Final NOFA M19AS00005 Mod. 4-1-2019.pdf

U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

Program Announcement No. M19AS00005

Louisiana Offshore Sediment Resources Inventory

FY 2019 Marine Minerals Program CFDA No. 15.424

February 1, 2019 As revised April 1, 2019

I. Funding Opportunity Description:

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) through the Marine Minerals Program (MMP) is offering a cooperative agreement opportunity to conduct research to serve the public interest in offshore sand resources, coastal restoration, coastal resiliency, and to meet the MMP and Gulf States’ goal of a Gulf-wide Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) sediment inventory.

The overall goal of this cooperative agreement is to work with Gulf States to recover legacy geological and geophysical data that will ultimately provide for development of an offshore sediment resources inventory. One of the primary objectives is to coordinate with all 5 Gulf States and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to develop a Gulf-Wide Sediment Inventory program for funding under a future opportunity such as the RESTORE Act Funded Priorities List. This funding is available to the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) (see Section III, Eligibility Information).

The State of Louisiana has already recovered and standardized legacy geological and geophysical data and has used this data to compile an offshore sediment resources inventory. The State of Louisiana developed the Louisiana Sand Resources Database (LASARD) to manage geological, geophysical, geotechnical and other related data pertaining to offshore sediment searches. In LASARD, the geoscientific and related data acquired for ecosystem restoration are archived, populated, and maintained on a GIS platform. Once standardized, LASARD data are made available to users through the CPRA publically accessible spatial viewer. The overall objective of LASARD is to centralize relevant data from various sources for better project coordination and to facilitate future planning for delineating and utilizing sediment resources for a sustainable ecosystem restoration in coastal Louisiana.

Therefore, the following tasks could be considered for inclusion in a cooperative agreement:

1. Coordination with BOEM to identify additional datasets that may not have been available to CPRA during data compilation efforts.

2. Compilation of the datasets identified during Task 1 into a spatial geodatabase using existing LASARD standards (including compliant metadata). This includes but is not limited to:

a. Digitization of analog data

b. Georectification of data for projection in GIS

c. Integrating navigation data with geophysical profiles.

d. Other data specific subtasks necessary to bring data into GIS and other analytical software

3. Coordination with BOEM to develop workflow and communication between the

BOEM MMIS and LASARD so future LASARD updates will be reflected in the

MMIS.

4. Coordination with BOEM and other cooperative agreement recipients under this program (i.e. the 5 Gulf States), to develop a stratigraphic-based nomenclature and organization scheme for sand-rich lithofacies types identified in the study area.

5. CPRA has already undertaken a first attempt to delineate surficial sand, surficial mixed sediment and surficial fine sediment resources in plan form (ESRI polygon shapefiles for GIS). This will be further refined as the existing delineations will be updated and information on sediment textural properties, volumes of deposit, type of deposit, overburden thickness, percent sand, and other criteria agreed upon between BOEM and CPRA will be provided.

6. CPRA will coordinate with BOEM along with all the Gulf States to develop a long term strategy for the Gulfwide Sediment Inventory. This will include travel to and participation at quarterly working meetings across the Gulf.

7. Coordination with BOEM to update Louisiana’s existing gap analysis with any newly identified data from Task 1. Based on the update, data gaps or areas where further sampling (geophysical or geologic) is needed will be identified.

8. Development of a conceptual stratigraphic evolutionary model for late Quaternary to recent deposits offshore LA including but not limited to lowstand shelf fluvial deposits, transgressive shelf deposits and the modern shelf-coastal system.

9. Integration of all newly acquired and/or analyzed data, interpretations, and other relevant products into a final spatial database.

A proposal to conduct surveys, studies, and other evaluations not included in this list is encouraged to be submitted and will be considered for funding; however, the proposal must meet the MMP’s goals concerning coastal restoration and resiliency and BOEM’s mission to manage the mineral resources located on the Nation’s Outer Continental Shelf in an environmentally sound and safe manner.

