NOAA-NMFS-WCRO-2021-2006805 NOFO Report.pdf 2.26.2021.pdf

NMFS West Coast Region Education and Outreach 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 7 A. Address to Request Application Package 7 B. Content and Form of Application 8 C. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) 10 D. Submission Dates and Times 10 E. Intergovernmental Review 11 F. Funding Restrictions 12 G. Other Submission Requirements 12

V. Application Review Information 13 A. Evaluation Criteria 13 B. Review and Selection Process 14 C. Selection Factors 15 D. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates 16

VI. Award Administration Information 16 A. Award Notices 16 B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements 17 C. Reporting 19

VII. Agency Contacts 20 VIII. Other Information 21

Notice of Federal Funding Page 1 of 21

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: NMFS West Coast Region Education and Outreach Program

Announcement Type: Initial

Funding Opportunity Number: NOAA-NMFS-WCRO-2021-2006805

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.454, Unallied Management Projects

Dates: Applications must be submitted to Grants.gov by 11:59:59 p.m. April 26, 2021 Eastern Daylight Time. Applications received after this time will not be reviewed or considered for funding. Use of Grants.gov is preferred. No facsimile or electronic mail applications will be accepted. If Grants.gov cannot reasonably be used, an application package may be received by contacting:

Sheryl Robinson Grants & Acquisitions Specialist NMFS West Coast Regional Office 1201 NE Lloyd Blvd., Suite1100, Portland, OR 97232-1274 sheryl.robinson@noaa.gov

Use of U.S. Mail or another delivery service must be documented with a receipt.

When developing your application submission timeline, please keep in mind that the Grants.gov electronic submission system is relatively complex for first time users and involves several preliminary registrations to be completed before your application can be submitted. If you have already used the grants.gov website, the required registrations may have already been completed.

Please allow sufficient time for the application to be submitted electronically and for possible computer delays. Please note: Validation or rejection of your application by Grants.gov may take up to 2 business days after submission. Please consider this process in developing your submission timeline. Applications not received by the submission deadline will be rejected without further consideration.

After electronic submission of the application through Grants.gov, the person submitting the

Notice of Federal Funding Page 2 of 21 application will receive within the next 24 to 48 hours two e-mail messages from Grants.gov updating them on the progress of their application. The first e-mail will confirm receipt of the application by the Grants.gov system, and the second will indicate that the application has either been successfully validated by the system prior to transmission to the grantor agency or has been rejected due to errors. After the application has been validated, this same person will receive another e-mail when the application has been downloaded by the federal agency.

Funding Opportunity Description: The NOAA Fisheries West Coast Regional Office (WCRO) recognizes the essential role that education and outreach projects and educational partnerships play in the conservation of West Coast Region (WCR) endangered and threatened species, marine mammals and Species in the Spotlight. This competition seeks to support projects that educate, engage and inspire the community to play a role in the conservation of WCR marine resources.

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FULL ANNOUNCEMENT TEXT

I. Funding Opportunity Description

A. Program Objective

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is seeking applications for the fiscal year 2021 NMFS West Coast Region Education and Outreach Program with a specific focus on conserving and restoring marine resources on the West Coast.

Projects funded under this program should implement and complement one or more actions identified in the WCR Conservation, ESA Recovery or Species in the Spotlight Action Plans to recover protected marine species and their habitats.

WCR ESA Recovery https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/endangered-species-conservation/recovery-species-under-endangered-species-act

WCR Species in the Spotlight https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/topic/endangered-species-conservation#species-in-the-spotlight

The NMFS WCR Education and Outreach Program seeks to build an inclusive environment in which diversity is represented (including the representation of all ages, races, national, cultural, and socio-economic backgrounds, genders, gender identities, sexual orientations, and physical abilities) to achieve our mission goals and objectives for Fishery Sciences, Therefore, applicants should specifically address their efforts to promote diversity and inclusion and reduce barriers to broaden participation of historically under-represented groups.

B. Program Priorities

This grant program supports one single education and outreach priority and seeks projects to promote and enhance the community’s understanding and stewardship of WCR Protected Resources.

Applications must address one of the (5) program themes listed below:

Theme 1: Enhance public awareness of Southern Resident Killer Whale (SRKW) status and threats they face, and educate individuals, students and organizations on actions they can

Notice of Federal Funding Page 4 of 21 take to contribute to conservation and support recovery.

