Cooperative Institute in the Northern Gulf of America (CINGA)

Full Announcement

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

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Table of Contents
NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY .................................................................................................................1
Executive Summary ..............................................................................................................................................1
Full Text of Announcement ..................................................................................................................................2
I. Funding Opportunity Description .................................................................................................................2
II. Award Information .......................................................................................................................................7
III. Eligibility Information ..................................................................................................................................8
IV. Application and Submission Information ..................................................................................................9
V. Application Review Information ................................................................................................................18
VI. Award Administration Information ..........................................................................................................21
VII. Agency Contacts ......................................................................................................................................29
VIII. Other Information ...................................................................................................................................29
Executive Summary
Federal Agency Name
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Funding Opportunity Title
Cooperative Institute in the Northern Gulf of America (CINGA)
Announcement Type
Competitive
Funding Opportunity Number
NOAA-OAR-CIAO-2026-32786
Assistance Listing Number(s)
11.432
Dates
Deadline to submit proposal: May 18, 2026
After the application is validated by Grants.gov, please send an email to cipo.oar@noaa.gov to notify us
of your submission.
Period of Performance: The award period will be 5 years and may be renewed for up to an additional 5
years based on the outcome of a review of scientific and administrative performance conducted in the
fourth year of the award period, as described in the NOAA Cooperative Institute Handbook. See also
Section II B. Project/Award Period.
Funding Opportunity Description
The NOAA Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) invites applications for the establishment
of the Cooperative Institute in the Northern Gulf of America (CINGA). This CI may consist of a group of
academic institutions (a consortium), at times working in conjunction with supporting research affiliates,
with expertise and capabilities in the NOAA priority areas that contribute to the areas of research
described in the Funding Opportunity Description of this announcement.
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Applicants to this Notice of Funding Opportunity will submit only one overarching application that seeks
to establish the CINGA at an eligible group of institutions (a consortium). This application should be
submitted by the lead institution of the eligible group. This application should address high level research
themes (See Section I.B. of this Announcement) that could encompass future projects and should not
include detailed projects at this time.
Following the selection of the CI host institution, the awardee will be requested to submit additional
subsequent non-competitive projects proposals that fall under the research themes for review and
potential funding. The host institution will continue to submit detailed project applications at various
funding levels and periods of performances throughout the life of the five-year award.
Applicants must complete and maintain three registrations to be eligible to apply for or receive an award.
These registrations includeSAM.gov, Grants.gov, and eRA Commons. All registrations must be completed
prior to the application being submitted. The complete registration process for all three systems can take
4 to 6 weeks, so applicants should begin this activity as soon as possible. NOAA has created a website to
aid applicants in understanding Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs), the application process, and
how to properly format application packages to eRA, linked here.
Prior to registering with eRA Commons, applicant organizations must first obtain a Unique Entity Identifier
(UEI) from SAM.gov, if needed (refer to Section IV. Applications and Submission Information, Section C).
Organizations can register with eRA Commons in tandem with completing their full SAM and Grants.gov
registrations; however, all registrations must be in place by time of application submission. eRA
Commons requires organizations to identify at least one Signing Official (SO) and at least one Program
Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) account in order to submit an application.
This document sets out requirements for submitting to NOAA-OAR-CIAO-2026-32786
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
A. Program Objective
The purpose of this announcement is to invite the submission of proposals to establish a Cooperative
Institute in the Northern Gulf of America (CINGA) and to provide details on the application, review, and
selection process. NOAA's mission requires a forward-thinking, interdisciplinary perspective to provide
the scientific underpinning for an ecosystem approach to management of ocean resources. This institute
will focus on interdisciplinary research to support NOAA's mission, specifically addressing:
• Model and observing system interactions among living resources, habitats, ecosystem
processes, anthropogenic impacts, and stressors to assist with making ecosystem‐based
management decisions that support seafood competitiveness, coastal restoration, and the ocean
economy;
• Determination of impacts of extreme events on coastal areas on issues including rate of
elevation change, shoreline change, role of coastal development in preventing migration of
marshes and other habitats, and change in inland, coastal and ocean hydrology and apply this
knowledge to inform coastal development and restoration;
• Identification of the relationships between nutrient loading, eutrophication, hypoxia and harmful
algal blooms and examine their impacts on ecosystem health, including fisheries;
• Determination of the manner in which storm surge, subsidence and sea‐level change affects built
and natural communities;
• Development of advanced sampling technologies to enhance and more comprehensively sample
fish stocks in challenging regimes (sub-littoral zones) or fragile environments (coral and fringing
reefs) to improve fisheries management;
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• Improvement of survey methodologies for science and recovery projects in the Gulf of America
(GoA) in support of deregulatory efforts and/or more cost-effective recovery actions for
protected species;
• Development of innovative, standards-based data methods for long term data stewardship, to
enhance the operational data stewardship capabilities inherent to NOAA’s mission and to support
large scale data integration and dissemination needs for multidisciplinary, multidimensional data
originating from numerous sources.
Furthermore, for a CI to maximize its value to NOAA, it should have complementary activities integrating
research and knowledge from social science disciplines that focus on related problems, but are
sometimes addressed independently of physical science activities. This linkage between physical and
social sciences is critical to closing information and service gaps. This linkage is considered to be
especially important in the area of weather, water and environmental adaptation and mitigation. Specific
areas of focus include:
• Economics including institutional and market arrangements
• Legal analysis of environmental and scientific research issues
• Resource management and planning
• Risk communication, including risk analysis, comprehension, perception, dissemination, and
management
• Partnering and collaboration, including NOAA and the wider Federal government, community
groups, state agencies and local governments, NGOs, regional gulf entities, and industry
General CI Concept/Program Background
A Cooperative Institute (CI) is a NOAA-supported, non-Federal organization that has established an
outstanding research program in one or more areas that are relevant to the NOAA mission to understand
and predict changes in environment, weather, oceans, and coasts, to share that knowledge and
information with others, and to conserve and manage coastal and marine ecosystems and resources
(NOAA. (2025). About our agency: https://www.noaa.gov/about-our-agency). CIs are established at
research institutions with outstanding graduate degree programs in NOAA-related sciences. CIs provide
significant coordination of resources among all non-government partners and promote the involvement
of students and post-doctoral scientists in NOAA-funded research. NOAA establishes a new CI
competitively when it identifies a need for high priority research aligned with NOAA’s mission. These are
long-term (5-10 years) collaborative partnerships with one or more outstanding non-Federal, non-profit
research institutions. For NOAA, the purpose of this long-term collaborative partnership is to secure
research capabilities that do not exist internally; and/or to expand research capacity in NOAA-related
sciences to:
• Conduct collaborative, long-term research that involves NOAA scientists and those at the
research institution(s) from one or more scientific disciplines of interest to NOAA;
• Utilize the scientific, education, and outreach expertise at the research institution(s) that,
depending on NOAA’s research needs, may or may not be located near a NOAA facility;
• Support student participation in NOAA-related research studies; and
• Strengthen or expand NOAA-related research capabilities and capacity at the research
institution(s) that complements and contributes to NOAA’s ability to reach its mission goals.
A CI may be comprised of a single academic institution or a consortium of academic institutions, at times
working in conjunction with supporting research affiliates, each of which demonstrates outstanding
performance within one or more established research programs in NOAA-related sciences. The Institutes
conduct research under approved scientific research themes and tasks. These tasks may not be
redefined or abbreviated:
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• Task I activities are related to the management of the CI, as well as general education and
outreach activities. This task also includes support of postdoctoral and visiting scientists
conducting activities within the research themes of the CI that are approved by the CI Director, in
consultation with NOAA, and are relevant to NOAA and the CI’s mission goals.
• Task II research activities usually involve ongoing direct collaboration with NOAA scientists. This
collaboration typically is fostered by the collocation of Federal and CI employees.
• Task III research activities require minimal collaboration with NOAA scientists and may include
research funded by other NOAA competitive grant programs.
B. Program Priorities
Research priorities, also called “scientific themes”, for the CINGA are listed below, in no particular order.
Several of the priorities are intersecting or related, and should not be considered mutually exclusive.
1. Technology-based Solutions to Environmental Variability. Research that leads to development
of technology, research tools, and scientific approaches to address the impacts of changing
environmental conditions of the region, as well as bio-geographical characterizations, that will
enable improvements in defining, observing, forecasting, and protecting components of the Gulf
of America natural and built ecosystems. Research under this theme will use technology-based
approaches to advance understanding of a wide range of problems from environmental variability
effects on coastal and marine ecosystems to the economic well-being of the region and the
adjacent watershed.
2. Coastal Hazards. Research in this theme encompasses the physical and biological systems, as
well as the biological and socio-economic dimensions, associated with coastal hazards.
Research will lead to improved forecasting of tropical weather systems and the structure and
function of coastal and marine ecosystems in the Gulf of America that protect communities and
local economies.
3. Ecosystem Management. Research in this theme will focus on promoting risk-informed coastal
development, enabling an ecosystem approach to management, including ecosystem-based
fisheries' management. Enhanced scientific understanding of the interconnections between the
coastal and marine ecosystem and the adjacent watershed will inform development decisions
and resource stewardship.
4. Effective and Efficient Data Management Systems Supporting a Data-driven Economy.
Research in this theme will investigate, develop and test innovative data stewardship solutions,
enhancing NOAA’s data management, visualization, and dissemination capabilities. This research
will address gaps in data management capacity resulting from the development of new
environmental data sensors and platforms, larger data volumes, and increased public and private
sector demand for information.
