Foa_Content_of_NOAA-NOS-OCS-2025-30563 (8).pdf

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

NOAA NOFO Page 1 of 22

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 of Coast Survey (OCS)

Funding Opportunity Title Ocean and Coastal Mapping Center 2026

Announcement Type Competitive

Funding Opportunity Number

NOAA-NOS-OCS-2025-30563

Assistance Listing Number(s) 11.400

Dates Deadline: Proposals must be received by 11:59 p.m. eastern time on May 11, 2026.

Period of Performance: Projects should have a start date no earlier than October 1, 2026, and an end date of no later than September 30, 2031.

Registration Requirements

We strongly encourage all prospective applicants to begin required registrations as early as possible.

Completing the required registrations can take six weeks or longer. Submission due dates will not be extended because of registration delays. Submissions received after the due date will be considered late and will not be accepted.

Applicant organizations 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.

NOAA NOFO Page 2 of 22

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.

Submission Validation

When you submit an application to this competition you will receive notification of submission validation from Grants.gov and eRA Commons. Only validated applications are sent to NOAA to review. To ensure successful submission of an application, we strongly recommend that you submit a final and complete application at least three business days prior to the submission deadline.

In addition to the Grants.gov automated notification messages, once an electronic application is accepted in eRA Commons, you will receive an automated notification from eRA Commons that the completed application was received and that an application number will be assigned. If there are errors in the application, eRA Commons will send an automated email notification(s) of any errors or warnings identified by eRA Commons. You must resolve all eRA Commons errors prior to the application due date in order for the application to be processed.

You should save and print the proof of submission messages from both Grants.gov and eRA Commons.

If you do not receive an acceptance message from both Grants.gov and eRA Commons, you should follow up with the eRA Helpdesk at 1-866-504-9552 and the agency contact listed in Section VII to confirm NOAA’s receipt of the complete submission. See Section IV(G) for detailed instructions on submission validation requirements.

Funding Opportunity Description The purpose of this notice is to solicit proposals for a single cooperative agreement between NOAA and an institution of higher learning as authorized in the Ocean and Coastal Mapping Integration Act and the Hydrographic Services Improvement Act. Proposals submitted in response to this announcement should advance the purposes of the Acts by addressing the Program Priorities described in this announcement.

This will be a 5-year, multiyear award. The intent is to make a single 5-year award. Total anticipated funding for this award is approximately $8,500,000.00, with approximately $1,600,000.00 to be released in FY 2026 and each subsequent year of the 5 years.

This document sets out requirements for submitting to NOAA-NOS-OCS-2025-30563

Full Text of Announcement I. Funding Opportunity Description A. Program Objective Through the Hydrographic Services Improvement Act, the United States Congress has authorized the creation, support, and maintenance of such joint centers as the Administrator of NOAA deems appropriate or necessary to carry out the purposes of the Act. The Coastal and Ocean Mapping Integration Act also authorized NOAA to operate up to three joint ocean and coastal mapping centers, which may be co-located with an institution of higher education as authorized by the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-11). These joint ocean and coastal mapping centers serve as the primary ocean and coastal mapping centers of excellence for the nation. The purpose of this notice is to solicit proposals for a cooperative agreement between NOAA and an institution of higher education to operate hydrographic centers of excellence authorized in the Ocean and Coastal Mapping Integration Act and the Hydrographic Services Improvement Act. Proposals submitted in response to this announcement should advance the purposes of the Acts by addressing the Program Priorities described in this announcement.

NOAA NOFO Page 3 of 22

B. Program Priorities Expand Hydrographic Data Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reusability (Acquisition and Processing Throughput)

1. Advancement in the integration and concurrent operation of multiple sensor technologies and operational platforms (e.g. crewed, uncrewed) to improve operational efficiency and maximize cross-sector collaboration and data usability in nearshore, coastal environments.

2. Development of automated hydrographic data processing and qualification software for both acoustic and non-acoustic (e.g. satellite derived bathymetry, wave kinematic bathymetry) bathymetry data, including the determination of measurement uncertainty.

3. Advancement in scalable remote and/or cloud-based processing of hydrographic data, including optimization of data storage, computational efficiency, and accessibility.