Theme 2: Promote conservation of rockfish and rockfish habitats by conducting education and outreach programs with fishing communities, organizations, and citizens about potential threats to rockfish, habitats, and the Puget Sound ecosystem and how they can take actions to help.

Theme 3: Enhance public awareness of abalone status and recovery through the development of engaging and relevant displays, outreach materials, and K-adult education programs.

Theme 4: Promote citizen science programs for reporting sightings of rockfish through meetings and training for divers. Conduct surveys focused on juvenile young of the year (YOY) rockfish and their surrounding kelp habitat. Provide technical support for data collection, and review and share data from YOY and kelp monitoring efforts with educational institutions and the public.

Theme 5: Run a fellowship program to place higher education-level art or design students and recent graduates with NOAA Fisheries policy makers, scientists, and stakeholder communities to increase public engagement and to inspire individual behavior changes to conserve and protect NOAA trust resources. The fellowship will employ artistic practice to communicate scientific and environmental concepts, engender stewardship behavior, connect communities, and spark innovative solutions. Projects under this theme would collaborate with an art student selected annually, who has completed a Bachelors or Masters degree in Fine Arts, Design, or Architecture. NOAA-selected themes would expand the regional and national dialogue around the relationship between art and science while supporting NOAA Fisheries’ mission to conserve living marine resources and their habitats throughout Washington, Oregon, California, and Idaho.

C. Program Authority

16 U.S.C. 661; 16 U.S.C. 753a

II. Award Information

A. Funding Availability

Grant awards for this program are contingent upon availability of WCR Fiscal Year 2021 discretionary funds and future funding year appropriations. Project proposals requesting less than $5,000 or greater than $224,000 in federal funding will not be accepted or reviewed. The number of awards made as a result of this solicitation will depend on the number of eligible applications received, the amount of funds requested for each project, the

Notice of Federal Funding Page 5 of 21 merit and ranking of the proposals, and the amount of funds available.

Total funding anticipated to be available for Fiscal Year 2021 is approximately $540,000.

The number of awards anticipated is between 1 and 8 multi-year awards for FY 2021.

Proposals for Themes 1, 2 and 3 must be between $5,000 and $25,000 per project year. If a multi-year project is proposed, funding can be no more than $25,000 per project year, and no more than $100,000 federal funding requested for the entire award. Proposals for Theme 4 must be between $50,000 to $56,000 per project year, with multi-year project funding no more than $56,000 per funding year, and no more than $224,000 federal funding requested for the entire award. Proposals for Theme 5 must be between $10,000 to $20,000 per project year, with multi-year project funding no more than $20,000 per funding year, and no more than $100,000 federal funding requested for the entire award. Applications are limited to (1) one application per applicant and must identify the Theme you are applying under.

B. Project/Award Period

The project budget period is recommended to be 12 months in duration. Awards may be multi-year with a maximum duration of 4 years. Funding beyond year one is contingent upon the availability of funds, satisfactory performance, and is at the sole discretion of the agency.

Applications must include project details and a budget for each year of the project.

September 1, 2021 is the earliest recommended start date to be used unless otherwise directed by the NOAA Program Officer. Applicants recommended to receive Federal funding may be asked to modify the project start date. The project 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

Selected applicants will either enter into a grant or a cooperative agreement depending upon the amount of NOAA's involvement in the project. Substantial involvement by NOAA in the project would require a cooperative agreement. This substantial involvement may include but is not limited to partnering in collaborative efforts and/or alignment of activities to meet program priorities. Substantial involvement may also include assisting in the development of educational materials and project themes.

III. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants are individuals, institutions of higher education, nonprofits, state, Notice of Federal Funding Page 6 of 21 local and Indian tribal governments. Federal agencies and their employees, as well as Federal instrumentalities (including employees and members), are not eligible to apply.

Projects under this competition must be conducted within the WCR coastal states of Washington, Oregon or California, with the exception of Theme 5. Theme 5 is open to applicants within all regions of the contiguous United States.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement

Cost sharing or matching is not required.

C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility

None.

