NOAA-NOS-OCM-2021-2006941 NOFO Report.pdf

Fiscal Year 2022 - FY2023 Margaret A. Davidson Graduate Fellowships for the National Estuarine Research Reserve System

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Funding Opportunity Description 4

A. Program Objective 4 B. Program Priorities 5 C. Program Authority 7

II. Award Information 7 A. Funding Availability 7 B. Project/Award Period 8 C. Type of Funding Instrument 8

III. Eligibility Information 8 A. Eligible Applicants 8 B. Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement 9 C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility 9

IV. Application and Submission Information 9 A. Address to Request Application Package 9 B. Content and Form of Application 10 C. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) 18 D. Submission Dates and Times 19 E. Intergovernmental Review 20 F. Funding Restrictions 20 G. Other Submission Requirements 21

V. Application Review Information 22 A. Evaluation Criteria 22 B. Review and Selection Process 26 C. Selection Factors 27 D. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates 28

VI. Award Administration Information 28 A. Award Notices 28 B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements 29 C. Reporting 32

VII. Agency Contacts 34 VIII. Other Information 34

Notice of Federal Funding Page 1 of 35

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Federal Agency Name(s): National Ocean Service (NOS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce

Funding Opportunity Title: Fiscal Year 2022 - FY2023 Margaret A. Davidson Graduate Fellowships for the National Estuarine Research Reserve System

Announcement Type: Initial

Funding Opportunity Number: NOAA-NOS-OCM-2021-2006941

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.420, Coastal Zone Management Estuarine Research Reserves

Dates: Proposals must be received by the NOAA Office for Coastal Management no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on December 10, 2021.

PLEASE NOTE: We encourage all fellowship applicants to work with their advisor and the university’s Office of Sponsored Programs, or equivalent, and begin the application process well before the December 10, 2021 deadline. Adequate time must be factored in for processing within the sponsoring organization and for the delivery of the application by an authorized representative of the sponsoring organization through Grants.gov.

Funding Opportunity Description: The purpose of this notice is to solicit grant proposals for the National Estuarine Research Reserve System’s Margaret A. Davidson Graduate Fellowship (Davidson Fellowship) from master’s and doctoral students admitted to or enrolled full-time in a graduate program at an accredited university. The National Estuarine Research Reserve System is a program of the Office for Coastal Management and authorized by the Coastal Zone Management Act. The program aims to balance the needs of the natural environment and coastal communities. The goals of the Davidson Fellowship are to build the next generation of leaders in estuarine science and coastal management by affording qualified graduate students the opportunity to conduct collaborative science within the National Estuarine Research Reserve System; partake in professional development opportunities; and receive mentoring to support professional growth.

All Davidson Fellowship projects must be conducted in coordination with a research reserve, specified in the application, and designed to address one of the reserve’s priority management questions. Approaches to these questions may be from a variety of disciplines spanning the range of natural and social sciences; cross-discipline approaches are encouraged. Mentoring and

Notice of Federal Funding Page 2 of 35 professional development activities will be provided to build the knowledge and skills needed to successfully contribute to the workforce responsible for the coast. These opportunities are also designed to create a strong network among the fellows during their tenure and into the early portion of their careers.

One fellow will be selected for each of the 29 reserves for a two-year duration. Total anticipated funding for all awards is approximately $1,740,000 per year and is subject to the availability of fiscal year (FY) 2022 and FY 2023 appropriations. The federal funding award should not exceed $60,000 per year (direct and indirect) with a 24-month project period (multi-year awards). Direct costs should not exceed $45,000 per year. Direct costs may include stipend, supplies, travel, or tuition to support the student. Awards will be made to the fellow's graduate institution through the use of a cooperative agreement. Funds are expected to be available on a competitive basis. To be eligible, applicants must be citizens or permanent residents of U.S. states or territories, and admitted to or enrolled full-time in a master's or doctoral program at a U.S. accredited university.

Minority students are encouraged to apply. Office for Coastal Management Fellowships are committed to being accessible to all interested and eligible candidates, allowing all fellows to be comfortable in their identities and participate fully in their fellowships, and removing barriers to becoming part of the next generation of coastal leaders. Additional information about the fellowship may be found at https://coast.noaa.gov/nerrs/research/davidson-fellowship.html.

