Federal Cooperative Agreement Award Summary

The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science received a $1.5M Cooperative Agreement from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) under the Sea Grant Support program (CFDA 11.417), effective June 1, 2026 through May 31, 2029. The award funds the "Building Aquaculture Together" initiative, which establishes a regional collaborative network connecting Sea Grant programs with Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) across the Mid-Atlantic and New England region to advance aquaculture workforce development. The collaborative will conduct virtual meetings, professional development webinars and workshops, and develop a regional needs assessment of MSIs to identify gaps and opportunities in aquaculture education and training.

Key deliverables include a comprehensive needs assessment report documenting MSI aquaculture program requirements, a competitive funding opportunity providing one-year grants to at least three MSIs in the region, and a capstone in-person workshop to disseminate project findings and strengthen relationships among regional Sea Grant programs, educational institutions, and aquaculture industry representatives. The initiative is designed to create a sustainable knowledge-exchange network that supports MSI students and faculty interested in or already engaged in aquaculture, with results to be shared broadly across the collaborative and beneficiary institutions.