The Fiscal Year 2025 National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) Individual State Earthquake Assistance (ISEA) grant, administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), is a federally funded initiative under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The ISEA program is part of FEMA's broader efforts to mitigate earthquake risks through research, outreach, education, and planning activities at the state and local levels. The NEHRP is a collaborative program led by four federal agencies: FEMA, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the National Science Foundation, and the U.S. Geological Survey. Through this specific grant program, FEMA aims to strengthen the nation’s resilience to earthquakes by supporting state-level mitigation, preparedness, and planning strategies tailored to high and very high seismic risk jurisdictions.
ISEA funding is designed to assist states and U.S. territories with significant seismic risk in establishing or enhancing earthquake hazard reduction programs. The primary goal is to increase seismic safety and awareness through activities such as updating building codes and ordinances, conducting seismic safety evaluations, supporting mitigation planning, and facilitating earthquake-related education and outreach. Eligible projects include seismic risk assessments, emergency management exercises, promoting earthquake insurance, and participation in the National Earthquake Program Managers meetings. Real property and equipment procurement, international travel, construction, retrofits, and earth science research activities are explicitly excluded.
The total program funding available for FY25 is $2,094,650, with anticipated award amounts ranging from $50,000 to $963,000 depending on the seismic risk profile of each applicant state or territory. FEMA expects to make 22 awards. A non-federal cost share of 25% is generally required, though territories designated as "Insular Areas," such as Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, are exempt from this requirement under certain thresholds. The performance period begins on October 1, 2025, and ends March 31, 2027, with only a single budget period coinciding with the performance period.
Eligibility is limited to states and territories identified by FEMA as having high or very high seismic risk according to specific criteria, including seismic design category and population thresholds. Subrecipients such as tribal nations are permitted, but they must follow federal rules and cannot include non-vetted foreign nationals. Applications must be submitted through FEMA GO between July 28, 2025, at 9:00 AM ET and August 11, 2025, at 5:00 PM ET. Pre-applications or letters of intent are not required. Required components of the application include SF-424 forms, a work plan narrative, a master schedule/deliverable table, a grant budget, and a logic model.
Applications will be reviewed based on eligibility criteria, technical capabilities, proposed work plans, alignment with NEHRP goals, and cost reasonableness. FEMA Regional Program Offices and subject matter experts will review and score submissions. Award notices will be issued through FEMA GO by September 30, 2025. Unsuccessful applicants will be contacted directly. Grantees must submit quarterly performance and financial reports, including closeout reports within 120 days after the period of performance ends. FEMA maintains the right to terminate grants for noncompliance or strategic redirection.
Contacts for the program include FEMA’s Earthquake and Wind Sciences Branch (FEMA-NEHRP@fema.dhs.gov), FEMA Grants News (fema-grants-news@fema.dhs.gov), and the Award Administration Division (ASK-GMD@fema.dhs.gov). Additional contacts are available on FEMA’s website. All documentation, including templates for required application components, can be accessed through FEMA.gov.
