NOAA-NMFS-AK-2017-2005163 FFO Report.pdf

2017 Alaska Native Organization Co-Management Funding Program

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Funding Opportunity Description 4

A. Program Objective 4 B. Program Priorities 4 C. Program Authority 5

II. Award Information 5 A. Funding Availability 5 B. Project/Award Period 6 C. Type of Funding Instrument 6

III. Eligibility Information 6 A. Eligible Applicants 6 B. Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement 7 C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility 7

IV. Application and Submission Information 8 A. Address to Request Application Package 8 B. Content and Form of Application 8 C. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) 15 D. Submission Dates and Times 15 E. Intergovernmental Review 15 F. Funding Restrictions 16 G. Other Submission Requirements 16

V. Application Review Information 16 A. Evaluation Criteria 16 B. Review and Selection Process 18 C. Selection Factors 20 D. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates 21

VI. Award Administration Information 21 A. Award Notices 21 B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements 22 C. Reporting 24

VII. Agency Contacts 26 VIII. Other Information 27

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 1 of 28

ANNOUNCEMENT OF FEDERAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Federal Agency Name(s): National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce

Funding Opportunity Title: 2017 Alaska Native Organization Co-Management Funding Program

Announcement Type: Initial

Funding Opportunity Number: NOAA-NMFS-AK-2017-2005163

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.439, Marine Mammal Data Program

Dates: Applications or proposals must be received and validated by Grants.gov by 7:00 p.m., Alaska Standard Time (AST), March 27, 2017. Applications/proposals received after the established deadline will be rejected and returned to the sender without consideration.

Applications submitted through Grants.gov are automatically stamped with the date and time submission, which will be the basis for determining timeliness. The application must be validated by Grants.gov in order to be considered timely.

PLEASE NOTE: It may take Grants.gov up to two (2) business days to validate or reject the application. Please consider this when developing your submission timeline. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that all required elements have been appropriately submitted.

Applications must be received by http//www.grants.gov, postmarked, or provided to a delivery service by 7:00 p.m., AST, March 27, 2017. Use of Grants.gov is preferred. If Grants.gov cannot reasonably be used, use of U.S. mail or another delivery service must be documented with a receipt; private metered postmarks are not acceptable. Postmarked applications received more than 5 business days following the closing date will not be accepted. No facsimile or electronic mail proposals will be accepted.

Funding Opportunity Description: The National Marine Fisheries Service (hereinafter, "NMFS") recognizes the unique importance of marine mammals to Alaska Native Organizations (hereinafter, "ANOs") and values ongoing efforts by Alaska Native Tribes and ANOs to conserve and protect subsistence species under NMFS' jurisdiction. Pursuant to 16 U.S.C.

§1388, NMFS may provide Federal assistance to ANOs to conserve marine mammals and to promote co-management of Alaska Native subsistence use of such mammals under NMFS' jurisdiction. This assistance, provided in the form of cooperative agreements, may be used to support conservation of marine mammals utilized for subsistence purposes by Alaska Natives.

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Funded activities may include development and implementation of species management, subsistence harvest monitoring, subsistence harvest sampling, scientific research, and public education and outreach. Proposed activities should address priority actions identified in an Endangered Species Act Recovery Plan or Marine Mammal Protection Act Conservation Plan where applicable and the priorities identified within this federal funding opportunity. Tribally- Authorized ANOs with a signed agreement for co-management with NMFS are eligible to apply under this solicitation.

Proposals focusing on marine mammals under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will not be considered for funding under this grant program. This document describes how to prepare and submit proposals for funding in fiscal year (hereinafter, "FY") 2017 and how NMFS will determine which proposals will be funded. This announcement should be read in its entirety, as some information has changed from the previous year.

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FULL ANNOUNCEMENT TEXT

I. Funding Opportunity Description

A. Program Objective

The objective of the FY 2017 Alaska Native Co-Management Funding Program (ANCFP) is to provide technical and financial assistance for the development and implementation of programs that:

• Encourage local participation supporting marine mammal science and management;

• Facilitate the equitable participation by qualified Alaska Native Organizations in the management of marine mammals for subsistence use; and

• Provide for sustainable use of marine mammals for subsistence purposes; Promote conservation and/or recovery of marine mammals.

B. Program Priorities

Applicants should ensure that their applications address one or more of the following priorities, which are listed in no particular rank order of preference (i.e., no one factor carrying a higher priority than any other). If a project meets more than one of the listed priorities, applicants should list first the priority that most closely reflects the objectives of the proposed project. Each project must list the priority(s) being addressed.

