EPA-G2024-STAR-C1 - Coastal Ecosystems Climate Resilience - March 2024 Final.pdf

OVERVIEW INFORMATION

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Science Advisor, Policy and Engagement Office of Research and Development Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Program

COASTAL ECOSYSTEMS CLIMATE RESILIENCE

This is the initial announcement of this funding opportunity.

Funding Opportunity Number: EPA-G2024-STAR-C1

Assistance Listing Number: 66.509

Solicitation Opening Date: March 13, 2024 Solicitation Closing Date: May 1, 2024: 11:59:59 pm Eastern Time

Table of Contents

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Introduction

B. Background, Goals, and Objectives C. Authority and Regulations D. EPA Strategic Plan Linkage/Expected Outputs and Outcomes E. Specific Research Areas of Interest F. References G. Special Requirements H. Additional Provisions for Applicants Incorporated into the Solicitation

II. AWARD INFORMATION

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. Eligible Applicants B. Cost Sharing C. Other

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

A. Grants.gov Submittal Requirements and Limited Exception Procedures B. Application Package Information C. Content and Form of Application Submission D. Submission Dates and Times E. Funding Restrictions F. Submission Instructions and Other Submission Requirements

V. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

A. Peer Review B. Relevancy Review

C. Past Performance History Review D. Human Subjects Research Statement (HSRS) Review E. Scientific Data Management Plan (SDMP) Review F. Quality Assurance Statement (QAS) Review G. Funding Decisions

VI. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

A. Award Notices B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

VII. AGENCY CONTACTS

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

For Updates and Additional Information see EPA Research Funding Opportunities.

View research awarded under previous solicitations at EPA Research Grant Areas.

A. Introduction

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as part of its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program, aims to promote scientific progress towards the understanding of coastal ecosystem resilience by seeking applications proposing research to 1) characterize, quantify, and define indicators or metrics of resilience for various types of coastal ecosystems, especially those ecosystems that have climate mitigation and adaptation and/or blue (ocean-stored) carbon sequestration potential (Lovelock and Duarte, 2019); and 2) develop methods and approaches to advance economic valuation of resilience benefits provided by coastal ecosystems.

Two major goals in EPA’s FY2022-2026 Strategic Plan are (1) increasing resilience and adaptation to climate change impacts and (2) protecting and restoring waterbodies and watersheds (EPA, 2022a). Coastal waterbodies and the aquatic ecosystems they contain are at the forefront of climate change impacts (EPA, 2021a). However, the cumulative impacts of other stressors such as rising, warmer, and more acidic seas, stronger and more frequent storms, droughts, and potential co-occurring changes to pollutant fluxes on coastal ecosystem resilience are poorly understood.

This funding opportunity solicits research needed to advance our understanding of the properties and processes important to climate resilience in estuarine and coastal marine ecosystems to better inform coastal ecosystem management strategies. Resilient coastal ecosystems and the benefits they provide may persist over time in the face of multiple stressors or disturbances. However, the cumulative impacts of multiple stressors may exceed resilience capacity, alter ecosystem structure and function, or result in loss of coastal ecosystems. Elucidation of the mechanistic basis of resilience in coastal ecosystems and development of quantitative indicators or metrics rooted in the mechanisms of resilience will greatly advance the science of coastal ecosystem management. Effective coastal ecosystem management strategies also require advances in economic valuation approaches to estimate the benefits provided by coastal ecosystems, particularly those benefits related to increasing climate change resilience (e.g., avoided costs from flooding and property damage, avoided costs from disruptions to commercial activities https://www.epa.gov/research-grants/research-funding-opportunities https://www.epa.gov/research-grants/research-grant-areas such as tourism or fisheries, or benefits provided when considered together with other public infrastructure).

The Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Program’s goal is to stimulate and support scientific and engineering research that advances EPA’s mission to protect human health and the environment.

It is a competitive, peer-reviewed, extramural research program that provides access to the nation’s best scientists and engineers in academic and other nonprofit research institutions.

STAR funds research on the environmental and public health effects of air quality, environmental changes, water quality and quantity, hazardous waste, toxic substances, and pesticides.

The EPA anticipates funding approximately 7 awards under this funding opportunity up to $1,200,000 per award.

EPA recognizes that it is important to engage all available minds to address the environmental challenges the Nation faces. At the same time, EPA seeks to expand the environmental conversation by including members of communities which may have not previously participated in such dialogues to participate in EPA programs. For this reason, EPA strongly encourages all eligible applicants identified in Section III, including minority serving institutions (MSIs), to apply under this opportunity.

For purposes of this solicitation, the following are considered MSIs:

1. Historically Black Colleges and Universities, as defined by the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. § 1061(2)). A list of these schools can be found at Historically Black Colleges and Universities;

2. Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), as defined by the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. § 1059c(b)(3) and (d)(1)). A list of these schools can be found at American Indian Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities;

3. Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), as defined by the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. § 1101a(a)(5)). A list of these schools can be found at Hispanic-Serving Institutions;

4. Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions; (AANAPISIs), as defined by the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. § 1059g(b)(2)). A list of these schools can be found at Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions; and

5. Predominately Black Institutions (PBIs), as defined by the Higher Education Act of 2008, 20 U.S.C. 1059e(b)(6). A list of these schools can be found at Predominately Black Institutions.

