Foa_Content_of_NOAA-NMFS-AK-2025-29367 (2).pdf

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

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Table of Contents

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

Executive Summary Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description II. Award Information III. Eligibility Information IV. Application and Submission Information V. Application Review Information VI. Award Administration Information VII. Agency Contacts VIII. Other Information

Executive Summary Federal Agency Name Fisheries Alaska Region Program Office (AK)

Funding Opportunity Title Alaska Native Organization Comanagement Grant Program

Announcement Type Competitive

Funding Opportunity Number

NOAA-NMFS-AK-2025-29367

Assistance Listing Number(s) 11.439

Dates Full Proposals must be received by 7:59 Alaska Standard Time on March 25, 2025.

Funding Opportunity Description The National Marine Fisheries Service (hereinafter, "NMFS") recognizes the unique importance of marine mammals to Alaska Native Organizations (hereinafter, "ANOs") and values ongoing efforts by Alaska Native Tribes and ANOs to conserve and protect subsistence species under NMFS' jurisdiction. Pursuant to 16 U.S.C. §1388, NMFS may provide Federal assistance to ANOs to conserve marine mammals and to promote co-management of Alaska Native subsistence use of such mammals under NMFS' jurisdiction.

This assistance, provided in the form of cooperative agreements, may be used to support conservation of marine mammals utilized for subsistence purposes by Alaska Natives. Funded activities may include development and implementation of species management, subsistence harvest monitoring, subsistence harvest sampling, scientific research, and public education and outreach. Proposed activities should address priority actions identified in an Endangered Species Act Recovery Plan or Marine Mammal Protection Act Conservation Plan where applicable and the priorities identified within this federal funding opportunity. Proposals focusing on marine mammals under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will not be considered for funding under this grant program. This announcement should be read in its entirety, as some information has changed from the previous year.

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Full Text of Announcement I. Funding Opportunity Description A. Program Objective The objective of the Alaska Native Organization Comanagement Grant Program is to provide technical and financial assistance for the development and implementation of programs that: Encourage local participation supporting marine mammal science and management; Provide for sustainable use of marine mammals for subsistence purposes; and Promote conservation and/or recovery of marine mammals.

B. Program Priorities Applicants should ensure that their applications address one or more of the following priorities, which are listed in no particular order (i.e., no one factor carrying a higher priority than any other). Proposals should list all priorities being addressed. The program priorities are as follows :

• HARVEST MONITORING: Work with subsistence users and hunters to monitor subsistence use of marine mammals through collection and dissemination of harvest information to support co-management.

• INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE: Convey Indigenous/Traditional Knowledge to support co-management research and goals.

• RESEARCH PROJECTS: Design and implement research projects on subsistence marine mammal species (e.g., bio-sampling projects, tagging projects) that improve or inform management decisions.

• FOOD SECURITY: In light of climate change and threats from development and commercial activities, work collaboratively with NMFS and others to protect food resources for Alaska Native communities by ensuring the availability of marine mammals for subsistence use.

• SUBSISTENCE USE MANAGEMENT: Manage subsistence use of marine mammals with Alaska Native hunters to address regional or local differences, and, when practical or necessary, collaboratively develop measures to understand and reduce the number of marine mammals struck and lost.

• EDUCATION AND OUTREACH: Co-develop or align with existing education, outreach, and mentoring programs (includes efforts for capacity building) and materials related to marine mammals and associated co-management, research, and subsistence use.

• INTERNATIONAL PRIORITIES: Developing and sharing information to support international goals related to subsistence harvest quotas, developing and implementing programs consistent with international efforts related to subsistence harvest quotas, and collaborating with NMFS on mutual interests related to international goals supporting marine mammals.

• COOPERATIVE MANAGEMENT: Initiate and promote projects and exchanges between Alaska Native subsistence users and NMFS for the cooperative management and conservation of marine mammals in Alaska, consistent with signed co-management agreements. Improve and/or revise existing co-management agreements as needed. Co-produce knowledge between NMFS and Alaska Native marine mammal users and hunters regarding marine mammals and the ecosystems on which we all depend.

