FY 2024 – 2026 Broad Agency Announcement (BAA), National Marine Fisheries Service

NOAA-NMFS-FHQ-2024-27611

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 ................................................................................................................................................3
III. Eligibility Information ..........................................................................................................................................4
IV. Application and Submission Information ............................................................................................................4
V. Application Review Information ...........................................................................................................................8
VI. Award Administration Information ....................................................................................................................10
VII. Agency Contacts ...............................................................................................................................................15
VIII. Other Information ............................................................................................................................................15
Executive Summary
Federal Agency Name
Fisheries Headquarters Program Office (FHQ)
Funding Opportunity Title
FY 2024 – 2026 Broad Agency Announcement (BAA), National Marine Fisheries Service
Announcement Type
Broad Agency Announcement
Funding Opportunity Number
NOAA-NMFS-FHQ-2024-27611
Assistance Listing Number(s)
11.015
Dates
Applications may be submitted to Grants.gov up to 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on September 30, 2026.
Applications received after this time will not be reviewed or considered for funding. Applications will be considered
on a continuing/rolling basis as they are received.
Funding Opportunity Description
This BAA is for the National Marine Fisheries Service, also known as NOAA Fisheries. The purpose of this notice
is to request applications for special projects and programs associated with the NOAA Fisheries strategic plan and
mission goals, as well as to provide the general public with information and guidelines on how NOAA will select
applications and administer discretionary Federal assistance under this Broad Agency Announcement (BAA). This
notice is not a mechanism to fund existing NOAA awards.
Each NOAA Line Office that supports financial assistance (National Marine Fisheries Service, National Ocean
Service, National Weather Service, Office of Atmospheric Research, Office of Education, and National
Environmental Satellite Data Information Service) has a separate BAA found in Grants.gov, so applicants should
submit their application to the BAA for the Line Office that best fits their application. A description of NOAA Line
Offices is found at https://www.corporateservices.noaa.gov/public/lineoffices.html and
https://www.noaa.gov/office-education. Applicants may also contact the Agency Contact below for more
information. If you submit the same application to more than Line Office, mention this in your application and
notify the relevant contacts so that NOAA may coordinate internally.
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Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
A. Program Objective
This Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) is a mechanism to encourage research, education and outreach,
innovative projects, or sponsorships that are not addressed through NOAA Fisheries’s competitive discretionary
programs. This announcement is not soliciting goods or services for the direct benefit of NOAA.
Funding for activities described in this notice is contingent upon the availability of appropriations in the fiscal years
applicable to the application. Applicants are hereby given notice that funds have not yet been appropriated for any
activities described in this notice. Publication of this announcement does not oblige NOAA to review an application
beyond an initial administrative review, or to award any specific project, or to obligate any available funds.
B. Program Priorities
As an agency with responsibilities for maintaining and improving the viability of marine and coastal ecosystems; for
delivering valuable weather, climate, and water information and services; for understanding the science and
consequences of climate change; and for supporting the global commerce and transportation upon which we all
depend, NOAA must remain current and responsive in an ever-changing world.
We do this in concert with our partners and stakeholders in Federal, state, and local governments and private
organizations, applying a systematic approach that links our strategic goals through multi-year plans to the daily
activities of our employees. Every year we re-evaluate our progress and priorities, look for efficiencies, and take
advantage of new opportunities to improve our information, products, and services.
In furtherance of this objective, NOAA Fisheries issues this BAA for extramural research, innovative projects, and
sponsorships (e.g., conferences, newsletters, etc.) that address one or more of the following mission goal
descriptions contained in the NOAA Fisheries 2022-2025 Strategic Plan:
Strategic Goal 1: Adaptively Manage Fisheries for Sustainability and Economic Competitiveness
Rapidly changing ocean conditions are disrupting fisheries, fishing communities, and seafood economics as the
geographic ranges of fish stocks expand, contract, or shift poleward or offshore, and the productivity of fish and
other living marine resources becomes less predictable. The challenge moving forward will be to provide the science
needed to further integrate climate change considerations into an ecosystem approach to fisheries management and
to model and forecast the effects of changing ocean conditions and habitats on fish stocks, fisheries, and seafood
productivity in a timely manner. Deploying economic tools and forecasts to promote responsible and sustainable
industry growth, diversify market opportunities, strengthen supply chains, and ensure participation of
underrepresented communities will build resilience to fishery disasters and market shocks in our fishing and seafood
industries. Combating the threat of IUU (illegal, unreported, and unregulated) fishing and ensuring fair and
reciprocal trade in fish products will protect U.S. competitiveness and sustainability goals, and prevent harm to
protected resources globally. Domestic marine aquaculture production can help to supplement U.S. wild-caught
fisheries while promoting business and employment opportunities. Additionally, the siting, construction, and
operation of offshore wind facilities will require scientific and social analyses to sustainably grow the blue economy.
In furtherance of this strategic goal, NOAA Fisheries will pursue strategies to:
• Manage stocks for optimum yield and build climate and economic resilience in U.S. seafood and fishing
sectors
• Advance climate science and ecosystem-based fishery management (EBFM) to increase the sustainability
of marine fisheries
• Mitigate and adapt to climate-driven changes in fisheries habitat
• Diversify our data collection technologies and expand/modernize data products and services
• Ensure equity and accessibility for tribal, indigenous, and underserved communities
• Counter IUU fishing activity
Strategic Goal 2: Safeguard Protected Species and Propel Their Recovery
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NOAA Fisheries has been a first line of defense for more than 50 years in recovering threatened and endangered
marine and anadromous species and in preventing harm or harassment of marine mammals and sea turtles. Increased
human interactions (e.g., bycatch, incidental take, and anthropogenic noise) and changing environmental conditions
(e.g., warming temperatures, acidification, pollution, sediment runoff, and habitat degradation) have contributed to
the decline of many of these marine species. Advancing our scientific understanding of the escalating impacts of
climate change on marine species and their habitat is critical in our efforts to propose science-based solutions to
conserve and recover them. We conduct pioneering research to assess, evaluate, and monitor protected species
populations, their health, health trends, and the human impacts they face. Working with partners, we develop
conservation policies, guidance, and regulations to conserve and recover protected marine species, and consult on
proposed actions to mitigate threats to their survival. Our proactive outreach and efforts to enforce and promote
compliance with our conservation efforts help to protect these vulnerable marine species. In furtherance of this
strategic goal, NOAA Fisheries will pursue strategies to:
• Implement actions to recover endangered and threatened species
• Model and predict the effects of climate change on protected marine species, to improve conservation
outcomes
• Expand the use of advanced and innovative technologies
• Protect and restore important habitats necessary for the recovery of endangered marine species
• Protect marine species while supporting ocean-based economic growth
Strategic Goal 3: Diversify our Workforce, Promote Equity and Environmental Justice, and Improve our
Mission Performance Through Organizational Excellence
Three key elements of a successful organization are its people, infrastructure, and business processes. NOAA
Fisheries recognizes that the success of our mission relies on the expertise and commitment of our diverse, talented
employees and partners. We will implement our plan for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA),
including recruiting and training a workforce of the future, which represents a cross-section of society and has the
skills and competencies in emerging technologies to meet evolving needs. Our approach in managing infrastructure
and technology must consider the potentials of a virtual working environment, and cloud computing. Improving
communication across the agency and outreach to our constituents and members of Congress will improve
coordination on the progress of our mission. Implementing transparent strategic resource management and
leveraging diverse funding sources will focus limited resources on our highest priorities. In furtherance of this
strategic goal, NOAA Fisheries will pursue strategies to:
• Promote total worker wellness
• Increase workforce diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility
• Develop workforce skills for the future
• Embrace a new paradigm for the workplace
• Adaptively manage infrastructure
• Optimize resources
• Expand internal and stakeholder communications
• Implement an Equity and Environmental Justice Strategy
C. Program Authority
The specific program authority will vary depending on the nature of the proposed project. A list of the most
prevalent assistance authorities are 15 U.S.C. 1540; 16 U.S.C. 1829; 16 U.S.C. 661; 16 US Code 753a; 33 USC
893a; and 33 U.S.C. 1442.
II. Award Information
A. Funding Availability
There are no funds specifically appropriated by Congress for this Broad Agency Announcement (BAA). Funding for
potential projects in this notice is contingent upon the availability of appropriations in the fiscal years applicable to
the application. Applicants are hereby given notice that funds have not yet been appropriated for any proposed
activities in this notice.
