FY 2026 Ocean Technology Transition Program

Full Announcement

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

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Table of Contents
NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY .................................................................................................................1
Executive Summary ..............................................................................................................................................1
Full Text of Announcement ..................................................................................................................................3
I. Funding Opportunity Description .................................................................................................................3
II. Award Information .......................................................................................................................................5
III. Eligibility Information ..................................................................................................................................6
IV. Application and Submission Information ..................................................................................................7
1. Standard Form (SF-424) - “Application for Federal Assistance” ......................................................7
2. Title Page .............................................................................................................................................8
3. Abstract ................................................................................................................................................8
4. Project Summary .................................................................................................................................8
5. Proposal Narrative and Milestones Schedule ....................................................................................8
6. Data Management Plan .......................................................................................................................9
7. References Cited ..................................................................................................................................9
8. Resumes ...............................................................................................................................................9
9. Letters of Support (optional): ............................................................................................................10
10. Research & Related Budget (Total Fed + Non-Fed) Form: ............................................................10
11. Research & Related Subaward Budget ( Total Fed + Non-Fed) Attachment(s) Form .................10
12. Budget Narrative ..............................................................................................................................10
13. CD-511: Certification Regarding Lobbying .....................................................................................11
14. SF-424B: Assurances - Non-Construction Programs ....................................................................11
15. SF-LLL Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (if needed) ...................................................................11
16. Environmental Compliance Questionnaire for NOAA Notice of Federal Funding Opportunity
Applicants ..............................................................................................................................................11
V. Application Review Information ................................................................................................................13
VI. Award Administration Information ..........................................................................................................16
VII. Agency Contacts ......................................................................................................................................22
VIII. Other Information ...................................................................................................................................23
Executive Summary
Federal Agency Name
NOS Integrated Ocean Observations System (IOOS)
Funding Opportunity Title
FY 2026 Ocean Technology Transition Program
Announcement Type
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Competitive
Funding Opportunity Number
NOAA-NOS-IOOS-2026-32698
Assistance Listing Number(s)
11.012
Dates
Letters of Intent (LOI) are highly recommended but not required. The requested letters of intent (LOI)
should be submitted via this Google Form. The form must be received by 11:59 PM (EDT) on April 27,
2026.
The form to submit an LOI can be found at https://forms.gle/8dB4jY1dLwrPiNQC9 (Copy and paste this
link into your web browser.) Please contact the Program Manager at tiffany.c.vance@noaa.gov if you
have any problems submitting this form.
Full proposals must be received no later than 11:59 PM (EDT) on July 15, 2026.
Funding Opportunity Description
Request for Applications Description: The U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS®) is a national
and regional partnership working to provide ocean, coastal and Great Lakes observations, data, tools, and
forecasts to improve safety, enhance the economy, and protect our environment. To increase
observational and technical capabilities we need smart investments to innovate sensors, data
management, decision support products, and other technical capabilities that will improve our ability to
monitor and forecast environmental conditions with greater efficiency. The primary objective of IOOS’
Ocean Technology Transition Project (OTT) is to reduce the Research to Operations/Commercialization
transition period for ocean observing, product development, and data management technologies for the
ocean, coastal and Great Lakes. The term ‘Technologies’ includes: ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes
sensors, information technology (data management, data visualization), platform enhancement, and
technology modernization efforts.
This objective is accomplished by investing in the transition of emerging and promising marine and Great
Lakes observing technological capabilities from the mid to latter phases of research into operational
status. Earlier technical development is supported by programs such as the NOAA Ocean Enterprise
Accelerators [https://ioos.noaa.gov/ioos-in-action/accelerators/].
The U.S. IOOS Office is seeking to fund projects, subject to the availability of funds, which advance new or
existing technology-based solutions that address long standing and emerging coastal observing, product
development, and data management challenges. The projects will be focused on those technologies for
which there are demonstrated operators or customers who commit to integrated, long term use of those
technologies and open data sharing. A Transition Manager for the project should be identified and a
Transition Plan will be a Year One deliverable.
Funding will be targeted to technologies that are sufficiently mature for long term operations. This
announcement specifically funds activities needed to progress these technologies through the
transitional stages between research and full operations such as system integration, testing, validation,
and verification. Funding will not be awarded to continue projects previously funded through the Ocean
Technology Transition Program.
In FY 2026-2029, it is estimated that up to $7.5 million will be available from the U.S. IOOS Office for this
competition. Multiple awards are anticipated, subject to availability of funds, in amounts up to $400,000
per year for up to three years. Proposals not funded in the current fiscal period (Fiscal Year 2026) may be
considered for funding in the next fiscal period (Fiscal Year 2027) without NOAA repeating the
competitive process outlined in this announcement.
Investigators are highly encouraged to visit the U.S. IOOS Ocean Technology Transition website for more
information about the program: https://ioos.noaa.gov/project/ocean-technology-transition/
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Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
A. Program Objective
The mission of the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS￿) is to produce, integrate, and
communicate high quality ocean, coastal and Great Lakes information that meets the safety, economic,
and stewardship needs of the Nation. The work of the U.S. IOOS Enterprise supports NOAA’s mission: to
understand and predict changes in climate, weather, the ocean, and coasts; to share that knowledge and
information with others; and to conserve and manage coastal and marine ecosystems and resources.
The Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System (ICOOS) Act of 2009 mandates the establishment
of a national integrated system of ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes observing systems coordinated at the
federal level to benefit society. Reauthorized by the Coastal Ocean Observations and Research Act
(COORA) of 2020, the system supports the public, national security, search and rescue, commerce, safety,
environmental forecasting, food, energy, water quality, scientific, and resource management needs.
Decision makers, businesses, managers, scientists, and communities at local, regional, and national
levels all use IOOS information tailored to their needs to:
• Improve predictions of ocean and weather conditions and their effects on coastal communities
and the nation
• Improve the safety and efficiency of maritime operations
• Improve national and homeland security
• More effectively mitigate, and increase resilience to, the effects of natural and anthropogenic
hazards
• Reduce public health risks
• More effectively protect and restore healthy coastal ecosystems
• Enable the sustained use of ocean and coastal resources
The IOOS Ocean Technology Transition Project (OTT) is an ongoing, multi-year effort to transition
prototype ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes observing, product development, and data management
technologies to sustained operations in a stepped, parallel, and scalable process that includes
stakeholder engagement from industry, government, academia, and others invested in the monitoring and
assessment of the nation’s ocean and coastal regions.
