Coastal Fisheries
State Wildlife Grants
Coastal Fisheries State Wildlife Grants
In 2000, Congress created the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants (SWG) program. This program provides critical funding to every U.S. state and territory to plan and implement proactive conservation actions to prevent the nation's fish and wildlife from becoming endangered. The State and Tribal Wildlife Grants program is considered the core program for keeping species healthy and off the federal threatened and endangered species list, a goal shared by a broad constituency of conservationists, business, farmers, ranchers, and land developers.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is responsible for requesting and administering SWG to support the implementation of the State Wildlife Action Plan for Texas (SWAP). State Wildlife Grants are distributed specifically for the protection and management of Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) identified in the SWAP.
FY26 State Wildlife Grant Request for Proposals
The deadline for the submission of proposals is the close of business (4:30 p.m.) on March 16, 2025.
A 35% non-federal match will be required. Funds will be made available to the grantee on a reimbursement basis. Funding restrictions differ between Division Requests for Proposals (RFPs) so please be cognizant of that when choosing and developing proposals and budgets.
These funds can cover work beginning November 1, 2025. Prior to submittal, it is suggested that investigators contact the relevant Wildlife or Coastal Fisheries grants point of contact to discuss potential proposals.
Indirect costs are no longer capped at 15%.
TPWD has a statutory and fiduciary responsibility to maximize cost-effectiveness of grant dollars. One important measure of cost effectiveness is the quantity or quality of tangible products proposed to be generated from funded projects. Applicants may voluntarily reduce their reimbursable indirect (F&A) rates to dedicate more funds to their project goals. Unrecovered indirect costs may be used to meet match requirements.
How to Submit
Research topics of interest for this funding cycle:
Eastern Oysters — oyster restoration and cultivation; impacts of oyster parasitism and diseases; oyster life history, growth rates, mortality, and larval transport; reef dynamics and impact of vertical relief on diversity and ecosystem services; human dimensions: impact of fishing on habitat quality of oyster reefs; socia-economics of the oyster fishery in Texas; alternative methods to assess reefs and influence sustainable harvest.
Characterization of Habitats Necessary for SGCN Species — general habitat characterization, including but not exclusive to saltmarsh, tidal flats, seagrasses, and nearshore reefs; habitat restoration; habitat mapping.
Southern Flounder — telemetry, movement and location of spawning grounds; hatchery rearing and stock enhancement challenges; general biology, life history, mortality factors; data points that can influence/inform future management.
Bluecrabs — larval and early life history dynamics; research to address declines, inform management actions.
Coastal/Estuarine Sharks — harvest and utilization of sharks by anglers; understanding the shore-based fishery; quantifying shark nursery habitat characteristics.
Atlantic Tarpon, Snook — life history studies of tarpon and snook; movement and distribution of tarpon and snook along the Texas coast; telemetry studies.
Principal Investigators (PIs) should first communicate with the Regional and Program Directors of Coastal Fisheries in the above research topic before beginning their proposal writing process to ensure that their proposals will address the issues of interest to TPWD using methodologies of interest to the agency.
Use the following (4) guidelines and templates for submitting proposals. Proposals using older formats will be rejected.
- Proposal Specifications and Guidelines
- Appendix I
- Appendix II
- TPWD Pass-thru Budget Template Excel Workbook
For Americans with Disabilities Act assistance in accessing these documents for download, email diana.isabel@tpwd.texas.gov.