C. Program Authority 16 U.S.C. § 1388

II. Award Information A. Funding Availability

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Total funding available under this notice is anticipated to be approximately $1,500,000 per year. Actual funding for this program is contingent upon FY25 Federal appropriations. Award amounts will be determined by the content of the proposals and the availability of funds for each year. Publication of this notice does not obligate NOAA to make an award to any specific project or to obligate any funding. If an application is selected for funding, NOAA has no obligation to provide any additional funding beyond the first year. There is no guarantee that sufficient funds will be available to make awards to all qualified projects. The exact amount of funds, the scope of work, and terms and conditions of a successful award will be determined in pre-award negotiations between the successful applicant and NOAA program official. NOAA reserves the right to partially fund proposals by funding discrete portions of phases of a proposed project. Projects partially funded must stand alone, and be maintained and/or completed without the need for additional funding. If NOAA decides to partially fund a proposal, it will do so in a manner that does not prejudice any applicant or affect the basis upon which the proposal, or portion thereof, was evaluated or selected for award. In so doing, the agency maintains the integrity of the competition and selection process. If an applicant incurs any costs prior to receiving an award agreement signed by an authorized NOAA official, the applicant would do so solely at its own risk of these costs not being reimbursed by the government or not receiving an award. Pre-award costs over 90 days are not allowed under the award unless approved by the NOAA Grants Officer in accordance with 2 C.F.R. Parts 200.308(e)(1) and 200.458.

B. Project/Award Period A project period will be at minimum 12 months in duration and extend up to a maximum of three years.

For multi-year proposals, applicants must include project plans and separate budgets for each year of the project. Multi-year projects may be funded in one-year or greater increments depending on available funds and terms of the award. In either case, multi-year awards do not compete for funding in subsequent budget periods within the approved award period. Rather, any funding required for subsequent years is added to the multi-year award incrementally, provided demonstration of satisfactory performance by the recipient and provided funds to support the continuation of the project are available. If a grant recipient wishes to continue work on a funded project beyond the project period and obligated award funds have not been expended by the end of this period, the recipient can notify the assigned Federal Program Officer no later than 30 days prior to the end of the award period to determine eligibility for a no-cost extension.

If, however, the money is expended and funds are needed to continue the project, the applicant should submit another proposal during the next competitive award cycle (e.g. FY 2026) or seek an alternate source of funding.

Project start dates should be no earlier than September 1, 2025, unless an earlier start date request is approved by the Program Office. The requested award start date must begin on the first day of the month and end on the last day of the month.

C. Type of Funding Instrument Successful proposals will be funded through a cooperative agreement. Cooperative agreements are Federal financial assistance awards that include substantial involvement by NOAA in the management of the project. Examples of substantial involvement may include, but are not limited to, assisting in the development of outreach materials; collaboration between NOAA scientists and a recipient scientist;

input into organizational structure, mode of operations, and programmatic activities; review and revision of draft objectives; regularly scheduled monitoring; and/or programmatic data collection.

III. Eligibility Information A. Eligible Applicants

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Eligible applicants are limited to Tribally-Authorized or in-process of renewing tribal-authorization of the Alaska Native Organizations (ANOs) with an existing marine mammal agreement for comanagement with NMFS. In a case where an ANO has authorized another entity to serve as the fiduciary agent of the organization, a copy of the agreement between the ANO and fiduciary agent must be provided with the application. This agreement must outline a thorough description of the relationship and responsibilities of both parties. The ANO will be listed as the lead entity/organization on the application as reflected in the agreement. Any ANO not holding an existing agreement for co-management with NMFS may collaborate with and be listed on the application as a sub-recipient under an eligible applicant. The legal status of the ANO must be identified (see verification below) and a copy of the sub-recipient agreement between the ANO and sub-recipient must be provided with the application. This agreement must outline a thorough description of the relationship and responsibilities of both parties. Eligibility must be met at the time of application. Acceptable verification of ANO legal status:

1) Non-Profit – In cases where the ANO board is a registered non-profit, the following is acceptable:

(a) Proof that the Internal Revenue Service currently recognizes the applicant or an organization to which contributions are tax deductible under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code;

(b) A statement from a State taxing body or the State Attorney General certifying that:

i. The organization is a nonprofit organization within the State; and

ii. No part of its net earnings may lawfully benefit any shareholder or private individual.

(c) A certified copy of the applicant’s certificate of incorporation or similar document if it clearly establishes the nonprofit status of the applicant.

2) Tribal Government – In cases where a tribal government directly holds a comanagement agreement with NOAA, a letter from an authorized tribal representative certifying this status is acceptable.

B. Cost Share or Matching Requirement No cost sharing or matching is required under this program.

C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility In order to be considered for an award in this funding cycle, the applicant must provide proof of eligibility documents. Proof of eligibility will be a copy of the current signed agreement for co-management between NMFS and the ANO.