Sustained or Operational mode is defined as the actual application of the technology in its final form and
under mission requirements, ideally via commercialization of new technologies. OTT technologies
include hardware and software platforms, sensors, and data management resulting in improved ocean
information supporting decision making for the coastal, ocean, and Great Lakes’ environments.
Within this context, the U.S. IOOS Office is managing a competitive federal funding opportunity (NOFO) to
fund research and development proposals that advance ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes observing
technology innovation projects designed to foster the transition of these technologies to operations
mode. This funding will support technology transitions in ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes regions across
the United States. A Transition Manager for the project should be identified and a Transition Plan will be a
Year One deliverable.
B. Program Priorities
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In FY 2026, the U.S. IOOS Office, in conjunction with the National Oceanographic Partnership Program
(NOPP), will accept applications to accelerate the transition of advanced coastal, ocean, and Great Lakes
observing technologies to operations mode. Technologies which support developing and improving
observation, sensors, and information capabilities for chemical, biological, and physical parameters at
multiple spatial and temporal scales to monitor changing conditions in the oceans, coasts, and Great
Lakes will be considered.
The NOPP facilitates partnerships between Federal agencies, academia, and industry to advance ocean
science research and education. Through this collaboration, Federal agencies can leverage resources to
invest in priorities that fall between agency missions or that are too large for any single agency to
support, and partnerships may include non-government sectors.
Specific areas of interest under this funding opportunity include, but are not limited to:
1. sensors for physical, biological, or chemical parameters, especially low-cost or accessible ocean
technology (AOT) sensors
2. use of cloud-based technologies and platforms and the use of AI for analysis and QA/QC
3. use of novel autonomous vehicles/platforms
4. Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) sensors and sensor platforms including deployment of sensors on new
platforms
5. Environmental DNA (eDNA) samplers and systems to improve the efficiency of sample collection, e.g.
using CTDs, onboard processing, and deployment of sensors on new platforms
6. sensors for ocean acidification related measurements
7. High Frequency Radar (HFR) use impact and metrics, development, and improvement
8. novel data management, analytics, and integration to improve service delivery to customers
OTT utilizes NOAA’s Readiness Levels (RL) ontology (see NOAA Administrative Order 215-105A at
https://www.noaa.gov/organization/administration/nao-216-105b-policy-on-research-and-development-
transitions) to assess the maturity of R&D projects from research to operation, application, commercial
product, or service, (Note: NOAA's Readiness Levels are similar to the Technology Readiness Levels
developed by NASA) and embody the same concept for quantifying the maturity of research. RLs are
used as a systematic metric/measurement system that supports assessments of the maturity of a
particular IOOS technology, and enables a consistent comparison between different types of
technologies. OTT specifically focuses on transitioning technology from RLs 5 through 7 to RL 8; in effect
transforming the innovative research developed externally from this Program into operational elements of
IOOS or other parts of NOAA. Applicants are asked to identify the RL of the technologies with which they
are working. Each applicant’s application should state clearly how the applicant determined that their
proposed technology project is at an appropriate RL level for this funding opportunity.
Applicants should describe end-to-end projects that will result in innovations for routine operations for
identified operators (e.g., small business, commercial sector, Regional Associations, and/or Federal and
State Programs). A project needs to involve operators and practitioners, to the fullest extent possible,
from the beginning of the project. Commitment from operators and practitioners is critical to the eventual
success of each project and the transition and adoption of technology for sustained use. The applicant
must show a clear path for further developing the partnerships and opportunities for transfer and/or
commercialization throughout the course of the project.
To ensure that research leads to practical and valuable management outcomes, proposals must include a
minimum of two investigators, a Scientific Principal Investigator and a Transition Manager/Principal
Investigator. In order to ensure transition of management tools to application, the duties and
responsibilities of the two PIs are presented below:
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Scientific Principal Investigator: will coordinate activities such as:

development and validation of technologies,

deployment and testing of prototypes, and

working with the Transition PI to refine and develop technologies based on input from end users.

Transition Principal Investigator: will be responsible for activities related to transitioning the technology
toward operational application, such as:

writing the Transition Plan,

developing application concepts based on stakeholder outreach,

coordination and communications with the operator and end user groups, ensuring continuous

engagement in project activities (meetings, workshops), and outreach of project results, and

ensuring that the milestones representing transition of research to operations timeline are met.

The operator(s) that will ultimately adopt technologies for operational use should demonstrate a strong
interest in and commitment to the proposed technology. As the technology matures and the likelihood of
success increases, the commitment of the operator(s) is expected to grow, including resource
commitments to incorporate and maintain the new technology in operational settings.
Applicants to this topic must include partners from an IOOS Regional Association (RA) to qualify. The
participation of an RA should be described in a Letter of Support and the RA providing the letter should be
contacted no later than three weeks before the submission of the proposal to allow for sufficient
coordination. Additional partners are encouraged, e.g., industry, academia, government, (including
Federal, State, local, and tribal) and other private sector partners (including Non-Governmental
Organizations and Foundations).
Applicants must also provide specific details regarding their quality assurance and quality control
(QA/QC) plan to ensure data integrity if sensor technologies are developed and how they should be
regularly calibrated using approved reference materials. A plan for routine inter-calibration with partner
laboratories is also encouraged for applications proposing the advancement of sensor technologies. It is
important that the information produced be acceptable by the broader research community as well as
end users and a plan to ensure these goals must be included in the application. Applicants shall also
provide a plan for assessing the market potential for, and stakeholder satisfaction with, the transitioned
technology.
Applicants are expected to commit to drafting a technical report describing an end-to-end system for the
proposed technology at a regional scale. The end-to-end system described in the technical report should
be scalable to a national system. The technical report will be required at the end of the project and shall
include a cost and benefit analysis. This is in addition to any financial and performance project reports
identified in the terms and conditions if the proposal is successfully chosen at the end of this competitive
process.
Applicants are also expected to describe how the transitioned technology will result in improvements to
the overall ability of the observing system to provide information, such as:
a) significant reductions in overall cost, and
b) significant improvements in data and information products that flow from sensors to servers and
users.
