NOAA-NOS-NCCOS-2019-2005810 FFO Report.pdf

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 1 of 48

National Competitive Harmful Algal Bloom Programs

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Funding Opportunity Description 4

A. Program Objective 4

B. Program Priorities 6

C. Program Authority 18

II. Award Information 18

A. Funding Availability 18

B. Project/Award Period 19

C. Type of Funding Instrument 20

III. Eligibility Information 22

A. Eligible Applicants 22

B. Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement 23

C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility 23

IV. Application and Submission Information 23

A. Address to Request Application Package 23

B. Content and Form of Application 23

C. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) 31

D. Submission Dates and Times 32

E. Intergovernmental Review 34

F. Funding Restrictions 34

G. Other Submission Requirements 34

V. Application Review Information 35

A. Evaluation Criteria 36

B. Review and Selection Process 36

C. Selection Factors 39

D. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates 39

VI. Award Administration Information 39

A. Award Notices 39

B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements 40

C. Reporting 44

VII. Agency Contacts 47

VIII. Other Information 48

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 2 of 48

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: National Competitive Harmful Algal Bloom Programs

Announcement Type: Initial

Funding Opportunity Number: NOAA-NOS-NCCOS-2019-2005810

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

Ocean Research - Coastal Ocean Program

Dates: The required letters of intent (LOI) be sent by e-mail to nccos.grant.awards@noaa.gov and must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the specified date:

ECOHAB: November 5, 2018

MERHAB: November 5, 2018

Full applications must be received and validated by Grants.gov by 11:59p.m. Eastern Time on the date specified.

ECOHAB: March 4, 2019

MERHAB: February 28, 2019

Electronic submissions received after the deadline will not be considered.

NOAA will also accept paper applications subject to further details described in this

Announcement that are postmarked or provided to a commercial carrier with tracking number and receipt on or before 11:59 pm Eastern Time on the date specified above for each program.

Private metered postmarks will not be accepted. Applicants submitting by paper are responsible for tracking their applications and should notify the Program Manager in Section VII of this

Announcement that they are submitting by paper.

Investigators are advised to submit full applications well in advance of the deadline as a precaution against unanticipated delays. Applicants must register with Grants.gov before submitting application materials. When developing your submission timeline, keep in mind the following information regarding application submission on Grants.gov:

mailto:nccos.grant.awards@noaa.gov

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 3 of 48

1. Grants.gov requires applicants to complete a free annual registration process in the electronic

System for Award Management (SAM), which may take between three and five business days or as long as several weeks to process as described in Section IV.G. of this Announcement.

2. If you submit a full application via Grants.gov, you will receive a series of email notifications for up to two business days before learning via validation or rejection whether NOAA has received your application.

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

NOAA/NOS/National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS)/Competitive Research

Program (CRP) is soliciting proposals for the Monitoring and Event Response for Harmful Algal

Blooms (MERHAB) and The Ecology and Oceanography of Harmful Algal Blooms (ECOHAB)

Research Programs. Funding is contingent upon the availability of Fiscal Year 2019 Federal appropriations. It is anticipated that projects funded under this announcement will have a

September 1, 2019 start date.

Total funding for this research:

MERHAB: It is anticipated that up to approximately $2,500,000 may be available in Fiscal Year

2019 for the first year for all MERHAB projects combined. Approximately 7 to 9 projects are expected to be funded at the level of approximately $200,000 to $600,000 per year per proposal.

Projects are expected to last 3 to 5 years. Both Regional and Targeted projects are expected to be funded.

ECOHAB: It is anticipated that up to approximately $3,000,000 may be available in Fiscal Year

2019 for the first year for all ECOHAB projects combined. Approximately 1-4 Regional projects are expected to be funded at the level of $700,000 to $1,000,000 (including ship time) per year per proposal. Projects are expected to last 5 years. Only Regional projects are expected to be funded.

Electronic Access: Background information about the MERHAB Program can be found at https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/research/habs/merhab and for the ECOHAB Program at https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/research/stressor-impacts-mitigation/ecohab/.

Any Frequently Asked Questions that arise will be posted at these sites. Proposals should be submitted through Grants.gov, http://www.grants.gov. Sign up to receive any potential amendments to this Announcement via www.grants.gov.

http://www.grants.gov/

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 4 of 48

FULL ANNOUNCEMENT TEXT

I. Funding Opportunity Description

A. Program Objective

1. Growing Problem of HAB Occurrence and Impacts

HABs are caused by diverse organisms, including toxic and noxious phytoplankton, some protists, cyanobacteria, benthic algae, and macroalgae. Blooms can extend over large geographic areas, be composed of more than one harmful or toxic species, and cause significant impacts on fisheries, recreation, human health, and the ecology of both marine and freshwater bodies. HABs are now a recurrent and serious problem in many areas of the

US and evidence suggests that the frequency and distribution of HABs is also increasing globally, impacting many countries that have commercial and recreational activities in coastal areas.

