FY2013 NOAA Bay Watershed Education and Training (B WET) Hawaii Program | Apply Online

FY2013 NOAA B-WET Hawaii Program (Bay Watershed Education and Training) - FAQs

1) What is the FY2013 NOAA B-WET Hawaii Program?

The FY2013 NOAA Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Hawaii Program is a competitive federal grant opportunity offered by the U.S. Department of Commerce through NOAA, administered by NOAA's Office for Coastal Management. It funds environmental education efforts in Hawaii that build environmental literacy through hands-on, locally relevant learning connected to coastal, marine, and watershed ecosystems.

2) What is the main purpose of this funding opportunity?

The central aim is to strengthen environmental literacy in Hawaii by supporting education that helps K-12 students and educators understand and care for coastal, marine, and watershed ecosystems. The program is also intended to help develop a well-informed public that can participate in decision-making that improves environmental outcomes across Hawaii.

3) What kinds of learning experiences does NOAA expect projects to provide?

Projects are expected to move beyond classroom-only instruction and provide meaningful watershed educational experiences. This often includes field-based or experiential learning tied to a specific watershed or coastal area, using real places and local issues as the context for instruction.

4) Who is this program designed to serve?

The program focuses on K-12 students and educators in Hawaii. While applicants can include many organization types, the funded work is expected to deliver direct educational experiences for K-12 audiences and support educators through professional development.

5) What are the priority topics or themes emphasized by NOAA?

NOAA highlights priorities that include climate, ocean, and earth sciences, as well as community resilience to hazards. The program aligns with NOAA's broader mission of science, service, and stewardship and emphasizes building healthy, resilient communities and ecosystems that can better handle sudden or long-term environmental change.

6) What are the typical core components of a funded project?

Funded projects typically include:

• Direct educational experiences for students focused on watersheds and related ecosystems
• Professional development for teachers to build content knowledge and field-based teaching skills
• Service learning activities that allow students to contribute to their communities while learning (for example, restoration, monitoring, or other stewardship efforts tied to watershed health)

7) Are partnerships encouraged or required?

The program encourages innovative partnerships. Applicants are expected to collaborate across schools, nonprofits, universities, community organizations, and government entities to increase impact and share expertise.

8) Does NOAA prefer projects in specific locations within Hawaii?

Yes. The opportunity emphasizes geographically targeted programming, meaning NOAA is looking for projects that clearly serve particular places or regions in Hawaii and respond to identifiable local environmental and educational needs.

9) How much funding is available in total, and how many awards were anticipated?

NOAA anticipated making about 10 awards, with an estimated total funding amount of $1,000,000.

10) What is the expected award size?

Individual awards were expected to range from $10,000 (award floor) to $100,000 (award ceiling).

11) What type of funding instrument is used for this opportunity?

The listed funding instruments are grant and cooperative agreement. This indicates that some awards may function like standard grants, while others may involve more substantial NOAA involvement during the project period, depending on the structure of the agreement.

12) Is cost sharing or a match required?

No. Cost sharing or matching funds were not required for this opportunity.

13) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligible applicants include:

• K-12 public and independent schools and school systems
• Institutions of higher education
• Commercial organizations
• Nonprofit organizations
• State or local government agencies
• Indian tribal governments

14) Who is not eligible to apply?

Individual applicants and federal agencies are not eligible to apply.

15) Which federal office administers the program?

The program is administered under NOAA's Office for Coastal Management and is associated with NOAA (Office for Coastal Management) as the offering office.

16) What is the CFDA number associated with this program?

The opportunity is associated with CFDA number 11.473.

17) When was this opportunity posted and when did it close?

This opportunity was posted on August 6, 2012. It ultimately closed on September 28, 2012, after an original closing date of August 28, 2012.

18) Where can applicants get help or ask questions about the announcement?

For questions or assistance accessing the full announcement, the listed contact was:

Stephanie Bennett
NOAA Pacific Services Center
737 Bishop Street, Suite 1550
Honolulu, HI 96813
Phone: 808-522-7481

19) What does "competitive federal grant opportunity" mean in this context?

It means applications are reviewed and selected through a competitive process, with NOAA anticipating a limited number of awards (about 10) from the total funding amount available.

20) What makes a project a good fit for B-WET Hawaii based on the description provided?

Based on the information provided, a strong fit would be a project that is hands-on, tied to real places in Hawaii (a specific watershed or coastal area), aligned with national and Hawaii state school requirements, includes teacher professional development and student service learning, addresses climate/ocean/earth science and/or resilience themes, and leverages partnerships to increase impact.