WaterSMART: Applied Science Grants
🏛 Bureau of Reclamation
Can you apply?
This grant is for water managers and organizations working to improve hydrologic data, water management tools, and forecasting capabilities in the Western US.
Category A applicants include states, Indian tribes, irrigation districts, water districts, and regional/local authorities with water or power delivery authority. All must be located in the Western United States or specified territories (Alaska through Wyoming, plus American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico).
Category B applicants are universities, nonprofit research institutions, and research centers partnering with a Category A entity. They must be located in the US or eligible territories.
Federal agencies, individuals, commercial organizations, and private entities are ineligible.
⚖️ Cost sharing / matching required — applicants must contribute their own funds.
This grant is for water managers and organizations working to improve hydrologic data, water management tools, and forecasting capabilities in the Western US.
Category A applicants include states, Indian tribes, irrigation districts, water districts, and regional/local authorities with water or power delivery authority. All must be located in the Western United States or specified territories (Alaska through Wyoming, plus American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico).
Category B applicants are universities, nonprofit research institutions, and research centers partnering with a Category A entity. They must be located in the US or eligible territories.
Federal agencies, individuals, commercial organizations, and private entities are ineligible.
Program 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.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
Details
This grant is for water managers and organizations working to improve hydrologic data, water management tools, and forecasting capabilities in the Western US.
Category A applicants include states, Indian tribes, irrigation districts, water districts, and regional/local authorities with water or power delivery authority. All must be located in the Western United States or specified territories (Alaska through Wyoming, plus American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico).
Category B applicants are universities, nonprofit research institutions, and research centers partnering with a Category A entity. They must be located in the US or eligible territories.
Federal agencies, individuals, commercial organizations, and private entities are ineligible.
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance)
- Project Narrative describing project goals, activities, and expected outcomes
- Budget and Budget Narrative with justification
- Letters of commitment from Category A partners (if applicable)
- Organizational documentation (501(c)(3) status, board resolution, or tribal authorization)
- Hydrologic or water management data supporting project need
Program contact
- 👤 Bureau of Reclamation
- 📧 mstonebridge@usbr.gov
- 📞 tbd
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 15.557 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$400,000
-
$400,000
-
$400,000
-
$400,000
-
$400,000
-
$400,000
-
$400,000
-
$400,000
-
$400,000
-
$399,986
Top States by Funding
- CA 26 awards $6.4M
- TX 9 awards $1.6M
- WA 4 awards $1.2M
- NV 5 awards $1.0M
- UT 4 awards $1.0M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 15.557). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2017 est. | $700,000 | |
| 2018 | $700,000 | |
| 2019 | $2,000,000 | |
| 2020 | $3,500,000 | |
| 2021 | $3,100,000 | |
| 2022 | $1,200,000 | |
| 2023 | $1,112,358 | |
| 2025 est. | $10,000,000 |
FAQ
Who can apply for WaterSMART Applied Science Grants?
States, tribes, water districts, irrigation districts, and nonprofit research institutions partnering with an eligible water organization can apply. Universities and research centers must partner with a Category A entity.
What geographic areas are eligible?
Applicants must be located in the Western United States (AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, KS, MT, NE, NV, NM, ND, OK, OR, SD, TX, UT, WA, WY) or US territories (American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico).
What types of projects are funded?
Projects that improve hydrologic data access, develop water management tools, improve water supply forecasting, enhance snow monitoring, or optimize reservoir operations. Data integration and hydrologic modeling improvements are prioritized.
Can nonprofit organizations apply independently?
No. Nonprofit research institutions and universities must partner with a Category A applicant (a water or power delivery authority). Independent nonprofit organizations are ineligible unless they have water/power delivery authority.
What is the typical funding amount and timeline?
Individual awards typically range up to $400,000. Projects support multi-year work to improve water management and forecasting capabilities for Western water managers.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Ensure your organization or partnership fits Category A or B eligibility criteria. Check your geographic location against the Western US territory list.
- Emphasize how your project improves water supply reliability, drought resilience, or forecast accuracy for real water managers and operators.
- Develop partnerships early if your nonprofit or university is not a water delivery authority. A strong Category A partner is essential for Category B applicants.
- Show how your hydrologic data, modeling tools, or snow monitoring improvements will be used operationally by water managers.
- Align your project with federal priorities on energy reliability and water supply security as mentioned in recent Executive Orders.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Many Category B applicants underestimate partnership requirements and apply without a confirmed Category A partner agreement. Nonprofits often misunderstand that general community organizations cannot apply—only those with formal water or power delivery authority are eligible. Applicants sometimes propose theoretical research without demonstrating how water managers will actually use the results operationally.
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