HAB impacts on public health and local/regional economies are also dramatic and increasing. Costs are attributable to maintenance of toxin monitoring programs; closures of shellfish beds; marine mammal stranding networks; collapse of some fisheries; mortality of fish, shellfish, turtles, birds, and mammals; disruptions in tourism; threats to public and coastal resource health; publication of watershed, health, drinking water and seafood advisories; and medical treatments (8). Despite greater public awareness and advisories of bloom events, human illnesses and even fatalities continue to be reported. Additionally, some toxins may cause only a few documented illnesses but result in serious public reaction and temporary aversion to local seafood products and activities. These deleterious impacts have increased public awareness and demand for intervention to reduce or eliminate bloom impacts on coastal resources, local economies, and threats to public health, but appropriate response requires an understanding of the causes and impacts. Over the course of the last decade, numerous reports have described the magnitude of the HAB problem and outlined research plans to systematically address the issue (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16).

2. Legislative Mandates and Justification for HAB Programs

The 1998 Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research Control Act (HABHRCA) and the

Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Amendments Act of 2004 (2004 HABHRCA

Reauthorization) authorized the establishment of three national research programs for HABs:

Ecology and Oceanography of HABs (ECOHAB), Monitoring and Event Response for

HABs (MERHAB), and Prevention, Control, and Mitigation of HABs (PCMHAB). The

Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act of 2014 (2014

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 5 of 48

HABHRCA Reauthorization) requires these existing competitive programs be maintained and enhanced. See 33 U.S.C. §§ 4001-4009.

NOAA described each national competitive program in more detail and established a regional rotation in a 2009 Federal Register Notice found at 74 FR 20465 (May 4, 2009).

NOAA ended the regional rotation of HAB programs in 2016, as announced at 81 FR 37187

(June 9, 2016). This announcement does not re-establish the regional rotation or counter any language in 81 FRN 37187. Abstracts of previously funded National Competitive HAB

Programs, including past MERHAB and ECOHAB projects, are available online at http://www.whoi.edu/redtide/research/projects

The MERHAB and ECOHAB programs address multiple interagency, Department of

Commerce, and NOAA goals and objectives.

• The Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Comprehensive Research and Action Plan

(14), mandated by the 2014 HABHRCA Reauthorization, calls on all federal agencies to:

o Add to and improve scientific understanding of HABs and hypoxia, and their causes and effects, as well as improve testing and research methods.

o Strengthen and integrate new and existing monitoring programs.

o Improve predictive capabilities by developing and enhancing HAB and hypoxia modeling programs; improve disease surveillance for human and animal exposure, illnesses, and death.

o Improve stakeholder communications, including having more effective and readily-available public advisories, stronger connections with susceptible communities, and a better understanding of the socioeconomic and health-related impacts of HABs and hypoxia.

o Continue and expand collaborations in research, management, and policy-related arenas.

• NOAA’s Ecological Forecasting Roadmap 2015-2019 (17) specifies, “NOAA’s priority through this Ecological Forecasting Roadmap is to develop ecological forecasts for harmful algal blooms in regions of the country where these are issues of major concern.” (p.3).

• NOAA National Marine Fisheries Marine Aquaculture Strategic Plan FY 2016-2020

(18) –supports NOAA internal and extramural research focused on designing and refining scientific “tools for management” including those that promote understanding of how changing ocean conditions impact aquaculture. A strategy highlighted under Goal 2 (p. 13) is

“assessing the impacts of environmental change (including ocean acidification) on marine aquaculture, as well as aquaculture’s role in mitigating environmental change.”

http://www.whoi.edu/redtide/research/projects

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 6 of 48

• The U.S. Department of Commerce 2018-2022 Strategic Plan (19) Objective 2.1 calls for NOAA to “support research to advance marine aquaculture” (p. 9). The planned expansion of U.S. aquaculture production coincides with increased threats from HABs.

Problems stemming from HABs including costly product loss or recalls and public fears about seafood product safety pose a clear and growing threat. NOAA Competitive HAB programs support research that can “help remove production bottlenecks,” related to HABs.

Objective 2.3 to “amplify the economic value of recreational and commercial fisheries,” calls on NOAA to “ensure that fisheries and their habitats are managed to optimize sustainable commercial harvest and recreational opportunities while conserving marine resources for future generations.” Further, Objective 3.3 identifies the need to manage impacts from extreme water events, like HABs, on our nation’s economy. DOC will support efforts to enhance prediction capabilities via better data gathering and modeling technology.

DOC also plans to provide expert, timely, and actionable weather information to emergency managers, water resource managers, and other government agencies at the state, local, and tribal levels in partnership with the commercial sector.

