noaa-nos-ocm-2016-2004576 ffo report.pdf

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Funding Opportunity Description 3

A. Program Objective 3 B. Program Priorities 5 C. Program Authority 10

II. Award Information 10 A. Funding Availability 10 B. Project/Award Period 11 C. Type of Funding Instrument 11

III. Eligibility Information 11 A. Eligible Applicants 11 B. Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement 12 C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility 12

IV. Application and Submission Information 13 A. Address to Request Application Package 13 B. Content and Form of Application 13 C. Submission Dates and Times 21 D. Intergovernmental Review 21 E. Funding Restrictions 21 F. Other Submission Requirements 21

V. Application Review Information 22 A. Evaluation Criteria 22 B. Review and Selection Process 23 C. Selection Factors 24 D. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates 24

VI. Award Administration Information 24 A. Award Notices 24 B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements 25 C. Reporting 26

VII. Agency Contacts 27 VIII. Other Information 27

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 1 of 29

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: FY2016 NOAA Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Hawaii Program

Announcement Type: Initial

Funding Opportunity Number: NOAA-NOS-OCM-2016-2004576

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.473, Office for Coastal Management

Dates: Full proposals must be received by 6:59 pm Hawaii Time on January 19, 2016.

Funding Opportunity Description: The NOAA Bay Watershed Education and Training (B- WET) Hawaii Program is a federal funding opportunity which meets NOAA's mission of science, service and stewardship. This B-WET program supports the vision of a future where societies and their ecosystems are healthy and resilient in the face of sudden or prolonged change. The purpose for this financial assistance is to support our communities by developing a well-informed citizenry involved in decision-making that positively impacts our coastal, marine and watershed ecosystems in the State of Hawaii. This opportunity is a competitively-based grant that provides funding to assist in the development of new programs, encourage innovative partnerships among environmental education programs and support geographically targeted programs to advance environmental education efforts that complement national and state school requirements. The B-WET Hawaii Program plays a foundational role as an environmental education program that promotes locally relevant, experiential learning in the K-12 environment on priority topics, such understanding climate, ocean and earth sciences and community resilience to hazards. Funded projects provide meaningful watershed educational experiences for students, professional development for teachers, service learning opportunities for students, and support regional education and environmental priorities.

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 2 of 29

FULL ANNOUNCEMENT TEXT

I. Funding Opportunity Description

A. Program Objective

The NOAA Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Program was established in 2002 to create environmentally literate students and teachers through education.

Recognizing that an informed community is the key to sustaining the Nation's watershed, coastal and ocean environment, NOAA developed B-WET Programs in the Chesapeake Bay watershed (2002), California (2003) and Hawaii (2004). Due to the success in these three locations, the B-WET program expanded to the Gulf of Mexico, Pacific Northwest and the Northeast regions in 2008 and then the Great Lakes in 2010. Experiential learning techniques, such as those supported by the B-WET Program, have been shown to increase interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), thus contributing to NOAA's obligations under the America COMPETES Act (33 USC 893a).

The B-WET Hawaii program is administered by the NOAA Office for Coastal Management- Pacific Islands based in Honolulu on behalf of the NOAA Office of Education and in partnership with the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries in Hawaii. The B-WET Hawaii Program provides opportunities to create a population that is knowledgeable about earth systems science, climate change, marine science, coastal science and relevant hazards. Once engaged with the experience and information, these educators and students are poised to understand the role this knowledge plays in developing culturally relevant community resilience and stewardship. By supporting organizations that use the environment as the context for learning, NOAA is providing a platform that engages learners and revitalizes teachers with the watershed and the surrounding landscape acting as a living laboratory.

Students immediately grasp Earth processes and resilience linkages in the watershed and are immersed in a dynamic learning environment. The program supports NOAA's goal of developing a well-informed citizenry involved in decision-making that positively impact our coastal, marine and watershed ecosystems. Individuals that have been educated about Earth's processes, community resilience to hazards and climate change can become effective problem solvers and future community leaders and decision-makers charged with managing Hawaii's island resources.