C. Program Authority
The Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System Act of 2009 (Pub. L. 111-11) (“ICOOS Act” or
“Act”), as amended by the Coordinated Ocean Observation and Research Act of 2020 (Public Law 116-
271, Title I) (“COORA”), codified at 33 U.S.C. 3601-3610.
II. Award Information
A. Funding Availability
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In FY 2026 - 2029 it is estimated that up to $7.5 million will be available from the U.S. IOOS Office.
Multiple awards are anticipated, subject to availability of funds, in amounts up to $400,000 per year for up
to three years. The number of awards is anticipated to range from approximately three to five, and will be
adjusted based on availability of funds.
Proposals not funded in the current fiscal period (Fiscal Year 2026) may be considered for funding in the
next fiscal period (FY 2027) without NOAA repeating the competitive process outlined in this
announcement.
There is no guarantee that funds will be available to make awards for this Notice of Funding Opportunity
(NOFO) or that any proposal will be selected for funding. If an applicant incurs any costs prior to receiving
an award agreement signed by a NOAA grants officer, the applicant does so at the applicant’s own risk. In
no event will NOAA or the Department of Commerce be responsible for any proposal preparation costs.
Recipients and subrecipients are subject to all Federal laws and agency policies, regulations, and
procedures applicable to Federal financial assistance awards. Applicants must be in good standing with
respect to all existing NOAA awards in order to receive funds.
B. Project/Award Period
Applicants may request funding for up to three years. Funding is contingent upon availability of funds and
the satisfactory performance of the recipient, and is at the sole discretion of NOAA.
C. Type of Funding Instrument
NOAA will make awards using a cooperative agreement. A cooperative agreement is similar to a grant,
but used when substantial federal government involvement is anticipated. This means that the recipient
can expect ongoing agency collaboration, participation, or intervention in project performance beyond the
normal exercise of Federal stewardship responsibilities.
If the non-Federal applicant is at an institution that has a NOAA Cooperative Institute (CI), it is allowed to
submit applications that references the CI by attaching a cover letter to the application stating its desire
to have the application associated with the CI. This letter should specify the name of the cooperative
institute, the CI cooperative agreement number, and the NOAA-approved research theme and task that
applies to the proposal. The application will use the Facilities & Administrative (F&A, or indirect cost) rate
associated with the main CI agreement. If the application is selected for funding, NOAA will notify the
university that a separate award will be issued with its own award number. However, the award will
include two Special Award Conditions (SACs): (1) the existing University/NOAA Memorandum Of
Agreement (MOA) would be incorporated by reference into the terms of the competitive award, and (2)
any performance report(s) for the competitive project must follow the scheduled timetable of, and submit
directly to, the IOOS Office. Report(s) will be copied to the CI's administrator when due, to be attached to
the main cooperative agreement progress report as an appendix. This will allow the CI to coordinate all
the projects submitted through the CI, since the terms of these awards will specify that this is a CI project
via the MOA.
III. Eligibility Information
A. Eligible Applicants
Eligible funding applicants for this competition are industry, institutions of higher education, non-profit
and for-profit organizations, and State, local and tribal governments. Federal agencies or institutions and
foreign governments may not be the primary recipient of awards under this announcement, but they are
encouraged to partner with applicants when appropriate.
If an applicant has a partner(s) who would receive funds, the lead grantee will be expected to use
subcontracts or other appropriate mechanisms to provide funds to the partner(s). If a partner is a NOAA
office or laboratory, the IOOS office will transfer funds internally.
Funding will not be awarded to continue projects previously funded through the Ocean Technology
Program.
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Applicants should note that paying for transportation, travel, or other expenses for any Federal employee
are unallowable costs.
B. Cost Share or Matching Requirement
None
C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility
None
IV. Application and Submission Information
A. Address to Request Application Package
Application packages are available online as part of the NOFO announcement on grants.gov and final
applications will only be accepted via submission through www.grants.gov. Applications will need to pass
eRA minimum requirements in order to be accepted. Please verify all attachments meet the requirements
outlined on the National Institute of Health's Grants and Funding website
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/how-to-apply-application-guide/format-and-write/format-attachments.htm.
B. Content and Form of Application
1. Letter of Intent (LOI)
The purpose of the LOI process is to provide information to potential applicants on the relevance of their
proposed project and the likelihood of it being competitive in advance of preparing a full application. The
LOI should provide a concise description of the proposed work and its relevance to the OTT Program. Full
applications will be encouraged only for LOIs deemed relevant; however, the final decision to submit a full
proposal is made by the investigator. Failure to submit an LOI is not grounds for rejection of proposals,
but submitting an LOI is highly recommended. The LOI should be no more than two pages (front only) in
length, single spaced in 12-point Times New Roman font with 1-inch margins and should include in order
the components listed below.
(1) Tentative project title.
(2) Name(s) phone number(s), email address(s) and institution of all Principal Investigator(s) and
specification of which individual is the Lead Principal Investigator.
(3) Approximate cost of the project.
(4) Statement of the problem and its management relevance.
(5) Brief summary of work to be completed and the process to plan for transition to operations.
IOOS Office Program Managers will review each LOI to determine whether it is responsive to the
Program's goals, as advertised in this notice. Letters or emails to encourage or discourage a full
application are scheduled to be sent out two weeks after the LOI due date.
2. Content and Form of the Full Application
The application must include the following elements, with the exception of the SF-LLL (only if applicable)
and letters of support, to meet minimum requirements. Each element should be uploaded as a separate
file and numbered corresponding to the order below. You must follow the instructions for each of the
following specific components. All required documents must be submitted with the proposal. External
documents linked within proposal materials will not be accepted for review as part of the proposal
package.
1. Standard Form (SF-424) - “Application for Federal Assistance”
Format Requirements: None
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Guidance: All applicants requesting direct funding must submit the Standard Form 424 (R&R), (SF-424
R&R), “Application for Federal Assistance,” to indicate the total amount of funding proposed for their
institution for the whole project period. This form is to be the cover page for the original proposal and is
the first required form in the Grants.gov proposal package. The form can be downloaded at
https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/sf-424-family in the Forms Repository section under the
R&R Family hyperlink. For a NOAA and non-NOAA Federal partner, applications for Federal assistance (SF-
424 (R&R) and the Research & Related Budget (Total Fed + Non-Fed) Budget Form, must show the total
amount less what would go to the Federal partner.
