Foa_Content_of_NOAA-NOS-OCM-2025-28205.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 Office for Coastal Management (OCM) Funding Opportunity Title Coastal Zone Management Projects of Special Merit Competition - FY2025 Announcement Type Competitive Funding Opportunity Number

NOAA-NOS-OCM-2025-28205

Assistance Listing Number(s) 11.419 Dates Full proposals must be received and validated by Grants.gov on or before 11:59 p.m. U.S.

Eastern Time on January 17, 2025. At least one informational webinar with the NOAA program office will occur on dates to be determined, in October or early November 2024.

Webinar information will be sent out via the CZM Program Managers’ list-serve, or you may contact Kate.Swails@noaa.gov to obtain call-in information.

Funding Opportunity Description

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The purpose of this document is to advise eligible applicants that NOAA is soliciting proposals for competitive funding under the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA)’s Enhancement Program Projects of Special Merit, authorized under Section 309 of the CZMA (16 U.S.C. §1456b). The objective of Section 309 assistance is to encourage each State or Territory with a federally-approved coastal management program (CMP) to continually improve its program in specified areas of national importance. The intent of Projects of Special Merit (PSM) funding is to offer CMPs the opportunity to develop innovative projects that further their approved enhancement area strategies and focus on the following national enhancement area priorities: Coastal Hazards, Ocean and Great Lakes Resources, and Wetlands. In order to apply for this funding opportunity, CMPs must be approved by NOAA pursuant to the Coastal Zone Management Act (16 U.S.C. §1455) and have an approved 2021-2025 Section 309 Assessment and Strategy. Additionally, CMPs can only apply for priorities for which they have a corresponding approved strategy. Coastal Zone Management Program Regulations at 15 C.F.R. Part 923 apply to this Announcement, and program policies and procedures are further implemented through the provisions in this announcement.

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. 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 NOAA Office for Coastal Management (OCM) encourages applicants and awardees to support the principles of diversity and inclusion when writing their proposals and performing their work. Diversity is defined as a collection of individual attributes that together help organizations achieve objectives. Inclusion is defined as a culture that connects each employee to the organization. Promoting diversity and inclusion improves creativity, productivity, and the vitality of the climate research and grant community in which OCM engages.

Full Text of Announcement I. Funding Opportunity Description A. Program Objective The objective of Section 309 is to encourage States or Territories with federally-approved coastal management programs (CMPs) to continually improve their programs. The intent of Projects of Special Merit (PSM) funding is to offer CMPs the opportunity to develop innovative projects that further their approved enhancement area strategies and focus on national priorities. The Secretary of Commerce is authorized to make grants to a CMP for the development and submission of Federally approved program changes that support attainment of one or more enhancement area objectives established at 15 C.F.R. § 923.122.

PSM funds will be awarded on a competitive basis to CMPs. Proposed projects shall further the objectives of an approved enhancement area strategy but shall not be essential to meeting specific benchmarks in the strategy. PSM projects shall not be dependent on long-term levels of funding to succeed. Coastal Zone Management Program Regulations at 15 C.F.R. Part 923 apply to this Announcement, and program policies and procedures are further implemented through the provisions in this announcement.

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This announcement will not award funding for construction projects. A construction project is defined as an award in which the major purpose of the project or program is construction.

B. Program Priorities Proposals must focus on one or more of the following priority enhancement area objectives:

• Coastal Hazards: Preventing or significantly reducing threats to life and property by eliminating development and redevelopment in high-hazard areas, managing development in other hazard areas, and anticipating and managing the effects of potential sea-level rise and Great Lakes level change. Projects may support state, local, or regional coastal hazards initiatives that are prioritized within a CMP’s 2021- 2025 Section 309 Assessment and Strategy.

• Ocean and Great Lakes Resources: Planning for the use of ocean and Great Lakes resources. Projects may support state, sub-regional, or regional planning initiatives that are prioritized within a CMP’s 2021-2025 Section 309 Assessment and Strategy.

• Wetlands: Protection, restoration, or enhancement of the existing coastal wetlands base, or creation of new coastal wetlands. Projects may support state, local, or regional wetlands initiatives that are prioritized within a CMP’s 2021-2025 Section 309 Assessment and Strategy.

The NOAA Office for Coastal Management (OCM) encourages applicants and awardees to advance the principles of equity and inclusion when developing and implementing their work. Supporting the principles of equity and inclusion in this funding competition means:

• paying particular attention to underserved communities and populations experiencing heightened vulnerabilities and disproportionate impacts relating to wetlands, ocean or Great Lakes resource management, and coastal hazards including climate change; and

• seeking engagement with, input from, and partnerships with communities, groups and individuals who have not historically been actively engaged in, or may be underrepresented in the work of state or territorial coastal management programs.

