Foa_Content_of_NOAA-OAR-SG-2026-29505.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 OAR National Sea Grant College Program (SG) Funding Opportunity Title FY2026 Sea Grant Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship Announcement Type Competitive Funding Opportunity Number

NOAA-OAR-SG-2026-29505

Assistance Listing Number(s) 11.417 Dates Deadline(s):

(1) Eligible students must submit application materials by 5:00 p.m. local time on February 19, 2025 to eligible Sea Grant programs. Students enrolled towards a degree in a graduate or professional program in a state or territory served by a Sea Grant program must submit to that program. Other students must submit their applications to the Sea Grant program to which they were referred to by the Knauss Fellowship Program Manager as listed in Section

VII.

(2) Letters of intent including the attestation document and outlining the selection process must be emailed to oar.sg.fellows@noaa.gov prior to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on April 2, 2025.

(3) Selected student applications from the eligible Sea Grant program are to be received and validated by grants.gov by the deadline of 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on April 16, 2025.

(Note that National Sea Grant Office staff will only be available to answer questions until 5:00 p.m. EDT.) Other than attaching the signed letter of recommendation from the eligible Sea Grant director, the application submitted to the eligible Sea Grant program by the applicant must be submitted to Grants.gov unchanged beyond redacting PII as described in Section IV.B.

mailto:oar.sg.fellows@noaa.gov http://grants.gov

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Period of Performance: Projects must have a start date no earlier than February 1, 2026 and an end date of no later than February 28, 2027.

Funding Opportunity Description The National Sea Grant College Program was enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1966 (amended in 2020, Public Law 116-221) to support leveraged federal and state partnerships that harness the intellectual capacity of the nation’s universities and research institutions to solve problems and generate opportunities in coastal communities.

This notice announces that applications may be submitted for the 2026 National Sea Grant College Program Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship (Sea Grant Knauss Fellowship Program). The National Sea Grant College Program (Sea Grant) anticipates funding not less than 35 applicants, of which approximately 17 will be assigned to the Legislative branch.

Application packages will each propose a total of $95,600 in funding. Detailed breakout of this funding is described in Section II.A and Section IV.F of this announcement.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to reach out to the Sea Grant program in their state/territory at least one to two months prior to the state application deadline to receive application support and provide notification of intent to apply. Following student application submission, the student should allow sufficient time to schedule an interview with the eligible Sea Grant program at the program’s request.

All projects must take place within the United States or territories or their respective waterways.

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 has created a guide to aid applicants format application packages to eRA, linked here.

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.

This document sets out requirements for submitting to [NOAA-OAR-SG-2026-29505]

Full Text of Announcement I. Funding Opportunity Description A. Program Objective NOAA provides funding to Sea Grant institutions to increase the understanding, assessment, development, management, utilization, and conservation of the Nation’s ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources by providing assistance to promote a strong educational base, responsive research and training activities, broad and prompt dissemination of knowledge and techniques, and multidisciplinary approaches to environmental problems, in accordance with 33 USC 1121(b).

B. Program Priorities https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/sam.gov/content/home__;!!FiG2giev53vN!6sxfF1sAvFOjycyhk2fdYVMXfZUYW1Ds_UXVaciBtzYJKo3z8ULHyQvQg4Ofc9vYVkBUxe6XLOLToDr9jML3HFOGrg$ https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.grants.gov/web/grants/home.html__;!!FiG2giev53vN!6sxfF1sAvFOjycyhk2fdYVMXfZUYW1Ds_UXVaciBtzYJKo3z8ULHyQvQg4Ofc9vYVkBUxe6XLOLToDr9jMLXTbXHRA$ https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.era.nih.gov/eracommons-timeline.htm__;!!FiG2giev53vN!6sxfF1sAvFOjycyhk2fdYVMXfZUYW1Ds_UXVaciBtzYJKo3z8ULHyQvQg4Ofc9vYVkBUxe6XLOLToDr9jMKhmRSrhg$ https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.era.nih.gov/eracommons-timeline.htm__;!!FiG2giev53vN!6sxfF1sAvFOjycyhk2fdYVMXfZUYW1Ds_UXVaciBtzYJKo3z8ULHyQvQg4Ofc9vYVkBUxe6XLOLToDr9jMKhmRSrhg$ https://seagrant.noaa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/NOAA-NEW-Application-Process-1.pdf

