Foa_Content_of_NOAA-NOS-NCCOS-2026-32955.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 NOS National Center for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS)

Funding Opportunity Title Harmful Algal Bloom Innovation Challenge: Toxin Detection in Seafood

Announcement Type Competitive

Funding Opportunity Number

NOAA-NOS-NCCOS-2026-32955

Assistance Listing Number(s) 11.478

Dates

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The required letters of intent (LOI) must be submitted by e-mail to nccos.grant.awards@noaa.gov. LOIs should be submitted as soon as possible, but no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on April 14, 2026.

Applicants will receive an email verification of receipt. Responses to LOIs should be expected approximately one week after submission. Full applications must be received and validated by Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on May 14, 2026. Electronic submissions received after the deadline will not be considered. Investigators are advised to submit full applications well in advance of the deadline as a precaution against unanticipated delays.

The full proposal should be submitted electronically through Grants.gov. After the application is validated by Grants.gov, please send an email to nccos.grant.awards@noaa.gov to notify us of your submission.

Applicant organizations must complete and maintain three registrations to be eligible to apply for or receive an award. These registrations include SAM.gov, Grants.gov, and eRA Commons. All registrations must be completed prior to the application being submitted. The complete registration process for all three systems can take 4 to 6 weeks, so applicants should begin this activity as soon as possible. Refer to Section IV.G. of this Announcement for details.

Funding Opportunity Description The purpose of this document is to advise the public that NOAA/NOS/National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) Competitive Research Program (NCCOS/CRP) [formerly Center for Sponsored Coastal Ocean Research (CSCOR)/Coastal Ocean Program (COP)] is soliciting proposals to drive practical and cost-effective innovations for harmful algal bloom toxin detection in seafood that promotes seafood safety, food security, and the economic success of U.S. seafood industries and their competitiveness in global markets. For this Announcement, proposals will focus on the development and advancement of innovative, efficient, and effective point-of-use harmful algal bloom toxin detection technologies in support of the Nation’s nutritional, cultural, and economic seafood interests, and to reduce costs to U.S.

communities and industries that rely on safe seafood.

Funding is contingent upon the availability of Federal appropriations. If funding is available for this program, two to five projects are expected to be supported for one to three years in duration, with an approximate annual budget for each project of $100,000-$250,000, not to exceed $750,000 per project.

NCCOS/CRP may reject any proposals submitted with an annual budget that is greater than $250,000 for any year.

An informational webinar on this solicitation will be offered on March 24, 2026 from 2 to 3 p.m. Eastern Time. Information regarding this Announcement, including the webinar and additional background information, is available on the NCCOS Funding Opportunities webpage (https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/about/funding-opportunities/).

Electronic Access: Proposals should be submitted through Grants.gov. Sign up to receive any potential amendments to this Announcement via Grants.gov.

Full Text of Announcement I. Funding Opportunity Description A. Program Objective mailto:nccos.grant.awards@noaa.gov https://Grants.gov mailto:nccos.grant.awards@noaa.gov https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/about/funding-opportunities/ https://Grants.gov

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The Competitive Research Program (CRP), part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), supports development of actionable information, tools and products enabling implementation of management and policy strategies for protection of public health, ecosystems, and the economic vitality of communities. To accomplish this, NCCOS/CRP funds research with clear objectives using a competitive, peer-reviewed process involving scientists, resource managers and impacted stakeholders as research project partners or advisors working together to achieve effective outcomes. NCCOS/CRP has an over 30-year track record of delivering results addressing our Nation's most pressing issues and needs, including harmful algal blooms (HABs) as authorized under the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act (HABHRCA, 33 U.S.C. §4001 et seq.) and Public Law 102-567, §201(c).

Marine, estuarine, and Great Lakes waters of the United States are increasingly impacted by HABs. The toxins produced by some HAB species accumulate in organisms such as marine mammals and shellfish, finfish and other seafood, leading to potential human poisoning. HAB toxins directly impact human health with effects ranging from mild skin and respiratory irritation to gastrointestinal discomfort to severe neurological damage and death. Harm from these toxins or the excessive size, intensity, and duration of some HAB events, can adversely impact ecosystems and cause loss of habitat, disrupt our seafood supply and harm tourism. Costs from a single HAB event can range from millions to billions of dollars due to broad economic and societal impacts. Some of these include lost revenue from closures of managed shellfish beds and aquaculture facilities, monitoring for HABs to protect public health and their cleanup and mitigation costs, disruptions in tourism from public reactions to HAB events on beaches and seafood advisories, loss of access to key subsistence foods, and medical treatments from exposure to HAB toxins.

