Opportunity Information: Apply for NOAA NMFS NCBO 2014 2003956
Apply for NOAA NMFS NCBO 2014 2003956
- The Department of Commerce in the education environment science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Fiscal Year 2014 NOAA Chesapeake Bay Watershed Education and Training (BWET)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 11.457 Chesapeake Bay Studies.
- This funding opportunity was created on Nov 15, 2013 and posted on Nov 15, 2013.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 29, 2014. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $2,700,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $150,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 18 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) County governments State governments Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Private institutions of higher education City or township governments Independent school districts Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments).
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Opportunity Summary:
Fiscal Year 2014 NOAA Chesapeake Bay Watershed Education and Training (BWET) is a discretionary federal funding opportunity from the Department of Commerce, administered through NOAA, that supports K-12 environmental education centered on the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The program is designed to strengthen locally relevant, hands-on learning by helping schools and partners deliver place-based instruction that connects students directly to the Bay, its tributaries, and the surrounding landscapes. Although BWET began in the Chesapeake Bay region in 2002 and later expanded to several other regions nationwide, this particular opportunity focuses specifically on the Chesapeake Bay watershed and aims to build environmental literacy while also boosting student interest and engagement in STEM topics through real-world investigations.
The core purpose of this grant is to fund Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs) for K-12 students and to support professional development for in-service educators such as teachers, administrators, and other staff who serve K-12 learners. NOAA emphasizes that the Chesapeake Bay is an ideal outdoor classroom because it offers tidal and non-tidal systems and a wide range of accessible habitats where students can observe environmental processes first-hand. Funded projects are expected to align with formal education goals and strategies, including the NOAA Education Strategic Plan and the Mid-Atlantic Elementary and Secondary Environmental Literacy Strategy, and to reinforce NOAA priorities related to STEM advancement under America COMPETES.
A major feature of this opportunity is the specific definition and expectations around MWEEs. NOAA makes clear that an MWEE is not simply a field trip or a single outdoor activity. Instead, it should be investigative or project-oriented, structured around real questions, problems, or local issues, and carried out through hands-on data collection, observation, and analysis. Projects should encourage careful observation, critical thinking, and problem-solving while building student confidence. Applicants are encouraged to integrate relevant technology when appropriate, such as water-quality probeware, tablets for field documentation, or GPS tools for mapping and site work. While tours, simulations, demonstrations, museum visits, and nature walks may be useful supports, they do not meet the MWEE standard on their own unless they are embedded in a larger investigative learning sequence.
NOAA also stresses that MWEEs must be integrated into classroom instruction rather than treated as an add-on. The outdoor experience should connect directly to what students are studying in class, align with academic standards, and occur at a point in the instructional sequence where it makes sense educationally. The program supports interdisciplinary learning as well, meaning projects can incorporate more than science alone and may include topics like maritime heritage, local history, economics, mathematics, English language arts, art, and the cultural importance of natural resources. The intent is to promote an integrated approach that helps students understand the watershed as a connected system and see how environmental issues relate to communities and daily life.
Another key expectation is that the experience be sustained over time and include three phases: preparation, action, and reflection. The preparation phase should frame a driving question, problem, or issue and engage students in discussion and planning. The action phase should involve multiple outdoor experiences that allow students to carry out their investigation, collect data, and make observations; NOAA strongly encourages restoration activities or other work that results in tangible environmental change when appropriate. The reflection phase should bring students back to the original question to analyze results, evaluate what was learned, assess outcomes, and communicate findings, which can include sharing results with classmates, schools, families, or broader community audiences.
Projects funded under this opportunity should also connect learning explicitly to watershed and coastal or marine systems. Even if some activities occur on land, they must intentionally link back to watershed function and water quality, such as through erosion control, establishing buffers, protecting groundwater, or preventing pollution. NOAA encourages applicants to enhance projects by using NOAA products, services, and personnel, such as incorporating NOAA datasets to provide broader context for student-collected information or engaging NOAA experts to complement classroom instruction. This approach not only strengthens learning but also increases student awareness of NOAA resources, exposes students to scientific career pathways, and provides role models connected to environmental stewardship and STEM fields.
From a funding and administrative standpoint, the opportunity was offered as cooperative agreements, with an estimated total funding amount of $2.7 million and an expectation of about 18 awards. Individual awards were anticipated to range from $50,000 (floor) to $150,000 (ceiling), and the solicitation stated that no cost sharing or matching was required. Eligible applicants included a wide range of entities such as state, county, and local governments; public and private institutions of higher education; independent school districts; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; and nonprofit organizations (including both 501(c)(3) and certain nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status, as specified). The CFDA number associated with the program is 11.457 (Chesapeake Bay Studies). The application window for this FY2014 competition opened November 15, 2013, and closed January 29, 2014, with the archive date listed as February 28, 2014.
For support or questions related to fit and project design, NOAA encouraged potential applicants to contact the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office prior to submission. The listed point of contact for access issues and assistance was Kevin Schabow at the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office in Annapolis, Maryland (410-295-3145), and the announcement referenced additional background materials and previously funded project examples available through the NOAA Chesapeake Bay website, along with the original MWEE definition published by the Chesapeake Bay Program.
FAQs: FY 2014 NOAA Chesapeake Bay Watershed Education and Training (BWET)
What is the FY 2014 NOAA Chesapeake Bay BWET grant?
FY 2014 NOAA Chesapeake Bay Watershed Education and Training (BWET) is a discretionary federal funding opportunity from the U.S. Department of Commerce, administered through NOAA. It supports K-12 environmental education focused on the Chesapeake Bay watershed, with an emphasis on locally relevant, hands-on, place-based learning.