Specific research foci are also desirable in the following areas:
• Monitoring and evaluation of Gulf of America and inland U.S. coastal marine ecosystems,
including the services they provide and their response to environmental variability, with particular
focus on the downstream impacts of ecosystem changes (e.g., hypoxia, fisheries, and sediment
transport) on the Mississippi River watershed, major inland water systems, and their
communities.
• Research to understand and implement ecosystem-based fisheries' management approaches,
considering the connectivity between Gulf of America fisheries, migratory species, and inland
river systems that sustain both coastal and inland economies , and their communities.
• Research to understand and develop innovative, standards-compliant data stewardship tools
and techniques for the transition to NOAA data archive operations, ensuring accessibility and
usability for public and private stakeholders across coastal and inland regions.
• Coastal ecosystem adaptation, including mapping methodologies that assess environmental
variability, land-use change, and watershed-driven impacts on Gulf and inland riverine
ecosystems.
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• Decision-support informational systems for the Gulf of America and the central U.S., including
integrated geo-spatial data management and visualization to improve communities’
preparedness for extreme weather, flooding, and water resource management throughout inland
watersheds.
• Research and development on the forecasting, analyses, verification, and observation of
hurricanes and tropical cyclones, including their associated coastal and inland atmospheric
hazards (e.g., tornado outbreaks, extreme precipitation, and flooding impacts along major U.S.
river systems).
• Ensemble-based numerical weather prediction (data assimilation, physics, and cloud
parameterizations) to inform probabilistic impact-based decision support services (IDSS), with
a focus on hurricane-driven inland flooding, heat waves, and severe convective outbreaks in the
central U.S.
• Utilization of AI for tropical cyclone evaluation and prediction, expanding applications to
improve forecasting of extreme precipitation and flooding impacts from tropical remnants
moving inland.
• Sub-seasonal and seasonal-scale meteorological studies on extreme heat, precipitation,
drought, and flooding, with an emphasis on how Gulf of America variability influences weather
extremes across the Midwest and central U.S.
• Total water level (storm surge, waves, hydrodynamic, and coastal inundation) research and
development, expanding to include riverine flooding, reservoir management, and inland flood
risk modeling driven by tropical and extratropical storm systems.
Cross-Cutting Expectations:
Education and Outreach
Applicants are expected to be strong education partners with NOAA. As the focal point for development
of the next generation of environmental scientists and managers, CIs are well-positioned to build the
talent for the future workforce in our shared area of expertise.
Outreach initiatives play a critical role in community development and any effort to make change. The CI,
as a partner for NOAA, will engage in outreach with the community. The CI is expected to directly and
creatively engage with community members to foster excitement and spur involvement, if possible. The
CI will help raise awareness around scientific issues and equip community members with information to
make informed decisions and improve their quality of life, as well as build support within the community
to make changes. These efforts might also provide opportunities for the CI to learn about pressing issues
within the community.
The CI is encouraged to build coalitions and work with other NOAA programs, such as Cooperative
Science Centers or NOAA Sea Grant, in these efforts.
The new CI should be able to provide research and development capabilities in the following areas:
Research Facilities
• Research vessel
• Super-computing access
• Advanced sampling technologies, including non-traditional optical and acoustic systems
• Laboratory facilities capable of processing oceanographic and environmental samples to support
examination of the impact of multiple pressures on coastal and marine ecosystems and species,
and meet the needs of coastal managers, fisheries managers and communities
• Scientific diving and ROVs
Expertise and capabilities:
• Advancing the use of artificial intelligence for technology-based solutions
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• Ecosystem monitoring and assessment, including habitats
• Leading edge environmental data stewardship
• Data assimilation and advanced computer visualization
• Unmanned platforms
• Oceanographic, hydrologic, and watershed observations and modeling integration
• Variable environmental impacts and adaptation methods
• Meteorology
• Socioeconomic analysis
• Fisheries and protected resources
• Computing programming and software engineering
• Satellite data availability
• Coastal adaptation strategies
• Ocean energy and the Blue Economy
COMPOSITION OF THE CINGA INSTITUTE
The proposed CI should be comprised of multiple academic institutions (a consortium) with supporting
research affiliates, if appropriate. A consortium must be led by a single academic institution that offers
accredited graduate level degree-granting programs in NOAA-related sciences that are within the Gulf of
America region. The proposed CI is expected to utilize all consortium members to complete CINGA’s
work. Applicants must have strong programs in support of at least one of the identified research areas.
The CI would be expected to develop and implement mechanisms to facilitate collaborative research,
development, education, and outreach with NOAA.
DEMONSTRATED ABILITY TO SUPPORT NOAA’S LONG-TERM GOALS AND RESEARCH FOCI
The proposed CI should support the long-term goals of NOAA’s Research and Development Vision Areas:
2020-2026 and NOAA’s 2026 Strategic Research Guidance Memorandum by advancing key goals in:
• Earth System Science
• Ecological Forecasting
• Unmanned Systems
• ‘Omics
• AI and Machine Learning
• Big Data
NOAA will require the CI to report annually on performance measures that align with and support NOAA
goals.
Partnering Expectations
The CI must spend time to plan and execute strategic partnerships with NOAA to leverage a strong
network and maximize its impact. At a minimum, the CI will:
1. Plan and host planning efforts with NOAA partners bi-annually
2. Plan and host routine meetings with the NOAA Federal Program Officer (FPO) and Technical
Program Manager (TPM) bi-monthly
3. Attend CIAO-hosted meetings, when invited
4. Plan and host project communication meetings with NOAA partners (for T3 projects) monthly
CI Website
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The CI will become a part of NOAA’s CI enterprise, and is required to build a dedicated website. The
website should be user-friendly, accessible and regularly maintained and updated. The website should be
consistent across different browsers, devices and platforms to enable more reliability and consistency
across the CI enterprise.
The website will include the following at a minimum:
1. Research products, including results from projects
2. Annual reports & metrics
3. News, social media, outreach and other marketing efforts
4. Any awards and recognition achieved
5. Partnerships, including consortium members, community groups, industry, government
organizations and others
6. Societal impacts of the CI’s work
C. Program Authority
Statutory authority for Cooperative Agreements is provided under NAO 216-107A to support 15 U.S.C.
1540; 118 Stat. 71 (January 23, 2004); 15 U.S.C. 313; 15 U.S.C. 2901 et seq.; 16 U.S.C. 753a; 49 U.S.C.
44720(b).
II. Award Information
A. Funding Availability
Subject to the availability of funding, this announcement describes how eligible applicants should apply to
the Cooperative Institute in the Northern Gulf of America competition. NOAA is seeking to establish this
CI with a maximum ceiling of $100,000,000.00 in federal funds for the initial 5 year term of the
Institutional award. The actual annual funding that the CI receives will be less than the proposed ceiling
amount and will depend on the specific projects that are submitted by the CI and approved by NOAA after
the main CI award begins, the availability of funding, the quality of the research, the satisfactory progress
in achieving the stated goals described in project proposals, and continued relevance to program
objectives.
This award and individual project applications DO NOT require non-federal match. However, leveraging
other non-federal resources is allowed and encouraged to maximize the impact of the work. See also
section III. B. “Cost Share and Matching Requirements”.
There is no guarantee that funds will be available to make awards, or that any application will be selected
for funding. If an applicant incurs any cost prior to receiving an award agreement signed by an authorized
NOAA official, it does so at its own risk of not being selected or of these costs not being included in a
subsequent award. NOAA and DOC will not be responsible for any incurred project cost if a project fails to
receive full funding.
B. Project/Award Period
The award period for the CI will be 5 years and may be renewed for up to an additional 5 years based on
the outcome of a review of scientific and administrative performance conducted in the fourth year of the
award period, as described in the NOAA CI Institute Handbook.
The CI must have a proposed start date of October 1, 2026 and an end date of no later than 5 years after
the proposed start date. This original application to this particular Notice of Funding Opportunity will be
identified as the T1.
Subsequent individual project applications (which will be identified as T3s) must have project durations
of 1 to 5 years that fit within the CI award period (the T1).
Pre-award spending may be authorized 90 days prior to the start date of the award (See Section VI below
for more details).
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Renewal Review
The CI may be extended for an additional five-year, non-competitive cooperative agreement award. To
earn this opportunity, the CI will undergo a robust scientific and administrative performance review
process (a “renewal review”), as prescribed by the Department of Commerce Federal Financial Assistance
Manual and NOAA Cooperative Institute Handbook. The renewal review evaluates the merit of the CI’s
scientific work and the CI’s adherence to Federal programmatic requirements and regulations. If the CI
successfully passes the renewal review, they may receive an additional five-year cooperative agreement
award. Recommendations for improvement may be provided during the renewal review, and compliance
may be required through specific award conditions.
C. Type of Funding Instrument
The funding instrument for this institutional award will be a cooperative agreement since NOAA will be
substantially involved in working with the CI. The nature of the substantial involvement includes the
following: The recipient can expect substantial collaboration, participation, and/or intervention in the
management of the project by NOAA. Some examples of substantial involvement by NOAA include, but
are not limited to: required NOAA approval before certain projects can be initiated in grant out-years;
NOAA review of sub-awards; the ability of NOAA to halt an activity immediately if detailed performance
specifications are not met; NOAA specifying direction or redirection of scope of work due to the
interrelationships with other projects; proposals for collaboration between NOAA scientists and a CI
scientist and/or assistance by NOAA personnel in developing curricula; and NOAA involvement in mid-
cycle programmatic evaluation and planning processes. NOAA will issue only one award to the
successful lead academic institution of a consortium of universities, with supporting research affiliates if
applicable, where the Institute will be established and resident.
