M21AS00345_DOI_BOEM_04_05.pdf

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

BOEM - Acquisition Policy and Financial Assistance

Assistance Listing 15.423 Fiscal Year 2021 Environmental Studies Program

M21AS00345

AK 21-02 Synthesis of Contaminants Data for Cook Inlet

04/05/2021

Table of Contents

A. Program Description

A1. Authority

A2. Background, Purpose and Program Requirements

B. Federal Award Information

B1. Total Funding

B2. Expected Award Amount

B3. Anticipated Dates

B4. Period of Performance

B5. Number of Awards

B6. Type of Award

B7. Other Federal Information

C. Eligibility Information

C1. Eligible Applicants

C2. Cost Sharing or Matching

C3. Other

D. Application and Submission Information

D1. Address to Request Application Package

D2. Content and Form of Application Submission

D3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)

D4. Submission Dates and Times

D5. Intergovernmental Review

D6. Funding Restrictions

D7. Other Submission Requirements

D8. Application Checklist

E. Application Review Information

E1. Criteria

E2. Review and Selection Process

E3. CFR - Regulatory Information

E4. Anticipated Announcement and Federal Award Dates

F. Federal Award Administration Information

F1. Federal Award Notices

F2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

F3. Reporting

G. Federal Agency Contact(s)

G1. Federal Awarding Agency Contact

G2. Alternate Awarding Agency Contact

G3. Technical Support

H. Other Information

A. Program Description

A1. Authority

The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act at 43 U.S.C. 1346 authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to conduct studies in areas or regions of sales to ascertain the “environmental impacts on the human, marine, and coastal environments of the outer Continental Shelf and the coastal areas which may be affected by oil and gas development.” 43 U.S.C. §1457(b) provides that the

Secretary of the Interior may enter into cooperative agreements with any not-for-profit organization if the agreement will: “(1) serve a mutual interest of the parties to the agreement in carrying out the programs administered by the Department of the Interior; and (2) all parties will contribute resources to the accomplishment of these objectives.” BOEM is the federal administrative agency created both to conduct Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) lease sales and to monitor and mitigate adverse impacts that might be associated with offshore resource development. Within BOEM, the ESP functions to implement and manage the responsibilities of research.

A2. Background, Purpose and Program Requirements

1. Purpose

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM), Environmental Studies Program (ESP) seeks to establish a cooperative agreement with the Cook Inlet Regional Citizens Advisory

Council (CIRCAC) to synthesize existing organic and inorganic contaminants data for Cook

Inlet to facilitate evaluation of the current conditions and make recommendations for future sampling and monitoring. Contamination of marine environments can pose numerous risks to both ecosystem and human health. Monitoring trends of contaminants over time and space can provide scientists, managers, and decision-makers the information necessary to make informed decisions to protect ecosystem and human health. This cooperative agreement will improve the understanding of contaminates on a regional scale within the Cook Inlet area. The research will encompass the use of existing contaminants literature and data to facilitate appropriate analytical comparisons and visualizations of contaminates information. Study products will provide solutions for identifying the current regional baseline status of contaminates and assist in quantifying potential impacts from oil and gas industry activities.

2. Background

Since oil industry operations began in Cook Inlet in the late 1960s, there have been various contaminant assessment studies, usually focusing on hydrocarbons and heavy metals in the water column, sediments, or tissues of resident organisms. Most of these study efforts targeted specific areas of Cook Inlet, such as produced water discharge locations, or were otherwise limited in scope. Although several projects have assessed anthropogenic contaminant sources, just a few were designed as long-term monitoring programs or used a statistical approach that allows for interpretation of anthropogenic or natural background levels and sources of organic and inorganic contaminants at a regional scale.

The more comprehensive studies included: “Sediment Quality in Depositional Areas of Shelikof

Strait and Outermost Cook Inlet” (Arthur D. Little, 2000) funded by the former Minerals

Management Service (MMS); the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP), a collaboration between the U.S. Environmental Protection (EPA); and Alaska Department of

Environmental Conservation, and the Integrated Environmental Monitoring and Assessment

Program (ICIEMAP) led by the CIRCAC.

EMAP conducted a region-wide coastal ecological condition study that included an assessment of contaminants and benthic communities along the Gulf of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands

(Saupe et al. 2005). ICIEMAP was based on EMAP protocols (Saupe et al. 2012) which allowed the data to be incorporated into the larger Alaska Monitoring and Assessment Program efforts, thus providing regional perspectives at various spatial scales. Through ICIEMAP a dataset of biological and chemical parameters from more than 80 study sites were compiled into a database by CIRCAC.

A map layer showing locations where hydrocarbon contaminants were identified in the Cook

Inlet and the surrounding waters of Alaska's southern coast from 1993-2002 is available on the

Alaska Ocean Observing System (AOOS) portal (AOOS, 2020). These contaminant data were collected by CIRCAC through surveys of soft sediment habitats and analyses of sediment hydrocarbon concentrations, with the goal of providing this data that can be layered within mapping GIS databases to unite contaminant data with other data that have location information.