Advance Cartographic Data Application

1. Development of automated workflows to ingest, process, and qualify geospatial data to support cartographic product application. Advancement of cartographic algorithms to automatically symbolize cartographic features, such as depth areas, depth contours, and coastal features.

2. Advancements in the integration of the S-100 Universal Hydrographic Data Model, including automated data conversion tools to migrate existing S-57 datasets into the S-101 format and interoperability and visualization of S-100 datasets (e.g., S-101, S-102, S-104, S-111).

3. Engagement with the maritime community to seek feedback and improve visualization of the S- 100 product suite. Host workshops and training seminars to improve understanding of S-100 specifications, benefits, and functionalities.

Advance Coastal and Marine Modeling and Forecasting

1. Advancement in coastal ocean modeling capabilities by developing real-time hydrodynamic models to support precision marine navigation through incorporation of the National Bathymetric Source and other datasets. Development of capabilities to couple the coastal ocean models to atmospheric, hydrologic (specifically the National Water Model), ocean, and wave models following Unified Forecast System best practices. Advance collaborative frameworks in which computational mesh and model capabilities can be integrated into NOS national scale coastal ocean modeling infrastructures. Pursue incorporation of machine learning and AI to expand data assimilation and improve model accuracy and computational efficiency in support of safe and efficient navigation and disaster mitigation.

2. Development of technical and scientific methodologies to quantify seafloor changeability based on environmental forcing and bathymetric change analysis such as correlating observed and forecasted seabed changeability with the rate of bathymetric data quality decay.

3. Collaborate across the academic, government, and private sector sphere to advance hydrographic and hydrodynamic modeling efforts. Conduct modeling workshops with the stakeholders within the maritime industry to facilitate feedback on model results and understand emerging user requirements. Host technical seminars focused on operationalizing hydrographic and hydrodynamic models, promote knowledge exchange on emerging research and real-world applications.

Undergraduate and Graduate Education and Professional Training

1. Development, maintenance, and delivery of curricula and short courses in hydrographic and ocean mapping science and engineering at the workforce training level – leveraging to the maximum extent the proposed research program and interacting with national and international professional bodies – to bring the latest innovations and standards into the workforce educational experience for both initial training and continuing workforce competency development.

NOAA NOFO Page 4 of 22

2. Effective delivery of research and development results through scientific and technical journals and forums and transition of research and development results to an operational status through direct and indirect mechanisms, including partnerships with public and private entities, commercialization, licensing arrangements, and open-source repositories.

3. Public education, visualization tools, and outreach to promote hydrographic science, actively engage the future hydrographic workforce, convey the aims and enhance the application of hydrography, nautical charting, ocean, coastal and Great Lakes mapping, and related hydrodynamic models to safe and efficient marine navigation.

4. Extend collaborations with regional high performance computing centers to support coastal and ocean modeling and NOAA’s artificial intelligence initiatives.

Framework

The single selected proposal, written as a cooperative agreement, will:

A. Support the objectives and priorities outlined in this announcement to improve the technology and practice of hydrographic surveying and coastal and ocean mapping in the United States.

B. Provide for onsite presence of a NOAA co-director and designate a university co-director and indicate the availability of suitable space for the co-location of up to 14 NOAA employees, including the NOAA co-director. (Payment by NOAA for employee space will be through separate agreement.)

C. Document a robust data management and sharing plan in compliance with section VI.B.

D. Demonstrate the availability of suitable support facilities and infrastructure, including:

• Office and research space and facilities

• Educational infrastructure and space

• Information technology (IT) infrastructure

• Ocean mapping technology laboratory facilities and infrastructure

• Suitably outfitted and staffed vessel(s) for hydrographic and ocean mapping research, development, and education

• Pier and waterfront facilities for berthing and supporting multiple survey vessels, including government-owned and operated vessels. (Payment by NOAA for government-owned vessel berthing space will be through separate agreement.)

C. Program Authority Statutory authority for this program is provided under 33 U.S.C. 883a and 883d.

II. Award Information A. Funding Availability Subject to the availability of funding, this announcement describes how eligible applicants should apply for the Ocean and Coastal Mapping Center 2026 award.