III. Eligibility Information
A. Eligible Applicants
The following entities are eligible to submit to this opportunity:
Eligibility is limited to non-Federal public and private non-profit universities, colleges and research
institutions that offer accredited graduate level degree-granting programs in NOAA-related sciences and
that are within the Gulf of America region. Only the lead institution in the consortium applying for the
award (and where the CI will be established) must satisfy the location requirement. Federal agencies and
their personnel are not permitted to receive federal funding under this competition; however, federal
scientists and other employees can serve as uncompensated partners or co-Principal Investigators on
subsequent T3 projects proposals. Federal labs and offices can also make available specialized
expertise, facilities or equipment to applicants but cannot be compensated under this competition for
their use.
To be eligible to apply or receive an award, applicants must complete and maintain three registrations;
SAM.gov, Grants.gov, and eRA Commons. For each, the complete registration process can take 4 to 6
weeks, so applicants must begin this activity as soon as possible and well before the proposal due date.
For more information on how to meet these registration and application submission requirements without
errors, we advise all to carefully review relevant Applicant and Grantee Training modules:
https://www.commerce.gov/ocio/programs/gems/applicant-and-grantee-training. Additionally, we advise
that all carefully read ‘Additional Application Package Forms’ within the ‘Full Proposal Required Elements’
section below.
B. Cost Share or Matching Requirement
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To stress the collaborative nature and investment of a CI by both NOAA and the research institution, cost
sharing is required. There is no minimum cost sharing requirement; however, the amount of cost sharing
will be considered when determining the level of the CI’s commitment under NOAA’s standard evaluation
criterion for overall qualifications of applicants. Acceptable cost-sharing proposals include, but are not
limited to, offering a reduced indirect cost rate against activities in one or more Tasks, waiver of indirect
costs assessed against base funds and/or Task I activities, waiver or reduction of any costs associated
with the use of facilities at the CI, and full or partial salary funding for the CI director, administrative staff,
graduate students, visiting scientists, or postdoctoral scientists.
C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility
None.
IV. Application and Submission Information
A. Address to Request Application Package
Application packages are available online as part of the NOFO announcement on Grants.gov under
opportunity NOAA-OAR-CIAO-2026-32786. Users of Grants.gov will be able to download a copy of the
application package, and submit all application forms via Grants.gov. The application will then be
screened and submitted to eRA Commons. Applicants should not consider their application complete
and received by the agency until they receive a final email from eRA Commons confirming a successful
application with no errors or warnings and/or can verify the successful status in eRA Commons.
B. Content and Form of Application
This section provides an overview of these required proposal elements (and where to locate them).
Applications must adhere to the provisions under "Required Elements" below. Failure to adhere to
these provisions may result in a delay in award processing or rejection of the application, based on the
extent of the noncompliance.
The submitting applicant should not include any Personally Identifiable Information (PII) in the
application materials prior to final submission to grants.gov. PII includes, but is not limited to, social
security number, date of birth, student identification number (from transcripts) or other information
which if lost, compromised, or disclosed without authorization, could result in harm, embarrassment,
inconvenience, or unfairness to an individual.
IMPORTANT NOTE: This proposal package will be using a different set of forms than applicants may
have completed in the past. Instead of the “SF424 NOAA Standard Non-Construction Application
Package”, this application will include the “SF424 NOAA Research & Related (R&R) Forms Package.”
While many of the forms may be familiar, please pay special attention to the headings and instructions
in this section.
NOAA has created a guide to aid applicants format application packages to eRA: Tips and Tricks for
Successful eRA Submissions, linked here. Recent applicants have had their applications rejected for
formatting issues. Please be aware of the following:
• All attachments must be in PDF form.
• Do not use “bundling” or “portfolio” features to combine PDFs into a single document.
Everything must be visible in the PDF.
• Descriptive filenames may only be 50 characters or less (including spaces).
• Keep attachment file size to 100 MB or less.
• eRA won’t accept any pages larger than the U.S. standard letter paper size (8.5” x 11”).
• eRA will not accept applications with the same project titles and PI.
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We strongly recommend that applicants submit their completed proposals at least a few days prior to
the due date in case they encounter issues with the system. We will not extend the deadline date based
on issues you may encounter in submitting your application into the system. Please contact the eRA
Service Desk for assistance.
Required Elements:
Applications must include the following elements. Failure to adhere to these provisions may result in a
delay in award processing or rejection of the application, based on the extent of the noncompliance.
Letter of Intent Requirements
Letters of Intent are not required for this NOFO.
Full Proposal Required Elements
(please also see VIII. Other Information for additional post-application required elements for
submission):
REMEMBER: The intent of this application is to be high level and propose the establishment of the CI.
Specific project level detail, goals or budget should NOT be included at this time.
The application must include the following 23 elements:
1. Standard Form (SF) 424 (R&R)
2. Title Page
3. Project Abstract Summary Form
4. Results from Prior Research
5. Description of Work - Research Plan
6. Description of Project Performance Sites
7. List of Senior and Key Personnel
8. Publication/Reference Review
9. Research & Related Budget (Total Fed & Non-Fed - Budget Form)
10. R&R Subaward Budget (Fed/Non-Fed) Attachment(s) Form (if applicable)
11. Detailed Budget Justification
12. Vitae
13. Current and Pending Support
14. CD-511
15. SF-424B
16. SF-LLL (if applicable)
17. Copy of the applicant’s current approved Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA)
18. Monitoring Plan
19. Societal Impact Statement
20. Strategic Plan
21. Business Plan
22. Outreach Plan
23. Data Management Plan
The instructions for preparation of full proposals provided below are mandatory. Required content
includes:
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Standard Form 424 (R&R): All applicants requesting direct funding must submit the Standard Form 424
(R&R), (SF-424 R&R), “Application for Federal Assistance” to indicate the total amount of funding
proposed for their institution for the whole project period. This form is to be the cover page for the
original proposal and is the first required form in the Grants.gov proposal package. The form can be
downloaded at https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/r-r-family in the Forms Repository
section under the R&R Family hyperlink. For a NOAA and non-NOAA Federal partner, applications for
Federal assistance (SF-424 (R&R) and the Research & Related Budget (Total Fed + Non-Fed) Budget
Form, must show the total amount less what would go to the Federal partner.
• Federal Award Payment Requirement - be sure that the Employer Identification Number (EIN) and
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) numbers are correct.
Title Page: The title page should clearly indicate the proposed name of the CI, principal investigators (for
the institutional award), total amount of Federal funds being requested, and award period. In the event
that the application is submitted by a consortium, the lead academic institution for the consortium
should submit the application on behalf of the consortium and any supporting research affiliates.
Applications submitted by a CI consortium should include the name of each academic institution and
supporting research affiliate, along with each associated principal investigator.
Project Abstract Summary Form: The Project Abstract Summary succinctly describes the project in plain
language that the public can understand and use without the full proposal. If the application is funded,
your project abstract information (as submitted) will be made available to public websites and/or
databases including USAspending.gov. An abstract must be included and should contain a brief
description of the CI, research themes, and proposed activities. The form can be downloaded at
https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/r-r-family. The abstract should appear on a separate
page, headed with the proposal title, institution’s investigators, total proposed cost and budget period.
The summary should be prepared to be readable to a broad audience and contain the following sections:
• Project Name/Title
• Primary Contact (name address, telephone, email)
• Primary Recipient's Institution
• Other Investigators (name, affiliated institution or agency)
• Brief Project Summary including objectives and intended benefits
• Consortium Members and other Partners
Results from Prior Research: The results of related projects supported by NOAA and other agencies
should be described, including their relation to the currently proposed work. Reference to each prior
research award should include the title, agency, award number, Principal Investigators, period of award,
and total award. The section should be a brief summary and should not exceed two pages.
Description of Work - Research Plan: The project description includes the following sections:
• Introduction/Narrative (information contained in this section of the proposal should provide
background information and significance of the proposed research).
• Specific aims/milestones (information in this section of the proposal should provide the
proposed goals and expected outcomes. It should also show when the researcher expects to
reach the proposed goals and outcomes).
• Timeline for milestones (table showing the timeline for the milestones).
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• Relationship to NOAA Goals (information in this section of the proposal should show how the
proposed research relates to the current NOAA Research Goals and, if applicable, include impacts
to DOC / NOAA program goals).
• Educational outreach plans.
Description of Project Performance Sites: List the facilities that may be used (including any Federally
owned property) where research conducted will be directly related to the proposed research – this may
include consortium members.
List of Senior and Key Personnel: Describe their specific roles as they relate to the specific
aims/milestones.
• Each Key Personnel must have an eRA Commons account in order to be successfully included in
the application.
Publication/Reference Review: Each reference should include the names of all authors in the same
sequence they appear in the publications, the article title, the journal or book title, volume number, page
numbers, and year of publications. While there is no established page limitation, this section should
include bibliographic citations only and should not be used to provide parenthetical information outside
of the Research Plan.
Research & Related Budget (Total Fed + Non-Fed) Form: All applicants are required to submit a
Research & Related Budget (Total Fed + Non-Fed) Form, which identifies the budget for each fiscal year
of the primary proposal. A new Research & Related Budget (Total Fed + Non-Fed) form is required for
each fiscal year in sections A - D for the primary award. The form can be downloaded at
https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/r-r-family.
• Avoid the section titled “Statement of Work/deliverables.” This phrase suggests a contractual
arrangement.
