Prevention, Control, and Mitigation of Harmful Algal Blooms 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 ..................................................................................................................................2
I. Funding Opportunity Description .................................................................................................................2
II. Award Information .......................................................................................................................................5
III. Eligibility Information ..................................................................................................................................8
IV. Application and Submission Information ..................................................................................................9
V. Application Review Information ................................................................................................................19
VI. Award Administration Information ..........................................................................................................23
VII. Agency Contacts ......................................................................................................................................29
VIII. Other Information ...................................................................................................................................29
Executive Summary
Federal Agency Name
NOS National Center for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS)
Funding Opportunity Title
Prevention, Control, and Mitigation of Harmful Algal Blooms Program
Announcement Type
Competitive
Funding Opportunity Number
NOAA-NOS-NCCOS-2026-33016
Assistance Listing Number(s)
11.478
Dates
The required letters of intent (LOI) must be submitted by e-mail to nccos.grant.awards@noaa.gov. LOIs
should be submitted as soon as possible, but no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on April 14, 2026.
Applicants will receive an email verification of receipt. Responses to LOIs should be expected
approximately one week after submission. Full applications must be received and validated by Grants.gov
by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on May 14, 2026. Electronic submissions received after the deadline will not
be considered. Investigators are advised to submit full applications well in advance of the deadline as a
precaution against unanticipated delays.
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The full proposal should be submitted electronically through Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov). After
the application is validated by Grants.gov, please send an email to nccos.grant.awards@noaa.gov to
notify us of your submission.
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. Refer
to Section IV.G. of this Announcement for details.
Funding Opportunity Description
The purpose of this document is to advise the public that NOAA/NOS/National Centers for Coastal Ocean
Science (NCCOS) Competitive Research Program (NCCOS/CRP) [formerly Center for Sponsored Coastal
Ocean Research (CSCOR)/Coastal Ocean Program (COP)] is soliciting proposals for the Prevention,
Control and Mitigation of Harmful Algal Bloom (PCMHAB) program. The PCMHAB program seeks to
develop and transition technologies and strategies for preventing, controlling, or mitigating harmful algal
blooms and their impacts. For this announcement, PCMHAB will prioritize proposals focused on the
comprehensive testing of harmful algal bloom control technologies that fit one of the two following focal
areas: (1) promising control technologies that are in need of further testing to prove feasibility; and (2)
proven control technologies that are still in need of large-scale field testing or that are already approved
related control technologies (e.g., freshwater harmful algal blooms, oil spills, etc.) that could be
transferable to harmful algal blooms in the marine environment. Funding is contingent upon availability of
Federal appropriations. It is anticipated that approximately $2,500,000 may be available to support the
first year of three to five projects. Proposals may request up to $500,000 per year for up to 3 years (focal
area 1) or up to $1,000,000 per year for up to 5 years. NCCOS/CRP may reject any PCMHAB proposals
submitted with an annual budget for any year that is greater than $500,000 for focal area 1 projects or
$1,000,000 for focal area 2 projects.
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An informational webinar on this solicitation will be offered on March 26, 2026 from 2 to 3 p.m. Eastern
Time. Information regarding this Announcement, including the webinar and additional background
information, is available on the NCCOS PCMHAB webpage (https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/science-
areas/habs/pcmhab/).
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Electronic Access: Proposals should be submitted through Grants.gov, http://www.grants.gov. Sign up to
receive any potential amendments to this Announcement via http://www.grants.gov.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
A. Program Objective
The Competitive Research Program (CRP), part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), supports development of actionable
information, tools and products enabling implementation of management and policy strategies for
protection of public health, ecosystems, and the economic vitality of communities. To accomplish this,
NCCOS/CRP funds research with clear objectives using a competitive, peer-reviewed process involving
scientists, resource managers and impacted stakeholders as research project partners or advisors
working together to achieve effective outcomes. NCCOS/CRP has an over 30-year track record of
delivering results addressing our Nation's most pressing issues and needs, including harmful algal
blooms (HABs) as authorized under the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act (33
U.S.C. §4001 et seq.) and Public Law 102-567, §201(c).
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Marine, estuarine, and Great Lakes waters of the United States are increasingly impacted by HABs. The
toxins produced by some HAB species accumulate in organisms such as marine mammals and shellfish,
finfish, and other seafood, leading to potential human poisoning. HAB toxins directly impact human
health with effects ranging from mild skin and respiratory irritation to gastrointestinal discomfort to
severe neurological damage and death. Harm from these toxins or the excessive size, intensity, and
duration of some HAB blooms, can adversely impact ecosystems and cause loss of habitat, disrupt our
seafood supply and harm tourism. Costs from a single HAB event can range from millions to billions of
dollars due to broad economic and societal impacts. Some of these include lost revenue from closures of
managed shellfish beds and aquaculture facilities, monitoring for HABs to protect public health and their
cleanup and mitigation costs, disruptions in tourism from public reactions to HAB events on beaches and
seafood advisories, loss of access to key subsistence foods, and medical treatments from exposure to
HAB toxins.
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B. Program Priorities
The purpose of this document is to advise the public that NCCOS/CRP is soliciting proposals for the
Prevention, Control and Mitigation of Harmful Algal Bloom (PCMHAB) program. The PCMHAB program
seeks to develop and commercialize promising technologies and strategies for preventing, controlling, or
mitigating HABs and their impacts for field application by end users. This process includes projects
focused on research, development, demonstration, and technology transfer. Actions and approaches
supported by the PCMHAB program aim to reduce the incidence and severity of HABs, control their
spread, and lessen ecological and socio-economic impacts related to HABs. Proposals by, or that include,
private sector Principal Investigators (PIs) are highly encouraged.
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The need for effective, economically feasible HAB control technologies has increasingly been identified
by both the public and private sectors. The Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act
(Public Law 115-423), most recently reauthorized in 2017, highlights the need for NOAA to advance the
ability to detect, monitor, assess, and predict HAB and hypoxia events. It also encourages NOAA to
identify and examine innovative research and development methods to control HABs.To address this
need, NOAA has implemented the U.S. HAB Control Technologies Incubator (HCTI) to enable feasibility
assessments of promising but untested technologies. In 2025, NOAA and the Marine Technology Society
(MTS) co-sponsored a three-part series of “Dialogues with Industry” focused on HABs. The dialogues
series emphasized the urgent need to scale capacity, incentivize public–private–academic partnerships,
and highlight the return on investment for communities and sectors affected by HABs. Dialogue 3
addressed the issue of advancing HAB control technologies. A key takeaway from Dialogue 3 was the
need to identify the market demand for control technologies and the appropriate end users.
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With this understanding, PCMHAB is prioritizing funding for projects focused on comprehensive testing of
control technologies in two focal areas:
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(1) Promising technologies that have a demonstrated ability to target HAB cells and toxins but have not
yet been fully tested at the laboratory and mesocosm level, such as those that have been assessed
through the HCTI process and have been deemed suitable for further testing under PCMHAB; and
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(2) Proven technologies that have been demonstrated to be able to control HAB cells and toxins but are
still in need of large-scale field testing or that have been approved for other situations (e.g., freshwater
HABs, oil spills, etc.) and could be transferred to control HABs in the marine environment.
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Within the two focal areas, NCCOS/CRP will further prioritize support for projects that have identified a
pathway scenario for their technology to transition to commercial application. Some control technologies
may be easy to apply but will have a high cost per unit, and are likely to only be commercially successful if
applied as an aggregate of multiple small-scale applications. Other technologies may be harder to apply
and require specialized equipment, such as barge-mounted sprayers, but will have a low cost per unit. The
latter type of technology may be best suited for large-scale offshore applications covering several square
miles. All applicants to this announcement are expected to identify in their required letters of intent (LOIs)
and full proposals the type of application scenario they believe will better suit their proposed technology
in order to assess commercial viability.
