NOAA-NOS-NCCOS-2015-2004198 FFO Report.pdf

ANNOUNCEMENT OF FEDERAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Federal Agency Name(s): National Ocean Service (NOS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce

Funding Opportunity Title: 2015 Ecological Effects of Sea Level Rise Program

Announcement Type: Initial

Funding Opportunity Number: NOAA-NOS-NCCOS-2015-2004198

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.478, Center for Sponsored Coastal

Ocean Research - Coastal Ocean Program

Dates: The deadline for receipt of full applications at the NCCOS/CSCOR office is 3 p.m., Eastern Time on November 18, 2014. Applications received after the closing date and time will not be accepted. 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.

If an applicant does not have Internet access, hard copy proposals will be accepted, and date recorded when they are received in the NCCOS/CSCOR program office. Electronic or hard copies received after the deadline will not be considered, and hard copy applications will be returned to the sender

Funding Opportunity Description: The purpose of this document is to advise the public that

NOAA/NOS/NCCOS/CSCOR is soliciting proposals under the Ecological Effects of Sea Level

Rise (EESLR) Program to improve the management of regional and local ecosystem effects of sea level rise and coastal inundation through targeted research on key technologies, natural and nature-based infrastructure, physical and biological processes, and model evaluation. The overall goal of EESLR is to integrate dynamic physical and biological processes with sea level rise and coastal inundation to improve the prediction of coastal ecosystem effects to enable enhanced coastal resiliency. This information will be used to advance the capacity and capabilities of the

NOAA Sentinel Site Program. Funding is contingent upon the availability of Fiscal Year 2015

Federal appropriations. Approximately 2 to 5 projects, 2-3 years in duration, are expected to be funded at the level of $150,000 to $200,000 per year per proposal.

Electronic Access: Background information about NOAA’s Ecological Effects of Sea Level Rise

Program can be found at http://coastalscience.noaa.gov/about/centers/cscor, and the NOAA

Sentinel Site Program at http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/sentinelsites/. Proposals should be submitted through Grants.gov, http://www.grants.gov.

FULL ANNOUNCEMENT TEXT

I. Funding Opportunity Description

A. Program Objective

The Center for Sponsored Coastal Ocean Research (CSCOR), part of the National

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Centers for Coastal Ocean

Science (NCCOS), develops and improves predictive capabilities for managing the Nation's use of its coastal resources through competitive research programs. NCCOS/CSCOR also supports efforts to translate the results of its research investments, and those of others, into accessible and useful information for coastal managers, planners, lawmakers, and the public to help balance the needs of economic growth with those of conserving the resources of our

Nation's oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes.

NCCOS/CSCOR provides a focal point for regional ecosystem-scale, multidisciplinary coastal ocean research within the NOAA National Ocean Service. Together with partners in

NOAA and other organizations responsible for coastal resources, NCCOS/CSCOR advances the scientific understanding needed to protect coastal resources and ensure their viability for future generations. This increased understanding of the ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes directly benefits the management of U.S. coastal and ocean resources, and helps NOAA, other Federal agencies, and state, tribal, and local governments achieve their stewardship responsibilities.

A key objective of NCCOS/CSCOR research is the production of user-driven predictive tools that will enable resource managers to assess alternative management strategies to restore degraded ecosystems and protect healthy ones. Research supported is outcome-oriented towards predictions, as well as increased scientific understanding that will provide managers and the public with sound scientific information for making decisions in support of societal objectives. Articulation of outcome-based management goals is required in proposals (see Section IV.B.) and recipients will be expected to report progress toward achieving outcome-based goals annually.

Ecological Effects of Sea Level Rise:

Rising sea level represents a significant threat to coastal communities and ecosystems through land loss, altered habitats, and increased vulnerability to coastal storms and inundation. Trends in increasing coastal sea level have been well documented and are expected to continue to increase, if not accelerate, in the coming decades (Parris, et al. 2012).

The ability of sea level rise (SLR), particularly in conjunction with periodic tide and storm induced inundation, to alter ecosystem function and composition worldwide has been well documented. While global consequences of SLR provide a sobering assessment for possible coastal condition in the future, variability exists in the rates of SLR, the responses of differing ecosystem types, and human responses (e.g., beach nourishment) at the regional and local levels. Damages and economic losses could be reduced if decision makers understand the potential long-term impacts of SLR and use this information to plan accordingly.