2. Title Page
Format Requirements: Single-spaced, 12-point font, 1-inch margins, one (1) page maximum.
Guidance: Include proposal title, complete contact information for the Principal Investigator and Financial
Representative, duration of proposed project, the funding request by year, and the total funds requested.
If funds are to be transferred to a NOAA or other Federal partner on the project, also state the amount to
the Federal partner on the cover.
3. Abstract
Format Requirements: Single-spaced, 12-point font, 1-inch margins, 5 sentences maximum
Guidance: Provide a very brief, high-level summary of the proposal in 3-5 sentences. The abstract should
be written using plain language for a broad, non-technical audience and highlight the main goal of the
proposed work and societal impacts.
4. Project Summary
Format Requirements: Single-spaced, 12-point font, 1-inch margins, two (2) page maximum
Guidance: The summary should be prepared to be readable to a broad audience and contain the following
sections:
1. Project Name/Title
2. Primary Contact (name, address, telephone, fax, e-mail)
3. Primary Recipient Institution
4. Other Investigators (name, affiliated institution or agency)
5. Brief Project Summary including objectives and intended benefits
6. Name and affiliation of the Transition Manager
7. Partners
5. Proposal Narrative and Milestones Schedule
Format Requirements: Single-spaced, 12-point font, 1-inch margins, 10 pages maximum. The 10-page
limit does not include the proposal title page, table of contents, the data sharing plan, the project
summary,
Guidance: All project narratives must include the following sections and should be clear and concise,
focusing on the who, what, when, where, why and how of the proposed work, including the description of
the proposed scope of work.
1. Goals and Objectives. Describe in the narrative the specific project goals and objectives to be
achieved. Goals and objectives should be specific for each year of the work plan presented.
Recipients will be required to submit semi-annual progress reports in which progress against
these goals and objectives will be reported.
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2. Background. Provide sufficient background information for proposal reviewers to assess
independently the significance of the proposed project. Summarize the problem to be addressed
and the status of ongoing efforts to address the identified needs. Identify the current readiness
level of the technology and the anticipated level at the end of the project and how you determined
these levels.
3. Audience. Identify specific users of the results of the project, describe how they will use the
results, and identify any training or extension services that will be needed for users to make full
use of the results.
4. Approach. Provide a work plan that: identifies specific tasks to be accomplished; explains the
technical approach (including quality assurance) needed to accomplish the tasks; identifies
partner roles and contributions, including resources; and identifies potential obstacles to
successful completion of the goals and objectives. Describe how end-users are involved in the
planning and design process.If the project includes Federal partners, the roles, responsibilities
and contributions of the Federal partners must be clearly identified.
5. Benefits. Identify, with a high degree of specificity, the users of the products or information
derived from the work, and the benefits that will be achieved for those users, as well as society as
a whole. Document how valid user requirements are guiding the proposed work. Describe how the
technologies or information from the project will be delivered to those users, and any special
considerations or requirements for ensuring or improving the delivery of the technology or
information. If relevant, describe plans to commercialize the project results.
6. Milestone Schedule. Display time lines for major tasks, target milestones for important
intermediate and final products including deliverables and key project outcomes.
7. Project Budget. Provide a short budget description that follows the categories and formats in the
Research & Related Budget Form (Total Fed + Non-Fed) and a brief justification of the budget.
6. Data Management Plan
Format Requirements: Single-spaced, 12-point font, 1-inch margins, 2 pages maximum.
Guidance: If the project generates data. The Proposal must provide a detailed Data Management Plan
that describes how metadata and data collected as part of the project will be disseminated to the broader
community, and plans for longer term archiving of these data. PIs that propose to collaborate with data
centers or networks, except the National Center for Environmental Information, are advised to obtain
letters of commitment that affirm the collaboration. Where possible, all PIs are strongly encouraged to
use existing data centers and data portals to archive and disseminate their data. Costs associated with
use of data centers, or data archiving, should be included in the application budget. See
https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/about/funding-opportunities/data-management-plan/ for more
information.
See Section VI.B., Administrative and National Policy Requirements, below for additional information on
what the plan should contain.
7. References Cited
Format Requirements: None
Guidance: Each reference should include the names of all authors in the same sequence they appear in
the publications, the article title, the journal or book title, volume number, page numbers, and year of
publications. While there is no established page limitation, this section should include bibliographic
citations only and should not be used to provide parenthetical information outside of the Project
Description.
8. Resumes
Format Requirements: Single-spaced, 12-point font, 1-inch margins, three (3) pages maximum, per person.
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Guidance: Provide resumes of the Principal Investigator for the project and other key personnel critical to
the success of the project. Ensure that resumes address qualifications relevant to conducting the
proposed work.
9. Letters of Support (optional):
Format Requirements: None
Guidance: Letters from unfunded collaborators, verifying their contribution to the project, or letters of
support may also be included, but are not required.
10. Research & Related Budget (Total Fed + Non-Fed) Form:
Format Requirements: None
Guidance: All applicants are required to submit a Research & Related Budget (Total Fed + Non-Fed)
Budget Form, which identifies the budget for each fiscal year of the primary proposal. A new Research &
Related Budget (Total Fed + Non-Fed) form is required for each fiscal year in sections A - D for the
primary award. The form can be downloaded at https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/sf-424-
family in the Forms Repository section under the “R&R Family” hyperlink.
11. Research & Related Subaward Budget ( Total Fed + Non-Fed) Attachment(s)
Form
Format Requirements: None
Guidance: Required for each subaward (if applicable, and for each fiscal year of the project. The form can
be downloaded at https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/sf-424-family in the Forms Repository
section under the “R&R Family” hyperlink.
12. Budget Narrative
Format Requirements: Single-spaced, 12-point font, 1-inch margins.
Guidance: All proposals must include a detailed budget narrative covering the proposed period of
performance with a justification to support all proposed budget categories for each fiscal year. The
Budget Narrative must match the same direct cost categories as the Research & Related Budget (Total
Fed + Non-Fed) Budget and the Research & Related Subaward Budget ( Total Fed + Non-Fed)
Attachment(s) forms for the primary and each subaward.