IV. Application and Submission Information

A. Address to Request Application Package

The standard application package, consisting of the standard forms, i.e., SF-424, SF- 424A, SF-424B, SF-LLL, and the CD-511, is available at http://www.grants.gov. Users of Grants.gov will be able to download a copy of the application package, complete it off line, and then upload and submit the application via the Grants.gov site. If an applicant has problems downloading the application forms from Grants.gov, contact Grants.gov Customer Support at 1-800-518-4726 or support@Grants.gov. If you do not have internet access, an application package may be received by contacting:

Sheryl Robinson Grants Management Specialist NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region U.S. Department of Commerce Office:503-230-5421 Cell: 562-619-1526 sheryl.robinson@noaa.gov or

Desmond Gelman NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region U.S. Department of Commerce Office: (503) 231-6849

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Mobile: (503) 530-0274 desmond.gelman@noaa.gov

B. Content and Form of Application

1. Format Requirements. All application materials should be submitted in PDF (recommended) or a common word processing format, and when printed out should meet all format requirements. All pages must be double-spaced, at least 12-point font, and printable on 8.5-inch x 11-inch paper with 1-inch margins. Any PDF or other attachments that are included in an electronic application must meet the above format requirement when printed out. Failure to follow these requirements may result in the rejection of the application.

A complete standard NOAA grant application package is required in accordance with the guidelines in this document. Your application must contain all required 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.

Each application must include Federal application forms, including:

a. SF-424

b. SF-424A, Budget Information, Non-construction Programs must be completed.

c. SF-424B, Assurances, Non-construction Programs must be completed.

d. CD-511, Certification Regarding Lobbying

e. SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (if applicable)

And application materials including:

a. Title Page (described below, limit 1 page)

b. Project Summary (described below, limit 1 page)

c. Narrative Project Description (described below, limit 15 pages)

d. Budget Justification (described below, limit 3 pages)

e. Indirect Cost Rate Agreement

f. CVs/Resumes for each major participant (PIs, Co-PIs, Partners)

g. Data Sharing Plan (if applicable)

h. NEPA Questionnaire (if applicable)

2. Content Requirements.

a. Title Page (1-page limit): The title page should identify the project's title, total budget, start and end dates; and the Principal Investigators (PI’s) and co-PI's names, affiliations, complete mailing addresses, email addresses, and telephone numbers and fax numbers. The

Notice of Federal Funding Page 8 of 21 title page must also identify the specific Theme (1 - 5) that is applicable to the project, and total federal funding requested.

b. Project Summary (1-page limit): The project summary should be a high level description of the project. The summary should tell the story of what the proposed project will do (project goals and objectives); how the project will be conducted (project activities and timelines, project geographic area, number of participants, etc); and expected outcomes and benefits of the proposed project.

c. Project Description (15-page limit): The applicant should describe the project being proposed and address each of the evaluation criteria as described below in Section V. Project descriptions should include clear objectives and specific approaches to achieving those objectives, including methods, timelines, and expected outcomes.

d. Budget Narrative (3-page limit): Describe the budget in a spreadsheet or other attachment consistent with guidance at https://www.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/gmd_budget_narrative_guidance_-_05- 24-2017_final.pdf

e. If an applicant has not previously established an indirect cost rate with a Federal agency, they may choose to negotiate a rate with the Department of Commerce or use the de minimis indirect cost rate of 10% of MTDC (as allowable under 2 C.F.R. §200.414). If the de minimis rate is used, this should be stated within the budget narrative and justification.

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

f. CVs/Resumes for each major participant (2-page limit per person): to include PIs, Co- PIs and Partners.

g. Data Sharing Plan (2-page limit): If the proposed project collects or creates data, a data management plan must be included. Environmental data and information collected or created under NOAA grants or cooperative agreements must be made discoverable by and accessible to the general public, in a timely fashion (typically within two years), free of charge or at no more than the cost of reproduction, unless an exemption is granted by the NOAA Program.

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Data should be available in at least one machine-readable format, preferably a widely used or open-standard format, and should also be accompanied by machine-readable documentation (metadata), preferably based on widely used or international standards.

h. NEPA Questionnaire: The NOAA National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) questionnaire is not a requirement for this part of the application process. Should you be awarded funding and it is determined that a NEPA review is required, the NMFS Federal Program Officer will contact you. For more information on this requirement, see section "B.

Administrative and National Policy Requirements" and https://www.nepa.noaa.gov/docs/NOAA-Grants-Questionnaire-final.pdf.