• The Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference (ISSC) fosters and promotes shellfish sanitation through the cooperation of state and federal control agencies (Food and Drug

Administration, NOAA, Environmental Protection Agency), the shellfish industry and the academic community. The ISSC identified cell and toxin monitoring and prediction for early warning as one of several HAB research priorities (8) to address the needs of state managers and the shellfish industry to assist with monitoring for HAB toxins in seafood.

B. Program Priorities

This FFO calls for targeted and regional proposals for MERHAB and regional proposals for ECOHAB.

1. MERHAB

a. MERHAB Objectives

The principal objective of MERHAB is to build capacity of local, state, and tribal governments, regional observing systems, wild and farmed seafood industry, and other

HAB-impacted sectors, for less costly and more precise and comprehensive monitoring of phytoplankton cells and algal toxins, and for responding to harmful algal bloom (HAB) events.

HABs are increasing in both frequency and intensity and the most effective way to mitigate their impacts on U.S. coastal communities and coastal resources is with enhanced monitoring

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 7 of 48 and forecasting combined with rapid response to HAB events (1,3,4,5,9,17).

NOAA and its federal, state, tribal, and private partners responsible for coastal resource management, public health protection, supplying healthy wild-capture and farmed seafood, and ensuring access to clean water all have a stake in maintaining and enhancing programs that prevent serious and potentially fatal illnesses from exposure to HAB toxins and safeguard coastal economies.

Monitoring programs are under increasing pressures to detect more toxins impacting more organisms over larger areas; expand water quality and shellfish programs to track and respond to high biomass and toxic bloom events; enhance public health surveillance to improve diagnosis and treatment of HAB-related illnesses; and protect our recreational and drinking water from HAB toxins. These programs need access to proven technologies and advances in understanding of fundamental processes underlying the impacts and population dynamics of HABs to keep pace with the growing national HAB problem. Further, agencies need to be confident that the technologies they are considering adopting have been validated and will improve upon existing methods. Finally, agencies often need training to ensure successful adoption of these technologies and monitoring strategies (2, 17).

Recognizing the need for enhanced HAB monitoring and response capacity, the NOAA

National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) initiated the MERHAB program (9).

b. MERHAB Priorities

MERHAB Program priorities were developed initially to meet needs identified in Harmful

Algal Blooms in Coastal Waters (4) and a National Assessment of HABs in U.S. Waters (14) and reiterated in HARRNESS (9). This FFO requests proposals that meet the following

MERHAB priorities:

a. mitigate HAB impacts by incorporating research products into monitoring applications and encouraging their adoption into routine operation;

b. compare new and existing technologies,

c. provide training needed to effectively utilize and support adoption of new monitoring approaches; and

d. demonstrate the value of using HAB technologies to increase utility of enhanced monitoring and regional observing systems for HAB early warning and forecasting.

MERHAB is not intended to provide long-term support for routine monitoring efforts.

MERHAB does support sustainable regional partnerships using proven HAB technologies

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 8 of 48 developed via ECOHAB, PCMHAB, the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System, Sea

Grant, National Science Foundation, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or other programs to provide managers with crucial information in time for critical decisions needed to mitigate HAB impacts.

MERHAB research has helped state and tribal shellfish, public health, and coastal ocean monitoring and response programs keep pace with expanding HAB impacts, added HAB monitoring and early warning capabilities to regional observing associations in the U.S.

Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) and capacity to meet NOS Harmful Algal

Bloom Operational Forecast System requirements. MERHAB is better positioning these programs to provide essential data and services to ensure proper ecological and human health management that meets the needs of HAB-impacted stakeholders like producers of wild and farmed seafood.

MERHAB also supports the development of ecological forecasting capabilities in geographic areas with severe, recurrent blooms along the US coast (17). These can be either in new geographic areas, areas that have been studied previously but where new or unanswered questions remain, or involve comparisons between ecosystems. Where MERHAB or other funding has already established a foundation of knowledge, the need for additional research to support model/forecast development must be clearly articulated.

The appearance of new HABs species and toxins, the expansion of known HABs into new areas, increases in bloom intensity, and the discovery of HAB toxins in molluscan and finfish species are emerging challenges to ensuring safe seafood. MERHAB addresses a need to demonstrate effective screening and potential regulatory methods to minimize risks from ciguatera and other natural toxins and provide data to inform updates to FDA’s Fish and Fishery Products Hazards and Controls Guidance (6) to maintain our safe supply of finfish seafood products.