A separate budget narrative is required for each subaward (all subawards, including lower tier subawards)
and any NOAA partner receiving funding. The lead institution must include the subaward and NOAA
partner budget narratives as a separate document. The work to be performed by the partner must be
reflected separately in the Proposal Narrative and partner budget. Subaward budget totals should be
included in the lead entity’s budget under the “Other” category. Do not include NOAA partner budgets into
the lead’s budget. A Research & Related Subaward Budget (Total Fed + Non-Fed) Attachment(s) form and
indirect cost rate agreement (if applicable) should accompany the budget narrative specific to each
subaward or NOAA partner.
For additional information concerning each of the required budget categories and appropriate level of
disclosure please see https://coast.noaa.gov/data/coasthome/funding/_pdf/forms/budget-narrative-
guidance-for-NOAA-grants.pdf. Please note that internal references to 2 CFR 200 have not been updated
in the budget narrative guidance to be compliant with recent changes (October 1, 2024). The document is
otherwise applicable to developing a budget for a grant application. For the most current information,
please refer to 2 CFR 200 at https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2 (e.g., the current equipment minimum
value threshold is $10,000, the current de minimis indirect cost rate is 15%).
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The lead institution will be the only institution to directly receive funds from NOAA and is responsible for
sending funds to their other subaward institutions, except for funded NOAA partners which may be
funded directly by NOAA. If funding will be directed to NOAA partners, the budget narrative for the lead
institution must show the total amount less what would go to the NOAA partner as noted above for
Research & Related Budget (Total Fed + Non-Fed) form (Sec. IV.B.10).
13. CD-511: Certification Regarding Lobbying
Format Requirements: None
Guidance: Required only for the lead institution, which may submit this form through the Grants.gov
CD511 document placeholder without a hard signature because electronic signatures are allowed on
documents from the submitting institution. The form can be downloaded at:
https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/sf-424-family .
14. SF-424B: Assurances - Non-Construction Programs
Format Requirements: None
Guidance: Required only for the lead institution, which may submit this form through the Grants.gov SF-
424B document placeholder without a hard signature because electronic signatures are allowed on
documents from the submitting institutions. The form can be downloaded at
https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/sf-424-family.
15. SF-LLL Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (if needed)
Format Requirements: None
Guidance: Required only If lobbying activity is or has been secured to influence the outcome of a covered
federal action, complete the SF-LLL standard lobbying disclosure form found at
https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/sf-424-family and include it with your proposal package.
16. Environmental Compliance Questionnaire for NOAA Notice of Federal
Funding Opportunity Applicants
Format Requirement: Use the Environmental Compliance Questionnaire for NOAA Notice of Federal
Funding Opportunity Applicants (hereinafter NOAA Environmental Compliance Questionnaire) which can
be found at: https://www.noaa.gov/general-counsel/nepa. A fillable version of the NOAA Environmental
Compliance Questionnaire is available at: https://ioos.noaa.gov/about/funding-opportunities.
Guidance: The NOAA Environmental Compliance Questionnaire is used by NOAA to collect information
about proposed activities for National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and other environmental
compliance requirements associated with the proposal, including but not limited to federal consultations
under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), and the National
Marine Sanctuaries Act (NMSA).
Applicants are required to respond to questions 1-14 (Proposed Activity-Information, Proposed Activity-
Location, Proposed Activity-Timeframe, Project Partners, Permits, and Consultations, and Proposed
Activity Details and Impacts-All activities). Applicants are also required to respond to questions 15-81 as
applicable to the proposed project.
Applicants should answer the questions to the best of their ability with as much detail as possible for
each activity described in the NOAA Environmental Compliance Questionnaire. Some of the questions
may overlap with material provided in other parts of the application. As appropriate, please copy the
information from other parts of the application and paste it into the answers to the NOAA Environmental
Compliance Questionnaire. If a question required under the NOFO is not applicable to your proposed
activity, please explain why the requested information is not relevant. Failure to do so or failure to answer
questions required under the NOFO in sufficient detail may result in NOAA considering your application
incomplete.
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In addition to providing specific information that will serve as the basis for any required impact analyses,
applicants may 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.
It is the applicant's responsibility to obtain all permits and approvals from Federal, state, and local
governments as well as private landowners where necessary for the proposed work to be conducted.
If additional information is required after an application is selected, funds can be withheld by the NOAA
Grants Officer or activities may be restricted under a specific award condition.
Additional information on the IOOS environmental compliance process is found at:
https://ioos.noaa.gov/about/governance-and-management/environmental-compliance/.
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)
Any applicant awarded in response to this Announcement will be required to use the System for Award
Management (SAM), which may be accessed online at https://sam.gov/SAM/. SAM enables the use of a
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and to build the quality of information available to the public as required by
the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act, 31 U.S.C. 6106 Note, to the extent applicable.
Each applicant (unless the applicant is an individual or federal awarding agency that is exempted 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 proposal,
which takes an average of 7-10 business days after entering all information into SAM and requires the
applicant’s Employer Identification Number; (ii) provide a valid UEI in its proposal; and (iii) continue to
maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active
federal award or a proposal or plan under consideration by a federal awarding agency. SAM registration
must be re-validated and renewed every 12 months.
Applicants are advised to complete SAM registration or renewal well in advance of the full proposal
deadline. For UEI registration visit this link,
https://sam.directory/UEI?gclid=CjwKCAjw_b6WBhAQEiwAp4HyIJaUI9DfZ6GgKVQxxe%20LeLsp72ZneUy
TrcA7qQsOB_vQdGh9Z8B_XIRoCm-0QAvD_BwE.
NOAA may not make a federal award to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable
UEI 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
Letters of Intent (LOI) are highly recommended but not required. The requested letters of intent (LOI)
should be submitted via this Google Form. The form must be received by 11:59 PM (EDT) on April 27,
2026.
The form to submit an LOI can be found at https://forms.gle/8dB4jY1dLwrPiNQC9 (Copy and paste this
link into your web browser). Please contact the Program Manager at tiffany.c.vance@noaa.gov if you
have any problems submitting this form.
Full proposals must be received no later than 11:59 PM (EDT) on July 15, 2026.
E. Intergovernmental Review
Not applicable.
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F. Funding Restrictions
Since this announcement solicits applications for financial assistance, profit or other increment above
cost may not be included on awards.