B. Program Priorities https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/crp/ https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/news/hab-noaa-fact-sheet/

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NCCOS/CRP is soliciting proposals to drive practical and cost-effective innovations for HAB toxin detection in seafood, prioritizing seafood safety, food security, and the economic success of U.S. seafood industries and their competitiveness in global markets, in accordance with Executive Orders 13921 (Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth) and 14276 (Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness). Accurate HAB toxin detection is crucial for promoting and sustaining international demand for American seafood by addressing any safety concerns related to HAB toxins.

The Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act further authorizes NOAA to administer peer-reviewed, merit-based, competitive funding to address HAB research and management needs and priorities. One such priority is developing standardized and validated detection and analysis methods for HAB toxins to address the specific need for commonly available, affordable methods for toxin analysis that can be implemented by a variety of user groups.

The primary human illnesses resulting from consumption of seafood contaminated with HAB toxins include amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP, caused by domoic acid), azaspiracid shellfish poisoning (AZP, caused by azaspiracid and congeners), ciguatera poisoning (CP, caused by ciguatoxin and congeners), diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP, caused by okadaic acid and congeners), neurotoxic shellfish poisoning (NSP, caused by brevetoxin and congeners), paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP, caused by saxitoxin and congeners), and cyanobacterial seafood poisoning (caused by cyanotoxins).

NCCOS/CRP recognizes the continued need for improved HAB toxin testing for seafood regulatory applications and has targeted this objective in previous funding opportunities. Existing HAB toxin testing methods can be costly, time-consuming, require specialized training, and present challenges given the variety of seafood products affected and the restricted market demand. Furthermore, recent HAB events have demonstrated challenges associated with the supply pipeline for HAB toxin testing materials. This funding opportunity aims to spur scientific development and innovative ideas to advance HAB toxin testing for seafood to overcome some of these challenges.

Several recent efforts have emphasized the need for innovations in HAB toxin detection. Without such advancements, American businesses and people will have to rely on costly or non-existent HAB toxin testing for seafood with risks to seafood safety, food security, and competitiveness of American seafood in the global seafood market. Key efforts include the following:

• The HARRNESS plan (Harmful Algal Research & Response: A National Environmental Science Strategy, 2024-2034) provided a recommendation to develop cost-effective, rapid test kits for toxins that pose a threat to food safety, particularly those that are field deployable, and are available to those who provide information to recreational and subsistence seafood harvesters.

Additional HARRNESS recommendations include multiplex technologies for simultaneous screening or detection of groups of toxins and exploration/integration of new detection platforms (e.g., medical technologies) that may be feasible for use in HAB monitoring programs.

• The Workshop on Advancing HAB Toxin Testing (2024) convened HAB and diagnostics experts to identify possible solutions for some of the standing limitations and scientific gaps in HAB toxin testing for seafood. One of the major gaps identified was that even though toxin detection methods exist for many HAB toxins, existing regulatory methods are costly for businesses and mostly inaccessible to recreational and subsistence users, particularly in remote or rural regions where routine HAB monitoring is impractical or non-existent.

• The 2025 Dialogues with Industry: Harmful Algal Blooms series explored the market sector for HAB toxin testing technologies, including challenges and opportunities for HAB testing innovations, the need to incentivize public–private–academic partnerships, and challenges related to the return on investment for communities and sectors affected by HABs.

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/05/12/2020-10315/promoting-american-seafood-competitiveness-and-economic-growth https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/restoring-american-seafood-competitiveness/ https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/restoring-american-seafood-competitiveness/ https://hdl.handle.net/1912/69773 https://hdl.handle.net/1912/69773 https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/news/dialogues-with-industry-harmful-algal-blooms-series-unlocks-opportunities-for-innovation/

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This funding opportunity seeks to accelerate the research and development of innovative, efficient, effective, and point-of-use HAB toxin detection technologies to ensure safe seafood; promote the Nation’s nutritional, cultural, and economic seafood interests; and reduce costs to U.S. communities and industries that rely on safe seafood. Proposals must address the primary objective of developing or advancing the detection of HAB toxins in seafood and also at least one of the following:

• Adaptation of a current toxin detection technology to make it more rapid, portable, or cost-effective.

• Evaluation of adapted or novel toxin detection technologies (e.g., single or multiple laboratory validation studies, matrix, or platform extension studies) for improved speed, accuracy and cost over currently available methods.

• Development, demonstration, or validation of novel detection technologies for HAB toxins in seafood.

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In the proposal, applicants should clearly identify the HAB toxins that will be detected and the intended users of the detection technology (e.g., community members, local scientists, government agencies, industry, etc.). Proposals should describe how the new or improved technology would better serve user needs compared with methods that are currently available (e.g., increased portability that allows field applications or point-of-use detection, reduced costs for businesses or regulatory laboratories).