1. Definitions: The terms used throughout this announcement are thus defined:

a. Hawaii: The islands of Hawaii, Maui, Lanai, Molokai, Oahu, Kauai, Kahoolawe, Niihau and the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands

b. Teachers/educators: Formal educators for kindergarten through high school and informal educators for all audiences

c. Students: Kindergarten through high school (K-12)

d. Kupuna: Native Hawaiian elder

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 3 of 29

e. Ahupuaa (watershed): The ahupuaa (watershed) is defined as a division of land, coast and ocean where culturally-based knowledge and practices are used to manage the resources therein. It is a traditional Hawaiian relationship between man and his environment that provides a culturally-based management tool to balance environmental, social, and economic development needs. This unique relationship was premised on the need to care for the earth and its terrestrial, marine, atmospheric, and spiritual resources. Within the ahupuaa, human interactions and the use of resources were strictly managed through orally communicated laws of the land passed from generation to generation. Although this was practiced traditionally in ancient Hawaiian culture, the knowledge is still applied to today's contemporary society affording opportunities to integrate both traditional and modern methods of resource management.

f. Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences: An experience(s) that involve the following aspects: investigative or project oriented; an integral part of the instructional program; part of a sustained activity; consider the watershed concept as a system; and enhanced by NOAA products, services, or personnel, where appropriate. More information can be found at <http://www.oesd.noaa.gov/grants/docs/MWEE-National.pdf>.

g. Community Resilience: The capacity of communities to survive, mitigate the effects of, and recover from the effects of natural or other hazards in order to withstand disasters and support their long-term sustainability. Resilient communities are well informed of their vulnerability to hazards and are able to comprehend the potential environmental, social and economic impact on their community. Examples of natural hazards include tsunamis, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, erosion, and landslides. Human-induced or man-made hazards include but are not limited to runoff, leaching, pollution, sewage, and effects pressure of land use in the ahupuaa.

h. Earth systems science: The term for sciences related to any of the studies that deal with the earth or with one or more of its parts. Many scientists use the Earth systems science approach which treats the entire Earth as a system. Multi-disciplinary studies include but are not limited to: meteorology, climatology, atmospheric chemistry, geology, geodesy, geophysics, soil science, oceanography, hydrology, marine biology, glaciology, and marine, coastal and atmospheric sciences.

i. Climate science: The term for sciences related to any of the studies that deal with the long-term average of conditions in the atmosphere, ocean, and ice sheets and sea ice described by statistics, such as means and extremes.

j. Service learning: A teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities.

k. Citizen science: Scientific research conducted, in whole or in part, by amateur or nonprofessional scientists where the public participates in the scientific research.

l. Habitat Blueprint: NOAA’s strategy to integrate habitat conservation throughout the

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 4 of 29 agency, focus efforts in priority areas, and leverage internal and external collaborations to achieve measurable benefits within key habitats such as rivers, coral reefs, and wetlands.

They key outcomes of increasing the effectiveness of NOAA’s efforts to improve habitat conditions are focusing on outcomes such as: sustainable and abundant fish populations;

recovered threatened and endangered species; protected coastal and marine areas and habitats at risk; resilient coastal communities; and increased coastal/marine tourism, access, and recreation. For more information about Habitat Blueprint, go to the website at <http://www.habitat.noaa.gov/habitatblueprint/pacificislands.html>.

m. Sentinel Site: The Hawaiian Islands Sentinel Site Cooperative is a compilation of sites that includes Midway and French Frigate Shoals in the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI), Heeia Wetland Restoration project (Heeia) on the island of Oahu, and Kona Coast on the Big Island of Hawaii including waters of the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. The Cooperative contains some of the most productive and unique ecological sites in US waters and is widely recognized as one of the most valuable ecological locations in the world, which is why Midway and French Frigate Shoals were included in the World Heritage Site designation of the NWHIs.

For more information about the Sentinel Site Program, go to the website at <http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/sentinelsites/hawaii.html>.

B. Program Priorities

A proposal must address one or both of the following priorities:1) Meaningful science-based outdoor experiences for students in the study of earth, ocean and climate sciences and/or community resilience to hazards; 2) Professional development for teachers in the area of environmental education, earth systems science, ocean science, climate sciences and/or community resilience to hazards; 3) Service learning and citizen science opportunities for students in activities that promote stewardship activities such as interim camps and afterschool programs. NOTE: A proposal may address several priorities, however applicants must identify which priority is most represented in their proposal.

1. Meaningful science-based outdoor experiences for Students (PRIORITY 1) The NOAA B-WET Hawaii Program seeks proposals for projects that provide opportunities for K-12 students to participate in meaningful science-based outdoor experience in the study of earth sciences, community resilience to hazards and/or climate change. Hawaii's ahupuaa provides an excellent opportunity for environmental education. In many cases, the ahupuaa and surrounding landscape provide "hands-on" laboratories where students can see, touch, and learn about the Earth processes in the dynamic interactions of different ecosystems within an ahupuaa as well as potential hazards that may impact a community. In other cases, the islands' complex, diverse, and unique ecosystems can be brought to life in the classroom through a strong complement of outdoor and classroom experiences.

