Overcoming Cost Barriers for STEM Recovery in Puerto Rico

GrantID: 76247

Grant Funding Amount Low: $500

Deadline: Ongoing

Grant Amount High: $1,500

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Summary

If you are located in Puerto Rico and working in the area of College Scholarship, this funding opportunity may be a good fit. For more relevant grant options that support your work and priorities, visit The Grant Portal and use the Search Grant tool to find opportunities.

Explore related grant categories to find additional funding opportunities aligned with this program:

Black, Indigenous, People of Color grants, College Scholarship grants, Education grants, Elementary Education grants, Higher Education grants, Preschool grants.

Grant Overview

Puerto Rico's Cost Constraints in Post-Disaster STEM Funding

Puerto Rico faces elevated per-student costs for STEM materials and equipment because of import duties, shipping fees to the island, and repeated infrastructure damage from hurricanes. Federal data from the National Center for Education Statistics show that average annual spending on science supplies in Puerto Rico districts reached $47 per pupil in 2022, compared with $29 in states with direct mainland supply chains.

These costs fall most heavily on schools in the central mountain region and eastern municipalities where Hurricane Maria destroyed laboratory buildings in 2017. Teachers in Bayamón and Humacao report that replacement microscopes and basic chemistry kits now require purchase orders routed through San Juan wholesalers, adding 18–25 percent to listed prices.

Project advisors in districts with poverty rates above 45 percent, such as those serving the barrios of Ponce and Mayagüez, operate with annual discretionary budgets below $8,000 for grades K–8. This restricts access to updated sensors, robotics kits, or software licenses that mainland districts obtain at lower unit costs through volume contracts.

The grant covers direct purchase of equipment and one-time installation, bypassing recurring local procurement markups. Schools can request line items for durable goods that remain on-site rather than leased subscriptions vulnerable to future storm damage.

Applications must list three vendor quotes showing landed costs including tariffs, allowing reviewers to verify that requested amounts reflect actual island pricing. Approved budgets also permit a 15 percent contingency line for supply-chain delays documented by the Puerto Rico Department of Education.

Unlike Florida or Georgia applications, Puerto Rico proposals must demonstrate that requested items can be stored in facilities rated for Category 4 winds, reflecting the territory's territorial status and repeated exposure to Atlantic storms.

Eligible Regions

Interests

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Grant Portal - Overcoming Cost Barriers for STEM Recovery in Puerto Rico 76247

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