Citations: The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) (43 USC 1346) mandates the conduct of environmental and socioeconomic studies needed for the assessment and management of environmental impacts on the human, marine, and coastal environments which may be affected by oil and gas or other mineral development. In 43 USC 1345 (e) the OCSLA authorizes the use of cooperative agreements with affected States to meet the requirements of OCSLA, including sharing of information, joint utilization of available expertise, formation of joint monitoring arrangements to carry out applicable Federal and State laws, regulations, and stipulations relevant to outer continental shelf operations both onshore and offshore.

II. Award Information:

• This announcement is specifically to announce intent to undertake the following project:

Louisiana Offshore Sediment Resources Inventory.

• This Program Announcement describes a cooperative agreement that may be awarded to the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, Geological Administrator.

This is not an open solicitation for proposals. All awards are premised on receipt of an acceptable proposal.

• The total amount of funding available for an award based on this announcement is not to exceed $50,000. Work performance under the cooperative agreement award is expected to start on the day of award. The period of performance is expected to last one year. The MMP anticipates making one (1) cooperative agreement award(s) in response to this Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) (see list of eligible entities below in Section III).

• This award will be a cooperative agreement and must include substantial involvement by MMP staff in various aspects of study development and/or study conduct. The MMP envisions the consultation with appropriate subject matter experts via teleconference or site visit during any study design will occur post-contract award. The MMP envisions that the appropriate subject matter expert be allowed to occasionally assist with field work and/or visit the field site.

III. Eligibility Information:

This study will fund a partnership between the BOEM MMP and the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority as noted in Section 2 above. Only one application will be accepted, and one award will be considered; cooperative research with neighboring states and public university partners (establishment of teams) is encouraged. Contributions of matching funds toward these efforts, either as cash or in-kind contributions (such as salary, equipment, or a combination of both) is strongly encouraged but not required. BOEM strongly encourages matching funds in order to leverage available funds, to the degree possible, in order to enhance the scientific approach and maximize the value/scope of study. However, the proposal will not be evaluated on the offer of matching funds. Match cannot include value associated with collection costs for samples/geophysical data previously collected. Match value for instrumentation and other equipment should be adjusted to the period of use within the project relative to the full life cycle for the item. Further information can be located at 2 CFR 200.306.

IV. Application and Submission Information:

1. Location of Application Package All applications must be submitted through the www.grants.gov portal at “Apply for Grants.”

Applicants can locate the application package by visiting the grants.gov portal and searching on CFDA number 15.424 in the grants.gov search engine.

The electronic submission system requires several preliminary registration steps before the actual application can be submitted, including obtaining a DUNS number (see www.dnb.com), registering in SAM.gov (see www.sam.gov) and registering a Grants.gov account (go to www.grants.gov and click on “Register” in the top right hand corner).

2. Content and Form of Applications

The application process begins by downloading the application at https://www.grants.gov. The application portal will enable the applicant and all interested parties to view and complete the following required application forms:

SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance SF-424a Budget Information SF-424b Assurances – Non-Construction Programs Project Narrative Form Budget Narrative Form GG Certification Regarding Lobbying Form (Complete the Optional SF-LLL Lobbying form if lobbying has occurred) https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/ECFR?page=browse http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/

3. Proposal Narrative

The first page (cover sheet) of the proposal shall contain the following information:

• Project Title:

• Principal Investigator(s):

o Name:

o Address:

o Phone:

o Fax:

o Email:

• Name of the State Agency:

• Contact Information for Technical and Administrative Negotiations

• Project Status: New/Continuation

• Project Duration: (years)

• Proposed Start Date:

• Project Deliverable: (e.g. final report, data)

• Non-Federal Matching Funds Available:

• Funds Requested:

• Total Project Cost:

• Signature, Name, and Contact Information of State Agency Principal Investigators:

Proposal Text. The text should be no longer than 25 pages not including references, resumes, and budget information. Please include the following:

1. Abstract

2. Background/Relevance to BOEM Issues– Give a brief introduction to the research problem. State how the proposal addresses BOEM MMP and State of Louisiana goals.

Explain why the work is important. Specify the contribution to science related to offshore resources and the benefits that society will receive from the project. Proposals should clearly describe why the research is important to BOEM and the State of Louisiana. Provide a brief summary of findings or outcomes of any prior work you have completed relevant to this project.

