NOAA-NMFS-AK-2024-2008194 NOFO Report (1).pdf

2024 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) 16 D. Submission Dates and Times 16 E. Intergovernmental Review 17 F. Funding Restrictions 17 G. Other Submission Requirements 17

V. Application Review Information 19 A. Evaluation Criteria 19 B. Review and Selection Process 20 C. Selection Factors 21 D. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates 22

VI. Award Administration Information 22 A. Award Notices 22 B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements 24 C. Reporting 29

VII. Agency Contacts 31 VIII. Other Information 31

Notice of Federal Funding Page 1 of 31

NOTICE OF 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: 2024 Alaska Native Organization Co-Management Funding Program

Announcement Type: Initial

Funding Opportunity Number: NOAA-NMFS-AK-2024-2008194

Federal Assistance Listings Number: 11.439, Marine Mammal Data Program

Dates: Complete proposals/applications must be received by the NOAA NMFS Alaska Regional Office on or before 7:59 pm, Alaska Standard Time (AST), February 2, 2024. Proposals received after the established deadline will be rejected and returned to the sender without consideration.

For proposals submitted through Grants.gov, a date and time receipt indication will be the basis of determining timeliness. The proposal must be validated by Grants.gov in order to be considered timely. It may take Grants.gov up to two (2) business days to validate or reject the application. Please keep this in mind in developing your submission timeline. For those without access to the Internet, one signed original application must be postmarked or received by the established due date. Use of U.S. mail or another delivery service must be documented with a receipt. Note that late-arriving hard copy proposals provided to a delivery service on or before 7:59 pm. on the closing date for applications will be accepted for review if the applicant can document that the proposal was provided to the guaranteed delivery service by the specified closing date and time and if the proposal is received by the NOAA NMFS Alaska Regional Office no later than 7:59 p.m., five business days following the closing date. Private metered postmarks are not acceptable. 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. Funded activities may include development and implementation of species management, subsistence harvest monitoring, subsistence harvest sampling, scientific research, and public education and

Notice of Federal Funding Page 2 of 31 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") 2024 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 FY24 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;

• Provide for sustainable use of marine mammals for subsistence purposes; and

• 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). Proposals should list all priorities being addressed.

The Marine Mammal Co-Management priorities for Fiscal Year 2024 are as follows:

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

INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE: Convey indigenous knowledge to support co-management research and goals.

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

FOOD SECURITY: Work collaboratively with NMFS and others to protect the food security for Alaska Native communities by ensuring the availability of marine mammals for subsistence use in light of climate change and threats from development and commercial activities.

SUBSISTENCE USE MANAGEMENT: Manage subsistence use with Alaska Native hunters to address regional or local differences in the use of marine mammals and, when practical or necessary, develop measures to reduce the number of marine mammals struck and lost.

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EDUCATION AND OUTREACH: Develop education, outreach, and mentoring programs and materials related to marine mammals and associated research, subsistence harvest, and/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.

COOPERATIVE MANAGEMENT: Initiate and promote projects and exchanges between Alaska Native hunters/harvesters and NMFS for the cooperative management and conservation of marine mammals in 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 $1,500,000 per year. Actual funding for this program is contingent upon FY24 Federal appropriations.

Award amounts will be determined by the content of the proposals and the availability of funds for each year. 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 first year. There is no guarantee that sufficient funds will be available to make awards to all qualified projects. 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 NOAA program official. NOAA reserves the right to partially fund proposals by funding discrete portions of phases of a proposed project. Projects partially funded must stand alone, and be maintained and/or completed without the need for additional funding. If NOAA decides to partially fund a proposal, it will do so in a manner that does not prejudice any applicant or affect the basis upon which the proposal, or portion thereof, was evaluated or selected for award. In so doing, the agency maintains the integrity of the competition and selection process.

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If an applicant incurs any costs prior to receiving an award agreement signed by an authorized NOAA official, the applicant would do so solely at its own risk of these costs not being reimbursed by the government or not receiving an award. Pre-award costs over 90 days are not allowed under the award unless approved by the NOAA Grants Officer in accordance with 2 C.F.R. Parts 200.308(e)(1) and 200.458.