In recognition of the need to facilitate increased coastal resiliency and improve adaptation and mitigation capabilities, NOAA has produced a series of informational reports and tools to provide guidance to managers. For example, Incorporating Sea Level Change

Scenarios at the Local Level

(http://www.csc.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/publications/slcscenarios) outlines a series of steps for local managers and emphasizes the need to consider differing scenarios and planning at the local level. Similarly, Marshes on the Move

(http://www.csc.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/publications/marshesonthemove) provides guidance on using model results depicting potential impacts of SLR on coastal wetlands. Marshes on the Move highlighted the need for a multi-model approach, as well as key parameters and dynamics that should be considered. NOAA has also developed a Sea Level Rise and

Coastal Flooding Impacts Viewer (http://www.csc.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/tools/slrviewer) to demonstrate how SLR will impact coastal communities.

Providing the scientific foundation for coastal decision making, particularly related to

SLR and coastal inundation, is a high priority need identified by NOAA. To address this need, NCCOS’s Ecological Effects of Sea Level Rise (EESLR) Program has sought to develop integrated predictive models and other tools required to accurately predict coastal ecosystem effects and services in the face of SLR. Application of these tools by coastal resource managers allow for enhanced coastal resiliency through improved planning, management, mitigation, and restoration in response to sea level rise and coastal inundation.

The Program has funded projects in North Carolina

(http://www.coastalscience.noaa.gov/projects/detail?key=186) and the northern Gulf of

Mexico (http://www.coastalscience.noaa.gov/projects/detail?key=162) to develop tools for coastal managers to mitigate regional ecological impacts of SLR. Since 2005, the North

Carolina SLR Project has engaged North Carolina state and local managers to disseminate findings and adopt their recommendations in the development of mapping and modeling tools to deliver to the coastal management community. The Gulf SLR Project began in 2010 and is working with the local management community to develop maps that delineate new tidal boundaries as a result of SLR; and estimates of sediment loadings from overland runoff to estuarine systems, erosion rates, projections of changes in critical habitats (e.g., salinity distributions, marsh, beach, shellfish, submerged aquatic vegetation, land cover), and water resource impacts.

The large-scale, regional projects funded thus far through EESLR have proved successful at both advancing SLR predictive capabilities and facilitating the transfer of this research to applications. Unfortunately, budget constraints have limited the EESLR program to a single region at a time, an approach which limits its scope and ability to meet needs of coastal managers in many areas. While strong justification remains for the continuation of funding for large-scale regional projects through EESLR in order to develop state-of-the art forecasting tools for more regions, resource limitations and a need for information to guide restoration and SLR and inundation related mitigation activities provide a strong justification for smaller-scale, targeted efforts.

To improve NOAA’s ability to support community resiliency in response to SLR and coastal inundation, NOAA has initiated the Sentinel Site Program (SSP). The SSP seeks to strengthen the science, service, and stewardship continuum through leveraging existing resources and integrating related capabilities to promote resilient communities and ecosystems in response to SLR. The SSP focuses these efforts in a place-based, issue-driven approach to address SLR impacts that affect both NOAA Trust Resources such as, National

Marine Sanctuaries and the National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS). Through this approach, the SSP also serves as focal point to leverage partner capabilities and activities such as those through Landscape Conservation Cooperatives and state and Federal agencies. Specific geographies are delineated based on the ecological and coastal community relevancy of Sentinel Sites to the broader region and form the basis for regional Sentinel Site

Cooperatives. Currently, there are five individual Cooperatives located in the northern Gulf of Mexico, North Carolina, Chesapeake Bay, Hawaii, and San Francisco Bay.

Each Cooperative is directed by a core management team comprised of representatives from across NOAA, as well as external partners. Cooperative management teams have developed implementation plans to advance regional SLR efforts based on input from partners, existing resources, and targeted engagement. Through their implementation plans, Cooperatives have identified specific information gaps and science needs. Specific gaps and information needs relevant to the EESLR are:

• Models and Prediction o Sea level rise modeling and projections at the regional and local level;

o Storm surge, wave impacts, and coastal inundation, including extreme events predictions and flood probabilities; and o Spatial analysis and visualization, including SLR effects on habitat and improved digital elevation models.

• Applied Research o Sea level change as a result of increasing variability in rainfall;

o Synthesis of existing SLR research and data;

o Susceptibility of critical species to SLR and potential impacts; and o SLR vulnerability assessments.

Proposals should justify their work and approaches by reference to one or more

Cooperative implementation plans in addition to similar compilation of research needs and approaches within their geographic region. Specific information on each Sentinel Site

Cooperative can be found at: http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/sentinelsites/welcome.html.