B. Background, Goals, and Objectives

Estuarine and coastal marine regions are characterized by many types of ecosystems, including tidal wetlands and salt marshes, mangrove forests, and seagrass meadows. Healthy coastal https://sites.ed.gov/whhbcu/one-hundred-and-five-historically-black-colleges-and-universities/ https://sites.ed.gov/whhbcu/one-hundred-and-five-historically-black-colleges-and-universities/ https://sites.ed.gov/whiaiane/tribes-tcus/tribal-colleges-and-universities/ https://sites.ed.gov/whiaiane/tribes-tcus/tribal-colleges-and-universities/ https://sites.ed.gov/hispanic-initiative/hispanic-serving-institutions-hsis/ https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1XVkOWKMDORm53pvU0L8EPsrJC94&msa=0&ie=UTF8&t=m&z=3&source=embed&ll=40.58644586187277%2C-148.28228249999984 https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1wlIi3j7gtlNq_w-0NKAb2bF2VmY&ie=UTF&msa=0&ll=37.35160769312532%2C-96.17229800000001&z=4 ecosystems provide essential functions such as erosion control, flood mitigation, improvements in water quality, nutrient recycling, sediment trapping, carbon sequestration, providing habitat for diverse wildlife, and supporting fisheries and recreation. Coastal ecosystem resilience herein is defined as in Oliver et al. (2015), as the capacity of the coastal ecological system to persist through and rapidly recover from stressors and disturbances. A vital step to informing coastal ecosystem protection and management strategies is to better understand the properties and processes underpinning the resilience of these complex ecosystems to climate change (Bernhardt and Leslie, 2013; De Battisti, 2021) and other stressors as well as the ecological and economic benefits these ecosystems provide (Barbier, 2020; Rezaie et al., 2020).

Climate resilience can be generally defined as the capacity of a system to maintain its function in the face of stressors imposed by climate change and to adapt to be better prepared for future climate impacts (EPA, 2022a). Many indicators (EPA, 2014) show that coastal ecosystems already experience climate stress, which has led to impacts in ecosystem structure and function, water quality, biodiversity, and species’ ranges.

Past and recent research efforts have sought to determine the status of coastal ecosystems at the regional and national levels and the anticipated impacts to these ecosystems under climate change and other stressors (EPA, 2021b; 2023a; 2023b). Climate vulnerability assessments of coastal ecosystems and the development of indicators of vulnerability for coastal ecosystems have helped coastal managers identify areas to target for management, including conservation, restoration and adaptation (EPA, 2023c; 2023d). However, more research is needed to identify the characteristics of resilient coastal ecosystems and how those characteristics may be impacted under different environmental conditions and scenarios. Understanding the processes that drive coastal ecosystem resilience can help inform coastal management by identifying areas for protection or conservation or informing successful ecosystem restoration practices or nature-based strategies that can endure climate change and other stressors long-term.

While coastal ecosystem indicators have been developed at regional and national levels, less research has been done to develop metrics or indicators that reflect the ability of coastal ecosystems to persist through and recover from stressors and disturbances. Indicators of coastal ecosystem resilience, or the individual metrics that may comprise indicators, could be used in conjunction with indicators of ecosystem condition and vulnerability in coastal resilience decision-making frameworks (see NFWF, 2019; NOAA, 2015; and Plunket, et.al, 2015 for framework examples) to provide managers a more complete picture of the status of coastal areas and how they could be expected to change over time.

Coastal ecosystems provide benefits to coastal areas and communities. These ecosystem services, which are the benefits that humans receive from nature, can be “final ecosystem services,” which are directly consumed, enjoyed, or used by humans (e.g., recreational fishing in coastal waters), or “intermediate ecosystem services,” which support and lead to the final services (e.g., seagrass beds serving as nursery habitat for recreationally caught fish). In addition, coastal ecosystems also provide climate resilience-related benefits to coastal areas and communities, such as flood mitigation, erosion control, and wind buffering. The resilience of coastal ecosystems is important for the continued provisioning of ecosystem services for humans https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators/oceans and communities in coastal areas in the face of stressors and disturbances. More research is needed to better quantify, account for, and value the climate resilience-related benefits that coastal ecosystems provide. Coastal communities often need to consider tradeoffs and cost-benefit analyses when managing coastal areas and ecosystems, including when making decisions about conservation, restoration, land-use, or implementation of nature-based strategies. Existing and past research focused on economic valuation methods could be applied broadly to coastal ecosystems to quantify services such as recreation, habitat, aquatic resource production, water quality, etc. (EPA, 2022b; Schuster and Doerr, 2015). Developing robust economic valuation methods and approaches for climate resilience-related benefits that can 1) be applied broadly to coastal ecosystems, and 2) can integrate with valuation methods for other ecosystem services, would provide coastal managers with more holistic and complete information about the value of their coastal areas to use in decision-making.