The Marine Mammal Co-Management priorities for FY 2017 are as follows (in no particular order):

HARVEST MONITORING: Collect and disseminate subsistence harvest monitoring information to describe what marine mammals are harvested and how the harvest occurs.

ALASKA NATIVE TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE: Convey traditional and local ecological knowledge and wisdom to managers, scientists, and subsistence users to address co-management goals.

RESEARCH PROJECTS: Design and implement research projects on subsistence marine mammal species (e.g., bio-sampling projects) that improve or inform management decisions.

FOOD SECURITY: Work collaboratively with NMFS and others to protect the role of subsistence harvests of marine mammals in providing food security for Alaska Native communities, especially in light of climate change.

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HARVEST MANAGEMENT: Manage subsistence harvests with Alaska Native hunters to address regional or local differences in the harvest and use of marine mammals and to reduce the number of marine mammals struck and lost where practical.

EDUCATION AND OUTREACH: Work collaboratively with NMFS and others to develop education, outreach, and mentoring programs and materials related to marine mammals and associated research, subsistence harvest, or co-management.

INTERNATIONAL OBLIGATIONS: Provide information to support the US Government in any international reporting efforts and negotiations directly related to subsistence harvest quotas, cooperate in the execution of programs required to support international efforts to secure subsistence harvest quotas, and collaborate with NMFS to fulfill US treaty obligations pertaining to marine mammals.

THREATS TO SUBSISTENCE RESOURCES: Work collaboratively with NMFS and others to identify threats from development and commercial activities on the health, well-being, and availability of marine mammals harvested for subsistence, and identify measures to minimize threats.

COOPERATIVE MANAGEMENT: Organize and liaise between Alaska Native hunters and NMFS for the cooperative management and conservation of marine mammals in waters off Alaska, consistent with signed co-management agreements, and refine existing co-management agreements as needed.

C. Program Authority

16 U.S.C. § 1388

II. Award Information

A. Funding Availability

Total funding available under this notice is anticipated to be approximately $1,600,000.

Actual funding for this program is contingent upon FY2017 Federal appropriations. Award amounts will be determined by the content of the proposals and the availability of funds.

Applicants are hereby given notice that these funds have not yet been appropriated for this program. Publication of this notice does not obligate NOAA to make an award to any specific project or to obligate any funding. If an application is selected for funding, NOAA has no obligation to provide any additional funding beyond the award period.

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There is no guarantee that sufficient funds will be available to make awards to all deserving projects. The exact amount of funds that may be awarded will be determined in pre-award discussions between the applicant and NOAA representatives. In appropriate circumstances, NOAA reserves the right to partially fund proposals by funding discrete portions of phases of a proposed project. If NOAA decides to partially fund a proposal, it will do so in a manner that does not prejudice any applicants or affect the basis upon which the proposal or portion thereof, was evaluated or selected for award, and therefore maintains the integrity of the competition and selection process.

If an applicant incurs any costs prior to receiving an award agreement signed by an authorized NOAA official, the applicant would do solely at its own risk of these costs not being reimbursed by the government or not receiving an award. Pre-award costs are not allowed under the award unless approved by the NOAA Grants Officer in accordance with 2 C.F.R. Parts 200.308(d) and 200.458. Applicants are hereby again given notice that funds have not yet been appropriated for this program.

The exact amount of funds, the scope of work, and terms and conditions of a successful award will be determined in pre-award negotiations between the successful applicant and a NOAA representative.

B. Project/Award Period

The project budget period is recommended to be 12 months in duration. The requested award start date must begin on the first day of the first month and end on the last day of the last month of the project period. NMFS expects the majority of projects to have one year project periods.

C. Type of Funding Instrument

Successful proposals will be funded through a cooperative agreement. Cooperative agreements are awards that include substantial involvement by NOAA in the management of the project. Examples of substantial involvement may include, but are not limited to, assisting in the development of outreach materials; collaboration between NOAA scientists and a recipient scientist; input into organizational structure, mode of operations, and programmatic activities; review and revision of draft objectives; regularly-scheduled monitoring; and/or operational involvement during performance.

III. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Applicants

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Eligible ANO applicants must have an existing marine mammal agreement for co-management with NMFS and be in "good standing" with NMFS. An applicant is considered to be in "good standing" if the ANO meets the following criteria:

1) No pending enforcement actions under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) or the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

2) Progress and financial reports on current Federal assistance awards are up-to-date and/or completed in a timely manner.

