Federal Funding

This page contains an abundance of information regarding federal funding, including competitive grants, appropriation requests, and other helpful resources.  Use the "skip to" links below to help navigate the page.

Skip to: Competitive Grants | Appropriation Requests | Water Resources and Development Act | Doing Business With the Government

Competitive Grants

My state office provides assistance to Connecticut residents who are interested in learning more about federal competitive funding opportunities. We have provided general information below regarding competitive federal grants and sources of information about federal funding opportunities.

Federal agencies are required to publish Notices of Funding Availability (NOFAs) in the Federal Register. The Federal Register is a publication designed to provide ready access to information about federal laws, presidential documents, administrative regulations and notices, as well as descriptions of federal organizations, programs and activities. The Federal Register is published every business day and is available online through the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration’s website. You may search the Federal Register online; this site also allows you to sign up to receive the daily Federal Register via email.

You can register at grants.gov to receive NOFA announcements or you can use the RSS feeds posted on this page to check for new announcements. The email service sends the announcements via e-mail to interested parties when they are published by federal agencies. To sign up for this service, access the site and when the home page appears on your screen, select Find Grant Opportunities located on the upper right hand corner of the page. On the next page select Receive Grant Opportunity Notification on the left hand side of the screen. On subsequent pages you will be provided with options to choose the announcement, or types of announcements, you wish to receive. You may choose to receive all notifications issued by any federal agency, or you can request only those published by specific agencies. You can also request notices for specific types of funding activities, subject areas, or eligibility groups. If you wish to be notified when a specific grant program announces the next funding round, you may request notices for that specific program.

The best single source of information about authorized federal funding programs is The Catalog of Federal and Domestic Assistance (CFDA), which is published by the General Services Administration. You can access the CFDA here. The site provides an online guide to using the CFDA and advice on developing and writing grant proposals. To search for grant programs you may use the Find Programs search option box on the right hand side of the page. Although authorized federal funding programs are listed on this site, you may only submit an application to these programs during the application period described in a recently published NOFA.

Another federal resource for public agencies and non-profit organizations is the federal Surplus Property Program. Information about this program is available at the General Services Administration website (www.gsa.gov). To access information about programs use the menu on the left hand side of the page. You may find information “For Citizens & Consumers,” “For Businesses,” and “For Government Customers.”

If you are interested in investigating non-governmental sources of funding, you may wish to contact The Foundation Center, an independent organization that specializes in disseminating information about private philanthropy. The Foundation Center provides a wide array of services and products including reference guides and services, classroom and online training courses, and online tutorials. For additional information about services offered by The Foundation Center you can visit their website.

The Grants Administrator in my Hartford, Connecticut office is available to provide Connecticut residents with federal competitive grants related assistance. You may contact the Grants Administrator at (860) 549-8463 or GrantsAdmin_Lieberman@lieberman.senate.gov

Below are a series of RSS feeds you can use to stay updated on new and modified grant opportunities. To learn more about RSS feeds, click here.

New Opportunities by Agency

New Opportunities by Category

Modified Opportunities by Agency

Modified Opportunities by Category

Appropriations Requests

The Senate Appropriations Committee has announced a two year moratorium on earmarks for Fiscal Years 2011, 2012 and 2013. While I continue to stand by the projects I have secured for Connecticut in the past, I will honor the Committee’s decision and will no longer be submitting applications for Fiscal Year 2012 and 2013 appropriations projects.

Water Resources and Development Act

The Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) authorizes studies and projects within the U.S. to be carried out by the Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE)  mission areas including navigation, shoreline protection, environmental restoration, and natural disaster damage reduction.  WRDA is typically authorized every two years.  The last WRDA bill was enacted into law on November 8, 2007 (PL 110-114).

ACOE projects typically go through two steps.  First, Congress must pass a WRDA, which authorizes the project.  Then, Congress must appropriate funding for the project in an annual appropriations bill.  Projects included in an authorization bill are not guaranteed to receive appropriations, as the number of WRDA-authorized projects far exceeds the funding available. 

The Environment and Public Works Committee is now in the process of writing a WRDA bill for the 112th.  I have submitted the following requests for consideration in the WRDA 2011 bill: 

·        City of Bridgeport
Ox Brook Flood Control Project: This project would implement multiple phases of construction to reduce and control flooding in a vulnerable area.  A series of berms would be constructed, along with outlet controls, channel widening improvements, and large diameter pipe installations downstream. 