This will be a 5-year, multiyear award. The intent is to make a single 5-year award. Total anticipated funding for this award is approximately $8,500,000, with approximately $1,600,000 to be released in FY 2026 and each subsequent year of the 5 years. This award and the subsequent annual releases of funds are subject to the availability of appropriations within each fiscal year. The initial award and subsequent annual release of funds may be adjusted based on available funding.

There is no guarantee that funds will be available to make awards 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, they do so at their own risk of these costs not being included in a subsequent award. In no event will NOAA or the Department of Commerce be responsible for any proposal preparation costs. Recipients and sub-recipients are subject to all Federal laws and agency policies, regulations, and procedures applicable to Federal financial assistance awards.

NOAA NOFO Page 5 of 22

B. Project/Award Period This is a multi-year funding opportunity. Proposals should request funding for five years. This multi-year award may be funded incrementally on an annual basis, but once the cooperative agreement is awarded, the recipient will not compete for funding in the subsequent four years.

When the successful multi-year proposal is approved, funding initially will be provided for only the first year of the program. The Project start date should be no earlier than October 1, 2026. Funding in years two, three, four, and five is contingent upon availability of funds from Congress, satisfactory performance, and is at the sole discretion of the agency.

C. Type of Funding Instrument This funding instrument is a cooperative agreement to an eligible institute of higher education. A cooperative agreement is used when substantial involvement of the federal government during performance of the proposed work is anticipated. Some examples of NOAA substantial involvement include but are not limited to the presence of a NOAA Co-Director for coordination with NOAA, federal research collaboration, co-location of federal employees and vessels, federal participation in educational activities, and joint use of federal vessels and equipment.

The proposal should clearly identify this funding instrument in the proposal abstract and cover sheet.

III. Eligibility Information A. Eligible Applicants Eligible funding applicants are institutions of higher education in the United States.

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.

B. Cost Share or Matching Requirement No cost sharing is required or desired under this program. Applicant resource commitment will, however, be considered in the competitive selection process. Refer to Part V, Section A, (Overall Qualifications of Applicant) for further information.

C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility Federal agencies are not allowed to receive funds under this announcement.

IV. Application and Submission Information A. Address to Request Application Package Application packages are available online and can be downloaded from www.grants.gov under opportunity NOAA-NOS-OCS-2025-30563. If an eligible applicant does not have access to the internet, please contact the Agency Contacts listed in Section VII for submission instructions.

B. Content and Form of Application This section provides an overview of these required proposal elements (and where to locate them).

Applications must adhere to the provisions under "Required Elements" below. Failure to adhere to these provisions may result in a delay in award processing or rejection of the application, based on the extent of the noncompliance.

https://sam.gov/content/home https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.commerce.gov/ocio/programs/gems/register-your-organization-era-commons https://www.commerce.gov/ocio/programs/gems/applicant-and-grantee-training http://www.grants.gov/

NOAA NOFO Page 6 of 22

The submitting applicant must redact all Personally Identifiable Information (PII) in the application materials prior to final submission to grants.gov. PII that must be redacted from the application includes, but is not limited to, social security number, date of birth, student identification number (from transcripts) or other information which if lost, compromised, or disclosed without authorization, could result in harm, embarrassment, inconvenience, or unfairness to an individual.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This proposal package will be using a different set of forms than the standard forms used for previous Ocean and Coastal Mapping Centers proposals. Instead of the “SF424 NOAA Standard Non-Construction Application Package” of forms, this application will include the “SF424 NOAA Research & Related (R&R) Forms Package.” While many of the forms may be familiar, please pay special attention to the headings and instructions in this section.

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:

• All attachments must be in PDF form.

• 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.

Required Elements:

Applications must include the following elements. Failure to adhere to these provisions may result in a delay in award processing or rejection of the application, based on the extent of the noncompliance.

Full Proposal Required Elements

1. Research & Related Senior/Key Person Profile Form (Grants.gov, OMB Control No. 4040-0001)

This form must be completed and include a profile for the Principal Investigator and any co-PI(s).

CVs and RELEVANT Current and Pending Support for each person’s profile will also be attached to this form. The first listed PD/PI on the application must include their eRA Commons ID in the “Credential, e.g., agency login” field of form. Failure to register in eRA Commons and to include a valid PD/PI Commons ID in the Applicant Identifier field will prevent the successful submission of an electronic application. eRA Commons registration can take 2-3 weeks to be approved, so it is encouraged to start the registration process as soon as possible. NOAA is not involved with eRA registration.