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

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)), each applicant is required to: (i) be registered in SAM before submitting its application; (ii) provide a valid unique entity identifier in its application; and (iii) continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active Federal award or an application or plan under consideration by a Federal awarding agency. The Federal awarding agency may not make a Federal award to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable unique entity identifier and SAM requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time the Federal awarding agency is ready to make a Federal award, the Federal awarding agency 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. Access to SAM may be found at: https://www.sam.gov/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,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://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/. Applicants are also required to use the Dun and Bradstreet Universal Numbering System, as identified in OMB guidance published at 2 CFR Parts 25,which may be accessed at https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=a0bf8eec87fdc493c769fb56ff19a616&mc=true&node=pt2.1.25&rgn=div5#se2.1.2 5_1315

D. Submission Dates and Times

Applications must be submitted to Grants.gov by 11:59:59 p.m. April 26, 2021 Eastern

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Daylight Time. Applications received after this time will not be reviewed or considered for funding. Use of Grants.gov is preferred. No facsimile or electronic mail applications will be accepted. If Grants.gov cannot reasonably be used, an application package may be received by contacting:

Sheryl Robinson Grants Management Specialist NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region U.S. Department of Commerce Office:503-230-5421 Cell: 562-619-1526 sheryl.robinson@noaa.gov or

Desmond Gelman NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region U.S. Department of Commerce Office: (503) 231-6849

Desmond.gelman@noaa.gov

When developing your application submission timeline, please keep in mind that you are encouraged to apply through the www.grants.gov website. This electronic submission system is relatively complex for first time users and involves several preliminary registrations to be completed before your application can be submitted. If you have already used the grants.gov website, the required registrations may have already been completed.

Please allow sufficient time for the application to be submitted electronically and for possible computer delays.

Please note: Validation or rejection of your application by Grants.gov may take up to 2 business days after submission. Please consider this process in developing your submission timeline. Applications not received by the submission deadline will be rejected without further consideration.

E. Intergovernmental Review

Applications submitted by state and local governments are subject to the provisions of

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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.

F. Funding Restrictions

NOAA will not consider expenses associated with fees, fund-raising activities, 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. Project costs can only include support for activities conducted between the effective start date and end date of the award, and cannot include activities undertaken either before or after the agreed upon dates. 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. Such expenditures may not be considered as part of the applicant's cost share or matching contribution. Please note, in this competition cost share or matching is not required.

G. Other Submission Requirements

Full Applications should be submitted through www.grants.gov. If you do not have Internet access, an application package may submitted to:

Sheryl Robinson Grants Management Specialist NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region U.S. Department of Commerce Office:503-230-5421 Cell: 562-619-1526 sheryl.robinson@noaa.gov or

Desmond Gelman NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region U.S. Department of Commerce Office: (503) 231-6849

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V. Application Review Information

A. Evaluation Criteria

Reviewers will assign scores to applications ranging from 0-100 points based on the following five standard NOAA evaluation criteria. The maximum score for each criterion is indicated in parentheses. Each criterion also includes the factors that the reviewers will consider to determine how well an application meets the criterion. We encourage applicants to make explicit connections to the evaluation criterion and factors in their applications.

Written comments are required to justify provided scores in each section of the review.

Applications that best address these criteria will be most competitive.

1. Importance and/or Relevance and Applicability of Proposed Project to the Program Goals (25 points).

This criterion ascertains whether there is intrinsic value in the proposed work and/or relevance to NOAA, Federal, regional, state, or local activities. Does the proposal adequately describe its relevance to the Program Theme in section 1.B? Will the project engage recreational fisherman where they live and fish? Will the projects support sustainable recreational and non-commercial fishing communities throughout the WCR? Will the project develop a mutual understanding of the priorities, concerns, and challenges that face the recreational and non-commercial fishing communities and lead to stronger and better fishery management? Will the project support collaborative efforts that will benefit stakeholders and increase overall sustainability and preservation of fish stock in the region?

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 goals and objectives. Proposals should provide a clear definition of the project design, strengths and/or weaknesses and the means that are to be employed for securing productive results. Are the conceptual framework, design, methods, and analyses adequately developed, well integrated, and appropriate to the aims of the project? Are the objectives in the proposal clearly defined and focused, realistic, and can be reached within the proposed project period? Does the applicant acknowledge potential problem areas and consider ways to resolve the issues or implement alternative tactics? Does the project challenge existing standards or develop new methodologies or technologies? Is sufficient detail provided in the proposal about the methods proposed for monitoring and evaluating the success of the project, and are they appropriate? Does the project demonstrate support, cooperation and/or collaboration with the recreational and non-commercial fishing community? Does the project identify what the

Notice of Federal Funding Page 13 of 21 organization has done to encourage diversity and inclusion within their organization?