IV. Application and Submission Information A. Address to Request Application Package For the full application, the standard application package, consisting of the standard forms, i.e., Project Abstract, SF-424, SF-424A, SF-424B, and the CD-511, is available at https://www.grants.gov.

NOTE: Project Abstract is a *new form* that MUST be included for your application to be considered complete.

If an applicant has problems with Grants.gov, contact the Grants.gov Customer Support at 1- 800-518- 4726 or support@Grants.gov. If you do not have Internet access, a full proposal application package may be received by contacting Kristin Cieciel, Competition Manager, email: Kristin.Cieciel@noaa.gov.

B. Content and Form of Application Federal employees (whether full-time, part-time, or intermittent) are not permitted to assist in the preparation of an application. However, they may provide information on program goals, funding priorities, application procedures, and completion of application forms. Since this is a competitive program, Federal employees will not provide assistance in conceptualizing, developing, or structuring proposals, or write letters of support for a proposal. Applications must adhere to the requirements under the Applications and Required Elements subsection and submit applications by the posted deadline.

Failure to follow these provisions will result in proposals being rejected and returned to the applicant without review.

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1. Application Format A complete standard NOAA grant application package is required in accordance with the guidelines in this document. Applications that are not complete on the closing date of this announcement will not be reviewed. Applications must contain all required documents and forms; if these forms are not signed via the www.Grants.gov application process, they MUST be signed in ink. Paper applications without inked signatures on their forms will be considered incomplete and will not be reviewed. An incomplete application or one that does not follow the format requirements will not be reviewed and will be withdrawn from the competition.

Each application must include:

The specific priority or priorities to which they are responding. Applicants should not assume prior knowledge on the part of NMFS as to the relative merits of the project described in the application.

Federal application forms, including:

• SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance

• Project Abstract Form

• SF424A, Budget Information - Non-Construction Programs

• SF424B, Assurances - Non-Construction Programs

• CD-511, Certification Regarding Lobbying

• SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (if applicable)

• NEPA Questionnaire, http://www.nepa.noaa.gov/questionnaire.pdf

• Data Sharing Plan (described in Section VI. B. 8)

• Title Page (described below, 1 page limit)

• Project Summary (described below, 2 page limit)

• Project Narrative (described below, 27 page limit )

• Budget Narrative (described below)

• Signed Co-Management Agreement between ANO and NMFS

• Verification of Legal Status

• ANO’s By-laws

• Name, organizational position, term length of organization’s board members, officers, commissioners or principals

• ANO’s Policies and Procedures, including personnel, travel, procurement, etc.

• Other supporting documentation and relevant attachments the applicant deems important to the overall understanding and evaluation of the proposed project, such as: references, curricula vitae (not to exceed two pages each), letters of support received from relevant partners involved in the project, etc. Other supporting documentation should be combined into one PDF document. The supporting documentation does not count against the 27 page limit for the Project Narrative.

If an applicant does not have internet access or if Grants.gov is inaccessible, paper applications will be accepted. Paper applications must be submitted with completed, signed, inked signatures, with original forms in hard copy (only one copy necessary). The Authorized Representative MUST sign and date these forms (SF-424, SF-424B and CD-511)in the space reserved for electronic signature. Signatures (electronic or ink) must match the name printed in the “Authorized Representative” section of the SF-424 Block 21.

Another Authorized Representative may not sign on behalf of the individual noted in Block 21. Paper applications should not be bound in any manner.

http://www.nepa.noaa.gov/questionnaire.pdf

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2. Content Requirements Proposals should be limited to 30 pages. The format may vary, but must include:

a. Title Page (One page limit) This page shall provide the project title, project duration, applicant name(s), name(s) of the Principal Investigator (or Project Manager) and any Co-Investigators (or Co-Managers), complete contact information (address, telephone, email, and phone number) of the applicant(s), and a statement regarding the Federal, non-Federal, and total costs of the project.

b. Project Summary (Two page limit) Provide a clear description of proposed project goals, activities, tasks, objectives, and products to achieve. Include connection to the specific funding priority being identified, the geographic area where the project would occur, and expected outcomes and benefits of the proposed activities. This summary may be posted on NOAA’s website if the project is funded.

