NOAA-NOS-ONMS-2018-2005385 Full Announcement.pdf

2018 NOAA California Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Program

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Funding Opportunity Description 3

A. Program Objective 3 B. Program Priorities 3 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 12 A. Eligible Applicants 12 B. Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement 12 C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility 12

IV. Application and Submission Information 12 A. Address to Request Application Package 12 B. Content and Form of Application 13 C. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) 20 D. Submission Dates and Times 21 E. Intergovernmental Review 21 F. Funding Restrictions 21 G. Other Submission Requirements 23

V. Application Review Information 23 A. Evaluation Criteria 23 B. Review and Selection Process 25 C. Selection Factors 26 D. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates 27

VI. Award Administration Information 28 A. Award Notices 28 B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements 28 C. Reporting 31

VII. Agency Contacts 32 VIII. Other Information 32

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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: 2018 NOAA California Bay Watershed Education and Training (B- WET) Program

Announcement Type: Initial

Funding Opportunity Number: NOAA-NOS-ONMS-2018-2005385

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.429, Marine Sanctuary Program

Dates: The deadline for applications is 11:59 PM Eastern Time on December 20, 2017 when submitting through www.grants.gov (Grants.gov). PLEASE NOTE: for applicants that submit through Grants.gov, it may take Grants.gov up to two business days to validate or reject the application. Please keep this in mind in developing your submission timeline. If use of Grants.gov is impractical for technical or other reasons, paper copy applications will be accepted only as described in Section IV.C. Applications received after the deadline will be rejected without further consideration. No email and/or facsimile applications will be accepted.

Funding Opportunity Description: The California B-WET Program is a competitive grant program that supports existing, high quality environmental education programs, fosters the growth of new, innovative programs, and encourages capacity building and partnership development for environmental education programs throughout the entire the San Francisco Bay, Monterey Bay, and Santa Barbara Channel watersheds. Successful projects provide Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs): http://www.noaa.gov/explainers/noaa-meaningful-watershed-educational-experience for students and related professional development for teachers. These MWEEs integrate field experiences with classroom activities and instruction in NOAA-related science content.

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FULL ANNOUNCEMENT TEXT

I. Funding Opportunity Description

A. Program Objective

The NOAA B-WET Program is an environmental education program that promotes locally relevant, experiential learning in the K-12 environment. B-WET was established in 2002 in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and currently exists in seven regions: California, Chesapeake Bay, Hawai`i, Gulf of Mexico, New England, Pacific Northwest, and Great Lakes. For more information, visit our National B-WET Program website at:

http://www.noaa.gov/office-education/bwet

NOAA recognizes that knowledge and commitment built from firsthand experience, especially in the context of one’s community and culture, is essential for achieving environmental stewardship. Carefully selected experiences driven by rigorous academic learning standards and nurturing a sense of community, will further connect students with their watershed, help reinforce an ethic of responsible citizenship, and promote academic achievement. Experiential learning techniques, such as those supported by the NOAA 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(a)).

The California B-WET Program is a competitive grant program that supports existing, high quality environmental education programs, fosters the growth of new, innovative programs, and encourages capacity building and partnership development for environmental education programs throughout the entire the San Francisco Bay, Monterey Bay, and Santa Barbara Channel watersheds.

The terms used throughout each Section are defined as follows: a. Monterey Bay watershed—the counties of San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, Monterey, San Benito, and San Luis Obispo; b. San Francisco Bay watershed—the counties of Marin, San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, Sonoma, Mendocino, Humboldt, Del Norte, Trinity, and Santa Rosa; c. Santa Barbara Channel watershed—the counties of Santa Barbara and Ventura; d.

Teachers—formal (school-based) and non-formal (not school-based) educators for kindergarten through high school; e. Students—kindergarten through high school.

B. Program Priorities

Proposals must address one the following areas of interest: (1) Meaningful Watershed

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Educational Experiences (MWEEs) for Students in the Monterey Bay, San Francisco or Santa Barbara Channel watersheds; (2) Teacher Professional Development for Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs) in the Monterey Bay, San Francisco or Santa Barbara Channel watersheds; (3) Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs) for Students or Professional Development for Teachers focused on Climate Change Education in the Monterey Bay, San Francisco or Santa Barbara Channel watersheds.

Proposals must address either Priority Areas (1), (2) or (3). If proposals do not address one of the areas of interest, they will be returned without further review.

