RESOURCES & FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
Now Hiring!
Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC) Climate Change Internships
Deadline to apply: March 6, 2020, 4:30pm CST
The Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC) has two paid climate change internships available this summer. Both internships are hosted at the GLIFWC Main Office on the Bad River Reservation, WI, from June 1 – August 7, 2020. Applicant may be an incoming or continuing student that is accepted and/or enrolled full time at a college/university for Fall 2020 semester.
Phenology Climate Change Internship info here
Traditional Ecological Knowledge Climate Change Internship info here
U.S. State Department Air Quality Fellows Program
The Air Quality Capacity Building Fellows Program is seeking air quality management experts from the U.S. to provide assistance and capacity building to developing countries facing air quality challenges. These countries apply through the program and are matched with Air Quality Fellows having the relevant expertise. By building on the existing capacity of these interested governments, Fellows assist the countries (and other international partners working with them) to achieve sustainable improvements in local and transboundary air quality and a reduction in associated health, economic, and environmental impacts. Fellowships span 12 to 18 months, and Fellows will provide ongoing technical support, training, and guidance remotely at an estimated level of 12-20 hours per month. Fellows will also travel to work with the host country in-person for up to 4 weeks, i.e., two separate 2-weeks trips over the 12-18 months. The program arranges and pays for all travel, but Fellows are not compensated for their time. Potential Fellows need to be U.S. citizens and if currently employed, need to have the support of their management to participate.
ITEP VW Technical Assistance Program is hiring a Research Assistant
The ITEP VW Technical Assistance Program is looking to hire a Research Assistant to help with various research projects related to the VW Tribal Trust and associated diesel emissions reduction or clean energy programs and technologies, along with general support of the program as needed. The position is part-time, with an expected workload of approximately 15-20 hours per week and funding available for the next two to (possibly) three years. We would prefer to fill the position with someone who can work on site in the ITEP offices at NAU. The job announcement is on NAU’s job page under the “Staff Openings” page, position #604774. Call or email Mark Daniels (mark.daniels@nau.edu or 928-523-8897) with questions about the position.
Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals is offering 2020 Student Summer Internships.
Apply now for a paid 8-week summer internship. Spend your summer working with tribal organizations to address tribal environmental issues. The internships have a technical, educational or policy focus. We are offering eight positions in air quality. The internship program provides each student intern with a $4,000 stipend, and limited housing and travel allowances. Host sites are selected from tribal environmental organizations, government offices, the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and others. Please register at nau.edu/itepinterns for more information and details about how to apply. You can view host site descriptions and submit your preferences for the host sites you find interesting after January 24, 2020. The deadline for applications is February 28, 2020. Questions? Contact EEOP-INTERN@nau.edu
Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes
NEW! The Tribal Exchange Network’s Tribal Environmental Data Management Capacity and Needs Assessment Report
The 2018 Tribal Environmental Data Management Capacity and Needs Assessment, prepared by the Exchange Network Tribal Governance Group (TGG), was conducted to better understand current tribal capacity, needs, and challenges related to environmental data management, collection, and use. Both the Executive Summary and Full Report can be found on the Tribal Exchange Network website.
Air Quality Podcasts
The following list and links are to podcasts related to climate change, air quality, emissions, and the Volkswagen Settlement:
Parts Per Billion | By Bloomberg Environment
American Scandal | By Wondery
Volkswagen Diesel Scandal – Whatever It Takes 1 | By Wondery: American Scandal
Volkswagen Diesel Scandal – The Defeat Device 2 | By Wondery: American Scandal
Exxon Valdez: Oil Meets Water 1 | By Wondery: American Scandal
Exxon Valdez: The Mosquito Fleet 2 | By Wondery: American Scandal
Exxon Valdez: The Spin Cycle 3 | By Wondery: American Scandal
Exxon Valdez: Winner Take Nothing 4 | By Wondery: American Scandal
Exxon Valdez: 30 Years Later 5 | By Wondery: American Scandal
Sensor Videos Available for Preview
EPA has developed three short (~3 minute) videos to help people understand the nature of low cost sensors and how air quality measurements relate to public health, as well as a PSA to introduce the videos. The videos cover how EPA collects and uses regulatory data, how EPA communicates health messaging, and questions that the public can ask themselves as they consider how to uses sensors. We are sharing these links with you early, as you are one of our key stakeholders. You can preview these videos – in both Spanish and English – now at:
Calidad de los Datos Regulatorios y de los Datos del Sensor
Fuentes de Información sobre la Calidad del Aire
On February 18, 2020, we plan to post links to these videos on the Air Sensor Toolbox web page. And we plan to promote them during Air Quality Awareness week – May 4-8, 2020.
NOAA Environmental Literacy Grants: Supporting the education of K-12 students and the public for community resilience – $3 million
Applications Due: March 26, 2020 for Priority 1 full applications
Eligible Entities: K-12 public and independent schools and school systems, state and local government agencies, Indian tribal governments
The goal of this funding opportunity is to build environmental literacy of K-12 students and the public so they are knowledgeable of the ways in which their community can become more resilient to extreme weather and/or other environmental hazards, and become involved in achieving that resilience. For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.
To view and/or receive ITEP’s American Indian Air Quality Training Program newsletter, Native Voices, click here!