3. Objectives/Hypotheses – List objectives and clearly define the hypotheses and how the scientific method will be employed to test them.

4. Methods/Analyses – List all references to which you refer in the text and references from your past work in the field that the research problem addresses. Be sure to identify references as journal articles, chapters in books, abstracts, maps, digital data, etc.

5. Data Management, Data Security and Data Archiving Plan: Copy of data files to be delivered to BOEM or other specified and appropriate data archive.

6. Logistics plan, when appropriate

7. Safety management, when appropriate

8. Permits/Interagency coordination/Local coordination

9. Local involvement/Traditional knowledge/outreach: The BOEM considers involvement of local residents in the design and execution as well as dissemination of research data and results to be an integral and crucial aspect of projects funded by this program.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to actively involve local residents in the study and to disseminate research results to the local community, the scientific community and appropriate professional organizations; local, State, regional and Federal agencies; and the general public. The BOEM encourages the Recipients to publish project reports in scientific and technical journals.

10. Project management/Staffing plan: List the Principal Investigator (PI) first, followed by the names of other key personnel. Indicate the role for each participant in the project (e.g., oceanographer, geochemist, field assistant). Include a (two page maximum) curriculum vitae for each PI and co-PI.

11. Performance measures - Describe the performance, metrics or devise a performance plan that will be used to asses the accomplishment of the goals of the project. These performance measures will be incorporated in the cooperative agreement award and must be reflected in the recipient’s Quarterly Progress Report. Describe the applicant’s plan to monitor performance of contractors and sub-grantees

12. Planned Products - List product(s) (reports, analyses, maps, digital data, video, photos, etc.) that will be delivered during or at the end of the performance period. Quarterly and annual progress reports, data products, spatial databases, draft and final reports, and draft and final technical summaries are required. Also, publication of results in peer-review journals is encouraged.

13. Budget justification (see item 4, “Budget Narrative,” below)

14. Budget (include personnel costs, travel, services, supplies, equipment, tuition, indirect costs, and anticipated match) should be submitted separately under the Budget Narrative.

15. Names and contacts of Peer Reviewers of deliverables

16. Project Schedule (including deliverables)

17. Critical Start Date (e.g., for season-limited field work)

18. Literature Cited

Not included in the 25 page limit are the cover sheet, curricula vitae, budget, budget justification, suggested peer reviewers and Literature Cited. The project schedule is included within the 25-page limit.

4. Budget Narrative

This information will provide more details than the SF-424A form and will provide adequate information for the Contracting Officer to conduct a detailed analysis of the costs to determine if they are reasonable, allowable, and allocable. Please include the following:

a. Salaries and Wages. List positions, rate of compensation and estimated number of hours. If contract employees are hired, include their total time, rate of compensation, job titles, and roles. Provide a statement that salaries will be charged at the actual rate and that the rate is comparable to others doing similar work within the organization.

b. Fringe benefits/labor overhead. Indicate the rates/amounts in conformance with normal accounting procedures. Explain what costs are covered in this category and the basis of the rate computations. Provide a copy of the Negotiated Rate Agreement with the cognizant federal audit agency for the Recipient, and all sub-grantees.

c. Field Expenses. Briefly itemize the estimated travel costs (i.e., number of people, number of travel days, lodging and transportation costs, and other travel costs).

c. Lab Analyses. Briefly itemize cost of all analytical work. Include figures for a minimum number of samples, if applicable.

d. Supplies. Enter the cost for all tangible property. Include the cost of office, laboratory, computing, and field supplies separately. Provide detail on any specific item, which represents a significant portion of the proposed amount.

Provide a statement that supplies will be purchased in accordance with 2 CFR.

200.317.

e. Equipment. Show the cost of all special-purpose equipment necessary for achieving the objectives of the project. "Special-purpose equipment" means scientific equipment having a useful life of more than 1 year and having an acquisition cost of $5,000 or more per item. Each item should be itemized and include a full justification and a dealer or manufacturer quote, if available.

