NOAA Coastal Resilience Grants Program

This competitive grants program was active from 2015 to 2017. Funded projects were designed to help coastal communities and ecosystems prepare for and recover from extreme weather events, climate hazards, and changing ocean conditions.

2017 Coastal Resilience Grants

Two resilience-focused grant programs within NOAA’s National Ocean Service and NOAA Fisheries were combined to protect life and property, safeguard people and infrastructure, strengthen the economy, and conserve and restore coastal and marine resources. NOAA received more than 167 proposals requesting more than $135 million. NOAA awarded 19 projects totaling $13.8 million, with recipients providing an additional $8.3 million in matching funds, for a total of $22.1 million.

Award recipients included state and local government agencies and nonprofits who used the funds to increase their ability to prepare for and recover from a variety of coastal threats, including hurricanes, tsunamis, and sea level rise. Project focus areas included flood protection, infrastructure improvement, coastal habitat restoration, and proactive community planning initiatives. The awards covered 17 states and Puerto Rico. Over 350 coastal communities and 1,100 acres of habitat benefited from this program.

2015-16 Regional Coastal Resilience Grants

NOAA's Office for Coastal Management administered this competition and received over 130 proposals requesting more than $100 million. Twelve projects were awarded across two years. The federal funding total was $9 million, with an additional $5 million in matching support.

The selected projects incorporated a variety of approaches. Over 200 coastal communities in 19 states benefited from these grants. Some projects used the funds to assess community vulnerability and prioritize resilience-based efforts; others incorporated climate change data and information into existing community plans and policies; and many instituted nature-based solutions for flood control and other ecosystem benefits.