Grant News

Navigating the Grant Landscape Under a New Administration: What Recent Executive Orders and the Review of Federal Financial Assistance Means for You

**This is a comprehensive blog that covers the key developments, implications, and strategies for grant seekers navigating the landscape of federal financial assistance under the new Administration. Updates to this blog will continue to be made as the situation develops. Blog last updated 3/19/25 at 2:58 pm ET**

The federal grant landscape was upended early this year by the release of several Executive Orders and Memorandum M-25-13, a sweeping directive that temporarily halted financial assistance programs for a review process aligned with the new Presidential Administration’s policy priorities. While the Administration later rescinded with memorandum M-25-14, grant seekers across all sectors - including public agencies and nonprofits – still face a multitude of questions and uncertainty around the effect of recent Executive Orders on federal funding opportunities.

Congressionally directed spending (also known as community project funding or earmarks) are line items in the United States federal budget specifically requested by individual legislators. There was a 10-year moratorium on these appropriations, but that ran out in 2021. Proponents of congressionally directed spending argue that it creates a more transparent appropriation process and enables local jurisdictions to more directly request and receive funds for their specific needs. Others believe that congressionally directed spending is wasteful or corrupt. Regardless of how you feel about this type of funding, they are a part of the current federal funding landscape and should be considered carefully when looking for support for your project.

In this article, we will explore the fiscal year 2024 congressionally directed spending landscape. We will evaluate where the funds are going and what types of projects they are predominantly funding. We will also reflect on where we are in the fiscal year 2025 funding congressionally directed spending process.

Last month marked the start of the U.S. federal Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) new set of rules directing the majority of federal grantmaking to nonprofits; education institutions; state, local, or tribal government agencies; and others. These rules, colloquially known as the Uniform Guidance, were first established in December 2013. Originally a consolidation of several federal rulemaking circulars, the Uniform Guidance’s policies have been periodically adjusted over the last 20 years. The most recent of these updates took effect on October 1, 2024.

When browsing through Grants.gov, you find a grant perfectly aligned with what your organization is trying to accomplish. Say you work in a university's criminal justice program and want to research police practices. You find a seemingly perfect grant, but as you read the eligibility…" Only applicants that received an official invitation letter from NIJ are able and eligible to apply." This "invitation-only" status is a common frustration for grant seekers. So, how do you crack that elusive list and get your foot in the door?

Generally speaking, clean energy is regarded as more environmentally friendly when compared to traditional fossil fuel resources as it typically leads to lower levels of air and water pollution than combustible fuels like coal, natural gas, and petroleum oil. Renewable sources like wind, water, and sunlight generate power without emitting harmful carbon dioxide, a major contributor to climate change. This, in turn, mitigates various environmental and social issues such as droughts, wildfires, flooding, poverty, health risks, and species loss. And while renewable and nonrenewable energy sources require land for infrastructure, renewable energy systems often have a smaller footprint than traditional fossil fuels. For example, solar panels can be built on existing structures, and wind turbines are suitable for agricultural land without affecting crop placement.

Access to high-speed internet has become a necessary part of everyday life. For example, education, employment (job duties and hiring), banking, and even some healthcare, are now done online. However, there are still many communities and individuals who lack access to high-speed internet. As a result, the federal government has prioritized increasing access across the country by allocating $1.44 billion for the Digital Equity Capacity program. At this stage, all states have finalized their digital equity plans and the program has opened for all states and territories to apply for funding. As this is a pass-through program, states apply for funding and then will sub-award the funds they receive from the federal government through their own grant programs. It has been a long road thus far but we anticipate some states will begin to open their own grant programs in the fall or winter of 2024, allowing local organizations to apply for these funds.

An estimated 60 million people, nearly 1 in 5 Americans, live in a rural area. Following the Covid-19 pandemic, these rural areas are seeing increasing shortages in the healthcare workforce. To alleviate the burden healthcare workforce shortages have on rural communities and the hospital systems that serve them, governments and private associations have prioritized financial interventions and incentives.

Although the concept of recording law enforcement interactions is not new – police departments began using cumbersome vehicle- and helmet-mounted cameras in the 1960s (Seaskate, Inc., 1998) – the use of body-worn cameras in the United States took off after the 2014 shooting of Michael Brown by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, sparked national outrage and renewed scrutiny of police-citizen interactions. The lack of video evidence from the incident fueled public demands for greater transparency and accountability. This moment proved to be a tipping point for Body-worn Cameras (BWC), which led to the U.S. Department of Justice's creation of the Body-worn Camera Policy and Implementation Program (BWC PIP).

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) continues to approve final plans under the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. This process began in late 2021 when the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was signed into law. 56 states and territories have been allocated $42.45 billion to expand internet access through planning, infrastructure deployment, and adoption.

For institutions of higher education, the National Science Foundation is a large source of federal funding, providing a quarter of the federal government’s budgetary support for colleges and universities. Many colleges and universities, K-12 schools, and other research institutions have not explored the plethora of programs offered by the NSF and may not even know where to begin to search for NSF opportunities.