C. Authority and Regulations

The authorities for this funding opportunity and resulting awards are contained in the Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. 1254, Section 104(b)(3) and the Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. 7403, Section 103(b)(3).

For research with an international aspect, the above statutes are supplemented, as appropriate, by the National Environmental Policy Act, Section 102(2)(I).

Note that a project’s focus is to consist of activities within the statutory terms of EPA’s financial assistance authorities; specifically, the statute(s) listed above. Generally, a project must address the causes, effects, extent, prevention, reduction, and elimination of air pollution, water pollution, solid/hazardous waste pollution, toxic substances control, or pesticide control depending on which statute(s) is listed above.

Additional applicable regulations include: 2 CFR Part 200, 2 CFR Part 1500, and 40 CFR Part 40 (Research and Demonstration Grants).

D. EPA Strategic Plan Linkage/Expected Outputs and Outcomes Note to applicant: The term “output” means an environmental activity, effort, and/or associated work products related to an environmental goal or objective, that will be produced or provided over a period of time or by a specified date. The term “outcome” means the result, effect, or consequence that will occur from carrying out an environmental program or activity that is related to an environmental or programmatic goal or objective.

The activities to be funded under this solicitation support EPA’s FY 2022-2026 Strategic Plan.

Awards made under this solicitation will support Goal 1: Tackle the Climate Crisis, Objective 1.2: Accelerate Resilience and Adaptation to Climate Change Impacts and Goal 5: Ensure Clean and Safe Water for All Communities, Objective 5.2: Protect and Restore Waterbodies and Watersheds, of the Plan.

https://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan

All applications should be for projects that support the goal(s) and objective(s) identified above.

Awards made through this STAR announcement will advance EPA’s mission to protect human health and the environment by funding research on environmental changes and water quality while supporting robust science for safe and sustainable resources. Specifically, this funding opportunity is soliciting research that proposes innovative approaches for assessing the health and resilience of coastal ecosystems facing the impacts of climate change and cumulative stressors. Proposed approaches, tools, and data should contribute to providing a better scientific understanding of the mechanistic bases of resilience in coastal ecosystems, advances in the development of quantitative indicators or metrics of coastal ecosystem resilience, and advances in economic valuation of resilience benefits provided by coastal ecosystems.

EPA also requires that grant applicants adequately describe environmental outputs and outcomes to be achieved under assistance agreements (see EPA Order 5700.7A1, Environmental Results under Assistance Agreements). Applicants should include specific statements describing the environmental results of the proposed project in terms of well-defined outputs and, to the maximum extent practicable, well-defined outcomes that will demonstrate how the project will contribute to the goal(s) and objective(s) described above.

Outputs and Outcomes Outputs expected from the awards made under this solicitation may include publications of research results in peer-reviewed journals, guidance documents, decision support tools, models, demonstrations and case studies, reports, and presentations.

Specific outputs may include, but are not limited to:

• Dynamic monitoring datasets to evaluate coastal ecosystem responses to current and changing cumulative stressors.

• Identification of the characteristics of a resilient coastal ecosystem and translation to coastal resilience across the nation.

• Identification of the mechanistic processes supporting resilience in coastal ecosystems through development of quantitative indicators or metrics, including thresholds.

• Monitoring data that can be used in ecosystem resilience metrics or indicators and can reflect coastal ecosystem responses to current and changing cumulative stressors.

• Predictive models or algorithms that demonstrate sensitivity to changes in ecosystem resilience under different scenarios, including future climate scenarios and management scenarios.

• Valuation of coastal ecosystem benefits that can be utilized under different scenarios to quantify future climate scenarios and management strategy effectiveness.

• Case studies or applications of methods and approaches to characterize coastal ecosystem resilience and benefits.

• Primary (not benefit transfer based) economic studies of the resilience benefits of coastal ecosystem presence and function.

• Repeatable and scalable economic valuation methods based on real-money and observable transactions (property sales, insurance, infrastructure siting choice, etc.) to capture resilience benefits of coastal ecosystems.

https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-order-57007a1-epas-policy-environmental-results-under-epa-assistance-agreements https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-order-57007a1-epas-policy-environmental-results-under-epa-assistance-agreements

• Development of robust economic valuation methods and approaches for coastal ecosystem services that can be applied broadly and can be utilized in decision-making frameworks.

The outcomes of this effort should build a better understanding of the properties and processes important to climate resilience in estuarine and coastal marine ecosystems. Outcomes should facilitate a better scientific understanding of the mechanistic bases of resilience in coastal ecosystems, advance the development of quantitative indicators or metrics of coastal ecosystem resilience, and advance the economic valuation of resilience benefits provided by coastal ecosystems.

E. Specific Research Areas of Interest

There are two distinct areas of research covered by this solicitation. Applicants should respond in depth to at least one of the two research areas described below. Applications may respond to one research area or integrate across two research areas. Applications should clearly identify which research area(s) the application is addressing throughout the proposal.