3) Satisfactory past performance. This includes completion of proposed projects and objectives in a timely manner and as stated in previous proposals. Unsatisfactory performance under prior or current Federal awards, including delinquency in submitting progress and financial reports, or failure to complete products and meet proposal objectives and tasks within the project period, may result in proposals not being considered for funding or affect the final funding recommendation under the 2017 Alaska Native Co-Management Funding Program.

4) Ability to operate within the purpose and goals described within the agreement for co-management with NMFS.

ANOs meeting the eligibility criteria above may choose to apply under another entity acting as a fiscal agent for the ANO, provided the application contains a thorough description of the relationship between the ANO and the fiscal agent entity and the responsibilities undertaken by each party. The ANO will be the lead entity/organization as named in the application.

Any ANO not holding an existing agreement for co-management with NMFS may collaborate with and apply as a sub-recipient under an eligible applicant (i.e., another ANO) for this program.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement

No cost sharing or matching is required under this program.

C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility

In order to be considered for an award in this funding cycle, the applicant must provide a proof of eligibility document. Proof of eligibility will be a copy of the current signed agreement for co-management between NMFS and the ANO. Any proposal that does not provide a copy of all pages of the signed agreement will not be considered eligible and will not be considered for further review.

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IV. Application and Submission Information

A. Address to Request Application Package

Application packages are available through the Grants.gov website at http://www.grants.gov. Delays may be experienced when registering with Grants.gov near the end of a solicitation period. Therefore, NMFS strongly recommends that you do not wait until the application deadline to begin the registration/application process through the Grants.gov website.

If an applicant has problems downloading, please contact 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov.

Applicants unable to effectively access application materials electronically should refer to the NOAA official listed in Section VII of this Announcement to obtain the application materials.

B. Content and Form of Application

NOAA employees (whether full-time, part-time, or intermittent) are not permitted to assist in the preparation of an application, except that staff may provide information on program goals, funding priorities, application procedures, and completion of application forms. Since this is a competitive program, NOAA employees will not provide assistance in conceptualizing, developing, or structuring proposals, or write letters of support for a proposal.

Applications must adhere to the requirements under the Applications and Required Elements subsection and submit applications by the posted deadline. Failure to follow these provisions will result in proposals being rejected and returned to the applicant without review.

1. Applications

A complete standard NOAA grant application package must be submitted in accordance with the guidelines in this document. These forms are available through the Grants.gov website at http//www.grants.gov. Each application must include:

- Application for Federal Assistance: SF-424

- Budget Information - Non-Construction Programs: SF-424A

- Assurances - Non-Construction Programs: SF-424B

- Certification Regarding Lobbying: CD-511

- Disclosure of Lobbying Activities: SF-LLL (if applicable)

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- NEPA Questionnaire, http://www.nepa.noaa.gov/questionnaire.pdf

- Data Sharing Plan (described below)

- Project Summary (described below)

- Project Narrative Description (described below)

- Detailed Narrative Budget Justification (described below)

- Other supporting Documentation and Relevant Attachments the applicant deems important to the overall understanding and evaluation of the proposed project.

Applicants must identify the specific priority or priorities to which they are responding.

Applicants should not assume prior knowledge on the part of NMFS as to the relative merits of the project described in the application.

2. Required Elements

Proposals should be limited to 25 pages. The format may vary, but must include:

a. Title Page (One page limit)

This page shall provide the project title, project duration, applicant name(s), name(s) of the Principal Investigator (or Project Manager) and any Co-Investigators (or Co-Managers), complete contact information (address, telephone, fax, email, and phone number) of the applicant(s), and a statement regarding the Federal, non- Federal, and total costs of the project.

b. Project Summary (Two page limit)

Provide a brief summary of the project goals and objectives, the proposed activities and products, connection to the specific funding priority being identified, the geographic area where the project would occur, and expected outcomes and benefits of the proposed activities. This summary may be posted on NOAA’s website if the project is funded.

c. Project Description (25 page limit)

Each project must be completely and accurately described, and include project and administrative objectives. Project objectives should be simple and understandable; as specific and quantitative as possible; clear as to the "what and when," and attainable within the time, funding, and resources available. Administrative objectives should be described in a similar fashion. The main body of the narrative should clearly state how the administrative

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 9 of 28 and project work will be undertaken to meet the priorities. The narrative must be detailed enough for reviewers to make a clear connection between the proposed activities and the proposed project costs. It should include a timeline for major activities of the proposed project, and should indicate who will be responsible for which activities. There should be no ambiguity about who will perform particular parts of the projects, and the time at which these activities take place.

The following do not count towards the 25-page limit: standard application forms, project summary, budget and justification, letters of support, resumes/curriculum vitae; lists of permits, NEPA questionnaire; and data sharing plan.