Climate Change/Energy
NEW! Indigenous Women and Climate Change Publication
Against all the odds, and despite the challenges that climate change represents for Latin America, women are demonstrating day in, day out that they have the ideas and the unique and essential skills to propose a radical change in the matrix of civilisation at this crucial point in humankind’s history. This book, now being published in English, explores those challenges and this first edition differs slightly from the Spanish version published in January 2019. It seeks to go beyond simple public policy aspirations in order to reconsider the impacts of climate change on women on the basis of their actions of resistance, their daily practices, the links between these practices and the need to re-think their contributions from the centres of power. More information and download can be found here.
DOI BIA Tribal Resilience Program – $1 million
Applications Due: March 2, 2020
Eligible Entities: federally recognized tribal governments
The Tribal Resilience Program will provide funding for tribal activities that support tribal adaptation and resilience planning, ocean and coastal management planning, and relocation, managed retreat, or protect-in-place planning and design activities for coastal and riverine communities. This program aims to support Tribal Nations that need adaptation planning support and decision-making information to prepare for extreme events and harmful environmental trends that impact tribal treaty and trust resources, economies, infrastructure, and human health and welfare. An informational webinar will be held by the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals describing the opportunity on January 9th, 2020. Register for the webinar here. For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.
Join NCAI’s Climate Action email listserv here!
Sign up for the Alliance for Green Heat’s newsletter!
To view and/or receive ITEP’s Climate Change newsletter, click here!
Toxics/Mobile Sources
NEW! EPA Announces Community-Scale Air Toxics Monitoring Grant Competition
Deadline to apply: March 30, 2020
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is accepting applications for funding for air toxics monitoring projects under the Community-Scale Air Toxics Ambient Monitoring grants competition. As part of the Agency’s mission to protect human and environmental health, EPA periodically awards these grants to help state, local and tribal air agencies conduct air quality monitoring projects to address localized air toxics issues. EPA anticipates awarding up to $5 million from this competition to fund projects that fall into four categories:
- Characterizing the impacts of air toxics in a community (community-scale monitoring);
- Assessing the impacts of air toxics emissions from specific sources (near-source monitoring);
- Evaluating new and emerging testing methods for air toxics; and
- Analyzing existing air toxics data and developing or enhancing analytical, modeling, and/or implementation tools.
Air toxics, also known as hazardous air pollutants, are linked to cancer or other serious health effects. Under the Clean Air Act, EPA regulates 187 listed air toxic pollutants. While grant applications may address any air toxic pollutant, air toxics of particular interest to EPA in this competition include ethylene oxide, chloroprene, benzene, 1,3-butadiene, and metals such as hexavalent chromium, nickel and arsenic.
To receive the grants, applicants must be air pollution control agencies as defined by Section 302(b) of the Clean Air Act that also are eligible to receive grants under Section 105 of the Clean Air Act. Funding for the grants comes from State and Tribal Assistance (STAG) funding. Congress appropriates STAG funds for state, local and tribal air agencies to use in implementing and maintaining environmental programs.
Agencies applying for the air toxics monitoring grants may partner with or provide “subgrants” to other organizations for their monitoring projects. The Agency expects to award grants for 10 to 20 projects, depending on funding availability and the quality of applications received. The amount for each grant may vary; however, no grant may be for more than $750,000. Click here for additional information, and to download the Request for Application.
NEW! Resource for Electric Vehicle Users
In December 2019, the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners released an issue brief titled Electric Vehicles: Key Trends, Issues, and Considerations for State Regulators. The brief profiles examples of regulatory approaches and decisions that states and commissions have taken.
NEW! Considering an Electric Vehicle?
Watch this EPA video to learn how electric vehicles and different types of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles work. And visit our Beyond the Tailpipe Emissions Calculator to estimate the total GHG emissions associated with driving an EV or PHEV in your area, as compared to a gasoline vehicle.
Indoor Air Quality
February Is National Cancer Prevention Month
During National Cancer Prevention Month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) are working to inform Americans about how lifestyle can help reduce cancer risk and keep you healthy.
Exposure to secondhand smoke commonly occurs indoors, particularly in homes and cars. Eliminating secondhand smoke in your indoor environment can reduce the risk of harmful health effects, such as respiratory issues, heart disease and lung cancer. Nonsmokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke increase their risk of developing lung cancer by 20 to 30 percent.
A few simple changes can help reduce your risk:
- Make your home smoke-free, smoke outside or quit smoking.
- Test your home for radon. Radon claims the lives of about 21,000 Americans each year; it is also the leading cause of lung cancer death among nonsmokers in the United States.
HUD’s Secretary’s Awards for Healthy Homes
This year’s HUD Secretary’s Awards for Healthy Homes has just opened for nominations. As in past years these awards recognize various HUD partners who actively promote policies or programs that benefit the health of the families they serve. The Announcement Package for this year’s Award has all the information for our stakeholders about the Awards. The deadline for nominating projects and activities this year is March 10th. This year’s award will consider nominees from the following categories:
- Public Housing
- Multifamily Housing
- Policy Innovation
- Cross Program Coordination
- Innovation in Education and Communications
- Research
The Announcement Package describes the goals, key dates, award categories, eligible applicants, criteria for reviewing and rating nominations, and submission guidelines. Page 9 of the Announcement notes that all entries must be completed by utilizing the online nomination form here. For complete details about the Awards, visit this link and read the “Application Package.” If you have any questions about the Awards, please contact Clyde.K.Rodkey@hud.gov.
Be sure to sign up for EPA’s Healthy Indoor Air newsletter.
The Tribal Healthy Homes Network (THHN) has a webpage dedicated to Funding Opportunities! Additionally, THHN has developed a Funding Guide for American Indian and Alaska Native Communities.