Applications that do not address at least one of the following research areas may not be rated as highly under the evaluation process described in Section V as those that do. Applications that address more than one of the research areas will not necessarily be rated more highly than those that address just one of the areas.

The goal of this research is to collectively provide coverage for all the nation’s relevant coastal areas. For example, if individual metrics or indicators are developed at regional levels, then those metrics or indicators should be developed for all regions in the United States as part of this research. The final suite of metrics, indicators, or methods developed by the project research area should not be limited to one geographic region.

Research Area 1: Characterize, quantify, and define indicators or metrics of resilience for various types of coastal ecosystems, especially those ecosystems that have climate mitigation and adaptation and/or blue carbon sequestration potential (i.e., tidal wetlands and marshes, seagrass beds, mangrove forests).

Coastal ecosystems are composed of dynamic and interacting floral and faunal species and communities interacting with the abiotic environment. Stress associated with a changing climate along with other anthropogenic impacts can impact the ability of these ecosystems to function and to provide benefits and services to coastal areas and human communities. While existing research has developed methods to understand and identify the vulnerability of different coastal ecosystems to climate change and other stressors, more research is needed to understand what makes coastal ecosystems resilient in response to current and changing cumulative stressors.

EPA is particularly interested in understanding the resilience of coastal ecosystems that provide climate mitigation and adaptation benefits, such as carbon sequestration by tidal wetlands and salt marshes, mangroves, or seagrass beds. The ability to identify the characteristics of resilient coastal ecosystems is a vital step to informing current and future coastal ecological protection.

An indicator is a summary measure that provides information on the state of, or change in, the system that is being measured. A metric is the measured value(s) used to assess specific indicators (EPA, 2012).

Indicators or metrics developed as part of this Research Area should:

• Demonstrate sensitivity to changes in ecosystem resilience under different scenarios, including future climate scenarios and management scenarios (such as conservation or restoration).

• Have the potential to be incorporated into or utilized in decision-making frameworks (e.g., regional frameworks) for assessing coastal resilience or coastal community resilience. Decision-making frameworks utilizing the developed indicators or metrics do not need to be developed as part of this research.

In order to define indicators/metrics and how they can be measured and monitored, research questions to consider under this research area may include, but are not limited to:

• What are the characteristics of climate resilient coastal ecosystems?

• How can the resilience of coastal ecosystems be measured and tracked over time?

• How does coastal ecosystem resilience change under future climate conditions?

• How is coastal ecosystem resilience impacted by the status of adjacent aquatic or terrestrial ecosystems?

• What are useful long-term indicators or metrics to measure coastal ecosystem resilience?

• How does geographic scale (local, landscape-level, or regional) affect which metrics to use?

• How does ecosystem type affect which metrics to use?

• What monitoring would be needed to quantify ecosystem resilience metrics or develop indicators?

• How can indicators or metrics of coastal ecosystem resilience be utilized in conjunction with other measures to assess coastal ecosystems (e.g., vulnerability)?

• How can indicators or metrics of coastal ecosystem resilience be utilized in conjunction with or integrated into assessments of coastal community resilience?

Research Area 2: Develop methods and approaches to advance economic valuation of the resilience benefits of coastal ecosystems.

Resilient coastal ecosystems provide many benefits and services to humans, including habitat for recreationally and economically important aquatic species, recreational opportunities, carbon sequestration, and historical and cultural significance. These ecosystems can also provide climate resilience-related benefits to coastal areas and communities, such as dampening wave energy, preventing erosion, and decreasing storm surge, which can mitigate damage and impacts. A better understanding and accounting of the ecological and economic benefits provided by coastal ecosystems can inform management of these natural resources.

Economic valuation methods or approaches developed under this Research Area for valuing the benefits and services provided by coastal ecosystems should:

• focus on providing as full of an accounting and valuation of resilience-related services as possible, taking into account multiple services rather than focusing on one individual benefit.

• demonstrate the ability to be utilized in tandem with other valuation methods, such as carbon sequestration, habitat or aquatic species production, recreation, etc.

• be able to be utilized under different scenarios, such as future climate scenarios and management scenarios (such as conservation or restoration), and demonstrate the ability to detect changes in the provisioning of resilience benefits and services under these scenarios.

In order to develop methods and approaches to advance economic valuation, research questions to consider under this research area may include, but are not limited to:

• What are the resilience benefits provided by different types of coastal ecosystems?

• Which resilience benefits represent final ecosystem goods and services vs. intermediate ecosystem goods and services?

• Can coastal ecosystems provide intermediate goods and services to adjacent ecosystems that ultimately benefit humans?

• Which resilience benefits provided by coastal ecosystems can be quantified and valued and what methods can be utilized to quantify and value these benefits?

• How can resilience benefits be quantified and valued alongside other benefits provided by coastal ecosystems?

• What are the economic implications of changes in coastal ecosystems and their resilience benefits over time?

• Is the resilience of the ecosystem valued and how can we systematically measure that economic value?