Notice of Federal Funding Page 3 of 35

FULL ANNOUNCEMENT TEXT

I. Funding Opportunity Description

A. Program Objective

The goals of the Margaret A. Davidson Graduate Fellowship (Davidson Fellowship) are to build the next generation of leaders in estuarine science and coastal management by affording qualified graduate students the opportunity to conduct collaborative science within the National Estuarine Research Reserve System; partake in professional development opportunities, and receive mentoring to support professional growth. The National Estuarine Research Reserve System is a program of the Office for Coastal Management and authorized under the Coastal Zone Management Act. The program aims to balance the needs of the natural environment and coastal communities.

The fellowship is available to graduate students admitted to or enrolled full-time in a master’s or doctoral program. One fellow will be selected at each of the 29 reserves for a two-year duration. Mentoring and professional development will be provided to build knowledge and skills needed to successfully enter the workforce. These opportunities are also designed to create a strong network among the fellows during their tenure and into the early portion of their careers.

The proposed outcomes of this fellowship program include:

Critical reserve management priorities are addressed through high-quality collaborative research directed towards local coastal and estuarine issues and contributing to regional and national efforts.

A diverse cadre of next-generation leaders in estuarine science and coastal management are supported and develop a strong network that continues after the fellowship and into their careers.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recognizes the need to ensure that research in the National Estuarine Research Reserve System addresses critical gaps in knowledge about estuarine systems, ecological processes, socioeconomics, and related areas. The nature of research conducted at the reserves as well as interactions with reserve staff, partners, and academic institutions with similar goals, can help students fulfill their degree requirements through work benefiting the reserves and the field of coastal management broadly.

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Office for Coastal Management Fellowships are committed to being accessible to all interested and eligible candidates, allowing all fellows to be comfortable in their identities and participate fully in their fellowships, and removing barriers to becoming part of the next generation of coastal leaders. NOAA supports cultural and gender diversity and encourages women and individuals from minority groups to submit applications to this program. In addition, the Department of Commerce and NOAA are 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. Additional information about the fellowship may be found at:

https://coast.noaa.gov/nerrs/research/davidson-fellowship.html.

B. Program Priorities

The National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) consists of estuarine areas of the United States and its territories that are designated and managed for research and educational purposes. Each reserve within the system is chosen to reflect regional differences and to include a variety of ecosystem types in accordance with the classification scheme of the national program as presented in 15 CFR part 921. Each reserve supports a wide range of beneficial uses of ecological, economic, recreational, and aesthetic values that are dependent upon the maintenance of a healthy ecosystem. The sites provide habitats for a wide range of ecologically and commercially important species of fish, shellfish, birds, and other aquatic and terrestrial wildlife. Each reserve has been designed to ensure its effectiveness as a conservation unit and as a site for long-term research and monitoring.

Reserves are heavily engaged with stakeholders to understand needs and provide data, information, and education opportunities to their local communities for science-based decisions. As part of a national system, the reserves collectively provide an excellent opportunity to address research questions and estuarine management issues of national significance.

Research conducted by successful applicants will focus on addressing a key management question that helps to understand environmental change and the effects on human or community resilience. Each two-year project should employ the tenets of collaborative research including engaging stakeholders and end-users throughout the project, incorporating multiple disciplinary perspectives, and ensuring that outcomes are applicable to local management needs and decision-making. The NERRS Science Collaborative ( http://graham.umich.edu/water/nerrs/resources) provides helpful resources and information on collaborative research.

Fellows will be expected to implement the proposed research project as part of their graduate course of study and with the support and engagement of their university faculty sponsor and

Notice of Federal Funding Page 5 of 35 a reserve mentor. Fellows will also be involved in reserve activities that relate to their project and support the reserve’s community engagement, education, and stewardship efforts. These responsibilities will be determined in consultation with the reserve at the outset of the fellowship.

Research conducted by fellows will support the 2017-2022 NERRS Strategic Plan (https://coast.noaa.gov/data/docs/nerrs/StrategicPlan.pdf) and the focus areas of environmental change, water quality, and habitat protection. Proposed research projects submitted in response to this announcement must address the research priorities specified by the reserve site. Proposals must clearly specify which research priority is being addressed.

Descriptions of the research priorities for each reserve can be found here:

https://coast.noaa.gov/nerrs/research/davidson-fellowship.html.

Projects must be conducted in coordination with a reserve and the proposal must specify the intended reserve in the application. Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the reserve (see points of contact associated with the research priorities at https://coast.noaa.gov/nerrs/research/davidson-fellowship.html) prior to submitting a proposal to discuss the feasibility of their project idea and the resources available at the reserve. Proposals may involve more than one reserve (e.g. a comparative study); however, a single reserve must serve as host and be specified in the application. Applicants may apply to more than one reserve; however, a separate, full application package is required for each submission.