General-purpose equipment (used for purposes other than this project) must be purchased from the applicant's operating funds. Title to non-expendable personal property may remain with the government or it may be vested solely with the Recipient. Under no circumstances shall property title be vested in a sub-tier recipient. Provide a statement that equipment will be purchased in accordance with 2 CFR 200.317 and managed in accordance with 2 CFR 200.313.

f. Services or consultants. Identify the tasks or problems for which such services would be used. List the contemplated sub-contractors by name (including consultants), the estimated amount of time required, and the quoted rate per day or hour. Sub-grantee proposals should provide cost breakdowns at the same level of detail as the Applicant’s proposal, including copies of the most current negotiated indirect cost rate.

g. Travel. State the purpose of the trip and itemize the estimated travel costs to show the number of trips required, the destinations, the number of people traveling, the per diem rates, the cost of transportation, and any miscellaneous expenses for each trip. Calculations of other special transportation costs (such as charges for use of applicant-owned vehicles or vehicle rental costs) should also be shown.

h. Publication costs. Show the estimated cost of publishing the results of the research, including the final report. Include costs of drafting or graphics, reproduction, page or illustration charges, and a minimum number of reprints.

i. Other direct costs. Itemize the different types of costs not included elsewhere;

such as, shipping, computing, equipment-use charges, or other services.

j. Total Direct Charges. Totals for items a - j.

l. Indirect Charges (Overhead). Indirect cost/general and administrative (G&A) cost. Show the cost base, and proposed amount for indirect costs based on the cost principles applicable to the Applicant's organization. If the sub has separate rates for recovery of labor overhead and G&A costs, each charge should be shown.

Provide a copy of the Negotiated Rate Agreement with the cognizant federal audit agency including the recipient and all sub-grantees.

m. Amount proposed. Total items k and l.

5. Submission Dates and Times

Applications must be successfully submitted through Grants.gov no later than midnight EDT on May 6, 2019.

V. Application Review Information Reviewers will include BOEM staff, project managers, and may also include external peer review. Reviewers will have expertise in Federal offshore programs, geophysical data acquisition and processing, coastal and marine geology, geomorphology and Quaternary geology, marine biology, marine archeology, geographic information systems, and other scientific disciplines relevant to the proposal.

Evaluation Criteria. All proposals will be evaluated in accordance with the following criteria:

1. Scientific quality and impact:

Has the applicant clearly and thoroughly explained the hypotheses and relevance to MMP’s mission?

2. Work plan/Methodology:

Is the strategy clear? Are proposed methods adequate to meet objectives? Are the geographic areas selected for study appropriate? Are logistics, safety, and permits/interagency coordination adequately addressed? Does the timeline match the proposal and reality? Are the scientific objectives appropriate for proposed time frame?

Are a minimum number of samples or other measureable benchmarks for ensuring project success indicated? Does the timeline provide for submission of the draft final report three months before project end date to ensure adequate time for review, revision, editing, and printing?

3. Planned Products and Dissemination of Results:

Are the products clearly defined? Will they be useful for environmental stewardship and offshore resource management activities? Will the results be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed form? Does the proposal indicate PI will submit database in format compatible with BOEM GIS and include metadata compliant with current Federal Geographic Data Committee standards? Does the proposal indicate data will be archived with the appropriate archive?

4. Budget Justification and Clarity:

Is staff sufficient to accomplish the proposed goals? Are field expenses, supplies, lab work, and other expenses appropriate? Are expenses adequately itemized? If applicable, are a minimum number of samples to be collected and analyzed indicated?

5. Experience/Competence of Research Personnel:

Has the applicant demonstrated (through bibliographic references, previous experience, awards, etc.) that they are capable of performing the proposed research? Has the applicant demonstrated a thorough knowledge of the scientific problem? Have products been on schedule and within budget? Have results been published in peer-reviewed journals?

VI. Award Administration Information:

The recipient is responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the cooperative agreement and sub-awards to ensure compliance with applicable Federal statutes, regulations, and policies. The recipient is also responsible for meeting the performance goals identified in the Project Narrative.

