20 U.S.C. § 5505 : US Code - Section 5505: Environmental education grants

Search 20 U.S.C. § 5505 : US Code - Section 5505: Environmental education grants

(a) Cooperative agreements and grants
The Administrator may enter into a cooperative agreement or
contract, or provide financial assistance in the form of a grant,
to support projects to design, demonstrate, or disseminate
practices, methods, or techniques related to environmental
education and training.
(b) Eligible activities
Activities eligible for grant support pursuant to this section
shall include, but not be limited to, environmental education and
training programs for -
(1) design, demonstration, or dissemination of environmental
curricula, including development of educational tools and
materials;
(2) design and demonstration of field methods, practices, and
techniques, including assessment of environmental and ecological
conditions and analysis of environmental pollution problems;
(3) projects to understand and assess a specific environmental
issue or a specific environmental problem;
(4) provision of training or related education for teachers,
faculty, or related personnel in a specific geographic area or
region; and
(5) design and demonstration of projects to foster
international cooperation in addressing environmental issues and
problems involving the United States and Canada or Mexico.
(c) Priority projects
In making grants pursuant to this section, the Administrator
shall give priority to those proposed projects which will develop -

(1) a new or significantly improved environmental education
practice, method, or technique;
(2) an environmental education practice, method, or technique
which may have wide application;
(3) an environmental education practice, method, or technique
which addresses a skill or scientific field identified as a
priority in the report developed pursuant to section 5508(d) of
this title; and
(4) an environmental education practice, method, or technique
which addresses an environmental issue which, in the judgment of
the Administrator, is of a high priority.
(d) Scope of program and implementing regulations
The program established by this section shall include
solicitations for projects, selection of suitable projects from
among those proposed, supervision of such projects, evaluation of
the results of projects, and dissemination of information on the
effectiveness and feasibility of the practices, methods, techniques
and processes. Within one year of November 16, 1990, the
Administrator shall publish regulations to assure satisfactory
implementation of each element of the program authorized by this
section.
(e) Solicitation notices
Within 90 days after the date on which amounts are first
appropriated for carrying out this chapter, and each year
thereafter, the Administrator shall publish a solicitation for
environmental education grants. The solicitation notice shall
prescribe the information to be included in the proposal and other
information sufficient to permit the Administrator to assess the
project.
(f) Applications
Any local education agency, college or university, State
education agency or environmental agency, not-for-profit
organization, or noncommercial educational broadcasting entity may
submit an application to the Administrator in response to the
solicitations required by subsection (e) of this section.
(g) Performance of projects
Each project under this section shall be performed by the
applicant, or by a person satisfactory to the applicant and the
Administrator.
(h) Matching requirements
Federal funds for any demonstration project under this section
shall not exceed 75 percent of the total cost of such project. For
the purposes of this section, the non-Federal share of project
costs may be provided by inkind contributions and other noncash
support. In cases where the Administrator determines that a
proposed project merits support and cannot be undertaken without a
higher rate of Federal support, the Administrator may approve
grants under this section with a matching requirement other than
that specified in this subsection, including full Federal funding.
(i) Limitations on grants
Grants under this section shall not exceed $250,000. In addition,
25 percent of all funds obligated under this section in a fiscal
year shall be for grants of not more than $5,000.