USNPAA has instituted a grant program to assist active duty and reserve public affairs officers, enlisted Mass Communications Specialists and Civil Service public affairs specialists in their pursuit of professional development activities that are not otherwise funded through official Navy appropriated funds. Grants are provided directly to individuals and not to commands or informal groups.
Purpose: The USNPAA is a non-profit organization dedicated to furthering the work of the Navy public affairs community, fostering talent and helping fellow public affairs practitioners succeed in the communications field.
Operation: USNPAA offers grants of up to $500 to an individual, with larger grant amounts potentially authorized depending upon individual circumstances, and on a case-by-case basis. Checks will be written to the applicant to pay for eligible professional development costs. Recipients should be aware that these grants may be a tax liability depending on the individual’s tax bracket and type of institution attended. (See Grants to Individuals | Internal Revenue Service ).
Annual Allocation: Each year the USNPAA Board of Directors will allocate an annual amount to be available through grants and announce the amount, generally at the beginning of the government fiscal year. The fiscal year 2023 allocation is $5,000. Once that amount is used, no grant applications will be approved for the rest of the year. A new allocation will be determined each year beginning July 1.
Application Period: Grant applications for 2023 will be accepted anytime until September 30, 2023, as long as funds remain available. Grants will not be accepted for programs or activities that properly are the responsibility of the Navy or the Department of Defense.
Eligibility: Grants may be issued to:
All applicants must be members of USNPAA and registered in the Navy Public Affairs Directory located on the CHINFO Portal.
Eligible Activities: Eligible activities include workshops, seminars, college-level courses and books as well as certification or accreditation preparation programs sponsored by the Public Relations Society of America, International Association of Business Communicators or similar organizations. Accreditation examination fees may be approved in advance but paid only after notification of receipt of accreditation. This list is not meant to be all-inclusive. Applications for other activities will be considered.
Upon completion of the funded activity, applicants should notify USNPAA and submit a brief statement of lessons learned or an indication of the usefulness of the activity to the applicant’s professional development.
Application Process: Download the application form and mail a completed, signed hard copy to:
USNPAA Professional Development
6119 Larstan Drive
Alexandria, VA 22312
For questions, email the USNPAA Professional Development team at [email protected]
Grant Selection Process: The USNPAA president will convene a reviewing panel to examine individual applications based on eligibility requirements, needs of the individual and available grant funds. Applicants may expect a decision within two weeks of receipt of application. Decisions of the reviewing panel are final. However, if a request is denied, members of the reviewing team are willing to provide feedback and extend the opportunity to resubmit the application.
Do not submit a request for reimbursement for expenses already paid.
Purpose: The USNPAA is a non-profit organization dedicated to furthering the work of the Navy public affairs community, fostering talent and helping fellow public affairs practitioners succeed in the communications field.
Operation: USNPAA offers grants of up to $500 to an individual, with larger grant amounts potentially authorized depending upon individual circumstances, and on a case-by-case basis. Checks will be written to the applicant to pay for eligible professional development costs. Recipients should be aware that these grants may be a tax liability depending on the individual’s tax bracket and type of institution attended. (See Grants to Individuals | Internal Revenue Service ).
Annual Allocation: Each year the USNPAA Board of Directors will allocate an annual amount to be available through grants and announce the amount, generally at the beginning of the government fiscal year. The fiscal year 2023 allocation is $5,000. Once that amount is used, no grant applications will be approved for the rest of the year. A new allocation will be determined each year beginning July 1.
Application Period: Grant applications for 2023 will be accepted anytime until September 30, 2023, as long as funds remain available. Grants will not be accepted for programs or activities that properly are the responsibility of the Navy or the Department of Defense.
Eligibility: Grants may be issued to:
- U.S. Navy public affairs officers: 1650/1655 active duty or reserve Ensign to Lieutenant Commander
- Mass Communications Specialists E-4 to E-9
- Civil Service grades GS-7 through GS-13 and serving in a role that directly supports Navy public affairs.
All applicants must be members of USNPAA and registered in the Navy Public Affairs Directory located on the CHINFO Portal.
Eligible Activities: Eligible activities include workshops, seminars, college-level courses and books as well as certification or accreditation preparation programs sponsored by the Public Relations Society of America, International Association of Business Communicators or similar organizations. Accreditation examination fees may be approved in advance but paid only after notification of receipt of accreditation. This list is not meant to be all-inclusive. Applications for other activities will be considered.
Upon completion of the funded activity, applicants should notify USNPAA and submit a brief statement of lessons learned or an indication of the usefulness of the activity to the applicant’s professional development.
Application Process: Download the application form and mail a completed, signed hard copy to:
USNPAA Professional Development
6119 Larstan Drive
Alexandria, VA 22312
For questions, email the USNPAA Professional Development team at [email protected]
Grant Selection Process: The USNPAA president will convene a reviewing panel to examine individual applications based on eligibility requirements, needs of the individual and available grant funds. Applicants may expect a decision within two weeks of receipt of application. Decisions of the reviewing panel are final. However, if a request is denied, members of the reviewing team are willing to provide feedback and extend the opportunity to resubmit the application.
Do not submit a request for reimbursement for expenses already paid.