Grants for Native American Tribal Organizations

The purpose of this program is to enhance Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Urban Indian Organizations capacity to implement core Public Health functions, services, and activities, and to further develop and improve their Public Health management capabilities. As part of the IHS mission to raise the physical, mental, social, and spiritual health of American Indians and Alaska Natives to the highest level, this program seeks to build on and strengthen community resilience by supporting wider access to the 10 Essential Public Health Services (EPHS) in Indian Country, a framework designed to offer all people a fair and just opportunity to achieve optimal health and well-being. For more information on the EPHS, please visit https://www.cdc.gov/publichealthgateway/publichealthservices/essentialhealthservices.html. The framework of the EPHS has served as a guide to the public health field since 1994 and describes the public health activities that all communities should undertake, including, 1) monitor health status to identify and solve community health problems, and 2) Diagnose and investigate health problems and health hazards in the community. The EPHS framework was revised in 2020 with an emphasis on equity and reflects current and future priorities for public health practice. The EPHS have been included in the HHS Healthy People initiatives since 2010, when the initiative first included a focus area of Public Health Infrastructure with the goal to ensure that Federal, Tribal, State, and local health agencies have the infrastructure to provide essential public health services effectively.

The purpose of this program is to assist applicants to establish goals and performance measures, assess their current management capacity, and determine if developing a Public Health program is practicable. Specifically, programs should assess the availability and feasibility of the 10 Essential Public Health Services (EPHS), described further below.As part of the IHS mission to raise the physical, mental, social, and spiritual health of American Indians and Alaska Natives to the highest level, this program seeks to build on and strengthen community resilience by supporting wider access to the 10 EPHS in Indian Country, a framework designed to offer all people a fair and just opportunity to achieve optimal health and well-being. For more information on the EPHS, please visit https://www.cdc.gov/publichealthgateway/publichealthservices/essentialhealthservices.html. The framework of the EPHS has served as a guide to the public health field since 1994, and describes the public health activities that all communities should undertake, including, 1) monitor health status to identify and solve community health problems, and 2) Diagnose and investigate health problems and health hazards in the community. The EPHS framework was revised in 2020 with an emphasis on equity and reflects current and future public health practice goals. The EPHS have been included in the HHS Healthy People initiatives since 2010, when the initiative first included a focus area of Public Health Infrastructure with the goal to ensure that Federal, Tribal, state, and local health agencies have the infrastructure to provide essential public health services effectively.

This grant provides funding for researchers to explore the interactions between the brain and immune system in the context of HIV and substance use disorders, aiming to identify new therapeutic targets and improve understanding of related neurological issues.

Notice of Funding Opportunity Description Background The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) protects the public health by ensuring that medical products intended to be marketed in the United States are safe and effective for their intended use. FDA stakeholders are exploring innovative ways to produce scientific evidence in support of regulatory submissions, including the development of new data sources, study designs, methodologies, and technologies. FDA encourages and facilitates the use of such innovative approaches while ensuring that the scientific evidence supporting marketing approvals meet our high evidentiary standards. The Prescription Drug User Fee Act VII (PDUFA VII) commitment letter represents the product of discussions between the FDA, regulated industry, and public stakeholders, as mandated by Congress. The performance and procedural goals and other commitments specified in the PDUFA VII commitment letter apply to aspects of the human drug review program that are important for facilitating timely access to safe, effective, and innovative new medicines for patients. The commitment letter includes goals relating to the use of digital health technologies (DHTs) to support drug development and review. A DHT is a system that uses computing platforms, connectivity, software, and/or sensors, for health care and related uses. DHTs for remote data acquisition in clinical investigations can include hardware and/or software to perform one or more functions. DHTs may rely on or work with other technologies that support their operation, such as general-purpose computing platforms (e.g., smartphones) and communication networks. Among other activities relating to the use of DHTs, FDA has established a Framework for the Use of DHTs in Drug and Biological Product Development to guide the use of DHT-derived data in regulatory decision-making for drugs (hereinafter Framework ). The Framework highlights FDA’s DHT efforts including workshops and demonstration projects; engagement with stakeholders; establishment of internal processes to support the evaluation of DHTs for use in drug development; promotion of shared learning and consistency regarding DHT-based policy, procedure, and analytic tool development; and publication of guidance documents. In addition, FDA’s webpage DHTs for Drug Development (available at: https://www.fda.gov/science-research/science-and-research-special-topics/digital-health-technologies-dhts-drug-development) provides an overview of the ongoing DHT efforts, including demonstration projects. A variety of project types are welcomed under this NOFO, applicable to drugs and biologics (not devices). FDA is particularly interested in projects that evaluate the use of DHTs in drug development. Project Objectives The overarching goal of this notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) is to explore the role of DHTs (e.g., actigraphy, photography, environmental sensors) in the evaluation of new drugs. These projects may involve engagement with researchers from academia, the biopharmaceutical industry, patient groups, and other stakeholders. The objectives of these projects are to advance DHTs for clinical drug development, expand the ability to capture early manifestations of chronic diseases, determine outcomes in populations with unmet medical needs and enhance convenience for trial participants by allowing for remote data acquisition in clinical investigations. The scope includes, but is not limited to, projects that focus on: Comparing digital measurements to traditional measurements in clinical trials to evaluate drugs Developing and evaluating novel endpoints using DHTs to address unmet needs for drug clinical trials (e.g., use of environmental sensors to capture apnea in pediatric patients) Comparing metrics to evaluate continuous measurements (e.g., maximum activity and stamina) Capturing early manifestations of chronic diseases (e.g., dementia) through the use of DHTs