For the past several years, institutes of higher education have been seeing a decline in student enrollment. The National Center for Education Statistics projects that undergraduate enrollment will decline by 9% between 2021 and 2031, continuing a trend that was also present in the previous decade (https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=98). Diversifying where income is coming from can help many institutions continue to provide their offerings. Although it is not a possibility for every institution, thinking about transitioning your organization from an education-focused school to a more research-intensive entity can open additional opportunities. For example, research grant funding that goes to faculty researchers also typically includes an indirect cost component that is used to support facilities and administration expenses for the institution to provide necessary overhead for the researchers to conduct their work, thereby enabling your organization to support that work. We have seen many schools working towards this goal by building research capabilities.

As American workers increasingly use digital platforms, and depend on mobile devices, exposure to various cybersecurity risks has become a major threat. Cyber criminals can capitalize on security vulnerabilities to obtain personal information and data from state, local, and tribal governments, public safety agencies, K-12 schools, Institutes of Higher Education, and healthcare organizations. This can result in increased instances of financial fraud, unauthorized access to systems, and identity theft. Adopting cybersecurity technologies and providing cybersecurity training for the U.S. workforce is essential in combating hackers, preventing the need for ransom payments, preventing data theft, and reducing the threat of system disruptions or outages. Cybersecurity involves employing technology, methods, and safety protocols to counter and safeguard against various cyber threats such as phishing, malware, ransomware, and other forms of cyberattacks. As threat actors and cybercriminals evolve, the technologies to combat them must evolve as well.

Ethical considerations around plagiarism and intellectual copywrite aside, if you are considering outsourcing your grant writing efforts to AI, we suggest caution. There are limits to what even the most innovative AI tool can produce on your behalf. However, to appreciate the need for this advice, it may help to first understand how text generative AI tools work.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), is historic legislation providing substantial amounts of funding towards a variety of infrastructure projects. Much of this funding goes to areas like transportation and clean energy, as well as training in emerging infrastructure-related fields, however, $65 billion is going to broadband programs.

This funding was provided to the Department of Commerce and is being managed by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). It has been 2.5 years since the enactment of the IIJA legislation so it is important to review where we are in the process of implementing these broadband-related initiatives and what next steps your organization should consider. In the following sections, we will cover the basics of the four relevant umbrella programs and their current status, from most to least implemented.

The purpose of the State Digital Equity Grant Program is to promote the achievement of digital equity, support digital inclusion activities, and build capacity for efforts by States relating to the adoption of broadband by residents of those States. Subgrants will be made in support of the State's Digital Equity Plan and digital inclusion activities in the State generally.

On November 6, 2021, the U.S. Congress passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). The IIJA is sometimes referred to as the “Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal” because it was supported by both Democrats and Republicans in Congress. A total of $1.2 trillion in funding was made available for nearly 400 new and existing programs. This legislation supports various infrastructure-related programs and projects like transportation, clean water, broadband, and electric vehicle charging infrastructure, among other initiatives. Included in the IIJA are grants aimed at improving the cybersecurity posture of state, local, and tribal governments.

Telehealth has been around for years, but COVID-19 necessitated the use of telehealth services. Before the pandemic, telehealth was not readily accepted by patients, doctors, administrators, insurance companies, and healthcare regulators. With the advancement of technology, a shortage of healthcare providers, practical experience, demonstrated benefits, and increasing acceptance of telehealth by patients and providers, telehealth and its benefits are here to stay.

Mexico is currently undergoing a significant transformation, with federal programs leading the way for modernized infrastructure and the implementation of new technologies across multiple sectors. With significant investments in roads, railways, ports, telecommunications, and urban development, Mexican society stands to benefit greatly while unlocking significant economic potential.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law or BIL) has brought unprecedented funding to support broadband initiatives. To go along with that funding, there are also huge investments being made in digital equity efforts. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is distributing this funding through two main programs: the State Digital Equity Grant Program and the Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program (for more information on this program. Both programs will support digital equity projects that involve a wide range of organizations. With expected deadlines starting in the next several months and continuing over the next few years, now is an exciting time for your organization to participate in these efforts!

Grant-seeking can be an extremely competitive process for K-12 schools, especially if they limit themselves to grants available from their State’s Department of Education or the U.S. Department of Education. To increase the possibilities of success, now is the perfect time to explore various federal grant opportunities outside the Department of Education that could supplement their funding. In this article, I will highlight some federal agencies and grant programs schools can take advantage of from other departments and agencies according to the type of project schools are hoping to fund.

Technology is used across the criminal justice spectrum to streamline processes, ensure compliance, and protect people and their data. Gone are the days of hand-written police reports faxed to the District Attorney’s office.

We all know how important technology is, but equipment ages, technology advances, and sometimes we don’t know how to fund it. Federal and state grantmakers provide funding to help those working within the criminal justice system keep ahead of the curve or at least keep abreast with it.

