National Parks Business Plan Internship
🏛 National Park Service (DOI-NPS)
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Oct 9, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for educational institutions, nonprofits, state/local/tribal governments, and public entities that want to administer a graduate-level internship program focused on NPS business management and operations.
The program targets graduate students in business, public policy, environmental management, and related fields. Interns conduct analysis and evaluation to improve park and program management. The internship should expose students to NPS operations and create substantive recommendations.
Applicants must be able to partner with the NPS to jointly design and operate the internship. Foreign entities and projects outside the United States are not eligible. All applicants are screened against SAM.gov exclusions database.
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Program description
The National Parks Business Plan Internship (BPI) goal is to jointly administer a graduate-level internship program focused on improving the business management and operational health of our national parks and NPS programs.
The internship program should:
- Provide students with in-depth training on NPS business management and operations, exposure to park and/or program level operations, and the opportunity to conduct substantive analysis and evaluation which lead to recommendations that improve strategic planning and management decision-making.
- Encourage highly qualified graduate students from professional disciplines underrepresented in the NPS workforce (Master of Business Administration, Master of Public Policy, Master of Environmental Management, and similar degree programs) to explore federal careers with conservation and land management agencies.
- Cultivate a lifelong stewardship ethic for public lands in graduate students from top universities.
Eligible recipients are State, local and tribal governments, other public entities, educational institutions, and private nonprofit organizations.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance)
- Project Narrative
- Budget and Budget Narrative
- Organizational capacity documentation
- Letters of support from NPS partners
- Curriculum and internship placement plan
Program contact
- 👤 National Park Service
- 📧 rebecca_uber@ios.doi.gov
- 📞 202-697-2035
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 15.954 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$19,030,129
-
$10,409,074
-
$7,810,000
-
$5,345,429
-
$4,828,043
-
$4,474,365
-
$3,962,742
-
$3,743,000
-
$3,570,660
-
$3,355,000
Top States by Funding
- CA 17 awards $22.9M
- DC 4 awards $19.3M
- ME 1 awards $19.0M
- MS 2 awards $5.1M
- ID 2 awards $4.4M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 15.954). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2019 | $19,567,542 | |
| 2020 | $18,415,897 | |
| 2021 | $27,553,321 | |
| 2022 | $21,163,065 | |
| 2023 | $29,632,750 | |
| 2024 | $32,940,000 | |
| 2025 est. | $33,000,000 | |
| 2026 est. | $33,000,000 |
FAQ
Who can apply for this grant?
State, local, and tribal governments, public entities, educational institutions, and private nonprofits. Foreign organizations cannot apply.
What is the internship program supposed to accomplish?
Provide graduate students training in NPS business management, expose them to park operations, and have them produce analysis leading to management improvements.
What types of graduate students should the program target?
Students in MBA, Master of Public Policy, Master of Environmental Management, and similar professional degree programs underrepresented in the NPS workforce.
Is there a cost-sharing requirement?
No cost-sharing is required to apply for this grant.
When is the deadline?
The deadline is January 4, 2027. This is a fixed deadline, not rolling acceptance.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Design the internship to provide substantive analytical work that benefits NPS decision-making. Show specific park or program management challenges interns will address.
- Target graduate students from underrepresented professional disciplines (MBA, MPA, MEM programs). Highlight recruitment strategy for top universities.
- Demonstrate how the internship will cultivate long-term stewardship of public lands and encourage federal careers in conservation agencies.
- Establish clear partnerships with specific NPS parks or programs before applying. Document their support and operational needs.
- Plan for meaningful outcomes beyond typical internship tasks. Interns should produce substantive recommendations that influence actual management decisions.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Applications fail to clearly articulate the substantive analytical work interns will perform beyond routine tasks. Weak recruitment strategy or unclear focus on underrepresented professional disciplines. Insufficient documentation of NPS partner support and specific operational needs the internship will address.
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