The expectation is that students will work closely with the faculty advisor and reserve mentor throughout the fellowship to conduct their research and to understand the ecology, mission, and capabilities of the reserve and the reserve system. Graduate student fellows who are selected for funding will be required to work with the faculty advisor and reserve mentor to finalize a work plan relevant to the student’s research based on the submitted proposal. A review and agreement to roles and responsibilities for each party will also be discussed no later than three months after the award start date. Satisfactory progress, as deemed by the university and the advisor, must be made toward the completion of a thesis or dissertation. Working with the reserve will also include participation in the reserve’s research, monitoring, stewardship, education, or coastal training programs that support the project work as part of professional development. It is anticipated that the fellow will be working on-site at the reserve for a minimum of six weeks per year (non-consecutive). Any necessary housing or accommodation needed to meet this requirement should be discussed with the reserve prior to submitting an application.

Professional development will include training offered at the required in-person fellows

Notice of Federal Funding Page 6 of 35 meeting as well as at required and optional virtual events in areas such as project management, leadership, coastal management skills, and career planning. Training opportunities will be provided to fellows and offered, as appropriate, to faculty sponsors and reserve mentors. To support the professional development activities and fellowship experience, travel must be budgeted for required attendance at a meeting of fellows each year (location to be determined), the NERRS/NERRA Annual meeting during the first year (Seattle, Washington in 2022), and a professional conference in the second year (location to be determined).

C. Program Authority

Section 315 of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, as amended CZMA, 16 U.S.C. 1461, establishes the National Estuarine Research Reserve System; and 16 U.S.C.

1461 (e)(1)(B) authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to make grants to any coastal state or public or private person for purposes of supporting research and monitoring within a National Estuarine Research Reserve that are consistent with the research guidelines developed under subsection (c).

II. Award Information

A. Funding Availability

One fellow will be selected for each of the 29 reserves for a two-year duration. Total anticipated funding for all awards is approximately $1,740,000 per year and is subject to the availability of fiscal year (FY) 2022 and FY 2023 appropriations. The federal funding per award should not exceed $60,000 per year (direct and indirect) with a 24-month project period (multi-year awards). Direct costs should not exceed $45,000 per year. Direct costs should support the fellow and their research and may include stipend, supplies, travel, or tuition. The travel budget must include attendance at one meeting of the fellows for professional development training, the NERRS/NERRA Annual Meeting (Seattle, WA in October 2022), and in the second year, one meeting of the fellows and a professional conference. A travel budget allocation of $7,000 per year is suggested for required travel.

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 does so at their own risk of these costs not being included in a subsequent award. Direct costs for proposal preparation shall not be included within the project application budget. In addition, NOAA and the Department of Commerce will not be responsible for project costs if this program fails to receive funding. Recipients and subrecipients are subject to all federal

Notice of Federal Funding Page 7 of 35 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 to receive funding under this competition.

B. Project/Award Period

The performance period for projects funded in FY 2022 is 24 months.

The start date on proposals shall be August 1, 2022.

Funding in year two is contingent upon the availability of funds from Congress, satisfactory performance, and is at the sole discretion of the agency.

C. Type of Funding Instrument

The funding instrument for Davidson Fellowship awards will be a cooperative agreement, which allows for substantial federal involvement in the planning and implementation of funded projects. Examples of substantial federal involvement may include: consultation on project focus; facilitating communications among university, reserve, and partners if needed; providing professional development and ensuring that student mentoring is occurring. The specific involvement will depend on each student and project needs.

III. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants are institutions of higher education or other research-related organizations. Students interested in this fellowship opportunity should work with their advisor and the university’s Office of Sponsored Programs, or equivalent. An authorized representative of the sponsoring organization will submit the application to Grants.gov.

Typically awards will be made to the fellow's graduate institution through the use of a cooperative agreement. Funds are expected to be available on a competitive basis to qualified graduate students for research within a reserve(s) leading to a graduate degree. To be eligible to participate in an application, prospective fellows must be citizens or permanent residents of U.S. states or territories, and admitted to or enrolled full-time in a master's or doctoral program at a U.S. accredited university. The intent is for a two-year fellowship, thus successful prospective fellows must plan to be enrolled for all of the first year and the majority of the second year of funding. Students in the final year of their graduate program

Notice of Federal Funding Page 8 of 35 are not advised to participate in this fellowship.

