Application Walkthrough

This document is set up to walk you through each question in the Planet Stewards online 

project proposal funding application. Beneath each application question, guidance text, 

additional instructions, and insights are provided in text boxes.

The funding application requires users to upload documents to a Google Drive using a 

Google Form. All applicants MUST have a Google account to successfully apply. You may 

sign up for a free Google account at https://mail.google.com/mail/signup. 

Educators with Google accounts set up through their schools may encounter application 

issues due to their IT department's security settings. We recommend you speak with your 

IT department about this potential issue in advance of submitting your proposal. If you will 

have issues submitting your proposal via your school's Google account, we advise creating 

a personal Google account to apply to NOAA Planet Stewards.

Before you begin your stewardship project proposal, we STRONGLY RECOMMEND

reading through all instructions, and downloading this document as a template to write your 

application. When you are ready to submit, copy and paste your completed proposal into 

the online Google application form. The Google application form used to apply is not 

conducive to editing. It will not save your progress, nor allow you to edit once you have 

submitted your application. Using this guide as a template will also provide you with a copy 

of your proposal if there is any error uploading it to the system.

Many sections of the Google application form will only accept a certain number of 

words/characters. We STRONGLY RECOMMEND you write your application in, or 

check the word/character count of each application section using a Google Doc prior 

to submitting it. Different word processing programs e.g., MS Word, count words and 

characters differently than Google Docs. We would not want any part of your proposal to be 

cut off in submission. 

The majority of questions in the first section of the application - Basic Information should

not require additional guidance. If you have questions, contact: 

Bruce.Moravchik@noaa.gov. 
Section 1: Basic Information

1. First Name

2. Last Name

3. Primary Email Address

4. Secondary Email Address

WE RECOMMEND PROVIDING ANOTHER EMAIL ADDRESS. MESSAGES FROM NOAA PLANET 

STEWARDS MAY SOMETIMES BE BLOCKED FROM SCHOOL/DISTRICT/ORGANIZATIONAL EMAIL 

ADDRESSES WITH STRONG SPAM FILTERS.

5. Primary Phone Number

6. Secondary Phone Number

PROVIDE ANOTHER NUMBER IN THE EVENT WE ARE UNABLE TO REACH YOU VIA EMAIL OR AT 

YOUR PREFERRED PHONE NUMBER.

7. Position

AS WITH MANY EDUCATORS, YOU MAY HOLD MULTIPLE POSITION AFFILIATIONS. ONLY NOTE 

THE PRIMARY GROUP YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF AFFILIATED WITH AS REPRESENTED IN 

YOUR PROPOSAL.

○ Formal Education, Grades K-5

○ Formal Education, Grades 6-8

○ Formal Education, Grades 9-12

○ Formal Education, College/University

○ Informal Education

○ Professional Development Provider

○ Other

8. Position Title

9. Key Responsibilities

(Optional Question, 35 Words Maximum)

CONSIDER FILLING OUT THIS SECTION IF YOU HAVE A LEADERSHIP ROLE IN YOUR SCHOOL OR

ORGANIZATION THAT MAY NOT BE EVIDENT FROM YOUR POSITION OR POSITION TITLE, BUT 

THAT SHOWS AN AREA(S) OF EXPERTISE OR RESPONSIBILITY PROVIDING YOU AN 

ADVANTAGE IN SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENTING A STEWARDSHIP PROJECT (E.G., GRADELEVEL TEAM LEAD, SCHOOL SCIENCE CLUB COORDINATOR).

10.School/Place of Employment

11.School/Place of Employment - Phone Number

12.School/Place of Employment - Street Address

13.School/Place of Employment - City
14.School/Place of Employment - State

15.School/Place of Employment - Zip Code

16.Personal Mailing Address

Provide an address at which you are sure you will be able to receive books, 

educational materials, reimbursement checks, etc. regardless of the time of year.