G. Other Submission Requirements
Applicant organizations must complete and maintain three registrations to be eligible to apply for or
receive an award. These registrations include SAM.gov, Grants.gov, and eRA Commons. All registrations
must be completed prior to the application being submitted. The complete registration process for all
three systems can take 4 to 6 weeks, so applicants should begin this activity as soon as possible. Please
refer to important information in "Submission Dates and Times" above to help ensure your application is
received on time. If an eligible applicant does not have access to the internet, please contact the Agency
Contacts listed in Section VII for submission instructions.
Grants.gov will provide information about submitting a proposal through the site as well as the hours of
operation. After electronic submission of the application, the person submitting the application will
receive within 24 to 48 hours two email messages from Grants.gov updating him or her on the progress
of the application. The first email will confirm receipt of the application by Grants.gov, and the second will
indicate that the application has been either successfully validated by the system prior to transmission to
the grantor agency or rejected due to errors. After the application has been validated, this same person
will receive another email when the application has been downloaded by the Federal agency. An
organization's one-time registration process may take up to three weeks to complete, so please allow
sufficient time to ensure applications are submitted before the closing date.
Prior to registering with eRA Commons, applicant organizations must first obtain a Unique Entity Identifier
(UEI) from SAM.gov, if needed (refer to Section IV. Applications and Submission Information, Section C).
Instructions on how to register in eRA Commons can be found here:
https://www.commerce.gov/ocio/programs/gems/register-your-organization-era-commons.
Organizations can register with eRA Commons in tandem with completing their full SAM and Grants.gov
registrations; however, all registrations must be in place by time of application submission. eRA
Commons requires organizations to identify at least one Signing Official (SO) and at least one Program
Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) account in order to submit an application.
The first PD/PI listed on the application must include their eRA Commons ID in the "Credential, e.g.
agency login" Applicant Identifier field on the SF424 form. Failure to register in the Commons and to
include a valid PD/PI Commons ID in the Applicant Identifier field will prevent the successful submission
of an electronic application.
H. Address for Submitting Proposals
Full application packages must be submitted through Grants.gov. Hard copy, faxed or emailed
submissions will not be accepted.
V. Application Review Information
1. Importance/relevance and applicability Maximum Points: 35
of proposed projects to the program goals
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This ascertains whether there is intrinsic value in the proposed work and/or relevance to NOAA, Federal,
regional, State, and/or local activities.This includes importance and relevance to the topics and scientific
priorities described in the Notice of Funding Opportunity. Proposed projects will be assessed on their
ability to advance new or existing technology-based solutions that address ocean, coastal, and Great
Lakes observing, product development, and data management challenges. Funding will be targeted to
projects focused on: 1) technologies for which there are demonstrated operational end-users who
commit to integrated, long term use of those technologies and open data sharing; 2) are transitioning
technology from RLs 6 through 8; 3) and include partners from at least one IOOS Regional Association,
academia, and the private sector. The PI's record of making his/her technologies and data accessible and
used by the scientific community in the past may also be considered when evaluating the importance and
relevance of the application.
2. Technical/scientific merit Maximum Points: 35
This assesses whether the approach is technically sound and/or innovative, whether the methods are
appropriate, and whether there are clear project goals and objectives.The proposed work should have
focused objectives and a complete and technically sound strategy for project design, methodologies, data
management (including QA/QC), data analysis, and development of products and outcomes in support of
the objectives. The proposed work should demonstrate the technology is mature and proven for
consideration in longterm operations.
3. Overall qualifications of applicants Maximum Points: 10
This criterion assesses whether the applicant team possesses the necessary education, experience,
training, facilities, and administrative resources to accomplish the project.
4. Project costs Maximum Points: 10
This criterion evaluates the budget to determine if it is realistic and commensurate with the project needs
and time frame.
5. Outreach and Education Maximum Points: 10
This criterion assesses whether the project provides a focused and effective education and outreach
strategy regarding agency missions, including NOAA's mission to understand and protect the Nation's
natural resources. Education can include plans for development of technical workforce capacity to work
with the technology that the project will deliver. Broader Impacts addresses actions that will enhance the
potential of the projects to meet the goals of recent Executive Orders, benefit society, and contribute to
the achievement of specific, desired outcomes.
Evaluation Criteria
Review and Selection Process
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Screening, review, and selection procedures will take place in four steps described below: 1) LOI
(optional) 2) an initial screening by U.S. IOOS Office staff; 3) a merit review; and 4) final selection by the
Selecting Official (the Director of the U.S. IOOS Office). The merit review step will involve at least three
reviewers per application. The Selecting Official will make the final decision regarding which applications
will be funded based on the numerical ranking of the applications, the evaluations by the merit reviewers,
and the selection factors set in Section V.C., below.
• Letter of Intent (LOI). An LOI is not required but is highly recommended. The purpose of the LOI
process is to provide information to potential applicants on the relevance of their proposed
project and the likelihood of it being competitive in advance of preparing a full application. Full
applications will be encouraged only for LOIs deemed relevant; however, the final decision to
submit a full proposal, and the investment needed, is made by the investigator. The LOI should
provide a concise description of the proposed work and its relevance to the OTT Program.
• Initial Proposal Screening. The initial screening will ensure that application packages have all
required forms and application elements and meet all of the eligibility criteria in accordance with
“Section B: Content and Form of Application.” Applications that pass this initial screening will be
submitted for merit review.
• Merit Review. Eligible full applications will be evaluated in accordance with the criteria and
weights described in this solicitation by at least three independent peer reviewers through an
independent peer panel. Each reviewer will independently evaluate their assigned proposals,
compose written reviews, and provide individual proposal scores. Both federal and non-federal
experts may be used in this process. No consensus advice will be given by the independent peer
reviewers on the review panels. Subject matter experts will comprise the panel and may convene
in person or by teleconference, video conference, or electronic means. Each proposal will be
reviewed by a minimum of three panelists. All panelists will participate in the proposal’s panel
review and scoring. The merit review’s ratings will be used to produce a rank order of the
proposals.
• Final Selection. The U.S. IOOS Office staff will create a ranking of the proposals to be
recommended for funding using the panel review scores. The reviewer comments, composite
proposal scores, rank order, and a summary of the concerns (if any) identified through the panel
review process along with information pertaining to selection factors (see below) will be
presented to the Selecting Official. Based on the numerical ranking, merit-review written
evaluations, and the additional selection factors described below, the Selecting Official will
develop a list of proposals recommended for funding. For a proposal to be selected for funding,
the applicant may be asked to modify objectives, work plans, and budgets, and to provide
supplemental information required by the agency prior to the award. When a decision has been
made (whether an award or declination), anonymous copies of merit review comments or
summaries of panel deliberations can be made available to the applicant upon request.