You must provide a narrative description of your project that includes the information listed below:

(1) Project Design: Project design describes specific work, activities, procedures, statistical design, or analytical methods that are being undertaken and what will be accomplished during the period of the project. Applications should be accomplishment oriented and identify specific performance measures and the products or other outcomes that will result from the project. Project performance measures could be due dates for draft and final technical and monitoring reports, dates for field seasons/data collection, or percentage of harvest sampled. Administrative performance measures could be dates, agendas, or minutes of board of directors, council, or commissioners meetings, dates for website updating, or dates and contents of outreach and education materials from camps or hunter meetings. Milestones should also be listed describing the specific activities and associated time lines to conduct the scope of work. Describe the time lines in increments (e.g. month 1, month 2), rather than by specific dates. Describe products of the project, such as a manual, video, handbook, or newsletter, summary of harvest or biological data, or piece of equipment. Indicate how project results will be disseminated to potential subsistence users, stakeholders, or community members.

Include performance measures setting forth the process of assessing progress toward achieving predetermined goals, including timeliness, quality, outcomes, and effectiveness.

Performance management involves developing measurable performance goals, prioritizing staff time or resources to meet those goals, communicating regularly with NMFS about the effectiveness of meeting goals, and reporting progress, delays, completion, and unanticipated outcomes as outlined in the proposal. You should not assume that we already know the relative merits of the project you describe.

(2) Goals and Objectives: Identify the specific program priority (described in Section I. B.

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Program Priorities) the project intends to address and describe its significance. Identify the problem/opportunity you intend to address and describe its significance. Identify the administrative and/or project objectives, which should be simple and understandable, as specific and quantitative as possible; clear as to the “what and when”; and attainable within the time, funding, and resources available. State what you expect the project to accomplish.

(3) Project Management: Describe how the project will be organized and managed, and who will be responsible for carrying out the project or administrative activities. The lead organization/individual and person listed as the technical contact should be identified as the Principal Investigator (PI). Please also include information about the specific responsibilities and time commitments of other personnel funded through the proposal, including technical and administrative points of contact as appropriate. Provide curricula vitae or resumes and job descriptions for all personnel funded through the proposal. Use of sub-contractors or volunteer staff time to complete project activities and oversight of those individuals should be discussed. The PI is responsible for all technical oversight and implementation of the approved work plan as delineated in the proposal. One PI must be designated on each project, but the PI may or may not be the applicant. However, if the applicant is not the PI, there must be an explanation of the relationship between the applicant and PI (e.g., applicant will be responsible for managing the grant funds and the PM will be responsible for completing the project milestones on time and within budget, etc.). Project participants or organizations that will have a significant role in conducting the project should be listed as Co-investigators or Co-Managers. Organizations or individuals that support the project, for example, researchers contributing data or materials, should be referred to as Cooperators.

Copies of the PI's and all Co-investigator's current resumes or curricula vitae and position descriptions must be included as appendices. Include copies of any agreements between you and the participants describing the specific tasks to be performed.

If any portion of the project will be conducted through consultants, subcontracts and/or sub-awards, you must follow guidance in the requirements set out at 2 C.F.R. §§ 200.330 through 200.332, as applicable. If you select a consultant, subcontractor and/or sub-awardee prior to submitting an application, indicate the process that you used for selection and provide a statement of his/her qualifications, and experience (e.g., resume or curriculum vitae).

(4) Benefits or results expected: Identify the outcomes and effort expended to achieve the results or benefits anticipated from the proposed work. Describe how these expected outcomes will be applied and/or made available to NMFS, identified user groups, or other Alaska Native Organizations. Describe the effort expended to achieve a particular goal and measures the value of a project or program's activity.

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(5) Need for Government financial assistance: Explain why you need NOAA financial assistance for the proposed work, and why other funding sources, if applicable, cannot fund all the proposed work. List all other sources of funding that are or have been sought for the program or project proposed.

(6) Participation by persons or groups other than the applicant: Describe the need for government financial assistance. List all other sources of funding that are or have been sought for the project.

(7). Describe how government and non-government entities, particularly members of the ANO communities will participate in the project, and the nature of their participation.

(8) Federal, State and local government activities: List any plans or activities (Federal, State, or local government activities) this project would affect and describe the relationship between the proposed project and those plans or activities. Describe any coordination with other agency programs. Describe any other proposals or outside activities that are essential to the success of this proposal.

(9) Permitting: It is your responsibility to obtain all necessary Federal, State, and local government permits and approvals where necessary for the proposed work to be conducted.