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The Sea Grant Act includes a legislative mandate to provide an educational experience in the policies and processes of the legislative and executive branches of the federal government for students enrolled in graduate or professional programs that have an interest in ocean, coastal and Great Lakes resources and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources. In 1979, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA's) National Sea Grant College Program (Sea Grant) initiated the Sea Grant Knauss Fellowship Program to help fulfill its broad educational responsibilities and meet this legislative mandate. The Sea Grant Knauss Fellowship Program meets NOAA's mission of science, service and stewardship. Through the Sea Grant Knauss Fellowship we strive to provide an educational and employment opportunity for current and recent graduate students interested in ocean, coastal and Great Lakes resources and the national policy decisions affecting those resources.

C. Program Authority Statutory authority for this program is provided under the National Sea Grant College Program Act of 1966, as amended (33 USC 1121 et seq.).

II. Award Information A. Funding Availability Subject to the availability of funding, this announcement describes how eligible applicants should apply for the Sea Grant Knauss Fellowship Program. Sea Grant anticipates funding not less than 35 applicants, of which those assigned to the legislative branch will be approximately 17. Application packages will each propose a total of $95,600 in funding. This includes base funding for each award at $78,100, of which $73,100 is to be used by the eligible Sea Grant program to cover the fellow’s salary/stipend and personnel expenses for the twelve months of the fellowship and $5,000 can be used to cover allowable expenses.

Allowable expenses could include, but are not limited to, relocation prior to and following the fellowship, academic tuition, journal publication fees, academic- and fellowship-related travel, conferences fees, online trainings, and workshops. Applications should also include travel costs totaling $17,500, of which $15,000 will be budgeted for optional host office related travel and training and $2,500 will be budgeted for optional placement week expenses, which would be provided at the discretion of the National Sea Grant Office.

There is no guarantee that funds will be available to make awards, or that any application 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 not being selected or of these costs not being included in a subsequent award. NOAA and DOC will not be responsible for any incurred project costs if this program fails to receive full funding.

B. Project/Award Period The anticipated start date is no earlier than February 1, 2026 for the 12-month fellowship.

The project is to be completed by February 28, 2027. These awards cannot be renewed or deferred. Pre-award spending may be authorized 120 days prior to the start date of the award.

C. Type of Funding Instrument The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement to an eligible institution, which will receive and administer the overall cooperative agreement on behalf of each fellow selected.

A cooperative agreement is used when substantial involvement of the federal government during performance of the proposed work is anticipated. The nature of the substantial involvement includes mentoring and hosting applicants by Sea Grant Knauss Fellowship Program Manager(s) and host offices.

III. Eligibility Information A. Eligible Applicants Any student, regardless of citizenship, is eligible to submit application materials listed in Section IV.B.3.b.1-4 of this NOFO to an eligible Sea Grant program if:

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(1) The student is enrolled towards a degree in a graduate program at any point between the onset of the 2024 Fall Term (quarter, trimester, semester, etc.) and February 19, 2025;

(2) The graduate degree will be awarded through an accredited institution of higher education in the United States or U.S. Territories, and;

(3) The student has an interest in ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources.

Application submission is through an application to the Sea Grant program in the state in which the student is earning their degree. If there is no Sea Grant program, a Sea Grant program will be assigned (see Section IV.D.) A written statement from the National Sea Grant Knauss Fellowship Program Manager referring the applicant to the most appropriate eligible Sea Grant program will be provided to the applicant and must be submitted to the State Sea Grant program through which they are applying.

The following entities are eligible to submit full proposals to this NOFO opportunity via Grants.gov:

Sea Grant College Programs, Sea Grant Institutional Programs, and Sea Grant Coherent Area Programs.

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.

The National Sea Grant College Program champions recruiting, retaining and preparing a dynamic workforce, and proactively engaging and serving the populations of coastal communities. Sea Grant is committed to building research, extension, communication and education programs that serve people with unique backgrounds, circumstances, needs, perspectives and ways of thinking.

