The United States Department of the Interior’s (Department) WaterSMART (Sustain and Manage America’s Resources for Tomorrow) Program provides a framework for Federal leadership and assistance to stretch and secure water supplies for future generations in support of the Department’s priorities. Through WaterSMART, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) leverages Federal and non-Federal funding to work cooperatively with States, Tribes, and local entities as they plan for and implement actions to increase water supply reliability through investments in existing infrastructure and attention to local water conflicts.
Through WaterSMART Applied Science Grants, Reclamation provides cost-shared financial assistance to States, Indian Tribes, irrigation districts, water districts, or other organizations with water or power delivery authority, universities, nonprofit research institutions, and nonprofit organizations for projects to develop hydrologic information and water management tools and improve modeling and forecasting capabilities.
This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) supports projects to develop hydrologic information and water management tools and improve modeling and forecasting capabilities to increase water supply reliability as well as improving decision making for nature-based solutions. Nature-based solutions are sustainable environmental management and practices that weave natural features or processes into the built environment to promote adaptation and resilience. For further information on the Applied Science Program see www.usbr.gov/watersmart/appliedscience/index.html.
Application Due Date:
First Round: Tuesday, March 11, 2025, 5:00 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time (MDT)
Second Round: Tuesday, February 10, 2026, 5:00 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time (MDT)
All Category A applicants must be located in the Western United States or United States Territories, including Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico.
Category B: Universities, nonprofit research institutions, nonprofit organizations, and federally-funded research and development centers that are acting in partnership and with the agreement of an entity described in Category A.
All Category B applicants must be in the United States or the specific Territories identified above.
Multiple applications for funding may be submitted for consideration under this funding opportunity, provided that the project scopes are not duplicative. Category B applicants may receive a maximum of up to 3 awards provided that the Category A partner entity for each project is different. In general, if you are seeking funding for multiple project components, and the components are interrelated or closely related, you should combine these in one application. However, if the projects are only loosely related, you should submit them as separate applications.
Maximum Award: $400,000
Minimum Award: $0