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 5 of 29

Hawaiians were recognized for their integrated and sustainable resource management practices and their ability to instill environmental, cultural, and spiritual values from generation to generation. The Hawaiian culture is recognized for their keen observations of Earth's processes and applying that knowledge to create sustainable practices that supported a population of nearly 1 million Hawaiians prior to western contact. The practice of ahupuaa management evolved in Hawaii as a result of the interrelationship of man and his environment that is recorded by the Kumulipo (story of creation). The island perspective regards humans as connected to nature and as a part of their environment, not as a separate entity. This unique relationship was premised on the need to care for the earth and it's terrestrial, marine, atmospheric and spiritual resources and provides a powerful study and management mechanism to integrate earth sciences and community resilience to hazards in our contemporary land-use planning and decision-making processes.

Modern ahupuaa management focuses on knowledge of Earth's processes and fostering stewardship of the land and sea and understanding the interconnectedness of the health of our environment to the resilience of our communities. It provides opportunities to promote community-based efforts with localized knowledge to take an active part in decisions about the management of the ahupuaa to balance the use of environmental resources with social and economic needs. In applying the ahupuaa concept, communities can begin to assess the resilience of their surrounding environment by having a more in-depth understanding of Earth's processes to arrive at sustainable land and natural resource management goals.

The B-WET Hawaii program provides a venue for students and teachers to learn and incorporate the earth sciences, community resilience to hazards and/or climate change concepts into science-based learning, traditional knowledge and contemporary resource management practices. The islands' ahupuaa provide a genuine and locally relevant opportunity for engaging in meaningful science-based outdoor experiences while advancing student learning skills and problem-solving abilities through the introduction of culturally-based knowledge and practices with the general school curriculum.

Proposals submitted under this area must address one or more of the following elements and types of Meaningful science-based outdoor experiences activities:

a. Direct connection to the ahupuaa: Experiences should demonstrate to students that local actions within an ahupuaa can impact the greater environment and ultimately, stewardship and long-term community sustainability.

i. Earth, ocean and climate sciences: Experiences should encourage and inspire student and teacher participants to engage in exploring and investigating Earth's dynamic processes.

Projects and activities must have an intentional connection to the ahupuaa and should reflect a multi-disciplinary approach in the study of earth sciences and the interaction of different ecosystems within an island ahupuaa to support appropriate resource management, long-term sustainability and resilient communities in both water-based and terrestrial-based activities.

ii. Community resilience to hazards: Understanding the balance between long-term

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 6 of 29 resource management and land-use planning also affords opportunities to learn about the impact of past episodic natural and human-induced hazards on a community's sustainability.

Hawaii's unique ahupuaa are geographically situated near or around areas susceptible to hazards. Building awareness of potential vulnerabilities to hazards and increasing the ability to prepare for, respond to and recover from such events provides students and teachers opportunities to enhance the resilience of their own community and increases the capacity for long-term sustainability.

b. Integral to the instructional program: Experiences should be clearly part of what is occurring concurrently in the classroom. The experience should be part of the instructional coursework and be aligned with relevant and current academic content and performance standards appropriate for the public, private, independent and charter school systems.

Experiences should occur where and when they fit into the instructional sequence appropriate for each school system.

c. Project-oriented, hands-on, and investigative: Experiences should be focused around questions, problems, and issues that are investigated through data collection, observation, interviews, and hands-on activities. These experiences should also include the scientific method and best management practices for both pre and post activities. Experiences should stimulate observation, motivate critical thinking, develop problem-solving skills, and instill confidence in students.

d. Sustained activity: Experiences are not meant to be tours, gallery visits, demonstrations, or nature walks. Meaningful experiences are a substantive part of a sustained activity that stimulates, engages and motivates the student from beginning to end, and that the outdoor experience contributes to student and/or teacher participant's learning.

The total duration leading up to and following the experience should involve a significant investment of instructional time. Projects should provide teachers with the support, materials, resources, and information needed to conduct these three parts: PHASE I:

Preparation - Focus on a question, problem, or issue to engage and involve students in discussions about it; PHASE II: Action - Outdoor learning and analysis include outdoor experiences that are sufficient to conduct the project, make the observations, collect the data required or monitor results; and PHASE III: Reflection - Refocus on the question, problem, or issue, analyze the conclusions reached, evaluate the results; assess the activity and the learning outcomes, and include sharing and communication of the results with a wide audience.

e. Integrated learning: Experiences do not have to be based solely on science disciplines.