The various contaminant study efforts in the Cook Inlet region used different biological and chemical analytical techniques that require careful consideration prior to grouping sampling results and analyzing for broad patterns of contamination. Scientists, managers, and decision-makers would benefit from a meta-analysis of the contaminant information to inform regional trends or identify information needs for sampling and monitoring. For a wide variety of research fields, meta-analysis, also known as a systematic review, is an essential tool for collecting and statistically evaluating information (Borenstein et al., 2011). A critical first step of a meta-analysis is to reflect upon the issue to be explored in the study and create a corresponding set of rules for searching literature or data from potential studies of interest (Borenstein et al., 2011).

After all the literature and data of choice has been collected, it can be further screened to determine which studies to specifically include or exclude from the analysis.

3. Objectives

The goal of this Cooperative Agreement is to synthesize information on historical Cook Inlet contaminant sampling or monitoring reports and their detailed analytical results into an organized framework that can be used to report, compare, visualize, and understand results appropriately in a systematic framework on a regional scale. The synthesized information would be used to recommend a sampling plan for future monitoring addressing information needs in the

Cook Inlet Planning Area. The objectives of this study are to:

1. Conduct a meta-analysis of existing contaminant data sets to evaluate the comparability of prior statistical designs and analytic methods and, when combined, as representative of baseline conditions in the Cook Inlet area

2. Identify and compile appropriate organic and inorganic contaminant data (e.g., hydrocarbons, metals, U.S. EPA priority pollutants, and technologically enhanced naturally occurring radioactive material [TENORM]), as well as a comprehensive list of any known or potential contaminant sources for the Cook Inlet area.

3. Compare contaminant data against Federal and State regulatory or other scientific threshold levels.

4. Recommend a study approach, including a sampling plan, that would enhance assessing baseline contaminant conditions in Cook Inlet and monitor contaminants in areas potentially impacted by Federal OCS oil and gas related activities.

4. Scope of Work/Cooperative Agreement Tasks

This study will build upon the existing: contaminate studies and their data; contaminate analyses;

and Alaska Pollution Discharge Elimination System (APDES) and U.S. EPA National Pollutant

Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) monitoring reports. Investigators will evaluate analytical techniques to determine comparability, further data collation, and synthesize contaminant information into a useful format(s) to visualize contaminant information as well as compare values against thresholds and evaluate information needs.

Task 1. Implement a Science Plan to conduct a meta-analysis, collate data, and facilitate contaminant data visualization, exploration, and comparisons.

A. Conduct a meta-analysis to identify contaminant and associated data to collect, collate, and synthesize.

The meta-analysis efforts will focus on hydrocarbons, metals, priority pollutants, and

TENORMs across the water column, sediment, and benthic infaunal tissue in the Cook Inlet region.

1. Conduct a meta-analysis bringing together publicly available studies and monitoring reports, including their literature and data, to assess the occurrence of hydrocarbons, metals, priority pollutants, and TENORMs.

2. Based on the meta-analysis, identify the study’s associated data, such as total suspended sediments (TSS), salinity, total organic carbon (TOC), sediment grain size, and other concomitant data that are important for analysis and data comparison.

B. Compile contaminant and associated data information.

Using the results of the meta-analysis develop a data set of comparable contaminant data and their associated data.

1. Compile existing inorganic and organic contaminants data and metadata for the water column, sediment, and benthic infaunal tissue in the Cook Inlet identified from the meta-analysis.

2. Compile associated data, such as TSS, salinity, TOC, sediment grain size, and other concomitant data identified from the meta-analysis as important.

3. Compile electronic information/data from NPDES/APDES discharge monitoring reports on the U.S.EPA’s 126 priority pollutants, and TENORMs.

C. Enhance public platform, tools, and data management in order to facilitate contaminant data visualization, exploration, and comparisons.

1. Enhance website(s) or portal(s) to host data set(s) in order to provide further public access to contaminant information.

2. Develop digital and web-based maps/tools/tables to portray contaminant information.

3. Develop visualization tools to facilitate data exploration, summaries, sharing, and interactive comparisons. Include comparisons against current threshold levels published by EPA, State of Alaska, and the National Oceanic & Atmospheric

Administration (NOAA) (e.g., ambient water quality criteria, human health criteria, Alaska Water Quality Standards, 18 Alaska Administrative Code 70, and NOAA sediment quality criteria)

Task 2. Develop Sampling and Monitoring Plan Recommendation(s).

A. Using a team of experts (contaminants specialists and statisticians) evaluate the resulting contaminant data set for comparability of results and its “representativeness” of conditions in the Cook Inlet Planning Area.

B. Identify recommendations for further sampling and monitoring in lower Cook Inlet where collated contaminant literature and data suggest additional data is needed for better comparison against the established thresholds.

Task 3. Project Management

The Principal Investigator (PI) will follow a project management plan that provides communication and coordination among all key personnel and management, and a mechanism for ensuring coordination with the BOEM Project Officer (PO). The management plan will address the following components:

A. Project Manager

The Project Manager will have leadership, coordination, management skills, and authority to achieve project objectives and ensure maximum interdisciplinary integration.