Leading with culture, A Cultural Approach to Good Health and Wellness in Indian Country (GHWIC) strategies combine (1) community-chosen cultural practices that are family centered to build resilience and connections to community, family, culture, and wellness; (2) policy, systems, and environmental changes (PSE) to build clinical-community linkages (CCLs) to support screening and assessing for chronic diseases and their risk factors (commercial tobacco use, diabetes and pre-diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and oral disease), and making referrals to clinical care, community-based organizations, and/or social service organizations for evidence-based and evidence-informed chronic disease prevention and management programs, including self-management and self-monitoring; and (3) PSEs and programs that promote wellness, prevent disease, and address nonmedical factors that influence health outcomes (built environment, food and nutrition, tobacco-free policy, and social connectedness), in a culturally appropriate manner.GHWIC has three (3) separate, competitive components with eligibility and scope of work requirements for each. Applicants must submit a separate application for each component for which they are applying.Component 1 (C1) applicants must propose at least one activity from each of three strategies. Applicants should describe their plans to implement evidence-informed and culturally appropriate activities to improve the health of their community members to prevent chronic diseases and their risk factors, (e.g., commercial tobacco use, diabetes and pre-diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and oral disease), establish CCLs, and address barriers to participation in clinical care and prevention and wellness activities. Recipients will include federally recognized Tribes, Alaska Native Villages, and Urban Indian Organizations (UIOs).Component 2 (C2) applicants must propose allocating at least 50% of their annual award in subawards to at least four (4) American Indian Tribes/Alaska Native Villages, UIOs, or other tribal entities within their IHS Area to implement all C1 strategies. With remaining award funds, C2 applicants must propose providing technical assistance, training, and resources for all Area Tribes/Villages/UIOs/other tribal entities in their IHS Area to support the planning, development, implementation, and evaluation of all C1 strategies. C2 applicants must also propose providing technical assistance, training, and resources to build partnerships and develop tailored communication messages. C2 applicants must describe how they will make subawards, including the rationale for their approach, so that all strategies and activities are addressed over the 5-year period of performance. This allows CDC resources and programs to reach additional local Tribes/Villages/UIOs/other tribal entities beyond those directly funded C1 recipients. Applicants will not need to identify the subawardees in the application but should describe how subawardees will be selected. Recipients will include tribal organizations that support all American Indian Tribes/Alaska Native Villages in their Area (12 IHS Administrative Areas), or Urban Indian Organizations (Urban Area defined for this NOFO) and have at least 4 Tribes/Villages or UIOs in their Area.Component 3 (C3) applicants must propose the establishment of a Tribal Coordinating Center (TCC) to develop a national communication plan, assist in the coordination, development, and implementation of a national evaluation plan with CDC evaluators, establishand support a Community of Practice (CoP) consisting of representatives from each GHWIC recipient, and facilitate regular CoP meetings to support shared learning and peer support to advance the goals of GHWIC. Recipients will include tribal organizations that support all American Indian Tribes/Alaska Native Villages in their Area (12 IHS Administrative Areas), or Urban Indian Organizations (Urban Area defined for this NOFO) and have at least 4 Tribes/Villages or UIOs in their Area.C3 applicants may also apply for C2 funding.GHWIC is the collaborative effort of six (6)divisions/office within CDC's National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion:Division of Diabetes TranslationDivision for Heart Disease and Stroke PreventionDivision of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and ObesityDivision of Oral HealthDivision of Population HealthOffice on Smoking and Health