Federal agencies and employees are not allowed to receive funds under this announcement but may serve as project partners. If federal agencies are collaborators, applicants are expected to provide details on the planned level of federal engagement in the application.

Examples might include, but are not limited to participating in an advisory capacity or providing facilities for research.

National Estuarine Research Reserve staff are ineligible to submit an application for a fellowship under this announcement.

The Department of Commerce and NOAA support cultural and gender diversity and encourage women and minority individuals and groups to submit applications to this program. In addition, the Department of Commerce and NOAA are 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.

The Department of Commerce and NOAA encourage applications involving any of the above institutions to apply.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement

There is no cost sharing or matching requirement. Any voluntary cost sharing or matching does not impact scoring and must be consistent with the requirements of 2 CFR 200.306.

C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility

None.

IV. Application and Submission Information

A. Address to Request Application Package

The standard SF-424 application package is available online at http://www.grants.gov. If this is not feasible, an application package may be requested from:

Margaret A. Davidson Graduate Fellowship Attn: Christopher Katalinas (on contract for) NOAA Office for Coastal Management 2234 South Hobson Ave. Charleston, SC 29405

Notice of Federal Funding Page 9 of 35 or email: OCM.Davidsonfellowship@noaa.gov

B. Content and Form of Application

A complete standard NOAA financial assistance application package should be submitted in accordance with the guidelines in this document.

All application materials should use a legible 12-point font, single spaced, with 1-inch margins on all sides. Applicants should include page numbers in their proposal and any appendices. Applicants should plan to upload their proposal to Grants.gov in the .pdf format, and include the following four components.

1.) Federal forms - forms from the SF-424 form family are available at (https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms.html). At time of application submission, all applicants shall submit the following forms with signatures of the authorized representative of the submitting institution. Required forms will be digitally signed and dated when the application is submitted through Grants.gov, and so the authorized representative should be the person submitting the online application. If a hard copy final application is submitted, it must be signed and dated by the organization’s authorized representative.

a.) Application for Federal Assistance: Form SF-424 b.) Budget Information for Non-construction Programs: Form SF-424A - Applicants requesting an award period longer than 12 months, should include a year 1 and year 2 breakdown of their budget on the SF-424A form. An example SF-424A for the Davidson Fellowship program can be found at https://coast.noaa.gov/data/docs/nerrs/davidson-sf424a-example.pdf.

c.) Assurances for Non-construction Programs: Form SF-424B d.) Certification Regarding Lobbying: Form CD-511 e.) Disclosure of Lobbying Activities: Form SF-LLL (if applicable)

2.) Project Narrative - The project narrative should include the following sections:

a.) Title Page

i. Project title

Notice of Federal Funding Page 10 of 35

ii. Name of reserve at which the project will be conducted and the priority management need, as described in the list on https://coast.noaa.gov/nerrs/research/davidson-fellowship.html, to be addressed by the project

iii. Proposed project period (start date must be August 1, 2022 and end date no later than July 31, 2024)

iv. Student Applicant (name, organization, and contact information)

v. Student’s university and degree being sought

vi. Anticipated graduation year

vii. Faculty advisor or University sponsor (name, organization, and contact information)

viii. Recipient name (must match registered name in Dun and Bradstreet Universal Numbering System (DUNS)). This is typically the university at which the student is enrolled.

ix. Recipient DUNS number (must match applicant information in SAM.Gov)

x. Financial representative (names, organization, and contact information)

xi. Requested funding by year (Year 1: $__; Year 2: $__; Total: $__)

xii. If the project is intended to be administered under an existing NOAA Cooperative Institute, state which institute will administer the award b.) Table of contents c.) Statement of interest (1 page max) One-page statement from the applicant describing:

i.) the connections between the research being proposed and their interests and career goals;

ii.) a demonstration of the understanding of the importance of the local reserve, its community, and how that understanding will contribute to a successful research project;

iii.) their interest in the professional development opportunities.