MERHAB is also responsive to another mechanism promoting coordination within NOAA and across federal agencies, the Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference (ISSC). The ISSC fosters and promotes shellfish sanitation through the cooperation of state and federal control agencies, the shellfish industry (both wild harvest and aquaculture) and the academic community. ISSC participants maintain the National Shellfish Sanitation Program (NSSP)

2015 Guide for the Control of Molluscan Shellfish (7), which lays out acceptable methods for monitoring shellfish for biotoxins among other things. Each state adopts the appropriate biotoxin procedures into their regulations to ensure safe wild and farmed shellfish production. The ISSC, with support of its Laboratory Committee, surveyed its members and developed a set of HAB research priorities (8) to promote better monitoring HAB toxins in

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 9 of 48 seafood and meet the needs of state managers and the shellfish industry. Priorities binned under the heading HAB cell and toxin monitoring and prediction for early warning are most appropriately addressed by MERHAB.

c. MERHAB Project Characteristics:

The MERHAB program will consider support of projects ranging from small, targeted laboratory or field studies by individual investigators or small teams, to regional-scale studies involving larger teams of investigators conducting coordinated, well-integrated, multi-disciplinary field programs. Priorities, characteristics and expected outputs for each type of project are:

a) MERHAB-Targeted Research Projects:

i) Priorities:

• Demonstrate management application of a technology that will enhance HAB monitoring activities in U.S. coastal waters, including the Great Lakes (see section B.4.(1));

• Incorporate technology into existing coastal and Great Lakes HAB monitoring programs;

• Enhance HAB monitoring and response capacity through methods validation, comparison, and\or training.

ii) Characteristics:

• From 3 to 5 years in duration;

• Should rigorously field-test, not develop, new technologies to detect algal species, toxin, or toxicity and/or monitor the environmental conditions that support HABs.

Technologies may include, but are not limited to, rapid field assays for shellfish toxicity, improved diagnostic techniques for in situ detection of HAB cells, remote sensing technology to help target sampling efforts, instruments to observe coastal ocean conditions and mathematical models useful in predicting or forecasting HABs;

• MERHAB targeted projects must have a specified plan to build support for transition of research products to management application;

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 10 of 48

• May be conducted either by an individual or small investigative team with participation by potential end users encouraged; and

• Must address specific needs of the HAB management community.

iii) Examples of expected outputs include but are not limited to:

• New management applications to rapidly detect HABs and their toxins; to monitor and track HABs and key HAB-related ecosystem conditions; and to predict or forecast

HABs;

• Enhanced HAB monitoring programs;

• Enhanced capacity for HAB event Response; and

• Enhanced HAB forecasting to inform monitoring programs.

b) MERHAB-Regional, intensive HAB monitoring projects

i) Priorities

• Develop new or increase existing regional capabilities for HAB coastal and Great

Lakes monitoring;

• Incorporate tools for HAB measurement into existing monitoring efforts;

• Include local, state, regional, Federal, or non-governmental entities as active research partners;

• Determine need and work to secure long-term local, state, regional, or other funding that will support enhancements in HAB monitoring when MERHAB project funding ends;

• Develop local and/or regional capabilities to respond to HAB events; and

• Develop partnerships to test and utilize models for forecasting as part of specific monitoring programs.

ii) Characteristics

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 11 of 48

• From 3 to 5 years in duration;

• Include a suite of annual studies and involve a multi-disciplinary, collaborative team of investigators. The team should represent groups with strong interests in mitigating the impacts of HABs, including, but not limited to, the natural and social science research community, existing monitoring programs, communities dependent upon affected resources, business and industry associations, and non-profit organizations;

• Include as co-investigators representatives of appropriate local, state, tribal, regional, and Federal agencies that have responsibility for the economic, regulatory, and management issues being addressed;

• Include a plan for continued engagement with these representatives and their agency leadership to facilitate the incorporation of research results into existing monitoring programs and to identify funding to sustain HAB monitoring efforts after MERHAB project has ended; and

• Form a project management team with a designated chairperson serving as the main point of contact with the Program Manager and a senior project team member designated to oversee transition.

iii) Examples of expected outputs include but are not limited to the following:

• Include regional stakeholder input and participation through means that may include, but are not limited to, annual workshops, management and technical advisory committees that involve a broad spectrum of regional interests and training on the use of adopted technology;

• Provide recommendations to management of the parameters to be measured in a region and the types of instruments that should be developed or adapted into existing monitoring programs; which can include the results of methods validation or comparison studies;

• Deploy HAB monitoring tools in existing monitoring programs;

• Provide training on the use of monitoring technologies;

• Enhanced HAB forecasting to inform monitoring;

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 12 of 48

• Develop commitments from one or more local, state, tribal, regional, or Federal agencies, governing bodies or non-profit regional observing associations for continued, long-term support of expanding HAB monitoring capabilities;

• Develop real-time, scientific response capability during HAB outbreaks for the region that includes, but is not limited to, the use of local experts, establishing partnerships with universities, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, non-profit associations, and the private sector, to provide immediate analytical and sampling capacities, and expanding local abilities for transferring samples to analytical services outside the region; and

• Conduct outreach to improve awareness of HAB outbreaks and their environmental and societal costs, and to mitigate their impact on vital natural resources, public health and local/regional economies.

c) Shared Characteristics of MERHAB Targeted and Regional, Intensive Projects.