B. Project/Award Period
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The anticipated start date of the award generally will be three to six months after receipt of the application by
NOAA. Applications should generally be submitted for a one-year award period, but this may be negotiated if the
application is recommended for funding.
Note: The award must start on the first day of a month in the year, and end on the last day of a month in the year
(e.g. 08/01/2025 – 07/31/2026)
C. Type of Funding Instrument
Selected applicants will either enter into a grant or a cooperative agreement depending upon the amount of NOAA's
involvement in the project. Substantial involvement by NOAA in the project would require a cooperative agreement.
III. Eligibility Information
A. Eligible Applicants
Eligible applicants may be institutions of higher education, nonprofits, commercial organizations, international or
foreign organizations or governments, individuals, state, local, and Indian Tribal governments. Eligibility also
depends on the statutory authority that permits NOAA to fund the proposed activity. Funding of Federal
organizations is outside the scope of this announcement; if funding authority exists, Federal organizations seeking
NOAA funds should contact relevant program officials about the interagency agreement process.
B. Cost Share or Matching Requirement
Cost sharing is not required unless it is determined that a project can only be funded under an authority that requires
matching/cost sharing funds.
C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility
None.
IV. Application and Submission Information
A. Address to Request Application Package
Applicants can obtain electronic application packages through Grants.gov by using Notice of Funding Opportunity
Number NOAA-NMFS-FHQ-2024-27611 to conduct a search. Grants.gov requires applicants to complete a free
annual registration process in the electronic System for Award Management (SAM), found at https://sam.gov/SAM/,
as described in section IV.C. and IV.G. of this Announcement.
These registration processes can take several weeks and involve multiple steps. In order to allow sufficient time for
these processes, applicants should register as soon as they decide to apply even if they are not ready to submit their
application.
B. Content and Form of Application
1. Format Requirements.
All pages should be single-spaced and composed in at least 11-point font with one-inch margins on 8” x 11” paper.
The project description may not exceed 15 pages, exclusive of title page, project synopsis, literature cited, budget
information, resumes of investigators, and letters of support (if any). Failure to follow the requirements may result in
the rejection of the application and its subsequent return.
Any PDF or other attachments that are included in an electronic application must meet the above format requirement
when printed out.
2. Content Requirements.
The following information must be included:
a. Signed SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance: The SF-424 must be signed by the Authorized
Representative. Electronic signatures submitted through Grants.gov satisfy this requirement.
b. Title Page (1-page limit): The title page identifies the project's title, total budget, start and end dates; and the
Principal Investigator's (PI’s) and co-PI's names, affiliations, complete mailing addresses, email addresses,
telephone numbers and fax numbers. The title page must also identify the specific NOAA office (i.e., NMFS)
and the NOAA program targeted by the application. c. Project Synopsis (1-page limit): It is critical that the
project synopsis accurately describes the project being proposed and conveys all essential elements of the
activities. It is imperative that potential applicants tie their applications to one of the NOAA mission goals
described in Section I.B. of this announcement and state it here in the synopsis.
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d. Project Description (15-page limit): The applicant should describe and justify the project being proposed and
address each of the evaluation criteria as described below in Section V. Project descriptions should include
clear objectives and specific approaches to achieving those objectives, including methods, timelines, and
expected outcomes.
e. Literature Cited: If applicable
f. Assurances: The SF-424B Assurances form must be completed and submitted for all non-construction
applications, and the SF-424D Assurances form must be completed and submitted for all construction
applications.
g. Completed Form CD-511, Certification Regarding Lobbying.
h. Resumes for each major participant: Key Personnel; Principal Investigator(s).
i. Standard Application Forms: Please refer to the application package available through Grants.gov. Please
review each form to determine which are required with submission. Each applicant may not be required to
submit all forms listed, depending on the project type or applicant type.
j. National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Questionnaire: NOAA has a NEPA policy applicable to funding
applicants, described in Section VI of this announcement. NOAA has a NEPA Questionnaire that may be
applicable to some projects, but applicants do not need to provide answers to the NOAA NEPA Questionnaire
at this time. However, NOAA may require additional information from the applicant regarding potential
environmental impacts prior to reviewing the application.
k. Data Management Plan: If relevant for the proposed project, include a data sharing plan. Refer to Section VI.
l. Budget and Budget Justification: The SF-424A Budget Information Form must be completed, and there
should be a detailed budget justification accompanying the SF- 424 budget forms (SF-424A non-construction or
SF-424C construction, as appropriate). Indicate matching funds if provided in a separate column. Provide
justifications for all budget items in sufficient detail to enable the reviewers to evaluate the appropriateness of
the funding requested. The budget justification should be broken out and detailed using the same budget
categories as the SF-424 budget form (SF-424A or SF-424C). Budget Narrative Guidance can be found at:
https://www.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/gmd_budget_narrative_guidance_-_05-24-2017_final.pdf.
Applicants requesting indirect costs at a rate greater than the de minimis 10% must provide a signed copy of
their organization’s existing approved Federal indirect cost (IDC) rate agreement with the application package.
m. Indirect Costs: If an applicant has not previously established an indirect cost rate with a Federal agency, the
applicant may choose to negotiate a rate with its cognizant agency (the agency from which the applicant
receives the most grant funding), or use the de minimis indirect cost rate of 10% of Modified Total Direct Costs
(as allowable under 2 C.F.R. §200.414). Applicants requesting indirect costs at a rate greater than the de
minimis 10% must provide a signed copy of their existing approved Federal indirect cost (IDC) rate agreement
with the application package.
If an applicant seeks to establish a new indirect cost rate agreement and NOAA would be the cognizant agency,
the applicant must submit its indirect cost rate agreement documentation per the Department of Commerce
Financial Assistance Standard Terms and Conditions (2019),
https://www.osec.doc.gov/oam/grants_management/policy/documents/Department%20of%20Commerce%20St
andard%20Terms%20Conditions%2030%20April%202019.pdf,or any amended versions that may be
applicable (found at https://www.osec.doc.gov/oam/grants_management/policy/) within 90 days after award
start date or those costs will not be allowed. The approval process may take several weeks. The indirect cost
rate applications in these cases should be sent by mail or email (separately from the grant application) to:
Jennifer Jackson, Grants Officer
NOAA Grants Management Division,
Email: jennifer.jackson@noaa.gov
For applicants seeking to establish a new indirect cost rate agreement and NOAA would be the cognizant
agency, the information that must be provided (separate from the application) to establish an Approved Indirect
Cost Rate Agreement is described below:
Submitted by Non-Profits and Commercial Entities
1. A chart showing the organizational structure during the period for which the application applies, along
with a functional statement noting the duties and/or responsibilities of all units that comprise the
organization. Please make sure this includes a brief narrative background statement outlining the financial
operation of the organization.
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2. The basic proposal including all other supporting schedules and financial and statistical information
supporting the basic application. Any supporting schedules should be cross-referenced to the basic
application (accounting records and related work papers to support the costs contained in the indirect cost
application).
a. The total costs shown in the basic proposal should also reconcile to the financial statements in the
most recent audit report, which should also be provided.
b. Reconciliations/Analyses
i. As stated above, detailed reconciliation between the proposal and the financial statements;
ii. Adjusted detailed trial balance which agrees to the audited financial statements;
iii. Trend Analysis Report - It must itemize expense account line items that support the totals of
both direct and indirect expenses, for three years (only two years would be required if the entity
has only been in business for two years). Comparisons or trends of the indirect cost rates only will
cause your indirect cost proposal to be rejected, until the correctly prepared trend analysis report
is received; an
iv. Calculations showing how applicable prior year carry-forward amounts were applied to
formulate current year’s rate submission.
3. A listing of directly awarded grants and contracts by Federal agency, Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance (CFDA) number, dollar amounts separated by direct- indirect-total costs, period of
performance, applicable cost principle, and the identification of any cost limitations and special award
terms/conditions applicable to each.
4. Cost Policy Statement (e.g. Disclosure Statement) the purpose of which is to establish an unambiguous
understanding between the grantee and the Federal Government as to what costs will be charged directly
and what costs will be charged indirectly. If a Cost Policy Statement was submitted with last year’s
application and not proposing any changes to the current year’s submission, the following suggested
language should be included in their transmittal letter when a application is submitted: [ABC Organization]
hereby confirms that no changes to its accounting practices as set forth in its Cost Policy Statement dated
[date] have been made.