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The ultimate goal of PCMHAB is to increase the number of technologies and approaches that are
commercially available to control HABs in the Nation’s coastal waters, estuaries, and the Great Lakes. All
projects addressing focal area 2 must include in their proposal a description of how they expect to
commercialize their technology. The project narrative should clearly describe the manner and estimated
cost and benefits of potential full application.
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Most HAB control technologies fall under federal and state regulatory frameworks, so to conduct testing
in the field, applicants will have to apply for experimental use permits or exemptions to the permits.
Applicants are encouraged to incorporate any action required to obtain relevant permits in their proposal
submission. Project proposals will be encouraged to adopt a staggered approach that will allow them to
conduct laboratory and mesocosm experiments in the first 1-2 years and the toxicology and tolerance
tests required to secure experimental use permits for field testing in the last 1-2 years. Please contact the
PCMHAB Program Manager for further information (see Section VII for contact information).
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NCCOS/CRP coordinates with other NOAA, federal, and state research programs to leverage their
research investments and avoid duplication of effort. NCCOS/CRP will not fund research in the following
areas:
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● Research on inland or freshwater HABs except in the Great Lakes and coastal waters, which, as
defined in the Coastal Zone Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1453(3)), contain a measurable quantity or
percentage of seawater. Research on freshwater HABs and their toxins that are transported into the
coastal zone is, however, permitted.
● Direct human health impacts of HABs, such as disease surveillance, clinical characterization, and
therapeutic guidance in humans, which are the purview of other agencies, such as the National Science
Foundation and National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences funded Centers for Oceans and
Human Health, Centers for Disease Control, and U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
● Routine monitoring for HAB cells, HAB toxins, and water quality.
● Operational HAB forecasting and observation systems.
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Expected Outputs: Expected outputs from the supported research include novel technologies that will
help in the control, prevention and mitigation of HABs. Also expected are prevention, control, or mitigation
technologies that would be formally or in the process of being approved by applicable regulatory
agencies and ready for transfer to a commercial application.
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Expected Outcomes: The anticipated outcome of this research is to increase the number of commercially
available proven technologies and approaches to prevent, control and mitigate the effects of HABs within
the intended waterbodies of application and which are responsive to the specific social and economic
impacts present in the associated communities.
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If a proposal is selected for funding, the PIs will be expected to work with the NCCOS/CRP Program
Manager to develop materials to communicate project outputs and outcomes. The NCCOS/CRP Program
Manager will work closely with the Lead PI to ensure that the appropriate management representatives
(as end users of the program outputs) are engaged as advisors to the project (see MTAG section below).
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Management Transition Advisory Group (MTAG): NCCOS/CRP emphasizes a collaborative research
process that involves resource managers, planners, policymakers, and impacted communities as
research project partners or advisors. Selected applicants may be required to form an MTAG with the
assistance of the NCCOS/CRP Program Manager. MTAG members are independent advisors to the
project (not funded co-investigators). Members will typically have expertise in the research area and/or be
potential end users or extension experts. NCCOS/CRP employees cannot be MTAG members. Applicants
may develop and seek advice from an MTAG during the proposal writing process. If an MTAG is
described in the proposal, the structure, size, potential members or types of members, and activities of
the MTAG should be included, along with a plan for how the MTAG will provide advice to the
investigators. Letters of commitment from MTAG members indicating that they have agreed to serve on
the MTAG may be included in the proposal. These letters do not count towards the page limit. If an MTAG
is included in the proposal, the NCCOS/CRP Program Manager may request additional members during
the project negotiation stage.
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Funding may be requested for MTAG activities such as participation in project investigator meetings,
observation of field or laboratory activities, or participation in technology/information transfer events.
Travel funds for the MTAG should be included within the budget. If the MTAG member is a Federal
employee and needs travel assistance to attend some MTAG activities, they must obtain approval from
their agency before receiving travel funds. When travel by MTAG members to MTAG functions is not
practical or feasible, virtual MTAG meetings and/or virtual participation of MTAG members is allowed.
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For this funding opportunity, the purpose of the MTAG is to ensure the development and validation of
HAB control methods incorporates end-user needs and perspectives and to increase the likelihood of
successful transfer of research results to the intended end user(s).
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C. Program Authority
33 U.S.C. §§ 4001 et seq., Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act; Public Law 102-
567, §201(c), Coastal Ocean Program.
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II. Award Information
A. Funding Availability
Funding is contingent upon availability of Federal appropriations. It is anticipated that approximately
$2,500,000 may be available to support the first year of three to five projects. Proposals addressing focal
area 1 may request no more than $500,000 per year for up to three years. Proposals addressing focal
area 2 may request no more than $1,000,000 per year for projects up to five years. Requested total
funding for all years shall not exceed $1,500,000 for focal area 1 projects and $5,000,000 for focal area 2
projects. NCCOS/CRP may reject any PCMHAB proposals submitted with an annual budget for any year
that is greater than $500,000 for focal area 1 projects or $1,000,000 for focal area 2 projects.
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B. Project/Award Period
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Full applications may cover a project/award period of up to three years for focal area 1 and up to five
years for focal area 2. Projects funded under this Announcement will have a March 1, 2027, start date.
The start date should always begin on the first day of the month and the end date should always end on
the last day of any given month when making a projection for the award start and end dates.
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Awards may be funded incrementally, generally on an annual basis, but once awarded, those awards will
not compete for funding in subsequent years. Once approved, full applications are not required for the
continuation out years. While applicants are not required to divide Federal assistance project activities
into annual increments based on appropriations law, this approach may be constructive given the
possibility that funding may not be available in subsequent years.
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Funding for each year's activity is contingent upon the availability of appropriations, satisfactory
performance, and is at the sole discretion of the agency.
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During the implementation phase of research projects funded under this Announcement, regardless of
the funding mechanism used, NCCOS/CRP Program Managers will analyze financial statements and
progress reports for each continuing award, and will have dialogue with the PIs and Signing Officials of
the recipient institutions to discuss research progress and expected timelines for the remaining award
period. If NOAA experiences budget fluctuations in future fiscal years, the amount of funding provided in
any given fiscal year will be determined on a project-specific basis by the remaining tasks to be
completed, the overall pace of the research and the length of time remaining on the award and/or across
the board reductions or increases based on the overall funds available.
C. Type of Funding Instrument
In an effort to maximize the use of limited resources, applications from non-Federal and Federal
applicants (including NOAA) will be evaluated in the same competition, with different funding instruments
applicable to the type of applicant. Support may be solely through NCCOS/CRP or partnered with other
Federal offices and agencies. Unfunded proposals may be shared with other NOAA offices or other
Federal Agencies for the purposes of collaboration and eliminating duplication.
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Non-Federal Applicants. The funding instrument for non-Federal applicants is expected to be a
cooperative agreement. A cooperative agreement is used when substantial Federal government
involvement is anticipated. This means that the recipient can expect substantial agency collaboration,
participation, or intervention in project performance. Substantial involvement exists when: responsibility
for the management, control, direction, or performance of the project is shared by the assisting agency
and the recipient; or the assisting agency has the right to intervene (including interruption or modification)
in the conduct or performance of project activities. "Substantial involvement" will be coordinated and
communicated by NCCOS/CRP Program Managers, and can include collaboration and participation by
NOAA (but see section III.A.5-6), as well as NCCOS/CRP Program Manager involvement in PI meetings,
site visits, in situ sampling, setting up management advisory groups, development of management
transition plans, and communication of project results.