Detailed Budget Justification: All proposals must include a detailed budget narrative covering the
proposed period of performance with a justification to support all proposed budget categories for each
fiscal year. A separate budget narrative is required for each subcontract/subaward, if applicable. For
additional information concerning each of the required budget categories and appropriate level of
disclosure please see: https://coast.noaa.gov/data/coasthome/funding/_pdf/forms/budget-narrative-
guidance-for-NOAA-grants.pdf
If a consortium member or partner is requested to perform any work as part of the project, please be
advised that the work to be performed must be reflected separately in the project description and
partner budget. The budget should clearly identify the recipient and funded activity.
Each subaward should provide a R&R Subaward Budget (Fed/Non-Fed) Attachment(s) Form if applicable
for each fiscal year of the project and accompany the budget narrative specific for each partner. The
form can be downloaded at https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/r-r-family.
If more than one institution is collaborating in a project awarded funds, a separate budget narrative is
required for each subaward and must be provided to the lead institution for submission. The lead
institution will be the only institution to directly receive funds from NOAA and is responsible for sending
funds to their subaward institutions. The Budget Narrative must match the same direct cost categories
as the Research & Related Budget (Total Fed + Non-Fed) Budget and the R&R Subaward Budget
(Fed/Non-Fed) Attachment(s) forms for the primary and each subaward.
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Curriculum Vitae: (single-spaced, 12-point font, 1-inch margins, two (2) pages maximum, per person)
Provide resumes of the Principal Investigator for the CI and other key personnel critical to the success of
the CI. Ensure that resumes address qualifications relevant to conducting the proposed work.
Publication lists should be limited to all publications in the last 3 years with up to five other relevant
papers.
Current and pending support: For each principal investigator, submit a list which includes project title,
supporting agency with grant number, investigator months, dollar value, and duration. Requested values
should be listed for pending support.
CD-511: Certification Regarding Lobbying: Required only for the lead institution, which may submit this
form through the Grants.gov CD511 document placeholder without a hard signature because electronic
signatures are allowed on documents from the submitting institution. The form can be downloaded at:
https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/sf-424-family.
SF-424B: Assurances - Non-Construction Programs: Required only for the lead institution, which may
submit this form through the Grants.gov SF-424B document placeholder without a hard signature
because electronic signatures are allowed on documents from the submitting institutions. The form can
be downloaded at https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/sf-424-family.
SF-LLL: Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (if applicable): If lobbying activity is or has been secured to
influence the outcome of a covered federal action, complete the SF-LLL standard lobbying disclosure
form found at https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/sf-424-family and include it with your
proposal package.
Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA): Applicants must include a copy of their most recent
approved NICRA. NOAA and the Cooperative Institute may share resources such as facilities, equipment,
or personnel, which may offset the use of the institution’s facilities and administration, as recovered
under the indirect rate. In accordance with 2 C.F.R. 200.414(c)(3), the NOAA Cooperative Institute
program has an approval to deviate from negotiated indirect cost rates. More information is available at
https://www.commerce.gov/oam/policy/financial-assistance-policy.
If the applicant is proposing a lower indirect cost rate to be applied to this award, please document it in
the Detailed Budget Justification.
Monitoring Plan: The applicant will submit a monitoring plan that describes their structured approach to
track and evaluate the progress and performance under this award. The plan should include the
applicant’s self-assessment strategy, data that will be collected, and how it will be analyzed to ensure
the applicant stays on track and achieves its objectives.
All proposals for subsequent projects awarded funds must include a monitoring plan that addresses (1)
required inputs and resources for the successful completion of the project, (2) the proposed outputs and
outcomes from the successful completion of the project, (3) the project timeline, with major milestones
addressed (may be the same as that included in Description of Work - Research Plan), (4) status reports
for the project (including when such reports will be received, the POCs to send and receive such reports,
the format of the status reporting, and how status reports will be documented), and (5) the measurable
objectives for the project (how to measure the success of the project).
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Societal Impact Statement: NOAA plays a wide-ranging and critical role in helping the nation achieve
sustainable economic growth and protection of human life, health and the environment. The applicant
will describe how their proposed work is connected to socioeconomic impacts that align with NOAA’s
public purpose. The applicant’s proposal should exhibit understanding of societal needs by integrating
social science with their proposed scientific work. All proposals for subsequent projects awarded funds
must include the project’s proposed socioeconomic impact, in addition to the project’s proposed
outcomes.
Strategic Plan: CIs are important partners for NOAA science. A strategic plan demonstrates the
applicant’s foresight for future work, aligns proposed work with NOAA, and provides a clear, actionable
road map for success. The strategic plan should clearly address the applicant’s strategy for completion
of work and describe how this work will complement and enhance NOAA’s programs. The applicant
should provide a commitment to resources and illustrate how they will foster a long-term collaborative
research environment / culture with NOAA.
Business Plan: The applicant should describe its proposed organization, and certain policies or
procedures, via a business plan. The business plan should include, but not be limited to, elements such
as (i) detailed organizational structure, including roles and responsibilities, (ii) communication plan, both
internal and external to the organization, including NOAA and other work partners, (iii) proposed general
schedule for work, including routine cycles for planning, budget / financial, proposal submission, etc., (iv)
grants management and financial management information, including systems utilized and process
maps / workflows, (v) internal controls program and processes, and (vi) listing of HR policies, including
those pertaining to travel.
Outreach Plan: Outreach plans transform vague intentions into concrete, achievable goals, ensure
efficient resource use and foster meaningful connections with the community. The applicant will submit
an outreach plan with this application that includes, at a minimum, the (i) target populations for outreach
efforts, (ii) community partners for outreach, and (iii) the socioeconomic impact of this outreach work.
Data Management Plan: Information in this section of the proposal shows how the final research data
will be shared and with whom or explains why data-sharing is not possible at this time and the plan and
time-frame for data sharing.
Proposals submitted in response to this Announcement must include a Data Management Plan (up to 2
pages). See Section VI.B., Administrative and National Policy Requirements, below for additional
information on what the plan should contain.
Environmental Compliance
The U.S. Department of Commerce National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Environmental
Questionnaire & Checklist, which may be found at: https://www.nepa.noaa.gov/docs/NOAA-Grants-
Questionnaire-final.pdf. Applicants are required to submit answers to the following abbreviated set of
questions and, depending on the specifics of the project as indicated in response to those questions,
may be required to provide additional detail, prior to a funding decision, as NOAA deems necessary in
order for NOAA to fulfill its NEPA responsibilities:
The NEPA Questionnaire is required for ALL research projects even if the project is fully lab-based or
relies on social science. The NEPA Questionnaire is also required for any project that will have
components including:
• Requires environmental permits, authorizations or waivers
• Includes Biological take and/or release
• Includes Environmental sampling
• Generates Hazardous or toxic substances and waste
• Could have Permanent or temporary environmental effects
• Could involve Endangered or threatened species and/or protected areas
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• Could have Known or unknown risks to human health or the environment
• Includes Controversial environmental subject matters
NEPA Statement
Projects or actions that fall into the below categories do not need a questionnaire. If a program believes
that a project in the application meets one of the exceptions, the program should include the following
NEPA Statement directly after the relevant project narrative. Please use the following format for the
NEPA Statement:
“This project’s activities are exclusively composed of [choose applicable activities from the bulleted list
below] and therefore no NEPA Questionnaire is being submitted, as allowed by NOAA guidance.“
NOAA has final responsibility to determine whether a project or action requires environmental
compliance review. If NOAA determines that a project or action needs an environmental review, and the
NEPA Statement is not sufficient, staff may request completion of a NEPA Questionnaire be provided
instead.
Some examples of projects that can use the NEPA Statement are:
• Program management
• Program Development projects (these projects may need to undergo environmental compliance
review when the program identifies project activities; please work with the federal program officer
during implementation of these projects).
• Placeholder projects (e.g., "Future Competed Projects"; these projects will have a Specific Award
Condition on the grant and undergo environmental compliance review when the program submits
an award action request to satisfy that specific award condition)
• Workshops or conferences that do not involve the above list of actions in the previous section
• Communication activities that do not involve the above list of actions in the previous section
• Hiring actions
• Purely administrative actions (e.g., purchase of office supplies)
C. Unique entity identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)
Any applicant awarded in response to this Announcement will be required to use the System for Award
Management (SAM), which may be accessed online at https://sam.gov. SAM enables the use of a Unique
Entity Identifier (UEI) and to build the quality of information available to the public as required by the
Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act, 31 U.S.C. 6106 Note, to the extent applicable.
Each applicant (unless the applicant is an individual or Federal awarding agency that is excepted from
those requirements under 2 CFR 25.110(b) or (c), or has an exception approved by the Federal awarding
agency under 2 CFR 25.110(d)) is required to: (i) Be registered in SAM before submitting its application;
(ii) Provide a valid unique entity identifier (UEI) in its application; and (iii) Continue to maintain an active
SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active Federal award or an
application or plan under consideration by a Federal awarding agency. NOAA may not make a Federal
award to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable unique entity identifier and SAM
requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time NOAA is ready
to make a Federal award, NOAA may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a Federal
award and use that determination as a basis for making a Federal award to another applicant.
D. Submission Dates and Times
The initial T1 award application must be submitted to Grants.gov and accepted by eRA by 11:59 p.m.
Eastern time on May 18, 2026. Once a tentative selection is made, the selected applicant will be provided
guidance and a timeline for submitting their detailed project T3 applications (first round of projects).
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Please note: validation or rejection of an application by Grants.gov and eRA may take up to two business
days after submission. Eligible applicants should consider this process in developing their submission
timeline. For eligible applications submitted through Grants.gov and eRA, a date and time receipt indication
is included and will be the basis of determining timeliness. NOAA has created a guide to aid applicants
format application packages to eRA: Tips and Tricks for Successful eRA Submissions, linked here.