B. Program Priorities

NOAA/NOS/NCCOS/CSCOR is soliciting proposals for Targeted EESLR (T-EESLR) applications and research on key technologies, natural and nature-based infrastructures, processes, and model evaluations that seek to advance capacity and capabilities required to improve long-term regional and local ecosystem predictions of SLR and coastal inundation effects. These efforts should focus on advancing predictive models towards the dynamic integration and characterization of multi-disciplinary physical and biologic processes with that of sea level rise and coastal inundation effects. Specifically, proposals should address one or more of the following T-EESLR research priorities:

1. Model Advancement to Improve Capabilities:

a. Improve predictive model parameterization through targeted, short-term field-based experiments, monitoring, and/or technology evaluation; and

b. Inter-model and end-user tool comparisons to evaluate capabilities, quantify uncertainty for use in management scenario applications, and/or assess transferability between regions.

2. Model Application to Support Decision-Making:

a. Enhance application of existing predictive models, such as coupling of currently independent modeling platforms and/or downscaling of regional and local-scale climate projections, to assess effects on ecosystem function and ecological services; and

b. Application of multiple management scenarios to predict and evaluate natural and nature-based infrastructure strategies by forecasting benefits that maximize coastal resiliency.

Proposals should build on and leverage existing research and monitoring activities, end-user tools (e.g., platforms enabling end-user assessments of varying SLR scenario effects, value of natural and nature-based infrastructure options, among others), and modeling capabilities. NERRS and Sanctuaries, particularly those located with SSP Cooperative boundaries, have relevant ongoing research efforts, long-term physical and biological data sets, and other capabilities that should be integrated and leveraged, where appropriate.

Collaborations with NOAA offices are encouraged, but not required. In addition, proposals should capitalize on existing modeling platforms and tools, as appropriate, including:

• Advanced Circulation model (ADCIRC) for storm surge modeling;

• Publically available Digital Elevation Models (DEM);

• Sea, Lake, and Overland Surges from Hurricane (SLOSH);

• Simulating WAves nearshore (SWAN); and

• NOAA operational hydrodynamic modeling

(http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/models.html).

Proposals are required to demonstrate linkages between the proposed research, the improved predictive capabilities, production of actionable information for decision making, and the anticipated benefits to specific coastal communities. The geographic scope of T-

EESLR is limited to coastal regions within the boundaries of a NOAA Sentinel Site

Cooperative and associated NERRS. Proposals should target a single Cooperative with possible demonstration of applicability to additional Cooperatives, except when the proposal focuses on inter-model and tool comparisons, which may target multiple Cooperatives.

To facilitate the application of project results, successful T-EESLR proposals will advance Sentinel Site Cooperatives capabilities through targeted research within the

Cooperative geographic boundaries. A focus on the Sentinel Site Cooperatives provides a significant leveraging opportunity within an existing management structure to ensure application of project results.

Within this context, proposals should demonstrate a collaborative management-science approach and outline specific engagement efforts with relevant Cooperative management teams and their coastal management partners. This could include, but is not limited to, pre-project meetings, annual workshops, and training on application of tools, where appropriate.

PIs on successful proposals will work with the relevant SSP management team and NOAA

NCCOS to form a Management Transition Advisory Group (MTAG) to provide routine guidance to the project team and facilitate application of project results. Engagement with an

MTAG will be required of all T-EESLR projects. Inclusion of a dedicated principle investigator focused on coordinating engagement of the MTAG and conceptualizing project applications is recommended, but is not required. Through collaborations and engagement with the SSP management teams, as well as other management entities, project results should facilitate enhanced coastal resiliency through improvements in ecosystem management, restoration, and hazard mitigation. Examples of T-EESLR applied and/or enhanced management capabilities and tools include:

1. Advanced tools with enhanced capabilities for predictions of possible changes in ecosystem services and impacts from the effects of SLR and coastal inundation;

2. Guidance on the application of integrated natural and nature-based infrastructure approaches through prediction of alternative management scenarios; and

3. Evaluations of ecosystem services associated with alternative management scenarios to maximize the impact of actions taken to address coastal resiliency through nature-based infrastructure and other approaches to restore, recover, and protect ecosystem services.

All NOAA environmental data developed through this announcement shall adhere to the guidelines documented in NOAA Administrative Order 212-15

(http://www.corporateservices.noaa.gov/ames/administrative_orders/chapter_212/212-

15.html). Also, all proposals must include a data management plan which considers how to provide data as soon as feasible to the public (see Data Reporting Requirements in Section

VI. C.).

C. Program Authority

16 U.S.C. 1456c

II. Award Information

A. Funding Availability

Funding is contingent upon availability of Federal appropriations. NOAA is committed to continual improvement of the grants process and accelerating the award of financial assistance to qualified recipients in accordance with the recommendations of the Business

Process Reengineering Team. In order to fulfill these responsibilities, this solicitation announces that award amounts will be determined by the applications and available funding.

It is anticipated that total funding for this research will be up to $800,000 per year for projects expected to last 2-3 years. Approximately 2 to 5 projects are expected to be funded at the level of approximately $150,000 to $200,000 per year per proposal.