B. Scientific team makeup and coordination

This section should include:

1) The program manager, key personnel, and the scientist responsible for meta-analysis, statistical design, data management, and analysis;

2) Specific responsibilities of each key person in the performance of this study;

3) A task by task labor loading chart showing person-hours for all professional and support personnel who would be assigned key roles in performance of this project;

4) Key planning meetings and interactions among key personnel and with the project manager.

C. Milestone Schedule

A schedule (PERT, Gantt, etc.) that lays out the critical paths, significant milestones, and deliverables for the accomplishment of the proposed study including logistical planning, data acquisition, data input and analysis, data synthesis and interpretations, report writing, and manuscript preparation timeframes.

D. Outreach and Publication

This section should include:

1) A plan for communicating with tribal members and organizations, the Kenai

Peninsula Borough, Kenai Watershed Forum, and the general public throughout the study.

2) A final outreach product such as a poster suitable for posting on community bulletin boards or other outreach.

3) Presentation at a minimum of one regional scientific meeting (e.g. the Alaska Marine

Science Symposium) to be determined in coordination with BOEM.

4) A plan for publishing the study results in a peer-reviewed journal.

Scientific Integrity Statement: Scientific integrity is vital to Department of the Interior (DOI) activities under which scientific research, data, summaries, syntheses, interpretations, presentations, and/or publications are developed and used. Failure to uphold the highest degree of scientific integrity will result in not only potentially flawed scientific results, interpretations, and applications, but will damage DOI’s reputation and ability to uphold the public’s trust. All work performed must comply with the DOI Scientific Integrity Policy posted to http://www.doi.gov, or its equivalent as provided by their organization or State law.

See Section H for more information.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number

15.423

Authorization Legislation

Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1346) and 43 U.S.C. 1457(b) Use of Cooperative

Agreements

B. Federal Award Information

B1. Total Funding

Estimated Total Funding

$ 325,000

This Program Announcement describes the specific project that may be awarded to the Cook

Inlet Regional Citizens Advisory Council. This is not an open solicitation for proposals. The award premised on receipt of an acceptable proposal. This announcement is specifically to announce the intent to undertake the following project: "Synthesis of Contaminants Data for

Cook Inlet: Evaluation of Existing Data as “Baseline Conditions” and Recommendations for

Further Monitoring." The total amount of federal funds available for this multi-year award is anticipated to be $325,000 subject to the availability of funds. BOEM anticipates making one cooperative agreement award in FY 2021 for one proposal submitted under this Program

Announcement.

B2. Expected Award Amount

Maximum Award Amount

$ 325,000

Minimum Award Amount

$275,000

B3. Anticipated Dates

Anticipated Award Start Date

6/4/2021

Anticipated Award End Date

6/3/2024

B4. Period of Performance

Length of Project Periods

36-month project period with three 12-month budget periods

Project Period l Expectation Duration in Months

Proposals shall clearly define the work to be completed in each year, and the evaluation panel reserves the option to fund only the first year of a multi-year proposal. Funding for subsequent years of a multi-year cooperative agreement is contingent upon the availability of funds and satisfactory progress demonstrated by the Recipient. Progress will be determined through technical review of quarterly progress reports and other work identified by the BOEM Project

Officer. Funds requested for the final year of performance shall include a 15% retainage of the project’s total anticipated budget request. The BOEM Project Officer shall provide continuation notices at least 60 days prior to the end of each funding period.

B5. Numbers of Awards

Expected Number of Awards

B6. Type of Award

Funding Instrument Type

CA - Cooperative Agreement

The award will be a cooperative agreement (see Section A1, Authority, above). This involves substantial involvement by BOEM scientists in various aspects of study development and/or study conduct.

B7. Other Federal Information

Type of Competition

See Eligibility Information below.

C. Eligibility Information

C1. Eligible Applicants

25 – Others (see text field entitled “Additional Information on Eligibility” for clarification)

Additional Information on Eligibility

1. This announcement is specifically to announce intent to undertake the following project:

Synthesis of Contaminants Data for Cook Inlet: Evaluation of Existing Data as "Baseline

Conditions" and Recommendations for Further Monitoring

2. This Program Announcement describes a cooperative agreement that may be awarded to the Cook Inlet Regional Citizens Advisory Council. This is not an open solicitation for proposals. All awards are premised on receipt of an acceptable proposal.

C2. Cost Sharing or Matching

Cost Sharing/Matching Requirement: Yes

Percentage of Cost Sharing / Matching Requirement: The authority at 43 USC 1457b requires all parties to contribute resources to the accomplishment of these objectives. Therefore a cost share/match is required. There is no statutory requirement as to the percentage of the cost share, however a 1:1 match is encouraged.

C3. Other

Excluded Parties:

BOEM conducts a review of the SAM.gov Exclusions database for all applicant entities and their key project personnel prior to award. The Bureau cannot award funds to entities or their key project personnel identified in the SAM.gov Exclusions database as ineligible, prohibited/restricted or otherwise excluded from receiving Federal contracts, certain subcontracts, and certain Federal assistance and benefits, as their ineligibility condition applies to this Federal program.

