: Education,Training and Capacity Development for Weather, Water and Climate Forecasting (ETCD) | NOAA NWS NWSPO 2021 2006770

Opportunity Information: Apply for NOAA NWS NWSPO 2021 2006770

The Education, Training and Capacity Development for Weather, Water and Climate Forecasting (ETCD) opportunity is a NOAA National Weather Service (NWS) funding program run through the Office of the Chief Learning Officer. It seeks proposals that strengthen education, training, and broader capacity development aimed at improving the on-the-job performance of operational meteorologists and hydrologists. The central idea is that better trained forecasters and hydrologists, supported by modern learning approaches, will produce better forecasts and warnings for environmental hazards, which in turn improves decision support services for communities and partners.

ETCD is built around collaboration rather than stand-alone coursework. NOAA is looking for efforts that bring together operational meteorologists and hydrologists with researchers, scientists, and academic educators, including expertise that spans not only the environmental sciences but also educational methods and the social and behavioral sciences. The program emphasizes applied learning: training and simulation exercises that mirror real operational conditions and challenges faced in weather, water, and climate services. These activities are meant to directly serve the operational forecasting community by improving how people interpret data, communicate risk, and make time-sensitive decisions in complex scenarios.

A defining feature of the ETCD approach is competency-based education and training. In practice, that means training is organized around clearly defined skills and performance outcomes (competencies) that operational staff are expected to demonstrate, rather than simply completing a set number of training hours or courses. The program aims to improve human performance in ways that are measurable and relevant to operations, and it frames improved forecasts and warnings as the downstream result of building and validating those competencies through targeted instruction, practice, and evaluation.

From an award structure standpoint, this opportunity is a discretionary, competitive funding announcement using a cooperative agreement, which typically indicates substantial federal involvement during project execution (for example, coordination with NOAA staff and alignment with evolving operational needs). The notice lists an anticipated award ceiling of up to $8,000,000 annually and expects a single award. Funding is explicitly contingent on federal appropriations, and NOAA notes that actual annual amounts may be lower than the maximum. Continued funding and the level of support can depend on several factors after the main award begins, including which specific projects NOAA approves under the umbrella effort, the availability of funds, the quality and usefulness of deliverables, satisfactory progress toward stated goals, and ongoing alignment with ETCD program objectives.

Administrative details in the source information include the Funding Opportunity Number NOAA NWS NWSPO 2021 2006770, CFDA 11.467, and the Department of Commerce as the issuing agency. The original posting timeline shows a creation date of March 5, 2021 and an original closing date of May 3, 2021. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others" with additional clarification referenced in the full announcement. Overall, the opportunity is focused on building a sustained, collaborative training ecosystem that measurably improves operational forecasting and hazard warning performance across weather, water, and climate domains.

• The Department of Commerce in the environment, natural resources, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled ": Education,Training and Capacity Development for Weather, Water and Climate Forecasting (ETCD)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 11.467.
• This funding opportunity was created on Mar 05, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 03, 2021. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $8,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for NOAA NWS NWSPO 2021 2006770

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