Projects will result in the deployment of HAB monitoring technologies and strategies that are incorporated into state and/or regional monitoring and forecasting operations to provide a higher level of protection for public health and economic interests. Project results will be distributed to stakeholders via scientific, peer- reviewed articles, synthesis documents, briefings, presentations, electronic web sites, and any other means defined by the applicants.

Project proposals should also clearly identify a timetable of accomplishments and major program elements that will lead to specific interim and final assessments of applicability and effectiveness of a number of monitoring approaches. Explicit identification of the end user group(s) is required and must include evidence of linkages between the scientific questions and management needs.

2. ECOHAB

a. ECOHAB Objectives

The ECOHAB Program, based on The Ecology and Oceanography of Harmful Algal

Blooms: A National Research Agenda (1), was authorized in HABHRCA 1998 as an applied competitive research program designed to increase the understanding of the fundamental processes underlying the causes and impacts of HABs. Such understanding is required in order to develop appropriate HAB management and response strategies.

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 13 of 48

Numerous additional reports and plans have provided more information about the magnitude of the HAB problem and outlined research plans to systematically address this issue (1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16). While considerable progress has been made toward understanding and predicting bloom events and their impacts, the complexity of the problem has also become more apparent and new HAB problems have emerged with alarming frequency (9, 11, 12, 13, 15).

The overall objectives of ECOHAB are to develop:

1) Quantitative understanding of HABs and, where applicable, their toxins in relation to the surrounding environment with the intent of developing new information and tools, predictive models and forecasts, and prevention strategies to aid managers in coastal environments; and

2) Understanding leading to models of trophic transfer of toxins, knowledge of biosynthesis and metabolism of toxins, and assessment of impacts of toxins on higher trophic levels.

All of the regional projects funded in the past have focused primarily on the first objective.

Regional or cross-regional proposals addressing the second objective are especially encouraged.

b. ECOHAB Priorities

HABs and related biotoxin risk must be managed to ensure public health, build viable and valuable sustainable fisheries, protect living marine resources including threatened and endangered species and their habitats, and effectively manage coastal activities and resources. In order to meet the goals stated above, NOAA is soliciting proposals for regional projects on one or more of the following topics in the coastal zone or the Great Lakes (see section B.4.(1)):

1) Understanding the factors controlling HAB growth and toxicity by focusing on harmful algal genetics, physiology, and toxin production;

2) Understanding community ecology and ecosystem dynamics, including top-down and bottom-up control of HABs;

3) Delineating the biosynthetic pathways and metabolism of toxins;

4) Determining the trophic transfer of toxins within food webs and the impacts of toxins on individual organisms and food webs;

5) Determining the effects of environmental changes, such as eutrophication, ocean acidification and/or climate change, on HABs and their impacts.

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 14 of 48

c. ECOHAB Regional Project Characteristics

Regional studies are large, multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional projects that take an ecosystem approach to determining the linkages between HAB species, the environment, and their impacts in geographic areas with severe, recurrent blooms along the US coast. These can be either in new areas or in areas that have been studied previously but where new or unanswered questions remain. Where ECOHAB or other funding has already established a foundation of knowledge, the need for additional research must be clearly articulated.

Regional projects should focus on species and phenomena that have a region-wide impact, not specific localized impacts. They may also include cross-regional comparison of a particular HAB problem. These studies are usually 5 years in duration with a team of collaborating investigators and address questions that cannot be answered in a short time frame and/or without cross-discipline expertise. It is expected that a regional study will include extensive field measurements and synthesis of a variety of data types.

Regional ECOHAB projects often lead to the development of ecological forecasting capabilities (17). Development of HAB models, where the long-term intent is to operationalize the model for HAB forecasting, must be based on community-supported modeling frameworks, such as Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) or Finite Volume

Community Ocean Model (FVCOM). They should also be tied to the modeling framework(s) that are commonly used in the proposed region.

Research proposals must describe specific plans for sharing information and research products with end-users and the community in a timely manner, for example by proposing workshops and public outreach activities. Participation of potential users of the results during the course of the research is encouraged. Articulation of outcome-based management goals is required in proposals (see Section IV.B.2)).

ECOHAB regional projects must have a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) whose purpose is to provide advice to the investigator team to assist with project design and transition of results to applications. The structure, size, and activities of the TAC will be designed by the investigators and described in the proposal, including a plan for how the

TAC will provide advice to the investigators. Members of the TAC must be named and letters included in the proposal indicating that they have agreed to serve on the TAC; these letters do not count against the page limits. The TAC must include members that are independent of the project (not funded investigators), who will typically have expertise in the research area and/or be potential end users. CRP employees cannot be TAC members.

Funding can be requested for TAC activities such as participation in project investigator

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 15 of 48 meetings or participation in technology/information transfer events. Travel funds for the

TAC should be included within the budget. Although federal employees may be TAC members, they cannot receive travel funds. The ECOHAB Program Manager may request additional TAC members during the project period.