17.Personal Mailing Address - City

18.Personal Mailing Address - State

19.Personal Mailing Address - Zip Code

20.Describe any previous experience you’ve had with NOAA programs.

(35 words maximum)

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Section 2: Project Information

21.Select the primary focus area of your project

○ Marine Debris

○ Habitat Restoration

○ Carbon Footprint Reduction

○ Carbon Sequestration

PROJECTS MAY HAVE COMPONENTS THAT COVER MORE THAN ONE FOCUS AREA. A HABITAT 

RESTORATION PROJECT MAY INCORPORATE MARINE DEBRIS CLEANUP OR PREVENT MARINE 

DEBRIS FROM ENTERING A NATURAL AREA. A CARBON FOOTPRINT REDUCTION PROJECT MAY 

INCORPORATE CARBON SEQUESTRATION. CHOOSE THE FOCUS AREA THAT BEST PRESENTS 

THE OVERALL EFFORT AND IMPACT OF YOUR PROJECT.

22.Project title:

(10 words maximum)

THE TITLE SHOULD BE DESCRIPTIVE, SUCCINCT, AND CREATIVE.

23.Project abstract:

Provide a short summary of your project, including the issue you will address, your 

action plan, and the desired results. Include the number and type of individuals who will 

be involved (e.g., 100 students, 4 teachers, 3 oceanographers) and the specific data 

you will use to measure your success (e.g., tons of carbon sequestered, pounds of 

debris collected. (125 words maximum)

WE RECOMMEND YOU WRITE THIS SECTION AFTER YOU HAVE COMPLETED THE OTHER 

PARTS OF THE PROPOSAL. THIS WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH THE DETAILED INFORMATION TO 

OFFER A COMPREHENSIVE SUMMATION OF YOUR PROJECT IDEA(S), ACTION(S), INTENDED 

OUTCOME(S), PARTICIPANTS, ETC.
24.What environmental issue will your project address?

Describe the environmental issue/impact and its relationship to your school/local 

community. Connect this issue to a larger context (e.g., regional, national, global). 

Describe why it is an important issue to address. (500 Words Maximum)

HERE YOU SHOULD DESCRIBE HOW THE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE/IMPACT YOU WILL ADDRESS 

RELATES TO YOUR SCHOOL AND/OR LOCAL COMMUNITY. MAKE SURE YOU DISCUSS WHY 

THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE TO ADDRESS IN A LARGER CONTEXT (E.G., 

REGIONAL, NATIONAL, GLOBAL). IN THIS SECTION, YOU SHOULD ANSWER THE QUESTIONS “SO 

WHAT?” AND “WHY SHOULD I CARE?” 

MAKE SURE YOU INCORPORATE AND REFERENCE NOAA AND OTHER REPUTABLE SCIENCE 

RESOURCES TO SUPPORT YOUR STATEMENTS. YOU SHOULD PROVIDE LINKS BACK TO THE 

ORIGINAL SOURCE MATERIAL. YOU MAY WISH TO DRAW ON THE FOCUS AREA RESOURCES 

PAGE FOR IDEAS.TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF CHARACTERS IN THE LINKS TO RESOURCE 

MATERIALS, WE RECOMMEND USING A URL SHORTENER e.g., BITLY.COM OR TINYURL.COM. 

25. How will your project address the environmental issue/impact you have identified? 

Describe your project’s overall goals and the general strategy you will use to address 

the environmental issue/impact you have identified. Indicate how your project will 

continue to benefit your community and address the environmental issue/impact after 

the project funding period has ended. Funding preference will be given to projects 

designed to persist beyond the funding period. (375 Words Maximum)

HERE YOU SHOULD PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF THE GOAL(S) AND GENERAL STRATEGY 

YOUR PROJECT WILL USE TO ADDRESS THE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE/IMPACT YOU WILL BE 

WORKING ON, AND EXPLAIN WHY YOU SELECTED THEM. 