Additional personnel included on the form do not need to include this information; however eRA will create a warning recommending those personnel also have valid eRA Commons IDs. Again -it is not required that those additional personnel include valid eRA Commons IDs regardless of the warnings created by the eRA system.

2. Research and Related Budget Form

NOAA NOFO Page 7 of 22

The Research and Related Budget is a single form that will need to be completed covering the entire award by budget period following the instructions from Grants.gov. At the end of the Research and Related Budget form, “Section L” provides space for one attachment titled, “Budget Justification.” The budget narrative for the project must be attached there. The budget narrative should explain the budget items by object class category (both federal and non-federal/match) in sufficient detail to enable review of the appropriateness of the funding requested. Additional budget narrative guidance can be found at: NOAA Grants Management Division's Budget Narrative Guidance

Required Use of American Iron, Steel, Manufactured Products, and Construction Materials

Buy America Preference. Recipients of an award of Federal financial assistance from the Department of Commerce (Department) for a program for infrastructure are hereby notified that none of the funds provided under this award may be used for an infrastructure project unless:

1. All iron and steel used in the project are produced in the United States – this means all manufacturing processes, from the initial melting stage through the application of coatings, occurred in the United States;

2. All manufactured products used in the project are produced in the United States – this means the manufactured product was manufactured in the United States; and the cost of the components of the manufactured product that are mined, produced, or manufactured in the United States is greater than 55 percent of the total cost of all components of the manufactured product, unless another standard that meets or exceeds this standard has been established under applicable law or regulation for determining the minimum amount of domestic content of the manufactured product; and

3. All construction materials are manufactured in the United States – this means that all manufacturing processes for the construction material occurred in the United States. The construction materials standards are listed below.

Incorporation into an infrastructure project. The Buy America Preference only applies to articles, materials, and supplies that are consumed in, incorporated into, or affixed to an infrastructure project. As such, it does not apply to tools, equipment, and supplies, such as temporary scaffolding, brought to the construction site and removed at or before the completion of the infrastructure project. Nor does a Buy America Preference apply to equipment and furnishings, such as movable chairs, desks, and portable computer equipment, that are used at or within the finished infrastructure project but are not an integral part of the structure or permanently affixed to the infrastructure project.

Categorization of articles, materials, and supplies. An article, material, or supply should only be classified into one of the following categories: (i) Iron or steel products; (ii) Manufactured products;

(iii) Construction materials; or (iv) Section 70917(c) materials. An article, material, or supply should not be considered to fall into multiple categories. In some cases, an article, material, or supply may not fall under any of the categories listed in this paragraph. The classification of an article, material, or supply as falling into one of the categories listed in this paragraph must be made based on its status at the time it is brought to the work site for incorporation into an infrastructure project. In general, the work site is the location of the infrastructure project at which the iron, steel, manufactured products, and construction materials will be incorporated.

Application of the Buy America Preference by category. An article, material, or supply incorporated into an infrastructure project must meet the Buy America Preference for only the single category in which it is classified.

Determining the cost of components for manufactured products. In determining whether the cost of components for manufactured products is greater than 55 percent of the total cost of all components, use the following instructions:

https://www.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/gmd_budget_narrative_guidance_-_05-24-2017_final.pdf https://www.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/gmd_budget_narrative_guidance_-_05-24-2017_final.pdf

NOAA NOFO Page 8 of 22

1. For components purchased by the manufacturer, the acquisition cost, including transportation costs to the place of incorporation into the manufactured product (whether or not such costs are paid to a domestic firm), and any applicable duty (whether or not a duty-free entry certificate is issued); or

2. For components manufactured by the manufacturer, all costs associated with the manufacture of the component, including transportation costs as described in paragraph (a), plus allocable overhead costs, but excluding profit. Cost of components does not include any costs associated with the manufacture of the manufactured product.

Construction material standards. The Buy America Preference applies to the following construction materials incorporated into infrastructure projects. Each construction material is followed by a standard for the material to be considered “produced in the United States.” Except as specifically provided, only a single standard should be applied to a single construction material.

1. Non-ferrous metals. All manufacturing processes, from initial smelting or melting through final shaping, coating, and assembly, occurred in the United States.