Promoting equity and inclusion through community engagement, co-development, and partnership improves creativity, productivity, and the vitality of the coastal management community that OCM supports.

In alignment with the 2018-2023 National CZM Strategic Plan, the Executive Order on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities through the Federal Government, all applicants are asked to describe how their proposed project will advance equity and inclusion (see Section IV.B.4). Applicants are encouraged to advance equity and inclusion in coastal management through one or more of the above enhancement objectives (coastal hazards, ocean and Great Lakes resources, and wetlands). This can include work such as: meaningfully engaging with and supporting underserved and historically marginalized communities; broadening access to information (e.g. through translation of communications and products); analyzing and addressing the needs of underserved or vulnerable populations related to coastal hazards, ocean and Great Lakes resources, or wetlands; or advancing diversity, equity, justice, and inclusion policies and practices of coastal programs, in alignment with approved 309 strategies.

For this funding competition, the following definitions from the Executive Order on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities through the Federal Government are being included:

• The term “equity” means the consistent and systematic fair, just, and impartial treatment of all individuals, including individuals who belong to underserved communities that have been denied such treatment, such as Black, Latino, and Indigenous and Native American persons, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other persons of color; members of religious minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) persons; persons with disabilities; persons who live in rural areas; and persons otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality.

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• The term “underserved communities” refers to populations sharing a particular characteristic, as well as geographic communities, that have been systematically denied a full opportunity to participate in aspects of economic, social, and civic life, as exemplified by the list in the preceding definition of “equity.”

C. Program Authority Statutory authority for this program is provided under Section 309 of the Coastal Zone Management Act, as amended (16 U.S.C. § 1456b).

II. Award Information A. Funding Availability Total anticipated funding for PSM is approximately $1.5 million or 15% of Section 309 funds for FY 2025. Funding is subject to the availability of FY 2025 appropriations, and so the allocation may vary depending on the total Section 309 funds available. It is estimated that approximately 5-10 proposals ranging from $50,000 to $250,000 will be selected. The maximum amount that may be requested for the federal share of a PSM is $250,000. Funds not allocated for PSM awards will be returned to the weighted formula allocation under Section 309.

The lead applicant on any proposal will be responsible for ensuring that allocated funds are used for the purposes of, and in a manner consistent with, this program, including any funds awarded to an eligible sub-awardee.

There is no guarantee that funds will be available for this federal funding opportunity or that any proposal will be selected for funding. If an applicant incurs any costs prior to receiving an award agreement signed by an authorized NOAA official, the applicant does so at their own risk of not being selected and these costs not being included in a subsequent award.

Direct costs of proposal preparation shall not be included within the project application budget. In addition, NOAA and DOC will not be responsible for project costs if this program fails to receive funding. Recipients and subrecipients are subject to all federal laws and agency policies, regulations, and procedures applicable to federal financial assistance awards.

Proposals not funded in the current fiscal period, or if no proposal is selected for funding under this announcement in the current fiscal period, may be considered for funding in another fiscal period without NOAA repeating the competitive process outlined in this announcement. Funding in subsequent fiscal years encompassing the proposed period of performance is subject to the availability of appropriations.

Funds may be used for any of the following allowable uses which support the attainment of a program change:

• Project personnel costs;

• Supplies;

• Overhead or indirect costs;

• Travel;

• Equipment (pursuant to relevant OMB guidance);

• Projects, studies and reports; and

• Pass-through or contractual costs including contracts, sub-awards, personal service contracts with individuals, memoranda of agreement/understanding, and other forms of pass-through funding for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of Section 309.

Funds may not be used for land acquisition or construction projects.

B. Project/Award Period

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It is anticipated that projects funded under this announcement will have an award start date of October 1, 2025. 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.The standard financial assistance award period for FY 2025-funded projects is 18 months. NOAA may extend an award up to an additional 18 months, for a maximum performance period of three years if circumstances warrant. In order to qualify for an extension, award recipients must be up-to-date on all progress and financial reports, demonstrate progress during the initial period of performance, and be able to demonstrate that additional time is likely to result in successful completion of the project.

C. Type of Funding Instrument Projects will be funded as cooperative agreements. A cooperative agreement is used when substantial involvement of the federal government during performance of the proposed activity is anticipated. The recipient can expect substantial collaboration, participation, and/or intervention in the management of the project by NOAA. Some examples of substantial involvement by NOAA include the ability to halt an activity immediately if detailed performance specifications are not met; NOAA specifying direction or redirection of scope of work due to the interrelationships with other projects; NOAA collaborating with the recipient by working jointly with a recipient scientist or technician in carrying out the scope of work, by training recipient personnel, or detailing federal personnel to work on the project; and by NOAA limiting recipient discretion with respect to scope of work, organizational structure, staffing, mode of operations, and other management processes, coupled with close monitoring or operational involvement during performance.