D. Application and Submission Information

D1. Address to Request Application Package

The application must be submitted through the www.Grants.gov portal.

The applicant can locate the application package by visiting the Grants.gov portal and searching on CFDA number 15.423 or Announcement M21AS00345 in the Grants.gov search engine. See sections D3 and D7 for more information on the application process.

D2. Content and Form of Application Submission

The electronic submission System requires several preliminary registration steps before the actual proposal can be submitted. Go to grants.gov and click on "Applicants" for instructions. Also please see Sections D3 and D7 below.

SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance

In addition to the SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance applicants must submit the following:

• SF-424a Budget Information - Non-Construction Programs

• SF-424b Assurances - Non-Construction Programs

• Project Narrative

• Budget Narrative with Federally Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement

• Budget Worksheet

• Grants.gov Lobbying Form

• Complete SF-LLL only if lobbying has occurred.

These forms will be with the Grants.gov announcement package.

Project Summary

Synthesis of Contaminants Data for Cook Inlet: Evaluation of Existing Data as “Baseline

Conditions” and Recommendations for Further Monitoring (National Studies List (NSL)

#AK-21-02)

Project Narrative

The Project Narrative should include the Proposal Cover Sheet and Proposal Text

1.Proposal Cover Sheet

The cover sheet of the proposal shall contain the following information:

a. Project Title:

b. PI(s):

i. Name:

ii. Address:

iii. Phone:

v. E-mail:

c. Name /Department of Organization:

d. Contact Information for Technical and Administrative Negotiations

e. Project Status: New/Continuation

f. Project Duration: (years or months)

g. Proposed Start Date:

h. Proposed Draft Final Report Submission Date:

i. Proposed Completion Date:

j. Amount Requested From BOEM:

k. Amount and Sources of Non-Federal Match:

l. Total Project Cost:

m. Signature, Name, and Contact Information of PI and Co-Investigator:

n. Proposal Endorsement, including Signature, Name, Contact Information of Sponsoring

University Department Dean or Institute Director:

o. Signature, Name and Contact Information, Office of Sponsored Programs, Appropriate

Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, etc.

2. Proposal Text:

The proposal must be in 11–12 point Times New Roman, Arial, or similar font with 1”-page margins. Non-conforming proposals will not be considered. Text, figures, etc. in support of items a–n below should be no longer than 15 pages. Please include the following in the Proposal:

a. Abstract

b. Background/Relevance to BOEM Issues, Information Needs, and Research Topics: Give a brief introduction to the research problem. State how the proposal addresses BOEM goals.

Explain why the work is important. Specify the contribution to science related to multi-disciplinary science observations and the benefits that society will receive from the study.

Describe why the research is important to offshore energy development issues. Provide a brief summary of findings or outcomes of any prior work you have completed in this area.

c. Objectives/Hypotheses: Clearly define goals of the project.

d. Methods/Analyses: Provide a clear description of planned methodologies and analyses.

e. Data Management, Data Security and Data Archiving Plan: State intent to provide copies of data files with metadata to BOEM in a format that meets Federal data standards (e.g., current

Federal Geographic Data Committee standards). Copies shall also be archived with the National

Centers for Environmental Information (formerly National Oceanographic Data Center), the

National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service, or another appropriate Federal

Data Repository as clearly identified in the proposal.

f. For studies involving field work, or as otherwise appropriate, the applicant shall provide plans for Logistics, Safety Management, and necessary Permits/Interagency Coordination/Local

Coordination.

g. Project Management/Staffing Plan: All key personnel (including graduate student workers) shall be identified by name. List the PI first, followed by the names of other individuals. Indicate the role and anticipated level of effort for each key participant offering unique or specific contributions to the project (oceanographer, geochemist, field assistant, etc.). If names of any key participants are unknown, a proposal addendum with the names and vitae must be submitted prior to award.

h. Performance Measures: The applicant shall suggest specific measures that will be used to monitor project progress, including progress of sub-awardees (e.g., quality and timely deliverables, timely completion of fieldwork or other project components, draft peer-reviewed articles). These performance measures will be incorporated in the cooperative agreement award and reviewed as part of any continuation request.

i. Timeline (including deliverables): Provide for submission of the draft final report six months before project end date to ensure adequate time for BOEM review and revisions to the draft.

j. Critical Starting Dates (e.g., for season-limited field work): Identify any critical starting dates and the reason why project success is dependent upon that start date.

k. Project Deliverables and Planned Products: Applicants shall provide plans for executing the duties of the awardee listed in Section A3 and the deliverables as outlined in Section H including a rough timeline for these deliverables.

l. Publication and Presentation. Pursuant to Task 3.D (See Section A.2 of this announcement):

