Ocean Science Equity Initiative

Enriched family-office · Found: 2026-03-11 08:11

TOF's Ocean Science Equity Initiative works to ensure that all countries and communities can monitor and respond to changing ocean conditions.

Source: https://oceanfdn.org/initiatives/ocean-science-equity/

Funding Details

Funder

The Ocean Foundation

Funding Goal

Ensure all countries and communities can access ocean science capabilities to monitor and respond to changing ocean conditions, with focus on ocean acidification monitoring, capacity building, training, and equipment provision for developing coastal nations.

Funding Amount

Average grant size approximately $10,000. Total FY2022 grantmaking was $1,199,832 across 59 organizations.

How to Apply

Letters of inquiry accepted on a rolling basis via email to grants@oceanfdn.org. No open RFP process — grantmaking is donor-driven. Letters are kept on file and reviewed as matching funding becomes available. The foundation contacts organizations when a fit is identified. Open opportunities are occasionally publicized on their website and marine conservation newsletters.

Target Region

Global — primarily Africa, Pacific Islands, Latin America and other developing coastal regions

Contact

grants@oceanfdn.org | Phone: (202) 887-8996 | The Ocean Foundation, Washington, D.C.

Last Checked

2026-03-11 19:29

Application Checklist

Eligibility

• No grants to religious organizations or election campaigns

Project Scope

• Project must align with ocean science equity, monitoring capacity building, or ocean acidification research
• Projects outside the USA are prioritized (over 50% of grantmaking goes international)

Required Documents

• Submit a letter of inquiry via email to grants@oceanfdn.org (no phone calls or hard copies)

Constraints

• Indirect costs must not exceed 15% of grant budget
• Be prepared for multi-year grant engagement rather than one-off funding

Summary

The Ocean Foundation's Ocean Science Equity Initiative addresses the global disparity in ocean monitoring capacity. While coastal communities worldwide face unprecedented ocean changes, most lack the resources to monitor and understand their own waters. The initiative provides technical training, low-cost monitoring equipment (such as the GOA-ON in a Box kit that reduced ocean acidification monitoring costs by 90%), strategic policy support, and direct financial assistance including travel scholarships, mentor programs, and research grants. The initiative focuses on building sustainable regional capacity in developing regions including Africa, Pacific Islands, and Latin America. It prioritizes monitoring key ocean parameters such as pH, pCO2, alkalinity, temperature, salinity, and oxygen levels — essential data for understanding ocean acidification and climate impacts. The Foundation collaborates with universities, research institutions, and governmental bodies to deliver multi-week hands-on trainings and multilingual online guides. The Ocean Foundation is a 501(c)(3) community foundation headquartered in Washington, D.C., founded in 2003. Its grantmaking is donor-driven with no standing open RFP process. Interested organizations can submit letters of inquiry on a rolling basis. The average grant size is approximately $10,000, with over 50% of grantmaking supporting projects outside the USA. In FY2022, the foundation awarded nearly $1.2 million to 59 organizations across marine habitat conservation, species protection, community capacity building, and ocean literacy.

Historical Context

The Ocean Foundation was founded in 2003 (evolved from the Coral Reef Foundation established in 2002). In FY2022 the foundation awarded $1,199,832 to 59 organizations. The initiative has developed the GOA-ON in a Box kit and partners with OceanTeacher Global Academy for training delivery.

Sources

• https://oceanfdn.org/initiatives/ocean-science-equity/
• https://oceanfdn.org/about/
• https://oceanfdn.org/grants/
• https://oceanfdn.org/grantmaking/

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