c. Project Narrative (27 page limit) The project narrative should closely follow the evaluation criteria outlined in this solicitation (see Section V. A. Evaluation Criteria). The narrative must be detailed enough for reviewers to make a clear connection between the proposed activities and the proposed project costs. The major part of the narrative should be devoted to a description and justification for the proposed project, including details of the method being used. It should include a timeline for major activities of the proposed project, and should indicate who will be responsible for which activities. There should be no ambiguity about who will perform particular parts of the project, and the time at which these activities take place. The project narrative may not exceed 27 pages. Multi-year proposals must include a project narrative that covers each year of the proposed award period. If multiple projects are included in the proposal, the information listed below must be included for each project. The 27-page limit does not change if a proposal includes multiple projects. The following do not count towards the 27- page limit: standard application forms, project summary, budget and justification, letters of support, resumes/curriculum vitae; lists of permits, NEPA questionnaire; and data sharing plan. Each project must be completely and accurately described, and include project and administrative objectives. The narrative should demonstrate your knowledge of, and convey the need for the project, and show how your proposal builds upon any past and current work. You should not assume that we already know the relative merits of the project you describe.

You must describe your project as follows:

(1) Project Goals and Objectives: Identify the specific program priority (described in Section I. B. Program Priorities) the project intends to address and describe its significance. Identify the problem/opportunity you intend to address and describe its significance. Identify the administrative and/or project objectives, which should: be simple and understandable, as specific and quantitative as possible; clear as to the “what and when”; and attainable within the time, funding, and resources available. State what you expect the project to accomplish. Administrative objectives should be described in a similar fashion. The main body of the narrative should clearly state how the administrative and project work will be undertaken to meet the priorities.

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Project Design: Describe specific work, activities, procedures, statistical design, or analytical methods that are being undertaken and what will be accomplished during the period of the project. Applications should be accomplishment-oriented and identify specific performance measures and the products or other outcomes that will result from the project. Project performance measures could be due dates for draft and final technical and monitoring reports, dates for field seasons/data collection, or percentage of harvest sampled. Administrative performance measures could be dates, agendas, or minutes of board of directors, council, or commissioners meetings, dates for website updating, or dates and contents of outreach and education materials from camps or hunter meetings. Milestones should also be listed describing the specific activities and associated timelines to conduct the scope of work. Describe the timelines in increments (e.g. month 1, month 2), rather than by specific dates. Describe products of the project, such as a manual, video, handbook, or newsletter, summary of harvest or biological data, or piece of equipment. Indicate how project results will be disseminated to potential subsistence users, stakeholders, or community members. Include performance measures setting forth the process of assessing progress toward achieving predetermined goals, including timeliness, quality, outcomes, and effectiveness. Performance management involves developing measurable performance goals, prioritizing staff time or resources to meet those goals, communicating regularly with NMFS about the effectiveness of meeting goals, and reporting progress, delays, completion, and unanticipated outcomes as outlined in the proposal.

NOTE: If you are applying to continue a project we previously funded under the Alaska Native Co- Management Funding Program, describe in detail the project(s), product(s), and accomplishment(s) to date and provide justification for the continuation of the project(s) beyond the original period of performance. Provide a justification for additional funding to continue the project(s) and the benefits expected by continuing the project(s) in 2025. We will consider this information in evaluating your current application.

(2) Project Management: Describe how the project will be organized and managed. Describe how the necessary experience, facilities, and administrative resources are in place to successfully meet the responsibilities associated with managing a federal financial assistance award. The principal investigator may or may not be the applicant; however, if the applicant is not the principal investigator, there must be an explanation of the relationship between the applicant and principal investigator (e.g., the applicant may be responsible for managing the grant funds and the principal investigator will be responsible for completing the work). The PI is responsible for all technical oversight and implementation of the approved work plan as delineated in the proposal. Please also include information about the specific responsibilities and time commitments of other personnel funded through the proposal, including technical and administrative points of contact as appropriate. Include the curricula vitae or resume and job description of the principal investigator(s) and all other personnel funded through this proposal.

Include copies of any agreements between you and the participants describing the specific tasks to be performed. Project participants or organizations that will have a significant role in conducting the project should be listed as co-investigators or co-managers. Organizations or individuals that support the project, for example, researchers contributing data or materials, should be referred to as Cooperators. Agreement documents, and resumes/curricula vitae (2 page maximum for each), should be included in the supporting documentation. This information does not count toward the project narrative’s 27 page limitation. If any portion of the project will be conducted through consultants, subcontracts and/or subawards, you must follow guidance in the requirements set out at 2 C.F.R., as applicable. If you select a consultant, subcontractor and/or sub-awardee prior to submitting an application, indicate the process that you used for selection and provide a statement of their qualifications and experience (e.g., resume or curriculum vitae).