Experiences should be multi-disciplinary and involve the use of materials, resources, and instruments to address multiple topics, such as traditional resource management knowledge and practices, ahupuaa education, earth sciences, technology, maritime heritage, cultural traditions, history, economics, math, English, art and the cultural significance of our natural resources. Experiences should make appropriate connections between subject areas and

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 7 of 29 reflect an integrated approach to learning.

f. Communication: Projects should promote peer-to-peer sharing and emphasize the need for external sharing and communication. Projects should include a mechanism that encourages the students to share their experiences with other students or other members of a community, (i.e., through a mentoring program, newsletters, journals, local conferences, websites, community presentations or other venues for outreach). External communication may also include the creation of new songs, dances and other forms of expression that are consistent with the native Hawaiian oral and artistic traditions. Many of these interpretive forms convey traditional beliefs of man's direct connection with the environment and role as a steward.

g. Partnerships: Project proposals should include partnerships with Hawaii-based communities, schools and/or school systems that will directly benefit from or contribute to the project. Signed letters of support from each partner shall be submitted with the application package to demonstrate the level of commitment and involvement.

h. Experiences for all students: The B-WET Hawaii Program is strongly committed to expanding the knowledge and participation of low income, underrepresented and underserved student population in environmental education. It is crucial for all citizens to have an understanding of and connection with their own environment, therefore all students should be provided an outdoor experience regardless of where they live or go to school.

2. Professional Development in Environmental Education for Educators (PRIORITY 2) The B-WET Hawaii Program seeks proposals for projects that provide teachers opportunities for professional development in the area of environmental education as it relates to earth sciences, community resilience to hazards, and/or climate change. Educators can ultimately provide meaningful environmental education experiences for students by weaving together classroom and field activities, within the context of their instructional coursework and of current critical issues that impact the Islands. Hawaii is vulnerable to a range of hazards including earthquakes, landslides, hurricanes and tsunamis among others. Systematic, long-term education programs and professional development opportunities will reinforce an educator's ability to teach, inspire, and lead young people toward thoughtful stewardship of our natural and cultural resources as well as develop the next generation of decision-makers to support the development of hazard-resilient communities.

Priority 2 projects require an engagement of no less than five days which include three days of instruction, two days of an outdoor component and the reflection day. This can be in the form of a follow-up visit with the participants, remote or in-classroom implementation support efforts.

Proposals submitted under this area should address the following elements and types of activities:

a. Understanding a Meaningful Science-based Outdoor Experience: Professional development opportunities should instruct teachers about the content and meaning of a

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 8 of 29 meaningful science-based outdoor experience. Professional development opportunities should be designed so that teachers understand what a meaningful science-based outdoor experience is and why this type of pedagogy is important. Projects should be designed so that teachers are capable of conducting an experience during in-class instruction, outdoor field experiences or elsewhere. In addition to providing the resources needed to conduct an experience, projects should also include a mechanism to encourage the teacher to implement an experience in their classroom. The goal is to ensure that professional development experiences for the teacher ultimately benefit the student.

b. Communication: Projects should promote peer-to-peer sharing and emphasize the need for external sharing and communication. Projects should include a mechanism that encourages teachers to share their experiences with other teachers and with the community (i.e. through mentoring opportunities, presentations at local conferences, developing websites, in-school service days, community presentations or other public forums and other venues for outreach). External communication may also include the creation of new songs, dances and other forms of expression that are consistent with the community culture, such as native Hawaiian oral and artistic traditions. Many of these interpretive forms convey traditional beliefs of man's direct connection with the environment and role as a steward.

c. Partnerships: Project proposals should include partnerships with Hawaii-based communities, schools and/or school systems that will directly benefit or contribute to the project. Signed letters of support from each partner shall be submitted with the application package to demonstrate the level of commitment and involvement.

d. Experiences for all educators: The B-WET Program is strongly committed to expanding the knowledge and participation of teachers who serve a low income and underserved student population.

3. Service learning opportunities and citizen science for students (Priority 3) The B-WET Hawaii Program seeks proposals for projects that provide students with opportunities for service learning projects and citizen science research as it relates to earth system sciences, community resilience to hazards, and/or climate change. Priority 3 projects will involve students in either direct service-learning projects (e.g., students completing experimentally designed monitoring program for their watershed); and/or, indirect service-learning projects (e.g., students preparing supplies and remote equipment for monitoring project in their watershed but not deployment); and/or, research and advocacy service-learning projects (e.g., students meeting with elected officials to urge support for watershed monitoring and habitat restoration).

Priority 3 projects are recommended to deliver an engagement of no less than 60 hours per student or educator of service related activities over the grant award period including the outdoor component and the reflection day. This can be in the form of a follow-up visit with the participants, remote or in-classroom implementation support efforts.