Selection Factors
The competition manager will present selection recommendations to the selecting official in rank order
as determined by the merit review ratings. The selection official shall award in rank order unless the
proposal is justified to be selected out of rank order based upon one or more of the following factors:
1. Availability of funding
2. Balance/distribution of funds:
a. By number and type of partners
b. By project type
c. By operational focus
d. By type of institutions
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e. By geographic region
f. By industry type
3. Leveraging of other projects funded or considered for funding by NOAA/Federal agencies
4. Project priorities and policy factors
5. Applicant's prior award performance
6. Partnerships with/participation of targeted groups
7. Adequacy of information necessary for NOAA staff to make a determination about the
environmental impacts of the project on the environment and draft necessary documentation
before recommendations for funding are made to the Grants Officer.
The Selecting Official makes final recommendations for awards to the Grants Officer who is authorized to
obligate the funds.
Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates
The anticipated start date for projects is January 1, 2027.
VI. Award Administration Information
A. Award Notices
The Notice of Award (NoA) is issued by the NOAA Grants Officer electronically through NOAA’s electronic
grants management system, eRA Commons, to the signing official in the recipient organization’s
business office.
In addition, the award document provided by NOAA may contain Specific Award Conditions unique to a
proposed work that will be applied on a case-by-case basis. For example, the award may include
conditions that limit the use of funds for activities that have outstanding environmental compliance
requirements or stating other compliance requirements for the award as applicable. The applicant is
strongly encouraged to review award documents carefully before accepting a federal award to ensure
they are fully aware of the relevant terms that have been placed on the award.
Official notification of an award is provided by the Grants Management Division, not the U.S. IOOS Office.
If a project incurs any costs prior to receiving an award agreement from an authorized NOAA grant
official, one would do so solely at their own risk of these costs not being included under the award.
PRE-AWARD COSTS. Per 2 CFR 200.458, NOAA authorizes award recipients to expend pre-award costs
up to 90 days before the period of performance start date at the applicant’s own risk without approval
from NOAA and in accordance with the applicant’s internal policies and procedures. Such costs are
allowable only to the extent that they would have been allowable if incurred after the date of the Federal
award. This does not include direct proposal costs (as defined at 2 CFR 200.460). In no event will NOAA
or the Department of Commerce be responsible for direct proposal preparation costs. Pre-award costs
will be a portion of, not in addition to, the approved total budget of the award. Pre-award costs expended
more than 90 days prior to the period of performance start date require approval from the Grants Officer.
This does not change the period of performance start date.
GRANTS OFFICER SIGNATURE. Proposals submitted in response to this solicitation are not considered
awards until the Grants Officer has signed the grant agreement. Only Grants Officers can bind the
Government to the expenditure of funds. The Grants Officer’s digital signature constitutes an obligation of
funds by the federal government and formal approval of the award.
LIMITATION OF LIABILITY. Funding for programs listed in this notice is contingent upon the availability
of funds. Applicants are hereby given notice that funds may not have been appropriated yet for the
programs listed in this notice. Publication of this announcement does not oblige NOAA to award any
specific project or to obligate any available funds.
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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
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.
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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.
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.
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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 at https://www.noaa.gov/organization/administration/nao-202-735d-2-
scientific-integrity. 4. Primary Responsibility. The non-Federal entity shall have the primary responsibility
to prevent, detect, and investigate allegations of a violation of scientific integrity or scientific and research
misconduct. Unless otherwise instructed by the grants officer, the non-Federal entity shall promptly
conduct an initial inquiry into any allegation of such misconduct and may rely on its internal policies and
procedures, as appropriate, to do so. 5. By executing this grant, financial assistance award, or cooperative
agreement the non-Federal entity provides its assurance that it has established an administrative process
for performing an inquiry, investigating, and reporting allegations of a violation of scientific integrity or
scientific and research misconduct; and that it will comply with its own administrative process for
performing an inquiry, investigation, and reporting of such misconduct. 6. The non-Federal entity shall
insert this provision in all subawards at all tiers under this grant, financial assistance award, or
cooperative agreement.
REVIEW OF RISK. After applications are proposed for funding by the Selecting Official, the Grants Office
will perform administrative reviews, including an assessment of risk posed by the applicant under 2 C.F.R.
200.206. These may include assessments of the financial stability of an applicant and the quality of the
applicant’s management systems, history of performance, and the applicant’s ability to effectively
implement statutory, regulatory, or other requirements imposed on non-Federal entities. Special
conditions that address any risks determined to exist may be applied. Applicants may submit comments
about any information concerning organizational performance listed in the Responsibility/Qualification
section of SAM.gov for consideration by the awarding agency.
REVIEWS AND EVALUATION. The applicant acknowledges and understands that information and data
contained in applications for financial assistance, as well as information and data contained in financial,
performance and other reports submitted by applicants, may be used by the Department of Commerce in
conducting reviews and evaluations of its financial assistance programs. For this purpose, applicant
information and data may be accessed, reviewed and evaluated by Department of Commerce employees,
other Federal employees, and also by Federal agents and contractors, and/or by non-Federal personnel,
all of whom enter into appropriate conflict of interest and confidentiality agreements covering the use of
such information. As may be provided in the terms and conditions of a specific financial assistance
award, applicants are expected to support program reviews and evaluations by submitting required
financial and performance information and data in an accurate and timely manner, and by cooperating
with the Department of Commerce and external program evaluators. In accordance with §200.303(e),
applicants are reminded that they must take reasonable measures to safeguard protected personally
identifiable information and other confidential or sensitive personal or business information created or
obtained in connection with a Department of Commerce financial assistance award.
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RELEASE OF APPLICATION INFORMATION. Privileged or confidential commercial or financial
information, patentable ideas, or trade secrets, disclosure of which may harm the applicant, should be
included in the proposal only when such information is necessary to convey an understanding of the
proposed work. In the event that a proposal contains information or data that the applicant does not want
disclosed prior to award for purposes other than the evaluation of the proposal, mark each page
containing such information or data with the words "Privileged, Confidential, Commercial, or Financial
Information - Limited Use" at the top of the page to assist NOAA in making disclosure determinations. A
proposal that results in an award will be available to the public on request, except for privileged
information or material that is personal, proprietary, or otherwise exempt from disclosure under law.