NCCOS/CRP may prioritize proposals that address priorities identified in the Proceedings of the Workshop on Advancing HAB Toxin Testing (2024), including the detection of paralytic shellfish or ciguatera toxins in seafood, or methods that are matrix-independent or capable of detection across multiple seafood matrices. NCCOS/CRP emphasizes a collaborative research process involving resource managers, planners, policymakers, private sector partners, and impacted communities as research project partners or advisors. Public-private-academic partnerships are encouraged, but not required.

Management Technical Advisory Group (MTAG) - After a proposal is selected for funding, the Principal Investigators (PIs) are expected to work with their NCCOS/CRP Program Manager to put together a Management Technical Advisory Group (MTAG) for the project. For this funding opportunity, the purpose of an MTAG is to ensure the development and validation of HAB toxin testing methods incorporates end-user needs and perspectives and to increase the likelihood of successful transfer of research results to the intended end user(s). MTAG members are independent advisors to the project (not funded co-investigators). Members will typically have expertise in the research area and/or be potential end users or extension experts. NCCOS/CRP employees cannot be MTAG members. Funding may be requested for MTAG activities such as participation in project investigator meetings, observation of field or laboratory activities, or participation in technology/information transfer events. Travel funds for the MTAG may be included within the budget.

Expected Outputs - Possible research products and outputs may include: (1) collaborative teams comprising interdisciplinary experts, commercial entities, and end users working to advance HAB toxin testing; (2) innovative toxin detection methods, and results using such methods to assess seafood tissue including development, demonstration, validation, and comparability studies; and (3) dissemination of HAB toxin testing materials to regional users for research purposes, where appropriate for validation of point-of-use seafood testing, and for related training to encourage wide use of developed methods and dissemination of results.

Definitions:

Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) - occur when a high concentration of marine or freshwater algae, macroalgae, or cyanobacteria results in nuisance conditions or harmful impacts on marine and freshwater ecosystems, subsistence resources, communities, or human health through the production of toxic compounds or other biological, chemical, or physical impacts of the bloom.

Matrix - the components of a sample other than the analyte of interest.

Point-of-use testing - performed at the site where a product or material will be harvested or consumed, rather than at a centralized or remote laboratory. This differs from other testing methods primarily in its location and immediacy. Point-of-use testing for seafood safety is analogous to point-of-care testing in a clinical or healthcare setting.

Seafood - includes wild and farmed ocean and coastal organisms harvested for human consumption for commerce, recreation, or subsistence.

Subsistence - the customary and traditional use of fish, wildlife, or other freshwater, coastal, or marine resources by any individual or community to meet personal or family needs, including essential economic, nutritional, or cultural applications.

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C. Program Authority 33 U.S.C. §§4001 et seq., Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act; Public Law 102- 567, §201(c), Coastal Ocean Program.

II. Award Information A. Funding Availability Funding is contingent upon the availability of Federal appropriations. If funding is available for this program, two to five projects are expected to be supported for one to three years in duration, with an approximate annual budget for each project of $100,000-$250,000, not to exceed $750,000 per project.

NCCOS/CRP may reject any proposals submitted with an annual budget that is greater than $250,000 for any year.

B. Project/Award Period Full applications may cover a project/award period of one to three years. Projects funded under this Announcement will have a March 1, 2027, start date. The start date should always begin on the first day of the month and the end date should always end on the last day of any given month when making a projection for the award start and end dates.

Awards may be funded incrementally, generally on an annual basis, but once awarded, those awards will not compete for funding in subsequent years. Once approved, full applications are not required for the continuation out years. While applicants are not required to divide Federal assistance project activities into annual increments based on appropriations law, this approach may be constructive given the possibility that funding may not be available in subsequent years.

Funding for each year's activity is contingent upon the availability of appropriations, satisfactory performance, and is at the sole discretion of the agency.

During the implementation phase of research projects funded under this Announcement, regardless of the funding mechanism used, NCCOS/CRP Program Managers will analyze financial statements and progress reports for each continuing award, and will have dialogue with the PIs and Signing Officials of the recipient institutions to discuss research progress and expected timelines for the remaining award period. If NOAA experiences budget fluctuations in future fiscal years, the amount of funding provided in any given fiscal year will be determined on a project-specific basis by the remaining tasks to be completed, the overall pace of the research and the length of time remaining on the award and/or across the board reductions or increases based on the overall funds available.

C. Type of Funding Instrument

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In an effort to maximize the use of limited resources, applications from non-Federal and Federal applicants (including NOAA) will be evaluated in the same competition, with different funding instruments applicable to the type of applicant. Support may be solely through NCCOS/CRP or partnered with other Federal offices and agencies. Unfunded proposals may be shared with other NOAA offices or other Federal Agencies for the purposes of collaboration and eliminating duplication.