What is the main purpose of this funding opportunity?
The core purpose is to fund Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs) for K-12 students and to support professional development for in-service educators (such as teachers, administrators, and other staff who serve K-12 learners). The program aims to build environmental literacy and increase student interest and engagement in STEM through real-world investigations connected to the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
What geographic area does this opportunity focus on?
This particular opportunity focuses specifically on the Chesapeake Bay watershed. While BWET later expanded to other regions nationwide, the described FY 2014 competition is centered on the Chesapeake Bay region.
What types of student experiences does NOAA want projects to deliver?
Projects are expected to deliver MWEEs that are investigative or project-oriented and built around real questions, problems, or local issues. They should involve hands-on data collection, observation, and analysis, and help students develop careful observation skills, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities while building confidence.
What is an MWEE (Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience)?
NOAA describes an MWEE as more than a single outdoor activity. It is an investigative or project-based learning experience structured around a driving question, problem, or local issue, where students engage in hands-on work such as collecting and analyzing data, making observations, and drawing conclusions tied to the watershed.
Is a field trip considered an MWEE?
Not by itself. NOAA explicitly notes that an MWEE is not simply a field trip or a one-time outdoor activity. Activities like tours, simulations, demonstrations, museum visits, and nature walks can support learning, but they do not meet the MWEE standard on their own unless they are embedded within a larger investigative learning sequence.
Do MWEEs need to be connected to classroom instruction?
Yes. NOAA stresses that MWEEs must be integrated into classroom instruction rather than treated as an add-on. The outdoor learning should connect directly to what students are studying in class, align with academic standards, and occur at an educationally appropriate point in the instructional sequence.
Does NOAA encourage interdisciplinary learning in BWET projects?
Yes. The opportunity supports interdisciplinary learning beyond science alone. Projects may incorporate areas such as maritime heritage, local history, economics, mathematics, English language arts, art, and the cultural importance of natural resources, as part of an integrated approach to understanding the watershed as a connected system.
What are the required phases of an MWEE under this opportunity?
NOAA describes MWEEs as sustained experiences that include three phases: preparation, action, and reflection.
What happens during the preparation phase?
The preparation phase should frame a driving question, problem, or issue and engage students in discussion and planning leading into the outdoor investigation.
What happens during the action phase?
The action phase should include multiple outdoor experiences where students carry out their investigation through observation and data collection. NOAA strongly encourages restoration activities or other work that results in tangible environmental change when appropriate.
What happens during the reflection phase?
The reflection phase brings students back to the original question to analyze results, evaluate what was learned, assess outcomes, and communicate findings. Communication can include sharing results with classmates, the school, families, or broader community audiences.
Do projects have to connect directly to watershed and coastal or marine systems?
Yes. Projects should explicitly connect learning to watershed and coastal or marine systems. Even if activities occur on land, they must intentionally link back to watershed function and water quality (for example, through erosion control, establishing buffers, protecting groundwater, or preventing pollution).
Does NOAA encourage the use of technology in student investigations?
Yes. Applicants are encouraged to integrate relevant technology when appropriate, such as water-quality probeware, tablets for field documentation, or GPS tools for mapping and site work.
Does NOAA encourage the use of NOAA resources in projects?
Yes. NOAA encourages applicants to enhance projects by using NOAA products, services, and personnel. Examples include incorporating NOAA datasets to provide broader context for student-collected information or engaging NOAA experts to complement classroom instruction.
How does involving NOAA products or personnel help projects?
As described, this approach can strengthen learning, increase student awareness of NOAA resources, expose students to scientific career pathways, and provide role models connected to environmental stewardship and STEM fields.
What type of funding mechanism was used for this opportunity?
The solicitation offered awards as cooperative agreements.
How much total funding was estimated for this FY 2014 competition?
The estimated total funding amount was $2.7 million.
How many awards were expected?
NOAA expected to make about 18 awards.
What was the anticipated award size?
Individual awards were anticipated to range from $50,000 (floor) to $150,000 (ceiling).
Was cost sharing or matching required?
No. The solicitation stated that no cost sharing or matching was required.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants included state, county, and local governments; public and private institutions of higher education; independent school districts; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; and nonprofit organizations (including both 501(c)(3) and certain nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status, as specified in the announcement).
What is the CFDA number for this program?
The CFDA number associated with the program is 11.457 (Chesapeake Bay Studies).
When did the application period open and close?
The application window opened November 15, 2013, and closed January 29, 2014.
What is the archive date listed for this opportunity?
The archive date was listed as February 28, 2014.
Which NOAA office was associated with support and guidance for applicants?
NOAA encouraged potential applicants to contact the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office prior to submission for support related to fit and project design.
Who was the listed point of contact for access issues and assistance?
The listed point of contact was Kevin Schabow at the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office in Annapolis, Maryland. The phone number provided was 410-295-3145.
Where could applicants find examples of previously funded projects or background materials?
The announcement referenced additional background materials and previously funded project examples available through the NOAA Chesapeake Bay website, and it also referenced the original MWEE definition published by the Chesapeake Bay Program.
What formal strategies or plans were projects expected to align with?
Funded projects were expected to align with formal education goals and strategies, including the NOAA Education Strategic Plan and the Mid-Atlantic Elementary and Secondary Environmental Literacy Strategy, and to reinforce NOAA priorities related to STEM advancement under America COMPETES.
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