3. Overall Qualifications of the Applicants (15 points).

This criterion ascertains whether the applicant possesses the necessary education, experience, facilities, and administrative resources to accomplish the project. Does the applicant have the capacity/knowledge to conduct the scope and scale of the proposed work, as indicated by the qualifications and past experience of the project leaders and/or partners that show adequate administrative capability and experience in successfully completing similar projects? Are the institutional support, equipment and other physical resources available to the investigators adequate for the proposed project? Does the proposal include resumes of the Principal Investigator(s)? In cases where subcontracts are proposed for carrying out specific tasks, are the quality/appropriateness of the personnel, facilities and procedures (laboratory methods, work plan and or quality oversight procedures) adequate?

4. Project Costs (15 points).

This criterion evaluates the budget to determine if it is realistic and commensurate with the project needs and time-frame. This includes reviewing the reasonableness of the costs associated with the required tasks to be performed, and the overall relationship with the cost effectiveness for successfully completing the project. Is the proposed budget cost-effective and realistic based on the applicant’s stated objectives, and time frame? Is the proposed budget sufficiently detailed, with appropriate budget breakdown and justification of costs by object class?

5. Outreach and Education (25 points).

This criterion assesses whether the project provides a focused and effective education and outreach strategy regarding NOAA's mission to protect the Nation's natural resources.

Does the proposal identify anticipated benefits, potential users, indicators of success, and methods of disseminating results? Is an effective method proposed for dissemination of project results? Are the various target audiences, such as the fishing community or the general public, identified? Will the outreach methods acknowledge NOAA Fisheries support of the project? If the project collects or creates environmental data, is there a data management and sharing plan that ensures that the data collected and/or created will be made available to general users in a timely manner free of charge, or at minimal cost?

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).

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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. When applications are received, they will be screened to ensure that they were received by the deadline date (see Section IV. C. Submission Dates and Times); the applicant is eligible to apply; the proposed project addresses one of the funding priorities; and that the application includes a project summary, project description, budget, and supporting documentation as outlined in Section IV.B. Content and Form of Application. We do 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 we do so and provide you information about deficiencies, or 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 rejected without further consideration.

2. Panel Review - After the initial screening, each application will be reviewed by three or more appropriate federal, private or public sector experts (e.g. industry, academia, or governmental experts) with subject matter expertise. The reviewers will meet and evaluate each proposal individually based on its own merit against the evaluation criteria described in Section V. A. Evaluation Criteria. All applications, regardless of Theme, will be reviewed in this manner. Prior to the meeting or webinar, each reviewer will independently evaluate each project and provide an individual score prior to the panel meeting or webinar. During the panel meeting or webinar, reviewers may revise their scores and comments. Reviewers will submit their final proposal scores to the competition manager by the end of the panel meeting or Webinar. After the panel scores are submitted, a compilation of all proposals in rank order is developed based on the average score from the reviewer scores. No consensus advice will be developed at the meeting, nor given to NOAA. These reviewers will be required to certify that they do not have a conflict of interest concerning the application(s) they are reviewing. NOAA will protect the identity of each reviewer to the maximum extent permitted by law.

3. Selection. After applications have undergone the panel review, the Selecting Official will make the final decision regarding which applications will be funded based upon the numerical rankings and evaluations of the applications.

C. Selection Factors

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The NOAA WCR Regional Administrator, as the Selecting Official, will review the funding recommendation and comments of the reviewers to determine which applications will be recommended to the NOAA Grants Officer. The Selecting Official shall recommend proposals to the Grants Officer for funding in the rank order unless the proposal is justified to be selected out of rank order based on one or more of the following factors listed in no order of significance:

applicant’s use of funds, achievement of project objectives, and compliance with grant conditions. The Selecting Official may also consider whether the applicant failed to submit a timely performance report or submitted a report of unacceptable quality;

6. Partnerships with/Participation of targeted groups

D. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates

The competitive selection process and subsequent notification of applications being considered for funding are expected to be complete by July 2021. The earliest start date for projects will be September 1, 2021, dependent upon availability of Federal funding, acceptable completion of all NOAA/applicant negotiations including NEPA analysis and permit requirements if applicable, and the provision of other supporting documentation as requested.

