Office of Education Major Programs

Educational Partnership Program

NOAA's Educational Partnership Program (EPP) provides competitive financial assistance to students and Minority Serving Institutions that support student training and research in NOAA mission sciences. The program's goal is to increase the number of students who are educated and earn degrees in scientific fields directly related to NOAA's mission by increasing collaborative research efforts between NOAA scientists and researchers at Minority Serving Institutions. The EPP program consists of the following components: Cooperative Science Centers; Environmental Entrepreneurship Program; Graduate Sciences Program; and Undergraduate Scholarship Program.

Environmental Literacy Grants Program (ELG)

The Environmental Literacy Grants (ELG) Program is a competitive grants program that supports formal and informal/non-formal education projects implemented on regional to national scales. The ELG Program’s primary mission is to increase the understanding and use of environmental information to promote stewardship and increase informed decision making by U.S. educators, students, and the public, which directly contributes to NOAA’s mission.

The ELG Program is the longest standing and most comprehensive national grants program focused on environmental literacy, and through this focus, makes a distinctive contribution to STEM education.

Bay-Watershed Education and Training (B-WET)

The NOAA Bay-Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) program offers competitive grants to promote locally relevant environmental education opportunities to students in grades K through 12, as well as related professional development for educators. All B-WET funded projects emphasize sustained, hands-on, experiential activities that are aligned with academic learning standards. NOAA B-WET responds to regional education and environmental priorities through local implementation. The program currently serves Chesapeake Bay, California, Hawaii, Pacific Northwest, Gulf of Mexico, New England and Great Lakes regions.

Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship

The Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship program provides support for undergraduate student training in NOAA mission sciences and teacher education. Awards include academic assistance for full-time study during an academic year; a 10-week internship during the summer at a NOAA facility; and, if reappointed, academic assistance for full-time study during a second academic year.