5. Statement of Total Costs contains all line items of cost included in the organization’s chart of accounts
and applicable columns for direct costs (by cost center/activity, Federal grants, non-Federal grants, fund
raising, etc.), indirect costs (overhead, G&A, etc.), and unallowable costs (if applicable). These columns
should show the type (e.g. labor, travel supplies, etc.) and amount of cost incurred by each activity. The
total costs should reconcile to the organization’s financial statements. If the reconciliation is not clear, the
organization should provide a separate schedule supporting the difference.
6. Statement of Indirect Costs contains all line items of cost included in the indirect cost pool(s), the
applicable base(s), and the resulting indirect cost rate(s). The allocation base should be traceable to the
organization’s total costs. If not clearly traceable, an additional schedule should be provided to support the
reconciliation.
7. Specific Personnel Costs includes a list of all volunteers by job title, along with a description of the
services they provided to the organization, if significant. Also required is a list of all management level
employees, their position descriptions and salaries.
8. Certification of Indirect Costs - A completed Certification must be signed on behalf of the organization
by an official at a level no lower than Executive Director or Chief Financial Officer. The Certification must
identify the period of coverage for the indirect cost proposal, asserting that it has been prepared in
accordance with the applicable cost principles and guidelines [2 CFR Part 200 (non-profits), FAR Part 31
(commercial)].
9. Identification of Other Items to be included within the indirect cost proposal package. If these items are
not provided with the organization’s proposal, it may be necessary for them to be provided later during the
review process as circumstances dictate.
a. Identify assets purchased with Federal sponsored program funds or Non-Federal sponsored program
funds, if any, and specify if ownership remains with sponsoring entity or transfers to recipient upon
successful completion of the awards.
b. Identify all related party transactions.
c. Identify idle facilities, if any.
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10. Lobbying Certificate – A completed Certification must be signed on behalf of the organization by an
official at a level no lower than Executive Director or Chief Financial Officer. Completion of this
Certification indicates the organization has complied with the requirements and standards on lobbying
costs in the development of the indirect cost rate.
11. DOC’s Indirect Cost Proposal Checklist. Please mark the Checklist item number on the corresponding
document (or start of section) within the final proposal package. Follow this link to view a copy of the IDC
Proposal Checklist: https://rates.psc.gov/fms/dca/icpchecklist.pdf
Submitted by States and Local Government and Indian Tribe
All entities receiving this Guidance desiring to claim indirect costs under Federal awards using an indirect
cost rate must prepare and maintain their completed indirect cost rate proposal for review, as set forth in 2
CFR Part 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements for Federal Grants.
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.
C. Unique entity identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)
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
Applications can be submitted on a rolling basis starting from the publication date of this Broad Agency
Announcement up to 11:59:59 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time on September 30, 2026. Applications received after this
time will not be reviewed or considered for funding. Applications shall be evaluated for funding generally within
three to six months of receipt. An applicant can expect to receive either a rejection notice based on the initial
prescreening review (if found ineligible), a rejection notice based on merit review or program restrictions, a request
for additional information, and/or an award within that time frame.
E. Intergovernmental Review
Applications submitted by state and local governments are subject to the provisions of Executive Order 12372,
"Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." Any applicant submitting an application for funding is required to
complete item 16 on the SF-424 regarding clearance by the State Single Point of Contact (SPOC) established as a
result of EO 12372.
To find out about and comply with a State's process under EO 12372, the names, addresses and phone numbers of
participating SPOCs are listed in the Office Management and Budget's home page at
https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_spoc
F. Funding Restrictions
None, unless required by the statute under which the award is funded.
G. Other Submission Requirements
Applicants must register with Grants.gov before any application materials can be submitted. An organization's one
time registration process may take up to three weeks or more to complete. To use Grants.gov, an applicant must
have a Unique Entity ID (UEI) number and be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) (both of
which require periodic renewals). Applicants can receive a UEI number and a SAM registration at no cost by
visiting https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration . Please do not register in SAM as a “Private” entity.
Allow a minimum of five days to complete the SAM registration, which will require the applicant’s Employer
Identification Number. The entire registration process, including Grants.gov, UEI, and SAM, it may take more than
three weeks to complete., and the registration must be renewed annually. Please allow sufficient time for these steps.
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The Grants.gov site contains directions for submitting an application, the application package (forms), and is also
where the completed application is submitted. The downloadable application package is available on Grants.gov.
The package will be available for this solicitation's Workspace or download a copy of the application package,
complete it offline, and then upload and submit the application via the Grants.gov site. Use the Notice of Funding
Opportunity Number NOAA-NMFS-FHQ-2024-27611 to conduct a search and obtain electronic application
packages.
After electronic submission of the application through Grants.gov, the person submitting the application will receive
up to three email messages from Grants.gov updating them on the progress of their application. In the first 24 to 48
hours after submission, the first email will confirm receipt of the application by the Grants.gov system, and the
second will indicate that the application has either been successfully validated by the system before transmission to
the grantor agency or has been rejected because of errors. Only validated applications are sent to NOAA for review.
After the application has been validated, this same person will receive a third email, generally within two days,
when the application has been downloaded by NOAA. If an applicant has not received an email verifying that the
application has been downloaded by NOAA, the applicant is responsible for contacting the federal program officer
for this Announcement and providing documentation that demonstrates the application was submitted to Grants.gov
ahead of the deadline.
The assistance listing number will vary depending on the nature of the proposed project. The applicant should
consult the assistance listing series available at https.sam.gov/. The applicant should review the assistance listing
numbers associated with the “National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration” (Generally 11.400 - 11.481 as
well as 11.008, 11.011, 11.012, 11.015, 11.017 and 11.021) and select the most accurate program for the proposed
project. The assistance listing will also provide the applicant with the eligibility requirements in order to determine
if an applicant can apply under that particular assistance listing.
NOAA uses the eRA system to electronically administer their Grants Management Portfolio. eRA commons,
public.era.nih.gov, is the public facing portal that recipients will use to manage any awarded applications. You can
register at the You can register at the public.era.nih.gov. If you require assistance you can review the instructions
here https://www.era.nih.gov/register-accounts/register-in-era-commons.htm.
The first listed PD/PI on the application must include their eRA Commons ID in the “Credential, e.g., agency login”
field of form. Failure to register in eRA Commons and to include a valid PD/PI Commons ID in the Applicant
Identifier field on the SF-424 form will prevent the successful submission of an electronic application. Additional
personnel included on the form do not need to include this information, however eRA will create a warning
recommending those personnel also have valid eRA Commons IDs. Again - it is not required that those additional
personnel include valid eRA Commons IDs regardless of the warnings created by the eRA system.
H. Address for Submitting Proposals
Each NOAA Line Office that supports financial assistance has a separate BAA found in Grants.gov, so applicants
must submit their application to the BAA for the Line Office that best fits their application. A description of NOAA
Line Offices is found at https://www.corporateservices.noaa.gov/public/lineoffices.html. If you submit the same
application to more than one Line Office, please state this in your application. Contact officials for each Line Office
is listed below.
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)
Jeffrey Kulnis
jeffrey.kulnis@noaa.gov
(301) 427-8771
SSMC3 Rm: 14358
1315 East-West Hwy
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3282
V. Application Review Information
Evaluation Criteria
1. Importance/relevance and applicability of proposed projects to the program goals Maximum Points: 20
This criterion ascertains whether there is intrinsic value in the proposed work and/or relevance to NOAA, federal,
regional, state, or local activities.
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This ascertains whether there is intrinsic value in the proposed work and/or relevance to NOAA, Federal, regional,
state, or local activities: i.e., How does the proposed activity enhance NOAA's strategic plan and mission goals?
Applications should also address significance/possibilities of securing productive results, i.e., Does this study
address an important problem? If the aims of the application are achieved, how will scientific knowledge be
advanced? What will be the effect of these studies on the concepts or methods that drive this field? What effect will
the project have on improving public understanding of the role of the ocean, coasts, and atmosphere in the global
ecosystem?
Applications may also be scored for innovation, i.e., Does the project employ novel concepts, approaches or
methods? Are the aims original and innovative? Does the project challenge existing paradigms or develop new
methodologies or technologies?
2. Technical/scientific merit Maximum Points: 20
This criterion assesses whether the approach is technically sound and/or innovative, if the methods are appropriate,
and whether there are clear project goals and objectives.