Notice of Funding Opportunity Description Background The accumulation of misprocessed and aberrant proteins is a defining characteristic of various neurodegenerative conditions, such as AD and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). These atypical proteins may arise from various factors, such as somatic mutations, environmental changes, genomic instability, irregular RNA processing, and proteolytic cleavages, as well as incorrect folding and post-translational modifications. For instance, many recent proteome and transcriptome profiling of AD brains reveals RNA splicing dysfunction and abnormal accumulation of U1 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein (snRNP) and transactive response DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43). In AD, U1-70K and its N-terminal 40-KDa fragment (N40K) is one of the most abundant proteins in the insoluble fraction of cell lysates. TDP-43 is an RNA-binding protein. In AD, TDP-43 pathology is observed in approximately 25-50% of cases, particularly in cases with co-morbidities such as Lewy body dementia or hippocampal sclerosis. However, the relationship between U1snRNP/TDP-43 and AD pathology is complex and not fully understood. The disruption of RNA processing is thought to be one possible mechanism to cause the accumulation of misprocessed proteins, which can lead to altered expression of genes involved in AD pathology, including amyloid precursor protein (APP), tau, and synaptic proteins. Understanding the mechanisms underlying the dysregulation of misprocessed proteins in neurodegenerative diseases will be important for developing effective therapies. Approaches that target the production or aggregation of misprocessed proteins, or that promote their clearance or degradation, may be effective in preventing or slowing disease progression. Purpose This NOFO invites innovative research proposals to explore the accumulation of misprocessed proteins in Tauopathies within specific brain regions and cell types. This NOFO encourages collaborative efforts to create advanced single-cell or single-cell type proteogenomic platforms. These platforms aim to shed light on dynamic changes in protein-misfolding responses in neuronal proteomes and their potential biological consequences during aging and the development of AD/ADRD. Research Objectives This NOFO aims to provide a proof-of-principal for a novel strategy to identify misprocessed and aberrant proteins in Tau diseases using the proteogenomic approach. Proteogenomics is an integrated approach that combines proteomics and genomics data. In proteogenomics, genomic and transcriptomic experiments are more closely integrated to identify potential protein coding and non-coding regions in the genome. These regions are then validated using mass spectrometry-based proteomics. Proteogenomics has emerged as a powerful tool for investigating the role of protein homeostasis in AD pathogenesis, especially in the context of mis-translated and mis-repaired proteins. However, relying solely on misprocessed protein levels to draw conclusions about biological processes is unlikely to be reliable. Therefore, an intermediate layer of functional validation is essential to transform proteogeomic data into meaningful biological information. As a result, the objective of this NOFO is not only to confirm changes in protein abundance using other methods, but also to assess the biological effects of those changes in some model systems, especially in the area of tauopathies, to ensure high interlaboratory reproducibility. Using the proteogenomics approach, this NOFO aims to accomplish the following: Create a comprehensive database of misprocessed and aberrant proteins in selected mouse models of human Tau diseases. Cross-validate the presence of misprocessed and aberrant proteins in human AD/ADRD brains. Identify new molecular pathways and novel misprocessed protein-protein interaction networks that are not currently in most datasets. Define novel mechanisms through which misprocessed and aberrant proteins influence the onset and progression of neurodegeneration in tauopathies. Identify disease specific therapeutic targets in neurodegenerative diseases. It is expected that applications responding to this initiative will use the latest cell-type-specific labeling and proteogenomic techniques with suitable model systems to understand the etiology of tauopathies in aging and AD.