VI. Award Administration Information

A. Award Notices

Upon completion of the review and selection process, successful applicants will receive an email notification from a NMFS Regional representative that the application has been recommended for funding selection to the NOAA Grants Management Division. This notification is not an authorization to begin performance of the project, and it is not a guarantee of funding. Official notification of funding, signed by the NOAA Grants Officer, Notice of Federal Funding Page 16 of 21 is the authorizing document that allows the project to begin. This notification will be issued to the Authorizing Representative of the project either electronically through use of Grants Online or in hard copy. 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 by email 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).

Successful applicants may be asked to modify objectives, work plans, or budgets prior to 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 Office, and NOAA program staff.

Award documents provided by the Grants Officer may contain special award conditions limiting the use of funds for activities that have outstanding environmental compliance requirements. These special award conditions may also include other compliance requirements for the award, as applicable, and will be applied on a case-by-case basis.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to review award documents carefully before accepting a Federal award so they are fully aware of the relevant Standard Terms and Conditions as well as any Special Award Conditions that have been placed on the award.

B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

1. Department of Commerce Pre-Award Notification Requirements The Department of Commerce Pre-Award Notification Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements contained in the Federal Register notice of December 30, 2014 (79 FR 78390) are applicable to this solicitation and may be accessed online at https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2014-12-30/pdf/2014-30297.pdf

2. Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements Through 2 C.F.R. § 1327.101, the Department of Commerce adopted Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards at 2 C.F.R. Part 200, which applies to awards in this program. Refer to https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title02/2cfr200_main_02.tpl.

3. Department of Commerce Terms and Conditions Successful applicants who accept a NOAA award under this solicitation will be bound by

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Department of Commerce Financial Assistance Standard Terms and Conditions. This document will be provided in the award package in NOAA’s Grants Online system at http://www.osec.doc.gov/oam/grants_management/policy/documents/Department%20of%20 Commerce%20Standard%20Terms%20Conditions%2030%20April%202019.pdf.

4. Limitation of Liability Funding for programs listed in this notice is contingent upon the availability of appropriations. Applicants are hereby given notice that funds may not have been appropriated yet for the programs listed in this notice. In no event will NOAA or the Department of Commerce be responsible for proposal preparation costs. Publication of this announcement does not oblige NOAA to award any specific project or to obligate any available funds.

5. NEPA Requirements NOAA must analyze the potential environmental impacts, as required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), for applicant projects or proposals which are seeking NOAA federal funding opportunities. Detailed information on NOAA compliance with NEPA can be found at the following NOAA NEPA website: http://www.nepa.noaa.gov/, including our NOAA Administrative Order 216-6A for NEPA, https://www.corporateservices.noaa.gov/ames/administrative_orders/chapter_216/216- 6A.html, and the Council on Environmental Quality implementation regulations, http://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/NEPA-40CFR1500_1508.pdf. Consequently, as part of an applicant's package, and under their description of their program activities, applicants are required to provide detailed information on the activities to be conducted, locations, sites, species and habitat to be affected, possible construction activities, and any environmental concerns that may exist (e.g., the use and disposal of hazardous or toxic chemicals, introduction of non- indigenous species, impacts to endangered and threatened species, aquaculture projects, and impacts to coral reef systems). In addition to providing specific information that will serve as the basis for any required impact analyses, applicants may also be requested to assist NOAA in drafting an environmental assessment, if NOAA determines an assessment is required. Applicants will also be required to cooperate with NOAA in identifying feasible measures to reduce or avoid any identified adverse environmental impacts of their proposal. Failure to do so shall be grounds for not selecting an application.

In some cases if additional information is required after an application is selected, funds can be withheld by the Grants Officer under a special award condition requiring the recipient to submit additional environmental compliance information sufficient to enable NOAA to make an assessment on any impacts that a project may have on the environment.

6. Unpaid or Delinquent Tax Liability

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In accordance with Section 523 of Division B and Sections 744 and 745 of Division E of the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015 (Pub. L. 113-235) or a future public law, an authorized representative of the selected applicant(s) will be required to provide certain pre-award representations regarding federal felony and federal criminal tax convictions, unpaid federal tax assessments, and delinquent federal tax returns. The form must be completed and submitted with grant applications for: (a) all for-profit and non-profit organization applicants (Part I, and if required, Part II); and (b) all non-Federal entity applicants anticipating receipt of $5 million or more in the current Federal Fiscal Year appropriated funding (Part II only). The form can be found at http://www.ago.noaa.gov/grants/forms.html.