Notice of Federal Funding Page 11 of 35 d.) Project summary (1 page max) Provide a one-page summary of the proposed project. The summary should contain the following sections:

i.) Project title ii.) Name of reserve at which the project will be conducted iii.) Brief project summary including priority management need, project objectives, expected results, and intended benefits and outcomes.

e.) Project description (five pages max) The project description should clearly define research goals, demonstrate the technical knowledge needed for the research, and convey an understanding of the reserve and the community the research will benefit. The project will be evaluated on the alignment with reserve priorities, project feasibility, and technical understanding and clarity of the approach. Sufficient detail should be provided to enable reviewers to evaluate the relevance and applicability of proposed work to program priorities described in Section I.B of this announcement; to determine the technical/scientific merit of the proposed work; and to assess whether the proposed scope of work raises any concerns with regard to federal policy considerations, such as those related to the National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act, Historic Preservation Act, and the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

All project descriptions should include the following sections:

i.) Problem Statement and Background Information. Describe the research problem in relation to relevant coastal management issues with emphasis on how the project will address the specific reserve management needs identified. It should include a brief review of pertinent literature.

ii.) Project Approach. Identify the core research question(s) and a description of how the approach addresses the question(s). Clearly state the research objectives and/or hypotheses and proposed methods to conduct the work. Describe the technical approach supported by literature references. The proposal should indicate by way of discussion how any data are to be collected, synthesized, interpreted, and integrated into the final work products. The proposals should indicate an understanding of the function of the reserve, the diversity of stakeholders and intended end-users that would benefit from the research, and an approach to inclusion and collaboration throughout the project.

iii.) Expected Outcomes. Identify and describe the anticipated project products or outcomes.

Notice of Federal Funding Page 12 of 35

Explain how they will meet the reserve needs related to management, research, training, education, or stewardship. The narrative should include information on dissemination of the findings/results to resource managers, local communities, and other stakeholders as appropriate. The project narrative also should include information on how the project will be evaluated for success.

iv.) Milestone Schedule. Display timelines for major tasks, target milestones for important intermediate and final products, and key project outcomes.

3.) Budget Narrative - the budget narrative should include a detailed justification of proposed costs broken out by individual tasks. The budget narrative submitted with the final application should match the dollar amounts included on all required forms and clearly link to the project narrative. Please explain each calculation and provide a narrative justification to explain expenditures for each budget category. The budget narrative should describe, by category of expenditure, the total funding needed to accomplish the objectives described in the project narrative for the entire award period. Please explain how categorical costs are derived in sufficient detail to enable reviewers to determine if costs are 'allowable and reasonable' according to the cost principles referenced in 2 CFR 200, Subpart E. Budget narrative categories should correspond to the standard object class categories listed in Section B of the SF-424A. For additional details, please review the budget guidance provided at: https://coast.noaa.gov/data/coasthome/funding/_pdf/forms/budget-narrative-guidance-for-NOAA-grants.pdf.

The amount of each fellowship multi-year award will not exceed $60,000 (direct and indirect costs) annually for two years. Direct costs cannot exceed $45,000/year and are intended to support the student and their research. Direct costs may include stipend, supplies, travel, or tuition. To support the professional development activities and fellowship experience, travel must be budgeted for required attendance at a meeting of fellows each year, the NERRS/NERRA Annual Meeting during the first year (expected to be in Seattle, Washington in 2022), and a professional conference where the students are expected to present the results of their research during the second year (time and place to be determined).

A travel budget allocation of $7,000 per year is suggested for required travel.

Students are strongly encouraged to work with their institution's sponsored programs office to develop their budget. The applicant may request funds under any of the following categories as long as the costs are reasonable and necessary: personnel, fringe benefits, travel, equipment, supplies, other, and indirect. The budget should contain itemized costs with appropriate narratives justifying proposed expenditures.

Notice of Federal Funding Page 13 of 35

The budget narrative should provide, to the extent possible, detailed information on travel, including costs, 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 should state the basis for the proposed travel charges. Applicants should allocate travel funds for any coordination meetings at regional or national levels. If a foreign air carrier is anticipated to be used for any portion of travel, prior approval is required under the Department of Commerce Financial Assistance Standard Terms and Conditions, Section G.05.c., https://www.commerce.gov/sites/default/files/2020- 11/DOC%20Standard%20Terms%20and%20Conditions%20- %2012%20November%202020%20PDF_0.pdf, and therefore, such travel should be included in the proposal to avoid having to request prior approval after the project starts.

4.) Appendices (please upload as a single pdf file under the “Other Attachments Form” in Grants.gov). Appendices should be limited to materials that directly support the main body of the proposal (e.g., resume, references, transcripts, data sources, letter of support, lists of data sources, and maps).