1. PRIORITY 1—Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs) for Students in the Monterey Bay, San Francisco or Santa Barbara Channel watersheds

MWEEs for students should be learner centered and focused on questions, problems, and issues to be investigated through collecting, analyzing and sharing data; learning protocols;

exploring models; and examining natural phenomena. These activities, grounded in best practices and the context of the local community and culture, help increase student interest, motivation, and attitudes toward learning, and achieve environmental stewardship. As a result of the MWEE activities, students should have an understanding of basic watershed concepts, as well as the interaction between natural systems (e.g. wildlife, plants, and water cycle) and social systems (e.g. communities, transportation systems, and schools), highlighting the connection between human activity and environmental conditions. MWEEs consist of multiple components as defined below.

For reference and more detail on each of the following elements, please review the following document: www.noaa.gov/office-education/bwet-mwee.pdf

1.1 Issue definition and background research

Students focus on an environmental question, problem, or issue requiring background research and investigation. They learn more about the issue through classroom instruction, the collection of data, conducting experiments, talking to experts and reviewing credible publications. This process should be age appropriate with practices growing in complexity and sophistication across the grades, starting with educator guided investigation and progressing to student-led inquiry.

1.2 Outdoor field activities

Students participate in multiple outdoor field activities (a minimum of at least three outdoor experiences) sufficient to collect the data or make observations required for answering the research questions and informing student actions, or as part of the issue definition and

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 4 of 32 background research. Students should be actively involved in planning the investigation, taking measurements, or constructing the project within appropriate safety guidelines, with teachers providing instruction on methods and procedures, data collection protocols, and proper use of equipment as needed. These activities can take place off-site and/or on the school grounds.

1.3 Stewardship action projects

Students participate in an age appropriate project during which they take action to address environmental issues at the personal or societal level. Participants in B-WET MWEE activities should understand they have control over the outcome of environmental issues, be encouraged to identify actions to address these issues and understand the value of those actions. Examples of stewardship activities include:

• Watershed Restoration or Protection (e.g., create schoolyard habitat, planting trees or grasses, invasive species removal, community cleanup, riparian restoration or daylighting)

• Everyday Choices (e.g., reduce/reuse/recycle/upcycle, composting, energy conservation, water conservation)

• Community Engagement (e.g., presentations, social media, event-organizing, messaging at community events/fairs/festivals, mentoring, PSAs)

• Civic Action (e.g., town meetings, voting, writing elected officials/decision makers, encouraging policy change)

1.4 Synthesis and conclusions

Students analyze and evaluate the results of projects and investigations. Students synthesize and communicate results and conclusions to an external audience such as other classrooms, schools, parents, or the community.

1.5 Support for MWEE activities with students

In addition to the components identified above, NOAA recommends that the following elements are in place to fully support successful MWEE implementation with students:

a. Teacher participation for the duration of the MWEE—While external partners are entirely appropriate to support MWEEs, teachers should support the experience in the classroom and in the field. Teachers are in the best position to help students make connections and draw on past lessons, serve as environmental role models, and enhance students overall outdoor education experience and should be involved in all components of the experiences detailed above. To support them in this role, teachers should have appropriate knowledge of environmental issues and watershed concepts, skill in connecting these issues to their curriculum, and competency in environmental education pedagogy, including the ability and confidence to teach outdoor lessons and to lead students in critical

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 5 of 32 thinking about environmental issues.

b. Integration with classroom curriculum—Experiences should be integrated into what is occurring in the classroom, and can provide authentic, age appropriate, engaging multi-disciplinary content to address academic standards. Specifically, elements of science and social studies standards related to questioning and investigation, evidence-based analysis and interpretation, model and theory building, knowledge of environmental processes and systems, skill for understanding and addressing environmental issues, and personal and civic responsibility align well with MWEE activities. Non-school activities may enrich traditional classroom curriculum when needed, though this need should be documented and supported by local education agencies.

c. Use of the local context for learning—The local community and environment should be viewed as a primary resource for student MWEE activities. Place-based education promotes learning that is rooted in the unique history, environment, culture, economy, literature, and art of a students’ schoolyard, neighborhood, town or community, and thus offering students and teachers the opportunity to explore how individual and collective decisions impact their immediate surroundings. Once a firm connection to their local environment is made, students are better positioned to expand their thinking to recognize the far-reaching implications of the decisions they make to the larger national and global environment.

d. Experiences are a set of activities over time—The MWEE includes the full duration leading up to and following the outdoor field experiences. Each component should involve a significant investment of instructional time, incorporate time for reflection, and include all students. Experiences such as tours, simulations, demonstrations, or nature walks may be instructionally useful, but alone do not constitute an entire meaningful watershed educational experience as defined here.

e. Includes NOAA assets, including personnel and resources—NOAA has a wealth of applicable products and services as well as a cadre of scientific and professional experts that can heighten the impact of environmental instruction both in the classroom and in the field.