III. Eligibility Information A. Eligible Applicants To be eligible to apply or receive an award, applicant organizations must complete and maintain three registrations; SAM.gov, Grants.gov, and eRA Commons. For each, the complete registration process can take 4 to 6 weeks, so applicants must begin this activity as soon as possible and well before the proposal due date. For more information on how to meet these registration and application submission requirements without errors, we advise all to carefully review relevant Applicant and Grantee Training modules:

https://www.commerce.gov/ocio/programs/gems/applicant-and-grantee-training.

Additionally, we advise that all carefully read ‘Additional Application Package Forms’ within the ‘Full Proposal Required Elements’ section below.

Any coastal State or Territorial CMP that has been approved by NOAA pursuant to the Coastal Zone Management Act (16 U.S.C. § 1455) is eligible under this announcement if the requirements established at 15 C.F.R. § 923.121 are met. Specifically, applicants must have an approved Assessment and Strategy for the 2021-2025 assessment period that includes at least one strategy for one or more of the priority enhancement areas identified in Section I.B of this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). In addition to strategies that were originally approved as part of a State or Territory's Assessment and Strategy, approved strategies also include strategies that were added or substantially modified and approved by NOAA's Office for Coastal Management prior to the closing date of the competition. See 15 C.F.R. § 923.121 for all requirements.

The designated lead agency for implementing each approved CMP is eligible to submit projects for funding under this competition. For the purposes of this competition, the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission is an eligible applicant. Eligible applicants may submit a proposal on behalf of State agency partners within the approved State CMP network, if applicable. Local governments and nonprofits may participate as partners on the proposed projects; however, projects should be focused upon enhancing the approved State CMP. Each applicant may submit no more than two applications for consideration under this competition.

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NOAA employees are not permitted to assist in the preparation of applications. NOAA Office for Coastal Management staff are available to provide general information on programmatic questions such as those relating to the CMPs 309 Assessment and Strategy. For proposals that involve collaboration with current NOAA projects or staff, NOAA employees may provide a limited statement verifying the nature and extent of the collaboration and confirming prior coordination activities. Letters of support from NOAA employees are not allowable and will not be included among the application materials considered by merit reviewers.

Federal agencies and employees are not allowed to receive funds under this announcement, but may serve as collaborative project partners. In-kind services from federal agencies and employees cannot be considered as part of an applicant’s match on shared costs. If federal agencies are collaborators, applicants are expected to provide detail on the planned level of federal engagement in the application. Examples may include, but are not limited to, partnership services, serving in a review capacity, or participating in priority task teams, working groups, or leadership teams.

DOC/NOAA supports cultural and gender diversity and encourages women and minority individuals and groups to participate in proposals submitted to this program. In addition, DOC/NOAA is strongly committed to broadening the participation of historically black colleges and universities, Hispanic serving institutions, tribal colleges and universities, and institutions that work in underserved areas. While this program limits applicants to state and territorial CMPs, DOC/NOAA encourages applicants to include partners and contributors from any of the above groups or institutions.

B. Cost Share or Matching Requirement Pursuant to 15 C.F.R. § 923.124 (a) (1), there are no match requirements under this competition.

C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility As mentioned above, each applicant may submit no more than two applications for consideration under this competition.

IV. Application and Submission Information A. Address to Request Application Package The standard SF-424 application package is available online at http://www.grants.gov. If the electronic application is not accessible, applicants may request a paper application package from the competition manager: Kate Swails, NOAA Office for Coastal Management at kate.swails@noaa.gov or 978-282-8481.

During the competition period, eligible applicants (the designated lead agency for implementing each approved CMP) should submit any questions regarding the competition via email to the competition manager listed above. Questions received that are broadly applicable will be added to a FAQ document located at https://coast.noaa.gov/czm/enhancement/ and will be periodically updated as needed, in order for all potential applicants to have access to the same level of information. All competition policy-related questions should be submitted to NOAA no later than two weeks prior to the application deadline in order to allow NOAA to respond in a timely manner for the information to be useful for all potential applicants developing proposals.

B. Content and Form of Application Applicants should submit a complete standard NOAA financial assistance application package in accordance with the guidelines in this document. Applications that do not follow the proposal application requirements stated in this announcement may not be considered for review.