3. Important information about MERHAB and ECOHAB Program Criteria

The following guidance clarifies the scope of MERHAB and ECOHAB in relation to specific research topics:

1) Developing methods of measuring and monitoring HAB cells and toxins.

a) MERHAB will fund the improvement or testing of an existing method to facilitate its use in monitoring HAB cells or toxins or environmental conditions that foster HABs.

b) ECOHAB will fund method development only when it is necessary to conduct research. (However, regional proposals based on the development of a new method are unlikely to review well.)

2) Use of models for forecasting and prediction.

a) HAB forecasting and prediction through the development of models, is covered by

ECOHAB.

b) Development of partnerships to test and utilize models for forecasting, as part of specific monitoring programs, is under the purview of MERHAB.

3) Research on socioeconomic impacts of HABs is usually considered part of

PCMHAB. However, an ECOHAB or MERHAB proposal may have a socio-economic component, as part of a larger study.

4. Examples of Non-Applicable Research Topics

Some HAB research is conducted by other programs within NOAA or within other state or federal agencies. The priorities of those programs are described in several recent reports (11, 13, 14, 16). To avoid duplication of effort MERHAB and ECOHAB will not fund research in the following areas:

1) Research on inland or freshwater HABs except in the Great Lakes and coastal waters, which, as defined in the Coastal Zone Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1453 (3)), contain a measurable quantity or percentage of seawater. Research on freshwater toxins that are

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 16 of 48 transported into the coastal zone is, however, permitted.

2) Direct human health impacts of HABs, such as disease surveillance, clinical characterization, and therapeutic guidance in humans, are the purview of other agencies, such as NSF/NIEHS COHH, CDC and FDA.

3) Routine monitoring for HAB cells and toxins and water quality.

4) Operational HAB forecasting and observation systems.

5. References

(1) Anderson, D.M. 1995. ECOHAB, the Ecology and Oceanography of Harmful Algal

Blooms. Woods Hole, MA: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

http://www.whoi.edu/fileserver.do?id=24158&pt=10&p=19132

(2) Anderson, D.M., S.B. Galloway, and J.D. Joseph. 1993. Marine Biotoxins and

Harmful Algae: A National Plan. . WHOI Technical Report 93-02, Woods Hole

Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 44 pp.

http://www.whoi.edu/fileserver.do?id=24155&pt=10&p=19132

(3) Bauer, M. (ed.). 2006. Harmful Algal Research and Response: A Human Dimensions

Strategy. National Office for Marine Biotoxins and Harmful Algal Blooms. Woods Hole, MA: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. 72 pp.

http://www.whoi.edu/cms/files/HARR-HD_18203_23047.pdf

(4) Boesch, D.F., Anderson, D.M., Horner, R.A., Shumway, S.E., Tester, P.A. and

Whitledge, T.E. 1997. Harmful Algal Blooms in Coastal Waters: Options for Prevention, Control, and Mitigation. NOAA/COP/Decision Analysis Series No.10. Silver Spring, MD.

NOAA Coastal Ocean Office, 61 pp.

http://www.whoi.edu/fileserver.do?id=24161&pt=10&p=19132

(5) Dortch, Q., Anderson, D., Ayres, D., and Glibert, P., editors, 2008. Harmful Algal

Bloom Research, Development, Demonstration and Technology Transfer: A National

Workshop Report. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, Woods Hole, MA.

http://www.whoi.edu/fileserver.do?id=43464&pt=10&p=19132

(6) FDA. Fish and Fishery Products Hazards and Controls Guidance Fourth Edition –

April 2011 (updated August 3, 2011).

http://www.whoi.edu/fileserver.do?id=24158&pt=10&p=19132 http://www.whoi.edu/fileserver.do?id=24155&pt=10&p=19132 http://www.whoi.edu/cms/files/HARR-HD_18203_23047.pdf http://www.whoi.edu/fileserver.do?id=24161&pt=10&p=19132 http://www.whoi.edu/fileserver.do?id=43464&pt=10&p=19132

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 17 of 48 https://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/GuidanceRegulation/UCM251970.pdf

(7) FDA, 2015. National Shellfish Sanitation Program (NSSP) Guide for the Control of

Molluscan Shellfish 2015 Revision. 464 pp. (Updated March 2018).

https://www.fda.gov/food/guidanceregulation/federalstatefoodprograms/ucm2006754.htm

(8) Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference. Priorities to Improve Shellfish Monitoring for Harmful Algal Bloom Toxins. Accessed June 4, 2018.

http://www.issc.org/harmfulalgaebloominformation

(9) HARRNESS, 2005. Harmful Algal Research and Response: A National

Environmental Science Strategy 2005-2015. Ramsdell, J.S., D.M. Anderson and P.M.

Glibert (Eds.), Ecological Society of America, Washington DC, 96 pp.

http://www.esa.org/HARRNESS/harrnessReport10032005.pdf

(10) Hoagland, P. and S. Scatasta. 2006. The economic effects of HABs. In Ecology of

Harmful Algae (E. Graneli and J. Turner, Eds), the Ecology Studies Series. Dordrecht, The

Netherlands: Springer-Verlag, pp. 391-402.