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NOAA Cooperative Institutes. If the non-Federal applicant is at an institution that has a NOAA Cooperative
Institute (CI), https://ci.noaa.gov/, it is allowed to submit applications that reference 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 CI, 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
timetable of the funding program and be submitted directly to the funding program. 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.
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Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit. If the non-Federal applicant is at an institution that has a NOAA
approved Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU), http://www.cesu.psu.edu/, and meets the criteria
described below for using that status, they may include a cover letter with their application stating their
desire to have the application associated with that CESU. This letter should specify the name of the
CESU. Of the 17 CESUs across the nation, NOAA is a member of 10: North and West Alaska, California,
Hawaii-Pacific Islands, South Florida-Caribbean, Gulf Coast, Piedmont-South Atlantic Coast, Chesapeake
Watershed, North Atlantic Coast, Pacific Northwest, and Great Plains.
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The following criteria must be met for NOAA to use the established partnerships with CESUs:
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1. The proposed project must fit within the objectives of the National CESU Network Program, which are
to provide research, technical assistance, and education to Federal land management, environmental, and
research agencies and their partners in biological, physical, social, cultural, or engineering disciplines
needed to address natural and cultural resource management issues at multiple scales and in an
ecosystem context.
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2. The proposed project must fit the intent of the CESU’s existing cooperative and joint agreement,
which means (a) the research partnership will carry out or stimulate an activity (e.g., data, products, or
services) for a public purpose, and (b) NOAA will be significantly involved in the work.
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Federal Applicants. The intra- and inter-agency transfers of funds are not Federal assistance (grants or
cooperative agreements), and the policies described in this Announcement applicable to Federal
assistance awards do not apply to Federal entities receiving intra- and inter-agency transfers of funds. In
the agreements implemented in these situations, NOAA will be substantially involved in the projects in a
manner similar to the cooperative agreements with non-federal parties. Contact the NCCOS Grants
Administrator for more information (refer to Section VII).
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1. NOAA Federal Applicants. The funding instrument for a selected application from an eligible NOAA
Federal applicant will be an intra-agency transfer of funds, if authorized.
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2. Federal Applicants (except NOAA). The funding instrument for a selected application from a non-
NOAA Federal applicant will be through an inter-agency transfer of funds, provided legal authority exists
for the Federal applicant to receive funds from another agency. Non-NOAA Federal applicants that intend
to be the lead institution should contact the NCCOS Grants Administrator (refer to Section VII) to discuss
how to structure budgets and prepare required documentation.
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III. Eligibility Information
A. Eligible Applicants
Eligible applicants for Federal financial assistance in this competition are U.S. institutions of higher
education, non-profits, state and local governments, tribal government entities, U.S. Territories, U.S.
Affiliated Pacific Islands institutions, and for-profit organizations. Federal applicants (including NOAA)
are eligible provided legal authority exists for the Federal applicant to receive funds from another agency.
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Please note that:
1. PIs must be employees of an eligible entity listed above; and applications must be submitted through
that entity. Non-Federal researchers should comply with their institutional requirements for application
submission.
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2. Non-Federal researchers affiliated with NOAA-University CIs will be funded through cooperative
agreements.
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3. Foreign researchers must apply as subawards or contracts through an eligible U.S. entity.
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4. Federal applicants are eligible to submit applications for intra- or inter-agency funds transfers through
this competition. Non-NOAA Federal applicants will be required to submit certifications or documentation
showing that they have specific legal authority to accept funds for this type of research.
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5. An eligible U.S. entity may propose Federal agency researchers as funded or unfunded collaborators.
If Federal agency researchers are proposed as funded collaborators, the applicant should present the
collaborator's funding request in the application in the same way documentation is provided for a
subrecipient for purposes of project evaluation, even though intra- or inter-agency funding transfers will
generally be used if the project is selected.
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6. NOAA NCCOS researchers may apply through an eligible U.S. entity as funded or unfunded
collaborators, but cannot be the lead PI on the application. Federal employees, including NOAA, with the
exception of NCCOS employees, may serve as lead PI on the application. NOAA Federal salaries will not
be paid.
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B. Cost Share or Matching Requirement
None.
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C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility
Each application must substantially comply with the 14 elements listed under Section IV.B.4 Content and
Form of Application: Required Elements (a)–(n), or it will be returned to sender without further
consideration. A checklist with the required and requested application elements can be found in Section
VIII.
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IV. Application and Submission Information
A. Address to Request Application Package
Proposal materials are available at http://www.grants.gov as part of the electronic proposal package,
which includes the federal forms. Please contact the NCCOS Grants Administrator should you have an
issue accessing the materials (see Section VII for contact information).
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B. Content and Form of Application
1. Required Letter of Intent (LOI)
LOIs are required before a full application is submitted. Any full proposals submitted without a prior
timely LOI submission will not be considered. 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 is made by the PI. The LOI should provide a
concise description of the proposed work and its relevance to this NOFO. The LOI should be no more than
two pages (front only) in length, single spaced in 12-point font with 1-inch margins and should include in
order the components listed below. If all these components are not included or the LOI is late, the LOI will
not be considered.
LOIs should be submitted as soon as possible, but no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on April 14,
2026. NCCOS/CRP Program Managers will review each LOI to determine whether it is responsive to the
program's goals, as advertised in this NOFO. Letters or emails to encourage or discourage a full
application are scheduled to be sent out approximately one week after the LOI is submitted. If all these
components are not included, the LOI will not be considered:
a. Tentative project title.
b. Name(s), phone number(s), email address(s), and institution(s) of all PIs, and specification of which
individual is the Lead PI.
c. Identify the focus of the proposal as Focal Area 1 or 2.
d. Approximate total cost of the project.
e. Short statement of the problem and its relevance.
f. Brief summary of a) work to be completed, b) methodology to be used, c) the likely application scenario
(see Section I.B) of how the proposed technology or approach being tested, if successful, is to be
transitioned to HAB management application, and d) if applicable, the proposed path to
commercialization (see Section I.B).
2. Sample Full Application
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A sample application package and other guidance can be found under “Information for Applicants”
located on the NCCOS website at: https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/about/funding-
opportunities/application-forms/.
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3. Collaborative Proposals
If more than one institution is collaborating in a project awarded funds, the lead institution will be the only
institution to directly receive funds from NOAA and will be responsible for distributing funds to the partner
institutions except for Federal agency partners. Federal agencies will be funded with either intra- or inter-
agency agreements initiated by NCCOS. Only one full proposal per project must be submitted via
Grants.gov. Collaborating institutions expected to receive funds must be budgeted as subawards or
contracts in the submitted proposal and provide the lead institution with their documents for submission
by the lead. Unfunded collaborators may also participate.
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4. Required Elements for Full Applications
Each application must substantially comply with the following 14 elements (a–n) to be forwarded for
merit review. The Summary Title Page, Abstract, Project Description, References, Biographical Sketch, and
Budget Narrative must be single spaced in 12-point font with one-inch margins. The Collaborators List
must use an Excel spreadsheet and be submitted by email to nccos.grant.awards@noaa.gov. The 14
elements are as follows:
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a. Standard Form 424. The applicant must submit the Standard Form, SF-424, “Application for Federal
Assistance,” to indicate the total amount of funding proposed for the whole project period.
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b. Summary Title Page. One-page maximum. The Summary Title Page identifies the project's title and
the PI’s name, affiliation, complete address, phone, and email information. The requested funding
amounts for each fiscal year should be included on the Summary Title Page. If this proposal is a
resubmission from a previous NCCOS competition, indicate the former competition on the Summary Title
Page.