All application materials should use a legible 11- or 12-point font with 1-inch margins on all sides. Electronic applications must be submitted as Adobe Acrobat (.PDF) whenever possible.

mailto:kris.wall@noaa.gov https://coast.noaa.gov/czm/enhancement/

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Prior to submission, carefully review the PDF Guidelines for submission found here:

https://grants.nih.gov/grants/how-to-apply-application-guide/format-and-write/format-attachments.htm. Recent applicants have encountered rejected applications for formatting issues, especially:

●Do not use “bundling” or “portfolio” features to combine PDFs into a single document. Everything must be visible in the PDF.

●Descriptive filenames may only be 50 characters or less (including spaces).

●Keep attachment file size to 100 MB or less.

●eRA won’t accept any pages larger than the U.S. standard letter paper size (8.5” x 11”).

We strongly recommend that applicants attempt to submit their full proposals at least a few days prior to the due date in case these or other issues impact your submission, as they are not reasons we can extend the deadline. If you have issues during the submission process, please contact the eRA Service Desk.

The complete application package should include the following forms and documents:

A project description (proposal) including the project workplan, as described in the application components section below, should be limited to no more than 10 pages, single spaced. A complete proposal should also include all of the items in the “Application Components” section below, but the title page and table of contents; the enhancement area, program change, project summary; the budget narrative; the budget justification; budget forms; and Appendices will not count towards the 10-page limit for the project description.

Project descriptions that exceed the 10-page limit will be shortened by removing pages at the end of the proposal narrative (see element 3 of the component section below) before it is forwarded to merit reviewers for evaluation. Pages removed from lengthy applications will not be reviewed or considered. Applications that are incomplete, unclear, or contain numerous typographical errors may not be understood effectively by reviewers, resulting in lower evaluation scores, so applicants are advised to review their application materials closely before they are submitted to the agency for consideration.

The following Federal forms from the SF-424 Form Family should be included in the application package, as applicable (no page limit with forms and related mandatory federal form information). Please note that these federal forms must be filled out online in a Grants.gov Workspace:

1. Standard Form 424 (SF-424): Application for Federal Assistance (7/2003 version or newer). Applicants requesting Federal funding under this program must submit a copy of SF-424, 'Application for Federal Assistance'. If the applicant submits a hard copy of the final application, the SF-424 must be signed and dated by the organization's authorized representative and used as the cover page for the final application. An electronic signature and date stamp will automatically be included on SF-424 forms submitted via Grants.gov. Applicants will be required to enter their organization’s Congressional District in the SF424 R&R form. For tips on finding and entering your Congressional District correctly, please review the information found here: https://grantsgovprod.wordpress.com/2017/06/21/how-to-find-your-congressional-district-for-the-sf-424-form/ https://grants.nih.gov/grants/how-to-apply-application-guide/format-and-write/format-attachments.htm https://grants.nih.gov/grants/how-to-apply-application-guide/format-and-write/format-attachments.htm https://grantsgovprod.wordpress.com/2017/06/21/how-to-find-your-congressional-district-for-the-sf-424-form/ https://grantsgovprod.wordpress.com/2017/06/21/how-to-find-your-congressional-district-for-the-sf-424-form/

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2. Standard Form 424A (SF-424A): Budget Information for Non-construction Programs (includes a separate form for each year of funding and for each proposed sub-award.

Applicants are required to submit a SF-424A Budget Form to summarize the budget for the proposed scope of work. The first column of Sections A and B shows the federal funds requested, while the second column of Sections A and B shows the non-federal matching funds provided for the project. Total award funding is shown in the final column of Section B. Non-federal funding is broken out by source in Section C.

Forecasted cash needs in Section D should be inclusive of all funding for multiyear projects. Federal and non-federal funds should be expended at a similar rate throughout the course of the project. Section E may be left blank. Section F summarizes the direct charges in line 21 and lists the indirect charges requested;

please show the rate used in line 22. Multi-year awards will have out year funds shown in Section E. Please note that completion of the SF-424A form as described above represents NOAA's preference and may not be consistent with the instructions that accompany the SF-424A form. All budget figures should match the funding requested on the application cover sheet and correspond with the descriptions contained in the project and budget narratives. Each proposed sub-award of $25,000 or more should be accompanied by a separate SF-424A form to fully document the proposed subaward budget.

3. Standard Form 424B (SF-424B): Assurances for Non-Construction Programs Applicants are required to submit a signed SF-424B, 'Assurances for Non-Construction Programs'.

4. Form CD-511: Certification Regarding Lobbying Applicants are required to submit a Form CD-511, 'Certifications Regarding Lobbying.