Acceptance of a Federal Financial Assistance award from the Department of the Interior (DOI) Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) carries with it the responsibility to be aware of and comply with the terms and conditions of award. Acceptance is defined as the start of work, drawing down funds, or accepting the award via electronic means. Awards are based on the application submitted to, and as approved by BOEM, and are subject to the terms and conditions incorporated either directly or by reference in the following:

• Program legislation\regulation.

• Special terms and conditions.

• Code of Federal Regulations/Regulatory Requirements, as applicable (contact the

Contracting Officer with any questions regarding the applicability of the following):

• Terms and conditions incorporated either directly or by reference in the following:

2 CFR Part 200 Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards

2 CFR Part 25 Universal Identifier and System for Award Management

2 CFR Part 170 Reporting Subaward and Executive Compensation Information

2 CFR Part 175 Award Term for Trafficking in Persons

2 CFR Part 1400 NonProcurement Debarment and Suspension

2 CFR Part 1401 Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace

2 CFR Part 1402 Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards

43 CFR Part 18 New Restrictions on Lobbying

Reporting. BOEM will conduct oversight and monitoring of the work progress and financial status of each cooperative agreement by requiring the following, at a minimum:

1. Federal Cash Transactions Reports

The recipient must submit the Standard Form 425, Federal Financial Report, and, when necessary, its continuation form, if funds are withdrawn in advance of expenditures. The MMP will use the form to monitor the cash advanced to the recipient, and to obtain disbursement or outlay information for each grant.

2. Performance and Financial Status Reporting Requirements

Reporting requirements for the projects are regulated by 2 CFR Part 200. These regulations specify basic cooperative agreement reporting requirements including performance and financial reports. BOEM will work closely with the recipient to incorporate appropriate performance and financial reporting requirements into each cooperative agreement award, consistent with 2 CFR Part 200. These regulations provide some flexibility in determining the appropriate content and frequency of performance and financial reports. At a minimum, however, the reporting schedule will require the recipient to report their progress at least quarterly through the established reporting process and yearly submission of financial status reports.

3. Single Audit Requirements

Nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance funds of $750,000 or more in Federal awards must have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year.

Nonfederal entities that expend less than $750,000 in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in 2 CFR 200 Subpart F.

4. Technical Reporting Requirements

Quarterly reports, draft and Final Reports, and draft and Final Technical Summaries are required. Details are available at: https://www.boem.gov/ESP-Data-and-Information- Specifications/.

VII. Agency Contacts:

Grants.gov:

Technical questions concerning the application process:

Grants.gov Help Desk at:

Phone: 1-800-518-4726 Email: support@grants.gov https://www.boem.gov/ESP-Data-and-Information-Specifications/ https://www.boem.gov/ESP-Data-and-Information-Specifications/

Program Announcement and cooperative agreement questions:

Paula Barksdale Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement Acquisition Policy and Financial Assistance Branch 45600 Woodland Road, VAE-AMD Sterling, Virginia 20166

(703) 787-1743 Paula.barksdale@bsee.gov

Program Office:

Tershara Matthews, Program Supervisor Marine Minerals Program Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Gulf of Mexico Region 1201 Elmwood Park Blvd.

New Orleans, LA 70123

(504) 736-2676 Tershara.matthews@boem.gov

VIII. Other Information:

Dissemination of Research Results. The BOEM considers dissemination of research data and results to be an integral and crucial aspect of projects funded by this program. This includes the proper archiving of samples and databases to maximize public access in the future. Applicants are strongly encouraged to disseminate research results to the scientific community and appropriate professional organizations; local, State, regional, and Federal agencies; and the general public. The BOEM encourages the recipient to publish project reports in scientific and technical journals. Applicants should include in the proposal a plan to present findings at two major meetings, one of which may be a BOEM Gulf of Mexico Offshore Sand Management Working Group Meeting.

Extensions to the Project Period. Extensions are discouraged. The timely conduct of funded projects is of great importance to the achievement of the goals of the BOEM. Applicants should consider their time commitments at the time of applying for funding support.

Modification to NOFA dated 4/1/2019: The purpose of this modification is to change the application due date to 5/6/2019. See Section IV (5).

--End of Program Announcement M19AS00005 Modified 4/1/19.