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c. One-page Abstract/Project Summary. The Project Summary (Abstract) should appear on a separate
single page, headed with the proposal title, institution(s), investigator(s), total proposed cost, and budget
period. It should be written in the third person and in plain language. The Abstract should include an
introduction of the problem, project objectives and a brief summary of work to be completed. The
summary Abstract allows the respondents to summarize key points in their own words. Abstracts of
applications that receive funding may be posted on program-related websites.
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d. Project Description. The description of the work proposed must include three Project Description
narrative sections: the Proposed Research, its Application to Management, and a Data Management Plan.
The proposal shall not exceed more than: 15 pages (focus area 1) or 20 pages (focus area 2) for the
description of the Proposed Research and Application to Management and two additional pages may be
used for the Data Management Plan. Any Project Description narrative beyond the page limits will not be
reviewed or considered. The three Project Description sections must include the information as described
below.
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(1) Proposed Research
The Proposed Research narrative section should be thorough and explicitly indicate its relevance to the
program goals and scientific priorities by:
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(a) Identifying the topic that is being addressed by the proposal;
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(b) Describing the proposed scientific objectives and research activities in relation to the present state
of knowledge in the field and, if appropriate, in relation to previous and current work by the proposing
PI(s);
(c) Discussing how the proposed project lends value to the program goals; and
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(d) Identifying the function of each PI. The Lead PI will be responsible for communicating with the
NCCOS/CRP Program Manager on all pertinent verbal or written information.
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Note: If the proposal is a resubmission from a previous competition, any concerns identified with the
project in the previous review process and provided to the applicant(s) should be addressed in the
resubmitted proposal.
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(2) Application to Management
The Applications to Management Narrative should establish the connection to relevant resource
management needs by explicitly identifying the end user group(s) including evidence of the linkage
between the scientific questions and management needs. If a Management Transition Advisory Group or
MTAG (see Section I.B) is included, the format and role of the MTAG should be included in this section.
The narrative should provide the management justification for the research by:
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(a) Articulating the coordination with one or more end users.
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(b) Discussing the expected significance of the project to management priorities and needs. All proposals
must identify here the type of application scenario most suitable for the proposed technology (See
Section I.B). Projects addressing focal area 2 must also include here the expected pathway to
commercialization of their technology (See Section I.B). Specific management targets, with proposed
outputs and outcomes, should describe how this project will improve management capabilities. Outputs
are defined as products (e.g., publications and models) or activities that lead to outcomes (i.e., changes
in management knowledge or action). Definitions and examples of outputs and outcomes can be
accessed at https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/about/funding-opportunities/outputs-and- outcomes/. The
timeline for achieving outputs should be included in the Milestone Chart (below).
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(c) Describing specific activities, such as workshops or development of outreach materials, that will
enhance information transfer from project scientists to relevant management entities, other end-users, or
the public.
---
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(d) Describing the structure, size, and activities of the MTAG (see Section I.B), particularly by including a
plan for how the MTAG will engage with project PIs. Members of the MTAG should be named, when
possible. Letters may be included, but are not required, to indicate that they have agreed to serve on the
MTAG; these letters do not count against the page limits.
---
(3) Data Management Plan
NOAA requires that grant-produced data be made publicly available, preferably with open data licenses.
Proposals must provide a detailed Data Management Plan that describes how metadata and data
collected as part of the project will be openly 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 (NCEI), 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. Proposed Data Management Plans should reflect
archiving Option A, B, and/or C as stated below. Note: non-digital data (e.g., laboratory notebooks,
preliminary analyses, drafts of scientific papers, plans for future research, peer review reports,
communications with colleagues, or physical objects, such as laboratory specimens) are not required to
be made publicly accessible.
---
Option A: For the majority of oceanographic and ecological data, except non-digital data as described
above, funding recipients are expected to submit data to the NOAA/NCEI for long-term preservation,
which will provide public access, archiving, discovery metadata meeting NOAA standards and formats,
and a Digital Object Identifier (DOI).
---
Option B: For any other data not appropriate for submission to NOAA/NCEI, funding recipients are
expected to submit data to an appropriate long-term data facility (e.g., National Institutes of Health’s
GenBank for genomics data) that preserves data, properly manages archived data to assure their quality,
mints DOIs, and makes archived data and related information available to users in a timely and efficient
manner. Funding recipients should submit discovery metadata meeting NOAA standards and formats
documenting these non-NOAA data archives to the NCCOS/CRP Program Manager (see Section VII for
contact information).
---
Option C: For limited-release data that are limited by law, regulation, policy, security requirements,
commercial or international agreements, or valid technical considerations, funding recipients may request
permission not to make data publicly accessible from the NCCOS/CRP Program Manager.
---
For additional information regarding Data Management Plans, see
https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/about/funding-opportunities/data-management-plan and the NOAA
Data Sharing Policy statement below in Section VI.B., Administrative and National Policy Requirements.
For questions regarding data management and implementing this guidance: refer to Section VII for the
contact information for the NCCOS Data Coordinator.
---
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e. References cited. Reference information is required. Each reference should include the names of all
authors in the same sequence they appear in the publication, the article title, the journal or book title,
volume number, page numbers, and year of publication. 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.
---
f. Milestone chart. Provide timelines of major tasks covering the duration of the proposed project.
---
g. Biographical sketch. All PIs and co-PIs must provide summaries of up to two pages that include the
following:
---
(1) A listing of professional and academic credentials and mailing address; and
---
(2) A list of up to five publications most closely related to the proposed project and five other significant
publications.
---
h. Current and Pending Support. Describe all current and pending Federal financial/funding support for all
PIs and co-PIs. Continuing grants must also be included. A current and pending support form is available
on the NCCOS website for your use: https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/about/application-forms. You
should respond to this element whether or not you have any current and/or pending support by indicating
“not applicable.”
---
i. Permits. A list of all known applicable permits that will be required to perform the proposed work. You
should respond to this requirement element whether or not permits are required. It is the applicant’s
responsibility to obtain all necessary Federal, state, and local government, tribal, and/or private landowner
permits and approvals where necessary for the proposed work to be conducted. In addition, applicants
are strongly encouraged to engage tribal interests at the earliest stage of scoping or planning activities
and familiarize themselves with the NOAA Tribal Consultation Handbook 2023
(https://www.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/2023-
07/NOAA_Tribal_Consultation_Handbook_2023_FINAL.pdf).
---
j. Standard Form (SF) 424A. All applicants are required to provide a SF-424A Budget Form that identifies
the budget for each fiscal year of the proposal. Place each fiscal year in separate columns in Section B of
page one on the SF- 424A by filling in the fiscal years 1-4 in Section A Budget Summary - Grant Program
Function or Activity column. (Note that this revised SF-424A Section B format is a NOAA requirement that
is not reflected in the Instructions for the SF-424A). If the project is 5 years in length, then a separate SF-
424A should be submitted for the 5th year. Place the totals of years 1-4 in the first column and Year 5 in
the next column. The budget figures must correspond with the descriptions contained in the Budget
Narrative.
---
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Each subaward should provide a SF-424A listing each year of funding being requested. The lead
institution should list the total subaward costs under line item 6.h. Other category and contractor costs
under line item 6.f. Contractual category on the SF-424A. Signed approval from the institution of each
identified subaward and contractor should be provided.
---
All ship costs belong in the “h: Other” category and are not subject to indirect costs.
---
k. Budget Narrative. In order to allow reviewers to fully evaluate the appropriateness of costs, all
applications must include a detailed budget narrative to support all proposed budget categories for each
fiscal year. For additional budget guidance, see https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/about/funding-
opportunities/requirements/.