Applicants are hereby given notice that funds have not yet been appropriated for this program. In no event will NOAA or the Department of Commerce be responsible for application preparation. There is no guarantee that sufficient funds will be available to make awards for all qualified projects. Publication of this notice does not oblige NOAA to award any specific project or to obligate any available funds. If one incurs any costs prior to receiving an award agreement signed by an authorized NOAA official, one would do so solely at one's own risk of these costs not being included under the award.

Publication of this notice does not obligate any agency to any specific award or to obligate any part of the entire amount of funds available. Recipients and subrecipients are subject to all Federal laws and agency policies, regulations and procedures applicable to

Federal financial assistance awards.

B. Project/Award Period

Full applications may cover a project/award period up to 3 year(s) (depending on the type of proposal submitted), but shorter-term project proposals are also welcome.

Multi-year awards may be funded incrementally on an annual basis, but once awarded those awards will not compete for funding in subsequent years. Each award requires a project description that can be easily divided into annual increments of meaningful work representing solid annual accomplishments.

The following is a description of multi-year awards for those applicants subsequently recommended for award. Multi-year awards are awards that have an award/project period of more than 12 months of activity. Multi-year awards are partially funded when the awards are approved, and are subsequently funded in increments. One of the purposes of multi-year awards is to reduce the administrative burden on both the applicant and the operating unit.

For example, with proper planning, one application can suffice for the entire multi-year award period. Funding for each year's activity is contingent upon the availability of funds from Congress, satisfactory performance, and is at the sole discretion of the agency. Multi-year funding is appropriate for projects to be funded for 2 to 5 years. Once approved, full applications are not required for the continuation out years.

During the implementation phase of research projects funded under this announcement, regardless of the funding mechanism used, CSCOR Program Managers will analyze financial statements and progress reports for each continuing award, and will have dialogue with the Principal Investigators and Authorized Representatives of the recipient institutions to discuss research progress and expected time lines for the remaining award period. If

NOAA experiences budget reductions in future fiscal years, the amount of funding provided in any given fiscal year will be determined by the remaining tasks to be completed, the overall pace of the research and the length of time remaining on the award and/or across the board reductions.

Regardless of the budget for any given fiscal year, Program Managers will consider the length of time remaining for each project, the amount of funds available, the tasks to be completed in the upcoming fiscal year, the pace of research, and any delayed progress relative to that originally proposed, before determining the funding amount in any given fiscal year.

C. Type of Funding Instrument

Funding instruments will be through cooperative agreements. A cooperative agreement implies that the Federal government will assist recipients in conducting the proposed research. The application should be presented in a manner that demonstrates the applicant's ability to address the research problem in a collaborative manner with the Federal government or Federal researchers. A cooperative agreement is appropriate when substantial

Federal government involvement is anticipated. This means that the recipient can expect substantial agency collaboration, participation, or intervention in project performance.

Substantial involvement exists when: responsibility for the management, control, direction, or performance of the project is shared by the assisting agency and the recipient; or the assisting agency has the right to intervene (including interruption or modification) in the conduct or performance of project activities.

NOAA will review the applications in accordance with the evaluation criteria. Before issuing awards, NOAA will determine whether a grant or cooperative agreement is the appropriate instrument based upon the need for substantial NOAA involvement in the project. If a cooperative agreement is determined to be the appropriate instrument, the

CSCOR program officer will participate in important activities which may include evaluation and selection of applicants for funding, education about and discussion of research activities, participation in meetings, guidance on NOAA philosophy, directions, and priorities, and research strategy discussions.

In an effort to maximize the use of limited resources, applications from non- Federal, non-NOAA Federal and NOAA Federal applicants will be evaluated in the same competition. If the grantee is at an institution that has a NOAA Cooperative Institute (CI), they are allowed to submit applications that reference the CI by attaching a cover letter to the application stating their desire to have the application associated with the CI. This letter should specify the name of the cooperative institute, the CI cooperative agreement number, and the NOAA-approved research theme and task that applies to the proposal. The application will use the F&A rate associated with main CI agreement. If the application is selected for funding, NOAA will notify the university that a separate award will be issued with its own award number. However, the award will include two Special Award Conditions

(SACs): (1) the existing University/NOAA Memorandum Of Agreement (MOA) would be incorporated by reference into the terms of the competitive award, and (2) any performance report(s) for the competitive project must follow the timetable of the funding program and be submitted directly to the funding program. Report(s) will be copied to the CI's administrator when due, to be attached to the main cooperative agreement progress report as an appendix.

This will allow the CI to coordinate all the projects submitted through the CI, since the terms of these awards will specify that this is a CI project via the MOA.