YOU SHOULD INCLUDE REFERENCES AS APPROPRIATE (E.G., TO SUPPORT YOUR DECISION 

TO RESTORE MANGROVE HABITATS IN YOUR COMMUNITY, YOU MIGHT CITE AN ARTICLE ON 

CARBON SEQUESTRATION OF MANGROVE TREES OR THE IMPORTANCE OF MANGROVE 

TREES AS ESSENTIAL NURSERY HABITATS FOR ECOLOGICALLY OR COMMERCIALLY 

IMPORTANT SPECIES) — AGAIN, PROVIDING LINKS BACK TO THE ORIGINAL SOURCE 

MATERIAL. 

FUNDING PREFERENCE WILL BE GIVEN TO PROJECTS DESIGNED TO PERSIST. IN THIS 

QUESTION YOU SHOULD THINK ABOUT HOW YOU MIGHT EXTEND THE SCOPE OF THE 

PROJECT SO IT CONTINUES TO BENEFIT YOUR COMMUNITY AND ADDRESS THE 

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE/IMPACT ONCE THE FORMAL FUNDING AND REPORTING PERIOD ENDS.
THE DESIRED OUTCOMES SHOULD BE SPECIFIC, QUANTIFIABLE, AND RELATE DIRECTLY 

BACK TO YOUR STRATEGY TO ADDRESS THE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE/IMPACT NOTED IN 

QUESTION 25. THE OUTCOMES SHOULD BE DIRECTLY ATTAINABLE THROUGH HANDS-ON 

STEWARDSHIP ACTIONS — TO BE DESCRIBED IN QUESTION 29. 

GOOD EXAMPLES OF DESIRED OUTCOMES WOULD INCLUDE STATEMENTS LIKE “STUDENTS 

WILL SEQUESTER 13 TONS OF CARBON BY TREES ALONG OUR SCHOOL BORDER.” 

STUDENTS WILL RESTORE A LAKESHORE HABITAT BY CLEARING 4 ACRES OF INVASIVE 

SPECIES (REMOVING 200 LBS OF VEGETATION), CONDUCTING LITTER CLEANUPS (REMOVING 

300 LBS OF TRASH), AND PLANTING AND MAINTAINING 100 NATIVE SPECIES OF PLANTS.” 

INADEQUATE EXAMPLES WOULD INCLUDE: “THE CLASS WILL LEARN ABOUT CARBON 

SEQUESTRATION. STUDENTS WILL CONDUCT AN OCEAN ACIDIFICATION EXPERIMENT. Etc.”

26. What are the desired outcomes of your project?

List SPECIFIC outcomes you intend to achieve with your project using quantifiable 

metrics (e.g., lbs. of marine debris collected, acres of habitat restored, tons of carbon 

sequestered, etc.). Explain how these quantifiable outcomes will demonstrate your 

project’s success. The desired outcomes of your project should NOT be student learning 

or engagement goals. (125 Words Maximum)

27. Who will be involved in this project and how?

Include a list of all the people who will be actively involved in the project. For students, 

include the number and grade levels. For adults, include names, titles (if known), and 

their institutional affiliation. List how each group or individual will participate. (e.g. 100 

eighth grade students will collect marine debris; two ecologists will provide scientific 

support and a STEM career presentation for the students.)

Funding selection preference will be provided to: educators actively working in pairs 

or groups; projects that engage multiple classrooms, grade bands, entire schools, or 

multiple schools; projects engaging external partners, especially those that provide 

tangible in-kind support. Make sure to mention any and all that are applicable IN DETAIL. 