The Natural Heritage Conservation Act (NHCA) Program, facilitated by the State of New Mexico's Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department, Forestry Division, seeks applications for conservation projects. Eligible entities include state agencies, public educational institutions, political subdivisions of the state, nations, tribes, or pueblos, with tax-exempt private nonprofit charitable corporations or trusts allowed to partner but not apply directly. The program primarily supports transactional costs for easement projects and land restoration projects, with a focus on enhancing New Mexico's conservation plans and strategies. $1.4 million from the Land of Enchantment Legacy Fund is allocated for FY25, targeting a range of conservation activities outlined in the detailed scope of work. Grant renewed every year. Grant Annual Spring and Fall deadlines

The specific purpose of this NOFO is to promote the development of a diverse, interdisciplinary workforce needed to conduct translational research on Alzheimer's disease and Alzheimer's-related dementias from target discovery through clinical development. This NOFO will support institutional training programs for predoctoral and postdoctoral level researchers with diverse educational backgrounds (i.e., basic biology, translational and clinical research, data science). The program invites eligible institutions to develop interdisciplinary training programs that will provide trainees with the knowledge and skills in data science, disease biology, behavioral research, and traditional and emerging drug discovery disciplines necessary to conduct rigorous and cutting-edge basic, translational, and clinical research for AD/ADRD.

Historic battlefields and sites of armed conflict are powerful reminders of the shared heritage of all Americans. As an ongoing effort to engage all Americans in the preservation of cultural resources beyond our park boundaries, the National Park Service American Battlefield Protection Program (NPS ABPP) promotes the preservation and interpretation of these important places. NPS ABPP awards financial assistance to support community-driven stewardship of battlefields and sites of armed conflict through four grant opportunities Preservation Planning, Battlefield Restoration, Battlefield Interpretation, and Battlefield Land Acquisition.NPS ABPP administers Battlefield Interpretation Grants to provide assistance for projects that deploy technology to modernize and enhance battlefield interpretation and education at Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and Civil War battlefield sites eligible for assistance under the Battlefield Acquisition Grant Program established under 54 U.S.C. 308103(b). These grants are funded from the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which invests earnings from offshore oil and gas leasing to help strengthen communities, preserve history and protect the national endowment of lands and waters. Funding will support scoping and implementation activities for historic preservation projects at eligible sites and will be awarded competitively. Grants require a dollar-for-dollar non-Federal match. State, local, and tribal governments, as well as nonprofit organizations are eligible to apply.Successful applicants typically provide straightforward answers to the Merit Review Criteria, backed by clear and concise supporting documentation, including but not limited to GIS maps, resumes/CVs, charts, graphs, spreadsheets, summary tables, and other relevant information. These applicants also tend to have a plan for making contact, or have already established contact, with landowners or organizations with an economic or legal interest in the proposed project sites. NPS ABPP encourages all applicants to consider forming inclusive preservation partnerships with these landowners/organizations as well as descendant communities, Native American Tribes, state and/or tribal historic preservation offices, and other nonprofit organizations that may help guide, or want to actively participate in, the proposed project.Two categories of grants are available for battlefield interpretation projects in different stages: Scoping Grants: These are available to fund the early stages of project development, such as research and content creation, consultation with stakeholders, exploration of available technologies, audience research, and development of technical proposals. The federal share for these grants should range from $20,000-$50,000 and have a period of performance of 1-2 years.Implementation Grants: These are available to applicants who have completed interdisciplinary scoping prior to the application and can provide draft content and design plans. The federal share for these grants should range from $50,000-$200,000 and have a period of performance of 2-3 years.

This funding opportunity provides financial support for research facilities to acquire modern equipment that measures environmental factors affecting animal research, enhancing the reliability and reproducibility of scientific studies.

This funding opportunity supports urban and community forestry projects aimed at increasing tree canopy in disadvantaged communities, available to public colleges, universities, and tribal entities in New Mexico.

