• The federal government offers several grants to support education.Education Sign image by sonya etchison from Fotolia.com
  
  Education is a key component to a functioning, healthful society. The United States government offers several grant programs that support education in its many forms. From the dissemination of medical research to benefit public health to projects that encourage scientific literacy, education grants cover a wide scope of funding areas. Each federal grant has specific requirements and can be highly competitive, especially in a declining economy. Make your organization's proposal stand out by carefully following each funding opportunity's guidelines.
  
  

National Institutes of Health

• The National Institutes of Health's National Cancer Institute offers grants for education through the "Cancer Education Grants Program." Grants support "innovative cancer education programs," according to grant guidelines. Qualified projects include educational programs that encourage students to pursue biomedical careers in the cancer field, workshops to educate cancer clinicians and researchers on the latest methods and findings, and the development of effective ways to provide clinicians and public health personnel with the latest cancer-related research findings and methodologies. Grants range up to $300,000 per year for a five-year period. Colleges, universities, nonprofits, small businesses, tribal organizations and government agencies are eligible to apply.
  
  Office of Grants Administration
  
  National Cancer Institute
  
  National Institutes of Health
  
  6120 Executive Blvd.
  
  EPS Room 243, MSC 7150
  
  Bethesda, MD 20892-7150
  
  301-496-3179
  
  nci.nih.gov
  
  

National Science Foundation

• National Science Foundation offers grants for education through the "Geoscience Education" program. The goal of the program is to "increase public understanding of Earth system science and foster recruitment, training and retention of a diverse and skilled geoscience workforce for the future," according to grant guidelines. Grants fund projects to increase the quality of geoscience education, encourage more students to pursue geoscience studies and careers, and increase the amount of underrepresented populations in the geosciences. Preference is given to proposals that include projects to increase geoscience education in grades K-14. Grant awards range from $150,000 to $500,000 over two to four years. Institutions of higher education, nonprofits, for-profits, and state and local governments are eligible to apply.
  
  National Science Foundation
  
  4201 Wilson Blvd.
  
  Arlington, VA 22230
  
  703-292-7718
  
  nsf.gov
  
  

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

• The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration offers "Environmental Literacy Grants for Formal K-12 Education" through the Department of Commerce. The program's goal is to "support K-12 education projects that advance inquiry-based Earth System Science learning and stewardship directly tied to the school curriculum, with a particular interest in increasing climate literacy," according to grant guidelines. Successful grant applications include training programs to increase environmental literacy among students and teachers. Grants range from $200,000 to $500,000 for two-year planning projects and from $500,001 to $1.5 million for three- to five-year implementation projects. Colleges; universities; nonprofits; K-12 public and private schools; and state, local and tribal governments operating in the United States are eligible to apply.
  
  Department of Commerce
  
  NOAA Office of Education,
  
  1401 Constitution Ave. NW
  
  HCHB 6863
  
  Washington, DC 20230
  
  202-482- 3739
  
  noaa.gov