2. Plastic and polymer-based products. All manufacturing processes, from initial combination of constituent plastic or polymer-based inputs, or, where applicable, constituent composite materials, until the item is in its final form, occurred in the United States.

3. Glass. All manufacturing processes, from initial batching and melting of raw materials through annealing, cooling, and cutting, occurred in the United States.

4. Fiber optic cable (including drop cable). All manufacturing processes, from the initial ribboning (if applicable), through buffering, fiber stranding and jacketing, occurred in the United States. All manufacturing processes also include the standards for glass and optical fiber, but not for non-ferrous metals, plastic and polymer-based products, or any others.

5. Optical fiber. All manufacturing processes, from the initial preform fabrication stage through the completion of the draw, occurred in the United States.

6. Lumber. All manufacturing processes, from initial debarking through treatment and planing, occurred in the United States.

7. Drywall. All manufacturing processes, from initial blending of mined or synthetic gypsum plaster and additives through cutting and drying of sandwiched panels, occurred in the United States.

8. Engineered wood. All manufacturing processes from the initial combination of constituent materials until the wood product is in its final form, occurred in the United States.

Waivers

When necessary, recipients may apply for, and the Department may grant, a waiver from these requirements.

To help federal agencies and recipients meet BABA requirements, the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST), Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) National Network™ provides a service to connect stakeholders, including recipients, to U.S. manufacturers that have relevant production capabilities and capacities to help fulfill current market and supply chain needs. Recipients considering a BABA nonavailability waiver are strongly encouraged to contact the NIST/MEP for assistance with supplier scouting services prior to seeking a BABA nonavailability waiver. Further information on the NIST/MEP supplier scouting services is available at: https://nist.gov/mep/supply-chain/supplier-scouting.

When the Department has made a determination that one of the following exceptions applies, the awarding official may waive the application of the Buy America Preference in any case in which the Department determines that:

1. Applying the Buy America Preference would be inconsistent with the public interest (public interest waiver);

2. The types of iron, steel, manufactured products, or construction materials are not produced in the United States in sufficient and reasonably available quantities or of a satisfactory quality (nonavailability waiver); or https://nist.gov/mep/supply-chain/supplier-scouting

NOAA NOFO Page 9 of 22

3. The inclusion of iron, steel, manufactured products, or construction materials produced in the United States will increase the cost of the overall project by more than 25 percent (unreasonable cost waiver).

A request to waive the application of the Buy America Preference must be in writing. The Department will provide instructions on the format, contents, and supporting materials required for any waiver request. Waiver requests are subject to public comment periods of no less than 15 days and must be reviewed by the Made in America Office.

There may be instances where an award qualifies, in whole or in part, for an existing waiver described on the Department’s Build America, Buy America website found at https://www.commerce.gov/oam/build-america-buy-america.

Definitions

“Buy America Preference” means the “domestic content procurement preference” set forth in section 70914 of the Build America, Buy America Act, which requires the head of each Federal agency to ensure that none of the funds made available for a Federal award for an infrastructure project may be obligated unless all of the iron, steel, manufactured products, and construction materials incorporated into the project are produced in the United States.

“Construction materials” means articles, materials, or supplies that consist of only one of the items listed in paragraph (1) of this definition, except as provided in paragraph (2) of this definition. To the extent one of the items listed in paragraph (1) contains as inputs other items listed in paragraph (1), it is nonetheless a construction material.

1. The listed items are:

• Non-ferrous metals;

• Plastic and polymer-based products (including polyvinylchloride, composite building materials, and polymers used in fiber optic cables);

• Glass (including optic glass);

• Fiber optic cable (including drop cable);

• Optical fiber;

• Lumber;

• Engineered wood; and

• Drywall.

2. Minor additions of articles, materials, supplies, or binding agents to a construction material do not change the categorization of the construction material.

“Infrastructure” means public infrastructure projects in the United States, which includes, at a minimum, the structures, facilities, and equipment for roads, highways, and bridges; public transportation; dams, ports, harbors, and other maritime facilities; intercity passenger and freight railroads; freight and intermodal facilities; airports; water systems, including drinking water and wastewater systems; electrical transmission facilities and systems; utilities; broadband infrastructure; and buildings and real property; and structures, facilities, and equipment that generate, transport, and distribute energy including electric vehicle (EV) charging.