(3) Benefits or Results Expected: Identify the outcomes and effort planned to achieve the results or benefits anticipated from the proposed work. Describe how these expected outcomes will be applied and/or made available to NMFS, identified user groups, or other Alaska Native Organizations. Describe the effort planned to achieve a particular goal/task/activity and measures the value of a project or program's activity.

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(4) Need for Government Financial Assistance: Explain why you need NOAA financial assistance for the proposed work, and why other funding sources, if applicable, cannot fund the proposed work. List all other sources of funding that are or have been sought for the program or project proposed.

(5) Participation by Persons or Groups other than the Applicant: Describe how any entities other than the applicant will participate in the project, and the nature (sub-award, subcontract, volunteer, etc.) of their participation, particularly members of ANO communities.

(6) Federal, State, and Local Government Activities: List any plans or activities this project would affect and describe the relationship between the proposed project and those plans or activities. Describe any coordination with other agency programs. Describe any other proposals or outside activities that are essential to the success of this proposal.

(7) Permitting: It is your responsibility to obtain all necessary Federal, State, and local government permits and approvals where necessary for the proposed work to be conducted. You must note whether or not permits are required. If no permits are required, this section must indicate no permits are required. If permits are required, provide a list of all applicable permits needed to perform the proposed work and an indication of the status of any permits needed.

d. Budget Narrative (does not count towards page limit) Each application must include clear and concise budget information, both on the required federal forms and as described here. In order to allow reviewers to fully evaluate the appropriateness of proposed costs, the budget narrative must explain and justify all Federal and non-Federal costs by object class category, as listed on the SF-424A under Section B, Budget Categories. Provide detailed narrative descriptions of all costs, and explain each calculation for all budget categories. Multi-year applications must include budget information for each year of the proposed activity. All budget costs should be ROUNDED to the nearest dollar. The budget narrative should be sufficiently detailed to enable a clear understanding of the cost breakdown and calculations used to derive the line item subtotals in each object class of the SF-424A budget form. All proposed costs must be reasonable, allowable, allocable, and necessary to the supported activity. Additional Budget Narrative Guidance may be found at https://coast.noaa.gov/data/coasthome/funding/_pdf/forms/budget-narrative-guidance-for-NOAA-grants.pdf

It is strongly recommended to include a budget spreadsheet that details costs by category, this aids in final grant review and application processing. The budget narrative must include the following:

(1) Personnel costs, including salary and wages, should be broken out by named principal investigator (PI) and number of months requested per year, per staff member, etc., as a percentage of their normal salary rate. Support for each person should be commensurate of the person's stated involvement, which may or may not correspond to the person's current position. Any unnamed personnel should be identified by their job title, and their personnel costs explained similar to staff or PI personnel costs above. Fringe benefits should be identified separately from salary and wages; fringe benefit rates should be applied consistently, and should apply equally to both Federal and non-Federal funds, if applicable. Funds for salaries and fringe benefits may be requested only for those personnel who are directly involved in implementing the proposed project and whole salaries and fringe benefits are directly related to specific projects or outcomes of the proposed project. All funds must be estimated to the nearest dollar; do not submit budgets containing cents. Note: No cost sharing or matching is required under this program.

(2) Travel costs should be broken out by number of people traveling, destination and purpose of travel, and projected costs per person. Projected travel costs should be inclusive of transport costs, lodging costs, and per diem expenses for all travelers, which are to be described in detail in the Budget Narrative.

If travel details for a particular trip are unknown, explain the basis for estimating proposed costs.

Domestic travel is to be justified separately from foreign travel, since the latter may require additional clearances. You must adhere to the provisions of the Fly America Act.

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(3) “Equipment” is non-expendable, tangible personal property with a unit cost of $5,000 or more and useful life of more than one year. Items that do not meet the equipment definition must be included under supplies. List each piece of equipment separately and reference the type/model to be purchased and its contribution to the achievement of the project goals. General use equipment must be used 100% for the project if charged directly to the award; if the equipment will be used for multiple projects, only a portion of the expense that is commensurate with the actual use of the equipment during the project may be requested.

(4) Supplies should be itemized to the level of detail known or may be based on established historical costs. Whenever possible, you should include the quantity/number of units and cost per unit to justify expenses listed in the supplies category and relevance to the project.