Proposals submitted under this area should address the following elements and types of

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 9 of 29 activities:

Overview Service Learning: Involve students in service learning projects in their communities to change behavior and attitudes that support better stewardship actions for their watersheds;

Citizen science: Involve students in scientific research conducted with scientists and their community to help solve a problem;

b. Investigation: Focus on school-required academic standards in at least one content area with science such as civics, social studies and language arts;

c. Preparation and Planning: Establish partnership(s) between participating schools and local community-based organizations and or resources addressing one of the topic areas, such as earth and climate science or community resilience to hazards;

d. Action: Encourage student ownership and leadership at all stages of the service program;

e. Reflection: Complete an internal and external evaluation process designed to assess both service and learning outcomes, from the perspective of the participating teachers, students, and community partners;

f. Demonstration and Outreach: Communicate your findings, results or conclusions to your school, community and general public.

C. Program Authority

15 USC 1540 Cooperative Agreements; 33 USC 893a (a) AMERICA COMPETES ACT

II. Award Information

A. Funding Availability

Total anticipated funding for all awards is approximately $1,000,000 and is subject to the availability of FY 2016 funding. Multiple awards are anticipated from this announcement. The minimum federal assistance request is $25,000 and maximum request is $150,000. The anticipated number of awards ranges from five (5) to fifteen (15) and will be adjusted based on available funding. Applications requesting federal support from NOAA of more than $150,000 will not be considered for review or funding. NOAA may provide new funding or continuation funding for grants that were awarded in previous years, therefore renewal or supplementation of existing projects are eligible to compete with applications for new awards.

There is no guarantee that funds will be available to make awards for this Federal funding opportunity or that any proposal will be selected for funding. If an applicant incurs any costs prior to receiving an award agreement signed by an authorized NOAA official, the applicant do so at their own risk of these costs not being included in a subsequent award. Proposal preparation costs shall not be included within the project application budget. In addition, Federal Funding Opportunity Page 10 of 29

NOAA and DOC will not be responsible for project costs if this program fails to receive funding. Recipients and sub-recipients are subject to all Federal laws and agency policies, regulations, and procedures applicable to Federal financial assistance awards. Applicants must be in compliance with all existing NOAA grants or cooperative agreements and otherwise eligible to receive Federal awards in order to be considered for funding under this competition.

B. Project/Award Period

The performance period for FY 2016 funded projects cannot exceed 24 months. The start date on proposals shall be no earlier than August 1, 2016; or the first day of any proceeding month after August 1, 2016 but no later than January 1, 2017.

C. Type of Funding Instrument

The funding instrument for these awards may be grants or cooperative agreements. If a cooperative agreement is awarded, the federal government will agree to be substantially involved by (for example) acquiring, increasing access to, and enhancing capacity to use data and tools; convening partners and building diverse teams to accomplish broad based work; providing meeting planning and facilitation; developing spatial databases, models, and analyses to address the identified management needs; and/or guiding in the development of social, economic and other human dimension information and analyses. If NOAA is proposed as a partner in a cooperative agreement, applicants must clearly propose roles and responsibilities and discuss prospective roles in the project after notification that the proposal is successful. These roles are subject to NOAA approval.

III. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants are K-12 public and independent schools and school systems, institutions of higher education, commercial and nonprofit organizations, state or local government agencies, and Indian tribal governments. Individual applicants and Federal agencies are not eligible. Federal agencies are not allowed to receive funds under this announcement but may serve as collaborative project partners and may contribute services in kind.

The Department of Commerce/ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (DOC/NOAA) is strongly committed to broadening the participation of historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribal colleges and universities, Alaskan Native and Native Hawaiian institutions, and institutions that service underserved

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 11 of 29 areas.

Federal agencies and employees are not allowed to receive funds under this announcement but may serve as collaborative project partners. Federal agencies and employees ‘in-kind services cannot be considered as part of an applicant’s match on shared costs. If federal agencies are collaborators, applicants must provide detail on the expected level of federal engagement in the application. Examples might include, but are not limited to partnership services; serving in a review capacity; or participating in priority task teams, working groups, or leadership teams.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement

No cost sharing is required under this program, however, NOAA encourages applicants to demonstrate cost share, in-kind matches and program leveraging to support their projects.

Funds from other Federal sources may not be considered matching funds and may not be used under this award unless expressly authorized by statute. All cost sharing or matching must be consistent with the requirements of 2 CFR §200.306.