The purpose of the Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program is to award grants to support efforts to achieve digital equity, promote digital inclusion activities, and spur greater adoption of broadband among underserved populations. Eligible activities include:

•     Developing and implementing digital inclusion activities that benefit covered populations.
•     Facilitating the adoption of broadband by underserved populations to provide educational and employment opportunities to those populations.
•     Implementing training programs for underserved populations that cover basic, advanced, and applied skills, or other workforce development programs.
•     To make available equipment, instrumentation, networking capability, hardware, software, or digital network technology for broadband services to underserved populations at low or no cost.
•     To construct, upgrade, expand, or operate new or existing public access computing centers for covered populations through community anchor institutions.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law made a $500 million investment to improve Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Improvements at Public School Facilities. DOE aims to facilitate substantial additional investment, prioritize schools with high needs, minimize administrative burden, and build enduring capacity in local educational agencies (LEAs) and the states to maximize impact equitably and efficiently.
Through this Renew America’s Schools Program, eligible entities are encouraged to consider projects that enable replicable and scalable impacts, create innovative, sustaining partnerships, leverage funding and economies of scale, target disadvantaged communities, improve student, teacher, and occupant health, enrich learning and growth, target schools that serve as community assets (e.g., neighborhood cooling centers or disaster recovery shelters), can be completed quickly, and are crafted thoughtfully within the context of public-school facilities (e.g., procurement restraints, construction windows, etc.).

The Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) Grant Program is designed to provide access to education, training, and healthcare resources for rural Americans. The DLT program provides financial assistance to encourage and improve telemedicine and distance learning services in rural areas using telecommunications, computer networks, and related advanced technologies that students, teachers, medical professionals, and rural residents can use. Grants may fund telecommunications-enabled information, audio and video equipment, and related advanced technologies that extend educational and medical applications into rural areas. Grants are intended to benefit end users in rural areas, who are often not in the same location as the educational or health care service source.

Funding from the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program (SLCGP) helps eligible entities address cybersecurity risks and threats to information systems owned or operated by—or on behalf of—state, local, and territorial (SLLT) governments. The Homeland Security Act of 2002, as amended by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law requires grant recipients to develop a Cybersecurity Plan, establish a Cybersecurity Planning Committee to support development of the Plan, and identify projects to implement utilizing SLCGP funding. To support these efforts, recipients are highly encouraged to prioritize the following activities, all of which are statutorily required as a condition of receiving a grant:

•     Developing the Cybersecurity Plan.
•     Implementing or revising the Cybersecurity Plan.
•     Paying expenses directly relating to the administration of the grant, which cannot exceed 5% of the amount of the grant award.
•     Assisting with allowed activities that address imminent cybersecurity threats confirmed by DHS; and 
•     Other appropriate activities as noted in the funding notice.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act introduced many new grant programs when passed in late 2021. These initiatives ranged from broadband and electric charging to major clean energy and water infrastructure. A handful of these funding projects are classified as smart city adjacent, but one specific program, Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation, or SMART, is the definition of a smart city grant.

The past few years have presented several challenges for K-12 school districts across the country. Many districts reported lower test scores, mental health challenges, attendance issues, and technological shortcomings because of the disruption to learning caused by COVID-19. These challenges present complex issues that demand careful attention, but many teachers appropriately feel the school day is just too short, and school leaders find it difficult to parse out one issue from another and address them accordingly.

State grants for higher education are an important source of funding for colleges and universities to provide financial assistance to students pursuing post-secondary education. In addition to grants for students, state grant programs may also provide institutions with funding to support programs, initiatives, and research. In this article, we will explore the state grants available for higher education institutions to apply for.

Cybercrimes against local governments, public safety agencies, and schools are becoming more frequent and destructive. As a result, these attacks can lead to monetary loss and the theft of critical data. Criminals are targeting large cities, county governments, and even small towns in rural areas of the country. In response to the increase in these attacks, the Federal government is encouraging local leaders to take action by utilizing federal and state grant funds to prepare for and prevent ransomware attacks and hackers.

School-aged children and gaming have become ubiquitous; casual and competitive gaming is a part of nearly every school-aged child’s daily activity. According to Pew Internet and American Life Project, about 99% of boys and 94% of girls play digital games about 7-10 hours per week.[1] These figures are not a surprise for anyone that regularly interacts with children and educators have long-ago incorporated games within their classrooms. Many schools across the country have set up after-school gaming clubs, integrated games like Minecraft or Roblox into their STEM coursework, or have developed Esports teams that compete in interscholastic leagues. At a time when student engagement and enrollment are down, many educational institutions are turning to game-based learning (GBL) to re-connect with students and equip them with the skills needed to tackle 21^st century challenges.

[1] Homer, Kinzer, and Plass, “Foundations of Game Based Learning,” 258.

Access to the internet is critical for so many daily activities (such as reading this article, for instance). The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, recognizes the importance of broadband for Americans and provides significant funding to implement solutions. Through the Internet for All initiative, this funding is being distributed to states, territories, and other eligible recipients through various grant programs. Even before IIJA, federal agencies such as the Departments of Commerce and Agriculture were and continue to fund broadband grant programs. States have also started to make their own contributions to broadband efforts. Now is a great time to be pursuing grant funding for your broadband projects.