(5) Contractual costs should be itemized separately, according to standard budget categories that appear in the SF-424A; all types of contractual costs should be included in the Contractual line of the SF-424A and explained in detail in the Budget Narrative. You must indicate the basis for each contract’s cost estimate and specify the products and services to be obtained through all contracts.

(6) Other costs should be listed by type of material or nature of expense (e.g. sub-award) and should be broken down by quantity/number of units and cost per unit, if applicable.

(7) The budget may include an amount for indirect costs if the applicant has an approved indirect cost rate agreement with the federal government. Indirect costs are essentially overhead costs for basic operational functions (e.g., lights, rent, water, and insurance) that are incurred for common or joint objectives and therefore cannot be identified specifically within a particular project. A copy of the current, approved negotiated indirect costs agreement with the Federal government must be included with the application.

8) NOAA/NMFS will not consider fees, fundraising activities, or travel for activities not directly related to project implementation, travel or salaries for Federal employees, or profit as allowable costs in the proposed budget. The total costs of a project consist of all allowable costs incurred in accomplishing project activities during the project period. A project begins on the effective date of an award agreement between the applicant and the Grants Officer and ends on the date specified in the award. Applicants will not be reimbursed for time expended or costs incurred in developing a project or in preparing an application, or in any discussions or negotiations with the agency prior to the award.

9) All vehicle and equipment maintenance costs must be based on the actual costs of operating and maintaining the equipment listed for the financial assistance award project and cannot be based on predetermined flat rates. In accordance with 2 CFR 200.452, allowable costs for equipment maintenance are limited to insurance, necessary maintenance, repair, or upkeep of equipment, which neither add to the permanent value of the property nor appreciably prolong its intended life, but keep it in an efficient operating condition. Furthermore, per 2 CFR 200.403(g), costs must be adequately documented in order to be allowable under Federal awards. If the vehicles or equipment will also be used for other projects, any relevant operation and maintenance expenditures must be allocated to the projects based on the proportional benefit. Given the unique geographic location of Alaska, we encourage applicants to use actual historic procurement, shipping, operation and maintenance costs for estimating budgets.

NOAA NOFO Page 10 of 23 e.) Appendices or Supporting Documentation (does not count towards page limit): This section should include the supporting documentation not included in the project narrative such as: qualifications of the primary project personnel, e.g., curriculum vitae or resumes of PM/PI and any Co-Managers/Co- Investigators (limit two pages each); position descriptions, agreements with key partners; copy of established indirect cost rate agreement; letters of support received from relevant representatives, partners or communities supporting the project; letters of cooperation between the Principal Investigator and all named participants in the project, describing and agreeing to the specific activities each participant would perform (e.g., participants/collaborators receiving marine mammal samples/specimens); organization’s policies and procedures; by-laws; and travel policies.

Applicants requiring scientific research permits must also include evidence of such a permit (i.e., the permit number) or evidence they have submitted a permit application. Additional material, documents and information necessary or useful to the description of the project will help us to understand the project and the priority you seek to address. Letters of support and/or cooperation are strongly recommended.

The Data/Information Sharing Plan (described in Section VI. B. 8) should also be attached as an appendix.

C. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) Each applicant (unless the applicant is an individual or Federal awarding agency that is excepted from those requirements under 2 CFR 25.110(b) or (c), or has an exception approved by the Federal awarding agency under 2 CFR 25.110(d)) is required to: (i) Be registered in SAM before submitting an application;

(ii) Provide a valid unique entity identifier (UEI) in their application; and (iii) Continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which they have an active Federal award or an application 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 UEI and SAM requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time NOAA is ready to make a Federal award, NOAA may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a Federal award and use that determination as a basis for making a Federal award to another applicant. To enable the use of a universal identifier and to enhance 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, any proposal 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/content/home.

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.

NOAA NEPA Questionnaire (https://www.nepa.noaa.gov/docs/NOAA-Grants Questionnaire-final.pdf). If your project is expected to generate NEPA/environmental data, applicants are strongly recommended to submit answers to questions 1-30 in your application. A completed NOAA NEPA Questionnaire should be uploaded as its own file and not included in any other attachment.