5. Standard Form LLL (SF-LLL): Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (if applicable).

All other forms, NEPA information, and the Appendices can be uploaded within the application package under “Other Narrative” or “Other Forms”.

Application Components: All applications should contain the following required elements:

1. TITLE PAGE (PROPOSAL COVER SHEET)

• Project title

• Proposed project period (start and end dates)

• Type of project (i.e., grant or cooperative agreement)

• Recipient name (must match registered name in Sam.gov)

• Recipient Unique Entity Identifier number (must match applicant information in

SAM.Gov)

• Principal and other investigators (names, organization, and contact information)

• Financial representative (names, organization, and contact information)

• Requested funding

2. ENHANCEMENT AREA, PROGRAM CHANGE, AND PROJECT SUMMARY

Enhancement Area - Identify the enhancement area under which you would like this proposal to be considered (list all that apply: Coastal Hazards, Ocean and Great Lakes Resources, and/or Wetlands). Please note that in order to apply for an enhancement area, you must have an approved strategy for that area.

Program Change - Identify the approved strategy that the proposed PSM will support (please use the exact title as approved in the Assessment and Strategy):

List the type(s) of program change that the supported strategy was approved in order to result in, or implement (list all that apply):

• A change to coastal zone boundaries; new or revised authorities, including statutes, regulations, enforceable policies, administrative decisions, executive orders, and memoranda of agreement/understanding;

• New or revised local coastal programs and implementing ordinances;

• New or revised coastal land acquisition, management, and restoration programs;

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• New or revised Special Area Management Plans (SAMP) or plans for Areas of Particular Concern (APC), including enforceable policies and other necessary implementation mechanisms or criteria and procedures for designating and managing APCs; and,

• New or revised guidelines, procedures and policy documents that are formally adopted by a state or territory and provide specific interpretations of enforceable CMP program policies to applicants, local government and other agencies and will result in meaningful improvements in coastal resource management.

Project Summary - Provide a one to two paragraph summary of the project. In this section, please briefly summarize the project’s goals and objectives and describe how the project will lead to improved management of coastal resources

3. PROJECT DESCRIPTION (10-page limit) Provide a clear and concise description of the project that explains the relationship of the proposed project to the CMP's approved Assessment and Strategy and how the proposed project will further all or part of a program change that the CMP has identified in its Strategy.

Applications should provide sufficient detail to enable reviewers to evaluate the relevance and applicability of the proposed work to program priorities described in Section I.B of this announcement; to determine the technical/scientific merit of the proposed work; to adequately review the qualifications of the applicants; and to assess whether the proposed scope of work raises any concerns with regard to federal policy considerations, such as those related to the National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act, Historic Preservation Act, and Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Goal and Objective(s). Describe in the narrative the specific project goals and objectives to be achieved. Describe how the project will further the goals and objectives of the approved 309 strategy. Explain how the project will benefit the coastal resource management community, the public, and/or specific coastal resources. The narrative should describe how the project is innovative, at either a state, regional, or national scale, particularly whether the project develops or implements new management tools or techniques that have the potential to advance the field of coastal management.

Background (Technical Need and Past Performance). Provide sufficient background information for NOAA and non-NOAA reviewers to independently assess the significance of the proposed project. Summarize the problem, gap, and technical needs to be addressed (as identified in the approved 309 Assessment), and the status of ongoing efforts and coordination to address the identified need or gap. Clearly describe how the proposed project will help address the identified technical need(s) and gap(s). Provide a brief description of the CMP's past performance and success in achieving the expected results of Section 309 strategies that are similar in size, scope, and relevance to the proposed project.

Equity and Inclusion Statement - The NOAA Office for Coastal Management (OCM) will support NOAA's commitment to equity and inclusion by encouraging program applicants to consider equity and inclusion in applications for the CZMA Projects of Special Merit. In this section, all applicants to this competition should include a statement that describes how the proposed project will:

• broaden and/or target the participation of vulnerable and/or underserved communities through meaningful involvement in the proposed project;

• develop and sustain mutually-beneficial partnerships, including the potential for co-development, with vulnerable and/or underserved communities; and

• seek to address vulnerabilities and disproportionate impacts relating to wetlands, coastal hazards and climate change, and ocean or Great Lakes resource management.

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Public engagement and outcomes. Identify and describe potential stakeholders and end users (such as the public, local or tribal governments, targeted vulnerable and/or underserved communities, and/or other coastal management programs). Describe how the project will engage these stakeholders and other end users during the project itself.

Describe an education and outreach strategy by which these stakeholders and users will be made aware of, can benefit from, and can use project results.