(11) Jewett, E.B., Lopez, C.B., Dortch, Q., Etheridge, S.M., Backer, L.C., 2008.

Harmful Algal Bloom Management and Response: Assessment and Plan. Interagency

Working Group on Harmful Algal Blooms, Hypoxia and Human Health of the Joint

Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology. Washington, DC, 76 pp.

https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/publications/handler.aspx?key=5689

(12) Lopez, C.B., Dortch, Q., Jewett, E.B., Garrison, D. 2008. Scientific assessment of marine Harmful Algal Blooms. Interagency Working Group on Harmful Algal Blooms, Hypoxia, and Human Health of the Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology, Washington, D.C., 62 pp. http://www.whoi.edu/fileserver.do?id=233744&pt=10&p=19132

(13) Lopez, C.B., Jewett, E.B., Dortch, Q., Walton, B.T., Hudnell, H.K. 2008. Scientific

Assessment of Freshwater Harmful Algal Blooms. Interagency Working Group on Harmful

Algal Blooms, Hypoxia, and Human Health of the Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology, Washington, D.C., 65 pp.

http://www.whoi.edu/fileserver.do?id=41023&pt=10&p=19132

(14) National Assessment of Harmful Algal Blooms in U.S. Waters. 2000. National

Science and Technology Council Committee on Environmental and Natural Resources, 47pp. http://www.coastalscience.noaa.gov/publications/handler.aspx?key=172 http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/GuidanceRegulation/UCM251970.pdf http://www.fda.gov/food/guidanceregulation/federalstatefoodprograms/ucm2006754.htm http://www.issc.org/harmfulalgaebloominformation http://www.esa.org/HARRNESS/harrnessReport10032005.pdf http://www.whoi.edu/fileserver.do?id=233744&pt=10&p=19132 http://www.whoi.edu/fileserver.do?id=41023&pt=10&p=19132 http://www.coastalscience.noaa.gov/publications/handler.aspx?key=172

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 18 of 48

(15) National Science and Technology Council, Subcommittee on Ocean Sciences and

Technology, 2016. Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Comprehensive Research and

Action Plan: An Interagency Report. Washington, DC. 94 pp.

http://www.whoi.edu/fileserver.do?id=230904&pt=10&p=19132

(16) NOAA National Sea Grant College Program. 2001. Prevention, Control, and

Mitigation of Harmful Algal Blooms: A Research Plan. 28pp.

http://www.whoi.edu/fileserver.do?id=24160&pt=10&p=19132

(17) NOAA - A Strategic Vision for NOAA’s Ecological Forecasting Roadmap 2015-

2019. 14 pp. https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/ecoforecasting/noaa-ecoforecasting-roadmap.pdf

(18) NOAA Fisheries Marine Aquaculture Strategic Plan FY 2016-2020. 33pp. 2016.

https://www.afdf.org/wp-content/uploads/8h-NOAA-Marine-Aquaculture-Strategic-Plan-

FY-2016-2020.pdf

(19) U.S. Department of Commerce, 2018–2022 Strategic Plan: Helping the American

Economy Grow Washington, DC. 36 pp.

https://www.commerce.gov/sites/commerce.gov/files/us_department_of_commerce_2018-

2022_strategic_plan.pdf

C. Program Authority

33 U.S.C. §§ 4001-4009, The Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control

Act of 1998 (HABHRCA), as amended; Public Law 102-567, § 201(c), Coastal Ocean

Program.

II. Award Information

A. Funding Availability

Funding is contingent upon availability of Federal appropriations.

1. MERHAB

It is anticipated that up to approximately $2,500,000 may be available in Fiscal Year 2019 for the first year for all MERHAB projects. At that funding level, an anticipated 7 to 9 projects lasting from 3 to 5 years in duration are expected to be funded. Specific guidelines for approximate budget requests include $200,000-$300,000/yr for targeted projects and http://www.whoi.edu/fileserver.do?id=230904&pt=10&p=19132 http://www.whoi.edu/fileserver.do?id=24160&pt=10&p=19132 http://www.afdf.org/wp-content/uploads/8h-NOAA-Marine-Aquaculture-Strategic-Plan-http://www.commerce.gov/sites/commerce.gov/files/us_department_of_commerce_2018-

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 19 of 48

$500,000-$600,000/yr for regional projects. MERHAB will not accept any proposals submitted with an annual budget that is greater than $600,000 for any year.

2. ECOHAB

It is anticipated that up to approximately $3,000,000 may be available in Fiscal Year 2019 for the first year for all ECOHAB projects. Approximately 1-4 Regional projects are expected to be funded at the level of $700,000 to $1,000,000 (including ship time) per year per proposal. ECOHAB will not accept any proposals submitted with an annual budget that is greater than $1,000,000 for any year. Projects are expected to last 5 years. Only Regional projects will be funded.