Non-Federal Applicants. The funding instrument for non-Federal applicants is expected to be a cooperative agreement. A cooperative agreement is used when substantial Federal government involvement is anticipated. This means that the recipient can expect substantial agency collaboration, participation, or intervention in project performance. Substantial involvement exists when: responsibility for the management, control, direction, or performance of the project is shared by the assisting agency and the recipient; or the assisting agency has the right to intervene (including interruption or modification) in the conduct or performance of project activities. "Substantial involvement" will be coordinated and communicated by NCCOS/CRP Program Managers, and can include collaboration and participation by NOAA (but see section III.A.5-6), as well as NCCOS/CRP Program Manager involvement in PI meetings, site visits, in situ sampling, setting up management advisory groups, development of management transition plans, and communication of project results.

NOAA Cooperative Institutes. If the non-Federal applicant is at an institution that has a NOAA Cooperative Institute (CI), https://ci.noaa.gov/, it is allowed to submit applications that reference the CI by attaching a cover letter to the application stating its desire to have the application associated with the CI. This letter should specify the name of the CI, the CI cooperative agreement number, and the NOAA-approved research theme and task that applies to the proposal. The application will use the Facilities & Administrative (F&A, or indirect cost) rate associated with the main CI agreement. If the application is selected for funding, NOAA will notify the university that a separate award will be issued with its own award number. However, the award will include two Special Award Conditions (SACs): (1) the existing University/NOAA Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) would be incorporated by reference into the terms of the competitive award, and (2) any performance report(s) for the competitive project must follow the timetable of the funding program and be submitted directly to the funding program. Report(s) will be copied to the CI's administrator when due, to be attached to the main cooperative agreement progress report as an appendix. This will allow the CI to coordinate all the projects submitted through the CI, since the terms of these awards will specify that this is a CI project via the MOA.

Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit. If the non-Federal applicant is at an institution that has a NOAA approved Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU), http://www.cesu.psu.edu/, and meets the criteria described below for using that status, they may include a cover letter with their application stating their desire to have the application associated with that CESU. This letter should specify the name of the CESU. Of the 17 CESUs across the nation, NOAA is a member of 10: North and West Alaska, California, Hawaii-Pacific Islands, South Florida-Caribbean, Gulf Coast, Piedmont-South Atlantic Coast, Chesapeake Watershed, North Atlantic Coast, Pacific Northwest, and Great Plains.

The following criteria must be met for NOAA to use the established partnerships with CESUs:

1. The proposed project must fit within the objectives of the National CESU Network Program, which are to provide research, technical assistance, and education to Federal land management, environmental, and research agencies and their partners in biological, physical, social, cultural, or engineering disciplines needed to address natural and cultural resource management issues at multiple scales and in an ecosystem context.

2. The proposed project must fit the intent of the CESU’s existing cooperative and joint agreement, which means (a) the research partnership will carry out or stimulate an activity (e.g., data, products, or services) for a public purpose, and (b) NOAA will be significantly involved in the work.

https://ci.noaa.gov/ http://www.cesu.psu.edu/

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Federal Applicants. The intra- and inter-agency transfers of funds are not Federal assistance (grants or cooperative agreements), and the policies described in this Announcement applicable to Federal assistance awards do not apply to Federal entities receiving intra- and inter-agency transfers of funds. In the agreements implemented in these situations, NOAA will be substantially involved in the projects in a manner similar to the cooperative agreements with non-federal parties. Contact the NCCOS Grants Administrator for more information (refer to Section VII).

1. NOAA Federal Applicants. The funding instrument for a selected application from an eligible NOAA Federal applicant will be an intra-agency transfer of funds, if authorized.

2. Federal Applicants (except NOAA). The funding instrument for a selected application from a non- NOAA Federal applicant will be through an inter-agency transfer of funds, provided legal authority exists for the Federal applicant to receive funds from another agency. Non-NOAA Federal applicants that intend to be the lead institution should contact the NCCOS Grants Administrator (refer to Section VII) to discuss how to structure budgets and prepare required documentation.

III. Eligibility Information A. Eligible Applicants Eligible applicants for Federal financial assistance in this competition are U.S. institutions of higher education, non-profits, state and local governments, tribal government entities, U.S. Territories, U.S.

Affiliated Pacific Islands institutions, and for-profit organizations. Federal applicants (including NOAA) are eligible provided legal authority exists for the Federal applicant to receive funds from another agency.

Please note that:

1. PIs must be employees of an eligible entity listed above; and applications must be submitted through that entity. Non-Federal researchers should comply with their institutional requirements for application submission.