B. Project/Award Period

A project period will be at minimum 12 months in duration and extend up to a maximum of three years. For multi-year proposals, applicants must include project plans and separate budgets for each year of the project. Multi-year projects may be funded in one-year or greater increments depending on available funds and terms of the award. In either case, multi-year awards do not compete for funding in subsequent budget periods within the approved award period. Rather, any funding required for subsequent years is added to the multi-year award incrementally, provided demonstration of satisfactory performance by the recipient and provided funds to support the continuation of the project are available. If a grant recipient wishes to continue work on a funded project beyond the project period and obligated award funds have not been expended by the end of this period, the recipient can notify the assigned Federal Program Officer no later than 30 days prior to the end of the award period to determine eligibility for a no-cost extension. If, however, the money is expended and funds are needed to continue the project, the applicant should submit another proposal during the next competitive award cycle (e.g. FY 2025) or seek an alternate source of funding.

Project start dates should be no earlier than July 1, 2024, unless an earlier start date request is approved by the Program Office. The requested award start date must begin on the first day of the month and end on the last day of the month.

C. Type of Funding Instrument

Successful proposals will be funded through a cooperative agreement. Cooperative agreements are Federal financial assistance 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 programmatic data collection.

III. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Applicants

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Eligible applicants are limited to Tribally-Authorized or in-process of becoming tribally authorized Alaska Native Organizations (ANOs) with an existing marine mammal agreement for co-management with NMFS. Submitted proof of tribal authorization paperwork should be less than 10 years old.

In a case where an ANO has authorized another entity to serve as the fiduciary agent of the organization, a copy of the agreement between the ANO and fiduciary agent must be provided with the application. This agreement must outline a thorough description of the relationship and responsibilities of both parties. The ANO will be listed as the lead entity/organization on the application as reflected in the agreement.

Any ANO not holding an existing agreement for co-management with NMFS may collaborate with and be listed on the application as a sub-recipient under an eligible applicant. The legal status of the ANO must be identified (see verification below) and a copy of the sub-recipient agreement between the ANO and sub-recipient must be provided with the application. This agreement must outline a thorough description of the relationship and responsibilities of both parties. Eligibility must be met at the time of application.

Acceptable verification of ANO legal status:

1) Non-Profit – In cases where the ANO board is a registered non-profit, the following is acceptable:

(a) Proof that the Internal Revenue Service currently recognizes the applicant or an organization to which contributions are tax deductible under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code;

(b) A statement from a State taxing body or the State Attorney General certifying that:

i. The organization is a nonprofit organization within the State; and

ii. No part of its net earnings may lawfully benefit any shareholder or private individual.

(c) A certified copy of the applicant’s certificate of incorporation or similar document if it clearly establishes the nonprofit status of the applicant.

2) Tribal Government – In cases where a tribal government directly holds a co-management agreement with NOAA, a letter from an authorized tribal representative certifying this status is acceptable.

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

Notice of Federal Funding Page 7 of 31 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.

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 with Grants.gov, contact Grants.gov Customer Support at 1- 800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov. If you do not have internet access, application materials may be received by Kristin Cieciel, ANCFP Program Manager, NOAA/NMFS;

Mailing Address: PO Box 21668, Juneau Alaska 99802-1668 (USPS); 709 9th Street, Suite 323A, Juneau Alaska 99801 (FedEx/UPS), Phone: (907)586-7273, or email:

Kristin.Cieciel@noaa.gov.

B. Content and Form of Application

Federal employees (whether full-time, part-time, or intermittent) are not permitted to assist in the preparation of an application. However, they may provide information on program goals, funding priorities, application procedures, and completion of application forms. Since this is a competitive program, Federal 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. Application Format A complete standard NOAA grant application package is required in accordance with the guidelines in this document. Applications that are not complete on the closing date of this announcement will not be reviewed. Applications must contain all required documents and forms; if these forms are not signed via the www.Grants.gov application process, they MUST be signed in ink. Paper applications without inked signatures on their forms will be considered incomplete and will not be reviewed. An incomplete application or one that does

Notice of Federal Funding Page 8 of 31 not follow the format requirements will not be reviewed and will be withdrawn from the competition.

Each application must include:

- 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.

- Federal application forms, including:

o SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance o SF424A, Budget Information - Non-Construction Programs o SF424B, Assurances - Non-Construction Programs o CD-511, Certification Regarding Lobbying o SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (if applicable)

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

- Data Sharing Plan (described in Section VI. B. 8)

- Title Page (described below, 1 page limit)

- Project Summary (described below, 2 page limit )

- Project Narrative (described below, 27 page limit )

- Budget Narrative (described below)

- Signed Co-Management Agreement between ANO and NMFS

- Verification of Legal Status

- ANO’s By-laws

- Name, organizational position, term length of organization’s board members, officers, commissioners or principals

- ANO’s Policies and Procedures, including personnel, travel, procurement, etc.