C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility

If indirect costs are requested, indirect-cost-rate agreements must be included for the applicant organization and the negotiated rate must be requested. If an applicant does not have an indirect cost rate and wants to include indirect costs, the applicant has up to 90 days after the award start date to submit an indirect cost proposal or cost allocation plan. Indirect-cost-rate-agreement documentation is not required for sub-awardees, however indirect cost rates at the negotiated levels should be paid by the primary awardee. Under 2 C.F.R. §

200.414 “Indirect (F&A) Costs,” any applicant that has never received a negotiated indirect cost rate may elect to charge a de minimis rate of 10% of modified total direct costs which may be used indefinitely. Costs must be consistently charged as either indirect or direct costs, but may not be double charged or inconsistently charged as both pursuant to 2 C.F.R.

§ 200.403 “Factors affecting allowability of costs.” If chosen, this methodology once elected must be used consistently for all Federal awards until such time as a cooperator chooses to negotiate for a rate, which the non-Federal entity may apply to do at any time.

The negotiation and approval of a rate is subject to the procedures required by NOAA and the Department of Commerce Standard Terms and Conditions Section B.06. The NOAA contact for indirect or facilities and administrative costs is:

Lamar Revis, Grants Officer NOAA Grants Management Division 1325 East West Highway 9th Floor Silver Spring, Maryland 20910

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 12 of 29 lamar.revis@noaa.gov

IV. Application and Submission Information

A. Address to Request Application Package

Application packages for full proposals are available through Grants.gov/APPLY.

Additional assistance for Grants.gov is available at the Grants.gov Customer Support at 1- 800-518-4726 or < support@grants.gov >. If an applicant does not have Internet access, application packages shall be requested from Stephanie Bennett, Federal Program Officer at NOS/NOAA Office for Coastal Management - Pacific Islands, 1845 Wasp Blvd., Bldg. 176, Honolulu, Hawaii 96818 or by phone at (808)725-5254, or via e-mail at <Stephanie.Bennett@noaa.gov>.

B. Content and Form of Application

Applicants must follow the full proposal application requirements stated in this announcement or applications will not be considered for review. The preferred content and form of full proposal packages must be complete and must follow the format described in this notice. Incorrect formatting will deem a proposal incomplete and will not be considered for further review.

Full proposal applications must total no more than 15 pages (no smaller than single-spaced, 12-point font, exclusive of all appendices and the required government standard forms).

Appendices must be limited to materials that directly support the main body of the proposal such as specific coursework, lesson plans and activities, chronological schedule of events, maps, resumes of staff and partners involved. Appendices must not total more than 15 total pages excluding government forms such as the NEPA questionnaire. The total electronic file size of the proposal narrative and appendices combined must not exceed 5 megabytes in storage space. Applicants must paginate their proposal and any appendices.

All funding application packages must contain the following components:

1. Required Government Forms At time of application submission, all applicants shall submit the following forms with signatures of the Authorized Representative of the submitting institution.

GOVERNMENT FORM, TITLE, WHEN APPLICABLE

SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance, Required for all applicants SF-424A, Budget, Non-Construction Programs, Required for all applicants SF-424B, Assurances, Non-Construction Programs, Required for all applicants CD-511, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities, Required for organizations involved in

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 13 of 29 lobbying NEPA questionnaire, http://www.nepa.noaa.gov/questionnaire.pdf

2. Title Page/ Executive Summary. Provide a one-page summary of the proposed project.

The summary must be prepared to be readable to a broad audience and shall contain the following sections:

a. Project name/title

b. Primary financial contact and principal investigator (name, address, phone, fax, email)

c. Recipient Institution (name, address, phone, fax, email)

d. Area of interest for which you are applying:

1) Meaningful science-based outdoor experiences for students; or

2) Professional development in the area of environmental education for teachers; or

3) Service Learning projects or citizen science research opportunities.

e. Project duration (up to 24 months, project period beginning to end dates, starting on the first of the month and ending on the last day of the month)

f. Total federal funds requested

g. Total project cost and cost-sharing

h. Brief Project Summary including objectives and intended benefits

i. NOAA and non-NOAA partners

j. Number of teachers and/or students that will be involved in your project

k. Location and watershed identification

l. School and community identification

3. Project Description.

All project descriptions must include the following sections:

a. Goal and Objective(s): Describe in the narrative the specific project goals and objectives to be achieved. Goals and objectives must be specific for each year of the work plan presented. Recipients will be required to submit semi-annual progress reports in which progress against these goals and objectives will be reported. Explain the purpose of your project. This must include a clear statement of the work to be undertaken and include the following: Explain which Priority area will be addressed.

b. Background: Provide sufficient background information for NOAA and non-NOAA reviewers to independently assess the significance of the proposed project. Summarize the problem to be addressed and the status of ongoing efforts to address the identified needs.