This assesses whether the approach is technically sound and if the methods are appropriate, and whether there are
clear project goals and objectives. Applications should address the approach/soundness of design: i.e., Are the
conceptual framework, design, methods, and analyses adequately developed, well-integrated, and appropriate to the
aims of the audiences to be engaged through the project? Does the applicant acknowledge potential problem areas
and consider alternative tactics?
This criterion should also address the applicant's proposed methods for monitoring, measuring, and evaluating the
success or failure of the project, i.e.,What are they? Are they appropriate?
Additionally, if needed, a data sharing 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.
3. Overall qualifications of applicants Maximum Points: 20
his criterion ascertains whether the applicant possesses the necessary education, experience, training, facilities, and
administrative resources to accomplish the project.
This ascertains whether the applicant possesses the necessary education, experience, training, facilities, and
administrative resources to accomplish the project. If appropriate, applications should also address the physical
environment and collaboration, if any, i.e., Does the environment in which the work will be done contribute to the
probability of success? Do the proposed experiments or activities take advantage of unique features of the intended
environment or employ useful collaborative arrangements?
4. Project costs Maximum Points: 20
This criterion evaluates the budget to determine if it is realistic and commensurate with the project needs and time
frame.
The budget is evaluated to determine if the cost is realistic and commensurate with the project needs and time-
frame.
5. Outreach and Education Maximum Points: 20
This criterion assesses whether the project provides a focused and effective education and outreach strategy
regarding NOAA's mission to protect the Nation's natural resources.
NOAA assesses whether this project provides a focused and effective education and outreach strategy regarding
NOAA’s mission to protect the Nation’s natural resources. NOAA assesses whether this project aligns with
NOAA's education vision, for an informed society that uses ocean, coastal, Great Lakes, weather, and climate
science to make the best social, economic, and environmental decisions. Evaluation of these criteria will include if
the project addresses any of the goals or employ any of the strategies of the NOAA Education Plan
(http://www.noaa.gov/explainers/noaa- education-strategic-plan), as well as how the outcomes of the project will be
communicated to NOAA and the interested public.
Review and Selection Process
NOAA will conduct an initial administrative review to determine eligibility for award, compliance with
requirements and completeness of the application. This review includes determining whether:
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1. Sufficient funds are available in the budget of the program office receiving the application to support the
proposed project;
2. Statutory authority exists to provide financial assistance for the project or organization;
3. A complete application package has been submitted, that is, all required elements of the application are
included and application follows format requirements;
4. The Project Description/Narrative is consistent with one or more of NOAA’s mission goals;
5. The application falls within the scope of an existing NOAA competitive announcement (found at
www.Grants.gov) or duplicates an existing non-discretionary project announced or awarded in FY22,
FY23, FY24, FY25, or FY26, in which case it cannot be funded under this announcement;
6. The work in the application does not directly benefit NOAA (if it will, it should be supported by a
procurement contract, not a financial assistance award which cannot be funded under this announcement, as
provided in 31 U.S.C. 6303).
Applications not passing this initial review will not be considered further for funding through this BAA and will not
receive further review. NOAA will evaluate application(s) that pass this initial review and comply with all the
requirements under this BAA individually (i.e., applications will be not compared to each other). A merit review
will be conducted by mail reviewers and/or peer panel reviewers. Each reviewer will individually evaluate the
application(s) using the evaluation criteria provided above; a minimum of three merit reviewers per application is
required. More than three reviewers may be used based on the complexity of the application. The reviewers may be
any combination of Federal and/or non-Federal personnel. Reviewers may discuss an application, but if more than
one non-Federal reviewer is used, the application(s) will be individually scored (i.e., a consensus is not reached).
Otherwise, the Program Officer has the discretion to authorize a score based on consensus. NOAA selects evaluators
on the bases of their professional qualifications and expertise as related to the unique characteristics of the
application. The NOAA Program Officer will assess the evaluations and make a fund or do-not-fund
recommendation to the Selecting Official with an explanation of the reasons for the recommendation. The selection
official shall provide a rationale for funding the application and shall address any comments provided by the
reviewers. Any applicant considered for funding may be required to address the issues raised in the evaluation of the
application by the reviewers, Program Officer, Selecting Official, and/or Grants Officer before an award is issued.
Applications not selected for funding in the fiscal year the application is submitted may be considered for funding in
a subsequent fiscal year, but may be required to revalidate the terms of the original application or resubmit in the
next BAA cycle if one is published. The Program Officer, Selecting Official and/or Grants Officer may negotiate the
final funding level of the application with the intended applicant. The Selecting Official makes the final
recommendation for award to the NOAA Grants Officer who is authorized to commit the Federal Government and
obligate the funds.
Selection Factors
Not applicable.
Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates
Subject to the availability of funds, awards are expected to be made three to six months after receipt by NOAA of
the full application. Given this time frame, applicants applying in Fiscal Year 2024 should take into consideration
that submissions received after March 31, 2024 may not be able to be awarded in FY24 (October 1, 2023 through
September 30, 2024). Submissions received after March 31, 2025 may not be able to be awarded in FY25 (October
1, 2024 through September 30, 2025). Similarly, submissions received after March 31, 2026 may not be able to be
awarded in FY26 (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026).
VI. Award Administration Information
A. Award Notices
PRE-AWARD COSTS. 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.
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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.
The Notice of Award is executed by the NOAA Grants Officer and is the authorizing award document. It is
generally provided electronically via the eRA system to the Authorized Representative of the recipient organization.
The Authorized Representative for a successful applicant will accept the award via NOAA’s electronic grants
management system, eRA. NOAA will notify unsuccessful applicants in writing.
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.
RESEARCH TERMS AND CONDITIONS. For awards designated on the CD-450 as Research, the Commerce
Terms, and the Federal-wide Research Terms and Conditions (Research Terms) as implemented by the Department
of Commerce, currently, at https://www.nsf.gov/awards/managing/rtc.jsp, both apply to the award. The Commerce
Terms and the Research Terms are generally intended to harmonize with each other; however, where the Commerce
Terms and the Research Terms differ in a Research award, the Research Terms prevail, unless otherwise indicated in
a specific award condition.
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 http://www.ago.noaa.gov and at
https://www.commerce.gov/oam/policy/financial-assistance-policy.
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 NOAA’s Grants Online 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.
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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.
MINORITY SERVING INSTITUTIONS. The Department of Commerce/National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (DOC/NOAA) is strongly committed to increasing the participation of Minority Serving Institutions
(MSIs), i.e., Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribal colleges and
universities, Alaskan Native and Native Hawaiian institutions, and institutions that work in underserved
communities.
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
(typically within two years), 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 one year after publication by the journal.
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More information can be found on NOAA’s Data Management Procedures at:
https://nosc.noaa.gov/EDMC/documents/Data_Sharing_Directive_v3.0_remediated.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.
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 athttp://nrc.noaa.gov/ScientificIntegrityCommons.aspx. 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.
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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.
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. There may be instances where an award qualifies, in whole or in part, for an existing waiver
described at whitehouse.gov/omb/management/made-in-america.
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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 additives2 —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).
C. Reporting
In accordance with 2 CFR 200.328-9 and the terms and conditions of the award, financial reports are to be submitted
to the NOAA Grants Officer identified in the award and performance (technical) reports are to be submitted to the
Program Officer. 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.
Unless otherwise specified by terms of the award, program and financial reports are to be submitted semi-annually.
Program reports should include progress on identified milestones. Unless otherwise specified by the terms of the
award, reports must be submitted electronically through eRA Commons
(https://public.era.nih.gov/commonsplus/public/login.era?TARGET=https%3A%2F%2Fpublic.era.nih.gov%3A443
%2Fcommons).
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 sub awards and executive compensation
under Federal assistance awards. All awardees of applicable grants and cooperative agreements are required to
report to the Federal Subaward Reporting System (FSRS) available at https://www.fsrs.gov/ on all sub-awards over
$25,000. Refer to 2 CFR Parts 170.
VII. Agency Contacts
Each NOAA Line Office that supports financial assistance has a separate BAA found in Grants.gov, so applicants
must submit their application to the BAA for the Line Office that best fits their application. A description of NOAA
Line Offices is found at
https://www.corporateservices.noaa.gov/public/lineoffices.html. If you submit the same application to more than one
Line Office, please state this in your application.