Appropriate labeling in the proposal aids identification of what may be specifically exempt. Such
information will be withheld from public disclosure to the extent permitted by law, including the Freedom
of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552, and 15 C.F.R. Part 4, which sets forth rules for the Department of
Commerce to make requested materials, information, and records publicly available under FOIA.
Without assuming any liability for inadvertent disclosure, NOAA will seek to limit disclosure of such
information to its employees and contractors, and to outside reviewers when necessary for merit review
of the proposal or as otherwise authorized by law. Portions of proposals resulting in awards that contain
descriptions of inventions in which either the Government or the funding recipient owns a right, title, or
interest (including a nonexclusive license) will not normally be made available to the public until a
reasonable time has been allowed for filing patent applications. NOAA will notify the recipient of receipt
of requests for copies of funded proposals so the recipient may advise NOAA of such inventions
described, or other confidential, commercial, or proprietary information contained in the proposal.
NOAA may, at its own discretion, make publicly visible the data management plan from funded projects,
or use information from the data management plan to produce a formal metadata record and include that
metadata in a catalog to indicate the pending availability of new data.
The applicant acknowledges and understands that information and data contained in applications for
financial assistance, as well as information and data contained in financial, performance and other
reports submitted by applicants, may be used by the Department of Commerce in conducting reviews and
evaluations of its financial assistance programs. For this purpose, applicant information and data may be
accessed, reviewed, and evaluated by Department of Commerce employees, other Federal employees,
and also by Federal agents and contractors, and/or by non-Federal personnel, all of whom enter into
appropriate conflict of interest and confidentiality agreements covering the use of such information. As
may be provided in the terms and conditions of a specific financial assistance award, applicants are
expected to support program reviews and evaluations by submitting required financial and performance
information and data in an accurate and timely manner, and by cooperating with the the Department of
Commerce and external program evaluators. Following 2 C.F.R. § 200.303(e), applicants are reminded
that they must take reasonable measures to safeguard protected personally identifiable information and
other confidential or sensitive personal or business information created or obtained in connection with a
Department of Commerce financial assistance award.
GOLD STANDARD SCIENCE. In performing activities under Federal awards, applicants should commit to
complying with administration policies, procedures, and guidance respecting Gold Standard Science. As
detailed in Executive Order 14303, Restoring Gold Standard Science (May 23, 2025), Gold Standard
Science refers to science conducted in a manner that is:
Reproducible.
Transparent.
Communicative of error and uncertainty.
Collaborative and interdisciplinary.
Skeptical of its findings and assumptions.
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Structured for falsifiability of hypotheses.
Subject to unbiased peer review.
Accepting of negative results as positive outcomes.
Without conflicts of interest.
TERMINATION. In accordance with 2 CFR § 200.340(a), this federal award may be terminated in part or in
its entirety as follows:
a. By DOC or the pass-through entity if the recipient or subrecipient fails to comply with the terms and
conditions of this federal award.
b. By DOC or the pass-through entity with the consent of the recipient or subrecipient, in which case the
two parties must agree upon the termination conditions. These conditions include the effective date and,
in the case of partial termination, the portion to be terminated.
c. By the recipient or subrecipient upon sending DOC or the pass-through entity a written notification of
the reasons for termination, the effective date, and, in the case of partial termination, the portion to be
terminated. If DOC or the pass-through entity determines that the remaining portion of this federal award
will not accomplish the purposes for which this federal award was made, DOC or the pass-through entity
may terminate this federal award in its entirety.
d. By DOC or the pass-through entity to the extent authorized by law, if the award no longer effectuates
the program goals or agency priorities.
PROHIBITION ON USING FEDERAL AWARDS TO PROMOTE OR SUPPORT THEORIES OF DISPARATE-
IMPACT LIABILITY. In accordance with Executive Order 14281, Restoring Equality of Opportunity and
Meritocracy (April 23, 2025), it is the policy of the Federal Government to eliminate the use of disparate-
impact liability in all contexts to the maximum possible and permitted by law.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 14173: ENDING ILLEGAL DISCRIMINATION AND RESTORING MERIT-BASED
OPPORTUNITY. Pursuant to Executive Order 14173, 90 FR 8633 (Jan. 21, 2025), Ending Illegal
Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity, each recipient that accepts a U.S. Department of
Commerce financial assistance award: (1) agrees that compliance in all respects with all applicable
Federal anti-discrimination laws is material to the government’s payment decisions for purposes of
section 3729(b)(4) of Title 31 United States Code; and (2) certifies to the Department that it does not
operate any programs promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion that violate any applicable Federal anti-
discrimination laws.
C. Reporting
In accordance with 2 CFR 200.328-9 and the terms and conditions of the award, financial reports are to
be submitted semi-annually and performance (technical) reports are to be submitted semi-annually.
Reports are submitted electronically through eRA.
The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act, 31 U.S.C. 6101 note, includes a requirement
for awardees of applicable Federal grants to report information about first-tier subawards and executive
compensation under Federal assistance awards. All awardees of applicable grants and cooperative
agreements are required to report to the FFATA Subaward Reporting System (FSRS) available at
https://www.fsrs.gov/ on all subawards over $30,000. Refer to 2 CFR Part 170.
VII. Agency Contacts
For questions regarding this announcement, contact: Jennifer Hinden, U.S. IOOS,
Jennifer.Hinden@noaa.gov.
For information on establishing Indirect or Facilities and Administrative Costs, contact: Jennifer Jackson,
NOAA Grants Management Division, Jennifer.Jackson@noaa.gov.
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eRA Service Desk
• Phone: 866-504-9552 (option 1)
• Grant Support Portal for additional methods of contact (https://www.era.nih.gov/need-help)
• Monday-Friday, 7am-8pm EST
eRA Commons Trainings
https://www.commerce.gov/ocio/programs/gems/about-gems
eRA CommonsUser Guide
https://www.era.nih.gov/docs/Commons_UserGuide.pdf
VIII. Other Information
Not Applicable
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