As a standard practice, NOAA requires that resumes for principal investigators (PIs) of competitive awards be on file and maintained in the grants processing system used by the Department of Commerce, Grants Online. Recipients of any award (competitive or non-competitive) are required to designate principal investigators in Grants Online within 30 days of receiving award offers.

Appendices for this Notice of Funding Opportunity should include:

a.) Signed letter of support and recommendation from the applicant’s faculty advisor or sponsor (maximum of two-pages). The letter should include an assurance that the student is in good academic standing, has completed the majority of their academic course work, provide an indication of support for the project as part of the course of study, acknowledgment of the requirement to share data collected as part of the award with reserve staff (see IV.C. Reporting), acknowledgment of the requirements for the fellow’s participation at the reserve and in professional development events (see I.B. Program Priorities), and any other information, support, or recommendations the advisor offers for the applicant.

b.) Additional letters of support and recommendation from faculty or professional colleagues (maximum of two two-page letters). The letter should describe their familiarity with the applicant’s work, address the applicant's ability to succeed in the program, and any other

Notice of Federal Funding Page 14 of 35 information, support, or recommendations the writer offers for the applicant.

c.) Resume. A resume for the student should be provided. Include all graduate and undergraduate institutions (department or area of study, degree, and year of graduation), all publications (including undergraduate and graduate theses), awards or fellowships, and related work/research experience. Limit resume to a maximum of two pages.

d.) Transcripts. Unofficial copies of transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions. Transcripts from the current institution should indicate the enrollment status.

e.) Data Management Plan. The Data Management Plan should address the requirements in this section of the announcement.

i.) Environmental data and information collected or created under NOAA grants or cooperative agreements must be made discoverable by and accessible to the public, in a timely fashion (typically within two years), free of charge or at no more than the cost of reproduction, unless an exemption is granted by the NOAA program. Data should be available in at least one machine-readable format, preferably a widely used or open-standard format, and should be accompanied by machine-readable documentation (metadata), preferably based on widely used or international standards.

ii.) Proposals submitted in response to this announcement must include a Data Management Plan of up to two pages describing how these requirements will be satisfied. The contents of the Data Management Plan (or absence thereof), and past performance regarding such plans, will be considered as part of proposal review. A typical plan should include descriptions of the types of environmental data and information expected to be created during the course of the project; the tentative date by which data will be shared; the standards to be used for data/metadata format and content; methods for providing data access; approximate total volume of data to be collected; and prior experience in making such data accessible. The costs of data preparation, accessibility, or archiving may be included in the proposal budget.

Accepted submission of data to the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) is one way to satisfy data sharing requirements; however, NCEI is not obligated to accept all submissions and may charge a fee, particularly for large or unusual datasets. The NOAA program is not offering specific data management technical guidance. Proposals are to describe their proposed approach. Use of open-standard formats and methods is encouraged. For more information about data sharing in this program, contact the agency official listed in Section VII. of this funding announcement.

iii.) NOAA may, at its own discretion, make publicly visible the Data Management Plan

Notice of Federal Funding Page 15 of 35 from funded proposals, or use information from the Data Management Plan to produce a formal metadata record and include that metadata in a catalog to indicate the pending availability of new data.

iv.) Proposal submitters are hereby advised that the final pre-publication manuscripts of scholarly articles produced entirely or primarily with NOAA funding will be required to be submitted to NOAA Institutional Repository after acceptance, and no later than upon publication. Such manuscripts shall be made publicly available by NOAA one year after publication by the journal.

v.) NOAA's Administrative Order on the Management of Environmental Data Management and Information is available under:

http://www.corporateservices.noaa.gov/ames/administrative_orders/chapter_212/212- 15.html vi.) Principal investigators should indicate how and when they have made their data accessible and usable by the community in the past.

vii.) More information about the NOAA Data Sharing Policy is available on NOAA’s Environmental Data Management Committee website at:

www.nosc.noaa.gov/EDMC/PD.DSP.php viii.) Responsible NOAA official for questions regarding this guidance and for verifying accessibility of data produced by funding recipients:

Randy Warren Data Manager NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management randy.warren@noaa.gov f.) National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Environmental Compliance Under (NEPA). NOAA must analyze the potential environmental impacts of projects or proposals seeking funding from NOAA.