(375 Words Maximum)

HERE YOU SHOULD INCLUDE ALL INDIVIDUALS WHOSE ACTIONS WILL CONTRIBUTE IN MAJOR 

WAYS, E.G., STUDENTS, EDUCATOR COLLEAGUES, EXTERNAL PARTNERS, MEMBERS OF THE 

COMMUNITY, VOLUNTEERS, SCIENTISTS, AND ANYONE WHO WILL WORK DIRECTLY WITH 

STUDENTS OR PROJECT PARTICIPANTS. LETTERS OF SUPPORT FROM ADULTS CONTRIBUTING 

IN MAJOR CAPACITIES ARE STRONGLY RECOMMENDED AS PART OF THIS PROPOSAL. YOU 

WILL BE ASKED TO UPLOAD ALL LETTERS OF SUPPORT IN QUESTION 37.

WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND YOU CONTACT THESE INDIVIDUALS AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE IN 

YOUR PLANNING PROCESS TO SECURE THEIR PARTICIPATION AND RECEIVE LETTERS OF 

SUPPORT FROM THEM. TO FACILITATE SUBMISSION OF SUPPORT LETTERS, WE RECOMMEND 

YOU DRAFT SUPPORT LETTER LANGUAGE AND REQUEST THAT INDIVIDUALS PERSONALIZE IT 

FOR YOU DEPENDING ON THEIR ROLE IN THE PROJECT.
28.Is/Are the school(s) you will be working with Title 1?

29.If the school(s) you will be working with are Title 1, approximately what percent of 

the students at the school(s) receive free/reduced breakfast/lunch?

30.Approximately how many of the individuals expected to participate in this project 

(students, educators, members of the community, etc.) may be considered to belong to 

Underrepresented STEM Audiences. Please provide a single number.

31.Whose permission do you need to carry out your project?

Include individuals’ names, roles, institutional affiliation, and why you need their 

permission (e.g., school administration, organizational managers, colleague educators, 

local government, STEM career professionals). (125 Words Maximum)

THIS QUESTION IS MEANT TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE STUDENTS OR AUDIENCES YOU 

PLAN TO WORK WITH TO IMPLEMENT YOUR STEWARDSHIP PROJECT FALL UNDER THE NOAA 

OFFICE OF EDUCATION’S DEFINITION OF UNDERSERVED AUDIENCES: POPULATIONS WHO 

RECEIVE INADEQUATE OR INEQUITABLE SERVICES, WHO EXPERIENCE QUALITY-OF-LIFE 

DISPARITIES, AND WHO BY DESIGN HAVE LITTLE POWER OR INFLUENCE OVER OUTSIDE 

DECISIONS THAT IMPACT THEIR DAILY QUALITY OF LIFE.

NOAA PLANET STEWARDS WILL PROVIDE FUNDING PREFERENCE TO EDUCATORS ENGAGING 

UNDERSERVED AND UNDERREPRESENTED AUDIENCES AS DEFINED BY THE NOAA OFFICE OF

EDUCATION. DEFINITIONS OF THESE AUDIENCES MAY BE FOUND ON THE SUPPORTING 

STEWARDSHIP WEBPAGE:

https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/planet-stewards/psep-supporting.html

APPLICANTS SHOULD INQUIRE DIRECTLY TO THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE SCHOOL(S) THEY 

WILL BE WORKING WITH TO OBTAIN THIS INFORMATION

HERE YOU SHOULD INCLUDE ALL INDIVIDUALS WHO MEET THE DEFINITION OF 

UNDERREPRESENTED AUDIENCES THAT WILL BE ENGAGED IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS 

PROJECT. INCLUDE THE APPROXIMATE NUMBER OF STUDENTS, EDUCATORS, MEMBERS OF 

THE COMMUNITY I.E. FAMILY MEMBERS, PROJECT PARTNERS, ETC.