B. Cost Share or Matching Requirement Standard Sea Grant cost sharing is not required for this call.

C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility

• The one year fellowship will take place in the National Capital Region. Applicants must be prepared to relocate to the Washington, D.C. area. Non-U.S. citizens are responsible for obtaining the appropriate visa to allow them to work in the Washington, D.C. area during the fellowship period.

• Foreign nationals, dual citizens, and permanent residents please note: while this fellowship is open to all eligible students regardless of nationality, a significant number of participating federal host offices are unable to accept foreign nationals, dual citizens and permanent residents as fellows. This may significantly reduce the number of placement opportunities available to foreign nationals. While more offices are able to host dual citizens, there may be restrictions. Note: Foreign nationals are eligible for both the Executive and Legislative cohort.

• Applicants must be able to pass a federal background security check.

• Prior contact/arrangements made with possible host offices before the start of the placement week will be cause for immediate disqualification from the process.

https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/sam.gov/content/home__;!!FiG2giev53vN!6sxfF1sAvFOjycyhk2fdYVMXfZUYW1Ds_UXVaciBtzYJKo3z8ULHyQvQg4Ofc9vYVkBUxe6XLOLToDr9jML3HFOGrg$ https://sam.gov/content/home https://www.grants.gov/ https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.grants.gov/web/grants/home.html__;!!FiG2giev53vN!6sxfF1sAvFOjycyhk2fdYVMXfZUYW1Ds_UXVaciBtzYJKo3z8ULHyQvQg4Ofc9vYVkBUxe6XLOLToDr9jMLXTbXHRA$ https://www.era.nih.gov/eracommons-timeline.htm https://www.commerce.gov/ocio/programs/gems/applicant-and-grantee-training

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• Applicants that have been accepted as national finalists and/or become fellows are not eligible to apply again without the written permission of the NSGO Fellowships Manager, which will only be granted in response to exceptional life events. A national finalist is defined as an applicant who goes through the review process and is selected at the national level for the fellowship program. If alternates are selected, they are eligible for re-application if they withdraw prior to accepting a finalist position or are not offered a finalist position and would otherwise still be eligible to apply. Applicants are considered finalists until they are paired with a host office during the placement process.

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-OAR-SG-2026-29505. If an eligible applicant does not have access to the internet, please contact the Agency Contacts listed in Section VII for submission instructions.

Applicants enrolled towards a degree in a graduate or professional program in a state or territory not served by a Sea Grant program must first contact the Agency Contact listed in Section VII to obtain a written referral to an eligible Sea Grant program. This referral must be included in the application package.

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. All applications should be submitted in the following order: CV, Application Questions, Future Year Plans, Director Letter, Academic Letter and Other Letter. If a program is submitting multiple applications, each application must have a unique title.

The submitting Sea Grant program 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 Sea Grant programs have completed in the past. 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”).

http://www.grants.gov/ 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

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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 theeRA 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.

Letter of Intent Requirements Letters of Intent (LOIs) will be requested in advance of final proposal submission to allow the NSGO to gauge the number of expected applications to be submitted by the Sea Grant programs. LOIs should be received via digital submissions to the NSGO Fellowship Program Managers (oar.sg.fellows@noaa.gov) by 5:00 pm Eastern Time on April 2, 2025.

Letters of Intent should provide the following information:

1. Attestation of State Level Review (spreadsheet/table) A list of all applications received by the state program that clearly indicates basic eligibility for the Knauss Program. A submission template for this information was shared with state Sea Grant programs. For each applicant please provide the following information:

A) Student Submission Count B) Program Rank. If applicable please provide a short explanation of why an application was not ranked (eg. did not meet minimum requirements, submitted late, etc.)

C) Student Recommendation Status D) Student Last Name E) Student First Name F) Student’s permanent email address G) Student’s University H) Student’s Academic Institution I) Degree the student is seeking J) Confirmation of enrollment in accordance with eligibility (encouraged to use transcripts) K) List of current and pending support for the student, specifically for any fellowships or internships L) Demographics, if collected. NOTE for the 2026 Process, applicants can submit directly to the NSGO through this GOOGLE FORM.