C. Unique entity identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) Each applicant (unless the applicant is an individual or Federal awarding agency that is excepted from those requirements under 2 CFR 25.110(b) or (c), or has an exception approved by the Federal awarding agency under 2 CFR 25.110(d)) is required to: (i) Be registered in SAM before submitting its application;

(ii) Provide a valid unique entity identifier (UEI) in its application; and (iii) Continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active Federal award or an application or plan under consideration by a Federal awarding agency. NOAA may not make a Federal award to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable unique entity identifier and SAM requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time NOAA is ready to make a Federal award, NOAA may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a Federal award and use that determination as a basis for making a Federal award to another applicant.

D. Submission Dates and Times https://www.nepa.noaa.gov/docs/NOAA-Grants

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Complete proposals/applications must be received by https://www.Grants.gov under the Alaska Native Comanagement Grant Program competition link, or postmarked on or before 7:59 pm, Alaska Standard Time (AST), March 25, 2025. Proposals received after the established deadline will be rejected and returned to the sender without consideration. For proposals submitted through Grants.gov, a date and time receipt indication will be the basis of determining timeliness. The proposal must be validated by Grants.gov in order to be considered timely. It may take Grants.gov up to two (2) business days to validate or reject the application. Please keep this in mind in developing your submission timeline. For those without access to the Internet, one signed original application must be postmarked or received by the established due date. Use of U.S. mail or another delivery service must be documented with a receipt, private metered postmarks are not acceptable. Postmarked applications received more than 5 business days following the closing date will not be accepted.

E. Intergovernmental Review Applications submitted by state and local governments are subject to the provisions of Executive Order 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." Any applicant submitting an application for funding is required to complete item 16 on SF-424 regarding clearance by the State Single Point of Contact (SPOC) established as a result of EO 12372. To find out about and comply with a State's process under EO 12372, the names, addresses and phone numbers of participating SPOC's are listed in the Office of Management and Budget's home page at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_spoc.

F. Funding Restrictions None

G. Other Submission Requirements 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.

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.

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.

Registration Requirements https://www.Grants.gov http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_spoc.

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NOTE: We strongly encourage all prospective applicants to begin required registrations as early as possible. Completing the required registrations can take six weeks or longer. Submission due dates will not be extended because of registration delays. Submissions received after the due date will be considered late and will not be accepted. Applicant organizations and individuals must register for three different Federal systems prior to submitting an application through Grants.gov (SAM.gov, eRA Commons, and Grants.gov). See below for more detailed information on each required registration process.

1. System for Award Management (SAM.gov): SAM.gov registration is required to do business with the U.S. government. After registering with SAM.gov, you will receive a 12-character Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) that you will use throughout the application process. We recommend allowing at least three weeks for initial SAM.gov registrations and at least two weeks for SAM.gov registration renewals. Additional information on SAM.gov registration is available here: https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration You must update your SAM.gov registration any time your entity’s information changes. You must also renew and revalidate your entity’s SAM.gov registration at least every 12 months from the date you last certified to and submitted the registration. The renewal process may take up to two weeks. Your SAM.gov account’s primary point of contact will receive an email message alerting them to the renewal requirement at 60 days, 30 days, and 15 days prior to expiration. If you do not renew your registration by the deadline, it will expire.

2. eRA Commons: After completing your SAM.gov registration and receiving your Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), you must register with eRA Commons and create several required user accounts. NOAA uses eRA Commons to process grant applications and manage grant awards. NOTE: eRA Commons requires applicants to create one ORGANIZATIONAL PROFILE and two USER ACCOUNTS before submitting an application. These requirements are described in detail below. We recommend allowing at least three weeks for eRA Commons registration. This process can be completed concurrently with your Grants.gov registration. Additional information on the eRA Commons registration process is available here:

https://www.commerce.gov/ocio/programs/gems/applicant-and-grantee-training After creating an overall account for your “institution”, which may be for your organization or yourself as an individual, eRA Commons requires you to set up at least two user accounts: one Signing Official (SO) account and one Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) account.

The Signing Official (SO) user account must be assigned to an individual with signature authority to legally bind the organization in grants administration matters. The SO will receive 4-5 emails throughout the registration process.

The Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) account must be assigned to an individual with primary responsibility for the project(s) described in the grant application. The eRA Commons User ID (Username) for the PD/PI must also be listed on the SF-424 form for item 4 (Applicant Identifier). Your SO and PD/PI user accounts must be active before you submit an application. Both accounts can be assigned to the same individual if appropriate.