“Infrastructure project” means any activity related to the construction, alteration, maintenance, or repair of infrastructure in the United States regardless of whether infrastructure is the primary purpose of the project. See also paragraphs (c) and (d) of 2 CFR 184.4.

“Iron or steel products” means articles, materials, or supplies that consist wholly or predominantly of iron or steel or a combination of both.

“Manufactured products” means:

https://www.commerce.gov/oam/build-america-buy-america

NOAA NOFO Page 10 of 22

1. Articles, materials, or supplies that have been:

a. Processed into a specific form and shape; or

b. Combined with other articles, materials, or supplies to create a product with different properties than the individual articles, materials, or supplies.

2. If an item is classified as an iron or steel product, a construction material, or a Section 70917(c) material under 2 CFR 184.4(e) and the definitions set forth in 2 CFR 184.3, then it is not a manufactured product. However, an article, material, or supply classified as a manufactured product under 2 CFR 184.4(e) and paragraph (1) of this definition may include components that are construction materials, iron or steel products, or Section 70917(c) materials.

“Predominantly of iron or steel or a combination of both” means that the cost of the iron and steel content exceeds 50 percent of the total cost of all its components. The cost of iron and steel is the cost of the iron or steel mill products (such as bar, billet, slab, wire, plate, or sheet), castings, or forgings utilized in the manufacture of the product and a good faith estimate of the cost of iron or steel components.

“Section 70917(c) materials” means cement and cementitious materials; aggregates such as stone, sand, or gravel; or aggregate binding agents or additives. See Section 70917(c) of the Build America, Buy America Act.

IMPLEMENTATION OF DOMESTIC SOURCING REQUIREMENT

Prior to initiation of any construction that may arise in this award, the Recipient is required to inform the NOAA Grants Officer and the Federal Program Officer whether it is using iron, steel, manufactured products, or construction materials as described in the Specific Award Condition in this award on Required Use of American Iron, Steel, Manufactured Products, and Construction Materials. In addition, the Recipient is required to inform the NOAA Grants Officer and the Federal Program Officer whether those materials are produced or manufactured in the United States, or alternatively, it is requesting one or more waivers, as described in the award condition. The Recipient is required to coordinate with NOAA regarding its compliance with this Term.

3. Research & Related Other Project Information Form (Grants.gov, OMB Control No. 4040-0001)

This form must be completed for the application and should also be used to attach the Project Abstract, the Project Narrative, Bibliography & References Cited (if applicable), and any other relevant forms or information as applicable. See form-specific instructions available on Grants.gov for additional instructions as needed.

a. Project Summary/Abstract Attachment

Using 4,000 characters or less, the Project Abstract should provide an overview of the application. Ensure the Project Abstract succinctly describes the project in plain language that the public can understand and use without the full proposal. It should be a self-contained description of the application and should contain a general statement of objectives and methods to be employed. It should be informative for other people working in the same or related fields and understandable to a technically literate lay reader. Do not include personally identifiable, sensitive or proprietary/confidential information. This project abstract information (as submitted) will be made available on public websites and/or databases including USAspending.gov.

Project Abstract Elements:

• Use the following format:

o Purpose:

o Activities to be performed:

o Expected Outcomes:

o Intended Beneficiaries:

NOAA NOFO Page 11 of 22 o Subrecipient Activities:

• Keep it short. In most cases, each element above should be a couple of sentences to a paragraph in length.

• DO NOT repeat the Proposal Title. The Proposal Title is always presented with the Project

Description, so including it in the abstract is not necessary.

• Include a clear description regarding the purpose of the project. Characteristics of strong abstracts include a plain language description of the purpose for the project (which may include specific performance goals, indicators, milestones, or expected outcomes of the project), activities to be performed, deliverables and expected outcomes, intended beneficiary or recipient.