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)
Jeffrey Kulnis
jeffrey.kulnis@noaa.gov
(301) 427-8771
SSMC3 Rm: 14358
1315 East-West Hwy
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3282
VIII. Other Information
Information Audit Costs
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Audits shall be performed in accordance with audit requirements contained in the Uniform Administrative
Requirements, Cost Principles and Audit Requirements found in 2 CFR part 200, Subsection F. Recipients
expending $750,000 or more in Federal funds during the recipient’s fiscal year must conduct a single audit in
accordance with guidelines outlined in 2 CFR §§200.500-.520. For-profit organizations not covered by the audit
requirements in 2 CFR §§200.500-.520 are subject to the audit requirements set forth in the terms and conditions of
the award. Recipients that expend less than $750,000 during the recipient’s fiscal year in Federal awards are exempt
from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in 2 CFR §200.503, but records must be available for
review or audit by appropriate officials of the Federal agency, pass- through entity, and Government Accountability
Office (GAO). Applicants are also reminded that other audits may be conducted by the Department of Commerce
Office of Inspector General and by other authorized Federal agencies.
eRA Application Submission Guidance
Applications will be submitted through the eRA system. The process requires complete application forms to be
validated and accepted. The following links provide additional guidance and assistance on the process,
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/funding-financial-services/grant-application-process and
https://www.commerce.gov/ocio/files/tips-and-tricks-successful-era-submissions.
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NOAA-NMFS-FHQ-2024-27611 revised 03262024

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 .......................................................................................................................................3
III. Eligibility Information ..................................................................................................................................3
IV. Application and Submission Information ..................................................................................................4
V. Application Review Information ..................................................................................................................9
VI. Award Administration Information ..........................................................................................................11
VII. Agency Contacts ......................................................................................................................................16
VIII. Other Information ...................................................................................................................................16
Executive Summary
Federal Agency Name
Fisheries Headquarters Program Office (FHQ)
Funding Opportunity Title
FY 2024 – 2026 Broad Agency Announcement (BAA), National Marine Fisheries Service
Announcement Type
Broad Agency Announcement
Funding Opportunity Number
NOAA-NMFS-FHQ-2024-27611
Assistance Listing Number(s)
11.015
Dates
Applications may be submitted to Grants.gov up to 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on September 30,
2026. Applications received after this time will not be reviewed or considered for funding. Applications
will be considered on a continuing/rolling basis as they are received.
Funding Opportunity Description
This BAA is for the National Marine Fisheries Service, also known as NOAA Fisheries. The purpose of this
notice is to request applications for special projects and programs associated with the NOAA Fisheries
strategic plan and mission goals, as well as to provide the general public with information and guidelines
on how NOAA will select applications and administer discretionary Federal assistance under this Broad
Agency Announcement (BAA). This notice is not a mechanism to fund existing NOAA awards.
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Each NOAA Line Office that supports financial assistance (National Marine Fisheries Service, National
Ocean Service, National Weather Service, Office of Atmospheric Research, Office of Education, and
National Environmental Satellite Data Information Service) has a separate BAA found in Grants.gov, so
applicants should submit their application to the BAA for the Line Office that best fits their application. A
description of NOAA Line Offices is found at
https://www.corporateservices.noaa.gov/public/lineoffices.html and https://www.noaa.gov/office-
education. Applicants may also contact the Agency Contact below for more information. If you submit the
same application to more than Line Office, mention this in your application and notify the relevant
contacts so that NOAA may coordinate internally.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
A. Program Objective
This Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) is a mechanism to encourage research, education and
outreach, innovative projects, or sponsorships that are not addressed through NOAA Fisheries’s
competitive discretionary programs. This announcement is not soliciting goods or services for the direct
benefit of NOAA.
Funding for activities described in this notice is contingent upon the availability of appropriations in the
fiscal years applicable to the application. Applicants are hereby given notice that funds have not yet been
appropriated for any activities described in this notice. Publication of this announcement does not oblige
NOAA to review an application beyond an initial administrative review, or to award any specific project, or
to obligate any available funds.
B. Program Priorities
As an agency with responsibilities for maintaining and improving the viability of marine and coastal
ecosystems; for delivering valuable weather, climate, and water information and services; and for
supporting the global commerce and transportation upon which we all depend, NOAA must remain
current and responsive in an ever-changing world.
We do this in concert with our partners and stakeholders in Federal, state, and local governments and
private organizations, applying a systematic approach that links our strategic goals through multi-year
plans to the daily activities of our employees. Every year we re-evaluate our progress and priorities, look
for efficiencies, and take advantage of new opportunities to improve our information, products, and
services.
In furtherance of this objective, NOAA Fisheries issues this BAA for extramural research, innovative
projects, and sponsorships (e.g., conferences, newsletters, etc.) that address one or more of the following
mission goal descriptions contained in the NOAA Fisheries 2022-2025 Strategic Plan:
Strategic Goal 1: Adaptively Manage Fisheries for Sustainability and Economic Competitiveness
Rapidly changing ocean conditions are disrupting fisheries, fishing communities, and seafood economics
as the geographic ranges of fish stocks expand, contract, or shift poleward or offshore, and the
productivity of fish and other living marine resources becomes less predictable. The challenge moving
forward will be to provide the science model and forecast the effects of changing ocean conditions and
habitats on fish stocks, fisheries, and seafood productivity in a timely manner. Deploying economic tools
and forecasts to promote responsible and sustainable industry growth, diversify market opportunities,
strengthen supply chains, and ensure participation of underrepresented communities will build resilience
to fishery disasters and market shocks in our fishing and seafood industries. Combating the threat of IUU
(illegal, unreported, and unregulated) fishing and ensuring fair and reciprocal trade in fish products will
protect U.S. competitiveness and sustainability goals, and prevent harm to protected resources globally.
Domestic marine aquaculture production can help to supplement U.S. wild-caught fisheries while
promoting business and employment opportunities. In furtherance of this strategic goal, NOAA Fisheries
will pursue strategies to:
• Manage stocks for optimum yield and build economic resilience in U.S. seafood and fishing
sectors
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• Advance science and fishery management strategies to increase the sustainability of marine
fisheries
• Mitigate and adapt to changes in fisheries habitat
• Diversify our data collection technologies and expand/modernize data products and services
•
• Counter IUU fishing activity
Strategic Goal 2: Safeguard Protected Species and Propel Their Recovery
NOAA Fisheries has been a first line of defense for more than 50 years in recovering threatened and
endangered marine and anadromous species and in preventing harm or harassment of marine mammals
and sea turtles. Increased human interactions (e.g., bycatch, incidental take, and anthropogenic noise)
and changing environmental conditions (e.g., warming temperatures, acidification, pollution, sediment
runoff, and habitat degradation) have contributed to the decline of many of these marine species. We
conduct pioneering research to assess, evaluate, and monitor protected species populations, their health,
health trends, and the human impacts they face. Working with partners, we develop conservation policies,
guidance, and regulations to conserve and recover protected marine species, and consult on proposed
actions to mitigate threats to their survival. Our proactive outreach and efforts to enforce and promote
compliance with our conservation efforts help to protect these vulnerable marine species. In furtherance
of this strategic goal, NOAA Fisheries will pursue strategies to:
• Implement actions to recover endangered and threatened species
• Model and predict the effects of habitat changes on protected marine species, to improve
conservation outcomes
• Expand the use of advanced and innovative technologies
• Protect and restore important habitats necessary for the recovery of endangered marine species
• Protect marine species while supporting ocean-based economic growth
C. Program Authority
The specific program authority will vary depending on the nature of the proposed project. A list of the
most prevalent assistance authorities are 15 U.S.C. 1540; 16 U.S.C. 1829; 16 U.S.C. 661; 16 US Code
753a; 33 USC 893a; and 33 U.S.C. 1442.
II. Award Information
A. Funding Availability
There are no funds specifically appropriated by Congress for this Broad Agency Announcement (BAA).
Funding for potential projects in this notice is contingent upon the availability of appropriations in the
fiscal years applicable to the application. Applicants are hereby given notice that funds have not yet been
appropriated for any proposed activities in this notice.
B. Project/Award Period
The anticipated start date of the award generally will be three to six months after receipt of the
application by NOAA. Applications should generally be submitted for a one-year award period, but this
may be negotiated if the application is recommended for funding.