M) Confirmation of CV complying with NOFO guidelines N) Confirmation of Application Questions complying with NOFO guidelines O) Confirmation of two letters of recommendation complying with NOFO guidelines P) If applicable, Confirmation of an out of state letter for applicants in a state or territory not served by an eligible Sea Grant program, but applying through an eligible Sea Grant program.

2. Summary of the State Review Process (one page max)

i. A brief discussion of the review process including information regarding the directors interview and the panel selection process.

ii. A brief discussion of the recruitment process focusing on how programs engaged schools and audiences.

Programs will receive email confirmation of LOI receipt by COB April 4, 2025.

Full Proposal Required Elements (Please also see Section VIII. Other Information for additional post-application required elements for submission):

https://www.era.nih.gov/need-help https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf7Pgf-OaGsgDzm0_L2l9dD8W8nkW_q5wDFKS3WgNp4mWicOg/viewform?usp=sf_link

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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 biosketch/CV for Senior/Key Persons listed should not exceed two pages. 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 The Research and Related Budget is a form that will need to be completed covering the entire award by each yearly budget period following the instructions from Grants.gov (e.g., if an award is two years, there needs to be a Budget Period 1 and Budget Period 2 filled out). 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. Please closely follow the additional budget narrative guidance found at: NOAA Grants Management Division's Budget Narrative Guidance Dollar amounts in this form must be in whole dollars.

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 to other persons 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:

o Subrecipient Activities:

Please note that grant processors should enter information using the above format and any deviation is STRONGLY discouraged.

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

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• 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 high quality description that includes specificity 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 general public, not specific interested parties and/or federal employees.

b. Project Narrative Attachment The project proposal narrative must contain the following sub-elements.

The following sub-elements are to be submitted by the student to the eligible Sea Grant program:

(1) Curriculum vitae (not to exceed two pages). The student should not include personal contact information or web links to external resources (e.g., LinkedIn, articles, blogs, etc.). If included, programs should redact excess materials prior to submission to Grants.gov.

(2) Personal education and career development response. The student should emphasize their abilities and expectations of the fellowship experience in terms of their career development. Each section and subsequent subsection should be answered separately using the section headers below. The entire personal education and career development section should not exceed 1,530 words total. Suggested word counts will be included with each subsection below. Section headers will not count as part of the overall word count. The student should not include personal contact information or web links to external resources (e.g., LinkedIn, articles, blogs, etc.). If included, programs should redact prior to submission.

Section One: Icebreaker. The suggested word count is 25 words for this section.

(Prompt A) (Suggest 20 words) The student should use one sentence to describe themselves.

(Prompt B) (5 words MAX--this is the only question with a strict word count):

The student should list five adjectives that someone with a close personal connection (coworker, supervisor, etc.) would use to describe them.

Section Two: Career Path and Objectives. The suggested word count is 750 words for this section.

(Prompt A) (Suggest 250 words) The student should discuss any experience(s) (research or otherwise) that supports or relates to the mission of the National Sea Grant College Program or the state Sea Grant program (the student does not have to have had a direct connection to Sea Grant).

The student should emphasize (if relevant) any experience with extending and distilling science for non-scientific audiences.

(Prompt B) (Suggest 250 words) The student should discuss their interest in the Knauss Fellowship with a specific focus on how the Knauss Fellowship supports the student’s career pathway. The student should focus on how the Knauss Program would further support their development as a professional.

(Prompt C) (Suggest 250 words) The student should discuss the transferable skills (skills that can be applied across a variety of disciplines) that they would bring to the Knauss Fellowship. In this response, students should highlight experiences from their personal, professional and academic background.

Section Three: Career Path Experience. The suggested word count is 750 words for this section.

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(Prompt A) (Suggested 250 words) During the Fellowship, finalists will serve in a range of capacities, including developing and delivering public programs or services, informing policy-making, and providing evidence-based advice to leaders. The student should discuss how they have and/or will embrace the concept of public service.

(Prompt B) (Suggested 250 words) The student should discuss a situation in which they have worked with a person or group with different perspectives, life experiences, beliefs, etc. from their own to achieve a common goal. The student is encouraged to use examples.