---
Personnel costs should be broken out by named PI, total annual salary, number of months, and
percentage of time requested per year per PI. Support for each PI should be commensurate with their
stated involvement in the project’s goals and objectives. Any unnamed personnel (graduate students,
post-doctoral researchers, and technicians) should be identified by their job title, and their personnel
costs explained similar to PI personnel costs. The contribution of any personnel to the project goals
should be explained.
---
Travel costs should be broken out by number of people traveling, destination and purpose of travel, and
projected costs per person (i.e., hotel rate, meals and incidentals, and transportation). Note: Conference
registration fees belong in the “h. Other” category in the SF424A and budget justification.
---
Equipment costs should describe the equipment to be purchased, and its contribution to the achievement
of the project goals.
---
Any ship time needs must be clearly identified in the proposed budget. The applicant is responsible for
requesting ship time through appropriate channels and for meeting all requirements to ensure the
availability of requested ship time. If any NOAA personnel will be present during ship operations, vessel
safety clearances must be obtained through the NOAA Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO)
in advance of the cruise. Required information and procedures are detailed in NOAA Administrative Order
209-115: NOAA Employees Aboard Non-NOAA Vessels.
---
If more than one institution is collaborating in a project recommended for funding, the lead institution will
be the only institution to directly receive funds from NOAA unless a Federal agency is a funded
collaborator. Federal agencies may be funded directly by NOAA. The lead institution is responsible for
sending funds to the other subaward institutions. A separate SF-424A and budget narrative is required for
each subaward (including Federal collaborators receiving funds) and must be provided to the lead
institution for submission. Signed approval from each identified subaward institution is required. For
acquisition contracts, the purpose and cost or price must be fully justified and the contract must fully
comply with 2 C.F.R. 200.317-.327.
---
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Applicants are encouraged to include the costs of project-level data management, including: coordinating,
organizing, documenting, formatting, or otherwise preparing datasets for submission to NOAA or non-
NOAA data facilities; establishing and maintaining data access tools and services and related metadata;
and managing non-digital data that are not required to be made publicly accessible, including laboratory
notebooks, preliminary analyses, drafts of scientific papers, plans for future research, peer review reports,
communications with colleagues, or physical objects, such as laboratory specimens.
---
An applicant requesting funds for indirect costs in its proposal budget that has a current Federally
approved rate should submit documentation of the indirect cost rate agreement as an attachment to its
application submission. An applicant without a Federally approved rate should refer to Section IV.F. of
this Announcement regarding options.
---
l. CD-511. Certification Regarding Lobbying. Lead institutions can submit these forms through the
Grants.gov CD-511 document placeholder without a hard signature because electronic signatures are
allowed on documents from the submitting institution.
---
m. Standard Form (SF) 424B. Assurances - Non-Construction Programs. Lead institutions can submit
these forms through the Grants.gov SF-424B document placeholder without a hard signature because
electronic signatures are allowed on documents from the submitting institutions.
---
n. List of Collaborators. The List of Collaborators must use an Excel spreadsheet and be submitted by
email to nccos.grant.awards@noaa.gov. Do not submit it with your application through Grants.gov as this
will cause an error when the application is transferred to NOAA’s grant system, eRA.
---
Provide one list that includes all (U.S. and Foreign) collaborators, advisors, and advisees for each
investigator (PI, co-PIs, post-docs, and subawardees), complete with corresponding institutions. This list
must include the names of each PI and co-PI. Submit only one, combined and alphabetized list per
application in an Excel spreadsheet using First Name, Last Name, and Institution for the column
headings. Collaborators are individuals who have participated in a project or publication within the last 48
months with any investigator. Collaborators also include those persons with which the investigators may
have ongoing collaboration negotiations. Advisees and Advisors do not have a time limit. Advisees are
persons with whom the individual investigator has had an association as thesis or dissertation advisor or
postdoctoral sponsor. Advisors include an individual’s own graduate and postgraduate advisors.
Unfunded participants in the proposed study should also be listed (but not their collaborators). This
information is critical for identifying potential conflicts of interest and avoiding bias in the selection of
reviewers.
---
5. Application Format and Assembly
---
An application should be submitted electronically through Grants.gov. If use of Grants.gov is not feasible,
contact the NCCOS Grants Administrator (see section VII for contact information).
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---
If you experience submission problems, send an email to support@grants.gov and call the Grants.gov
help desk (800-518-4726). The NCCOS/CRP Program Manager for this Announcement will use
programmatic discretion in accepting applications due to documented electronic submission problems.
Note: If more than one submission of an application is performed, the last application submitted before
the due date and time will be the official version.
---
In addition to the 14 required elements (a–n), applicants may provide letters from unfunded collaborators
and, if applicable, letters of identified MTAG members, verifying their contribution to the project. These
letters do not count against the page limit for the Project Description.
---
These elements can be uploaded into the Optional Form box under Other Attachments in Grants.gov.
---
Applications containing known subawards must provide an SF-424A, Budget Narrative, and Current and
Pending Support for each subaward. Signed approval from the institution of each subaward and
contractor should be provided. We also request submission of the indirect rate agreement for subawards,
if applicable. Applicants may provide additional information similar to that requested in this section for an
acquisition contract if it may help NOAA assure compliance of the contract with 2 C.F.R. 200.317-.327.
---
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, for additional information on
what the plan should contain.
---
Biographical sketches and lists of collaborators should be supplied to the lead institution in order for
them to be combined within the lead application information.
---
6. Environmental Compliance and Permits
---
It is the applicant’s responsibility to obtain all necessary Federal, state, and local government, tribal,
and/or private landowners permits and approvals where necessary for the proposed work to be
conducted. In addition, applicants are strongly encouraged to engage tribal interests at the earliest stage
of scoping or planning activities and familiarize themselves with the NOAA Tribal Consultation Handbook
2023 (https://www.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/2023-
07/NOAA_Tribal_Consultation_Handbook_2023_FINAL.pdf).
---
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Applicants are expected to design their proposals so that they minimize potential adverse impacts on the
environment. If applicable, documentation of requests or approvals of environmental permits should be
received by the NCCOS/CRP Program Manager prior to funding. Applications will be reviewed to ensure
that they have sufficient environmental documentation to allow program staff to determine whether the
proposal is categorically excluded from further National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis, or
whether an Environmental Assessment is necessary in conformance with requirements of NEPA. For
those applications needing an Environmental Assessment, affected applicants will be informed after the
peer-review stage, and will be requested to assist in the preparation of a draft assessment (prior to
award). Failure to apply for and/or obtain Federal, state, and local government, tribal, and/or private
landowners permits, approvals, letters of agreement, or failure to provide environmental analysis where
necessary (e.g., NEPA Environmental Assessment) may delay the award of funds if a project is selected
for funding. In some cases, if additional permits and approvals are required after an application is
awarded, funds may be withheld by the NOAA Grants Officer under a Special Award Condition requiring
the recipient to submit required permits and approvals.
---
Applicants to be recommended for funding will be required to answer relevant questions from the
"Environmental Compliance Questionnaire for NOAA Federal Financial Assistance Applicants:"
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WVoZ-HPMlBu8Web6ITxAJlmG2tepoTEb/view?usp=sharing. The
NCCOS/CRP Program Manager will determine which questions are relevant to each specific proposal.
Answers must be provided before the application can be submitted for final funding approval.
---
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
universal entity identifier 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. 6101 note, to the extent applicable.