E. Intergovernmental Review
Applications under this program are not subject to Executive Order 12372, “Intergovernmental Review of
Federal Programs.”
F. Funding Restrictions
NOAA will not consider expenses associated with fees, fund-raising activities, travel for activities not
directly related to project implementation, travel or salaries for Federal employees, or profit as allowable
costs in the proposed budget. The total costs of a project consist of all allowable costs incurred in
accomplishing project activities during the project period. Project costs can only include support for
activities conducted between the effective start date and end date of the award, and cannot include
activities undertaken either before or after the agreed upon dates. Applicants will not be reimbursed for
time expended or costs incurred in developing a project or in preparing an application, or in any
discussions or negotiations with the agency prior to the award. Such expenditures may not be considered
as part of the applicant’s cost share or matching contribution.
G. Other Submission Requirements
Federal employees are not allowed to assist in the preparation of an application or proposal, except that
these individuals may provide you with information on program goals, funding priorities, application
procedures, and completion of application forms. Because this is a competitive program, Federal
employees will not provide assistance in conceptualizing, developing, or structuring proposals, or write
letters of support for an application or proposal.
Registration Requirements
NOTE: We strongly encourage all prospective applicants to initiate required registrations as early as
possible. Completing the required registrations can take six weeks or longer. Submission due dates will
not be extended because of registration delays. Submissions received after the due date will be
considered late and will not be accepted.
Applicant organizations and individuals must register for three different Federal systems prior to
submitting an application through Grants.gov (SAM.gov, eRA Commons, and Grants.gov). See below for
more detailed information on each required registration process.
System for Award Management
SAM.gov registration is required to do business with the U.S. government. After registering with SAM.gov,
you will receive a 12-character Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) that you will use throughout the application
process. We recommend allowing at least three weeks for initial SAM.gov registrations and at least two
weeks for SAM.gov registration renewals. Additional information on SAM.gov registration is available
here: https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration
eRA Commons
After completing your SAM.gov registration and receiving your Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), you must
register with eRA Commons and create several required user accounts. NOAA uses eRA Commons to
process grant applications and manage grant awards.
NOTE: eRA Commons requires applicants to create one ORGANIZATIONAL PROFILE and two USER
ACCOUNTS before submitting an application. These requirements are described in detail below.
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We recommend allowing at least three weeks for eRA Commons registration. This process can be
completed concurrently with your Grants.gov registration. Additional information on the eRA Commons
registration process is available here: https://www.commerce.gov/ocio/programs/gems/applicant-and-
grantee-training
After creating an overall account for your “institution”, which may be for your organization or yourself as
an individual, eRA Commons requires you to set up at least two user accounts: one Signing Official (SO)
account and one Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) account.
• The Signing Official (SO) user account must be assigned to an individual with signature authority
to legally bind the organization in grants administration matters. The SO will receive 4-5 emails
throughout the registration process.
• The Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) account must be assigned to an individual
with primary responsibility for the project(s) described in the grant application. The eRA
Commons User ID for the PD/PI must also be listed on the SF-424 form for item 4 (Applicant
Identifier).
Your SO and PD/PI user accounts must be active before you submit an application. Both accounts can be
assigned to the same individual if appropriate.
Grants.gov
After completing your SAM.gov registration and receiving your Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), you must
complete a one-time registration process with Grants.gov. Grants.gov is a government-wide portal used
to solicit and accept grant applications.
We recommend allowing at least two weeks for Grants.gov registration. This process can be completed
concurrently with your eRA Commons registration. Additional information on the Grants.gov registration
process is available here: https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration
Submission Validation
The Grants.gov and eRA Commons validation processes for a submitted application can take up to two
business days after submission. Only validated applications are sent to NOAA to review. To ensure
successful submission of an application, we strongly recommend that you submit a final and complete
application at least two business days prior to the submission deadline.
Grants.gov and eRA Commons will not accept submissions if the applicant has not been authorized or if
credentials are incorrect. Submissions may also be rejected if:
• The Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI)’s account username within eRA Commons is
not provided on the Research & Related Senior/Key Person Profile form in Credential, e.g., agency
login;
• Key Personnel don’t have individual eRA Commons accounts to be included in the application;
• The Universal Entity Identifier (UEI) from SAM.gov is not provided;
• The Congressional District is not entered in the correct format. The correct format is: [State
Abbreviation]-[three digit district number]. For example, Virginia’s 1st Congressional District
would be listed as VA-001;
• PDF files are not flattened. To flatten a fillable PDF, you can use the “Print to PDF” function from
any web browser or PDF reader application;
• File sizes exceed 100 MB;
• Page sizes are greater than 8.5x11;
• File names exceed 50 characters (including spaces);
• File names include special characters;
• Two applications have the exact same project title and PI.
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After you submit your application, you will receive an automatic acknowledgment of receipt that contains
a Grants.gov tracking number. This notification indicates receipt by Grants.gov only, not receipt by NOAA.
Applications submitted through Grants.gov will be accompanied by FOUR automated responses (1-
Grants.gov Submission Receipt; 2-Grants.gov Submission Validation Receipt for Application; 3-Grants.gov
Grantor Agency Retrieval Receipt for Application; 4-Grants.gov Agency Tracking Number Assignment for
Application).
In addition to the Grants.gov automated notification messages, once an electronic application is
accepted in eRA Commons, you will receive an automated notification from eRA Commons that the
completed application was received and that an application number will be assigned. If there are errors in
the application, eRA Commons will send an automated email notification(s) of any errors or warnings
identified by eRA Commons. You must resolve all eRA Commons errors prior to the application due date
in order for the application to be processed.
You should save and print the proof of submission messages from both Grants.gov and eRA Commons.
If you do not receive an acceptance message from both Grants.gov and eRA Commons, you should
follow up with the eRA Helpdesk at 1-866-504-9552 and the agency contact listed in Section VII to
confirm NOAA’s receipt of the complete submission. See Section IV(G) for detailed instructions on
submission validation requirements.
H. Address for Submitting Proposals
Proposals should be submitted using Grants.gov. Proposal materials are available at
http://www.grants.gov as part of the electronic proposal package, which includes the federal forms.
Please contact the Cooperative Institute Administration Office (CIAO) should you have an issue
accessing the materials (see Section VII for contact information).
V. Application Review Information
1. Importance/relevance and applicability Maximum Points: 35
of proposed projects to the program goals
Strategic Planning:
• Is the applicant's strategic plan fully developed and adequately describe the applicant's proposed
strategy to complete CI science work?
• Does the applicant’s proposal meaningfully and substantially address the Program Priorities
described in the NOFO?
• Does the applicant’s proposal meet the unique technical requirements identified in the NOFO and
required for this CI?
Socioeconomic Impact:
• Has the applicant connected their work with socioeconomic impacts?
• Do applicant’s noted societal impacts align with NOAA’s public purposes?
2. Technical/scientific merit Maximum Points: 30
• Does the applicant’s proposal specifically describe the applicant's plans and ability to meet the
unique scientific requirements and NOAA’ mission goals identified in the NOFO?
• Has the applicant’s proposal proved their ability to enact a forward-thinking, interdisciplinary
perspective for their work?
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• Is the applicant able to integrate its scientific work with the specific areas of focus further
detailed in the NOFO?
Does the applicant’s proposal include a Data Management Plan that is appropriate for work and that
addresses the intent of NOAA Administrative Order 212-15B: Management of NOAA Data and
Information?
3. Overall qualifications of applicants Maximum Points: 20
• If the institution(s) and/or Principal Investigators (the applicant) have received current or recent
NOAA funding (within the past 5 years), is there a demonstrated record of outstanding
performance working with NOAA and/or NOAA scientists on research projects?
• Does the applicant have nationally and/or internationally recognized expertise within the
appropriate disciplines needed to conduct the collaborative/interdisciplinary research activities
required for the CI, and is this adequately described in the proposal?
• Does the applicant have any unique capabilities in mission-critical areas of research required for
the CI?
• Has the applicant adequately shown a substantial investment to foster a long term collaboration
with NOAA?
• Has the applicant provided verification of the CI’s involvement in partnerships with other
universities or research institutions that will strengthen the required activities of the CI?
• Does the applicant have a well-developed business plan?
4. Project costs Maximum Points: 5
Is the applicant’s proposed budget realistic and commensurate with the project needs and time frame?
5. Outreach and Education Maximum Points: 10
• Is there a strong education program with established graduate degree programs in NOAA related
sciences that also encourages student participation in NOAA-related research studies?
• Has the applicant provided a well-developed outreach plan?
• Has the applicant included a robust education plan in support of the research plan?
Evaluation Criteria
Once an application has been received by NOAA, an initial administrative review is conducted to
determine compliance with requirements and completeness of the application. Ineligible, incomplete,
and/or non-responsive applications may be eliminated from further review. NOAA, in its sole discretion,
may continue the review process for applications with non-substantive issues that can easily be rectified
or cured. All applications that pass this initial review will be evaluated and individually ranked in
accordance with the assigned weights of the above-listed evaluation criteria by an independent merit
review panel. At least three subject-matter experts, who may be Federal or non-Federal, will be used in
this process, with each individual having expertise in a separate area, so that the panel, as a whole, covers
a range of relevant scientific expertise. Each expert will submit an individual merit review and there will be
no consensus opinion. The merit reviewers’ ratings are used to produce a rank order of the proposals.
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Review and Selection Process
The Selecting Official selects proposals after considering the merit reviews and selection factors listed
below. In making the final selections, the Selecting Official will recommend awarding in rank order unless
the proposal is justified to be selected out of rank order based upon one or more of the selection factors.
