Master Cooperative Agreement | P17AS00271

Opportunity Information: Apply for P17AS00271

The "Master Cooperative Agreement" (Funding Opportunity Number P17AS00271) is a discretionary cooperative agreement offered by the Department of the Interior, National Park Service (NPS), under CFDA 15.954, focused on education and public engagement on public lands. The agreement is designed to formalize and support a partnership in which the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF), a congressionally chartered organization created under the National Environmental Education Act of 1990, coordinates major national programs that advance NPS volunteer service, outdoor learning, and STEM education. The opportunity anticipates a single award (Expected Awards: 1) with an award ceiling listed as 1 (as provided in the source data), and eligibility is broadly listed as "Others," with additional eligibility details referenced elsewhere in the full notice.

A core component of the agreement is National Public Lands Day, a long-running nationwide initiative that mobilizes volunteers to complete hands-on projects on public lands. Under this agreement, NEEF would coordinate activities and efforts on behalf of NPS for National Public Lands Day, supporting volunteer engagement at national park sites that NPS nominates for participation. The intent is to generate tangible on-the-ground benefits for parks through volunteer labor and community involvement, strengthening stewardship while helping parks advance priority work. The description also emphasizes that National Public Lands Day is not limited to NPS alone; it has historically been implemented across multiple federal land-management agencies, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Land Management, reflecting a broader federal commitment to protecting, restoring, and managing the nation's natural resource base.

A second major focus area is Hands on the Land, described as a national network of outdoor classrooms located on public lands and waterways. Through this agreement, NEEF would coordinate with NPS to support Hands on the Land programming that enhances K-12 education through field-based learning. The program is built around the idea that meaningful outdoor experiences can deepen student learning by connecting classroom concepts to real landscapes, real resource challenges, and real management decisions. It also aims to introduce students to natural and cultural resource careers by exposing them to the work of 21st-century land managers, while building long-term environmental stewardship values by making public lands relevant and accessible as learning environments.

A third component targets Tribal Schools STEM Projects, which are intended to expand STEM learning opportunities for students from tribal schools in national parks. The opportunity notes that these students have been identified as underserved in STEM skills, and the projects are structured to address that gap through hands-on citizen science activities that use park resources and connect students directly with park subject matter experts. In practice, this means students can participate in authentic data collection or monitoring efforts tied to park needs, learning STEM concepts through real-world application rather than only through classroom instruction. NEEF's role under the agreement includes assisting NPS with the administration, management, and implementation of these efforts, implying substantial coordination responsibilities such as program organization, partner facilitation, and operational support.

Overall, the grant opportunity is best understood as a master, umbrella-style cooperative agreement that enables NEEF to serve as a national coordinating partner for NPS across three related program areas: large-scale volunteer service events (National Public Lands Day), structured outdoor learning in public-land settings (Hands on the Land), and targeted STEM and citizen-science engagement for tribal school students in parks (Tribal Schools STEM Projects). The underlying theme is leveraging partnerships to expand capacity, reach more communities, and deliver measurable benefits for parks and participants through volunteerism, education, and workforce or career exposure in natural and cultural resource fields.

• The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Master Cooperative Agreement" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.954.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 17, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by NEEF was chartered by Congress in 1990 through the National Environmental Education Act.. (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 $1.00 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 P17AS00271

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: