Local Development (BUILD) Act (Public Law 115- 141) enacted in 2018 reauthorized EPA’s Brownfields Program and made additional amendments to CERCLA that affect EPA’s brownfield grant authorities, and ownership and liability provisions. (Note: References to CERCLA in this solicitation refer to CERCLA as amended by the 2002 Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act and the 2018 BUILD Act.) EPA’s Brownfields Program provides funds to empower states, Tribal Nations, communities, and nonprofit organizations to prevent, inventory, assess, clean up, and reuse brownfield sites. This guidance provides information on applying for Multipurpose Grants.

A Multipurpose (MP) Grant is appropriate for communities that have identified, through community engagement efforts, a discrete area (such as a neighborhood, a number of neighboring towns, a district, a corridor, a shared planning area or a census tract) with one or more brownfield sites. The target area may not include communities that are located in distinctly different geographic areas. 

Multipurpose Grant funds provide funding for communities to carry out a range of eligible assessment and cleanup activities, including planning and additional community engagement activities. The performance period for these grants is up to five years.

An applicant can apply for up to $1,000,000 and should demonstrate how grant funds will result in at least:

• one Phase II environmental site assessment;
• one brownfield site cleanup; and
• an overall plan for revitalization that includes a feasible reuse strategy for one or more brownfield sites, if there is not already a plan in place.

No applicants // Limit: 2 // Tickets Available: 2 

Institutions may submit up to two applications under this Funding Opportunity so long as each one describes working with a distinct beneficiary community. 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking applications for cooperative agreements to support the data, reporting, and evidence-building capacity of program beneficiaries, which include, recipients of grant funding from EPA as direct recipients of EPA funding and subrecipients who can participate in the Clean Water and Safe Drinking Water programs, particularly for those representing small, underserved, and/or tribal communities that are applying for or receiving EPA grant funding, including but not limited to funding under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), Public Law 117-58 [also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL)] funding and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), Public Law 117-169.

Applicants should describe how they would collaborate with other EPA funded technical assistance providers (e.g., Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers, EPA Environmental Finance Centers and Technical Assistance for Brownfields recipients) to avoid duplication of effort and share best practices. Additionally, as provided in EPA’s General Terms and Conditions “Copyrighted Material and Data” (a link to which can be found in Section VI.w of EPA Solicitation Clauses), EPA may authorize the successful applicant to use copyrighted works or other data developed with Agency funds by other Federally funded technical assistance providers, or to require that the successful applicant allow other Federally funded technical assistance providers to use works or data developed with EPA funds, when such use promotes efficient and effective use of Federal grant funds.

EPA expects to make between 4 to 8 incrementally funded awards with periods of performance of up to three years with total funding of approximately up to $500,000 per award depending on funding availability, the quality of applications, satisfactory progress, and other applicable considerations. The specific number of awards and the amounts may vary from these estimates. The awards for selected projects will be in the form of cooperative agreements as it is expected that there will be substantial involvement and interaction between the applicant and EPA. The total estimated funding for this competitive opportunity is approximately $4 million.

No applicants // Limit: 1 // Tickets Available: 1 

Only one application can be submitted per institution. Each application submitted under this announcement must address one, and only one, of the Project Areas.

Through this grant program, EPA is soliciting applications to assist in the development and utilization of innovative activities relating to workforce development and career opportunities in the water utility sector, which may include:
(A) expanding the use and availability of activities and resources that relate to the recruitment, including the promotion of diversity within that recruitment, of individuals to careers in the drinking water and wastewater utility sector, including stormwater;
(B) expanding the availability of training opportunities for (i) individuals entering the water and wastewater utility sector; and (ii) individuals seeking to advance careers within the water and wastewater utility sector;
(C) expanding the use and availability of activities and strategies, including the development of innovative activities and strategies, that relate to the maintenance and retention of a sustainable workforce in the water and wastewater utility sector; and
(D) expanding the availability of workforce development and training that enables drinking water and wastewater utility workers to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and other air pollutants to benefit disadvantaged communities. 

Project areas:

• Project Area 1: Targeted internship, apprenticeship, pre-apprenticeship, and post-secondary bridge programs for skilled water utility trades.
• Project Area 2: Education programs designed for elementary, secondary, and higher education students.
• Project Area 3: Regional industry and workforce development collaborations to address water utility employment needs and coordinate candidate development, particularly in areas of high unemployment or for water utilities with a high proportion of retirement eligible employees.
• Project Area 4: Leadership development, occupational training, mentoring, or cross-training programs that ensure incumbent drinking water and wastewater utility workers are prepared for higher level supervisory or management-level positions.
• Project Area 5: Education and training programs, including internship or apprenticeship programs, designed for decentralized water workers (i.e., private well and/or septic system service professionals) to support public health outcomes for communities that rely on private wells for drinking water or decentralized systems for adequate treatment and disposal of wastewater.

Limit: 3  // PIs: 
O. Zhupanska (Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering)
E. Butcher (Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering)
H. Fasel (Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering)

For more information about this funding program, please contact:

• Cody Nicholls, PhD, Associate Director, National Security Programs
• Nate Gahr, Senior Director, National Security Programs

UArizona may submit three (3) applications.

The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD(R&E)), in the Department of Defense (DOD), released a funding opportunity announcement (FOA) for the fiscal year (FY) 2024 DOD Research and Education Program for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority-Serving Institutions (HBCU/MI).  As you know, this effort is DOD’s premiere program in providing support to advance basic research at HBCUs and MIs.  In particular, this FOA seeks to:

• Improve the programs and capabilities of HBCUs/MIs in science and engineering disciplines relevant to DOD;
• Increase the participation of HBCUs and MIs in flagship DOD research programs by furthering HBCU/MI capacity; and
• Increase the number of underrepresented minority graduates in STEM fields relevant to the Department.