Research applications selected for funding from non-Federal researchers will be funded through a project grant or cooperative agreement. Research applications selected for funding from a NOAA Federal applicant will be funded through an intra-agency transfer and research applications selected for funding from non-NOAA Federal applicants will be funded through an interagency transfer, provided legal authority exists for the Federal applicant to receive funds from another agency. PLEASE NOTE: Before non-NOAA

Federal applicants may be funded, they must demonstrate that they have legal authority to receive funds from another Federal agency. Because this announcement is not proposing to procure goods or services from the applicants, the Economy Act (31 U.S.C. section 1535) is not an appropriate basis. Support may be solely through NCCOS/CSCOR or partnered with other Federal offices and agencies.

III. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants are institutions of higher education, other non-profits, state, local, Indian Tribal Governments, commercial organizations, US Territories and Federal agencies that possess the statutory authority to receive financial assistance. DOC/NOAA supports cultural and gender diversity and encourages women and minority individuals and groups to submit applications to the CSCOR programs. In addition, DOC/NOAA is strongly committed to broadening the participation of historically black colleges and universities, Hispanic serving institutions, tribal colleges and universities, and institutions that work in underserved areas. DOC/NOAA encourages applications involving any of the above institutions to apply.

Please note that:

(1) NCCOS/CSCOR will not normally fund any Federal Full Time (FTE) salaries, but will fund travel, equipment, supplies, and contractual personnel costs associated with the proposed work. If an applicant thinks that they are eligible for an exception, they should provide the Program Manager with appropriate documentation and obtain approval prior to submitting an application.

(2) Researchers must be employees of an eligible entity listed above; and applications must be submitted through that entity. Non-Federal researchers should comply with their institutional requirements for application submission.

(3) Non-NOAA Federal applicants will be required to submit certifications or documentation showing that they have specific legal authority to accept funds for this type of research.

(4) Foreign researchers may apply as subawards through an eligible US entity

(5) Non-Federal researchers affiliated with NOAA-University Cooperative/Joint

Institutes should comply with joint institutional requirements; they will be funded through grants either to their institutions or to joint institutes

B. Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement

None.

C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility

Each full proposal must substantially comply with the sixteen elements listed under

Required Elements, (1)-(16), or it will be returned to sender without further consideration. A checklist with the required and requested application elements can be found in the Section

VIII.

CSCOR adheres to the principals of scientific integrity. This policy can be found;

http://nrc.noaa.gov/scientificintegrity.html.

It is the applicant's responsibility to obtain all necessary Federal, state and local government permits and approvals where necessary for the proposed work to be conducted.

Applicants are expected to design their proposals so that they minimize the potential adverse impact on the environment. If applicable, documentation of requests or approvals of environmental permits must be received by the Program Manager prior to funding.

Applications will be reviewed to ensure that they have sufficient environmental documentation to allow program staff to determine whether the proposal is categorically excluded from further National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis, or whether an

Environmental Assessment is necessary in conformance with requirements of the NEPA. For those applications needing an Environmental Assessment, affected applicants will be informed after the peer review stage; and will be requested to assist in the preparation of a draft of the assessment (prior to award). Failure to apply for and/or obtain Federal, state, and local permits, approvals, letters of agreement, or failure to provide environmental analysis where necessary (e.g. NEPA environmental assessment) will also delay the award of funds if a project is otherwise selected for funding.

IV. Application and Submission Information

A. Address to Request Application Package

Address to Request Application Package

Laura Golden

1305 East West Hwy

SSMC 4 Station 8240

Silver Spring, MD 20910

B. Content and Form of Application

1. Applications

The provisions for full applications preparation provided here are mandatory.

Applications received after the published deadline (refer to DATES) or applications that deviate from the prescribed format will be returned to the sender without further consideration. Information regarding this announcement and additional background information are available on the NCCOS/CSCOR home page. An example application can be found at: http://www.cop.noaa.gov/opportunities/grants/pdf/sample_application.pdf and

FAQs are also available.

2. Required Elements

For clarity in the submission of applications, the following definitions are provided for applicant use:

Funding and/or Budget Period - The period of time when Federal funding is available for obligation by the recipient. The funding period must always be specified in multi-year awards, using fixed year funds. This term may also be used to mean budget period. A budget period is typically 12 months.

Award and/or Project Period - The period established in the award document during which Federal sponsorship begins and ends. The term award period is also referred to as project period in 15 CFR 14.2(cc).

Applications with multi- institutions - Collaborative applications with more than one institution requesting direct funding by NOAA. Each multi-institution must send their application documents to the lead institute for submission via grants.gov. If funded, each institution receives a separate award from NOAA.

Applications with sub contractors - Collaborative applications with only the lead institution requesting direct funding by NOAA. If funded, the lead institution will disburse funds to the subcontractor institutions.

