NC Science Museums Grant Program Awards $2.4 Million to 58 Institutions

Grants will fund STEM education across the state, including in New Hanover and Brunswick Counties.

Published on Feb. 10, 2026

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The North Carolina Science Museums Grant Program has awarded a total of $2.4 million in grants to 58 institutions across the state. The grants are aimed at enhancing STEM education opportunities for the public, particularly in low-resource communities.

Why it matters

The grant program helps ensure access to critical science education resources in all parts of North Carolina, supporting the state’s priorities around STEM learning and community development.

The details

The grants were awarded based on criteria that promote the priorities of state government, with a primary goal of enhancing STEM education opportunities for the public. Institutions in New Hanover and Brunswick Counties were among the recipients.

  • The awards were applied to the 2025-2026 fiscal year budgets.

The players

North Carolina Science Museums Grant Program

A grant program that provides funding to institutions across North Carolina to enhance STEM education opportunities for the public.

N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR)

The state agency that oversees the North Carolina Science Museums Grant Program.

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What they’re saying

“The North Carolina Science Museums Grant Program helps fund critical science education in all parts of our state. These grants will increase access to STEM experiences no matter where you live in North Carolina.”

— Pamela B. Cashwell, Secretary of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) (wwaytv3.com)

The takeaway

The North Carolina Science Museums Grant Program is playing a key role in ensuring equitable access to STEM education resources across the state, supporting community development and the state’s priorities around science learning.