• What are the economic implications of planning for coastal ecosystems together with traditional flood, transportation, and wastewater infrastructure?

• Do society’s risk and time preferences influence the economic value of coastal ecosystems for resilience benefits?

• How are property, insurance, or other observable markets pricing the resilience benefits of coastal ecosystems?

Innovation and Sustainability To the maximum extent practicable, research applications should embody innovation and sustainability. Innovation for the purposes of this funding opportunity is defined as the process of making changes; a new method, custom, or device. Innovative research can take the form of wholly new applications or applications that build on existing knowledge and approaches for new uses. Research applications should include a discussion on how the proposed research is innovative (see Section IV.C.5.iii.a). The goal of sustainability, derived from the U.S. National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), is to “create and maintain conditions, under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony, that permit fulfilling the social, economic, and other requirements of present and future generations.” Research applications should include a discussion on how the proposed research will seek sustainable solutions that protect the environment and strengthen our communities (see Section IV.C.5.iii.a). Reviewers will draw from all of the above-mentioned innovation and sustainability definitions in the review/evaluation process of research applications (see Section V.A).

F. References

1. Barbier, E. B. 2020. Estuarine and Coastal Ecosystems as Defense Against Flood Damages: An Economic Perspective. Front. Clim. 2:594254. doi:

10.3389/fclim.2020.594254

2. Bernhardt, J. R. and H. M. Leslie. 2013. Resilience to Climate Change in Coastal Marine Ecosystems. Annu. Rev. Mar. Sci. 5:371-392. doi:10.1146/annurev-marine-121211- 172411

3. De Battisti, D. 2021. The resilience of coastal ecosystems: A functional trait-based Perspective. J. Ecol. 109:3133–3146. doi: 10.1111/1365-2745.13641

4. EPA. 2012. A Framework for Sustainability Indicators at EPA.

https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2014-10/documents/framework-for-sustainability-indicators-at-epa.pdf

5. EPA. 2014. A closer look: land loss along the Atlantic coast.

https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators/atlantic-coast#ref3

6. EPA. 2021a. Climate Adaptation Action Plan.

https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2021-09/epa-climate-adaptation-plan-pdf-version.pdf

7. EPA. 2021b. Report on the Environment. https://www.epa.gov/report-environment.

8. EPA. 2022a. FY 2022-2026 EPA Strategic Plan.

https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2022-03/fy-2022-2026-epa-strategic-plan.pdf

9. EPA. 2022b. Benefits Assessment Tools - Valuing Reductions in Surface Water Nutrient Pollution. https://www.epa.gov/nutrient-policy-data/benefits-assessment-tools-valuing-reductions-surface-water-nutrient-pollution.

10. EPA. 2023a. National Coastal Condition Assessment. https://www.epa.gov/national-aquatic-resource-surveys/ncca.

11. EPA 2023b. Climate Ready Estuaries: Climate Change in Coastal Environments.

https://www.epa.gov/cre/climate-change-coastal-environments.

https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2014-10/documents/framework-for-sustainability-indicators-at-epa.pdf https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2014-10/documents/framework-for-sustainability-indicators-at-epa.pdf https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators/atlantic-coast#ref3 https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2021-09/epa-climate-adaptation-plan-pdf-version.pdf https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2021-09/epa-climate-adaptation-plan-pdf-version.pdf https://www.epa.gov/report-environment https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2022-03/fy-2022-2026-epa-strategic-plan.pdf https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2022-03/fy-2022-2026-epa-strategic-plan.pdf https://www.epa.gov/nutrient-policy-data/benefits-assessment-tools-valuing-reductions-surface-water-nutrient-pollution https://www.epa.gov/nutrient-policy-data/benefits-assessment-tools-valuing-reductions-surface-water-nutrient-pollution https://www.epa.gov/national-aquatic-resource-surveys/ncca https://www.epa.gov/national-aquatic-resource-surveys/ncca https://www.epa.gov/cre/climate-change-coastal-environments

12. EPA. 2023c. Climate Change Indicators in the United States.

https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators.

13. EPA. 2023d. Climate Ready Estuaries: Risk-Based Adaptation.

https://www.epa.gov/cre/risk-based-adaptation.

14. EPA. 2023e. Resilient Coastal Wetlands and Communities: Workshop Proceedings.

Office of Research and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Washington, DC; EPA/600/R-23/050. Available online at https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyNET.exe

15. Lovelock, C. E. and C. M. Duarte. 2019 Dimensions of Blue Carbon and emerging perspectives. Biol. Lett. 15: 20180781. doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2018.0781

16. NFWF. 2019. Regional Coastal Resilience Assessments.

https://www.nfwf.org/programs/national-coastal-resilience-fund/regional-coastal-resilience-assessments.

17. NOAA. 2015. Coastal Community Resilience Indicators and Rating Systems.

https://coast.noaa.gov/data/digitalcoast/pdf/resilience-indicators.pdf.