Summarize the relationship of the proposed work to other regional efforts.

c. Audience: Explain who will conduct the project and the target audience. List each organization, cooperator, or other key individuals who will work on the project, along with a short description of the nature of their effort or contribution; identify the target audience and demonstrate an understanding of the needs of that audience; identify specifically how many

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 14 of 29 students and/or teachers are involved in your project. Give a precise location of the project and area(s) to be served including a map of the school and watershed included in the proposal (the map may be included in an appendix).

d. Approach/Methods: Provide a work plan that identifies specific tasks to be accomplished, explains the technical approach (including quality assurance) needed to accomplish the tasks, identifies the roles of partners and cooperators, and identifies potential obstacles to successful completion of the goals and objectives. If the project includes federal partners, the roles and responsibilities of the federal partners must be clearly identified. Outline a detailed plan of action pertaining to the scope and detail of how the proposed work will be accomplished. Explain your strategy, objectives, activities, delivery methods, and accomplishments to establish for reviewers that you have realistic goals and objectives and that you will use effective methods to achieve them. When accomplishments cannot be quantified, list the activities in chronological order to show the schedule of accomplishments and target completion dates. Objectives must be simple and understandable; as specific and quantitative as possible; and clear as to the "what and when." Projects should be accomplishment oriented and identify specific performance measures.

e. Benefits: Identify, with a high degree of specificity, the users of the information derived from the work, and the benefits that will be achieved for those users, as well as society as a whole. Document how valid user requirements are guiding the proposed work. Describe how the information from the project will be delivered to those users, and any special considerations or requirements for ensuring or improving the delivery of information.

Demonstrate the need for assistance. Explain why other funding sources cannot fund all the proposed work.

f. Project evaluation: Explain how you will ensure that you are meeting the goals and objectives of your project. Evaluation plans may be quantitative and/or qualitative and may include, for example, evaluation tools, pre and post tests, and/or surveys.

Project Evaluation here is defined as the systematic collection and documentation of information about your project's outcomes in order to improve the project's effectiveness, guide judgments about its impact, and/or inform decisions about future programming or funding. Up to 10% of the budget can be spent on the evaluation component of your proposal. Grant recipients will be required to submit a comprehensive evaluation report at the end of the project period as a special award condition. For this section, describe your evaluation plan, that is, how you will measure and document the outcomes and impacts of your project on your audience(s). How will your audience(s) be different after their involvement in your project and how will you measure those differences The outcomes you measure should correlate to your goals and objectives and the B-WET Program's definition of Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences. Indicators of outcomes may be audience satisfaction with the project experience and changes in their knowledge, skills, attitudes and/or behaviors. Indicators of outcomes do not include the number of people served or the

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 15 of 29 activities you and your audience(s) engage in.

In this section include how and when you will gather evaluation data. Data can be quantitative and/or qualitative and data-gathering instruments might include (but are not limited to) pre- and post-tests, surveys, interviews, guided observations, or rubric-rated presentations. Please include in your supporting documents any evaluation tools that you will be using as a part of your evaluation. Also explain how you will document your evaluation results and if your evaluation will be front-end (used to determine audience needs/understandings and plan a project), formative (used to improve a project) and/or summative (used to guide judgments about a project's impact and value).

In addition to project evaluation, grantees may be asked to participate in data collection for the national B-WET evaluation. B-WET has created a cross-region, internal evaluation system to monitor program implementation and outcomes on an ongoing basis. Results of this evaluation will be used to make adjustments to B-WET Federal Funding Opportunities (FFOs) and activities in order to improve the program.

As part of this evaluation system, recipients of B-WET grants and teacher-participants in grantees’ professional development programs may be asked to voluntarily complete online questionnaires to provide evaluation data. One individual from each grantee organization will be asked to complete a questionnaire once per year of the award. For projects that work with teachers, the teacher-participants will be asked (using email addresses provided by the grantee organization) to complete one questionnaire at the close of their professional development and one after implementing Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences with their students. Grantees and teachers should be able to complete their questionnaire within 30-60 minutes B-WET grantees and teachers who respond to the questionnaires will remain anonymous to B-WET and NOAA.

After receipt of an award, grantees may be asked to provide more information about how they plan to support this national evaluation effort, incorporate it into the project timeline, and ensure responses from participating teachers.

This data collection will be conducted in a manner consistent with OMB guidelines (OMB Control No 0648-0658).

g. Previously Funded B-WET Projects: Applicants are asked to include the accomplishments to date from previously funded projects through the B-WET Hawaii Program.

h. Milestone Schedule: Applicants must display time lines for major tasks, target milestones for important intermediate and final products, and key project outcomes.