NOAA PLANET STEWARDS WILL PROVIDE FUNDING PREFERENCE TO EDUCATORS ENGAGING 

UNDERSERVED AND UNDERREPRESENTED AUDIENCES AS DEFINED BY THE NOAA OFFICE OF

EDUCATION. DEFINITIONS OF THESE AUDIENCES MAY BE FOUND ON THE SUPPORTING 

STEWARDSHIP WEBPAGE:

https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/planet-stewards/psep-supporting.html

HERE YOU SHOULD INCLUDE ALL INDIVIDUALS WHOSE APPROVAL IS ESSENTIAL TO INITIATE 

AND IMPLEMENT THE PROJECT. 

YOUR APPLICATION WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED FOR FUNDING IF YOU DO NOT SUBMIT 

LETTERS OF SUPPORT FROM THESE INDIVIDUALS. 

YOU WILL BE ASKED TO UPLOAD ALL LETTERS OF SUPPORT IN QUESTION 37. WE STRONGLY 

RECOMMEND YOU CONTACT THESE INDIVIDUALS AS EARLY IN YOUR PLANNING PROCESS

AS POSSIBLE TO DETERMINE IF THE PROJECT YOU ARE PROPOSING IS FEASIBLE, AND IF SO, 

RECEIVE LETTERS OF SUPPORT FROM THEM. 

TO FACILITATE SUBMISSION OF SUPPORT LETTERS, WE RECOMMEND YOU DRAFT SUPPORT 

LETTER LANGUAGE AND REQUEST THAT INDIVIDUALS PERSONALIZE IT FOR YOU 

DEPENDING ON THEIR AFFILIATION TO THE PROJECT.
32.What activities will the project involve?

List and describe the stewardship activities that will be conducted during the project. 

Indicate who will be involved in each activity, strategies and plans for implementation, 

as well as when and where each activity will occur. In addition to hands-on stewardship 

activities, this section should include planning meetings, preparatory lessons or 

activities, pre- and post-project surveys, lectures by STEM career professionals, 

communication activities, etc.

We STRONGLY RECOMMEND that you break this section out by month and activity 

type. If an activity repeats itself in subsequent months, you should list it within the 

appropriate month, but only need to describe it the first time. Include data collection, 

STEM career, and communication/outreach activities which you will describe in more 

detail in questions 33-35. (1,000 Words Maximum)

33.Which activities will involve data collection? Describe your data collection process.

Describe the data collection efforts involved in your project. List the specific data you 

will collect, and how you will track and organize the data to record your project's 

outcomes. This section MUST include pre- and post-project surveys measuring the 

changes in participants' knowledge and attitudes toward the environmental 

issue/impact being addressed. (500 Words Maximum)

THIS SECTION SHOULD PROVIDE SPECIFIC DETAILS OF DATA COLLECTION ACTIVITIES YOU 

NOTED IN QUESTION 32. IT SHOULD CLEARLY PRESENT WHEN, HOW, AND HOW OFTEN YOU 

WILL COLLECT THE DATA THAT YOU WILL REPORT TOWARD ACHIEVING YOUR PROJECT’S 

DESIRED OUTCOME(S) PRESENTED IN QUESTION 26. WHEN DESCRIBING YOUR DATA 

COLLECTION EFFORTS, KEEP IN MIND THE ACTIVITY TIMELINE YOU PRESENTED IN QUESTION 

32. 

IF YOU ARE USING ANY SOFTWARE OR EQUIPMENT TO MEASURE, TRACK, OR ANALYZE DATA 

THAT YOU WILL BE REQUESTING FUNDING FOR IN YOUR BUDGET, YOU SHOULD SPECIFY IT 

HERE.

34.Which STEM careers will students learn about during the project?

List STEM careers and explain what and how students will actively learn about each of 

them (e.g., project supervision, class presentation, Q&A session). Your answer should 

focus on the careers themselves, potential career paths to realize these careers, and 

skills/skill sets students will have to acquire to realize these careers. List the names and 

titles of individuals who will be engaging with students, if known.(250 Words Maximum)

NOAA PLANET STEWARDS IS COMMITTED TO SUPPORTING STUDENT AND COMMUNITY 

MEMBERS' AWARENESS OF OPPORTUNITIES AND ENGAGEMENT IN STEM-FOCUSED CAREERS

— ESPECIALLY THOSE RELATED TO NOAA SCIENCE TOPIC AREAS. 