You must note whether or not permits are required. If no permits are required, this section must include a statement indicating that “no permits are required”. If yes, provide a list of all applicable permits that will be required to perform the proposed work and an indication of the status of any permits needed.

d. Detailed Budget and Budget Narrative

In order to allow reviewers to fully evaluate the appropriateness of proposed costs, the budget justification narrative must include a detailed breakdown of total project costs by category of cost (object class) separated into federal and non-federal shares as they relate to specific aspects of the project, with appropriate narrative justification for both the federal and non-federal (if applicable) shares. The object classes must match those found in the SF- 424A. The budget justification narrative should be sufficiently detailed to enable a clear understanding of the cost breakdown and calculations used to derive the line item subtotals in each object class of the SF-424A budget form. You are encouraged to include a budget table to further clarify the cost breakdown. Additional cost detail may be required prior to a final analysis of overall cost allowability, allocability, and reasonableness.

Budget Narrative detail should be broken down by sub-project and should contain a detailed

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 12 of 28 breakdown of personnel hours and costs associated by task/project as well as contractual hours and costs by task/project. Funds for salaries and benefits may be requested only for those personnel who are directly involved in implementing the proposed project and whose salaries and fringe benefits are directly related to specific projects or outcomes of the proposed project. Hourly rates and project hours worked on the project and/or percentage of time and yearly salary should be included for all salary requests. Applicants are strongly encouraged to request reasonable amount of funding for salaries and fringe benefits. The Budget Narrative provides this cost information in a “narrative format”.

In addition to a Budget Narrative, a Detailed Budget should be provided on a separate sheet or spreadsheet, showing itemized costs per category and the corresponding Federal and non- Federal share and direct and indirect cost totals. For the non-Federal share, if any, the itemized costs should be separated into cash and in-kind contributions. If in-kind contributions are included, describe briefly the basis for estimating the value of these contributions. Note: No cost sharing or matching is required under this program.

Travel costs should be broken out by number of people traveling, destination, purpose of travel, and projected costs per person. Projected travel costs should be inclusive of transport costs, lodging costs, and per diem expenses for all travelers, which are to be described in detail in the Budget Narrative. If travel details for a particular trip are unknown, explain the basis for estimating proposed costs. Domestic travel is to be justified separately from foreign travel, since the latter may require additional clearances. You must adhere to the provisions of the ‘Fly America Act’. Note: Only travel costs associated with applicant’s proposed award related personnel should be included in this category.

“Equipment” is non-expendable, tangible personal property with a unit cost of $5,000 or more and useful life of more than one year. Items that do not meet the equipment definition must be included under supplies. List each piece of equipment separately and reference the type/model to be purchased and its contribution to the achievement of the project goals.

General use equipment must be used 100% for the projects project if charged directly to the award; if the equipment will be used for multiple projects, only a portion of the expense that is commensurate with the actual use of the equipment during the project may be requested.

Supplies should be itemized to the level of detail known or may be based on established historical costs. Whenever possible, you should include the quantity/number of units and cost per unit to justify expenses listed in the supplies category and relevance to the project.

Contractual costs should be itemized separately, according to standard budget categories that appear in the SF-424A; all types of contractual costs should be included in the Contractual

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 13 of 28 line of the SF-424A and explained in detail in the Budget Narrative. You must indicate the basis for each contract’s cost estimate and specify the products and services to be obtained through all contracts.

The budget may include an amount for indirect costs if the applicant has an approved indirect cost rate agreement with the federal government. Indirect costs are essentially overhead costs for basic operational functions (e.g., lights, rent, water, and insurance) that are incurred for common or joint objectives and therefore cannot be identified specifically within a particular project. A copy of the current, approved negotiated indirect costs agreement with the federal government must be included with the application.

If an applicant has not previously established an indirect cost rate with a Federal agency, it may choose to negotiate a rate with the Department of Commerce or use the de minimis indirect cost rate of 10% of modified total direct costs (MTDC). The negotiation and approval of a rate is subject to the procedures required by NOAA and the Department of Commerce Standard Terms and Conditions Section B.06. The NOAA contact for indirect or facilities and administrative costs is:

Lamar Revis, Grants Officer NOAA Grants Management Division 1325 East West Highway, 9th Floor Silver Spring, Maryland 20910 lamar.revis@noaa.gov