• Keep it simple. Do not use abbreviations, acronyms, technical terminology, or agency-specific terms. The intended audience is Congress and the public, not specific interested parties and/or federal employees. The education level of the reader should be assumed to be the fifth grade of elementary school. Even those who are highly educated will appreciate a simply written document.

b. Project Narrative Attachment

The total number of pages in the project narrative should not exceed 70 pages (single-spaced, 11- or 12-point font) excluding the cover page, a table of contents and the project abstract noted above. Applicants do not need to use the entire 70-page maximum. Depending on the proposed activities, a shorter description may suffice. Any works cited, CVs, letters of support, current and pending support, and NEPA Questionnaire sections included do not contribute to the 70-page limit.

Project Narrative Elements:

• Cover page(s) (does not count towards page limit) o Project title, recipient institution, and names, titles, affiliations, and contact information

(email and phone) of PIs, co-PIs, and Financial Representative o Project start and end dates, o Budget overview - Total cost of requested funding by partner and proposed funding for each year.

o Brief project summary including primary objectives and intended benefits

• Project Introduction.

• Background. Provide sufficient background information for NOAA and/or non-NOAA reviewers to independently assess the relevance of the proposed effort. Summarize the problem(s) to be addressed and the status of ongoing efforts to address the identified needs. Summarize the relationship of the proposed work to previous efforts and to NOAA hydrographic and ocean mapping missions.

• Personnel. List the program personnel and briefly relate their background to their role in the proposed effort.

• Equipment and Facilities. Describe the equipment and facilities available for carrying out the proposed work.

• Project Objectives. Provide a list of clearly defined objectives. For each objective, provide a concise statement explaining how it is aligned with the goals and priorities of this funding opportunity.

• Proposed Effort. Formulation of the proposed effort into subject area themes is encouraged. For each theme or work area, describe the research and development or outreach/education efforts to be carried out, and the approach to the effort. List the key investigators, partners and staff, describe their roles, and explain how this project leverages their expertise.

• Anticipated Outcomes, Deliverables, and Benefits.

• Project Timeline. Provide a timeline for accomplishing the proposed work, which covers the entire duration of the project. Include approximate dates for key milestones related to the proposed work, including the accomplishment of anticipated outcomes and release of deliverables.

NOAA NOFO Page 12 of 22

• Applicants submitting proposals that involve the use of human test subjects should state so clearly in their application. These proposed research activities require approval of the applicant’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) before such research can proceed. Applicants are responsible for obtaining IRB approval from their institution and providing that documentation to NOAA once the approval is obtained and prior to any NOAA-funded human subject testing. Proposals intending to use human test subjects should specify clearly in the timeline approximately when IRB approval will be obtained and when the testing is expected to occur.

• Letters of Support (if included, does not count towards page limit). All letters of support should be included here.

• Current and Pending Support (if included, does not count towards page limit). Describe any current or pending sources of support if applicable.

c. Bibliography & References Cited Attachment (if applicable) (does not count toward the 70-page limit)

If applicable, provide a bibliography of any references cited in the Project Narrative. Each reference must include the names of all authors (in the same sequence in which they appear in the publication), the article and journal title, book title, volume number, page numbers, and year of publication. Include only bibliographic citations. Applicants should be especially careful to follow scholarly practices in providing citations for source materials relied upon when preparing any section of the application.

d. Resumes (does not count toward the 70-page limit)

Provide curriculum vitae (CV) for the PI and any Co-PI, and abbreviated CVs for other key personnel critical to the success of the project. CVs should address qualifications relevant to conducting the proposed work. For other than the PI and Co-PIs, publication, presentation, and cruise listings should be limited to those in the last five years with up to five other relevant publications.

4. Additional Application Package Forms

In addition to the forms required above, standard federal forms and assurances are required and can be found with the application package on Grants.gov. These include:

a. SF-424 R&R Form (Grants.gov, OMB Control No. 4040-0001)

This form, titled “Application for Federal Assistance,” must identify the entire funding period, as well as the federal funding amount being requested by the applicant and any non-federal matching fund amount. The form must be completed with the institution’s accurate EIN and DUNS and point of contact, and signed by the institution’s authorized representative or designee. Total federal and non-federal amounts listed in the SF-424 R&R, the Cumulative Budget of the Research and Related Budget form, and budget narrative must be the same.