18. Oliver, T. H., Heard, M.S., Isaac, N.J.B., Roy, D.B., Procter, D., Eigenbrod, F., Freckleton, R., Hector, A., Orme, C.D.L., Petchey, O.L., Proença, V., Raffaelli, D., Suttle, K.B., Mace, G.M., Martín-López, B., Woodcock, B.A., and Bullock, J.M. 2015.

Biodiversity and resilience of ecosystem functions. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 30 (11): 673-684. doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2015.08.009

19. Plunket, J., Stanzel, K., Weber, R. and S. Lerberg. 2015. Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment Tool for Coastal Habitats: Guidance Documentation. Available:

http://www.ccvatch.com.

20. Rezaie, A. M., J. Loerzel and C. M. Ferriera. 2020. Valuing natural habitats for enhancing coastal resilience: Wetlands reduce property damage from storm surge and sea level rise. PLoS ONE 15(1): e0226275. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0226275

21. Schuster, E. and Doerr, P. 2015. A Guide for Incorporating Ecosystem Service Valuation into Coastal Restoration Projects. The Nature Conservancy, New Jersey Chapter.

Delmont, NJ. Accessible at: https://www.nature.org/media/oceansandcoasts/ecosystem-service-valuation-coastal-restoration.pdf.

G. Special Requirements

It is EPA Policy to ensure that the results of EPA-funded extramural scientific research are accessible to the public to the greatest extent feasible consistent with applicable law; policies and Orders; the Agency’s mission; resource constraints; and U.S. national, homeland and economic security. This entails maximizing, at no charge, access by the public to peer-reviewed, scientific https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators https://www.epa.gov/cre/risk-based-adaptation https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyNET.exe/P1017DES.TXT?ZyActionD=ZyDocument&Client=EPA&Index=2016+Thru+2020&Docs=&Query=&Time=&EndTime=&SearchMethod=1&TocRestrict=n&Toc=&TocEntry=&QField=&QFieldYear=&QFieldMonth=&QFieldDay=&IntQFieldOp=0&ExtQFieldOp=0&XmlQuery=&File=D%3A%5Czyfiles%5CIndex%20Data%5C16thru20%5CTxt%5C00000034%5CP1017DES.txt&User=ANONYMOUS&Password=anonymous&SortMethod=h%7C-&MaximumDocuments=1&FuzzyDegree=0&ImageQuality=r75g8/r75g8/x150y150g16/i425&Display=hpfr&DefSeekPage=x&SearchBack=ZyActionL&Back=ZyActionS&BackDesc=Results%20page&MaximumPages=1&ZyEntry=1&SeekPage=x&ZyPURL https://www.nfwf.org/programs/national-coastal-resilience-fund/regional-coastal-resilience-assessments https://www.nfwf.org/programs/national-coastal-resilience-fund/regional-coastal-resilience-assessments https://coast.noaa.gov/data/digitalcoast/pdf/resilience-indicators.pdf http://www.ccvatch.com/ https://www.nature.org/media/oceansandcoasts/ecosystem-service-valuation-coastal-restoration.pdf https://www.nature.org/media/oceansandcoasts/ecosystem-service-valuation-coastal-restoration.pdf research journal publications or associated author manuscripts, and their underlying digital research data, created in whole or in part with EPA funds, while protecting personal privacy;

recognizing proprietary interests, confidential business information, and intellectual property rights; and avoiding significant negative impact on intellectual property rights, innovation, and U.S. competitiveness.

Applications submitted under this announcement should include a Scientific Data Management Plan (SDMP) that addresses public access to EPA-funded scientific research data. See the SDMP clause in Section IV for details on the content of an SDMP. Applicants will also be asked to provide past performance information on whether journal publications or associated author manuscripts, and the associated underlying scientific research data and metadata, under prior assistance agreements were made publicly accessible. These items will be evaluated prior to award.

Reasonable, necessary and allocable costs for data management and public access may be included in extramural research applications and detailed in the budget justification described in Section IV.

Agency policy and ethical considerations prevent EPA technical staff and managers from providing applicants with information that may create an unfair competitive advantage.

Consequently, EPA employees will not review, comment, advise, and/or provide technical assistance to applicants preparing applications in response to EPA funding opportunities. EPA employees cannot endorse any specific application.

Multiple Investigator applications may be submitted as: (1) a single Lead Principal Investigator (PI) application with Co-PI(s) or (2) a Multiple PI application (with a single Contact PI). If you choose to submit a Multiple PI application, you must follow the specific instructions provided in Sections IV and V of this funding opportunity. For further information, please see the EPA Implementation Plan for Policy on Multiple Principal Investigators (Research Grants Guidance and Policies).

This solicitation provides the opportunity for the submission of applications for projects that may involve human subjects research. All applications should include a Human Subjects Research Statement (HSRS; described in Section IV.C.5.iii.c of this solicitation). If the project involves human subjects research, it will be subject to an additional level of review prior to funding decisions being made as described in Sections V.D and V.G of this solicitation.