FOR THIS REASON, WE ASK ALL APPLICANTS TO INCLUDE STEM CAREERS DIRECTLY 

RELATED TO THEIR PROJECT, EXPLAIN HOW PROJECT PARTICIPANTS WILL ACTIVELY

ENGAGEIN LEARNING ABOUT THESE CAREERS, AND FURTHER EXPLORE THEM IN A MEANINGFUL

WAY. THIS SECTION SHOULD EXPAND ON STEM-FOCUSED CAREER ACTIVITIES YOU NOTED 

IN QUESTION 32.
AN ESSENTIAL PART OF ANY PROJECT IS COMMUNICATION. THINK ABOUT WHO YOU WANT TO 

SHARE YOUR PROJECT IDEA(S) WITH AND HOW TO: 

• CREATE INTEREST AMONG STUDENTS, PARENTS, OR MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY

• ENCOURAGE VOLUNTEERS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROJECT

• PUBLICIZE YOUR PROJECT WHILE IT’S GOING ON, AND SHARE THE RESULTS WHEN YOU’RE 

DONE (E.G., WITH LOCAL MEDIA, PTA, SCHOOL BOARD). 

YOU MAY EVEN WANT TO CONSIDER PRESENTING YOUR RESULTS AT A CONFERENCE OR 

WRITING IT UP AS A JOURNAL ARTICLE. 

THIS SECTION SHOULD EXPAND ON AND PROVIDE DETAILS OF COMMUNICATION AND 

OUTREACH ACTIVITIES YOU NOTED IN QUESTION 32. WE RECOMMEND YOU ORGANIZE IT INTO 

THREE PARTS: 

• BEFORE STARTING THE PROJECT

• 2. DURING THE PROJECT

• 3. AFTER THE PROJECT. 

• IN ORGANIZING THIS SECTION OF THE PROPOSAL, KEEP IN MIND THE ACTIVITY TIMELINE 

YOU PRESENTED IN QUESTION 32.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

35.How will you conduct outreach within your community? Describe your specific 

communication and outreach plans.

Provide a communication and outreach plan for your project, including a rough 

timeline. How will you publicize the project to your local community, the media, and 

other interested parties? How will you publicize your results to your school, the local 

community, and beyond? We strongly recommend you to organize this answer into 

three parts: 1. Before starting the project, 2. During the project, and 3. After the 

project. In writing this answer, keep in mind the activity timeline you presented in 

question 32. (500 words maximum)

36.Project budget

Upload a detailed budget, including specific costs and quantities for materials and 

resources. Include links to items online if available. If in-kind donations are providing 

additional funds or resources, clearly indicate this as separate from your NOAA Planet 

Stewards budget. See application instructions for information on which costs are 

eligible. 

All uploaded files MUST be named with the proposal submitter’s name (aka 

YOUR name), using the following format: Last Name_First Name_Budget

Applications lacking a project budget will not be reviewed.
37.Letters of Support

Upload letters of support from all individuals playing a key role and associated in a major 

way with your project as noted in question 27 and 28 — individuals who must be engaged 

in order for the project to be carried out as proposed (e.g., school administrators, directors 

of informal education organizations, partnering educators, etc.)

School administrators and organizational directors MUST verify that they plan to 

have the educator applicants back for the following academic year pending budget 

approval.

Letters of support MUST be written on the individual’s school or organization 

letterhead, and be dated and signed by the individual.

All uploaded files MUST be named and numbered sequentially with the proposal 

submitter’s name (aka YOUR name) using the following format: 

Last Name_First_Name_Letter of Support_01 (first letter) , _02 (second letter), etc.

Applications lacking the required minimum letters of support will not be reviewed.