Partnerships and networks. Identify and describe any professional or technical network(s) that will be leveraged or created. Describe how the partners will interact with the project, and how they will use the outcome or results of the project. Identify and describe what partners and/or key personnel from other agencies and institutions will be partnering on the project and how they will be connected, integrated and/or leveraged. Describe the relevant experience and expertise of the partners and/or networks that will be involved in the project.

Applicants are encouraged to include letters of support and/or commitment from partner organizations or entities (especially any potentially vulnerable or underserved communities) that would be involved in and/or benefit from the proposed project.

Approach. Provide a work plan that: identifies specific tasks to be accomplished; explains the technical approach (including quality assurance) needed to accomplish the tasks;

identifies the roles of partners and cooperators; and identifies potential obstacles to successful completion of the goals and objectives. Describe how the technical or professional network is involved in the project planning and design process. The work plan must clearly address data management requirements and the steps to be taken to achieve efficient and effective data access and data archive that are compliant with federal regulations (see Data Management requirements under Section IV.B.6). If no environmental data will be produced through the proposal, or if data is not publicly accessible due to law, regulation, policy (such as those applicable to personally identifiable information or protected critical infrastructure information or proprietary trade information) or by security requirements, then the application must include a clear explanation as to why no data management plan is being submitted.

Task Outcomes or Products. Identify and describe the anticipated project products or outcomes. Explain how they will benefit the coastal resource management community and describe performance measures that will be used to evaluate project success. The narrative should include information on dissemination of the findings/results to resource managers, local communities, and/or other stakeholders as appropriate. The project narrative also needs to include information on how the project will be evaluated for success. If the goal of the project is to build capacity, describe proposed plans to ensure the activities continue into the future. For the project’s equity and inclusion efforts, describe the barrier being addressed, and include an evaluation plan or metrics for assessing success.

Transferability. Describe how results may be transferred to other state CMPs, with the goal of minimizing the amount of resources or level of effort that would be required to address a similar problem in another coastal state or territory.

4. PROJECT WORK PLAN (included in 10-page limit) Provide a work plan that includes the major tasks or actions necessary for achieving the goals and outcomes of the proposed project. Briefly describe the capacity of the program to carry out the project, including through collaboration with partners. The work plan should also identify milestones, outcomes, and a schedule for their completion.

Example Work Plan Format (please duplicate outline as needed for multiple tasks):

• Title:

• Timeframe:

• Description of Activities and Program Capacity:

• Milestone(s) and Date of Completion:

• Outcome(s) and Date of Completion:

• List of Final Products:

5. BUDGET NARRATIVE AND JUSTIFICATION

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In order to allow reviewers to evaluate the appropriateness of all costs, applications should include a detailed budget narrative and justification of costs broken out by individual task.

The budget narrative submitted with the final application should match the dollar amounts included on all required forms and clearly link to the project narrative. Please explain each calculation and provide a narrative justification to explain expenditures for each budget category. The budget narrative should describe, by category of expenditure, the total funding needed to accomplish the objectives described in the project narrative for the entire award period. Please explain how categorical costs are derived in sufficient detail to enable reviewers to determine if costs are 'allowable and reasonable' according to the cost principles referenced in 2 CFR 200, Subpart E. Budget narrative categories should correspond to the standard object class categories listed in Section B of the SF-424A. For additional details, please review the budget guidance provided at:

https://coast.noaa.gov/data/coasthome/funding/_pdf/forms/budget-narrative-guidance-for- NOAA-grants.pdf Applicants should include detailed budget information regarding all known contracts and subawards, and indicate the basis for the cost and price estimates in the narrative.

Applicants should describe activities to occur or products or services to be obtained and indicate the applicability or necessity of each to the project. Each subaward should include form SF-424A.

Detailed budget information includes:

• Name of identified qualified sub recipient or contractor, affiliation, contact information, and method of selection. For “to be determined,” describe plans for selection. Information must include the name and location (city, state, and Congressional district) of the entity receiving the funds and the location of the primary place of performance under the contract or subaward.).

• Period of Performance. Include the dates for the performance period. If it involves a number of tasks, include the performance period for each task.

• Scope of Work. List and describe the specific activities or tasks to be performed.

• Criteria for Measuring Accountability: Include an itemized line item breakdown as well as total contract/award amount. If applicable, include any indirect costs paid under the contract/award and the indirect cost rate used.

• Itemized Budget. Include categories used in program budget for subrecipients or cost-based contractors. If applicable, include any direct cost paid under the subaward or contract and the indirect cost rate used. Describe how the budget supports the involvement of project partners and participants (e.g., subawards and contracts for collaborations and services, participant support costs, payment for services rendered such as speaking fees at a conference, transportation, or travel support, to the extent authorized by 2 CFR 200, Subpart E).