NOAA/NMFS will not consider fees, fundraising activities, or travel for activities not directly related to project implementation, travel or salaries for Federal employees, or profit as allowable costs in the proposed budget. The total costs of a project consist of all allowable costs incurred in accomplishing project activities during the project period. A project begins on the effective date of an award agreement between the applicant and the Grants Officer and ends on the date specified in the award. Applicants will not be reimbursed for time expended or costs incurred in developing a project or in preparing an application, or in any discussions or negotiations with the agency prior to the award.

e. Appendices or Supporting Documentation

This section should include the supporting documentation such as: qualifications (i.e., curriculum vitae or resumes) of the primary project personnel (PM/PI and any Co- Managers/ Co-Investigators), position descriptions, agreements with key partners, a copy of established indirect cost rate agreement, letters of support received from relevant

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 14 of 28 representatives, partners or communities supporting the project, and letters of cooperation between the Principal Investigator and all named participants in the project, describing and agreeing to the specific activities each participant would perform (e.g., participants/collaborators receiving marine mammal samples/specimens). Applicants requiring scientific research permits must also include evidence of such a permit (i.e., the permit number) or evidence they have submitted a permit application. Additional material, documents and information necessary or useful to the description of the project will help us to understand the project and the priority you seek to address. Letters of support and/or cooperation are strongly recommended. The Data/Information Sharing Plan (described below) should also be attached as an appendix.

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

To enable the use of a universal identifier and to enhance the quality of information available to the public as required by the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006, to the extent applicable, any proposal awarded in response to this announcement will be required to use the System for Award Management (SAM), which may be accessed online at https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/. Applicants are also required to use the Dun and Bradstreet Universal Numbering System and will be subject to reporting requirements, as identified in OMB guidance published at 2 CFR Parts 25, 170 (2013), which may be accessed at http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SJD- 1ccffb4c1d4de03addd6a041113460f9&mc-true&node-se2.1.200_l300&rgn-div.

D. Submission Dates and Times

Applications must be received by www.grant.gov, postmarked, or provided to a delivery service by 7:00 p.m., Alaska Standard Time, March 27, 2017. Note: It may take www.grants.gov up to two (2) business days to validate or reject an application. Please keep this in mind when developing your submission timeline.

If Grants.gov cannot reasonably be used, use of U.S. mail or another delivery service must be documented with a receipt; private metered postmarks are not acceptable. Postmarked applications received more than 5 business days following the closing date will not be accepted.

No facsimile or electronic mail applications will be accepted.

E. Intergovernmental Review

Applications submitted by state and local governments are subject to the provisions of Executive Order 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." Any applicant

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 15 of 28 submitting an application for funding is required to complete item 16 on SF-424 regarding clearance by the State Single Point of Contact (SPOC) established as a result of EO 12372.

To find out about and comply with a State's process under EO 12372, the names, addresses and phone numbers of participating SPOC's are listed in the Office of Management and Budget's home page at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_spoc.

F. Funding Restrictions

Eligibility is limited to Alaska Native Organizations with an existing marine mammal co-management agreement with the NMFS and who are in "good standing" with NMFS. See Section III.A.

G. Other Submission Requirements

Permits, Pre-approvals, and Clearances: The applicant is required to obtain the necessary permits, approvals and/or clearances that authorize the actions and activities required to carry out the project as proposed. This shall include meeting the requirements of applicable federal law and all local regulations. To ensure that such permits, approvals, and clearances, where required, are obtained prior to the release of funds to the recipient, specific requirements in the form of Special Award Conditions may be attached to the NOAA award documents. When requested, the applicant must also be available to respond to questions during all phases of review and evaluation of applications.

V. Application Review Information

A. Evaluation Criteria

Technical/Merit reviewers will evaluate applications by assigning scores based on the following standard evaluation criteria, associated questions, and respective weights specified below. Written comments are required to justify provided scores in each section of the review. Applications that best address these criteria and associated questions will be most competitive.

1. Importance and/or relevance and applicability of the proposed project to the program objectives (30 points). Proposals will be evaluated on clear identification of proposed project objectives and the applicant's ability to link those objectives to the priorities within the ANCFP. Proposals will also be evaluated on the applicant's ability to link their co-management agreements, and, if relevant, to relevant species recovery plans or relevant species conservation plans. Are the activities, tasks, objectives and/or projects listed in the proposal appropriate under the ANCFP?

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2. Technical/scientific merit (20 points): This criterion assesses whether the approach is technically sound and/or innovative, if the methods are appropriate, and whether there are clear project objectives. Proposals should provide a clear identification of objectives, clear definition of the project design, strengths or weakness, and the means to measure and evaluate performance. Special emphasis will be given to proposals that foster and improve cooperative interactions with NMFS.