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/

The form, titled “Assurances – Non-Construction Programs,” must be completed and signed by the institution's authorized representative or designee.

b. SF-424A Budget Information - Non-Construction Programs 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/

NOAA NOFO Page 13 of 22

The form, titled “Budget Information – Non-Construction Programs,” must be completed and signed by the institution's authorized representative or designee. When applying for a multi-year award (2 to 5 years), the non-Federal entity must submit a line item budget (SF- 424A) and corresponding budget narrative for each of the finding periods anticipated.

c. SF-424B Assurances (Grants.gov, OMB Control No. 4040-0007)

The form, titled “Assurances – Non-Construction Programs,” must be completed and signed by the institution's authorized representative or designee.

d. CD-511 (Grants.gov, US DOC)

The form, titled “Certification Regarding Lobbying,” must be completed and signed by the institution’s authorized representative or designee.

e. SF-LLL (Grants.gov, OMB Control No. 0348-0046) - optional form, include if appropriate

This form, titled “Disclosure of Lobbying Activities,” is an optional form and should be included if appropriate. If included, it must be completed and signed by the institution’s authorized representative or designee.

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

Environmental Compliance Questionnaire for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Notice of Federal Funding Opportunity Applicants (OMB Approval Number: 0648-0538 Expiration Date: 11/30/2024) is found at National Environmental Policy Act | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

• Applicants are required to complete part of the questionnaire. Answer all questions except Numbers 12 and 15 through 45. Applicants should answer the NEPA questions to the best of their ability in as much detail as possible. Some questions may be answered with “not applicable” if that is the case. If full details are not available, particularly for year 2 to 5 activities, provide as much detail as practicable. Copies of all permits required for project activities should be included with the application materials. If a permit is pending or planned, please provide this information.

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

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

D. Submission Dates and Times Applications must be submitted to Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. eastern time on May 11, 2026.

Please note: validation or rejection of an application by Grants.gov may take up to two business days after submission. Eligible applicants should consider this process in developing their submission timeline. For eligible applications submitted through Grants.gov, a date and time receipt indication is included and will be the basis of determining timeliness.

E. Intergovernmental Review https://www.noaa.gov/general-counsel/nepa

NOAA NOFO Page 14 of 22

Applications under this program are not subject to Executive Order 12372, “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.”

F. Funding Restrictions See Required Use of American Iron, Steel, Manufactured Products, and Construction Materials in Section IV.B. above.

G. Other Submission Requirements Applicant organizations must complete and maintain three registrations to be eligible to apply for or receive an award. These registrations includeSAM.gov, Grants.gov, 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 first PD/PI listed on the application must include their eRA Commons ID in the"Credential, e.g. agency login" Applicant Identifier field on the SF424 form.Failure to register in the Commons and to include a valid PD/PI Commons ID in the Applicant Identifier field will prevent the successful submission of an electronic application.

After submission to Grants.gov, the PI listed on the application will receive an email notification from the eRA email address era-notify@mail.nih.gov. This email will either confirm a successful submission to eRA or list errors and warnings associated with the application. Errors must be addressed, the application resubmitted via Grants.gov, and an email received by the listed PI indicating a successful submission to eRA for an application to be successfully received by NOAA.

H. Address for Submitting Proposals Submit applications to Grants.gov

V. Application Review Information

1. Importance/relevance and applicability of proposed projects to the program goals

Maximum Points: 30

For this opportunity, this criterion includes how well the proposed research and education focus on the stated program goals; the degree to which the proposed research and education enhances the operational efficiency of hydrographic and ocean mapping surveys, optimizes the hydrographic data qualification and cartographic data application process, and advances coastal ocean modeling capabilities; and how well the proposed research work demonstrates potential for successful transition from research to operations.

2. Technical/scientific merit

Maximum Points: 20

NOAA NOFO Page 15 of 22

For this opportunity, this criterion includes the degree to which the approach is appropriate for the stated goals and objectives; how well the approach builds upon the most relevant and current scientific, engineering, and/or technical advancements in the fields of hydrography, ocean mapping, digital navigation services, and coastal ocean modeling; the presence of innovative approaches in the proposal;

the degree to which there are effective mechanisms for delivery of the research results into operational use; and whether the education program is assessed and validated by independent accreditation, recognition, or evaluation bodies.

3. Overall qualifications of applicants

Maximum Points: 25

For this opportunity, this criterion includes how well the proposal demonstrates institutional support for both the research and development effort and the educational aspects…