Note: The award must start on the first day of a month in the year, and end on the last day of a month in
the year (e.g. 08/01/2025 – 07/31/2026)
C. Type of Funding Instrument
Selected applicants will either enter into a grant or a cooperative agreement depending upon the amount
of NOAA's involvement in the project. Substantial involvement by NOAA in the project would require a
cooperative agreement.
III. Eligibility Information
A. Eligible Applicants
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Eligible applicants may be institutions of higher education, nonprofits, commercial organizations,
individuals, state, local, and Indian Tribal governments. Eligibility also depends on the statutory authority
that permits NOAA to fund the proposed activity. Funding of Federal organizations is outside the scope of
this announcement; if funding authority exists, Federal organizations seeking NOAA funds should contact
relevant program officials about the interagency agreement process.
B. Cost Share or Matching Requirement
Cost sharing is not required unless it is determined that a project can only be funded under an authority
that requires matching/cost sharing funds.
C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility
None.
IV. Application and Submission Information
A. Address to Request Application Package
Applicants can obtain electronic application packages through Grants.gov by using Notice of Funding
Opportunity Number NOAA-NMFS-FHQ-2024-27611 to conduct a search. Grants.gov requires applicants
to complete a free annual registration process in the electronic System for Award Management (SAM),
found at https://sam.gov/SAM/, as described in section IV.C. and IV.G. of this Announcement.
These registration processes can take several weeks and involve multiple steps. In order to allow
sufficient time for these processes, applicants should register as soon as they decide to apply even if
they are not ready to submit their application.
B. Content and Form of Application
1. Format Requirements.
All pages should be single-spaced and composed in at least 11-point font with one-inch margins on 8” x
11” paper. The project description may not exceed 15 pages, exclusive of title page, project synopsis,
literature cited, budget information, resumes of investigators, and letters of support (if any). Failure to
follow the requirements may result in the rejection of the application and its subsequent return.
Any PDF or other attachments that are included in an electronic application must meet the above format
requirement when printed out.
2. Content Requirements.
The following information must be included:
a. Signed SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance: The SF-424 must be signed by the Authorized
Representative. Electronic signatures submitted through Grants.gov satisfy this requirement.
b. Title Page (1-page limit): The title page identifies the project's title, total budget, start and end
dates; and the Principal Investigator's (PI’s) and co-PI's names, affiliations, complete mailing
addresses, email addresses, telephone numbers and fax numbers. The title page must also identify
the specific NOAA office (i.e., NMFS) and the NOAA program targeted by the application. c. Project
Synopsis (1-page limit): It is critical that the project synopsis accurately describes the project being
proposed and conveys all essential elements of the activities. It is imperative that potential
applicants tie their applications to one of the NOAA mission goals described in Section I.B. of this
announcement and state it here in the synopsis.
d. Project Description (15-page limit): The applicant should describe and justify the project being
proposed and address each of the evaluation criteria as described below in Section V. Project
descriptions should include clear objectives and specific approaches to achieving those objectives,
including methods, timelines, and expected outcomes.
e. Literature Cited: If applicable
f. Assurances: The SF-424B Assurances form must be completed and submitted for all non-
construction applications, and the SF-424D Assurances form must be completed and submitted for
all construction applications.
g. Completed Form CD-511, Certification Regarding Lobbying.
h. Resumes for each major participant: Key Personnel; Principal Investigator(s).
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i. Standard Application Forms: Please refer to the application package available through Grants.gov.
Please review each form to determine which are required with submission. Each applicant may not
be required to submit all forms listed, depending on the project type or applicant type.
j. National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Questionnaire: NOAA has a NEPA policy applicable to
funding applicants, described in Section VI of this announcement. NOAA has a NEPA Questionnaire
that may be applicable to some projects, but applicants do not need to provide answers to the NOAA
NEPA Questionnaire at this time. However, NOAA may require additional information from the
applicant regarding potential environmental impacts prior to reviewing the application.
k. Data Management Plan: If relevant for the proposed project, include a data sharing plan. Refer to
Section VI.
l. Budget and Budget Justification: The SF-424A Budget Information Form must be completed, and
there should be a detailed budget justification accompanying the SF- 424 budget forms (SF-424A
non-construction or SF-424C construction, as appropriate). Indicate matching funds if provided in a
separate column. Provide justifications for all budget items in sufficient detail to enable the reviewers
to evaluate the appropriateness of the funding requested. The budget justification should be broken
out and detailed using the same budget categories as the SF-424 budget form (SF-424A or SF-424C).
Budget Narrative Guidance can be found at:
https://www.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/gmd_budget_narrative_guidance_-_05-24-
2017_final.pdf.
Applicants requesting indirect costs at a rate greater than the de minimis 15% must provide a signed
copy of their organization’s existing approved Federal indirect cost (IDC) rate agreement with the
application package.
m. Indirect Costs: If an applicant has not previously established an indirect cost rate with a Federal
agency, the applicant may choose to negotiate a rate with its cognizant agency (the agency from
which the applicant receives the most grant funding), or use the de minimis indirect cost rate of 10%
of Modified Total Direct Costs (as allowable under 2 C.F.R. §200.414). Applicants requesting indirect
costs at a rate greater than the de minimis 10% must provide a signed copy of their existing approved
Federal indirect cost (IDC) rate agreement with the application package.
If an applicant seeks to establish a new indirect cost rate agreement and NOAA would be the
cognizant agency, the applicant must submit its indirect cost rate agreement documentation per the
Department of Commerce Financial Assistance Standard Terms and Conditions (2019),
https://www.osec.doc.gov/oam/grants_management/policy/documents/Department%20of%20Com
merce%20Standard%20Terms%20Conditions%2030%20April%202019.pdf,or any amended versions
that may be applicable (found at https://www.osec.doc.gov/oam/grants_management/policy/)
within 90 days after award start date or those costs will not be allowed. The approval process may
take several weeks. The indirect cost rate applications in these cases should be sent by mail or email
(separately from the grant application) to:
Jennifer Jackson, Grants Officer
NOAA Grants Management Division,
Email: jennifer.jackson@noaa.gov
For applicants seeking to establish a new indirect cost rate agreement and NOAA would be the
cognizant agency, the information that must be provided (separate from the application) to establish
an Approved Indirect Cost Rate Agreement is described below:
Submitted by Non-Profits and Commercial Entities
1. A chart showing the organizational structure during the period for which the application
applies, along with a functional statement noting the duties and/or responsibilities of all units
that comprise the organization. Please make sure this includes a brief narrative background
statement outlining the financial operation of the organization.
2. The basic proposal including all other supporting schedules and financial and statistical
information supporting the basic application. Any supporting schedules should be cross-
referenced to the basic application (accounting records and related work papers to support the
costs contained in the indirect cost application).
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a. The total costs shown in the basic proposal should also reconcile to the financial
statements in the most recent audit report, which should also be provided.
b. Reconciliations/Analyses
i. As stated above, detailed reconciliation between the proposal and the financial
statements;
ii. Adjusted detailed trial balance which agrees to the audited financial statements;
iii. Trend Analysis Report - It must itemize expense account line items that support the
totals of both direct and indirect expenses, for three years (only two years would be
required if the entity has only been in business for two years). Comparisons or trends of
the indirect cost rates only will cause your indirect cost proposal to be rejected, until the
correctly prepared trend analysis report is received; an
iv. Calculations showing how applicable prior year carry-forward amounts were applied
to formulate current year’s rate submission.
3. A listing of directly awarded grants and contracts by Federal agency, Catalog of Federal
Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number, dollar amounts separated by direct- indirect-total costs,
period of performance, applicable cost principle, and the identification of any cost limitations and
special award terms/conditions applicable to each.
4. Cost Policy Statement (e.g. Disclosure Statement) the purpose of which is to establish an
unambiguous understanding between the grantee and the Federal Government as to what costs
will be charged directly and what costs will be charged indirectly. If a Cost Policy Statement was
submitted with last year’s application and not proposing any changes to the current year’s
submission, the following suggested language should be included in their transmittal letter when
a application is submitted: [ABC Organization] hereby confirms that no changes to its accounting
practices as set forth in its Cost Policy Statement dated [date] have been made.
5. Statement of Total Costs contains all line items of cost included in the organization’s chart of
accounts and applicable columns for direct costs (by cost center/activity, Federal grants, non-
Federal grants, fund raising, etc.), indirect costs (overhead, G&A, etc.), and unallowable costs (if
applicable). These columns should show the type (e.g. labor, travel supplies, etc.) and amount of
cost incurred by each activity. The total costs should reconcile to the organization’s financial
statements. If the reconciliation is not clear, the organization should provide a separate schedule
supporting the difference.
