The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Educational Partnership Program with Minority Serving Institutions (EPP/MSI) announces its FISCAL YEAR 2005 call for proposals under the Environmental Entrepreneurship Program (EEP). The program’s goal is to strengthen the capacity of MSIs to foster student careers, entrepreneurship opportunities and advanced academic degrees in the sciences directly related to NOAA's mission.

Environmental Entrepreneurship is defined as a mechanism to provide student training in the application of NOAA sciences for the creation of business opportunities. This is achieved by MSIs establishing partnerships with NOAA, the academic community, and the public/private sector to engage students in a compliment of entrepreneurial training and technical skills in environmental sciences that will promote commerce and economic development.

In fiscal year 2005, the program expects to make available a total of $6 million (on a competitive basis) to support projects at eligible Minority Serving Institutions as identified on the most recent U.S. Department of Education list (e.g., Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, Tribal Colleges and Universities and Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions).

Proposals will not be accepted from non-profit organizations, foundations, auxiliary services or any other entity submitted on behalf of MSIs. Proposals will only be accepted and reviewed that include a total budget of no more than $500,000 (in the high school science pipeline or environmental demonstration category) for up to a five year period.

Eligible Minority Serving Institutions may access, download and submit applications electronically on http://www.grants.gov/.  However, all applicants who choose to apply with paper applications are required to submit an original and two hard copies of proposals. Facsimile transmission and electronic (e-mail) submission of proposals will not be accepted.  The hard copies may be submitted by postal mail, commercial delivery service, or hand-delivery.  Proposals must be submitted to Jewel G. Linzey, Program Manager, Educational Partnership Program, 1315 East-West Highway, SSMCIII, Room 10725, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910.  Proposals, both on-line and hard copy, must be received by the EPP Office no later than 5:00pm, Eastern Daylight Savings Time, on October 29, 2004.

Approximately twelve proposals will be funded, with anticipated start dates of March 1, 2005.

The Announcement of Federal Funding Opportunity can be found on:  http://fedgrants.gov/Applicants/DOC/NOAA/GMC/11481MSIEPP063004/Attachments.html#Full+Announcement+1

For more information about the Environmental Entrepreneurship Program contact: Jewel G. Linzey, EEP Program Manager, at (301) 713-9437 x 118. Email:jewel.griffin-linzey@noaa.gov.