(Prompt C) (Suggested 250 Words) The student should discuss a situation in which they overcame a challenge (e.g. within a community or institution, personally, professionally, etc.) specifically as it relates to how they took a leadership role. The student should also consider including a reflection on what they learned from this experience.

(3) Relevant Coursework and Future Year Plans (not to exceed one page single spaced): The student should discuss any relevant coursework and their future year activities.

Relevant Coursework: The student may discuss any completed or in progress classes that they deem relevant to their success in the Knauss Fellowship Program.

Future year activities: The student should include a listing of classes and/or plans for spring 2025, summer 2025, and fall 2025.

(4) Two letters of recommendation from individuals who have worked with the student, including at least one from a faculty member associated with the student’s current enrollment who has knowledge of the student’s academic and research (when applicable) performance. Each letter should not exceed two pages single spaced and should clearly indicate the letter writer’s name and position. These letters should:

(a) discuss the following attributes of the student: self-motivation, response to setbacks, skills and involvement in teamwork, collaborative leadership skills, willingness to learn a new skill or topic, academic performance and potential; and

(b) speak to anything else the review panel should know about the strengths that the student will bring to the fellowship.

The letters should not include personal contact information or web links to external resources (e.g., LinkedIn, articles, blogs, etc.). If included, programs should redact prior to submission. Any letters beyond the two letters of recommendation and the eligible Sea Grant director’s letter will be disregarded by the selection panel. Letters of endorsement from members of Congress, friends, or relatives will not be accepted. NOTE: Blinded reviewer comments will be provided to the students, including discussion of the LORs.

The following sub-element is to be submitted by the program:

(1) A signed letter of recommendation from the state Sea Grant director, which is built from an interview with the applicant. The letter should not exceed two pages single spaced. As part of that interview and subsequent letter, the director shall:

(a) demonstrate why the student aligns with the goals of the Knauss program;

(b) highlight the skills the student emphasizes in the interview; and

(c) explain any gaps in the CV or personal education and career development response or anything that the student feels they were unable to include in the application that they feel is important for the review panel to know.

If a conflict of interest exists, please contact the agency contact (Section VII). NOTE:

Blinded reviewer comments will be provided to the students, including discussion of the LORs.

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(2) Curriculum vitae (CV) for any supporting personnel not already captured in the "Research & Related Senior/Key Person Profile Form (does not count towards page limit)

• Each co-PI’s CV should not be longer than 5 pages.

d. Other Attachments

Abbreviated Environmental Compliance Questionnaire (OMB Control No. 0648-0538) This announcement is not seeking proposals that will have an environmental impact.

Therefore, a NEPA Questionnaire is not required as part of the proposal.

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.

The proposed start date must be the first day of a month and the proposed end date must be on the last day of a month.

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/

b. 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.

c. 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.

d. 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.

This announcement is not seeking proposals that generate environmental data. Therefore, a Data Management Plan is not required as part of the Proposal.

This announcement is not seeking proposals that generate environmental data. Therefore, a Data Management Plan is not required as part of the Proposal.

This announcement is not seeking proposals that will have an environmental impact.

Therefore, a NEPA Questionnaire is not required as part of the proposal.

C. Unique entity identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) 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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Each applicant (unless the applicant is an individual or Federal awarding agency that is excepted from those requirements under 2 CFR 25.110 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 Eligible applicants must submit application materials by 5:00 p.m. local time on February 19, 2025 to the appropriate Sea Grant program. Students enrolled towards a degree in a graduate or professional program in a state or territory served by a Sea Grant Program must submit to that program. Other students must submit their applications to the Sea Grant program to which they were referred to by the Knauss Fellowship Program Manager as listed in Section VII.

Selected applications from the eligible Sea Grant program are to be received and validated by grants.gov by the deadline of 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on April 16, 2025. (Note that National Sea Grant Office staff will only be available to answer questions until 5:00 p.m.

EDT.) Other than attaching the signed letter of recommendation from the eligible Sea Grant Director or appropriate redactions the sub-elements submitted to the eligible Sea Grant program by the applicant must be submitted to grants.gov unchanged.

