WaterSMART: Applied Science Grants
Posted by Bureau of Reclamation
Opportunity snapshot. This Grants.gov announcement — WaterSMART: Applied Science Grants — is cataloged under number R25AS00280 and tied to CFDA assistance listing 15.557, posted by Bureau of Reclamation. Grants.gov currently shows the opportunity as open, first posted on March 5, 2026 and last updated on March 6, 2026. The funding category is Discretionary, delivered as a grant.
Award economics. The award range on file is Up to $400,000. The agency has projected $6.0 million in total estimated funding for this announcement. It expects to issue 20 awards. If the agency funds the expected 20 awards from the $6.0 million estimated pool, the average award works out to roughly $300,000. Cost sharing or matching funds are required, meaning applicants must contribute a portion of the project budget from non-federal sources — factor this into your financial plan before drafting the proposal. Federal award ranges are often upper bounds; actual allocations reflect program appropriations, the strength of the applicant pool, and the evaluation committee's scoring.
Deadline and action path. Applications close on July 8, 2026 — roughly 32 days from today. Every Grants.gov submission requires an active SAM.gov registration and a Unique Entity ID. Review the Eligibility section below carefully — federal eligibility categories (nonprofit, state or local government, tribal, individual, educational institution, small business) have distinct registration and reporting requirements. Pre-application outreach to the listed agency contact is permitted and often welcomed — it helps clarify scope and scoring priorities.
Award Range
Up to $400,000
Close Date
July 8, 2026
First application July 8, 2026, at 5:00pm MDTSecond application : April 13, 2027, 5:00PM MDT
Posted
March 5, 2026
Est. Total Funding
$6,000,000
Expected Awards
20
Instrument
Grant
Cost Sharing
Required
Description
Through WaterSMART, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) leverages Federal and non-Federal funding to work cooperatively with States, Tribes, and local entities as they plan and implement actions to increase water supply and hydropower reliability. The WaterSMART Program demonstrably advances Trump administration priorities, such as those identified in Presidential Executive Order 14154 (January 20, 2025): Unleashing American Energy (E.O. 14154) and Secretarial Order 3418, and aligns with other priorities and requirements, such as those identified in Presidential Executive Order 14332 (August 7, 2025): Improving Oversight in Federal Grantmaking (E.O. 14332). The goal of the WaterSMART Applied Science Grants (ASG) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is to invite eligible entities to apply for funding to improve access to and use of hydrologic data, develop and improve water management tools, and improve hydrologic modeling and forecasting capabilities.Water managers and reservoir operators rely on hydrologic data, modeling, and water supply forecasts to make decisions to meet future water demands. Water supply forecasts are estimates of current and future water supplies based on measured basin conditions (e.g., such as the quantity of upstream mountain snowpack). Results from these projects will be used by water managers to increase water supply reliability to meet water delivery requirements (e.g., compacts, decrees, etc.), provide flexibility in water operations to be more resilient during droughts, and enhance water supply forecasts to better predict floods and optimize limited water supplies. Example projects include improving operational models for irrigation water deliveries or reservoir operations, improving the use of snow monitoring technologies to enhance the skill of water supply forecasts, and improving data acquisition, data analysis, and data delivery, including the development of hydrologic databases.The ASG NOFO will build on and complement projects funded under the Snow Water Supply Forecasting Funding Opportunity by providing funding for applicants to improve the integration of innovative snow measurement data into water supply forecasts.
Eligibility
25
Official Listing on Grants.gov
View full details, application forms, and submission instructions.
Agency Contact
Matt Stonebridge<br/>mstonebridge@usbr.gov
Key Dates
Frequently Asked Questions
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More from Bureau of Reclamation
WaterSMART: Large-Scale Water Recycling Projects
Snow Water Supply Forecasting Program FY 2026
WaterSMART Drought Response Program
Small-Scale Water Efficiency Projects
Small Surface Water and Groundwater Storage Projects (Small Storage Program)
Disclaimer: This information is sourced from Grants.gov and SAM.gov and is for informational purposes only. Opportunity details, deadlines, and eligibility requirements change frequently. Always verify current information directly on Grants.gov before applying. PlainGrants is not affiliated with any federal agency.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
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