GLS Federal Grants Toolkit
Introduction
The Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (GLS) has developed an easy-to-use Federal Grants Toolkit. This toolkit offers a snapshot of the vital tools, information, and resources needed to identify those federal agencies and processes which offer financial assistance to maritime stakeholders seeking to accomplish diverse tasks, including infrastructure, environmental, and intermodal development projects. Similar information was initially compiled by the U.S. Committee on the Marine Transportation System (CMTS). The CMTS manual entitled Federal Funding Handbook: Maritime Transportation System Infrastructure is another excellent resource for interested maritime stakeholders.
Read on for more information about targeting searches, drafting proposals, identifying federal agencies, and submitting grant packages.
Federal Agencies Offering Grants
In addition to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), a wide variety of U.S. federal agencies offer grants and other financial assistance to interested organization. All funding opportunity announcements (FOAs) are available online at www.Grants.gov, a searchable website which provides information on all discretionary grants offered by the 26 federal grant-making agencies. Additionally, Grants.gov provides an overview of the process to apply for federal grants. Visit the following webpages for agency-specific grant information:
- Corporation for National and Community Service
- Institute of Museum and Library Services
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- National Archives and Records Administration
- National Endowment for the Arts
- National Endowment for the Humanities
- National Science Foundation
- Small Business Administration
- Social Security Administration
- U.S. Agency for International Development
- U.S. Department of Agriculture
- U.S. Department of Commerce
- U.S. Department of Education
- U.S. Department of Energy
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
- U.S. Department of Interior
- U.S. Department of Justice
- U.S. Department of Labor
- U.S. Department of State
- U.S. Department of Transportation
- U.S. Department of Treasury
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Federal Grant Categories Pertinent to Maritime Industries
Within the federal government, Seaway stakeholders may wish to target grant and financial opportunities specific to different maritime projects. Examples include:
- Transportation Infrastructure
- Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) Grants, U.S. Department of Transportation
- Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) Grants, U.S. Department of Transportation
- Other
- Various, Federal Emergency Management Agency
- Community Development Block Grants, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
- Emergency Relief Program Grants, U.S. Department of Transportation - Federal Highway Administration
- Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) Grants, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System (PORTS) Grants, U.S. Department of Commerce - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- Fisheries Finance Program, U.S. Department of Commerce - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- Port Security Grant Program (PSGP), U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Federal Emergency Management Agency
- Farm Storage Facility Loan Program, U.S. Department of Agriculture - Farm Service Agency
- Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) Grants, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Other Resources
A variety of web-based resources exist that can help applicants in identifying FOAs and submitting complete, well-written grant packages. Examples include:
- Federal Funding Handbook: Maritime Transportation System Infrastructure, U.S. Committee on the Marine Transportation System
- www.Grants.gov, United States Government
- "Writing a Good Grant Proposal", Free Grants Community
- Federal Register, United States Government