·        State of Connecticut DEP

Study of Regional Sediment Management for Connecticut Coast: This project would authorize the State of Connecticut to conduct a study of regional sediment management for the Connecticut coastline. As the use of open water dredged material disposal sites in Long Island Sound has become increasingly constrained, and Connecticut’s coastal beaches and tidal wetlands are being eroded by storms and sea level rise, regional sediment management plans are greatly needed to protect Connecticut’s coastline. 

·        Town of East Hartford
Improvements to the East Hartford Flood Protection System: This project would strengthen and upgrade the Town of East Hartford’s flood protection system, which requires a series of repairs to meet the Federal Emergency Management Agency and ACOE standards, maintain levee accreditation and active status, and to ensure protection of lives and property for those who live and work near the Town’s levee system.  

·        City of Hartford
Hartford Flood Control Pump Station Rehabilitation: This project would make improvements to the City of Hartford’s flood protection system because of the added stresses that are being placed upon it by the changes to the City’s combined sewer overflow system.  Improvements include increases to the system’s hydraulic capacity and improvements to underground piping and storm water pumping stations. 

·        University of Hartford

North Branch Park River Dam Removal Project: This project would authorize the removal of an existing dam over the North Branch of the Park River located on the University of Hartford campus.  The existing dam would be replaced with a pedestrian and vehicle bridge. 

·        Mattabassett District
Nitrogen Treatment Upgrade and Related Improvements at the Mattabassett District: This project would authorize nitrogen treatment upgrades at the Mattabassett District wastewater treatment facility.  

·        Nature Conservancy
National Sustainable Rivers Program: This proposed program is aimed at providing improved integration between reservoir management and downstream floodplain management, which will enhance public investments in flood protection and protect fish and wildlife habitats. 

·        Nature Conservancy
North Atlantic Coastal and Marine Management Plan: This program would allow the Nature Conservancy to join with the ACOE to design and implement a Coastal Marine Management Plan for the North Atlantic Region.  This plan would take a comprehensive look at the environmental needs of the North Atlantic coastal region and identify and subsequently implement projects focused on the area’s most pressing needs. 

·        City of New Haven
Quinnipiac River Shorefront Stabilization Project: This project would authorize a study and construction of bulkhead restorations and storm water damage repairs at three separate river locations along the Quinnipiac River in New Haven.

·        Town of New Milford
Housatonic River Flood Control Project: This project would authorize renovations and upgrades to Bleachery Dam on the Housatonic River in an attempt to reduce flood damage.  This project would restore and enhance the river’s environment by controlling the river flows and flood stages so that backwater associated with flooding events are less polluted, carry less floatable debris, and lessen the financial strain on the community.

·        South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority
Lake Saltonstall Intake Modifications: This project would consist of reconstructing the Lake Saltonstall raw water pumping station and intake, which will draw water from the deeper section of the lake.  New pump motors will have variable speed drives to efficiently control the flow to the existing water treatment plant. 

·        Town of Sprague
Reactivation of the Baltic Reservoir: The Town of Sprague has been working with state officials and civil engineers for over five years to restore the Baltic Reservoir to secure safe and healthy water to meet the demand of residents and local businesses.  Repairs of the dam and construction of a water filtration facility is necessary for full reactivation of the reservoir.

·        City of Stamford
Stamford Hurricane Barrier Pumping Stations: This project would confirm that the authorization of the Stamford Hurricane Barrier includes the authority of the ACOE to maintain the pumping stations associated with the Hurricane Barrier, all three of which are outdated and need to be replaced. 

·        City of Stamford
Rippowam River Watershed Ecosystem Restoration: This project would authorize the study, design, engineering, and construction of ecosystem restoration improvements on the Rippowam River, which becomes the Mill River as it approaches the Long Island Sound.  The project would reverse damage caused by years of polluted urban runoff and sedimentation. 

·        City of Waterbury
Waterbury Waste Treatment Plant Improvement Project: This project would reduce phosphorous and heavy metals discharged into the Naugatuck River and Long Island Sound through the installation of equipment and technology.

More Resources

To view a guide on doing business with the federal goverment, click here.  To view my page on doing business with the Department of Homeland Security, click here.