State Wildlife Grants

The Coastal Fisheries State Wildlife Grants program is part of the broader State and Tribal Wildlife Grants initiative established by Congress in 2000 to provide federal funding to states and territories for proactive wildlife conservation. The program is administered in Texas by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, which is responsible for requesting, managing, and distributing funds to support implementation of the State Wildlife Action Plan for Texas. This strategic plan identifies Species of Greatest Conservation Need and outlines conservation priorities, making it the central guiding document for all funded activities under this program. The primary purpose of this funding opportunity is to support conservation, research, and management actions that benefit species identified as at risk of becoming endangered. Projects must align directly with the State Wildlife Action Plan and demonstrate clear contributions to conservation outcomes for these priority species. The Coastal Fisheries Division specifically focuses on marine and estuarine ecosystems and seeks proposals that address defined research priorities such as oyster restoration, habitat characterization, southern flounder biology, blue crab population dynamics, coastal shark fisheries, and life history studies of species like tarpon and snook. Funding is provided as a federal cost-share program with a required non-federal match of 35 percent of the total project cost. Funds are reimbursed rather than provided upfront, meaning grantees must incur expenses and then request reimbursement for eligible costs. Matching funds may include cash contributions, in-kind services, or unrecovered indirect costs, but cannot include any federal funding sources. Indirect costs are no longer capped at a fixed percentage, though applicants are encouraged to minimize them to maximize project impact. The program emphasizes cost-effectiveness and prioritizes proposals that generate meaningful, tangible conservation outcomes. Eligible applicants include institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status, and government entities at the federal (excluding the Department of the Interior), state, or local level. Individual consultants and consulting firms are not eligible to receive contracts directly. Applicants must demonstrate the administrative capacity to manage federal subawards and comply with applicable regulations, including federal cost principles and reporting requirements. Projects must also adhere to environmental compliance standards and may require permits depending on the nature of the work. The application process requires submission of a detailed proposal in a prescribed format, including narrative sections, methodological approaches, and a structured budget using a provided template. Applicants are strongly encouraged to consult with program contacts within the Coastal Fisheries Division prior to submission to ensure alignment with program priorities. Proposals must be submitted electronically via email and adhere strictly to formatting and length requirements. Supporting materials such as investigator bios and appendices are also required. The deadline for proposal submission for the current funding cycle is March 19, 2026 at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Projects may begin on either November 1, 2026 or January 1, 2027 and may extend for up to four years, with possible extensions for monitoring in certain cases. Successful applicants will be required to submit annual interim reports and a final report documenting project outcomes, as well as comply with all financial and performance reporting requirements. This funding opportunity is recurring annually as part of the State Wildlife Grants program, though specific priorities and requirements may vary by year. The program represents a core federal investment in preventing species from becoming endangered by supporting science-based conservation efforts at the state level.

Contact program officers before applying and ensure strong alignment with SWAP priorities and measurable conservation outcomes