3. Grants.Gov: After completing your SAM.gov registration and receiving your Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), you must complete a one-time registration process with Grants.gov. Grants.gov is a government-wide portal used to solicit and accept grant applications. We recommend allowing at least two weeks for Grants.gov registration. This process can be completed concurrently with your eRA Commons registration. Additional information on the Grants.gov registration process is available here:

https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration Submission Validation The Grants.gov and eRA Commons validation processes for a submitted application can take up to two business days after submission. Only validated applications are sent to NOAA to review. To ensure successful submission of an application, we strongly recommend that you submit a final and complete application at least two business days prior to the submission deadline.

Grants.gov and eRA Commons will not accept submissions if the applicant has not been authorized or if credentials are incorrect. Submissions may also be rejected if:

• The Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI)’s account username within eRA Commons is not provided on the SF-424 form for item 4 (Applicant Identifier).

https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration https://www.commerce.gov/ocio/programs/gems/applicant-and-grantee-training https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration

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• The Universal Entity Identifier (UEI) from SAM.gov is not provided on the SF-424 form for item 8.c

(UEI).

• The Congressional District is not entered in the correct format on the SF-424 form for item 16 (Congressional Districts). The correct format is: [State Abbreviation]-[three digit district number].

For example, Virginia’s 1st Congressional District would be listed as VA-001.

• PDF files are not flattened. To flatten a fillable PDF, you can use the “Print to PDF” function from any web browser or PDF reader application.

• File sizes exceed 100 MB.

• Page sizes are greater than 8.5x11.

• File names exceed 50 characters (including spaces).

• File names include special characters.

After you submit your application, you will receive an automatic acknowledgment of receipt that contains a Grants.gov tracking number. This notification indicates receipt by Grants.gov only, not receipt by NOAA.

Applications submitted through Grants.gov will be accompanied by FOUR automated responses (1- Grants.gov Submission Receipt; 2-Grants.gov Submission Validation Receipt for Application; 3-Grants.gov Grantor Agency Retrieval Receipt for Application; 4-Grants.gov Agency Tracking Number Assignment for Application).

In addition to the Grants.gov automated notification messages, you may receive automated email notifications of any errors or warnings identified by eRA Commons. You must resolve all eRA Commons errors prior to the application due date in order for the application to be processed.Once an electronic application is accepted in eRA Commons, you will receive an additional automated notification that the completed application was received and that an application number will be assigned. You should save and print the proof of submission messages from both Grants.gov and eRA Commons. If you do not receive an acceptance message from both Grants.gov and eRA Commons, you should follow up with the agency contact listed in VII to confirm NOAA’s receipt of the complete submission.

H. Address for Submitting Proposals If you do not have internet access, the application package may be submitted to Kristin Cieciel, Competition Manager, NOAA/NMFS.

Mailing Address: PO Box 21668, Juneau Alaska 99802-1668 (USPS); 709 9th Street, Suite 323A, Juneau Alaska 99801 (FedEx/UPS).

V. Application Review Information

1. Importance/relevance and applicability of proposed projects to the program goals Maximum Points: 30

Proposals will be evaluated on clear identification of proposed project objectives and the applicant's ability to link those objectives to the priorities within the ANCFP.

2. Technical/scientific merit Maximum Points: 20

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This criterion assesses whether the approach is technically sound and/or innovative, if the methods are appropriate, and whether there are clear project objectives. Proposals should provide a clear identification of objectives, clear definition of the project design, strengths or weakness, and the means to measure and evaluate performance. Special emphasis will be given to proposals that foster and improve cooperative interactions with NMFS. Are the objectives in the proposal clearly defined and focused? Does the applicant demonstrate that the objectives are realistic and can be reached within the proposed project period? Are the conceptual framework, design, methods, and analyzes adequately developed, well-integrated, and appropriate to the aims of the project? Does the applicant acknowledge potential problem areas and consider ways to resolve the issues or implement alternative tactics? Is sufficient detail provided in the proposal about the methods proposed for monitoring and evaluating the success of the project? Are they appropriate? Reviewers will carefully consider the likelihood of meeting milestones and achieving anticipated results specified in the statement of work. Is a data sharing plan attached and applicable?

3. Project Management Maximum Points: 20

This criterion assesses whether the applicant, and team members, possess the necessary education, experience, training, facilities, and administrative resources to accomplish the project. Reviewers will consider previous related experience and qualifications of the project's PM or PI, Co-Manager(s) or Co- Investigator(s) and other personnel, including designated contractors, consultants, and cooperators.

Reviewers will also consider past award performance of the applicant(s) and PM/PI. Does the applicant have adequate administrative capability and experience in successfully completing similar projects?

Does…