Each application must substantially comply with the following sixteen elements or it will be returned to sender without further consideration. The Summary, Title page, Abstract, Project Description, References, Biographical Sketch, Budget Narrative and Collaborators

List must be single spaced in 12-point font with 1-inch margins. The sixteen elements are as follows:

(1) Standard Form 424. At the time of application submission, all applicants requesting direct funding must submit the Standard Form, SF-424, “Application for Federal

Assistance,” to indicate the total amount of funding proposed for their institution for the whole project period. This form is to be the cover page for the original application and is the first required form in the grants.gov application package. Multi-institutional applications must include signed SF-424 forms from all institutions requesting direct funding. Original signatures are required on SF-424 forms provided to a lead institution by a collaborating institution for grants.gov submission.

(2) Summary title page. One page maximum. The Summary title page identifies the project's title, starting with the acronym: EESLR 2015 and the Principal Investigator’s (PI) name and affiliation, complete address, phone and E-mail information. The requested funding amounts for each fiscal year with and without ship funding should be included on the Summary title page. Multi-institution applications must also identify the lead investigator for each institution and the requested funding with and without ship funding for each fiscal year for each institution on the title page. Lead investigator and separate budget information is not requested on the title page for institutions that are proposed to receive funds through a subaward to the lead institution; however, an accompanying budget justification must be submitted for each subaward. For further details on budget information, please see Section

(g) Standard Form SF-424A of this part.

(3) One-page abstract/project summary. The summary (abstract) should appear on a separate single page, headed with the proposal title, institution(s), investigator(s), total proposed cost (with and without ship funds), and budget period. It should be written in the third person. The summary is used to help compare proposals quickly and allows the respondents to summarize these key points in their own words. Project summaries of applications that receive funding may be posted on program related websites.

The project summary shall include an introduction of the problem, rationale, scientific objectives and/or hypotheses to be tested, and a brief summary of work to be completed.

(4) Project description. The description of the proposed project must include narratives of the Proposed Research and not be more than 17 pages in length (including up to 2 pages for data sharing policy).

The Proposed Research Narrative must be thorough and explicitly indicate its relevance to the program goals and scientific priorities by:

(a) Identifying the topic that is being addressed by the proposal;

(b) Describing the proposed scientific objectives and research activities in relation to the present state of knowledge in the field and in relation to previous and current work by the proposing principal investigator(s). Each award requires a project description that can be easily divided into annual increments of meaningful work representing solid accomplishments.

(c) Discussing how the proposed project lends value to the program goals;

(d) Identifying the function of each PI. The Lead PI (s) will be responsible for communicating with the Federal Program Manager on all pertinent verbal or written information.

(e) Providing a detailed data management plan which describes how metadata and data collected as part of the project will be disseminated to the broader community, and plans for longer term archiving of these data. Principal Investigators that propose to collaborate with data centers or networks are advised to obtain letters of commitment that affirm the collaboration. Where possible, all PIs are strongly encouraged to use existing data centers and data portals to archive and disseminate their data. Costs associated with use of data centers, or data archiving, should be included in the application budget. See the section on the NOAA Date Reporting requirements below (Section VI. C.).

The Applications to Management Narrative should establish the connection to relevant resource management needs by explicitly identifying the end user group(s) including evidence of the linkage between the scientific questions and management needs. If applicable, the format and role of management and technical advisory committees should be included in this section. If required, proposals should specifically identify direct participation of resource manager(s) as co-Principal Investigators.

This narrative should provide the management justification for the research through:

(a) Articulating the coordination with one or more management entities, including the relevant SSP management team(s);

(b) Discussing the expected significance of the project to resource management priorities and needs. Specific management targets, with proposed outputs and outcomes, should describe how this project will improve management capabilities. Outputs are defined as products (e.g. publications, models) or activities that lead to outcomes (changes in management knowledge or action). Definitions and examples of outputs and outcomes can be accessed at http://coastalscience.noaa.gov/funding/recipients/outcomes . The timeline for achieving outcomes should be included in the Milestone Chart (below).

(c) Describing specific activities, such as workshops or development of outreach materials, that will enhance information transfer from project scientists to relevant management entities, other end-users, or the public.

(5) References cited. Reference information is required. Each reference must include the names of all authors in the same sequence they appear in the publications, the article title, volume number, page numbers, and year of publications. While there is no established page limitation, this section should include bibliographic citations only and should not be used to provide parenthetical information outside of the 17 page proposal descriptions.

(6) Milestone chart. Provide time lines of major tasks covering the duration of the proposed project.