B. Project/Award Period

Full proposals may cover a project/award period from 3 to 5 years (depending on the type of proposal submitted) for MERHAB and 5 years for ECOHAB.

Awards may be funded incrementally, generally on an annual basis, but, once awarded, those awards will not compete for funding in subsequent years. This multi-year funding is often appropriate for projects to be funded for three to five years. Once approved, full applications are not required for the continuation out years. While applicants are not required to divide

Federal assistance project activities into annual increments based on appropriations law, this approach may be constructive given the possibility that funding may not be available in subsequent years.

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.

During the implementation phase of research projects funded under this announcement, regardless of the funding mechanism used, CRP 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 on a project-specific basis 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 based on the overall funds available.

Regardless of the budget for any given fiscal year, CRP Program Managers will consider the length of time remaining for each project, the amount of funds available, the tasks to be

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 20 of 48 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

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, with different funding instruments applicable to the type of applicant.

The funding instrument for a research application selected for funding from a non-Federal researcher is expected to be a cooperative agreement. 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. "Substantial involvement” will be coordinated and communicated by CRP Program Managers, and can include collaboration and participation by NOAA (including NCCOS) researchers, as well as

CRP Program Manager involvement in Principal Investigator (PI) meetings, setting up management advisory groups, development of management transition plans, and communication of project results.

If the non-Federal applicant is at an institution that has a NOAA Cooperative Institute (CI), it is allowed to submit applications that reference the CI by attaching a cover letter to the application stating its 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 Facilities & Administrative (F&A, or indirect cost) rate associated with the 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

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 21 of 48 this is a CI project via the MOA.

If the non-Federal applicant is at an institution that has a NOAA approved Cooperative

Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) and meets the criteria described below for using that status, they may include a cover letter with their application stating their desire to have the application associated with that CESU. This letter should specify the name of the CESU. Of the 17 CESUs across the nation, NOAA is a member of 10: North and West Alaska, California, Hawaii-Pacific Islands, South Florida-Caribbean, Gulf Coast, Piedmont-South

Atlantic Coast, Chesapeake Watershed, North Atlantic Coast, Pacific Northwest, and Great

Plains. The following criteria must be met for NOAA to use the established partnerships with CESUs:

1. The proposed project must fit within the objectives of the National CESU Network

Program, which are to provide research, technical assistance, and education to federal land management, environmental, and research agencies and their partners in biological, physical, social, cultural, or engineering disciplines needed to address natural and cultural resource management issues at multiple scales and in an ecosystem context.

2. The proposed project must fit the intent of the CESU’s existing Cooperative and Joint

Agreement, which means (1) the research partnership will carry out or stimulate an activity

(e.g., data, products, or services) for a public purpose, and (2) NOAA will be significantly involved in the work.

The funding instrument for a selected application from an eligible NOAA Federal applicant will be an intra-agency transfer of funds.

The funding instrument for a selected application from a non-NOAA Federal applicant will be through an inter-agency transfer of funds, provided legal authority exists for the Federal applicant to receive funds from another agency. Non-NOAA Federal applicants that intend to be the lead institution must call Laura Golden/240-533-0285 to discuss technical details.

PLEASE NOTE: Before non-NOAA Federal applicants may be funded, they must demonstrate that they have applicable legal authority for an interagency transfer of funds.

Support may be solely through CRP or partnered with other Federal offices and agencies.

The intra- and inter-agency transfers of funds are not Federal assistance (grants or cooperative agreements), and the policies described in this Announcement applicable to

Federal assistance awards do not apply to Federal entities receiving intra- and inter-agency transfers of funds. In the agreements implemented in these situations, NOAA will be substantially involved in the projects in a manner similar to the cooperative agreements with

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 22 of 48 non-federal parties. Contact the NCCOS Grants Administrator for more information (refer to

Section VII for contact information).

III. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants for Federal financial assistance in this competition are institutions of higher education, other non-profits, state, local, Indian Tribal Governments, U.S. Territories, and for-profit organizations. Federal agencies that possess the statutory authority to receive transfers of funds are eligible to submit applications for intra- or interagency funds transfers through this competition. DOC/NOAA supports cultural and gender diversity and encourages women and minority individuals and groups to submit applications to the CRP 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) Principal Investigators should be employees of an eligible entity listed above; and applications should be submitted through that entity. Non-Federal researchers should comply with their institutional requirements for application submission.

(2) Non-Federal researchers affiliated with NOAA-University Cooperative/Joint Institutes will be funded through cooperative agreements.

(3) Foreign researchers must apply as subawards or contracts through an eligible US entity.

(4) Federal applicants are eligible to submit applications for intra- or interagency funds transfers through this competition. 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.

(5) An eligible U.S. entity may propose Federal agency researchers as funded or unfunded collaborators.