Please note: validation or rejection of an application by Grants.gov and eRA may take up to two business days after submission. Eligible Sea Grant programs should consider this process in developing their submission timeline. For eligible applications submitted through Grants.gov and eRA, a date and time receipt indication is included and will be the basis of determining timeliness. A guide to best practices for successfully submitting applications to eRA is located here.

E. Intergovernmental Review Applications under the National Sea Grant College Program are not subject to Executive Order 12372, “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.”

F. Funding Restrictions The Sea Grant Act at 33 USC 1124(d)(2) states:

“No payment under any grant or contract under this section may be applied to:

(A) the purchase or rental of any land; or

(B) the purchase, rental, construction, preservation, or repair of any building, dock, or vessel; except that payment under any such grant or contract may be applied to the short-term rental of buildings or facilities for meetings which are in direct support of any Sea Grant Program or project and may, if approved by the Secretary, be applied to the purchase, rental, construction, preservation, or repair of non-self-propelled habitats, buoys, platforms, and other similar devices or structures, or to the rental of any research vessel which is used in direct support of activities under any Sea Grant Program or project.”

(C) Indirect costs are not allowable for either the Fellowship or for any costs associated with the Fellowship (15 CFR 917.11(e), "Guidelines for Sea Grant Fellowships").

https://seagrant.noaa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/NOAA-NEW-Application-Process-1.pdf

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(D) The eligible Sea Grant program receives and administers the overall cooperative agreement. Application packages will each propose a total of $95,600 in funding. This includes base funding for each award at $78,100, of which $73,100 is to be used by the eligible Sea Grant program to cover the fellow’s salary/stipend for the twelve months of the fellowship and $5,000 can be used to cover allowable expenses. Allowable expenses could include, but are not limited to, relocation prior to the fellowship, academic tuition, journal publication fees, academic- and fellowship-related travel, conferences fees, online trainings, and workshops. Applications should also include travel costs totaling $17,500, of which $15,000 will be budgeted for optional host office related travel and training and $2,500 will be budgeted for optional placement week expenses, which would be provided at the discretion of the National Sea Grant Office.

(E) Other restrictions: Fellowship funds may not be used to travel to State Department Orange or Red Listed countries without prior approval of the National Sea Grant Office.

G. Other Submission Requirements 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 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 V. Application Review Information

Curriculum Vitae Maximum Points: 10 The CV does not adequately address the expectations outlined (0); the CV addresses the criterion in a poor or confusing way (1); the CV meets the criterion in an average or expected way (5); the CV meets the criterion in an exceptional way (10).

• The student has employment, volunteer, or extracurricular activities in academic and applied research, administrative, outreach, or policy positions;

• The education and experience (personal and professional) in the student’s area of expertise are appropriate to the career stage;

• The student demonstrates academic, professional or personal experiences that are relevant and applicable to serving the American people;

mailto:era-notify@mail.nih.gov

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• The student's experiences show prior leadership roles relevant to their career stage (e.g., student government, faculty committees, advisory committees, professional societies, community initiatives, etc.).

2. Personal education and career development response Maximum Points: 65 Section One: Icebreaker (5 Points). The answer does not adequately address the expectations outlined (0); the answer addresses the criterion in a poor or confusing way (1);

the answer meets the criterion in an average or expected way (3); the answer meets the criterion in an exceptional way (5).

• The student demonstrates creative thinking and a willingness to think outside the box.

Section Two: Career Path and Objectives (Each question is valued at 10 points; total is 30 points). The answer does not adequately address the expectations outlined (0); the answer addresses the criterion in a poor or confusing way (1); the answer meets the criterion in an average or expected way (5); the answer meets the criterion in an exceptional way (10).

• Prompt A:

o The student clearly links experiences to the ocean, coasts, or Great Lakes

(national, state, or local);

o the student demonstrates their ability to convey scientific knowledge in broader, non-scientific contexts;

o the student demonstrates creative thinking, analytical skill, and/or indicates their capacity and willingness to make connections between science and broader economic, social, and political issues.

• Prompt B:

o The student demonstrates an understanding of the Knauss Fellowship program;

o the career path and objectives demonstrates the student’s broad personal and professional background;

o the student clearly articulates their career or professional goals;

o the student is specific, direct, and concise while discussing what they would bring to and gain from the Knauss Fellowship.