2. Non-Federal researchers affiliated with NOAA-University CIs will be funded through cooperative agreements.

3. Foreign researchers must apply as subawards or contracts through an eligible U.S. entity.

4. Federal applicants are eligible to submit applications for intra- or inter-agency funds transfers through this competition. Non-NOAA Federal applicants will be required to submit certifications or documentation showing that they have specific legal authority to accept funds for this type of research.

5. An eligible U.S. entity may propose Federal agency researchers as funded or unfunded collaborators.

If Federal agency researchers are proposed as funded collaborators, the applicant should present the collaborator's funding request in the application in the same way documentation is provided for a subrecipient for purposes of project evaluation, even though intra- or inter-agency funding transfers will generally be used if the project is selected.

6. NOAA NCCOS researchers may apply through an eligible U.S. entity as funded or unfunded collaborators, but cannot be the lead PI on the application. Federal employees, including NOAA, with the exception of NCCOS employees, may serve as lead PI on the application. NOAA Federal salaries will not be paid.

B. Cost Share or Matching Requirement

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None.

C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility Each application must substantially comply with the 14 elements listed under Section IV.B.4 Content and Form of Application: Required Elements (a)–(n), or it will be returned to sender without further consideration. A checklist with the required and requested application elements can be found in Section

VIII.

IV. Application and Submission Information A. Address to Request Application Package Proposal materials are available at http://www.grants.gov as part of the electronic proposal package, which includes the federal forms. Please contact the NCCOS Grants Administrator should you have an issue accessing the materials (see Section VII for contact information).

B. Content and Form of Application

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1. Required Letter of Intent (LOI)

LOIs are required before a full application is submitted. Any full proposals submitted without a prior timely LOI submission will not be considered. The purpose of the LOI process is to provide information to potential applicants on the relevance of their proposed project and the likelihood of it being competitive in advance of preparing a full application. Full applications will be encouraged only for LOIs deemed relevant; however, the final decision to submit a full proposal is made by the PI. The LOI should provide a concise description of the proposed work and its relevance to this NOFO. The LOI should be no more than two pages (front only) in length, single spaced in 12-point font with 1-inch margins and should include in order the components listed below. If all these components are not included or the LOI is late, the LOI will not be considered.

LOIs should be submitted as soon as possible, but no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on April 14, 2026. NCCOS/CRP Program Managers will review each LOI to determine whether it is responsive to the program's goals, as advertised in this NOFO. Letters or emails to encourage or discourage a full application are scheduled to be sent out approximately one week after the LOI is submitted. If all these components are not included, the LOI will not be considered:

a. Tentative project title.

b. Name(s), phone number(s), email address(s), and institution(s) of all PIs, and specification of which individual is the Lead PI.

c. Approximate total cost of the project.

d. Short statement of the problem and its relevance.

e. Brief summary of work to be completed, which NOFO objective(s) it will address (from Section I.B.), the methodology to be used, and how the technology or approach being tested, if successful, will be transitioned to HAB management application.

2. Sample Full Application A sample application package and other guidance can be found under “Information for Applicants” located on the NCCOS website at: https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/about/funding-opportunities/application-forms/.

3. Collaborative Proposals If more than one institution is collaborating in a project awarded funds, the lead institution will be the only institution to directly receive funds from NOAA and will be responsible for distributing funds to the partner institutions except for Federal agency partners. Federal agencies will be funded with either intra- or inter-agency agreements initiated by NCCOS. Only one full proposal per project must be submitted via Grants.gov. Collaborating institutions expected to receive funds must be budgeted as subawards or contracts in the submitted proposal and provide the lead institution with their documents for submission by the lead. Unfunded collaborators may also participate.

4. Required Elements for Full Applications Each application must substantially comply with the following 14 elements (a–n) to be forwarded for merit review. The Summary Title Page, Abstract, Project Description, References, Biographical Sketch, and Budget Narrative must be single spaced in 12-point font with one-inch margins. The Collaborators List must use an Excel spreadsheet and be submitted by email to nccos.grant.awards@noaa.gov. The 14 elements are as follows:

a. Standard Form 424. The applicant must submit the Standard Form, SF-424, “Application for Federal Assistance,” to indicate the total amount of funding proposed for the whole project period.

https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/about/funding-opportunities/application-forms/ https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/about/funding-opportunities/application-forms/ mailto:nccos.grant.awards@noaa.gov

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b. Summary Title Page. One-page maximum. The Summary Title Page identifies the project's title and the PI’s name, affiliation, complete address, phone, and email information. The requested funding amounts for each fiscal year should be included on the Summary Title Page. If this proposal is a resubmission from a previous NCCOS competition, indicate the former competition on the Summary Title Page.

c. One-page Abstract/Project Summary. The Project Summary (Abstract) should appear on a separate single page, headed with the proposal title, institution(s), investigator(s), total proposed cost, and budget period. It should be written in the third person and in plain language. The Abstract should include an introduction of the problem, project objectives and a brief summary of work to be completed. The summary Abstract allows the respondents to summarize key points in their own words. Abstracts of applications that receive funding may be posted on program-related websites.

d. Project Description. The description of the work proposed must include three Project Description narrative sections: the Proposed Research, its Application to Management, and a Data Management Plan.