These awards may involve the collection of “Geospatial Information,” which includes information that identifies the geographic location and characteristics of natural or constructed features or boundaries on the Earth or applications, tools, and hardware associated with the generation, maintenance, or distribution of such information. This information may be derived from, among other things, a Geographic Positioning System (GPS), remote sensing, mapping, charting, and surveying technologies, or statistical data.

https://www.epa.gov/research-grants/research-grants-guidance-and-policies https://www.epa.gov/research-grants/research-grants-guidance-and-policies

H. Additional Provisions for Applicants Incorporated into the Solicitation

Additional provisions that apply to sections III, IV, V, and VI of this solicitation and/or awards made under this solicitation, can be found at EPA Solicitation Clauses. These provisions are important for applying to this solicitation and applicants must review them when preparing applications for this solicitation. If you are unable to access these provisions electronically at the website above, please contact the EPA point of contact listed in this solicitation (usually in Section VII) to obtain the provisions.

II. AWARD INFORMATION

It is anticipated that a total of approximately $8.4 million will be awarded under this announcement, depending on the availability of funds, quality of applications received, and other applicable considerations. The EPA anticipates funding approximately 7 awards under this funding opportunity. Requests for amounts in excess of a total of $1,200,000 per award, including direct and indirect costs, will not be considered. The total project period requested in an application submitted for this funding opportunity may not exceed 3 years.

The EPA reserves the right to reject all applications and make no awards, or make fewer awards than anticipated, under this funding opportunity. The EPA reserves the right to make additional awards under this announcement, consistent with Agency policy, if additional funding becomes available after the original selections are made. Any additional selections for awards will be made no later than six months after the original selection decisions.

In appropriate circumstances, EPA reserves the right to partially fund applications by funding discrete portions or phases of proposed projects. If EPA decides to partially fund an application, it will do so in a manner that does not prejudice any applicants or affect the basis upon which the application, or portion thereof, was evaluated and selected for award, and therefore maintains the integrity of the competition and selection process. Awards may be fully or incrementally funded, as appropriate, based on funding availability, satisfactory performance, and other applicable considerations.

EPA intends to award only grants under this announcement.

Under a grant, EPA scientists and engineers will not be substantially involved in the execution of the research. However, EPA encourages interaction between its own laboratory scientists and grant Principal Investigators after the award of an EPA grant for the sole purpose of exchanging information in research areas of common interest that may add value to their respective research activities. This interaction must be incidental rather than substantial to achieving the goals of the research under a grant. Interaction that is “incidental” does not involve resource commitments by

EPA.

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

Note: Additional provisions that apply to this section can be found at EPA Solicitation Clauses.

https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses

A. Eligible Applicants Public and private nonprofit institutions/organizations, public and private institutions of higher education (IHEs), and hospitals located in the U.S. and its territories or possessions; state and local governments; Federally Recognized Indian Tribal Governments; and U.S. territories or possessions are eligible to apply. Profit-making firms and individuals are not eligible to apply.

Consistent with the definition of Nonprofit organization at 2 CFR § 200.1, the term nonprofit organization means any corporation, trust, association, cooperative, or other organization that is operated mainly for scientific, educational, service, charitable, or similar purpose in the public interest and is not organized primarily for profit; and uses net proceeds to maintain, improve, or expand the operation of the organization. The term includes tax-exempt nonprofit neighborhood and labor organizations. Note that 2 CFR § 200.1 specifically excludes Institutions of Higher Education from the definition of non-profit organization because they are separately defined in the regulation. While not considered to be a nonprofit organization(s) as defined by 2 CFR § 200.1, public or nonprofit Institutions of Higher Education are, nevertheless, eligible to submit applications under this funding opportunity. Hospitals operated by state, tribal, or local governments or that meet the definition of nonprofit at 2 CFR § 200.1 are also eligible to apply as nonprofits or as instrumentalities of the unit of government depending on the applicable law.

For-profit colleges, universities, trade schools, and hospitals are ineligible.

Nonprofit organizations that are not exempt from taxation under section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code must submit other forms of documentation of nonprofit status; such as certificates of incorporation as nonprofit under state or tribal law. Nonprofit organizations exempt from taxation under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code that lobby are not eligible for EPA funding as provided in the Lobbying Disclosure Act, 2 U.S.C. 1611.

Foreign governments, international organizations, and non-governmental international organizations/institutions are not eligible to apply.

National laboratories funded by Federal Agencies (Federally-Funded Research and Development Centers, “FFRDCs”) may not apply. FFRDC employees may cooperate or collaborate with eligible applicants within the limits imposed by applicable legislation and regulations. They may participate in planning, conducting, and analyzing the research directed by the applicant, but may not direct projects on behalf of the applicant organization. An award recipient may provide funds through its assistance agreement from the EPA to an FFRDC for research personnel, supplies, equipment, and other expenses directly related to the research.

Federal Agencies may not apply. Federal employees are not eligible to serve in a principal leadership role on an assistance agreement. Federal employees may not receive salaries or augment their Agency’s appropriations through awards made under this program unless authorized by law to receive such funding.