• Fiscal Need. Describe the extent to which the state must rely solely on Federal funds to complete the proposed project under section 309 because State funds are not otherwise available.

Please note the following:

• Funds for salaries and fringe benefits may be requested only for those personnel who are directly involved in implementing the proposed project and whose salaries and fringe benefits are directly related to specific products or outcomes of the proposed project. NOAA strongly encourages applicants to request reasonable amounts of funding for salaries and fringe benefits to ensure that the proposal is competitive.

All subawards and contracts must be made consistent with the requirements of 2 CFR 200.331-200.333 for subawards, and 200.317-200.327 for procurements.

https://coast.noaa.gov/data/coasthome/funding/_pdf/forms/budget-narrative-guidance-for-NOAA-grants.pdf https://coast.noaa.gov/data/coasthome/funding/_pdf/forms/budget-narrative-guidance-for-NOAA-grants.pdf

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For any equipment, a description of the item and associated costs or price is required, including a description of how it will be used in the project. Note that equipment is defined as tangible personal property (including information technology systems) having a useful life of more than one year and a per-unit acquisition cost which equals or exceeds the lesser of the capitalization level established by the non-federal entity for financial statement purposes, or $5,000. See 2 CFR 200.1 Equipment and 2 CFR 200.313.

Non-federal applicants should identify if this information is known when submitting the grant application, who they plan to request that NOAA transfer equipment or property ownership titles to after the project ends. The decision on grant ownership requests will be made by the Grants Officer during the grant closeout process.

The cost or price, purpose, and method of selection for identified and planned acquisition contracts should be thoroughly justified in the Budget Narrative. Describe products or services to be obtained and indicate the applicability or necessity of each to the project.

Procurements are subject to policies described in 2 CFR 200.317 - .327. For “to be determined,” describe plans for selection.

The budget narrative should also provide, to the extent possible, detailed information on travel, including costs, a description of anticipated travel, destinations, the number of travelers, and a justification of how the requested travel is directly relevant to the successful completion of the project. If actual trip details are unknown, applicants should state the basis for the proposed travel charges. Applicants should allocate travel funds for any coordination meetings at regional or national levels. If a foreign air carrier is anticipated to be used for any portion of travel, prior approval is required under the DOC Financial Assistance Standard Terms and Conditions, Section G.05.d., https://www.commerce.gov/sites/default/files/2020- 11/DOC%20Standard%20Terms%20and%20Conditions%20- %2012%20November%202020%20PDF_0.pdf, and therefore, such travel should be included in the proposal to avoid having to request prior approval after the project starts. Applicants may factor in travel costs for participation in an annual NOAA Grants Management Division (GMD) workshop for recipients.

Refer to item 6 in the Appendices Section below regarding treatment of Indirect Costs in the Budget Narrative.

6. APPENDICES

Appendices should be limited to materials that directly support the main body of the proposal (e.g. resumes, references, lists of relevant work products or reports, detailed methodologies, data sources, detailed budget narrative, letters of collaboration, letters of support, lists of data sources, and maps) and should not exceed a maximum of 40 pages.

Applicants should number the pages in their proposal and any appendices.

As a standard practice, NOAA requires that resumes for Principal Investigators (PIs) of competitive awards be on file and maintained in the grants processing system used by the Department of Commerce, eRA Commons. Recipients of any award (competitive or non-competitive) are required to designate PIs in eRA Commons within 30 days of receiving award offers.

The following appendix documents should be included in the application package:

• Letters of Collaboration. All supporting letters from partner organizations that are instrumental to the project should be included in the application package. Letters must clearly indicate the level of commitment and/or collaboration. Letters of collaboration do not need original signatures.

• Resumes. Provide resumes of the Principal Investigator for the project and other key personnel critical to the success of the project. Ensure that resumes address qualifications relevant to conducting the proposed work. Please limit resumes to a maximum of two pages for each key investigator.