(1) The recipient and research partners shall draft a scientific manuscript to submit to a peer-reviewed journal. The draft manuscript must be provided to the Project Officer two (2) weeks prior to submission. If published, reprints shall be provided to BOEM. The journal article must contain an acknowledgment of support and funding under the cooperative agreement number. (2) The recipient shall prepare and deliver one poster or oral presentation at a regional professional meeting. The purpose of the presentation will be to communicate the procedures, methodologies, results, implications, and recommendations of the study. The recipient shall provide the Project Officer with a copy of the presentation materials two (2) weeks in advance of the meeting, allowing time for review and feedback if necessary. (See Section H for more information.).

m. Local and Scientific Outreach: Applicants are encouraged to disseminate research results to relevant local communities (e.g., displaying a poster at schools or public events, or a presentation of study findings to local residents). Outreach should be in language appropriate to a non-science, lay audience. Documentation of completion of a public outreach effort is required in the

Final Report.

n. Bibliography: List all references cited in the text, as well as references that are relevant to the current proposal from your past work in the field.

o. Curricula Vitae (maximum two pages) for each identified key participant. Emphasize previous experience in the field of study that the proposal addresses.

p. Letters of Commitment: Provide signed letters of commitment by matching fund grantors, contractors, and sub-grantees.

Budget Spreadsheet and Budget Narrative:

1. Budget Spreadsheet: Include information in a format that provides personnel, travel, services, supplies, equipment, tuition, and indirect costs on an annual basis for both the requested BOEM funds and for the anticipated match funds. Detail how the SF-424 Budget Information, Object

Class Category totals were determined.

2. Budget Narrative: This information will provide more details than the SF-424a form and will provide adequate information for the Contracting Officer to conduct a detailed analysis of the costs to determine they are reasonable, allowable, and allocable. Please include the following:

b. Salaries and Wages. List positions, rate of compensation, and estimates of time spent on the project for employees.

c. Fringe Benefits/Labor Overhead. Indicate the rates/amounts in conformance with normal accounting procedures. Explain what costs are covered in this category and the basis of the rate computations. Provide a copy of the negotiated rate agreement, if available.

d. Lab Analyses. Briefly itemize cost of all analytical work.

e. Supplies. Enter the cost for all tangible property. Include the cost of office, laboratory, computing, and field supplies separately. Provide detail on any specific item that represents a significant portion of the proposed amount. Provide a statement that supplies will be purchased in accordance with 2 CFR 200.317 (State Governments) or 2 CFR

200.318-327.

f. Equipment. Show the cost of all special-purpose equipment necessary for achieving the objectives of the project. “Special-purpose equipment” means scientific equipment having a useful life of more than 1 year and having an acquisition cost of

$5,000 or more per item. Each item should be itemized and include a full justification and a dealer or manufacturer quote, if available. Title to non-expendable personal property shall be vested solely with the recipient. Under no circumstances shall property title be vested in a sub-tier recipient. Provide a statement that equipment will be purchased in accordance with 2 CFR 200.317 (State Governments) or 2 CFR 200.318-327 and managed in accordance with 2 CFR 200.313. General-purpose equipment (used also for purposes other than this project) must be purchased from the applicant’s operating funds.

g. Services or Consultants. Identify the tasks or problems for which such services would be used. List the contemplated sub-recipients by name (including consultants), the estimated amount of time required, and the quoted rate per day or hour. Sub-applicant proposals should provide cost breakdowns at the same level of detail as the Applicant’s proposal. If contract employees are hired, include their total time, rate of compensation, job titles, and roles. Provide a statement that salaries will be charged at the actual rate and that the rate is comparable to others doing similar work within the organization.

h. Travel. State the purpose of the trip and itemize the estimated travel costs to show the number of trips required, the destinations, the number of people traveling, the per diem rates, the cost of transportation, and any miscellaneous expenses for each trip.

Calculations of other special transportation costs (such as charges for use of applicant-owned vehicles or vehicle rental costs) should also be shown.

i. Publication Costs. Indicate an estimate of labor and other unique costs associated with preparation of the draft final report. If publication of results of the research in the peer-reviewed literature (identify likely publications) is anticipated, include costs of drafting or graphics, reproduction, page or illustration charges, and a minimum number of reprints.

j. Other Direct Costs. Itemize the different types of costs not included elsewhere.

k. Total Direct Charges. Sum of above items.

l. Indirect Charges (Overhead). Indirect cost/general and administrative (G&A) cost. Show the proposed rate, cost base, and proposed amount for indirect costs based on the cost principles applicable to the Applicant’s organization. If the Applicant has separate rates for recovery of labor overhead and G&A costs, each charge should be shown. Provide a copy of the negotiated rate agreement with the applicant’s federal cognizant audit agency.

m. Amount Proposed. Sum of Total Direct Charges and Indirect Charges (Overhead).

Conflict of Interest Disclosure

Per the Financial Assistance Interior Regulation, 2 CFR §1402.112, applicants must state in their application if any actual or potential conflict of interest exists at the time of submission.

(a) Applicability.

https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=2cb9f6d1c1c131ed576a5e65845ef3fa&mc=true&node=se2.1.1402_1112&rgn=div8

(1) This section intends to ensure that non-Federal entities and their employees take appropriate steps to avoid conflicts of interest in their responsibilities under or with respect to Federal financial assistance agreements.