The proposal shall not exceed more than: 15 pages for the description of the Proposed Research and Application to Management and two additional pages may be used for the Data Management Plan. Any Project Description narrative beyond the page limits will not be reviewed or considered. The three Project Description sections must include the information as described below.

(1) Proposed Research The Proposed Research narrative section should be thorough and explicitly indicate its relevance to the program goals and scientific priorities by:

(a) Identifying the objective(s) addressed by the proposal;

(b) Describing the proposed scientific goals and research activities in relation to the present state of knowledge in the field and, if appropriate, in relation to previous and current work by the proposing PI(s);

(c) Discussing how the proposed project lends value to the program goals; and

(d) Identifying the function of each PI. The Lead PI will be responsible for communicating with the NCCOS/CRP Program Manager on all pertinent verbal or written information.

Note: If the proposal is a resubmission from a previous competition, any concerns identified in the previous review process that were provided to the applicant(s) should be addressed in the resubmitted proposal.

(2) Application to Management/End User Needs The Applications to Management Narrative should establish the connection to relevant resource management needs by explicitly identifying the end user group(s) including evidence of the linkage between the scientific questions and management needs. The narrative should provide the management justification for the research by:

(a) Articulating the coordination with one or more end users.

(b) Discussing the expected significance of the project to the intended end user’s priorities and needs.

Specific research targets, with proposed outputs and outcomes, should describe how this project will improve management and end user capabilities. Outputs are defined as products (e.g., publications and models) or activities that lead to outcomes (i.e., changes in management knowledge or action).

Definitions and examples of outputs and outcomes can be accessed at https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/about/funding-opportunities/outputs-and-outcomes/. The timeline for https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/about/funding-opportunities/outputs-and-%20outcomes/

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(c) Describing specific activities, such as workshops or development of outreach materials, that will enhance information transfer from project scientists to relevant management entities, other end-users, or the public.

(3) Data Management Plan NOAA requires that grant-produced data be made publicly available, preferably with open data licenses.

Proposals must provide a detailed Data Management Plan that describes how metadata and data collected as part of the project will be openly disseminated to the broader community, and plans for longer term archiving of these data. PIs that propose to collaborate with data centers or networks, except the National Center for Environmental Information (NCEI), are advised to obtain letters of commitment that affirm the collaboration. Where possible, all PIs are strongly encouraged to use existing data centers and data portals to archive and disseminate their data. Costs associated with use of data centers, or data archiving, should be included in the application budget. Proposed Data Management Plans should reflect archiving Option A, B, and/or C as stated below. Note: non-digital data (e.g., laboratory notebooks, preliminary analyses, drafts of scientific papers, plans for future research, peer review reports, communications with colleagues, or physical objects, such as laboratory specimens) are not required to be made publicly accessible.

Option A: For the majority of oceanographic and ecological data, except non-digital data as described above, funding recipients are expected to submit data to the NOAA/NCEI for long-term preservation, which will provide public access, archiving, discovery metadata meeting NOAA standards and formats, and a Digital Object Identifier (DOI).

Option B: For any other data not appropriate for submission to NOAA/NCEI, funding recipients are expected to submit data to an appropriate long-term data facility (e.g., National Institutes of Health’s GenBank for genomics data) that preserves data, properly manages archived data to assure their quality, mints DOIs, and makes archived data and related information available to users in a timely and efficient manner. Funding recipients should submit discovery metadata meeting NOAA standards and formats documenting these non-NOAA data archives to the NCCOS/CRP Program Manager (see Section VII for contact information).

Option C: For limited-release data that are limited by law, regulation, policy, security requirements, commercial or international agreements, or valid technical considerations, funding recipients may request permission not to make data publicly accessible from the NCCOS/CRP Program Manager.