(7) Biographical sketch. All principal and co-investigators must provide summaries of up to 2 pages that include the following:

(a) A listing of professional and academic credentials and mailing address;

(b) A list of up to five publications most closely related to the proposed project and five other significant publications. Additional lists of publications, lectures, and the rest should not be included;

(8) Current and pending support. Describe all current and pending federal financial/funding support for all principal and co-investigators, including unfunded collaborators making a substantial contribution to the research. Continuing grants must also be included. The capability of the investigator and collaborators to complete the proposed work in light of present commitments to other projects should be addressed. Therefore, please discuss the percentage of time investigators and collaborators have devoted to other

Federal or non-Federal projects, as compared to the time that will be devoted to the project solicited under this notice. A current and pending support form is not required but is available on the CSCOR web site for your use:

http://coastalscience.noaa.gov/funding/applicants/forms. You must respond to the requirement whether or not you have any current and/or pending support.

(9) A list of all applicable permits that will be required to perform the proposed work.

You must respond to this requirement element whether or not permits are required

(10) Accomplishments from Prior Federal Support. If any PI or co-PI identified on the project has received federal funding in the past five years for research, information on the award(s) is required. Each PI and co-PI who has received more than one award (excluding amendments) must report on the award most closely related to the proposal and funded by

NOAA CSCOR.

The following information must be provided:

a) the award number, amount and period of support;

b) the title of the project;

c) a summary of the results of the completed work;

d) publications resulting from the award;

e) a brief description of outputs and outcomes; and

f) as appropriate, a description of the relation of the completed work to the proposed work.

Reviewers will be asked to comment on the quality of the prior work described in this section of the proposal. You must respond to the requirement whether or not you have accomplishments from prior CSCOR support

(11) Budget narrative/justification. In order to allow reviewers to fully evaluate the appropriateness of costs, all applications must include a detailed budget narrative and a justification to support all proposed budget categories for each fiscal year. Personnel costs should be broken out by named PI and number of months and percentage of time requested per year per PI. Support for each PI should be commensurate with their stated involvement each year in the milestones chart (see Required Elements (f) Milestone chart).

Any unnamed personnel (graduate students, post-doctoral researchers, technicians) should be identified by their job title, and their personnel costs explained similar to PI personnel costs above. The contribution of any personnel to the project goals should be explained. Travel costs should be broken out by number of people traveling, destination and purpose of travel, and projected costs per person. Equipment costs should describe the equipment to be purchased, and its contribution to the achievement of the project goals. For additional information concerning each of the required categories and appropriate level of disclosure please see http://coastalscience.noaa.gov/funding/applicants/requirements

Any ship time needs must be clearly identified in the proposed budget. The applicant is responsible for requesting ship time through appropriate channels and for meeting all requirements to ensure the availability of requested ship time. Copies of relevant ship time request forms (e.g. UNOLS ship request forms at http://www.unols.org/info/strs_intro.html.

should be included with the proposal.

If any NOAA personnel will be present during ship operations, vessel safety clearances must be obtained through the NOAA Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO) in advance of the cruise. Required information and procedures are detailed in a Charter Vessel

Acquisition and Safety NOAA Administrative Order which can be accessed via the OMAO website at http://www.omao.noaa.gov/charterreq.html.

A separate budget justification is required for each institution in a multi-institutional project and for each subcontract. Signed approval from each subaward and contractor’s institution is also required.

(12) CD 511. Certification Regarding Lobbying. Lead institutions can submit these forms through the grants.gov CD511 document placeholder without a hard signature because electronic signatures are allowed on documents from the submitting institution. However, these forms submitted through grant.gov as “Optional Documents” must have hard signatures i.e. collaborating institutions sending this form to the lead.

(13) SF 424B. Assurances - Non-Construction Programs. Lead institutions can submit these forms through the grants.gov SF 424B document placeholder without a hard signature because electronic signatures are allowed on document from the submitting institutions.

However, these forms submitted through grants.gov as “Optional Documents” must have hard signatures i.e. collaborating institutions sending this form to the lead.

(14) Standard Form 424A. At time of application submission, all applicants are required to submit a SF-424A Budget Form which identifies the budget for each fiscal year of the proposal. Place each fiscal year in separate columns in Section B of page 1 on the SF424A.

(Note that this revised 424A Section B format is a NOAA requirement that is not reflected in the Instructions for the SF 424A). For 5 year projects, use two SF424As. Place the first four years on one form in Section B columns one through four. The first four years will total in column five. Place the total from the first form onto the second form in Section B column one and use column two for the fifth year budget figures. The budget figures must correspond with the descriptions contained in the proposal. Multi-institution applications must include a SF-424A for each institution, and multi-investigator applications using a lead investigator with a subaward approach must submit a SF-424A for each subaward. Each subaward should be listed as a separate item.

