News & Events

NIDIS Invests Approximately $2 Million to Build Tribal Drought Resilience

September 25, 2023

Author: NOAA/NIDIS

Read Time: 3 minutes

NOAA’s National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) has announced approximately $2 million in funding for projects to support tribal drought resilience as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. This investment will help tribal nations address current and future drought risk on tribal lands across the Western U.S. while informing decision-making and strengthening tribal drought resilience in a changing climate.

Proposals may request funding of up to $700,000 total to be disseminated in the first year and expended over three years in the form of cooperative agreements. A total of 3–5 projects may be funded depending on the project budget requested.

Applications should be developed by or in full partnership with tribal nations to fund the implementation of activities that address current and future drought risk in the context of a changing climate on tribal lands across the Western U.S.

For the purposes of this competition, the “Western U.S.” is considered to be the areas within the following five NIDIS Drought Early Warning System (DEWS) regions: California-Nevada, Intermountain West, Missouri River Basin, Pacific Northwest, and Southern Plains.

Competition activities could include but are not limited to conducting drought vulnerability assessments; developing drought plans and communication plans; and identifying primary drought impacts, optimal drought indicators, and/or triggers. Additional activities could include improving drought monitoring; developing drought dashboards with relevant drought data and real-time information; and demonstrating the application of drought data and information to enhance decision-making.

If the primary applicant is not a tribal government, full partnership with a tribal nation can be demonstrated by including at least one full investigator representing a federally recognized tribe on the project, and indicating through the budget and budget justification how funds are being disseminated to the tribal nation.

“NOAA’s Climate Program Office and the National Integrated Drought Information System take the responsibility to engage with tribal partners very seriously, and this funding opportunity is an example of that commitment,” said Wayne Higgins, Ph.D., director of the Climate Program Office. “With climate change impacts further stressing the water supply in the West, it is imperative that we work together to take on the drought challenges in our tribal communities.”

Important Dates:

Letters of Intent (LOI) are due on Thursday, November 2, 2023 by 11:59 p.m. ET.
The deadline for application submission is Thursday, February 15, 2024 by 11:59 p.m. ET.
- Letters of Intent or applications received after the above deadlines will not be reviewed or considered.