For additional information regarding Data Management Plans, see https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/about/funding-opportunities/data-management-plan and the NOAA Data Sharing Plan policy statement below in Section VI.B., Administrative and National Policy Requirements. For questions regarding data management and implementing this guidance: refer to Section VII for the contact information for the NCCOS Data Coordinator.

e. References cited. Reference information is required. Each reference should include the names of all authors in the same sequence they appear in the publication, the article title, the journal or book title, volume number, page numbers, and year of publication. While there is no established page limitation, this section should include bibliographic citations only and should not be used to provide parenthetical information outside of the Project Description.

f. Milestone chart. Provide timelines of major tasks covering the duration of the proposed project.

g. Biographical sketch. All PIs and co-PIs must provide summaries of up to two pages that include the following:

https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/about/funding-opportunities/data-management-plan

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(1) A listing of professional and academic credentials and mailing address; and

(2) A list of up to five publications most closely related to the proposed project and five other significant publications.

h. Current and Pending Support. Describe all current and pending Federal financial/funding support for all PIs and co-PIs. Continuing grants must also be included. A current and pending support form is available on the NCCOS website for your use: https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/about/application-forms. You should respond to this element whether or not you have any current and/or pending support by indicating “not applicable.”

i. Permits. A list of all known applicable permits that will be required to perform the proposed work. You should respond to this requirement element whether or not permits are required. It is the applicant’s responsibility to obtain all necessary Federal, state, and local government, tribal, and/or private landowner permits and approvals where necessary for the proposed work to be conducted. In addition, applicants are strongly encouraged to engage tribal interests at the earliest stage of scoping or planning activities and familiarize themselves with the NOAA Tribal Consultation Handbook 2023 (https://www.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/2023- 07/NOAA_Tribal_Consultation_Handbook_2023_FINAL.pdf).

j. Standard Form (SF) 424A. All applicants are required to provide a SF-424A Budget Form that identifies the budget for each fiscal year of the proposal. Place each fiscal year in separate columns in Section B of page one on the SF- 424A by filling in the fiscal years 1-3 in Section A Budget Summary - Grant Program Function or Activity column. (Note that this revised SF-424A Section B format is a NOAA requirement that is not reflected in the Instructions for the SF-424A). The budget figures must correspond with the descriptions contained in the Budget Narrative.

Each subaward should provide a SF-424A listing each year of funding being requested. The lead institution should list the total subaward costs under line item 6.h. Other category and contractor costs under line item 6.f. Contractual category on the SF-424A. Signed approval from the institution of each identified subaward and contractor should be provided.

All ship costs belong in the “h: Other” category and are not subject to indirect costs.

k. Budget Narrative. In order to allow reviewers to fully evaluate the appropriateness of costs, all applications must include a detailed budget narrative to support all proposed budget categories for each fiscal year. For additional budget guidance, see https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/about/funding-opportunities/requirements/.

Personnel costs should be broken out by named PI, total annual salary, number of months, and percentage of time requested per year per PI. Support for each PI should be commensurate with their stated involvement in the project’s goals and objectives. Any unnamed personnel (graduate students, post-doctoral researchers, and technicians) should be identified by their job title, and their personnel costs explained similar to PI personnel costs. The contribution of any personnel to the project goals should be explained.

Travel costs should be broken out by number of people traveling, destination and purpose of travel, and projected costs per person (i.e., hotel rate, meals and incidentals, and transportation). Note: Conference registration fees belong in the “h. Other” category in the SF424A and budget justification.

Equipment costs should describe the equipment to be purchased, and its contribution to the achievement of the project goals.

https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/about/application-forms https://www.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/2023-07/NOAA_Tribal_Consultation_Handbook_2023_FINAL.pdf https://www.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/2023-07/NOAA_Tribal_Consultation_Handbook_2023_FINAL.pdf https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/about/funding-opportunities/requirements/ https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/about/funding-opportunities/requirements/

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Any ship time needs must be clearly identified in the proposed budget. The applicant is responsible for requesting ship time through appropriate channels and for meeting all requirements to ensure the availability of requested ship time. If any NOAA personnel will be present during ship operations, vessel safety clearances must be obtained through the NOAA Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO) in advance of the cruise. Required information and procedures are detailed in NOAA Administrative Order 209-115: NOAA Employees Aboard Non-NOAA Vessels.

If more than one institution is collaborating in a project recommended for funding, the lead institution will be the only institution to directly receive funds from NOAA unless a Federal agency is a funded collaborator. Federal agencies may be funded directly by NOAA. The lead institution is responsible for sending funds to the other subaward institutions. A separate SF-424A and budget narrative is required for each subaward (including Federal collaborators receiving funds) and must be provided to the lead institution for submission. Signed approval from each identified subaward institution is required. For acquisition contracts, the purpose and cost or price must be fully justified, and the contract must fully comply with 2 C.F.R. 200.317-.327.

Applicants are encouraged to include the costs of project-level data management, including: coordinating, organizing, documenting, formatting, or otherwise preparing datasets for submission to NOAA or non- NOAA data facilities; establishing and maintaining data access tools and services and related metadata;

and managing non-digital data that are not required to be made publicly accessible, including laboratory notebooks, preliminary analyses, drafts of scientific papers, plans for future research, peer review reports, communications with colleagues, or physical objects, such as laboratory specimens.

