Summertime is winding down and vacations are coming to an end, signaling that back-to-school time is here. It’s a time that many children eagerly anticipate — catching up with old friends and making new ones, and settling into a new daily routine.

Yesterday, NOAA announced more than $4.5 million in grants to states and tribes to support endangered or threatened species recovery efforts. The agency is also opening a call for 2016 proposals under this program.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership has built a strong network of centers that support manufacturing across the United States. When Hurricane Katrina struck, this network of manufacturers from across the country was called into action to help track and coordinate the tremendous outpouring of support to those affected by the disaster .