6. Statement of Indirect Costs contains all line items of cost included in the indirect cost pool(s),
the applicable base(s), and the resulting indirect cost rate(s). The allocation base should be
traceable to the organization’s total costs. If not clearly traceable, an additional schedule should
be provided to support the reconciliation.
7. Specific Personnel Costs includes a list of all volunteers by job title, along with a description of
the services they provided to the organization, if significant. Also required is a list of all
management level employees, their position descriptions and salaries.
8. Certification of Indirect Costs - A completed Certification must be signed on behalf of the
organization by an official at a level no lower than Executive Director or Chief Financial Officer.
The Certification must identify the period of coverage for the indirect cost proposal, asserting
that it has been prepared in accordance with the applicable cost principles and guidelines [2 CFR
Part 200 (non-profits), FAR Part 31 (commercial)].
9. Identification of Other Items to be included within the indirect cost proposal package. If these
items are not provided with the organization’s proposal, it may be necessary for them to be
provided later during the review process as circumstances dictate.
a. Identify assets purchased with Federal sponsored program funds or Non-Federal
sponsored program funds, if any, and specify if ownership remains with sponsoring entity or
transfers to recipient upon successful completion of the awards.
b. Identify all related party transactions.
c. Identify idle facilities, if any.
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10. Lobbying Certificate – A completed Certification must be signed on behalf of the
organization by an official at a level no lower than Executive Director or Chief Financial Officer.
Completion of this Certification indicates the organization has complied with the requirements
and standards on lobbying costs in the development of the indirect cost rate.
11. DOC’s Indirect Cost Proposal Checklist. Please mark the Checklist item number on the
corresponding document (or start of section) within the final proposal package. Follow this link
to view a copy of the IDC Proposal Checklist: https://rates.psc.gov/fms/dca/icpchecklist.pdf
Submitted by States and Local Government and Indian Tribe
All entities receiving this Guidance desiring to claim indirect costs under Federal awards using an
indirect cost rate must prepare and maintain their completed indirect cost rate proposal for
review, as set forth in 2 CFR Part 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements for Federal Grants.
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.
C. Unique entity identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)
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
Applications can be submitted on a rolling basis starting from the publication date of this Broad Agency
Announcement up to 11:59:59 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time on September 30, 2026. Applications received
after this time will not be reviewed or considered for funding. Applications shall be evaluated for funding
generally within three to six months of receipt. An applicant can expect to receive either a rejection notice
based on the initial prescreening review (if found ineligible), a rejection notice based on merit review or
program restrictions, a request for additional information, and/or an award within that time frame.
E. Intergovernmental Review
Applications submitted by state and local governments are subject to the provisions of Executive Order
12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." Any applicant submitting an application for
funding is required to complete item 16 on the SF-424 regarding clearance by the State Single Point of
Contact (SPOC) established as a result of EO 12372.
To find out about and comply with a State's process under EO 12372, the names, addresses and phone
numbers of participating SPOCs are listed in the Office Management and Budget's home page at
https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_spoc
F. Funding Restrictions
None, unless required by the statute under which the award is funded.
G. Other Submission Requirements
Applicants must register with Grants.gov before any application materials can be submitted. An
organization's one time registration process may take up to three weeks or more to complete. To use
Grants.gov, an applicant must have a Unique Entity ID (UEI) number and be registered in the System for
Award Management (SAM) (both of which require periodic renewals). Applicants can receive a UEI
number and a SAM registration at no cost by visiting https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration . Please
do not register in SAM as a “Private” entity.
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Allow a minimum of five days to complete the SAM registration, which will require the applicant’s Employer
Identification Number. The entire registration process, including Grants.gov, UEI, and SAM, it may take
more than three weeks to complete., and the registration must be renewed annually. Please allow sufficient
time for these steps.
The Grants.gov site contains directions for submitting an application, the application package (forms),
and is also where the completed application is submitted. The downloadable application package is
available on Grants.gov. The package will be available for this solicitation's Workspace or download a
copy of the application package, complete it offline, and then upload and submit the application via the
Grants.gov site. Use the Notice of Funding Opportunity Number NOAA-NMFS-FHQ-2024-27611 to
conduct a search and obtain electronic application packages.
After electronic submission of the application through Grants.gov, the person submitting the application
will receive up to three email messages from Grants.gov updating them on the progress of their
application. In the first 24 to 48 hours after submission, the first email will confirm receipt of the
application by the Grants.gov system, and the second will indicate that the application has either been
successfully validated by the system before transmission to the grantor agency or has been rejected
because of errors. Only validated applications are sent to NOAA for review. After the application has been
validated, this same person will receive a third email, generally within two days, when the application has
been downloaded by NOAA. If an applicant has not received an email verifying that the application has
been downloaded by NOAA, the applicant is responsible for contacting the federal program officer for this
Announcement and providing documentation that demonstrates the application was submitted to
Grants.gov ahead of the deadline.
The assistance listing number will vary depending on the nature of the proposed project. The applicant
should consult the assistance listing series available at https.sam.gov/. The applicant should review the
assistance listing numbers associated with the “National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration”
(Generally 11.400 - 11.481 as well as 11.008, 11.011, 11.012, 11.015, 11.017 and 11.021) and select the
most accurate program for the proposed project. The assistance listing will also provide the applicant
with the eligibility requirements in order to determine if an applicant can apply under that particular
assistance listing.
NOAA uses the eRA system to electronically administer their Grants Management Portfolio. eRA
commons, public.era.nih.gov, is the public facing portal that recipients will use to manage any awarded
applications. You can register at the You can register at the public.era.nih.gov. If you require assistance
you can review the instructions here https://www.era.nih.gov/register-accounts/register-in-era-
commons.htm.
The first listed PD/PI on the application must include their eRA Commons ID in the “Credential, e.g.,
agency login” field of form. Failure to register in eRA Commons and to include a valid PD/PI Commons ID
in the Applicant Identifier field on the SF-424 form will prevent the successful submission of an electronic
application. Additional personnel included on the form do not need to include this information, however
eRA will create a warning recommending those personnel also have valid eRA Commons IDs. Again - it is
not required that those additional personnel include valid eRA Commons IDs regardless of the warnings
created by the eRA system.
H. Address for Submitting Proposals
Each NOAA Line Office that supports financial assistance has a separate BAA found in Grants.gov, so
applicants must submit their application to the BAA for the Line Office that best fits their application. A
description of NOAA Line Offices is found at
https://www.corporateservices.noaa.gov/public/lineoffices.html. If you submit the same application to
more than one Line Office, please state this in your application. Contact officials for each Line Office is
listed below.
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National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)
Jeffrey Kulnis
jeffrey.kulnis@noaa.gov
(301) 427-8771
SSMC3 Rm: 14358
1315 East-West Hwy
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3282
V. Application Review Information
Evaluation Criteria
1. Importance/relevance and applicability of proposed projects to the program
Maximum Points: 20
goals
This ascertains whether there is intrinsic value in the proposed work and/or relevance to NOAA, Federal,
regional, state, or local activities: i.e., How does the proposed activity enhance NOAA's strategic plan and
mission goals? Applications should also address significance/possibilities of securing productive
results, i.e., Does this study address an important problem? If the aims of the application are achieved,
how will scientific knowledge be advanced? What will be the effect of these studies on the concepts or
methods that drive this field? What effect will the project have on improving public understanding of the
role of the ocean, coasts, and atmosphere in the global ecosystem?
Applications may also be scored for innovation, i.e., Does the project employ novel concepts, approaches
or methods? Are the aims original and innovative? Does the project challenge existing paradigms or
develop new methodologies or technologies?
2. Technical/scientific merit Maximum Points: 20
This assesses whether the approach is technically sound and if the methods are appropriate, and
whether there are clear project goals and objectives. Applications should address the
approach/soundness of design: i.e., Are the conceptual framework, design, methods, and analyses
adequately developed, well-integrated, and appropriate to the aims of the audiences to be engaged
through the project? Does the applicant acknowledge potential problem areas and consider alternative
tactics?
This criterion should also address the applicant's proposed methods for monitoring, measuring, and
evaluating the success or failure of the project, i.e.,What are they? Are they appropriate?
Additionally, if needed, a data sharing 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.