• Prompt C:

o The skill set demonstrated will provide a foundation for success in the Knauss fellowship;

o the student is specific, direct, and concise while discussing the skills they have cultivated throughout their career.

Section Three: Career Path Experience (Each question is valued at 10 points; total is 30 points) The answer does not adequately address the expectations outlined (0); the answer addresses the criterion in a poor or confusing way (1); the answer meets the criterion in an average or expected way (5); the answer meets the criterion in an exceptional way (10).

• Prompt A:

o The student demonstrates an interest in contributing to public programs or service;

o the student demonstrates experiences in public service, including, but not limited to volunteering, leadership, extension or education experiences.

These do not have to be directly related to the mission of NOAA.

• Prompt B:

o The student demonstrates creativity and willingness to navigate a challenging situation;

o the student demonstrates leadership and problem solving initiative o the student has shown interest in working with a variety of collaborators, community members and/or interested partners.

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• Prompt C:

o The student demonstrates creativity and willingness to navigate a challenging situation;

o The student demonstrates leadership and problem solving initiative.

3. Relevant Coursework and Future year plans Maximum Points: 10 The relevant coursework and future year plans does not adequately address the expectations outlined (0); the relevant coursework and future year plans addresses the criterion in a poor or confusing way (1); the relevant coursework and future year plans meets the criterion in an average or expected way (5); the relevant coursework and future year plans meets the criterion in an exceptional way (10).

• The student has activities in academic and applied, research, administration, outreach, or policy;

• The future education and experiences plan (personal or professional) support the student’s goals or provide further experiences applicable to the Knauss Program.

4. Recommendations and/or endorsements of the student Maximum Points: 15 For the Knauss Fellowship program the endorsements and content of the letter from the student's Sea Grant director, academic reference, and the second letter of recommendation are reviewed as follows:

• Letters of recommendation (5 Points designated for each letter of recommendation).

The LOR does not adequately address the expectations outlined (0); the LOR addresses the criterion in a poor or confusing way (1); the answer meets the criterion in an average or expected way (3); the LOR meets the criterion in an exceptional way (5).

o The letter writers demonstrate knowledge of the student and their abilities;

o The letter writers speak to the leadership potential, confidence, maturity, and self-direction of the student;

o The letter writers provide evidence of the student’s willingness and flexibility to tackle issues beyond their area of expertise and an openness and capacity to expand experiences;

o The letter writers provide evidence of the student’s ability to convey scientific knowledge in broader, non-scientific contexts.

• Director’s Letter (5 Points. The LOR does not adequately address the expectations outlined (0); the LOR addresses the criterion in a poor or confusing way (1); the answer meets the criterion in an average or expected way (3); the LOR meets the criterion in an exceptional way (5).

• The director’s letter demonstrates how the student fits with the Knauss Program, including any discussion of why the student belongs in the Knauss Program;

• Highlights the skills (academic, professional or personal) that the student would bring to the Knauss program;

• Elaborates on information not specifically addressed by the student in their application package.

5. Overall application cohesion Maximum Points: 10 For the Knauss Fellowship program consider all aspects of the application materials (CV, Personal education and career development responses, Relevant Coursework and Future Year Plans, Letters of Recommendation, Directors Letter). The application does not adequately address the expectations outlined (0); the application addresses the criterion in a poor or confusing way (1); the application meets the criterion in an average or expected way (5); the application meets the criterion in an exceptional way (10).

• The application materials complement each other;

• The student brings a unique perspective to the program;

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• The application materials provide a clear picture of what the student would gain from receiving the Knauss Fellowship;

• The application materials provide a clear picture of what the student would bring to the Knauss Fellowship.

Evaluation Criteria **The Knauss Fellowship is a learning opportunity. All applicants will be provided with BLINDED review comments. This will include reviews on the Letters of Recommendation.

Applicants will not receive a copy of the letters.** At the state level, the total application will be reviewed out of 105 points. At the national level the total application will be reviewed out of 110 Points. The value of each section and subsequent subsection is outlined below. Additionally a point scale is provided for each section.

At the national review, evaluation criteria are identical to that at the eligible Sea Grant program level, except that in…