For your information, after the application is submitted, NOAA may require additional information to fulfill NEPA and other compliance requirements. If NOAA determines that an environmental assessment is required, applicants may also be requested to assist in drafting the assessment. Applicants may also be required to cooperate with NOAA in identifying and implementing feasible measures to reduce or avoid any identified adverse

Notice of Federal Funding Page 16 of 35 environmental impacts of their proposal. The failure to do so shall be grounds for the denial of an application. In some cases if additional information is required after an application is selected, funds can be withheld by the Grants Officer under a special award condition requiring the recipient to submit additional environmental compliance information sufficient to enable NOAA to make an assessment on any impacts that a project may have on the environment.

The applicants selected for funding may be required to complete questions 1 - 13 of the Environmental Compliance Questionnaire for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Federal Financial Assistance Applicants accessible at https://www.nepa.noaa.gov/docs/NOAA-Grants-Questionnaire-final.pdf 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). Questions 14 - 58 are not required initially because NOAA anticipates that most projects funded through this competition would not have impacts related to damage assessment and restoration or fisheries sampling and analysis.

Detailed information on NOAA compliance with NEPA can be found at the following NOAA NEPA websites: http://www.nepa.noaa.gov/ including NOAA Administrative Order 216-6 for NEPA, http://www.nepa.noaa.gov/NAO216_6.pdf and the Council on Environmental Quality implementation regulations under the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations: https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=30655823cf5f0dcb1c5ee59d01883b89&mc=true&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title40/40chapt erV.tpl g.) Permits and Approvals

If applicable, it is the responsibility of the applicant to obtain all necessary federal, state, and local government permits and approvals for the proposed work. Applicants must provide a list of all known permits that will be required to perform the proposed work and an indication of the status of any permits needed (e.g., not yet applied, permit application submitted/pending, permit granted, etc.). If no permits are required, the applicant should include a statement indicating that no permits are necessary.

Failure to apply for and/or obtain federal, state, and local permits, approvals, letters of agreement, or failure to provide environmental analyses where necessary (i.e., NEPA and environmental assessment) will delay or prevent the award of funds for projects that have

Notice of Federal Funding Page 17 of 35 been preliminarily selected for funding.

h.) Match waiver request (if applicable)

Matching funds are not required.

i.) Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable)

The proposed budget may include an amount for indirect or “Facilities and Administrative” costs if the applicant has an established indirect cost rate with the federal government.

Indirect costs are essentially overhead costs for basic operational functions (e.g., utilities, rent, and insurance) that are incurred for common or joint objectives and, therefore, cannot be identified specifically within a particular project. See 2 CFR 200.1 and 200.412-415.

A copy of the current, approved negotiated indirect cost agreement with the federal Government should be included with the application package. If an award recipient has never established an indirect cost rate with any federal agency, the recipient may request to use the de minimis rate (10% of modified total direct costs) described at 2 CFR 200.414.

Alternatively, the negotiation and approval of a new rate is subject to the procedures required by NOAA and the Department of Commerce. The Department of Commerce, Financial Assistance Standard Terms and Conditions require that recipients within 90 days of the award start date, submit to the address listed below documentation (indirect cost proposal, cost allocation plan, etc.) necessary to perform the review.

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

The de minimis indirect cost rate should be used for all federal awards. Non-federal entities may use this rate indefinitely, but may choose to negotiate an indirect (F&A) cost rate at any time. This de minimis rate option is not available to state and local governments, and tribes.

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

To enable the use of a universal identifier and to enhance the quality of information available to the public as required by the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act, 31 U.S.C. 6101 Note, to the extent applicable, any proposal awarded in response to this announcement will be required to use the System for Award Management (SAM), which

Notice of Federal Funding Page 18 of 35 may be accessed online at https://www.sam.gov/SAM/. Applicants are also required to use the Dun and Bradstreet Universal Numbering System (DUNS), as identified in OMB guidance published at 2 CFR Parts 25 at http://go.usa.gov/x9PYd.

Applicants should: (1) be registered in the federal SAM before submitting an application; (2) provide a valid DUNS number on an application; and (3) continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active federal award or an application or plan under consideration by a federal awarding agency. The federal awarding agency may not make a federal award to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable DUNS and SAM requirements. If an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time the federal awarding agency is ready to make a federal award, the federal awarding agency may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a federal award and use that determination as a basis for making a federal award to another applicant.

Applicants should allow a minimum of seven days to complete the SAM registration, although complete registration for SAM may take several weeks if problems arise.

Registration is required only once but must be renewed once a year.

Applicants are strongly encouraged not to wait until the application deadline date to begin the application process through www.grants.gov.