(2) In the procurement of supplies, equipment, construction, and services by recipients and by subrecipients, the conflict of interest provisions in 2 CFR 200.318 apply.

(b) Notification.

(1) Non-Federal entities, including applicants for financial assistance awards, must disclose in writing any conflict of interest to the DOI awarding agency or pass-through entity in accordance with 2 CFR 200.112.

(2) Recipients must establish internal controls that include, at a minimum, procedures to identify, disclose, and mitigate or eliminate identified conflicts of interest. The recipient is responsible for notifying the Financial Assistance Officer in writing of any conflicts of interest that may arise during the life of the award, including those that have been reported by subrecipients.

(c) Restrictions on lobbying. Non-Federal entities are strictly prohibited from using funds under a grant or cooperative agreement for lobbying activities and must provide the required certifications and disclosures pursuant to 43 CFR part 18 and 31 U.S.C. 1352.

(d) Review procedures. The Financial Assistance Officer will examine each conflict of interest disclosure on the basis of its particular facts and the nature of the proposed grant or cooperative agreement and will determine whether a significant potential conflict exists and, if it does, develop an appropriate means for resolving it.

(e) Enforcement. Failure to resolve conflicts of interest in a manner that satisfies the government may be cause for termination of the award. Failure to make required disclosures may result in any of the remedies described in 2 CFR 200.339, Remedies for noncompliance, including suspension or debarment (see also 2 CFR part 180).

Single Audit Reporting Statement

All U.S. states, local governments, federally recognized Indian tribal governments, and non-profit organizations expending $750,000 USD or more in Federal award funds in the applicant’s fiscal year must submit a Single Audit report for that year through the Federal Audit

Clearinghouse’s Internet Data Entry System. U.S. state, local government, federally recognized

Indian tribal government, and non-profit applicants must state if your organization was or was not required to submit a Single Audit report for the most recently closed fiscal year. If your organization was required to submit a Single Audit report for the most recently closed fiscal year, provide the EIN associated with that report and state if it is available through the Federal

Audit Clearinghouse website.

Certification Regarding Lobbying

Applicants requesting more than $100,000 in Federal funding must certify to the statements in 43

CFR Part 18, Appendix A-Certification Regarding Lobbying. If this application requests more than $100,000 in Federal funds, the Authorized Official’s signature on the appropriate SF-424, https://harvester.census.gov/facides/Account/Login.aspx https://harvester.census.gov/facides/Account/Login.aspx https://harvester.census.gov/facdissem/Main.aspx https://harvester.census.gov/facdissem/Main.aspx http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=683823273fc0da6a1060883eda593fb8&mc=true&node=pt43.1.18&rgn=div5 http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=683823273fc0da6a1060883eda593fb8&mc=true&node=pt43.1.18&rgn=div5

Application for Federal Assistance form also represents the entity’s certification of the statements in 43 CFR Part 18, Appendix A.

Applicants and recipients must not use any federally appropriated funds (annually appropriated or continuing appropriations) or matching funds under a Federal award to pay any person for lobbying in connection with the award. Lobbying is influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any U.S. agency, a Member of the U.S. Congress, an officer or employee of the U.S. Congress, or an employee of a Member of the U.S. Congress connection with the award. Applicants and recipients must complete and submit the SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying

Activities if the Federal share of the proposal or award is more than $100,000 and the applicant or recipient has made or has agreed to make any payment using non-appropriated funds for lobbying in connection with the application or award. The SF-LLL form is available on the

“Packages” tab of this Funding Opportunity on Grants.gov. See 43 CFR, Subpart 18.100 for more information on when additional submission of this form is required.

Overlap or Duplication of Effort Statement

Applicants must provide a statement indicating if there is any overlap between this Federal application and any other Federal application, or funded project, in regard to activities, costs, or time commitment of key personnel. If no such overlap or duplication exists, state, “There are no overlaps or duplication between this application and any of our other Federal applications or funded projects, including in regard to activities, costs, or time commitment of key personnel”. If any such overlap exists, provide a complete description of overlaps or duplications between this proposal and any other federally funded project or application in regard to activities, costs, and time commitment of key personnel, as applicable. Provide a copy of any overlapping or duplicative proposal submitted to any other potential funding entity and identify when that proposal was submitted, to whom (entity name and program), and when you anticipate being notified of their funding decision.

D3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)

Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM.gov) Registration

Applicants are required to obtain a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number from

Dun & Bradstreet and then register in SAM.gov prior to submitting a Federal award application.

Federal award recipients must continue to maintain an active SAM.gov registration with current information through the life of their Federal award(s). See the “Submission Requirements” section of this document below for more information on SAM.gov registration. We may not make a Federal award to an applicant that has not completed the SAM.gov registration. If an applicant selected for funding has not completed their SAM.gov registration by the time the program is ready to make an award, the program may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive an award. The program can use that determination as a basis for making an award to another applicant. There is no cost to register with Dun & Bradstreet or SAM.gov.

