1,000+ Opportunities
Find the right grant
Search federal, foundation, and corporate grants with AI — or browse by agency, topic, and state.
WaterSMART Applied Science Grants Program is a U.S. Bureau of Reclamation program that provides cost-shared financial assistance to improve water supply reliability in the western United States. The program funds projects that develop hydrologic data, improve water management tools, and advance hydrologic modeling and forecasting capabilities to help water managers plan for droughts and floods. Awards range from $400,000 to $6,000,000.
Eligible applicants include states, Indian tribes, irrigation districts, water districts, and other organizations with water or power delivery authority in the western U.S. Applications for the current funding cycle are due July 8, 2026. Nature-based solutions to water supply challenges are a priority under this notice.
Get alerted about grants like this
Get emailed when new opportunities from “U.S. Bureau of Reclamation” or related funders appear. Free, weekly, unsubscribe anytime.
Or search similar grants →Extracted from the official opportunity page/RFP to help you evaluate fit faster.
Opportunity Listing - WaterSMART: Applied Science Grants WaterSMART: Applied Science Grants Agency: Bureau of Reclamation Assistance Listings: 15. 557 -- Applied Science Grants Last Updated: March 6, 2026 View version history on Grants.
gov Through WaterSMART, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) leverages Federal and non-Federal funding to work cooperatively with States, Tribes, and local entities as they plan and implement actions to increase water supply and hydropower reliability.
The WaterSMART Program demonstrably advances Trump administration priorities, such as those identified in Presidential Executive Order 14154 (January 20, 2025): Unleashing American Energy (E. O. 14154) and Secretarial Order 3418, and aligns with other priorities and requirements, such as those identified in Presidential Executive Order 14332 (August...
7, 2025): Improving Oversight in Federal Grantmaking (E. O. 14332).
The goal of the WaterSMART Applied Science Grants (ASG) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is to invite eligible entities to apply for funding to improve access to and use of hydrologic data, develop and improve water management tools, and improve hydrologic modeling and forecasting capabilities.
Water managers and reservoir operators rely on hydrologic data, modeling, and water supply forecasts to make decisions to meet future water demands. Water supply forecasts are estimates of current and future water supplies based on measured basin conditions (e.g., such as the quantity of upstream mountain snowpack).
Results from these projects will be used by water managers to increase water supply reliability to meet water delivery requirements (e.g., compacts, decrees, etc.), provide flexibility in water operations to be more resilient during droughts, and enhance water supply forecasts to better predict floods and optimize limited water supplies.
Example projects include improving operational models for irrigation water deliveries or reservoir operations, improving the use of snow monitoring technologies to enhance the skill of water supply forecasts, and improving data acquisition, data analysis, and data delivery, including the development of hydrologic databases.
The ASG NOFO will build on and complement projects funded under the Snow Water Supply Forecasting Funding Opportunity by providing funding for applicants to improve the integration of innovative snow measurement data into water supply forecasts.
Category A Applicants:States, Indian tribes, irrigation districts, water districts;State, Regional, or local authorities whose members include one or more organizations with water or power delivery authority; and other organizations with water or power delivery authority.
All Category A applicants must be located in the Western United States or United States Territories, including Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico.
Category B Applicants:Universities, nonprofit research institutions, nonprofit organizations, and Federally-funded research and development centers that are acting in partnership with the agreement of an entity described in Category A. All Category B applicants must be in the United States or the specific Territories identified above.
Ineligible Applicants:Those not eligible include the following entities:Federal Governmental EntitiesIndividualsCommercial/industrial organizationsPrivate entities Grantor contact information File name Description Last updated Foa_Content_of_R25AS00280_3. 2. 26_v2.
FINAL. pdf Foa_Content_of_R25AS00280_3. 2.
26 v2. FINAL. pdf Mar 5, 2026 10:40 PM UTC Attachment_A_-_Budget_Detail_and_Narrative_template_v2025_March.
xlsx Attachment A - Budget_Detail_and_Narrative_template_v2025_March. xlsx Mar 5, 2026 10:39 PM UTC Attachment_B_-_Budget_Narrative_Guidance_v2025_March. docx Attachment B - Budget_Narrative_Guidance_v2025_March.
docx Mar 5, 2026 10:39 PM UTC General_NOFO_FAQ. pdf General NOFO FAQ. pdf Mar 5, 2026 10:40 PM UTC Submission_Instructions__Tips.
pdf Submission Instructions & Tips. pdf Link to additional information First application July 8, 2026, at 5:00pm MDTSecond application : April 13, 2027, 5:00PM MDT Funding opportunity number : Cost sharing or matching requirement : Funding instrument type : Opportunity Category Explanation : Category of Funding Activity :
According to the current listing, eligibility includes: States, Indian tribes, irrigation districts, water districts, and organizations with water/power delivery authority in the western U. S. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
The current listing shows $400,000 - $6,000,000. Verify award ceilings, matching requirements, and allowable costs in the official notice.
The published deadline was July 8, 2026, which has passed. Check the official notice for any future application windows before investing time in a proposal.
WaterSMART Applied Science Grants Program is funded by U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Verify program details on the funder's official page before applying.
Start from the official opportunity page linked in this listing — it carries the sponsor's submission instructions.
WaterSMART: Applied Science Grants for Fiscal Year 2025 and Fiscal Year 2026 is sponsored by U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Invites eligible non-Federal entities to leverage their money and resources by cost sharing on applied science projects to improve access to and use of hydrologic data, develop and improve water management tools, and improve modeling and forecasting capabilities.
WaterSMART Drought Response Program is sponsored by U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) / U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. This program provides funding to assist communities in preparing for and responding to drought conditions. This includes drought contingency planning and construction of drought resilience projects to secure adequate and safe water supplies.