Announcing 2024 Notice of Funding Opportunity for NOAA’s Great Lakes Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Program

Applications due February 29, 2024 by 11:59 PM ET

NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary office) is seeking proposals under the Great Lakes Bay Watershed Education and Training (Great Lakes B-WET) program.

The B-WET program is an environmental education program that promotes place-based experiential learning for K–12 students and related professional development for teachers. B-WET fosters the growth of new, innovative programs and encourages capacity-building and environmental education partnerships.

All projects must demonstrate a connection to the Great Lakes basin through the watershed system so that program participants understand how their actions can affect the Great Lakes ecosystem through their local watershed. Great Lakes B-WET awards are funded through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), and applicants must demonstrate how the project will “educate the next generation about the Great Lakes ecosystem.” (GLRI Action Plan III, Objective 5.1)

The FY24 Great Lakes B-WET program funding opportunity focuses on the following priority areas: 1) new projects that use the MWEE framework, 2) systemic MWEE implementation reaching students in one or more grades and including teacher professional development, or 3) capacity building for expanded statewide K–12 environmental literacy initiatives. Applicants must choose one priority. For Great Lakes B-WET, applicants may be located in any U.S. state; however, education projects must target students and teachers in the Great Lakes region.

For the purposes of this solicitation, the Great Lakes region includes counties in the Great Lakes watershed in the states of:

• Illinois,
• Indiana,
• Michigan,
• Minnesota,
• New York,
• Ohio,
• Pennsylvania,
• and Wisconsin.

For applications to Priority 1, the total amount that may be requested should not exceed $80,000. For Priority 2, the total amount that may be requested should not exceed $150,000. For Priority 3, the total amount that may be requested should not exceed $200,000. Awards periods can be up to 24 months. The Great Lakes B-WET program is funded through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

The Notice of Funding Opportunity includes information on the application process and evaluation criteria for proposals. Access the full notice and apply at Grants.gov, search NOAA-NOS-ONMS-2024-2008196

Informational webinar about the FY 2024 Great Lakes B-WET funding announcement will be held:

Tuesday, December 12 at 2:00–3:00pm EST
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Or dial: (US) +1 505-585-3994 PIN: 640 059 938#