• Data Management Plan.

https://www.commerce.gov/sites/default/files/2020-11/DOC%20Standard%20Terms%20and%20Conditions%20-%2012%20November%202020%20PDF_0.pdf https://www.commerce.gov/sites/default/files/2020-11/DOC%20Standard%20Terms%20and%20Conditions%20-%2012%20November%202020%20PDF_0.pdf https://www.commerce.gov/sites/default/files/2020-11/DOC%20Standard%20Terms%20and%20Conditions%20-%2012%20November%202020%20PDF_0.pdf

NOAA NOFO Page 13 of 31 o The Data Management Plan should address the requirements in the following section of the Announcement. If no environmental data will be produced through the proposal, or if data is not publicly accessible due to law, regulation, policy (such as those applicable to personally identifiable information or protected critical infrastructure information or proprietary trade information) or by security requirements, then the application must include a clear explanation as to why no data management plan is being submitted.

o Environmental data and information collected or created under NOAA grants or cooperative agreements must be made discoverable by and accessible to the public, in a timely fashion (typically within two years), free of charge or at no more than the cost of reproduction, unless an exemption is granted by the NOAA Program. Data should be available in at least one machine-readable format, preferably a widely used or open-standard format, and should be accompanied by machine-readable documentation (metadata), preferably based on widely used or international standards.

o Proposals submitted in response to this Announcement must include a Data Management Plan of up to two pages describing how these requirements will be satisfied. The contents of the Data Management Plan (or absence thereof), and past performance regarding such plans, will be considered as part of proposal review. There is a fillable form for data management and sharing plans at this link:

https://coast.noaa.gov/data/coasthome/funding/_pdf/forms/data-mgmt-sharing-plan-review-form.pdf. The NOAA Program is not offering specific data management technical guidance. Proposals are to describe their proposed approach. Use of open-standard formats and methods is encouraged. For more information about data management in this program, contact the agency official listed in Section VII. of this funding announcement.

o NOAA may, at its own discretion, make publicly visible the Data Management Plan from funded proposals, or use information from the Data Management Plan to produce a formal metadata record and include that metadata in a Catalog to indicate the pending availability of new data.

o Proposal submitters are hereby advised that the final pre-publication manuscripts of scholarly articles produced entirely or primarily with NOAA funding will be required to be submitted to NOAA Institutional Repository after acceptance, and no later than upon publication. Such manuscripts shall be made publicly available by NOAA one year after publication by the journal.

o NOAA's Administrative Order on the Management of Environmental Data Management and Information is available under:

http://www.corporateservices.noaa.gov/ames/administrative_orders/chapter_2 12/212-15.html o Principal Investigators should indicate how and when they have made their data accessible and usable by the community in the past.

o See Section VI.B., Administrative and National Policy Requirements, for additional information on what the plan should contain.

o More information about the NOAA Data Management Policy is available on NOAA’s Environmental Data Management Committee website at:

https://nosc.noaa.gov/EDMC/PD.all.php o Responsible NOAA Official for questions regarding this guidance and for verifying accessibility of data produced by funding recipients:

Randy Warren Data Manager NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management Randy.Warren@noaa.gov https://coast.noaa.gov/data/coasthome/funding/_pdf/forms/data-mgmt-sharing-plan-review-form.pdf https://coast.noaa.gov/data/coasthome/funding/_pdf/forms/data-mgmt-sharing-plan-review-form.pdf https://nosc.noaa.gov/EDMC/PD.all.php

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• National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Environmental Compliance -- Under (NEPA), NOAA must analyze the potential environmental impacts of projects or proposals seeking funding from NOAA. See Section VI.B.4 of this announcement.

o After the application is submitted, NOAA may require additional information to fulfill NEPA and other compliance requirements. If NOAA determines that an environmental assessment is required, applicants may also be requested to assist in drafting the assessment. Applicants may also be required to cooperate with NOAA in identifying and implementing feasible measures to reduce or avoid any identified adverse environmental impacts of their proposal. The failure to do so shall be grounds for the denial of an application.

In some cases if additional information is required after an application is selected, funds can be withheld by the Grants Officer under a specific award condition requiring the recipient to submit additional environmental compliance information sufficient to enable NOAA to make an assessment on any impacts that a project may have on the environment.

o The applicants selected for funding must complete questions 1 - 19 of the Environmental Compliance Questionnaire for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Federal Financial Assistance Applicants accessible at https://www.nepa.noaa.gov/docs/NOAA-Grants-Questionnaire-final.pdf to provide detailed information on the activities to be conducted, locations, sites, species and habitat to be affected, possible construction activities, and any environmental concerns that may exist (e.g. the use and disposal of hazardous or toxic chemicals, introduction of non-indigenous species, impacts to endangered and threatened species, aquaculture projects, and impacts to coral reef systems). Questions 20 - 53 are not required with the initial application because NOAA anticipates that most projects funded through this competition would not have impacts related to damage assessment and restoration or fisheries sampling and analysis.

o Detailed information on NOAA compliance with NEPA can be found at the following NOAA NEPA websites: http://www.nepa.noaa.gov/ including NOAA Administrative Order 216-6 for NEPA, https://www.corporateservices.noaa.gov/ames/administrative_orders/chapter_ 216/NAO_216-6A.pdf…