Are the objectives in the proposal clearly defined and focused? Does the applicant demonstrate that the objectives are realistic and can be reached within the proposed project period? Are the conceptual framework, design, methods, and analyses adequately developed, well-integrated, and appropriate to the aims of the project? Does the applicant acknowledge potential problem areas and consider ways to resolve the issues or implement alternative tactics? Is sufficient detail provided in the proposal about the methods proposed for monitoring and evaluating the success of the project? Are they appropriate? Reviewers will carefully consider the likelihood of meeting milestones and achieving anticipated results specified in the statement of work.

3. Overall qualifications of the applicant (20 points): This criterion assesses whether the applicant, and team members, possess the necessary education, experience, training, facilities, and administrative resources to accomplish the project. Reviewers will consider previous related experience and qualifications of the project's PM or PI, Co-Manager(s) or Co-Investigator(s) and other personnel, including designated contractors, consultants, and cooperators. Reviewers will also consider past award performance of the applicant(s) and

PM/PI.

Does the applicant have adequate administrative capability and experience in successfully completing similar projects? Does the applicant provide position descriptions of staff being funded through the proposal? Does the proposal include resumes and/or curricula vitae of the PM/PI or staff funded through the proposal? Successful past performance will be considered during evaluation regarding the applicant's overall qualifications and their ability to meet their proposed objectives and tasks within the project period. Reviewers will consider the past performance of the applicant when considering the likelihood of meeting milestones, producing objectives, or achieving results.

4. Project costs (30 points): This criterion evaluates the budget to determine if it is realistic and commensurate with the project needs and time frame. Applicant must clearly differentiate between proposed administrative and project(s) costs as specified under section B, Program Priorities. The itemized costs and the overall budget must be justified, clear to the reviewer, cost-effective, and appropriately allocated. Applicant should include

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 17 of 28 organization’s travel, airfare, and rental car policies and rates. Applicant should include organization’s equipment, supplies, and transportation policy. The proposed costs and overall budget of the project will be evaluated according to the proposed work. Note that all project costs including administrative costs must be limited to species of marine mammals that are managed by NMFS.

Is the budget cost-effective and realistic based on the applicant's stated objectives, time frame, and amount of overall project budget? Is the proposed budget sufficiently detailed, with appropriate budget breakdown and justification of costs by object class?

B. Review and Selection Process

Screening, review, and selection procedures will take place in three (3) steps: initial screening, technical/merit panel review, and final selection by the Selecting Official (i.e., the Regional Administrator, NMFS Alaska Region). An initial screening and evaluation of applications will be conducted to ensure that application packages have all required forms and application elements, clearly relate to the 2017 Alaska Native Co-management Funding Program, and meet all of the eligibility criteria.

NMFS will screen applications to ensure that they were received by the deadline date (see IV.C. Submission Dates and Times); include a SF 424 authenticated by an authorized representative, as well as other required federal forms; were submitted by an eligible applicant; address one of the funding priorities; include a budget, statement of work, and milestones; and identify the principal investigator. NMFS does not have to screen applications before the submission deadline in order to identify deficiencies that would cause your application to be rejected so that you would have an opportunity to correct them.

However, should you independently decide it is desirable to do so, you may correct any deficiencies in your application before the deadline.

After the deadline, the application must remain as submitted; no changes can be made to it.

If your application does not conform to the requirements listed above, and the deadline for submission has passed, the application will be returned without further consideration.

Applications meeting the requirements of this solicitation will then undergo technical/merit panel review. Each will be reviewed by reviewers that evaluate and discuss the application in a panel setting, followed by an individual scoring using the evaluation criteria provided in section V.A. (Evaluation Criteria) above. Technical/merit reviewers will be individuals with appropriate subject-matter expertise and may be from Federal or state agencies, or other organizations. The merit reviewers' scores will be used to produce a rank order of the proposals. In an effort to ensure that the review and selection process is fair and objective the

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 18 of 28 identity of individual reviewers will remain anonymous, to the extent permitted by law.

After applications have undergone merit review, the Selecting Official will make the final decision regarding which applications will be funded based upon the rankings, funding amount recommendations, and evaluations of the applications. If the Selecting Official accepts an application for a project not in accordance with the rank given or the recommendation of the reviewer panel, the Selecting Official will consult with the Federal Program Officer and provide a detailed written explanation of the reasons for the action based on the selection factors below. The authority for approving a grant award for projects rests solely with NOAA.

Please note that not all activities, tasks, objectives or projects submitted under a single proposal may be deemed appropriate for funding; as such, the Selecting Official may recommend alternate activities as appropriate or partial funding, based on selection factors and/or panel review written evaluations. For an application to be selected for funding the applicant may be required to modify objectives, work plans, budgets, and provide supplemental information required by the agency prior to the award. This may result in submission of a revised application before final funding decisions are made.