7. The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act, 31 U.S.C. 6106 Note. The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 includes a requirement for Federal Funding Opportunity Page 14 of 17 awardees of applicable Federal grants to report information about first-tier sub-awards and executive compensation under Federal assistance awards issued in FY 2011 or later. All awardees of applicable grants and cooperative agreements are required to report to the Federal Sub-award Reporting System (FSRS) available at www.FSRS.gov on all sub-awards over $25,000. Refer to OMB guidance published at 2 C.F.R. Part 170 (2015), accessible at http://go.usa.gov/cCr8j.

8. Review of Risk After applications are proposed for funding by the Selecting Official, the Grants Office will perform administrative reviews, including an assessment of risk posed by the applicant under 2 C.F.R. 200.205. These may include assessments of the financial stability of an applicant and the quality of the applicant’s management systems, history of performance, and the applicant’s ability to effectively implement statutory, regulatory, or other requirements imposed on non-Federal entities. Special conditions that address any risks determined to exist may be applied. Applicants may submit comments to the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS) about any information included in the system about their organization for consideration by the awarding agency.

C. Reporting

Award recipients will be required to submit financial and performance (technical) reports.

1. Financial Status Reports (SF-425) Financial Status (Cash Flow) Reports are required to be submitted to the Grants Officer semi-annually, or as outlined in the award conditions. Financial Status Reports should be entered directly into the Grants Online system.

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2. Performance Progress Reports Semi-annual progress reports should describe the tasks accomplished within the reporting period (from the proposal and amendments) and the tasks that were actually accomplished in the period, using the evaluation criteria (metrics) for each objective as outlined in your Project Description (see section IV.B.3.c). Basic information that should be in all report submissions includes the project title, award number, dates of the award period, dates of the reporting period, and the name(s) of the grantee and the principal investigator. Inclusion of media such as photography and statistics (tables, graphs, etc.) to help document programmatic activities in report submissions is also encouraged. The report should also explain any special problems or differences between the scheduled and accomplished work.

3. Publications, Videos, and Acknowledgement of Sponsorship Publication of the results of the funded award activities in appropriate professional journals, outreach materials, or press releases, and production of video or other media is encouraged as an important method of outreach. The recipient is required to submit a copy of any publication to the funding agency, and when releasing information related to a funded project, include a statement that the project or effort undertaken was or is sponsored by NOAA Fisheries Service.

VII. Agency Contacts

Sheryl Robinson Grants Management Specialist NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region U.S. Department of Commerce Office:503-230-5421 Cell: 562-619-1526 sheryl.robinson@noaa.gov or

Desmond Gelman NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region U.S. Department of Commerce Office: (503) 231-6849 Mobile: (503) 530-0274

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VIII. Other Information

1. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Department of Commerce regulations implementing the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) are found at 15 C.F.R. Part 4, Public Information. These regulations set forth rules for the Department regarding making requested materials, information, and records publicly available under the FOIA. Applications submitted in response to this Federal Funding Opportunity may be subject to requests for release under the Act. In the event that an application contains information or data that the applicant deems to be confidential commercial information which is exempt from disclosure under FOIA, that information should be identified, bracketed, and marked as Privileged, Confidential, Commercial or Financial Information. Based on these markings, the confidentiality of the contents of those pages will be protected to the extent permitted by law.

2. Minority Serving Institutions The Department of Commerce/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Federal Funding Opportunity Page 16 of 17 (DOC/NOAA) is strongly committed to increasing the participation of Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), i.e., Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribal colleges and universities, Alaskan Native and Native Hawaiian institutions, and institutions that work in underserved communities.

3. NOAA Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Prevention and Response Policy Applicable to Financial Assistance Awards If NOAA-operated, leased, or owned facilities are involved in any awards funded under this announcement, such awards are subject to the NOAA Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Prevention and Response Policy Applicable to Financial Assistance Awards Involving NOAA Operated Facilities (May 2018) found at:

http://www.ago.noaa.gov/grants/facilities_assault_policy.html.

4. If the use of a vessel(s) under NOAA contract, order, grant, or cooperative agreement is involved in any awards funded under this announcement where the non-Federal entity employees are anticipated to be crew members aboard the vessel(s), such awards are subject to the NOAA Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Prevention and Response Policy Applicable to Financial Assistance Awards Involving the use of a Vessel(s) under NOAA Contract, Order, Grant, or Cooperative Agreement (May 2018) found at:

http://www.ago.noaa.gov/grants/vessel_assault_policy.html (if applicable).

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