The applicant institution may enter into an agreement with a Federal Agency to purchase or utilize unique supplies or services unavailable in the private sector to the extent authorized by law. Examples are purchase of satellite data, chemical reference standards, analyses, or use of instrumentation or other facilities not available elsewhere. A written justification for federal involvement must be included in the application. In addition, an appropriate form of assurance that documents the commitment, such as a letter of intent from the Federal Agency involved, should be included.

If an application is submitted that includes any ineligible tasks or activities, that portion of the application will be ineligible for funding and may, depending on the extent to which it affects the application, render the entire application ineligible for funding.

Potential applicants who are uncertain of their eligibility should contact the Eligibility Contact listed under Section VII. Agency Contacts.

B. Cost sharing

Cost sharing is not required.

C. Other

All applications will be reviewed for eligibility and must meet the eligibility requirements described in Sections III.A., B., and C. to be considered eligible. Applicants deemed ineligible for funding consideration as a result of the threshold eligibility review will be notified within 15 calendar days of the ineligibility determination.

a. Applications must substantially comply with the application submission instructions and requirements set forth in Section IV of this solicitation or else they will be rejected. However, where a page limit is expressed in Section IV with respect to the application, or parts thereof, pages in excess of the page limitation will not be reviewed. Applicants are advised that readability is of paramount importance and should take precedence in application format, including selecting a legible font type and size for use in the application.

b. In addition, initial applications must be submitted through Grants.gov as stated in Section IV of this solicitation (except in the limited circumstances where another mode of submission is specifically allowed for as explained in Section IV) on or before the application submission deadline published in Section IV of this solicitation. Applicants are responsible for following the submission instructions in Section IV of this solicitation to ensure that their application is timely submitted. Please note that applicants experiencing technical issues with submitting through Grants.gov should follow the instructions provided in Section IV, which include both the requirement to contact Grants.gov and email a full application to EPA prior to the deadline.

c. Applications submitted outside of Grants.gov will be deemed ineligible without further consideration unless the applicant can clearly demonstrate that it was due to EPA mishandling or technical problems associated with Grants.gov or SAM.gov. An applicant’s failure to timely submit their application through Grants.gov because they did not timely or properly register in https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/

SAM.gov or Grants.gov will not be considered an acceptable reason to consider a submission outside of Grants.gov.

If an applicant submits more than one application under this announcement, each application must be submitted separately, and the scope of work proposed in each application must be significantly different from the other application(s) in order for them to all be deemed eligible. If applications are submitted with scopes of work that do not significantly differ, then EPA will only accept the most recently submitted application and all other applications will be deemed ineligible.

Also, applications exceeding the funding limits or project period described in Section II will be rejected without review. Further, applications that fail to demonstrate a public purpose of support or stimulation (e.g., by proposing research which primarily benefits a Federal program or provides a service for a Federal agency) will not be funded.

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

Note: Additional provisions that apply to this section can be found at EPA Solicitation Clauses.

Formal instructions for submission through Grants.gov are in Section F.

A. Grants.gov Submittal Requirements and Limited Exception Procedures

Applicants must apply electronically through Grants.gov under this funding opportunity based on the grants.gov instructions in this announcement. If your organization has no access to the internet or access is very limited, you may request an exception for the remainder of this calendar year by following the procedures outlined here. Please note that your request must be received at least 15 calendar days before the application due date to allow enough time to negotiate alternative submission methods. Issues with submissions with respect to this opportunity only are addressed in Section IV.F. Submission Instructions and Other Submission Requirements below.

B. Application Package Information

Use the application package available at Grants.gov (see Section IV.F. “Submission Instructions and Other Submission Requirements”). Note: With the exception of the current and pending support form (available at Research Funding Opportunities: How to Apply and Required Forms), all necessary forms are included in the electronic application package. Make sure to include the current and pending support form in your Grants.gov submission.

C. Content and Form of Application Submission

The application is made by submitting the materials described below. Applications must contain all information requested.

http://www.sam.gov/ https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.epa.gov/grants/exceptions-grantsgov-submission-requirement https://www.epa.gov/research-grants/research-funding-opportunities-how-apply-and-required-forms

1. Standard Form 424

The applicant must complete Standard Form 424, Application for Federal Assistance.

Instructions for completion of the SF-424 are included with the form. However, note that EPA requires that the entire requested dollar amount appear on the SF-424, not simply the proposed first year expenses. The form must contain the signature of an authorized representative of the applying organization. Please note the form will be automatically signed by the authorized organization representative when the “Sign & Submit” button is clicked in the Grants.gov Workspace.

2. Key Contacts, EPA Form 5700-54

The applicant must complete the “Key Contacts” form found in the Grants.gov application package. An “Additional Key Contacts” form is also available at Research Funding Opportunities: How to Apply and Required Forms. The Key Contacts form should also be completed for major subawards (i.e., principal investigators). Do not include information for consultants or other contractors. Please make certain that all contact information is accurate.

For Multiple PI applications: The Additional Key Contacts form must be completed (see Section I.G. for further information). Note: The Contact PI must be affiliated with the institution submitting the application.