The New Mexico Environment Department (NMED), working with the Office of the State Engineer, is accepting 2026 Round 2 Strategic Water Supply Grant applications for research projects that develop innovative brackish-water treatment technologies, processes, devices, and management approaches with realistic potential for practical use and scale in New Mexico.
Individual project funding: estimated awards of $250,000 to $750,000 for the Research Projects category. The overall 2026 Round 2 program anticipates up to $35,000,000 across five different categories; that aggregate amount is not an individual research-project award. Final amounts depend on available appropriations and NMED selection.
Application deadline: October 20, 2026. The controlling RFA and funder’s application page do not state an exact submission time or time zone. Applications opened August 20, 2026.
Eligible direct applicants: New Mexico counties, municipalities, other state political subdivisions, state agencies, state institutions of higher education, and federally recognized Indian Nations, Tribes, and Pueblos located wholly or partly within New Mexico. Nonprofits, private organizations, and technical firms may be partners but are not listed as direct applicants. Projects must advance brackish-water exploration, production, or treatment and support New Mexico’s freshwater security and governmental economic-development goals.
Application: use the Research Project application form in NMED’s official Submittable portal. Required materials include the workplan (Appendix A), procurement plan (B), board authorization (C), budget workbook (D), Research Project Narrative (I), and applicable project-specific supporting documentation. Review the complete RFA and project-specific appendix before submitting.
Funding conditions: grants normally operate on a cost-reimbursement basis. Work started before execution of a grant agreement is not reimbursable unless NMED expressly authorizes it. Routine operations and maintenance unrelated to the project, lobbying, fines, penalties, and legal settlements are excluded. Appropriate procurement, environmental, permitting, reporting and recordkeeping obligations apply. The RFA does not state a standard matching-funds percentage; do not assume one.
Official sources: NMED 2026 Grant Program; Controlling 2026 RFA; Application instructions; Submittable portal. Source checked October 16, 2026.