4. Project Budget

a. Budget Spreadsheet: Provide a budget spreadsheet that follows the categories and formats in the NOAA grants package (Standard Form 424-A). The budget spreadsheet submitted with the application should match the dollar amounts on all required Federal forms (SF-424, SF-424A). Additional cost detail is recommended to complete the analysis of overall cost

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 16 of 29 allowability, allocability, and reasonableness.

b. Budget Narrative: Provide a narrative of detailed information on project costs that follow the budget spreadsheet. These must encompass those categories plus travel and training.

Include a description of anticipated travel, destinations, the number of travelers, and a justification of how the requested travel is directly relevant to the successful completion of the project. If actual trip details are unknown, applicants must state the basis for the proposed travel charges. Applicants shall allocate travel funds for any coordination meetings at regional or national levels. It is anticipated that grant recipients will be asked to attend a regional B-WET conference to be held in Honolulu, Hawaii. The conference will be an opportunity for former and current B-WET grant recipients to network with other project recipient and receive grant and topic training. Your budget must include, in the travel category, funds for airfare and transportation (rental car, shuttle, or taxi), per diem and lodging. All travel must comply with the requirements of the Fly America Act and foreign travel must receive prior written approval, and therefore, must be included in the proposal to avoid having to request prior approval after the project starts. Applicants may factor in travel costs for participation in a NOAA Grants Management Division workshop for recipients.

For any equipment, defined in 2 CFR §200.33 as “tangible personal property (including information technology systems) having a useful life of more than one year and a per-unit acquisition cost which equals or exceeds the lesser of the capitalization level established by the non-Federal entity for financial statement purposes, or $5,000,” a description of the item and associated costs is required, including a description of how it will be used in the project.

All equipment purchases must include a lease versus purchase analysis. For more information on equipment, see 2 CFR §200.313.

Non-profit and university applicants shall identify, if this information is known when submitting the grant application, who they plan to request that NOAA transfer equipment or property ownership titles to after the project ends. The decision on grant ownership requests will be made by the Grants Officer during the grant closeout process. Property disposition must be consistent with the requirements under 2 CFR §200.313(e).

Applicants must include the budgets and budget justifications of subawards and contracts.

Information must include the name of the entity receiving funds, the location of the entity receiving the funds (e.g., city, state, and Congressional district), the location of the entity receiving funds (city, state, and Congressional district), and the location of the primary place of performance under the contract/subaward. All subawards and contracts must be made consistent with the requirements of 2 CFR §§200.330-200.332 for subawards, and 200.317-

200.326 for procurements.

5. Appendices

a. Letters of Support or commitment Signed letters of support or letters of commitment from each significant partner must be submitted with the application package to demonstrate the level of commitment and

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 17 of 29 involvement. Total number of letters of support may not exceed 5 letters. Individual letters of support should be formatted in 12-point font, one-sided and may not exceed 1 page in length. Letters dated after the proposal deadline will not be considered for review with the proposal package.

b. Resumes/CV Provide resumes of the Principal Investigator for the project and other key personnel critical to the success of the project. Ensure that resumes address qualifications relevant to conducting the proposed work. Please limit resumes to a maximum of two pages for each person.

c. Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA): The NICRA with the appropriate cognizant agency must be included in the application package if indirect costs are requested.

This agreement memo can be included in the appendix if necessary.

d. National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) NOAA must analyze the potential environmental impacts, as required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), for applicant projects or proposals which are seeking NOAA federal funding opportunities. As part of an applicant's package, applicants are required to complete selected sections of the Environmental Compliance Questionnaire for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Federal Financial Assistance Applicants (OMB Approval No.: 0648-0538) to provide detailed information on the activities to be conducted, locations, sites, species and habitat to be affected, possible construction activities, and any environmental concerns that may exist (e.g., the use and disposal of hazardous or toxic chemicals, introduction of non-indigenous species, impacts to endangered and threatened species, aquaculture projects, and impacts to coral reef systems). This questionnaire is located online at http://www.nepa.noaa.gov/questionnaire.pdf. The applicant should complete only the required sections of the questionnaire as indicated in the Announcement of Federal Funding Opportunity, and include the entire questionnaire as part of their application. This questionnaire will not count toward the page limits described in the announcement. Applicants shall answer the NEPA questions to the best of their ability and provide details. If the applicant does not answer all of the questions indicated in the Announcement of Federal Funding Opportunity the application may be considered incomplete.

Some of the questions may overlap with material provided in other parts of the application.

This overlap occurs because the answers to the questionnaire are provided to NOAA…