D. Submission Dates and Times

Applications must be postmarked, provided to a delivery service, or received by and validated by Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, December 10, 2021 (one or the other -hard copy or electronic, but not both).

We encourage all fellowship applicants to begin the application process several weeks before the December 10, 2021 deadline as they are expected to work with their advisor and university’s Office of Sponsored Programs, or equivalent, to obtain necessary approvals and information, complete the required forms, and submit the application within the necessary timeline. All applicants should be aware that adequate time must be factored into schedules for delivery of the application through Grants.gov.

If for any reason applicants are unable to submit their application through Grants.gov or are concerned about possible problems associated with the Grants.gov system, they may provide a paper copy of their full application by mail. Applications submitted by mail must include all relevant application elements described above, must include a SF-424 form with original

Notice of Federal Funding Page 19 of 35 ink or valid electronic signature and date from an authorized recipient organization representative, and must be stamped with an official U.S. Postal Service postmark or provided to a commercial carrier with tracking number and receipt on or before 11:59 pm Eastern on December 10, 2021; private metered postmarks are unacceptable. Please address all mailed applications to:

Margaret A. Davidson Graduate Fellowship Attn: Christopher Katalinas (on contract for) NOAA Office for Coastal Management 2234 South Hobson Ave., Charleston, SC 29405

No email or fax copies will be accepted. Paper applications received more than three business days after the deadline will not be reviewed, and applicants submitting by paper are responsible for tracking their applications.

Applicants should consider the possibility of storms and other unforeseen impacts from natural hazards that could affect their Internet access and use of Grants.gov on or before application due dates. Applicants should be aware that localized hazardous weather or other situations beyond their control impacting their ability to submit packages before deadlines may not result in changes to the application deadline.

E. Intergovernmental Review

Funding applications submitted under this competition are subject to Executive Order (EO) 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." It is the state agency's responsibility to contact their state's Single Point of Contact (SPOC) to find out about and comply with the state's process under EO 12372. To assist the applicant, the names and addresses of the SPOCs are listed on the Office of Management and Budget's website < https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/omb/grants_spoc>.

F. Funding Restrictions

1. Indirect Costs

Applicants are permitted to request indirect costs if their organization has an established Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement with a federal agency that covers the period of the award. Applicants requesting indirect costs should submit a copy of their current and signed Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement with their application package. More information on establishing or negotiating indirect cost rates can be found in Section IV.B.8 of this solicitation.

Notice of Federal Funding Page 20 of 35

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 CFR 200.414 “Indirect (Facilities & Administrative (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 CFR 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.

2. Ineligible Projects:

The following projects will not be eligible for funding: (1) activities that constitute legally required mitigation for the adverse effects of an activity regulated or otherwise governed by state or federal law; (2) activities that constitute mitigation for natural resource damages under federal or state law; and (3) activities that are required by a separate consent decree, court order, statute or regulation; (4) activities in which the major purpose of the project or program is construction.

3. Cost Principles:

Recipients are subject to the 2 CFR 200, Subpart E “Cost Principles,” as well as any Department of Commerce regulations that may be in effect at the time of award. Generally, allowable costs include salaries, fringe benefits, travel, equipment, supplies, and training, as long as the costs are determined to be necessary, reasonable, and allocable to the award.

G. Other Submission Requirements

The standard NOAA funding application package is available at www.grants.gov (Grants.gov) by searching the Funding Opportunity Number or the Assistance Listings number (11.420). Application packages, including all letters of collaboration, shall be submitted through the “Apply” function on Grants.gov. The Grants.gov site contains directions for submitting an application. Applicants must register with Grants.gov before any application materials can be submitted. To use Grants.gov, applicants must have a Dun and Bradstreet Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number (www.dnb.com) and be registered in the SAM.gov, which requires periodic renewals. Refer to Section IV.C. for details on receiving a DUNS number and registering with SAM.gov.

Notice of Federal Funding Page 21 of 35

After electronic submission of the application through Grants.gov, the person submitting the application will receive two email messages from Grants.gov within the next 24 to 48 hours updating them on the progress of their application. The first email provides a tracking number and confirms receipt of the application by the Grants.gov system. The second email indicates that the application has either been successfully validated by the system before transmission to the grantor agency or has been rejected because of errors. Only validated applications are sent to NOAA for review. After the application has been validated, this same person will receive a third email when the application has been downloaded by the federal agency.

If an applicant submits multiple electronic versions of the proposal, the applicant should advise the federal agency of the tracking number that should be withdrawn.