Principal Investigators (PIs) should consider novel approaches for proposed projects, with a focus on enhancing the capabilities of their institutions to develop stronger STEM programs to better HBCU/MI participation in competitive defense research programs.  The ultimate goal of the program is to promote STEM research to underrepresented students and encourage them to pursue STEM careers in disciplines of importance to DOD.  Proposed research should align with the areas of interests that have been identified by each of the branches, which can be found in previous broad agency announcements (BAAs) from the Army Research Laboratory (ARL), the Office of Naval Research (ONR), and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR).  More information on each of these BAAs can be found in the full solicitation.  

DOD anticipates awarding a total of $50 million, up to $1 million per grant, for a performance period of 48 months. 

D. Sand (Astronomy)
J. Su  ( Optical Sciences)

The University of Arizona may submit up to two nominations.

the Polymaths Program intends to make long-term bets on professors who have recently achieved tenure or an equivalent status with remarkable track records, promising futures, and a desire to explore interdisciplinary research. Each Polymath is awarded $500,000 per year for up to five years, paid through their institution. These funds are intended to make possible the exploration of new ideas across disciplines, using emerging technologies and insights to test bold hypotheses that may not otherwise receive funding or support. To find out more about the program and our current Polymaths, please visit our website.

We ask that you only nominate exceptional candidates who satisfy the following criteria:

1. Have achieved tenure or an equivalent status within the past three calendar years (2020 or later),
2. Have a remarkable record of accomplishment in area(s) of science and engineering,
3. Have a demonstrated history of pursuing and publishing results in more than one field,
4. Demonstrate a need for additional funding to enable new experiments, explorations, or shifts in research directions.

Limit: 1  // PI selected: T. M. Bishop (Cooperative extension Gila County - Globe / Gila County - Payson, 4-H Youth Development)

UArizona may submit one proposal.

NIFA requests applications for the Agriculture in the Classroom (AITC) program for fiscal year (FY) 2023 to increase agricultural literacy through K-12 education. The anticipated amount available for FY 2023 is approximately $960,000 and will support funding for the initial year. Continuation funding of similar funding levels may be awarded for an additional three years provided performance has been satisfactory, appropriations are available for this purpose, and continued support is in the best interests of the Federal government and the public. Applications should be submitted for the full four years. USDA is not committed to fund any particular application or to make a specific number of awards.

The disciplines of agriculture and education have been related for much of our nation's history. When most Americans lived on farms or in small towns, students often did farm chores before and after school. Old schoolbooks have numerous agricultural references. As the farming population began to decline, agricultural emphasis decreased in educational materials as well.

A core group of educators and agriculturalists pushed for more youth education about agriculture. They recognized the interlocking role of farming and food and fiber production with environmental quality, which included wildlife habitat, clean water, and the preservation of forests.

NIFA's AITC serves nearly five million students and 60,000 teachers in developing awareness and skills as they relate to food, agriculture, and disciplines supportive of the agricultural enterprise. AITC supports this awareness through workshops, conferences, field trips, farm tours, and other educational activities and includes working with state AITC organizations and activities engaged in a variety of issues relating to agricultural literacy.

This notice identifies the objectives for AITC projects, deadlines, funding information, eligibility criteria for projects and applicants, and application forms and associated instructions.

Limit: 1  // PI:  N.E. Ruiz ( Cooperative Extension, Santa Cruz County - Nogales, 4-H Youth Development)

The South32 Hermosa Community Fund, a fund of the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona and its geographic affiliate, the Santa Cruz Community Foundation, supports nonprofit organizations based in Santa Cruz County.  Supported areas include education and leadership, economic participation, good health and social well-being, and natural resource resilience.

South32 is a globally diversified mining and metals company.  The South32 Hermosa Project is located in Southern Arizona in the Patagonia Mountains in Santa Cruz County.  The project is approximately six miles south of the town of Patagonia, 50 miles southeast of Tucson, and 15 miles northeast of Nogales, Arizona. The company’s purpose is to make a difference by developing natural resources and improving people’s lives now and for generations to come.

Since its inception, the South32 Hermosa Community Fund has awarded 95 grants totaling $801,950.

Up to $80,000 will be available each cycle; requests up to $10,000 will be considered.

No applicants // Limit: 1 // Tickets Available: 1 

The Susan Harwood Training Grant Program aims to advance the job quality of the American workforce by providing disadvantaged, underserved, low-income, or other hard-to-reach, at-risk workers hazard awareness, avoidance, and control training to protect them from on-the-job hazards, and to inform workers of their rights and employers of their responsibilities under the OSH Act.

The program and this funding opportunity announcement prioritizes investment and funding to train workers and employers impacted by working in high-hazard industries, industries with high fatality rates, or whose workforce has historically had disadvantaged access to occupational safety and health training, including young workers, temporary, minority, low literacy, limited-English speaking, and other disadvantaged and hard-to-reach workers and worker communities. The Susan Harwood Training Grant Program seeks to increase access to life-saving training by encouraging grantees to provide the training in other languages.

Applications submitted under this FOA are competing for a Targeted Topic Training grant. Targeted Topic Training grant applicants must propose to develop and conduct instructor-led training addressing one of the OSHA-specified training topics for an audience identified in this funding opportunity.