The NOAA Grants Officer will review financial and grants administration aspects of a proposed award, including conducting an assessment of the risk posed by the applicant in accordance with 2 CFR 200.205. In addition to reviewing repositories of government-wide eligibility, qualifications or financial integrity information, the risk assessment conducted by NOAA may consider items such as the financial stability of an applicant, quality of the applicants management systems, an applicant’s history of performance, previous audit reports and audit findings concerning the applicant and the applicant’s ability to effectively implement statutory, regulatory, or other requirements imposed on non-Federal entities.

Applicants should be in compliance with the terms of any existing NOAA grants or cooperative agreements and otherwise eligible to receive Federal awards, or make arrangements satisfactory to the Grants Officer, to be considered for funding under this competition. All reports due should be received and any concerns raised by the agency should be timely addressed in order to receive a new award.

Upon review of these factors, if appropriate, specific award conditions that respond to the degree of risk may be applied by the NOAA Grants Officer pursuant to 2 CFR 200.207.

NOAA also reserves the right to reject an application in its entirety where information is uncovered that raises a significant risk with respect to the responsibility or suitability of an applicant. In addition, NOAA may not make a Federal award to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable unique identifier and System for Award

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Management requirements referenced in Section IV.C. of this Announcement, 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.

The final approval of selected applications and issuance of awards will be by the NOAA Grants Officer. The award decision of the Grants Officer is final and there is no right of appeal.

We will notify you in writing whether your application is selected or not. Successful applications will be incorporated into the cooperative agreement award documentation. After the applicant has agreed to an award they must schedule to meet with the NMFS program staff to clarify special award conditions, priorities, staffing, and work plans versus the final funding level prior to initiating work under the new award. (See VI. Award Administration Information, A. Award Notices).

C. Selection Factors

The NMFS Regional Administrator, Alaska Region will be the Selecting Official. The merit review ratings shall provide a rank order to the Selecting Official for final funding recommendations. The Selecting Official will review the rank order, funding recommendations and comments from all reviewers and determine the applicants to be funded and how much funding shall be awarded to each selected applicant. A program officer may first make recommendations to the Selecting Official after applying the selection factors below. The Selecting Official shall award in the rank order unless the proposal is justified to be selected out of rank order based upon one or more of the following factors:

1. Availability of funding

2. Balance/distribution of funds by:

(a) Geographically,

(b) Type of institution,

(c) Type of partners,

(d) Research areas, and

(e) Project types.

3. Duplication of other projects funded or considered for funding by NOAA or other Federal agencies.

4. Program priorities and policy factors.

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5. Applicant's prior or current award performance (including progress and financial reporting, and ability to meet proposed objectives and tasks within project period in a timely manner).

6. Partnerships and/or Participation of targeted groups.

Key program policy factors (see 4 above) to be considered by the Selecting Official are:

a. The time of year the research activities are to be conducted;

b. The ability of the proposal to meet the applicable requirements;

c. Redundancy of research projects.

Therefore, the highest scoring projects may not necessarily be selected for an award.

D. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates

Subject to the availability of funds, the competitive selection process and subsequent notification of applications being considered for funding are expected to be completed four months following the date given in this announcement.

VI. Award Administration Information

A. Award Notices

Upon completion of the review and selection process, successful applicants will receive notification from the Alaska Native Co-Management Funding Program Office that the application has been recommended for funding to the NOAA Grants Management Division.

This notification is not an authorization to begin project operations, and is not a guarantee of funding. Official notification of selection, signed by the NOAA Grants Officer, is the authorizing document that allows the project to begin. This notification will be issued to the Authorizing Representative of the project electronically through use of Grants Online.

Projects should not be initiated in expectation of Federal funding until the Applicant’s Authorized Representative has received official notice of the award from the NOAA Grants Officer and has reviewed and accepted the terms of the award. Unsuccessful applicants will be notified that their proposal was not recommended for funding or was not reviewed because it did not meet the minimum requirements described in IV.B (Content and Form of Applications). Unselected paper applications will be returned to the applicant.

Successful applicants may be asked to modify objectives, work plans, or budgets prior to

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 21 of 28 final approval of an award. The exact amount of funds to be awarded, the final scope of activities, the project duration, and specific NOAA cooperative involvement with the activities of each project will be determined in pre-award negotiations among the applicant, the NOAA Grants Management Division, and NOAA/NMFS program staff.