South Florida Program Funding (SFP): Overview

Summary

The statutory authority for the SFP grant funding is the Clean Water Act Section 104(b)(3), which authorizes the award of assistance agreements for water quality and watershed management projects. Eligible projects include experiments, studies, surveys, demonstrations, research, trainings and investigations. Projects are expected to provide information specific to management questions and concerns, inform policy and add to the understanding of south Florida aquatic ecosystems. Applications must address one or more of the Program Priorities listed below and describe how the project will contribute to protecting and restoring south Florida aquatic ecosystems.

The SFP geographic region includes the 16-county area covered by the South Florida Water Management District as well as the Florida Keys, Florida Reef Tract, Caloosahatchee Estuary, Indian River Lagoon, St. Lucie Estuary, Florida Bay and Biscayne Bay.

Program Priorities

1. Aquatic Habitat Restoration in South Florida
2. Addressing Climate Resiliency and Water Resource Management Issues
3. Water Quality Monitoring and Modeling
4. Support Local Community-Based Projects to Protect Waterways and Aquatic Habitat
5. Florida Reef Tract Coral Health
6. Nutrient Management to Reduce Harmful Algal Blooms
7. Stormwater/Nutrient Pollution Reduction Projects

Examples of eligible projects include, but are not limited to:

• Monitoring, research, or innovative restoration efforts for key species (e.g. coral, seagrass, sponges, mangroves, etc.);
• Research, investigation, and demonstration projects to mitigate harmful algal blooms;
• Residential canal pollution reduction demonstration projects;
• Innovative stormwater pollution reduction demonstration projects;
• Water quality and benthic habitat monitoring;
• Research and management strategies to address contaminants of emerging concern;
• Identifying and understanding cause-effect relationships of pollutants in the environment;
• Addressing specific management questions to protect sensitive ecosystems;
• Applying innovative approaches, methods, or techniques to prevent, treat, and manage pollution from entering waterbodies; and
• Investigating regional water quality impacts from pollution sources.

Eligible Applicants

Applications will be accepted from States, local governments, territories, Indian Tribes, and possessions of the U.S. (including the District of Columbia); public and private universities and colleges; hospitals; laboratories; public or private nonprofit institutions and intertribal consortia.

Application Submission Process

Applications must be submitted through grants.gov, for information about how to apply for a grant using grants.gov, refer to information within the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) and EPA’s Grant webpages for help.

For additional details regarding the specific requirements and details of this grant program, please refer to the latest Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). To learn about projects that have been funded by the SFP, explore our interactive map application.

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