- Other supporting documentation and relevant attachments the applicant deems important to the overall understanding and evaluation of the proposed project, such as:

references, curricula vitae (not to exceed two pages each), letters of support received from relevant partners involved in the project, etc. Other supporting documentation should be combined into one PDF document. The supporting documentation does not count against the 27 page limit for the Project Narrative.

If an applicant does not have internet access or if Grants.gov is inaccessible, paper applications will be accepted. Paper applications must be submitted with completed, signed, inked signatures, with original forms in hard copy (only one copy necessary). The Authorized Representative MUST sign and date these forms (SF-424, SF-424B and CD-511)

Notice of Federal Funding Page 9 of 31 in the space reserved for electronic signature. Signatures (electronic or ink) must match the name printed in the “Authorized Representative” section of the SF-424 Block 21. Another Authorized Representative may not sign on behalf of the individual noted in Block 21. Paper applications should not be bound in any manner.

2. Content Requirements

Proposals should be limited to 30 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, 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 clear description of proposed project goals, activities, tasks, objectives, and products to achieve. Include 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 Narrative (27 page limit) The project narrative should closely follow the evaluation criteria outlined in this solicitation (see Section V. A. Evaluation Criteria). The narrative must be detailed enough for reviewers to make a clear connection between the proposed activities and the proposed project costs.

The major part of the narrative should be devoted to a description and justification for the proposed project, including details of the method being used. 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 project, and the time at which these activities take place. The project narrative may not exceed 27 pages. Multi-year proposals must include a project narrative that covers each year of the proposed award period. If multiple projects are included in the proposal, the information listed below must be included for each project. The 27-page limit does not change if a proposal includes multiple projects. The following do not count towards the 27-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.

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Each project must be completely and accurately described, and include project and administrative objectives. The narrative should demonstrate your knowledge of, and convey the need for the project, and show how your proposal builds upon any past and current work.

You should not assume that we already know the relative merits of the project you describe.

You must describe your project as follows:

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

Administrative objectives should be described in a similar fashion. The main body of the narrative should clearly state how the administrative and project work will be undertaken to meet the priorities.

Project Design: Describe 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 timelines to conduct the scope of work. Describe the timelines 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.

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NOTE: If you are applying to continue a project we previously funded under the Alaska Native Co-Management Funding Program, describe in detail the project(s), product(s), and accomplishment(s) to date and provide justification for the continuation of the project(s) beyond the original period of performance. Provide a justification for additional funding to continue the project(s) and the benefits expected by continuing the project(s) in 2024. We will consider this information in evaluating your current application.

(2) Project Management: Describe how the project will be organized and managed. Describe how the necessary experience, facilities, and administrative resources are in place to successfully meet the responsibilities associated with managing a federal financial assistance award. The principal investigator may or may not be the applicant; however, if the applicant is not the principal investigator, there must be an explanation of the relationship between the applicant and principal investigator (e.g., the applicant may be responsible for managing the grant funds and the principal investigator will be responsible for completing the work). The PI is responsible for all technical oversight and implementation of the approved work plan as delineated in the proposal. 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.

Include the curricula vitae or resume and job description of the principal investigator(s) and all other personnel funded through this proposal. Include copies of any agreements between you and the participants describing the specific tasks to be performed. 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.

Agreement documents, and resumes/curricula vitae (2 page maximum for each), should be included in the supporting documentation. This information does not count toward the project narrative’s 27 page limitation.

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., 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 their qualifications and experience (e.g., resume or curriculum vitae).

(3) Benefits or Results Expected: Identify the outcomes and effort planned 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

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Alaska Native Organizations. Describe the effort planned to achieve a particular goal/task/activity and measures the value of a project or program's activity.

(4) 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 the proposed work. List all other sources of funding that are or have been sought for the program or project proposed.

(5) Participation by Persons or Groups other than the Applicant: Describe how any entities other than the applicant will participate in the project, and the nature (sub-award, sub-contract, volunteer, etc.) of their participation, particularly members of ANO communities.

(6) Federal, State, and Local Government Activities: List any plans or 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.