---
Each applicant (unless the applicant is an individual or Federal awarding agency that is excepted from
those requirements under 2 CFR 25.110(b) or (c), or has an exception approved by the Federal awarding
agency under 2 CFR 25.110(d)) is required to: (i) Be registered in SAM before submitting its application;
(ii) Provide a valid unique entity identifier (UEI) in its application; and (iii) Continue to maintain an active
SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active Federal award or an
application or plan under consideration by a Federal awarding agency. NOAA may not make a Federal
award to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable unique entity identifier and SAM
requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time NOAA is ready
to make a Federal award, NOAA may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a Federal
award and use that determination as a basis for making a Federal award to another applicant.
D. Submission Dates and Times
LOIs are required and must be submitted by e-mail to nccos.grant.awards@noaa.gov. LOIs should be
submitted as soon as possible, but no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on April 14, 2026. Applicants
will receive an email verification of receipt. Responses to LOIs should be expected approximately one
week after the LOI is submitted.
Full applications must be received and validated by Grants.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on May 14,
2026. Applications received by Grants.gov after the deadline will be rejected by Grants.gov and returned
to the sender without further consideration.
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---
Important: All applicants should be aware that adequate time must be factored into applicant schedules
for delivery of the application. See Section IV.G for further instructions on eRA timing and process.
Applicants are advised that volume on Grants.gov is currently extremely heavy, and if use of Grants.gov is
not feasible, contact the NCCOS Grants Administrator (see Section VII for contact information) as soon
as possible and no later than a week before the due date to assess whether alternative arrangements can
be made. After the application is validated by Grants.gov, please send an email to nccos.grant.
awards@noaa.gov to notify us of your submission.
---
E. Intergovernmental Review
Applications under this program are not subject to Executive Order 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of
Federal Programs." It has been determined that this notice is not significant for purposes of Executive
Order 12866. Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(a) (2), an opportunity for public notice and comment is not
required for this notice relating to grants, benefits and contracts. Because this notice is exempt from the
notice and comment provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act, a Regulatory Flexibility Analysis is
not required, and none has been prepared. It has been determined that this notice does not contain
policies with Federalism implications as that term is defined in Executive Order 13132.
---
F. Funding Restrictions
Indirect Costs: Any non-Federal entity that does not have a current negotiated (including provisional) rate
with a Federal agency may choose to use the de minimis indirect cost rate of 15% of Modified Total
Direct Cost as allowable under 2 C.F.R. §200.414 or negotiate a rate with DOC. Please note, if 2 C.F.R. 200
is revised prior to an award of funds, which may include changes to indirect cost rate policies, the
requirement in effect at the time of award will govern. The negotiation and approval of such a new rate is
subject to the procedures required by NOAA and the DOC Standard Terms and Conditions, Section B.06.
The NOAA contact for indirect or facilities and administrative costs is: Jennifer Jackson, Grants Officer,
NOAA Grants Management Division, 1325 East West Highway, 9th Floor, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910,
jennifer.jackson@noaa.gov.
---
NCCOS/CRP will not fund start-up or operational costs for private business ventures and neither fees nor
profits will be considered as allowable costs. NCCOS/CRP will not pay for ship overhead expenses. Ship
costs may not be included in indirect cost calculations unless specified within the indirect cost rate
agreement of the institution. If indirect costs are applied, an approved indirect cost agreement or budget
revision will be required before an application can be recommended for funding.
---
G. Other Submission Requirements
Applications previously submitted to NCCOS/CRP Notice of Funding Opportunities and not recommended
for funding must be revised to address any reviewer or panel concerns before resubmission. Resubmitted
applications that have not been revised to address identified concerns may be returned without review.
---
Applicant organizations must complete and maintain three registrations to be eligible to apply for or
receive an award. These registrations includeSAM.gov,Grants.gov,andeRA 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. If an
eligible applicant does not have access to the internet, please contact the Agency Contacts listed in
Section VII for submission instructions.
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---
Prior to registering with eRA Commons, applicant organizations must first obtain a Unique Entity Identifier
(UEI) from SAM.gov, if needed (refer to Section IV. Applications and Submission Information, Section C).
Organizations can register with eRA Commons in tandem with completing their full SAM and Grants.gov
registrations; however, all registrations must be in place by time of application submission. eRA
Commons requires organizations to identify at least one Signing Official (SO) and at least one Program
Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) account in order to submit an application. Please note, the UEI
must be updated annually, which may take several weeks in some cases.
---
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.
---
After electronic submission of the proposal through Grants.gov, the person submitting the proposal will
receive up to three email messages from Grants.gov updating them on the progress of their proposal. In
the first 24 to 48 hours after submission, the first email will confirm receipt of the proposal by the
Grants.gov system, and the second will indicate that the proposal has either been successfully validated
by the system before transmission to the grantor agency or has been rejected because of errors. Only
validated proposals are sent to NOAA for review. After the proposal has been validated, this same person
will receive a third email, generally within two days, when the proposal has been received and downloaded
by NOAA.
---
Please note that NOAA is no longer using Grants Online (referenced in VI.B.) for electronic grants
management. NOAA is currently using the eRA system for electronic grants management.
H. Address for Submitting Proposals
Proposals should be submitted using Grants.gov. Proposal materials are available at
http://www.grants.gov as part of the electronic proposal package, which includes the federal forms.
Please contact the NCCOS Grants Administrator should you have an issue accessing the materials (see
Section VII for contact information).
---
V. Application Review Information
1. Importance/relevance and applicability Maximum Points: 30
of proposed projects to the program goals
Does the research address the priorities stated in Section I.B of this Announcement? Are the expected
research products clearly identified, including how they will be used to achieve management outcomes?
Did the applicant identify the likely application scenario for their technology? If applicable, is the
proposed plan to transfer the control technology feasible (e.g., cost effective, scalable to real world
application, etc.)?
2. Technical/scientific merit Maximum Points: 30
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For 25 points: The proposed work should have focused objectives and a complete and technically sound
strategy for project design, methodologies, data management, data analysis, and development of
products and outcomes in support of the objectives. For 5 points: Does the proposal include an
acceptable Data Management Plan (as described in Section IV.B.4.d.(3)) that includes details on the
types of environmental data and information expected and how and when the data will be shared?
3. Overall qualifications of applicants Maximum Points: 10
This includes the capability of the investigator and collaborators to complete the proposed work as
evidenced by past research accomplishments, previous cooperative work, the sharing of findings, data,
and other research products.
4. Project costs Maximum Points: 10
Are costs reasonable? Are there any unexplained costs?
5. Outreach and Education Maximum Points: 20
The applicant must include plans for communicating and disseminating the results of research in ways
that are appropriate (e.g., topical townhalls or meetings, project advisory boards per Section 1.B of the
NOFO, etc.) to inform the relevant management entities that will use the results of the proposed work,
including specific products, outcomes, and timing of the proposed work that will be used in achieving the
goals of the announcement. For the purposes of this review, the applicant must demonstrate how they
will interact with end users to ensure that collaboration is maximized between PIs and end users and that
the research results are optimized for utility by end users.
Evaluation Criteria
Review and Selection Process
Once an application has been received by NOAA, an initial administrative review is conducted to
determine compliance with requirements and completeness of the application. Ineligible, incomplete,
and/or non-responsive applications may be eliminated from further review. NOAA, in its sole discretion,
may continue the review process for applications with non-substantive issues that can easily be rectified
or cured. All applications that pass this initial review will be evaluated and scored individually by an
independent peer panel review. An independent peer mail review may be used before the independent
peer panel review.
Both Federal and non-Federal experts may be used in this process. The peer mail reviewers will be several
individuals with expertise in the subjects addressed by particular applications. Each mail reviewer will see
only certain individual applications within their area of expertise, and score them individually on a scale of
one to five, where scores represent respectively: Excellent (5), Very Good (4), Good (3), Fair (2), Poor (1).