There are third- party vendors who will charge a fee in exchange for registering entities with Dun

& Bradstreet and SAM.gov; please be aware you can register and request help for free.

Obtain a DUNS Number

Request a DUNS Number through the Dun & Bradstreet website. The official website address is http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform. For technical difficulties, send an email to the D&B SAM Help

Desk. Please ensure that you are able to receive emails from SAMHelp@dnb.com. The

Grants.gov “Obtain a DUNS Number” webpage also provides detailed instructions. Once assigned a DUNS number, your organization must maintain up-to-date information with Dun &

Bradstreet. Applicants must enter their DUNS number in the “Organizational DUNS” field on the SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance form.

Register with the System for Award Management (SAM)

Register on the SAM.gov website. “Help” tab on the website contains User Guides and other information to assist you with registration. The Grants.gov Register with SAM page also provides detailed instructions. You can also contact the supporting Federal Service Desk for help registering in SAM. Once registered in SAM, entities must renew and revalidate their SAM registration at least once every 12 months from the date previously registered. Entities are strongly encouraged to revalidate their registration as often as needed to ensure their information is up to date and reflects changes that may have been to the entity’s DUNS or IRS information.

D4. Submission Dates and Times

Application Due Date

05/05/2021

Application Due Date Explanation

Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 1:00 p.m., Alaska Daylight

Time, on the listed application due date.

D5. Intergovernmental Review

Not Applicable

D6. Funding Restrictions

Indirect Costs: Organizations:

Required Indirect Cost Statement to be submitted with Application

All organizations must include the applicable statement from the following list in their application, and attach to their application any documentation identified in the applicable statement:

We are:

A. A [insert your organization type; U.S. states and local governments, do not use this statement] that has previously negotiated or currently has an approved indirect cost rate with our cognizant agency. Our indirect cost rate is [insert rate]. [Insert either: “Attached is a copy of our most recently approved but expired rate agreement. In the event an award is made, we will submit an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency within 90 calendar days after the award is made.” or “Attached is a copy of our current negotiated indirect cost rate agreement.”]

B. A [insert your organization type] that has never submitted an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency. Our indirect cost rate is [insert rate]. If we receive an award, we will submit an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency within 90 calendar days after the award date.

C. A [insert your organization type] that has never submitted an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency and has an indirect cost rate that is lower than 10%. Our indirect mailto:SAMHelp@dnb.com cost rate is [insert rate; must be lower than 10%]. However, if we receive an award we will not be able to meet the requirement to submit an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency within 90 calendar days after award. We request as a condition of award to charge a flat indirect cost rate of [insert rate; must be lower than 10%] against

[insert a clear description of the direct cost base against which your rate is charged (e.g., salaries; salaries and fringe benefits; or modified total direct costs). However, please note that your organization cannot charge indirect costs in excess of the indirect costs that would be recovered if applied against Modified Total Direct Costs as defined in §2 CFR

200.1]. We understand that we must notify BOEM in writing if we establish an approved rate with our cognizant agency at any point during the award period.

D. A [insert your organization type] that has never submitted an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency and has an indirect cost rate that is 10% or higher. Our indirect cost rate is [insert your organization’s indirect rate; must be 10% or higher]. However, if we receive an award we will not be able to meet the requirement to submit an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency within 90 calendar days after award. We request as a condition of award to charge a flat de minimis indirect cost rate of 10% to be charged against Modified Total Direct Project Costs as defined in 2 CFR §200.1. We understand that we must notify BOEM in writing if we establish a negotiated rate with our cognizant agency at any point during the award period. We understand that additional Federal funds may not be available to support an unexpected increase in indirect costs during the project period and that such changes are subject to review, negotiation, and prior approval by BOEM.

E. A [insert your organization type] that will charge all costs directly.

D7. Other Submission Requirements

Please be aware that the electronic submission process requires first time users to register using an e- Authentication process. This registration process can be somewhat complex and can take up to 3 weeks to complete. Be advised that it is virtually impossible to begin the process of electronic submission for the first time if you start just a few days before the due date. If you are from a university, contact your Office of Sponsored Programs. They may already have completed the registration process and should work with you to submit the application.

If you have any questions or problems with the registration process, or the completion of the application package, please contact the grants.gov help desk at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov.

Briefly, when you submit a grant application package to Grants.gov, you will receive a confirmation screen as well as three additional emails over two business days from Grants.gov informing you of your application processing status: 1. Confirmation screen

2. Submission Receipt (with “Track My Application” link) 3. Submission Validation (or

Rejection with Errors) 4. Agency Retrieval

CONFIRMATION: Submission Confirmation Screen.

After you submit your grant application package, a confirmation screen will appear on your computer screen. This screen confirms that you have submitted an application to Grants.gov.

NOTIFICATION 1: Submission Receipt Email Within two business days after your application package has been received by the Grants.gov system, you will receive a submission receipt email which indicates that your submission has entered the Grants.gov system and is ready for mailto:support@grants.gov validation. This email also contains a tracking number for use while tracking the status of the submission as well as a “Track My Application” link, to use to see the progress of your submission.