Provide separate budgets for each subaward and contractor regardless of the dollar value and indicate the basis for the cost estimates. Describe products/services to be obtained and indicate the applicability or necessity of each to the project. List all subaward and contractor costs under line item 6.f. contractual on the SF-424A. Signed approval from the institution of each subaward and contractor must be provided. Indirect cost may not be applied to ship costs.

(15) Provide one list that includes all ( US and Foreign) collaborators, advisors, and advisees for each investigator (principal and co-principal investigators, post-docs, and subawardees), complete with corresponding institutions. Submit only one, combined and alphabetized list per application. Collaborators are individuals who have participated in a project or publication within the last 48 months with any investigator, including co-authors on publications in the resumes. Collaborators also include those persons with which the investigators may have ongoing collaboration negotiations. Advisees and Advisors do not have a time limit. Advisees are persons with whom the individual investigator has had an association as thesis advisor or postdoctoral sponsor. Advisors include an individual’s own graduate and postgraduate advisors. Unfunded participants in the proposed study should also be listed (but not their collaborators). This information is critical for identifying potential conflicts of interests and avoiding bias in the selection of reviewers.

(16) Key Contacts form. At the time of application submission, all applicants must submit the Key Contacts form. This form can be found on the NCCOS/CSCOR website:

http://coastalscience.noaa.gov/funding/docs/key_contacts_form.pdf. This form identifies the official applicant contacts.

Application format and assembly. Applications submitted via Grants.gov APPLY should follow the format guidelines below:

Attachments must be submitted in Adobe Acrobat PDF format to maintain format integrity. Please submit the required documents as described below. Follow the instructions found on the Grants.gov web site for application submission into the Grants.gov system. All required forms that do not have specific placeholders in the Mandatory Document box must be submitted in the Optional Form box as Other Attachments and labeled with the document name: i.e budget narrative, project description, milestone chart etc. For a collaborative application: The SF424’s of the additional institutions should be uploaded separately and labeled using the name of the institution/SF424 and then submitted in the Optional Form box as Other Attachments. Combine all of the remaining required documents for the individual institution into one PDF file and submit the file labeled with the name of the institution.

Repeat this procedure for each collaborating institution.

Save your completed application package with two different names before submission to avoid having to re-create the package should you experience submission problems. If you experience submission problems that may result in your application being late, send an e-mail to support@grants.gov and call the Grants.gov help desk. Their phone number is posted on the Grants.gov web site. The Program Manager associated with the Request For

Applications will use programmatic discretion in accepting applications due to documented electronic submission problems. Please note: If more than one submission of an application is performed, the last application submitted before the due date and time will be the official version.

In addition to the sixteen required elements, it is requested that the indirect rate agreement be provided upon application submission. It is allowable for applicants to suggest merit reviewers on a page after the Summary Title Page. These forms can be uploaded in to the Optional Form box under Other Attachments in Grants.gov.

Collaborative applications must be submitted by the lead institution and the following documents must be attached to the application for each collaborating institute:

Multi-institutional submissions - SF424, SF424A, Budget Justification, SF-424B, CD511, Current and Pending and Key Contracts are required. PLEASE NOTE: Signed

SF424s from each applicant requesting direct funding is a submission requirement. We also request submission of the indirect rate agreement, if applicable.

Sub contractor submissions - SF424A, Budget Justification, Current and Pending, and

Key Contacts are required. Signed approval from the institution of each subaward and contractor must be provided. We also request submission of the indirect rate agreement, if applicable.

*Permits, accomplishments, Biographical sketches and the collaborators list must also be supplied to the lead institution in order for them to be combined within the lead application information.

C. Submission Dates and Times

The deadline for receipt of full applications at the NCCOS/CSCOR office is 3 p.m., Eastern Time on November 18, 2014. Note that late-arriving hard copy applications will be accepted for review only if the applicant can document that:

1) The application was provided to a delivery service with delivery to the National

Oceanic &Atmospheric Administration, 1305 East-West Highway, SSMC4, Mail Station

8240 8th Floor, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910-328;

2) Delivery was guaranteed by 3 pm, Eastern Time on the specified closing date;

AND,

3) The application was received in the NCCOS/CSCOR office by 3 p.m., Eastern Time no later than 2 business days following the closing date.

Investigators submitting applications electronically are advised to submit well in advance of the deadline.

Important: All applicants, both electronic and paper, should be aware that adequate time must be factored into applicant schedules for delivery of the application. Electronic applicants are advised that volume on Grants.gov is currently extremely heavy, and if

Grants.gov is unable to accept applications electronically in a timely fashion, applicants are encouraged to exercise their option to submit applications in paper format. Paper applicants should allow adequate time to ensure a paper application will be received on time, taking into account that guaranteed overnight carriers are not always able to fulfill their guarantees.

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