WASHINGTON – The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced on Friday that it has opened a competitive funding opportunity for the Climate Ready Workforce for Coastal States, Tribes, and Territories Initiative. According to the announcement, the initiative is intended to support coastal jobs that combat climate change.

Wayne Higgins, director of NOAA’s Climate Program Officer – which will jointly run the workforce initiative with the National Sea Grant College Program – outlined the goals of the program in NOAA’s announcement.

“A skilled, diverse and fairly compensated workforce is essential to help bolster the nation’s climate resilience. Through this competition, we will partner with employers, trade organizations and community-based organizations. We will help partners leverage climate services so they can place training participants in good jobs that enhance climate resilience.”

According to the announcement, NOAA will invest $60 million from the Inflation Reduction Act for the initiative — a $50 million competitive funding opportunity and $10 million for technical assistance to support applicants and grantees. NOAA aims to grant between 10-20 awards under this competition, at amounts ranging from $500,000 to $10 million for each grant.

State, tribal, territorial and local governments, institutions of higher education, and non-profit organizations in coastal states or territories are the focus of these grants, according to the announcement. The program will lead partnerships to train and place workers in public and private-sector jobs. Letters of intent to apply are due by November 30, 2023, and applications are due by February 13, 2024.

For more information, visit www.seagrant.noaa.gov/CRW.