3. Overall qualifications of applicants Maximum Points: 20
This ascertains whether the applicant possesses the necessary education, experience, training, facilities,
and administrative resources to accomplish the project. If appropriate, applications should also address
the physical environment and collaboration, if any, i.e., Does the environment in which the work will be
done contribute to the probability of success? Do the proposed experiments or activities take advantage
of unique features of the intended environment or employ useful collaborative arrangements?
4. Project costs Maximum Points: 20
The budget is evaluated to determine if the cost is realistic and commensurate with the project needs
and time-frame.
5. Outreach and Education Maximum Points: 20
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NOAA assesses whether this project provides a focused and effective education and outreach strategy
regarding NOAA’s mission to protect the Nation’s natural resources. NOAA assesses whether this
project aligns with NOAA's education vision, for an informed society that uses ocean, coastal, Great
Lakes, weather, and climate science to make the best social, economic, and environmental decisions.
Evaluation of these criteria will include if the project addresses any of the goals or employ any of the
strategies of the NOAA Education Plan (http://www.noaa.gov/explainers/noaa- education-strategic-
plan), as well as how the outcomes of the project will be communicated to NOAA and the interested
public.
Review and Selection Process
NOAA will conduct an initial administrative review to determine eligibility for award, compliance with
requirements and completeness of the application. This review includes determining whether:
1. Sufficient funds are available in the budget of the program office receiving the application to
support the proposed project;
2. Statutory authority exists to provide financial assistance for the project or organization;
3. A complete application package has been submitted, that is, all required elements of the
application are included and application follows format requirements;
4. The Project Description/Narrative is consistent with one or more of NOAA’s mission goals;
5. The application falls within the scope of an existing NOAA competitive announcement (found at
www.Grants.gov) or duplicates an existing non-discretionary project announced or awarded in
FY22, FY23, FY24, FY25, or FY26, in which case it cannot be funded under this announcement;
6. The work in the application does not directly benefit NOAA (if it will, it should be supported by a
procurement contract, not a financial assistance award which cannot be funded under this
announcement, as provided in 31 U.S.C. 6303).
Applications not passing this initial review will not be considered further for funding through this BAA and
will not receive further review. NOAA will evaluate application(s) that pass this initial review and comply
with all the requirements under this BAA individually (i.e., applications will be not compared to each
other). A merit review will be conducted by mail reviewers and/or peer panel reviewers. Each reviewer will
individually evaluate the application(s) using the evaluation criteria provided above; a minimum of three
merit reviewers per application is required. More than three reviewers may be used based on the
complexity of the application. The reviewers may be any combination of Federal and/or non-Federal
personnel. Reviewers may discuss an application, but if more than one non-Federal reviewer is used, the
application(s) will be individually scored (i.e., a consensus is not reached). Otherwise, the Program Officer
has the discretion to authorize a score based on consensus. NOAA selects evaluators on the bases of
their professional qualifications and expertise as related to the unique characteristics of the application.
The NOAA Program Officer will assess the evaluations and make a fund or do-not-fund recommendation
to the Selecting Official with an explanation of the reasons for the recommendation. The selection official
shall provide a rationale for funding the application and shall address any comments provided by the
reviewers. Any applicant considered for funding may be required to address the issues raised in the
evaluation of the application by the reviewers, Program Officer, Selecting Official, and/or Grants Officer
before an award is issued.
Applications not selected for funding in the fiscal year the application is submitted may be considered for
funding in a subsequent fiscal year, but may be required to revalidate the terms of the original application
or resubmit in the next BAA cycle if one is published. The Program Officer, Selecting Official and/or
Grants Officer may negotiate the final funding level of the application with the intended applicant. The
Selecting Official makes the final recommendation for award to the NOAA Grants Officer who is
authorized to commit the Federal Government and obligate the funds.
Selection Factors
Not applicable.
Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates
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Subject to the availability of funds, awards are expected to be made three to six months after receipt by
NOAA of the full application. Given this time frame, applicants applying in Fiscal Year 2024 should take
into consideration that submissions received after March 31, 2024 may not be able to be awarded in
FY24 (October 1, 2023 through September 30, 2024). Submissions received after March 31, 2025 may not
be able to be awarded in FY25 (October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2025). Similarly, submissions
received after March 31, 2026 may not be able to be awarded in FY26 (October 1, 2025 through
September 30, 2026).
VI. Award Administration Information
A. Award Notices
PRE-AWARD COSTS. 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.
The Notice of Award is executed by the NOAA Grants Officer and is the authorizing award document. It is
generally provided electronically via the eRA system to the Authorized Representative of the recipient
organization. The Authorized Representative for a successful applicant will accept the award via NOAA’s
electronic grants management system, eRA. NOAA will notify unsuccessful applicants in writing.
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.
RESEARCH TERMS AND CONDITIONS. For awards designated on the CD-450 as Research, the
Commerce Terms, and the Federal-wide Research Terms and Conditions (Research Terms) as
implemented by the Department of Commerce, currently, at
https://www.nsf.gov/awards/managing/rtc.jsp, both apply to the award. The Commerce Terms and the
Research Terms are generally intended to harmonize with each other; however, where the Commerce
Terms and the Research Terms differ in a Research award, the Research Terms prevail, unless otherwise
indicated in a specific award condition.
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 http://www.ago.noaa.gov and
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 NOAA’s Grants Online 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 (typically within two years), 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 one year after publication by the journal.
More information can be found on NOAA’s Data Management Procedures at:
https://nosc.noaa.gov/EDMC/documents/Data_Sharing_Directive_v3.0_remediated.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 athttp://nrc.noaa.gov/ScientificIntegrityCommons.aspx. 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. There may be instances where an award qualifies, in whole or in
part, for an existing waiver described at whitehouse.gov/omb/management/made-in-america.
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 additives2 —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).
C. Reporting
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In accordance with 2 CFR 200.328-9 and the terms and conditions of the award, financial reports are to
be submitted to the NOAA Grants Officer identified in the award and performance (technical) reports are
to be submitted to the Program Officer. 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.
Unless otherwise specified by terms of the award, program and financial reports are to be submitted
semi-annually.
Program reports should include progress on identified milestones. Unless otherwise specified by the
terms of the award, reports must be submitted electronically through eRA Commons
(https://public.era.nih.gov/commonsplus/public/login.era?TARGET=https%3A%2F%2Fpublic.era.nih.gov
%3A443%2Fcommons).
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 sub awards and executive
compensation under Federal assistance awards. All awardees of applicable grants and cooperative
agreements are required to report to the Federal Subaward Reporting System (FSRS) available at
https://www.fsrs.gov/ on all sub-awards over $25,000. Refer to 2 CFR Parts 170.
VII. Agency Contacts
Each NOAA Line Office that supports financial assistance has a separate BAA found in Grants.gov, so
applicants must submit their application to the BAA for the Line Office that best fits their application. A
description of NOAA Line Offices is found at
https://www.corporateservices.noaa.gov/public/lineoffices.html. If you submit the same application to
more than one Line Office, please state this in your application.
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)
Jeffrey Kulnis
jeffrey.kulnis@noaa.gov
(301) 427-8771
SSMC3 Rm: 14358
1315 East-West Hwy
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3282
VIII. Other Information
Information Audit Costs
Audits shall be performed in accordance with audit requirements contained in the Uniform Administrative
Requirements, Cost Principles and Audit Requirements found in 2 CFR part 200, Subsection F. Recipients
expending $750,000 or more in Federal funds during the recipient’s fiscal year must conduct a single
audit in accordance with guidelines outlined in 2 CFR §§200.500-.520. For-profit organizations not
covered by the audit requirements in 2 CFR §§200.500-.520 are subject to the audit requirements set
forth in the terms and conditions of the award. Recipients that expend less than $750,000 during the
recipient’s fiscal year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except
as noted in 2 CFR §200.503, but records must be available for review or audit by appropriate officials of
the Federal agency, pass- through entity, and Government Accountability Office (GAO). Applicants are
also reminded that other audits may be conducted by the Department of Commerce Office of Inspector
General and by other authorized Federal agencies.
eRA Application Submission Guidance
Applications will be submitted through the eRA system. The process requires complete application forms
to be validated and accepted. The following links provide additional guidance and assistance on the
process, https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/funding-financial-services/grant-application-process
and https://www.commerce.gov/ocio/files/tips-and-tricks-successful-era-submissions.
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