(7) 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 indicate no permits are required. If permits are required, provide a list of all applicable permits needed to perform the proposed work and an indication of the status of any permits needed.

d. Budget Narrative (does not count towards page limit) Each application must include clear and concise budget information, both on the required Federal forms and as described here. In order to allow reviewers to fully evaluate the appropriateness of proposed costs, the budget narrative must explain and justify all Federal and non-Federal costs by object class category, as listed on the SF-424A under Section B, Budget Categories. Provide detailed narrative descriptions of all costs, and explain each calculation for all budget categories. Multi-year applications must include budget information for each year of the proposed activity. All budget costs should be ROUNDED to the nearest dollar. The budget 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. All proposed costs must be reasonable, allowable, allocable, and necessary to the supported activity. Additional Budget Narrative Guidance may be found at https://coast.noaa.gov/data/coasthome/funding/_pdf/forms/budget-narrative-guidance-for- NOAA-grants.pdf

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It is strongly recommended to include a budget spreadsheet that details costs by category, this aids in final grant review and application processing.

The budget narrative must include the following:

(1) Personnel costs, including salary and wages, should be broken out by named principal investigator (PI) and number of months requested per year, per staff member, etc., as a percentage of their normal salary rate. Support for each person should be commensurate of the person's stated involvement, which may or may not correspond to the person's current position. Any unnamed personnel should be identified by their job title, and their personnel costs explained similar to staff or PI personnel costs above. Fringe benefits should be identified separately from salary and wages; fringe benefit rates should be applied consistently, and should apply equally to both Federal and non-Federal funds, if applicable.

Funds for salaries and fringe benefits may be requested only for those personnel who are directly involved in implementing the proposed project and whole salaries and fringe benefits are directly related to specific projects or outcomes of the proposed project. All funds must be estimated to the nearest dollar; do not submit budgets containing cents. Note:

No cost sharing or matching is required under this program.

(2) Travel costs should be broken out by number of people traveling, destination and 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.

(3) “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 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.

(4) 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.

(5) 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 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.

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(6) Other costs should be listed by type of material or nature of expense (e.g. sub-award) and should be broken down by quantity/number of units and cost per unit, if applicable.

(7) 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, the person 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), as allowed under 2 C.F.R. 200.414.

The negotiation and approval of a rate is subject to the procedures required by NOAA and the Department of Commerce Standard Terms and Conditions. The NOAA contact for indirect or facilities and administrative costs is: Michele Mazzocchetti, NOAA Grants Management Division, (301) 628-1391 or michele.mazzocchetti@noaa.gov.

8) 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.

9) All vehicle and equipment maintenance costs must be based on the actual costs of operating and maintaining the equipment listed for the financial assistance award project and cannot be based on predetermined flat rates. In accordance with 2 CFR 200.452, allowable costs for equipment maintenance are limited to insurance, necessary maintenance, repair, or upkeep of equipment, which neither add to the permanent value of the property nor appreciably prolong its intended life, but keep it in an efficient operating condition.

Furthermore, per 2 CFR 200.403(g), costs must be adequately documented in order to be allowable under Federal awards. If the vehicles or equipment will also be used for other projects, any relevant operation and maintenance expenditures must be allocated to the projects based on the proportional benefit. Given the unique geographic location of Alaska, we encourage applicants to use actual historic procurement, shipping, operation and maintenance costs for estimating budgets.

e.) Appendices or Supporting Documentation (does not count towards page limit) This section should include the supporting documentation not included in the project narrative such as: qualifications of the primary project personnel, e.g., curriculum vitae or

Notice of Federal Funding Page 15 of 31 resumes of PM/PI and any Co-Managers/Co-Investigators (limit two pages each); position descriptions, agreements with key partners; copy of established indirect cost rate agreement;

letters of support received from relevant representatives, partners or communities supporting the project; 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); organization’s policies and procedures; by-laws; and travel policies.

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 in Section VI. B. 8) should also be attached as an appendix.

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

Each applicant (unless the applicant is an individual or Federal awarding agency that is excepted from those requirements under 2 CFR 25.110(b) or (c), or has an exception approved by the Federal awarding agency under 2 CFR 25.110(d)) is required to: (i) Be registered in SAM before submitting an application; (ii) Provide a valid unique entity identifier (UEI) in their application; and (iii) Continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which they have an active Federal award or an application under consideration by a Federal awarding agency. NOAA may not make a Federal award to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable UEI and SAM requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time NOAA is ready to make a Federal award, NOAA may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a Federal award and use that determination as a basis for making a Federal award to another applicant.

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, 31 U.S.C. 6101 note, 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://sam.gov/content/home.

D. Submission Dates and Times

Complete proposals/applications must be received by the NOAA NMFS Alaska Regional Office on or before 7:59 pm, Alaska Standard Time (AST), February 2, 2024.