The purpose of this solicitation is to fund an applied research and development project that will support research to assess the impact of consolidated packages of electrified retrofit measures on air quality and other related impact categories, including resilience to extreme heat, indoor comfort, and energy and cost savings in California homes. Description: This research will identify and assess non-energy benefits of home electrification and evaluate key stakeholders’ (e.g., residents, contractors) experience with the retrofitting process. Ultimately, this work will provide guidance on how these benefits could be considered in strategies and decisions to retrofit or replace gas-fueled appliances with electric. The proposed research is intended to provide crucial support to the state’s efforts to address challenges in building decarbonization and to minimize air quality impacts to its residents. The research responds to the 2021-2025 California Energy Commission (CEC) Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC) Investment Plan research initiative “Evaluating Air Quality, Health, and Equity in Clean Energy Solutions.” CEC’s California Building Decarbonization Assessment report, required by Assembly Bill 3232 (Friedman, Chapter 373, Statutes of 2018) suggests that efficient electrification in California’s buildings presents the most readily achievable pathway for this sector to achieve a 40 percent reduction in greenhouse gases relative to 1990 levels by 2030 (Kenney, et al. 2021). The same report acknowledges significant challenges associated with residential building decarbonization including high upfront costs, potential for increased utility bills, limited awareness of technology options and their benefits, constraints faced by renters, and systemic inequality faced by low-income and disadvantaged communities. There are many non-market factors to consider in decisions to retrofit or replace appliances, such as the non-energy benefits of home electrification (e.g., health, comfort, and household economics) that many are not aware of. Additionally, there are many not-yet characterized potential benefits of electrification retrofits in existing homes (e.g., improved air quality). These existing homes pose challenges — as well as enormous potential benefits — related to electrification; however, they are not typically covered under the Title 24 Building Energy Efficiency Standards, which apply only to new buildings and buildings undergoing permitted upgrades. Improvements in indoor air quality and related health outcomes are of particular importance to populations in low-income and disadvantaged communities, which are often disproportionately burdened by energy-related air pollutants. For example, in August 2023, the operating lives of three once through cooling (OTC) fossil gas power plants were extended through 2026 to provide reserve generation during power emergencies (CalMatters 2023, California Energy Commission 2023) and the emissions from OTC smokestacks can impact the outdoor and indoor air quality of residents living near those plants. In addition, wildfire-generated air pollution poses an added threat, possibly compounding already existing air quality issues in these communities. Eligibility Requirements Eligible Applicants: Business Individual Nonprofit Other Legal Entity Public Agency Tribal Government This solicitation is open to all public and private entities with the exception of local publicly owned electric utilities. Eligible Geographies: No local publicly owned electric utilities. Matching Funding Requirement: Match funding is required in the amount of at least 5% minimum of the requested CEC funds.

The purpose of this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is to support the establishment of one (1) Center of Excellence (CoE) to coordinate the research community of infectious and immune-mediated disease (IID) computational modelers and advance IID modeling research across biological scales. The CoE must include three (3) coordinating cores and two (2) research projects to advance and integrate bridge models across scales in the context of IID, including HIV/AIDS. The CoE will accelerate multi-scale model development, sharing and re-use, and support collaboration to benefit the entire IID research community.

This grant provides funding for institutional research training programs to develop skilled neuroscientists through comprehensive training in research, statistics, and communication, specifically targeting advanced graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.

The NIH Research Education Program (UE5) supports research education activities in the mission areas of the NIH. The over-arching goal of this NIDCR UE5 program is to support educational activities that enhance the diversity of the biomedical, behavioral, and clinical dental, oral, and craniofacial (DOC) research workforce. To accomplish the stated over-arching goal, this FOA will support creative educational activities with a primary focus on Mentoring Activities Courses for Skills Development The major goal of this funding opportunity is to establish a mentoring network and grant writing skills that will facilitate a diverse pool of early career investigators, including those from groups underrepresented in biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research (see NOT-OD-20-031), to advance their research careers and transition to independent research careers. This funding opportunity invites applications from senior faculty, experienced mentors and experienced researchers of higher education institutions and professional societies and organizations with existing federally funded programs to develop and direct a mentoring network for eligible early career investigators (post doctorates and junior faculty). Proposed programs are expected to contribute to the development of a skilled cadre of investigators in requisite scientific research areas to advance the objectives of the NIDCR Strategic Plan.

CDC anticipates an Approximate Total Fiscal Year Funding amount of $3,900,000 for Year 1 for 2 awards, subject to the availability of funds. This NOFO will support organizations that engage state, tribal, local, and territorial immunization programs funded through CDC;apos;s Immunization and Vaccines for Children program to advance systems supporting program delivery, improve data quality, and improve vaccination coverage. The intent of this NOFO is to achieve impactful and sustainable outcomes that require implementation of strategies to:Advance technology and standards for immunization Engage and support the immunization community in efforts to assess and monitor vaccine coverage, identify populations at risk, and respond to vaccine-preventable disease outbreaksImprove immunization data collection and useEducate and develop the public health immunization workforcePotential projects include those that support the strategies listed above such as: Consistent implementation of immunization information system (IIS) standardsSupporting jurisdictions;apos; ability to leverage the CDC Immunization Gateway to facilitate data exchange and improve interoperabilityImplement communication and engagement with the public health immunization community through regular communications, supporting user groups, and providing technical assistanceSupport IIS leadership development through competency development, standard role descriptions, competency based training, etc.