Both whole and ½ scores will be acceptable. Reviewers will consider the relative weighting of each of the
evaluation criteria in providing an overall proposal score.
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The peer panel will be composed of several individuals, with each individual having expertise in a
separate area, so that the panel, as a whole, covers a range of relevant scientific expertise. The panel will
have access to all mail reviews of proposals and will use the mail reviews in discussion and evaluation of
the proposals. The peer panel shall rate the proposals using the evaluation criteria and scoring method
provided above (and used by the mail reviewers). Individual peer panel reviewers will consider the relative
weighting of the evaluation criteria in providing their individual score. The individual peer panelists' scores
shall be combined, using one or more methods, to obtain a numerical ranking of the proposals. If both
mail review and panel review are conducted, only the panel scores shall be used to rank each proposal. If
any non-Federal reviewer participates, no consensus advice is used and no consensus advice will be
given by the independent peer mail review or the review panel.
The NCCOS/CRP Program Managers will neither vote or score applications as part of the independent
peer review panel nor participate in discussion of the merits of the applications other than to ask/answer
questions. Those applications receiving an average pre-panel score of “Fair” or “Poor” may not be sent to
the Panel for discussion, this determination will be at the discretion of the NCCOS/CRP Program
Manager. Those applications receiving an average panel score of ''Fair'' or ''Poor'' will not be given further
consideration, and applicants will be notified of non-selection.
For the applications scored by the reviewers as either "Excellent,'' "Very Good,'' or "Good,'' the NCCOS/CRP
Program Manager will (a) create a ranking of the applications to be recommended for funding using the
panel scores; (b) recommend the total duration of funding for each application; and (c) recommend the
amount of funds available subject to the availability of fiscal year funds. Recommendations for funding
are forwarded from the NCCOS/CRP Program Manager to the NCCOS/CRP Director for development of
the final recommendation to the Selecting Official, the Director of NCCOS or designee, for the final
funding recommendation decision. Recommendations will be made using the rank order generated by the
peer-review process unless justification is provided to select a proposal out of rank order. Justification
must be based on one or more of the selection factors listed below under “Selection Factors.”
NOAA reserves the right to negotiate the budget with the applicants that have been selected to receive
awards, which may include requesting that the applicant remove certain costs, combine budgets into a
single application, add/subtract expertise, or change the lead or subaward institution. Additionally, NOAA
may request that the applicant modify objectives or work plans and provide supplemental information
required by the agency prior to award. NOAA may select some, all, or none of the applications, or part(s)
of any particular application, and may request that applicants combine projects. In addition, applications
rated by the panel as either "Excellent,'' "Very Good,'' or "Good'' that are not funded in the current fiscal
period, may be considered for funding in another fiscal period without having to repeat the competitive
review process.
The Selecting Official will make recommendations to the NOAA Grants Management Division, and the
final approval of selected applications and issuance of awards will be by the NOAA Grants Officer. The
award decisions of the NOAA Grants Officer are final.
The NOAA Grants Officer will review financial and grants administration aspects of a proposed award,
including conducting an assessment of the risk posed by the applicant in accordance with 2 C.F.R.
200.206. In addition to reviewing repositories of government-wide eligibility, qualifications or financial
integrity information, the risk assessment conducted by NOAA may consider items such as the financial
stability of an applicant, quality of the applicant’s management systems, an applicant’s history of
performance, previous audit reports and audit findings concerning the applicant and the applicant’s ability
to effectively implement statutory, regulatory, or other requirements imposed on non-Federal entities. See
also "Review of Risk" in Section VI.B of this Announcement.
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Applicants should be in compliance with the terms of any existing NOAA grants or cooperative
agreements and otherwise eligible to receive Federal awards, or make arrangements satisfactory to the
NOAA Grants Officer, to be considered for funding under this competition. All reports due should be
received and any concerns raised by the agency should be timely addressed in order to receive a new
award. Upon review of these factors, if appropriate, specific award conditions that respond to the degree
of risk may be applied by the NOAA Grants Officer pursuant to 2 C.F.R. 200.208. In addition, NOAA
reserves the right to reject an application in its entirety where information is uncovered that raises a
significant risk with respect to the responsibility or suitability of an applicant. The final approval of
selected applications and issuance of awards will be by the NOAA Grants Officer.
When a decision has been made (whether an award or declination), verbatim anonymous copies of
reviews and summaries of review panel deliberations, if any, will be made available to the applicant.
Declined applications will be held in NCCOS/CRP for three years in accordance with current retention
policies, and then destroyed.
Selection Factors
The Selecting Official shall award in the rank order unless the proposal is justified to be selected out of
rank order based on one or more of the following factors:
1. Availability of funding.
2. Balance/distribution of funds:
a. geographically
b. by type of institution
c. by type of partners
d. by research priority
e. by project types
3. Duplication of other projects funded or considered for funding by NOAA/Federal agencies.
4. Program priorities and policy factors.
5. Applicant’s prior award performance.
6. Partnerships with/Participation of targeted groups.
7. Adequacy of information necessary for NOAA staff to make a NEPA determination and draft necessary
documentation before recommendations for funding are made to the Grants Officer.
Awards may also be modified for selected projects depending on budget availability or according to the
selection factors listed above.
Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates
Subject to the availability of funds, review of the applications will begin upon receipt. Applicants may be
notified of award or declination by March 2027, and applicants should use a start date of March 1, 2027.
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VI. Award Administration Information
A. Award Notices
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The Notice of Award (NoA) is the official grant award document notifying the recipient that an award has
been made. The NoA is issued by the NOAA Grants Officer electronically through NOAA’s electronic
grants management system, eRA to the appropriate business office of the recipient organization.
The NoA provided by NOAA may contain Special Award Conditions unique to the 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.
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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.
B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
UNIFORM ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS, COST PRINCIPLES, AND AUDIT REQUIREMENTS.
Through 2 C.F.R. § 1327.101, the Department of Commerce adopted Uniform Administrative
Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards at 2 C.F.R. Part 200, which
applies to awards in this program. Refer to http://go.usa.gov/SBYh and http://go.usa.gov/SBg4.
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE PRE-AWARD NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS FOR GRANTS AND
COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS. The Department of Commerce Pre-Award Notification Requirements for
Grants and Cooperative Agreements contained in the Federal Register notice of December 30, 2014 (79
FR 78390) are applicable to this solicitation and may be accessed online at
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2014-12-30/pdf/2014-30297.pdf.
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE (DOC) TERMS AND CONDITIONS. Successful applicants who accept a
NOAA award under this solicitation will be bound by the DOC Financial Assistance Standard Terms and
Conditions. This document will be provided in the award package in eRA at 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
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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 at https://www.noaa.gov/organization/administration/nao-202-735d-2-
scientific-integrity. 4. Primary Responsibility. The non-Federal entity shall have the primary responsibility
to prevent, detect, and investigate allegations of a violation of scientific integrity or scientific and research
misconduct. Unless otherwise instructed by the grants officer, the non-Federal entity shall promptly
conduct an initial inquiry into any allegation of such misconduct and may rely on its internal policies and
procedures, as appropriate, to do so. 5. By executing this grant, financial assistance award, or cooperative
agreement the non-Federal entity provides its assurance that it has established an administrative process
for performing an inquiry, investigating, and reporting allegations of a violation of scientific integrity or
scientific and research misconduct; and that it will comply with its own administrative process for
performing an inquiry, investigation, and reporting of such misconduct. 6. The non-Federal entity shall
insert this provision in all subawards at all tiers under this grant, financial assistance award, or
cooperative agreement.