NOTIFICATION 2: Submission Validation Receipt Email – This is the important one!

After you receive the submission receipt email, the next email you will receive will be a message validating or rejecting your submitted application package with errors. The Grants.gov system is designed to check for technical errors within the submitted application package. Grants.gov does not review application content for award determination. Grants.gov will not post the application if there are errors. Failure to correct errors and submit by the date and time for closing may not be a reason for accepting a late application.

NOTIFICATION 3: Grantor Agency Retrieval Email Once your application package has passed validation it is delivered to the grantor for award determination and further approval. After the grantor has confirmed receipt of your application, you will be sent a third and final email from

Grants.gov. The grantor may also assign your application package an agency specific tracking number for use within their internal system. IF YOU HAVE NOT RECEIVED THIS E- MAIL

WITHIN FOUR DAYS OF THE CLOSING DATE, PLEASE CONTACT THE FEDERAL

AWARDING AGENCY CONTACT SHOWN IN SECTION G1 BELOW.

If you need help entering your proposal, you can reach the Grants.gov Contact Center at: 1-

800- 518- 4726. Their hours of operation are Monday-Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Eastern

Time, and they are closed on Federal Holidays.

During the application period an applicant may submit a revised or corrected proposal through grants.gov. Include a cover letter as the first page of the proposal stating that the proposal is revised and indicating that the previous submittal is to be withdrawn from consideration. See

Section D2, Application Preparation Instructions, which describes requirements for the proposal and other application components.

Please allow sufficient time for the proposal to be submitted electronically through

Grants.gov and allow time for possible computer delays. Applicants are strongly advised not to wait until the last minute for submission. A proposal received after the closing date and time will NOT be considered for award. If BOEM determines that a proposal will not be considered for award due to lateness, the applicant will be notified immediately.

D8. Application Checklist

SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance or Application for Federal Assistance-Individual

SF-424B, Assurances

Project Narrative

SF-424A Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs

Budget Narrative

Indirect Cost Statement and related documentation (when applicable)

Grants.gov Lobbying Form: Certification Regarding Lobbying

SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (when applicable)

Complete the optional SF-LLL Lobbying Form only if lobbying has occurred.

E. Application Review Information

E1. Criteria

1. Scientific Quality and Impact (20%):

Is the proposed study of high scientific quality with clear objectives? What is the relevance to

BOEM mission?

2. Work Plan/Methodology (20%)

Is the strategy coherent and clear? Are the scientific objectives appropriate for the proposed time frame? Are the geographic areas selected for study appropriate? Are the proposed methods appropriate and adequate to meet the objectives? Are logistics adequately addressed? Does the proposal address contingency plans for missed field work, equipment failure, and other problems?

3. Experience/Competence of Research Personnel (20%):

Has the applicant demonstrated (through bibliographic references, relevant education, experience, awards, etc.) that they are capable of doing the proposed research? Has the applicant demonstrated a thorough knowledge of the scientific problem? Have products been on schedule and within budget?

4. Budget Justification and Clarity (20%)

Is project staffing sufficient (e.g., experience, knowledge, and skills) to accomplish the proposed goals? Are field expenses, supplies, lab work, and other expenses appropriate? Are expenses adequately itemized?

5. Planned Products and Dissemination of Results (20%)

Are the products clearly defined? Will they be useful for offshore energy planning and decision-making? Will the results be published in a peer-reviewed form? Does the proposal indicate the

Principal Investigator will provide data and metadata in a format that meets Federal data standards? Will the products be accessible and comprehensible to the public?

E2. Review and Selection Process

The proposal will be reviewed by BOEM scientists and program managers, and possibly external peer reviewers. Reviewers have expertise in Federal offshore programs and/or the specific scientific discipline of the proposal.

E3. CFR - Regulatory Information

BOEM will review and consider applications for funding in accordance with the following policy documents:

• President’s September 2, 2020 memorandum entitled Memorandum on Reviewing

Funding to State and Local Government Recipients of Federal Funds that Are

Permitting Anarchy, Violence, and Destruction in American Cities.

• Executive Order on Protecting American Monuments, Memorials, and Statues and Combating Recent Criminal Violence (E.O. 13933); and

• Guidance for Grants and Agreements in Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations

(2 CFR 200), as updated in the Federal Register’s 85 FR 49506 on August 13, 2020, particularly on:

o Selecting recipients most likely to be successful in delivering results based on the program objectives through an objective process of evaluating Federal award applications (2 CFR part 200.205), o Prohibiting the purchase of certain telecommunication and video surveillance services or equipment in alignment with section 889 of the

National Defense Authorization Act of 2019 (Pub. L. No. 115—232) (2

CFR part 200.216), o Promoting the freedom of speech and religious liberty in alignment with

Promoting Free Speech and Religious Liberty (E.O. 13798) and Improving

Free Inquiry, Transparency, and Accountability at Colleges and Universities

(E.O. 13864) (parts 200.300, 200.303, 200.339, and 200.341), o Providing a preference, to…