With this solicitation, BJA seeks to support state, local, and tribal governments, as well as community-based nonprofit organizations, to establish, expand, or improve treatment and recovery support services for people with substance use disorders (SUDs) during their incarceration and upon reentry into the community. This program seeks to reduce crime and recidivism, expand access to evidence-based treatment, and promote long-term recovery for people leaving incarceration, and, in the process, improve public safety and public health.

Notice of Funding Opportunity SummaryNRCS is announcing the availability of Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) Caribbean Area Program funding to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies. Applications are accepted from eligible entities (Section C) for projects carried out in the Caribbean Area (Puerto Rico (PR) and the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI)). A total of up to $500,000 is available for the Caribbean Area CIG competition in FY 2024. All non-Foreign, non-federal entities (NFE) and individuals are invited to apply, with the sole exception of federal agencies. Projects may be between one and three years in duration. The maximum award amount for a single award in FY 2024 is $100,000. For new users of Grants.gov, see Section D. of the full Notice of Funding Opportunity for information about steps required before submitting an application via Grants.gov. Completing all steps required to start an application can take a significant amount of time, plan accordingly.Key DatesApplicants must submit their applications via Grants.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on May 15, 2024 For technical issues with Grants.gov, contact Grants.gov Applicant Support at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov. Awarding agency staff cannot support applicants regarding Grants.gov accounts. For inquiries specific to the content of the NFO requirements, contact the federal awarding agency contact (section G of this NFO). Please limit questions to those regarding specific information contained in this NFO (such as dates, page numbers, clarification of discrepancies, etc.). Questions related to eligibility, or the merits of a specific proposal will not be addressed.A webinar for CIG applicants is scheduled for April 9, 2024 at 9 a.m. Atlantic Standard Time. Information on how to participate in the webinar will be posted to the HYPERLINK website. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Caribbean Area CIG website to learn more about the CIG program.The agency anticipates making selections by June 30, 2024 and expects to execute awards by July 30, 2024. These dates are estimates and are subject to change.

The purpose of this solicitation is to fund applied research to increase California’s hydropower generation through precipitation enhancement (cloud seeding). Research funded by this solicitation will foster cost-effective, robust approaches to manage anticipated needs for zero-carbon, fast-ramping resources in the context of a rapidly evolving energy system and climate change.; The proposed research contributes to implementation of the Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC) 2021-2025 Investment Plan and responds to the strategic objective: “Inform California's Transition to an Equitable, Zero-Carbon Energy System that is Climate-Resilient and Meets Environmental Goals” (Chapter 7). Specifically, this solicitation supports the topic 44 within the Climate Resilience Initiative: “Integrating Climate Resilience in Electricity System Planning.” Hydroelectric power is an important source of zero-carbon, dispatchable power in California. It is a critical element of the state’s electricity system and in-state generation, providing peaking reserve, spinning reserve, and load following capacity, as well as transmission line support (Somani, et al., 2021). The percentage of the state’s electricity supplied by hydropower varies, as hydropower resources are strongly dependent on magnitude and timing of snowmelt runoff and rainfall. Between 2012 and 2021, hydropower (including in-state generation and imports) provided an average of 9 percent of California’s total energy mix (California Energy Commission 2022). As the state continues to contend with drought and other climate-driven impacts on water and hydropower resource availability, as well as develop more sustainable water management practices (California Water Action Plan, 2014), the proposed research will support opportunities for increasing and sustaining hydropower generation. Specifically, the research will contribute to more effective precipitation enhancement (cloud seeding) strategies.

The Preschool Development Grant is a three-year federal initiative designed to bolster Delaware's early childhood system, ensuring it is inclusive and integrated to support the development and learning of all children and their families from birth through age 5. With an $8 million award for its first year, following a $4.2 million PDG B-5 grant received in December 2018, the grant aims to provide high-quality early learning experiences and facilitate a smooth transition to kindergarten for children. Approximately $4.8 million of the grant is allocated to expand home-visiting services and state-funded preschool seats, while $3.2 million is dedicated to enhancing support for professionals, including technological advancements delayed by the pandemic. Key initiatives funded by the grant include expanding state-funded preschool programs, piloting the Family Connects home visiting model, updating family materials for resource and referral, enhancing workforce support for early childhood professionals, developing a mental health consultation program for home visitors, and updating the state’s strategic plans for a cohesive birth to five strategy.