REVIEW OF RISK. After applications are proposed for funding by the Selecting Official, the Grants Office
will perform administrative reviews, including an assessment of risk posed by the applicant under 2 C.F.R.
200.206. These may include assessments of the financial stability of an applicant and the quality of the
applicant’s management systems, history of performance, and the applicant’s ability to effectively
implement statutory, regulatory, or other requirements imposed on non-Federal entities. Special
conditions that address any risks determined to exist may be applied. Applicants may submit comments
about any information concerning organizational performance listed in the Responsibility/Qualification
section of SAM.gov for consideration by the awarding agency.
REVIEWS AND EVALUATION. The applicant acknowledges and understands that information and data
contained in applications for financial assistance, as well as information and data contained in financial,
performance and other reports submitted by applicants, may be used by the Department of Commerce in
conducting reviews and evaluations of its financial assistance programs. For this purpose, applicant
information and data may be accessed, reviewed and evaluated by Department of Commerce employees,
other Federal employees, and also by Federal agents and contractors, and/or by non-Federal personnel,
all of whom enter into appropriate conflict of interest and confidentiality agreements covering the use of
such information. As may be provided in the terms and conditions of a specific financial assistance
award, applicants are expected to support program reviews and evaluations by submitting required
financial and performance information and data in an accurate and timely manner, and by cooperating
with the Department of Commerce and external program evaluators. In accordance with §200.303(e),
applicants are reminded that they must take reasonable measures to safeguard protected personally
identifiable information and other confidential or sensitive personal or business information created or
obtained in connection with a Department of Commerce financial assistance award.
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REQUIRED USE OF AMERICAN IRON, STEEL, MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS, AND CONSTRUCTION
MATERIALS. If applicable, and pursuant to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (“IIJA”), Pub.L. No.
117-58, which includes the Build American, Buy American (BABA) Act, Pub. L. No. 117-58, §§ 70901-52
and OMB M-22-11, recipients of an award of Federal financial assistance from the Department of
Commerce (DOC) are hereby notified that none of the funds provided under this award may be used for a
project for infrastructure unless: 1) all iron and steel used in the project are produced in the United
States–this means all manufacturing processes, from the initial melting stage through the application of
coatings, occurred in the United States; 2) all manufactured products used in the project are produced in
the United States—this means the manufactured product was manufactured in the United States; and the
cost of the components of the manufactured product that are mined, produced, or manufactured in the
United States is greater than 55 percent of the total cost of all components of the manufactured product,
unless another standard for determining the minimum amount of domestic content of the manufactured
product has been established under applicable law or regulation; and 3) all construction materials1 are
manufactured in the United States—this means that all manufacturing processes for the construction
material occurred in the United States. The Buy America preference only applies to articles, materials, and
supplies that are consumed in, incorporated into, or affixed to an infrastructure project. As such, it does
not apply to tools, equipment, and supplies, such as temporary scaffolding, brought to the construction
site and removed at or before the completion of the infrastructure project. Nor does a Buy America
preference apply to equipment and furnishings, such as movable chairs, desks, and portable computer
equipment, that are used at or within the finished infrastructure project but are not an integral part of the
structure or permanently affixed to the infrastructure project.
WAIVERS. When necessary, recipients may apply for, and DOC may grant, a waiver from these
requirements. DOC will notify the recipient for information on the process for requesting a waiver from
these requirements. 1) When DOC has made a determination that one of the following exceptions applies,
the awarding official may waive the application of the domestic content procurement preference in any
case in which DOC determines that: a. applying the domestic content procurement preference would be
inconsistent with the public interest; b. the types of iron, steel, manufactured products, or construction
materials are not produced in the United States in sufficient and reasonably available quantities or of a
satisfactory quality; or c. the inclusion of iron, steel, manufactured products, or construction materials
produced in the United States will increase the cost of the overall project by more than 25 percent. A
request to waive the application of the domestic content procurement preference must be in writing. DOC
will provide instructions on the format, contents, and supporting materials required for any waiver
request. Waiver requests are subject to public comment periods of no less than 15 days and must be
reviewed by the Made in America Office.
DEFINITIONS. “Construction materials” includes an article, material, or supply—other than an item of
primarily iron or steel; a manufactured product; cement and cementitious materials; aggregates such as
stone, sand, or gravel; or aggregate binding agents or 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).
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GOLD STANDARD SCIENCE. In performing activities under Federal awards, applicants should commit to
complying with administration policies, procedures, and guidance respecting Gold Standard Science. As
detailed in Executive Order 14303, Restoring Gold Standard Science (May 23, 2025), Gold Standard
Science refers to science conducted in a manner that is:
• Reproducible.
• Transparent.
• Communicative of error and uncertainty.
• Collaborative and interdisciplinary.
• Skeptical of its findings and assumptions.
• Structured for falsifiability of hypotheses.
• Subject to unbiased peer review.
• Accepting of negative results as positive outcomes.
• Without conflicts of interest.
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TERMINATION. In accordance with 2 CFR § 200.340(a), this federal award may be terminated in part or in
its entirety as follows:
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.
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PROHIBITION ON USING FEDERAL AWARDS TO PROMOTE OR SUPPORT THEORIES OF DISPARATE-
IMPACT LIABILITY. In accordance with Executive Order 14281, Restoring Equality of Opportunity and
Meritocracy (April 23, 2025), it is the policy of the Federal Government to eliminate the use of disparate-
impact liability in all contexts to the maximum possible and permitted by law.
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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.
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INDIRECT COST RATE. If an applicant has not previously established an indirect cost rate with a Federal
agency they may choose to negotiate a rate with the Department of Commerce or use the de minimis
indirect cost rate of 15% of MTDC (as allowable under 2 C.F.R. §200.414). The negotiation and approval
of a rate is subject to the procedures required by NOAA and the Department of Commerce Standard
Terms and Conditions. The NOAA contact for indirect or facilities and administrative costs is: Jennifer
Jackson, Grants Officer, NOAA Grants Management Division, 1325 East West Highway, 9th Floor, Silver
Spring, MD 20910, or jennifer.jackson@noaa.gov.
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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 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
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Technical Program Information: Felix Martinez, NCCOS/CRP PCMHAB Program Manager,
felix.martinez@noaa.gov.
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Grants Administration Information: NCCOS Grants Administrator, nccos.grant.awards@noaa.gov.
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Data Management Information: Lauren Jackson, NCCOS Scientific Data Coordinator,
nccos.data@noaa.gov.
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Indirect or Facilities and Administrative Costs Information: Jennifer Jackson Grants Officer, NOAA Grants
Management Division; jennifer.jackson@noaa.gov.
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VIII. Other Information
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A. Checklist for Required and Requested Documents:
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1. SF-424
2. Summary Title Page
3. Abstract/Project Summary
4. Project Description
5. References
6. Milestone Chart
7. Biographical Sketch (for each PI and co-PI)
8. Current and Pending Support (for each PI and co-PI)
9. Permits (if none, say so)
10. SF-424A (One for the lead institution and each subaward/subcontract)
11. Budget Narrative (One for the lead institution and each subaward/subcontract).
12. CD-511
13. SF-424B
14. Alphabetized Collaborator List (ONE Excel spreadsheet for all PIs emailed to
nccos.grant.awards@noaa.gov)
B. Additional Documentation (if applicable):
1. Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (for each institution requesting funding)
2. Signed Approval from subaward/subcontractor institutes
3. Disclosure of Lobbying Activities Form (SF-LLL)
4. Letters from unfunded collaborators, verifying their contribution to the project.
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