The Selecting Official will make recommendations to the NOAA Grants Management Division, and the
final approval of selected application and issuance of award will be by the NOAA Grants Officer. The
award decisions of the NOAA Grants Officer are final.
The Competition Manager, or Grants Specialist may contact the applicants to discuss questions about
the merit or administrative correctness of the application and may delay approval of the application, or
impose conditions on the award preventing funding or execution of certain activities, until all questions
are satisfactorily answered.
The NOAA Grants Officer will review financial and grants administration aspects of a proposed award,
including conducting an assessment of the risk posed by the applicant in accordance with 2 C.F.R.
200.206. In addition to reviewing repositories of government-wide eligibility, qualifications or financial
integrity information, the risk assessment conducted by NOAA may consider items such as the financial
stability of an applicant, quality of the applicant’s management systems, an applicant’s history of
performance, previous audit reports and audit findings concerning the applicant and the applicant’s ability
to effectively implement statutory, regulatory, or other requirements imposed on non-Federal entities. See
also "Review of Risk" in Section VI.B of this Announcement.
Applicants should be in compliance with the terms of any existing NOAA grants or cooperative
agreements and otherwise eligible to receive Federal awards, or make arrangements satisfactory to the
NOAA Grants Officer, to be considered for funding under this competition. All reports due should be
received, and any concerns raised by the agency should be timely addressed in order to receive a new
award. Upon review of these factors, if appropriate, specific award conditions that respond to the degree
of risk may be applied by the NOAA Grants Officer pursuant to 2 C.F.R. 200.208. In addition, NOAA
reserves the right to reject an application in its entirety where information is uncovered that raises a
significant risk with respect to the responsibility or suitability of an applicant. The final approval of the
selected application and issuance of awards will be by the NOAA Grants Officer.
Selection Factors
The Selecting Official shall recommend awarding in the rank order unless the proposal is justified to be
selected out of rank order based on one or more of the following factors:
1. Availability of funding.
2. Balance/distribution of funds:
a. Geographically
b. By type of institution
c. By type of partners
d. By research priority
e. By project types
3. Duplication of other projects funded or considered for funding by NOAA/Federal agencies.
4. Program priorities and policy factors.
5. Applicant’s prior award performance.
6. Partnerships with/Participation of targeted groups.
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7. Adequacy of information necessary for NOAA staff to make a NEPA determination and draft necessary
documentation before recommendations for funding are made to the Grants Officer.
Consequently, awards may not necessarily be made to the highest-scored application. Investigators may
be asked to answer questions; and/or modify objectives, work plans, and/or budgets (including overall
funding level) to address the issues raised by the reviewers, the competition manager, the Selecting
Official, or the Grants Officer before an award is made. Subsequent administrative processing will be in
accordance with current NOAA grants procedures.
Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates
It is anticipated that successful applicants will be notified in June 2026 that the Selecting Official is
recommending them for funding to the NOAA Grants Officer. Subject to the availability of funds, The T1
award is expected to start October 1, 2026. Unsuccessful applicants will be notified by e-mail that their
application was not recommended for funding after the final selection package has been approved by the
NOAA GMD, which is expected in June 2026. Unsuccessful applications submitted to this competition
will be retained for three years and then destroyed.
VI. Award Administration Information
A. Award Notices
PRE-AWARD COSTS. Per 2 CFR 200.458, NOAA authorizes award recipients to expend pre-award costs
up to 90 days before the period of performance start date at the applicant’s own risk without approval
from NOAA and in accordance with the applicant’s internal policies and procedures. Such costs are
allowable only to the extent that they would have been allowable if incurred after the date of the Federal
award. This does not include direct proposal costs (as defined at 2 CFR 200.460). In no event will NOAA
or the Department of Commerce be responsible for direct proposal preparation costs. Pre-award costs
will be a portion of, not in addition to, the approved total budget of the award. Pre-award costs expended
more than 90 days prior to the period of performance start date require approval from the Grants Officer.
This does not change the period of performance start date.
GRANTS OFFICER SIGNATURE. Proposals submitted in response to this solicitation are not considered
awards until the Grants Officer has signed the grant agreement. Only Grants Officers can bind the
Government to the expenditure of funds. The Grants Officer’s digital signature constitutes an obligation of
funds by the federal government and formal approval of the award.
LIMITATION OF LIABILITY. Funding for programs listed in this notice is contingent upon the availability
of funds. Applicants are hereby given notice that funds may not have been appropriated yet for the
programs listed in this notice. Publication of this announcement does not oblige NOAA to award any
specific project or to obligate any available funds.
RELEASE OF APPLICATION INFORMATION. Privileged or confidential commercial or financial
information, patentable ideas, or trade secrets, disclosure of which may harm the applicant, should be
included in the proposal only when such information is necessary to convey an understanding of the
proposed work. In the event that a proposal contains information or data that the applicant does not want
disclosed prior to award for purposes other than the evaluation of the proposal, mark each page
containing such information or data with the words "Privileged, Confidential, Commercial, or Financial
Information - Limited Use" at the top of the page to assist NOAA in making disclosure determinations. A
proposal that results in an award will be available to the public on request, except for privileged
information or material that is personal, proprietary, or otherwise exempt from disclosure under law.
Appropriate labeling in the proposal aids identification of what may be specifically exempt. Such
information will be withheld from public disclosure to the extent permitted by law, including the Freedom
of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552, and 15 C.F.R. Part 4, which sets forth rules for the Department of
Commerce to make requested materials, information, and records publicly available under FOIA.
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Without assuming any liability for inadvertent disclosure, NOAA will seek to limit disclosure of such
information to its employees and contractors, and to outside reviewers when necessary for merit review
of the proposal or as otherwise authorized by law. Portions of proposals resulting in awards that contain
descriptions of inventions in which either the Government or the funding recipient owns a right, title, or
interest (including a nonexclusive license) will not normally be made available to the public until a
reasonable time has been allowed for filing patent applications. NOAA will notify the recipient of receipt
of requests for copies of funded proposals so the recipient may advise NOAA of such inventions
described, or other confidential, commercial, or proprietary information contained in the proposal. NOAA
may, at its own discretion, make publicly visible the data management plan from funded projects, or use
information from the data management plan to produce a formal metadata record and include that
metadata in a catalog to indicate the pending availability of new data.
The applicant acknowledges and understands that information and data contained in applications for
financial assistance, as well as information and data contained in financial, performance and other
reports submitted by applicants, may be used by the Department of Commerce in conducting reviews and
evaluations of its financial assistance programs. For this purpose, applicant information and data may be
accessed, reviewed, and evaluated by Department of Commerce employees, other Federal employees,
and also by Federal agents and contractors, and/or by non-Federal personnel, all of whom enter into
appropriate conflict of interest and confidentiality agreements covering the use of such information. As
may be provided in the terms and conditions of a specific financial assistance award, applicants are
expected to support program reviews and evaluations by submitting required financial and performance
information and data in an accurate and timely manner, and by cooperating with the Department of
Commerce and external program evaluators. Following 2 C.F.R. § 200.303(e), applicants are reminded
that they must take reasonable measures to safeguard protected personally identifiable information and
other confidential or sensitive personal or business information created or obtained in connection with a
Department of Commerce financial assistance award.
PERMITS. It is the applicant's responsibility to obtain all permits and approvals from Federal, state, and
local governments and private landowners where necessary for the proposed work to be conducted. If
applicable, documentation of requests or approvals of environmental permits must be received by the
NOAA Program Manager prior to release of funding. Failure to apply for and obtain Federal, state, and
local permits, approvals, or letters of agreement may delay the award of funds if a project is otherwise
selected for funding. In some cases, if additional permits and approvals are required after an application
is selected, funds may be withheld by the NOAA Grants Officer under a specific award condition requiring
the recipient to submit required permits and approvals.
B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
UNIFORM ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS, COST PRINCIPLES, AND AUDIT REQUIREMENTS.
Through 2 C.F.R. § 1327.101, the Department of Commerce adopted Uniform Administrative
Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards at 2 C.F.R. Part 200, which
applies to awards in this program. Refer to http://go.usa.gov/SBYh and http://go.usa.gov/SBg4.
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE PRE-AWARD NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS FOR GRANTS AND
COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS. The Department of Commerce Pre-Award Notification Requirements for
Grants and Cooperative Agreements contained in the Federal Register notice of December 30, 2014 (79
FR 78390) are applicable to this solicitation and may be accessed online at
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2014-12-30/pdf/2014-30297.pdf.
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE (DOC) TERMS AND CONDITIONS. Successful applicants who accept a
NOAA award under this solicitation will be bound by the DOC Financial Assistance Standard Terms and
Conditions. This document will be provided in the award package in eRA at
https://www.commerce.gov/oam/policy/financial-assistance-policy.
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BUREAU TERMS AND CONDITIONS. Successful applicants who accept an award under this solicitation
will be bound by bureau-specific standard terms and conditions. These terms and conditions will be
provided in the award package in the eRA system. For NOAA awards only, the Administrative Standard
Award Conditions for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Financial Assistance
Awards U.S. Department of Commerce are applicable to this solicitation and may be accessed online at
https://www.noaa.gov/organization/acquisition-grants/financial-assistance
HUMAN SUBJECTS RESEARCH. For research projects involving Human Subjects an Institutional Review
Board (IRB) approval or an exemption determination will be required in accordance with DOC Financial
Assistance Standard Terms and Conditions Section G.05.i “Research Involving Human Subjects” found at
https://www.commerce.gov/oam/policy/financial-assistance-policy.
NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT (NEPA). NOAA must analyze the potential environmental
impacts, as required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), for applicant projects or proposals
which are seeking NOAA federal funding opportunities. Detailed information on NOAA compliance with
NEPA can be found at the following NOAA NEPA website: http://www.nepa.noaa.gov/, including our
NOAA Administrative Order 216-6 for NEPA, http://www.nepa.noaa.gov/NAO216_6.pdf, and the Council
on Environmental Quality implementation regulations, http://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/NEPA-
40CFR1500_1508.pdf. Consequently, as part of an applicant's package, and under their description of
their program activities, applicants are required to provide detailed information on the activities to be
conducted, locations, sites, species and habitat to be affected, possible construction activities, and any
environmental concerns that may exist (e.g., the use and disposal of hazardous or toxic chemicals,
introduction of non- indigenous species, impacts to endangered and threatened species, aquaculture
projects, and impacts to coral reef systems). In addition to providing specific information that will serve
as the basis for any required impact analyses, applicants may also be requested to assist NOAA in
drafting an environmental assessment, if NOAA determines an assessment is required. Applicants will
also be required to cooperate with NOAA in identifying feasible measures to reduce or avoid any
identified adverse environmental impacts of their proposal. Failure to do so shall be grounds for not
selecting an application. In some cases if additional information is required after an application is
selected, funds can be withheld by the Grants Officer under a special award condition requiring the
recipient to submit additional environmental compliance information sufficient to enable NOAA to make
an assessment on any impacts that a project may have on the environment.
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT. Department of Commerce regulations implementing the Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. Sec. 552, are found at 15 C.F.R. Part 4, Public Information. These
regulations set forth rules for the Department regarding making requested materials, information, and
records publicly available under the FOIA. Applications submitted in response to this Notice of Funding
Opportunity may be subject to requests for release under the Act. In the event that an application
contains information or data that the applicant deems to be confidential commercial information that
should be exempt from disclosure under FOIA, that information should be identified, bracketed, and
marked as Privileged, Confidential, Commercial or Financial Information. In accordance with 15 CFR §
4.9, the Department of Commerce will protect from disclosure confidential business information
contained in financial assistance applications and other documentation provided by applicants to the
extent permitted by law.
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DATA SHARING PLAN.1. Environmental data and information collected or created under NOAA grants or
cooperative agreements must be made discoverable by and accessible to the general public, in a timely
fashion (at the time of publication or within two years of the project ending), free of charge or at no more
than the cost of reproduction, unless an exemption is granted by the NOAA Program. Data should be
available in at least one machine-readable format, preferably a widely-used or open-standard format, and
should also be accompanied by machine-readable documentation (metadata), preferably based on widely
used or international standards. 2. Proposals submitted in response to this Announcement must include
a Data Management Plan of up to two pages describing how these requirements will be satisfied. The
Data Management Plan should be aligned with the Data Management Guidance provided by NOAA in the
Announcement. The contents of the Data Management Plan (or absence thereof), and past performance
regarding such plans, will be considered as part of proposal review. A typical plan should include
descriptions of the types of environmental data and information expected to be created during the course
of the project; the tentative date by which data will be shared; the standards to be used for data/metadata
format and content; methods for providing data access; approximate total volume of data to be collected;
and prior experience in making such data accessible. The costs of data preparation, accessibility, or
archiving may be included in the proposal budget unless otherwise stated in the Guidance. Accepted
submission of data to the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) is one way to
satisfy data sharing requirements; however, NCEI is not obligated to accept all submissions and may
charge a fee, particularly for large or unusual datasets. 3. NOAA may, at its own discretion, make publicly
visible the Data Management Plan from funded proposals, or use information from the Data Management
Plan to produce a formal metadata record and include that metadata in a Catalog to indicate the pending
availability of new data. 4. Proposal submitters are hereby advised that the final pre-publication
manuscripts of scholarly articles produced entirely or primarily with NOAA funding will be required to be
submitted to NOAA Institutional Repository after acceptance, and no later than upon publication. Such
manuscripts shall be made publicly available by NOAA upon publication by the journal.
More information can be found on NOAA’s Data Management Procedures at: NOAA Administrative Order
(NAO) 212-15B: Management of NOAA Data and Information, Data Management Handbook.pdf and at
NAO 212-15 Management of Environmental Data and Information:
https://www.noaa.gov/organization/administration/nao-212-15-management-of-environmental-data-and-
information
NOAA SEXUAL ASSAULT AND SEXUAL HARASSMENT PREVENTION AND RESPONSE POLICY. NOAA
requires organizations receiving federal assistance to report findings of sexual harassment, or any other
kind of harassment, regarding a Principal Investigator (PI), co-PI, or any other key personnel in the award.
NOAA expects all financial assistance recipients to establish and maintain clear and unambiguous
standards of behavior to ensure harassment free workplaces wherever NOAA grant or cooperative
agreement work is conducted, including notification pathways for all personnel, including students, on the
awards. This expectation includes activities at all on- and offsite facilities and during conferences and
workshops. All such settings should have accessible and evident means for reporting violations and
recipients should exercise due diligence with timely investigations of allegations and corrective actions.
For more information, please visit: https://www.noaa.gov/organization/acquisition-grants/noaa-
workplace-harassment-training-for-contractors-and-financial.
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SCIENCE INTEGRITY. 1. Maintaining Integrity. The non-Federal entity shall maintain the scientific integrity
of research performed pursuant to this grant or financial assistance award including the prevention,
detection, and remediation of any allegations regarding the violation of scientific integrity or scientific and
research misconduct, and the conduct of inquiries, investigations, and adjudications of allegations of
violations of scientific integrity or scientific and research misconduct. All the requirements of this
provision flow down to subrecipients. 2. Peer Review. The peer review of the results of scientific activities
under a NOAA grant, financial assistance award or cooperative agreement shall be accomplished to
ensure consistency with NOAA standards on quality, relevance, scientific integrity, reproducibility,
transparency, and performance. NOAA will ensure that peer review of "influential scientific information" or
"highly influential scientific assessments" is conducted in accordance with the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) Final Information Quality Bulletin for Peer Review and NOAA policies on peer review, such
as the Information Quality Guidelines. 3. In performing or presenting the results of scientific activities
under the NOAA grant, financial assistance award, or cooperative agreement and in responding to
allegations regarding the violation of scientific integrity or scientific and research misconduct, the non-
Federal entity and all subrecipients shall comply with the provisions herein and NOAA Administrative
Order (NAO) 202-735D, Scientific Integrity, and its Procedural Handbook, including any amendments
thereto. That Order can be found at https://www.noaa.gov/organization/administration/nao-202-735d-2-
scientific-integrity. 4. Primary Responsibility. The non-Federal entity shall have the primary responsibility
to prevent, detect, and investigate allegations of a violation of scientific integrity or scientific and research
misconduct. Unless otherwise instructed by the grants officer, the non-Federal entity shall promptly
conduct an initial inquiry into any allegation of such misconduct and may rely on its internal policies and
procedures, as appropriate, to do so. 5. By executing this grant, financial assistance award, or cooperative
agreement the non-Federal entity provides its assurance that it has established an administrative process
for performing an inquiry, investigating, and reporting allegations of a violation of scientific integrity or
scientific and research misconduct; and that it will comply with its own administrative process for
performing an inquiry, investigation, and reporting of such misconduct. 6. The non-Federal entity shall
insert this provision in all subawards at all tiers under this grant, financial assistance award, or
cooperative agreement.
REVIEW OF RISK. After applications are proposed for funding by the Selecting Official, the Grants Office
will perform administrative reviews, including an assessment of risk posed by the applicant under 2 C.F.R.
200.206. These may include assessments of the financial stability of an applicant and the quality of the
applicant’s management systems, history of performance, and the applicant’s ability to effectively
implement statutory, regulatory, or other requirements imposed on non-Federal entities. Special
conditions that address any risks determined to exist may be applied. Applicants may submit comments
about any information concerning organizational performance listed in the Responsibility/Qualification
section of SAM.gov for consideration by the awarding agency.
REVIEWS AND EVALUATION. The applicant acknowledges and understands that information and data
contained in applications for financial assistance, as well as information and data contained in financial,
performance and other reports submitted by applicants, may be used by the Department of Commerce in
conducting reviews and evaluations of its financial assistance programs. For this purpose, applicant
information and data may be accessed, reviewed and evaluated by Department of Commerce employees,
other Federal employees, and also by Federal agents and contractors, and/or by non-Federal personnel,
all of whom enter into appropriate conflict of interest and confidentiality agreements covering the use of
such information. As may be provided in the terms and conditions of a specific financial assistance
award, applicants are expected to support program reviews and evaluations by submitting required
financial and performance information and data in an accurate and timely manner, and by cooperating
with the Department of Commerce and external program evaluators. In accordance with §200.303(e),
applicants are reminded that they must take reasonable measures to safeguard protected personally
identifiable information and other confidential or sensitive personal or business information created or
obtained in connection with a Department of Commerce financial assistance award.
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REQUIRED USE OF AMERICAN IRON, STEEL, MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS, AND CONSTRUCTION
MATERIALS. If applicable, and pursuant to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (“IIJA”), Pub.L. No.