An applicant requesting funds for indirect costs in its proposal budget that has a current Federally approved rate should submit documentation of the indirect cost rate agreement as an attachment to its application submission. An applicant without a Federally approved rate should refer to Section IV.F. of this Announcement regarding options.

l. CD-511. Certification Regarding Lobbying. Lead institutions can submit these forms through the Grants.gov CD-511 document placeholder without a hard signature because electronic signatures are allowed on documents from the submitting institution.

m. Standard Form (SF) 424B. Assurances - Non-Construction Programs. Lead institutions can submit these forms through the Grants.gov SF-424B document placeholder without a hard signature because electronic signatures are allowed on documents from the submitting institutions.

n. List of Collaborators. The List of Collaborators must use an Excel spreadsheet and be submitted by email to nccos.grant.awards@noaa.gov. Do not submit it with your application through Grants.gov as this will cause an error when the application is transferred to NOAA’s grant system, eRA.

Provide one list that includes all (U.S. and Foreign) collaborators, advisors, and advisees for each investigator (PI, co-PIs, post-docs, and subawardees), complete with corresponding institutions. This list must include the names of each PI and co-PI. Submit only one, combined and alphabetized list per application in an Excel spreadsheet using First Name, Last Name, and Institution for the column headings. Collaborators are individuals who have participated in a project or publication within the last 48 months with any investigator. Collaborators also include those persons with which the investigators may have ongoing collaboration negotiations. Advisees and Advisors do not have a time limit. Advisees are persons with whom the individual investigator has had an association as thesis or dissertation advisor or postdoctoral sponsor. Advisors include an individual’s own graduate and postgraduate advisors.

Unfunded participants in the proposed study should also be listed (but not their collaborators). This information is critical for identifying potential conflicts of interest and avoiding bias in the selection of reviewers.

https://www.noaa.gov/organization/administration/nao-209-115-noaa-employees-aboard-non-noaa-vessels https://www.noaa.gov/organization/administration/nao-209-115-noaa-employees-aboard-non-noaa-vessels mailto:nccos.grant.awards@noaa.gov

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5. Application Format and Assembly An application should be submitted electronically through Grants.gov. If use of Grants.gov is not feasible, contact the NCCOS Grants Administrator (see section VII for contact information).

If you experience submission problems, send an email to support@grants.gov and call the Grants.gov help desk (800-518-4726). The NCCOS/CRP Program Manager for this Announcement will use programmatic discretion in accepting applications due to documented electronic submission problems.

Note: If more than one submission of an application is performed, the last application submitted before the due date and time will be the official version.

In addition to the 14 required elements (a–n), applicants may provide letters from unfunded collaborators and, if applicable, letters of identified MTAG members, verifying their contribution to the project. These letters do not count against the page limit for the Project Description.

These elements can be uploaded into the Optional Form box under Other Attachments in Grants.gov.

Applications containing known subawards must provide an SF-424A, Budget Narrative, and Current and Pending Support for each subaward. Signed approval from the institution of each subaward and contractor should be provided. We also request submission of the indirect rate agreement for subawards, if applicable. Applicants may provide additional information similar to that requested in this section for an acquisition contract if it may help NOAA assure compliance of the contract with 2 C.F.R. 200.317-.327.

Proposals submitted in response to this Announcement must include a Data Management Plan (up to 2 pages). See Section VI.B., Administrative and National Policy Requirements, for additional information on what the plan should contain.

Biographical sketches and lists of collaborators should be supplied to the lead institution in order for them to be combined within the lead application information.

6. Environmental Compliance and Permits

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It is the applicant’s responsibility to obtain all necessary Federal, state, and local government, tribal, and/or private landowners permits and approvals where necessary for the proposed work to be conducted. In addition, applicants are strongly encouraged to engage tribal interests at the earliest stage of scoping or planning activities and familiarize themselves with the NOAA Tribal Consultation Handbook 2023 (https://www.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/2023- 07/NOAA_Tribal_Consultation_Handbook_2023_FINAL.pdf).

Applicants are expected to design their proposals so that they minimize potential adverse impacts on the environment. If applicable, documentation of requests or approvals of environmental permits should be received by the NCCOS/CRP Program Manager prior to funding. Applications will be reviewed to ensure that they have sufficient environmental documentation to allow program staff to determine whether the proposal is categorically excluded from further National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis, or whether an Environmental Assessment is necessary in conformance with requirements of NEPA. For those applications needing an Environmental Assessment, affected applicants will be informed after the peer-review stage, and will be requested to assist in the preparation of a draft assessment (prior to award).