Provided by Sea Change Consulting, the training brought together over 20 Mid-Atlantic participants, including nonprofits, the private sector, academia, state, and local government, to learn more about the grant process. The Mid-Atlantic Marine Debris Action Plan identified “grants training” as the top priority needed to build capacity across the region. This also addresses the Action Plan goals of strengthening coordination and building capacity throughout the Mid-Atlantic. 

The training included information on the steps to writing a successful project narrative, developing actions, measuring success, and developing a budget and forms, as well as breakout exercises. NOAA MDP Program Officers Amanda Dwyer, Tom Barry, Christy Kehoe, and Sarah Lowe joined in the training discussion to provide an overview of the MDP and updates on current and upcoming federal funding opportunities, and to respond to attendee questions. 

All training materials will be made available on the Mid-Atlantic Marine Debris Collaboration Portal. You can stay up-to-date on the NOAA MDP grant competition by visiting the MDP Federal Funding Opportunity webpage. 

For more information, contact NOAA MDP Grant Specialist Amanda.Dwyer@noaa.gov.