Proposals received after the established deadline will be rejected and returned to the sender

Notice of Federal Funding Page 16 of 31 without consideration.

For proposals submitted through Grants.gov, a date and time receipt indication will be the basis of determining timeliness. The proposal must be validated by Grants.gov in order to be considered timely. It may take Grants.gov up to two (2) business days to validate or reject the application. Please keep this in mind in developing your submission timeline.

For those without access to the Internet, one signed original application must be postmarked or received by the established due date. Use of U.S. mail or another delivery service must be documented with a receipt. Note that late-arriving hard copy proposals provided to a delivery service on or before 7:59 pm. on the closing date for applications will be accepted for review if the applicant can document that the proposal was provided to the guaranteed delivery service by the specified closing date and time and if the proposal is received by the NOAA NMFS Alaska Regional Office no later than 7:59 p.m., five business days following the closing date. Private metered postmarks are not acceptable. No facsimile or electronic mail proposals 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 submitting an application for funding is required to complete item 19 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: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/SPOC-4- 13-20.pdf.

F. Funding Restrictions

None.

G. Other Submission Requirements

1. Required registrations: You must complete and maintain the following free registrations to be eligible to submit an application using the Grants.gov website. All registrations must be completed prior to the application being submitted. Registration can take between 3 days to 4 weeks or more, so applicants should begin the registration process as early as possible.

(a) Grants.gov: The first step in submitting an application online is to complete a one-time registration process. Individuals wishing to submit a grant application using Grants.gov are

Notice of Federal Funding Page 17 of 31 required to complete this one-time registration process. Neither a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number nor the System for Award Management (SAM) registration is necessary for individual registration.

(b) System for Award Management (SAM) – All Applicant Organizations (optional for individual applicants) must complete and maintain an active registration. New registrations take an average of fourteen (14) business days. The renewal process may require as much time as the initial registration. SAM registration includes the assignment of a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code for domestic organizations which have not already been assigned a CAGE code. To register, go to: http://www.SAM.gov.

You must revalidate your entity’s registration at minimum every 12 months, or sooner if your entity’s information changes. The primary point of contact email address will receive a message alerting them to the entity’s renewal requirements at 60 days, 30 days and 15 days prior to expiration. If you do not renew your registration, it will expire. You must have an active SAM registration in order to be eligible to receive contract awards or payments, submit assistance award applications via Grants.gov, or receive certain payments from some federal government agencies.

2. Grants.gov will not accept submissions if the applicant has not been authorized or if credentials are incorrect. Authorizations and credential corrections can take several days to establish. Please plan your time accordingly to avoid late submissions, as such submissions will be rejected. The Grants.gov validation process for a submitted application can take up to two business days to complete (following submission through Grants.gov). Only validated applications are sent to NOAA to review. To ensure successful submission of an application, it is strongly recommended that a final and complete application be submitted at least two business days prior to the submission deadline.

After you electronically submit your application, you will receive from Grants.gov an automatic acknowledgment of receipt that contains a Grants.gov tracking number. This notification indicates receipt by Grants.gov only, not receipt by NOAA. Applications submitted through Grants.gov will be accompanied by THREE automated responses (the first confirms receipt; the second confirms that there are no errors with an application submission; and the third validates that the application has been forwarded to NOAA for further processing). You should save the proof of submission. If all notifications are not received, applicants should follow up with both the Grants.gov help desk and the ANCFP Program Manager Kristin Cieciel to confirm NOAA receipt of the complete submission.

You must obtain a Grants.gov support number.

Notice of Federal Funding Page 18 of 31

If you do not have internet access, the application package may be submitted to Kristin Cieciel, ANCFP Program Manager, NOAA/NMFS. Mailing Address: PO Box 21668, Juneau Alaska 99802-1668 (USPS); 709 9th Street, Suite 323A, Juneau Alaska 99801 (FedEx/UPS).

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 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?

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. Is a data sharing plan attached and applicable?

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3. Project Management (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. The itemized costs and the overall budget must be justified, clear to the reviewer, cost-effective, and appropriately allocated.

Applicants should include the organization’s personnel policies and procedures, by-laws, travel, airfare, and rental car policies and rates. Applicants should include the 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 3 steps: initial screening;

panel review; and final selection by the Selecting Official (the NOAA/NMFS Regional Administrator or their designee).

1. Initial Screening An initial administrative review is conducted on each application to determine compliance with application requirements and completeness of application materials. Applications determined to be ineligible, incomplete, or non-responsive will be eliminated from further review.