117-58, which includes the Build American, Buy American (BABA) Act, Pub. L. No. 117-58, §§ 70901-52
and OMB M-22-11, recipients of an award of Federal financial assistance from the Department of
Commerce (DOC) are hereby notified that none of the funds provided under this award may be used for a
project for infrastructure unless: 1) all iron and steel used in the project are produced in the United
States–this means all manufacturing processes, from the initial melting stage through the application of
coatings, occurred in the United States; 2) all manufactured products used in the project are produced in
the United States—this means the manufactured product was manufactured in the United States; and the
cost of the components of the manufactured product that are mined, produced, or manufactured in the
United States is greater than 55 percent of the total cost of all components of the manufactured product,
unless another standard for determining the minimum amount of domestic content of the manufactured
product has been established under applicable law or regulation; and 3) all construction materials1 are
manufactured in the United States—this means that all manufacturing processes for the construction
material occurred in the United States. The Buy America preference only applies to articles, materials, and
supplies that are consumed in, incorporated into, or affixed to an infrastructure project. As such, it does
not apply to tools, equipment, and supplies, such as temporary scaffolding, brought to the construction
site and removed at or before the completion of the infrastructure project. Nor does a Buy America
preference apply to equipment and furnishings, such as movable chairs, desks, and portable computer
equipment, that are used at or within the finished infrastructure project but are not an integral part of the
structure or permanently affixed to the infrastructure project.
WAIVERS. When necessary, recipients may apply for, and DOC may grant, a waiver from these
requirements. DOC will notify the recipient for information on the process for requesting a waiver from
these requirements. 1) When DOC has made a determination that one of the following exceptions applies,
the awarding official may waive the application of the domestic content procurement preference in any
case in which DOC determines that: a. applying the domestic content procurement preference would be
inconsistent with the public interest; b. the types of iron, steel, manufactured products, or construction
materials are not produced in the United States in sufficient and reasonably available quantities or of a
satisfactory quality; or c. the inclusion of iron, steel, manufactured products, or construction materials
produced in the United States will increase the cost of the overall project by more than 25 percent. A
request to waive the application of the domestic content procurement preference must be in writing. DOC
will provide instructions on the format, contents, and supporting materials required for any waiver
request. Waiver requests are subject to public comment periods of no less than 15 days and must be
reviewed by the Made in America Office.
DEFINITIONS. “Construction materials” includes an article, material, or supply—other than an item of
primarily iron or steel; a manufactured product; cement and cementitious materials; aggregates such as
stone, sand, or gravel; or aggregate binding agents or additives —that is or consists primarily of: non-
ferrous metals; plastic and polymer-based products (including polyvinylchloride, composite building
materials, and polymers used in fiber optic cables); glass (including optic glass); lumber; or drywall.
“Domestic content procurement preference’’ means all iron and steel used in the project are produced in
the United States; the manufactured products used in the project are produced in the United States; or the
construction materials used in the project are produced in the United States. “Infrastructure” includes, at a
minimum, the structures, facilities, and equipment for, in the United States, roads, highways, and bridges;
public transportation; dams, ports, harbors, and other maritime facilities; intercity passenger and freight
railroads; freight and intermodal facilities; airports; water systems, including drinking water and
wastewater systems; electrical transmission facilities and systems; utilities; broadband infrastructure;
and buildings and real property. Infrastructure includes facilities that generate, transport, and distribute
energy. ‘‘Project’’ means the construction, alteration, maintenance, or repair of infrastructure in the United
States. -- 1 Excludes cement and cementitious materials, aggregates such as stone, sand, or gravel, or
aggregate binding agents or additives. 2 IIJA, § 70917(c)(1).
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RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
The Department of Commerce has designated this award as Research and Development (R&D) under 2
CFR § 200.1 for purposes of award administration. The Federal-wide Research Terms and Conditions,
dated November 12, 2020, are no longer in effect and do not apply to this award. 2 CFR 200.308(h), which
applies to this award, provides a waiver of prior approval requirements in certain circumstances. In the
event the Department of Commerce adopts additional terms specific to R&D awards, this award may be
amended by the Grants Officer to incorporate the additional terms.
Executive Order 14173: Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity
Pursuant to Executive Order 14173, 90 FR 8633 (Jan. 21, 2025), Ending Illegal Discrimination and
Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity, each recipient that accepts a U.S. Department of Commerce financial
assistance award:
(1) agrees that compliance in all respects with all applicable Federal anti discrimination laws is material
to the government’s payment decisions for purposes of section 3729(b)(4) of Title 31 United States Code;
and
(2) certifies to the Department that it does not operate any programs promoting diversity, equity, and
inclusion that violate any applicable Federal anti-discrimination laws.
Indirect Cost Rate
Indirect Cost Rate - If an applicant does not have a current indirect cost rate with a federal agency they
may choose to negotiate a rate with the Department of Commerce or use the de minimis indirect cost
rate of 15% of Modified Total Direct Cost (MTDC) (as allowable under revisions to 2 C.F.R. §200.414 in
effect since October 2024). The negotiation and approval of a rate is subject to the procedures required
by NOAA and the Department of Commerce Standard Terms and Conditions. Do not include participant
support costs when determining the indirect cost base. Additionally, applicants should be aware that
most indirect cost rate agreements require that participant support costs be excluded from the MTDC
base when calculating indirect costs. Applicants should reference their official agreements. The NOAA
contact for indirect or facilities and administrative costs is: Jennifer Jackson, Grants Officer, NOAA
Grants Management Division, jennifer.jackson@noaa.gov.
GOLD STANDARD SCIENCE. In performing activities under Federal awards, applicants should commit to
complying with administration policies, procedures, and guidance respecting Gold Standard Science. As
detailed in Executive Order 14303, Restoring Gold Standard Science (May 23, 2025), Gold Standard
Science refers to science conducted in a manner that is:
• Reproducible.
• Transparent.
• Communicative of error and uncertainty.
• Collaborative and interdisciplinary.
• Skeptical of its findings and assumptions.
• Structured for falsifiability of hypotheses.
• Subject to unbiased peer review.
• Accepting of negative results as positive outcomes.
• Without conflicts of interest.
PROHIBITION ON USING FEDERAL AWARDS TO PROMOTE OR SUPPORT THEORIES OF DISPARATE-
IMPACT LIABILITY. In accordance with Executive Order 14281, Restoring Equality of Opportunity and
Meritocracy (April 23, 2025), it is the policy of the Federal Government to eliminate the use of disparate-
impact liability in all contexts to the maximum possible and permitted by law.
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TERMINATION. In accordance with 2 CFR § 200.340(a), this federal award may be terminated in part or in
its entirety as follows:
1. By DOC or the pass-through entity if the recipient or subrecipient fails to comply with the terms and
conditions of this federal award.
2. By DOC or the pass-through entity with the consent of the recipient or subrecipient, in which case the
two parties must agree upon the termination conditions. These conditions include the effective date and,
in the case of partial termination, the portion to be terminated.
3. By the recipient or subrecipient upon sending DOC or the pass-through entity a written notification of
the reasons for termination, the effective date, and, in the case of partial termination, the portion to be
terminated. If DOC or the pass-through entity determines that the remaining portion of this federal award
will not accomplish the purposes for which this federal award was made, DOC or the pass-through entity
may terminate this federal award in its entirety.
4. By DOC or the pass-through entity to the extent authorized by law, if the award no longer effectuates
the program goals or agency priorities.
Performance Measures: NOAA will evaluate project performance based on alignment with administration
priorities, including but not limited to, domestic economic expansion, infrastructure modernization,
capacity building, and national food security, alongside adherence to Executive Orders and 'Gold Standard
Science.' These overarching criteria are assessed through a framework that measures a project’s
contribution to fishery economic optimization, domestic seafood utilization, infrastructure capacity,
supply chain resilience, and national maritime strategy. To ensure effective implementation, NOAA
reserves the right to incorporate specific quantitative and qualitative metrics into the award agreement
(i.e. Notice of Award; Specific Award Conditions). These metrics will be focused on the project’s
objectives and its ability to foster industry growth, technical modernization, and workforce readiness.
C. Reporting
In accordance with 2 CFR 200.328-9 and the terms and conditions of the award, financial reports are to
be submitted semi-annually and performance (technical) reports are to be submitted semi-annually.
Reports are submitted electronically through eRA.
The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act, 31 U.S.C. 6101 note, includes a requirement
for awardees of applicable Federal grants to report information about first-tier subawards and executive
compensation under Federal assistance awards. All awardees of applicable grants and cooperative
agreements are required to report to the FFATA Subaward Reporting System (FSRS) available at
https://www.fsrs.gov/ on all subawards over $30,000. Refer to 2 CFR Part 170.
Research Performance Progress Reports (RPPR) must follow NOAA CI Administration Office (CIAO)
policy requirements.
VII. Agency Contacts
For questions regarding this announcement contact the Cooperative Institutes Administration Office
(CIAO), OAR, NOAA at cipo.oar@noaa.gov.
VIII. Other Information
Section 508 Compliance
All public-facing products produced with funding from the award(s)/project(s) must ensure compliance
with Section 508 of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
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The grant application and final report of all funded grants are public documents, except for privileged
information or material that is personal, proprietary or otherwise exempt from disclosure under law.
Appropriate labeling in the application will aid identification of what may be specifically exempt. The
applicant acknowledges and understands that information and data contained in applications for
financial assistance, as well as information and data contained in financial, performance and other
reports submitted by applicants, may be used by the Department of Commerce in conducting reviews and
evaluations of its financial assistance programs. For this purpose, applicant information and data may be
accessed, reviewed and evaluated by Department of Commerce employees, other federal employees, and
also by federal agents and contractors, and/or by non-federal personnel, all of whom enter into
appropriate conflict of interest and confidentiality agreements covering the use of such information. As
may be provided in the terms and conditions of a specific financial assistance award, applicants are
expected to support program reviews and evaluations by submitting required financial and performance
information and data in an accurate and timely manner, and by cooperating with Department of
Commerce and external program evaluators.
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