The 2025 Pacific Islands Marine Education and Training Mini Grant, administered by the Fisheries Pacific Islands Region Program Office (PIRO) under the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), is a competitive funding opportunity aimed at enhancing communication, education, and training on marine resource issues in the Pacific Islands Region (PIR). The program seeks to increase scientific education and foster marine-related professions among coastal community residents, particularly indigenous Pacific Islanders, Native Hawaiians, and other underserved communities. The grant encourages projects that build capacity for employment in marine-related fields, improve seafood and fishing safety, promote sustainable fishing practices through technology, and enhance traditional knowledge integration into fishery management.

The program supports projects that focus on marine science and technology, fisheries and seafood-related training, community outreach on sustainable seafood, technology advancements in data collection and sustainability, and the incorporation of local and traditional knowledge. All projects must demonstrate meaningful partnerships with governmental agencies, non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, industry stakeholders, or traditional knowledge practitioners. Additionally, applicants are encouraged to integrate Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management (EBFM) principles to ensure a holistic approach to marine resource management.

For Fiscal Year 2025, approximately $150,000 is available for funding, with an estimated 10 to 15 awards anticipated. Individual awards are expected to range between $10,000 and $15,000. The recommended project duration is 12 months, with the earliest start date being October 1, 2025. Funding is provided through grants and cooperative agreements, depending on the level of government involvement in project execution.

Eligible applicants include individuals, institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, commercial organizations, and state, local, and tribal governments. Federal agencies and their employees are ineligible to apply. All proposed projects must be conducted within Hawaii, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), or American Samoa. There is no cost-sharing or matching requirement for this funding opportunity.

Applications must be submitted via Grants.gov by 5:00 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time on February 28, 2025. Paper submissions must be postmarked by the deadline, but private metered postmarks are not accepted. Applicants must complete registration in SAM.gov, eRA Commons, and Grants.gov before submission, which can take several weeks. Late submissions will not be accepted. Required application components include standard federal forms (SF-424, SF-424A, SF-424B, CD-511, and SF-LLL if applicable), a title page, project summary, narrative project description, budget justification, and additional supporting documentation.

Applications will be evaluated based on their relevance to the program’s goals (25 points), technical merit (20 points), applicant qualifications (15 points), budget justification (15 points), and outreach and education strategy (25 points). The review process includes an initial screening for eligibility, a panel review by subject matter experts, and final selection by the NOAA NMFS Regional Administrator. Awards are expected to be announced by July 2025.

For more information or assistance, applicants may contact Hideyo Hattori, NOAA Federal Program Officer, at hideyo.hattori@noaa.gov or by phone at (808) 725-5057.