Additionally, environmental professionals can serve as important role models for career choices and stewardship. For more on NOAA assets for education please see:

• http://www.oesd.noaa.gov/grants/NOAA_assets.html

• http://www.noaa.gov/education

• http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/education

• http://www.legislative.noaa.gov/NIYS/NIYSCA.pdf

1.6 Experiences are for all students

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The California B-WET Program is strongly committed to expanding the knowledge and participation of a low income and underserved student population in marine and environmental education. The program anticipates that a substantial portion of the target audience served by this project will be from a low income or underserved student population. Please include the ethnic, social and gender demographics of the classroom participants and the webpage(s) that was used to gather the demographic information.

1.7 Projects make a connection to the sanctuary and the ocean environment Projects must include information about the National Marine Sanctuary System and the ocean environment throughout the duration of the project—before, during and after the MWEE activities. Information provided may highlight one or more of the national marine sanctuaries located on the West Coast and must demonstrate a connection to the ocean environment through the watershed system. The idea is that students understand how their actions can affect the coastal/ocean environment through the watershed system. They also need to understand what a national marine sanctuary is, why it is important, the resources found within the sanctuary, and where it is located. Examples of curriculum and lesson plans that can be used to highlight this information can be found at:

http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/education/teachers/welcome.html

2. PRIORITY 2—Teacher Professional Development for Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs) in the Monterey Bay, San Francisco or Santa Barbara Channel watersheds

Teachers should be skilled in using environmental education and MWEEs to address multiple subjects’ curriculum standards and local education agency initiatives. In order to gain and maintain environmental education competencies, teachers need access to sustained, high-quality professional development that includes ongoing support and feedback. Teachers should gain confidence in the value of implementing MWEEs and strategies for conducting them so that they will conduct MWEES after the B-WET supported program has ended.

Specifically, the following elements are recommended for professional development to support teachers implementing MWEEs:

2.1 Increases teachers’ knowledge and awareness of environmental issues Teachers must have an adequate level of content knowledge for their MWEE topic area specific to their grade level and discipline, including an understanding of basic watershed concepts and the human connection to the watershed. Recognizing that environmental issues often include different perspectives and opinions, teachers must also have a deep understanding of the facts related to environmental issues along with an understanding of the

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 7 of 32 various stakeholder values. In addition, teachers who demonstrate environmentally responsible attitudes and behaviors may be role models for their students and increase their ability to guide students in actions to address complex environmental issues.

2.2 Models environmental education pedagogy

Facilitators/trainers should utilize the same techniques and experiences in trainings that teachers are expected to use with their students, such as hands-on, place-based, outdoor field experiences and environmental issue investigation and action.

2.3 Allows for adequate instructional time

Professional development trainings should be multi-day, occurring consecutively or over the course of several months. Trainings should include ample opportunity for teachers to reflect on their own teaching practices and planning for how to use knowledge and skills gained from professional development in the classroom.

2.4 Provides ongoing teacher support and appropriate incentives Even in cases where teachers participate in robust multi-day trainings, such as a summer or weekend courses, it is still essential that professional development providers have a structure in place for on-going teacher support and enrichment. This can take the form of follow-up meetings, creating web-based forums for communication and feedback, establishing mentor teachers who can serve as points of contact, or including teams of teachers from one particular school. Continuing education credits and stipends can be used to encourage participation in on-going professional development opportunities. Outreach and training opportunities for school administrators may help increase high level support for both environmental education and continuing teacher professional development for teachers.

2.5 Meets jurisdictional guidelines for effective teacher professional development Each jurisdiction has established guidance and recommendations germane to all forms of teacher professional development. When possible, professional development opportunities in environmental education should adhere to these general guidelines set forth by local education agencies.

2.6 Experiences are for all teachers

The California B-WET Program is strongly committed to expanding the knowledge and participation of teachers who serve a low income and underserved student population. The program anticipates that a substantial portion of the target audience served by this project will be from a low income or underserved student population. Please include the ethnic, social and gender demographics of the classroom participants and the webpage(s) that was used to gather the demographic information.

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2.7 Projects make a connection to the sanctuary and the ocean environment Projects must include information about the National Marine Sanctuary System and the ocean environment throughout the duration of the project—before, during and after the MWEEs. Information provided may highlight one or more of the national marine sanctuaries located on the West Coast and must demonstrate a connection to the ocean environment through the watershed system. The idea is that teachers and then ultimately students understand how their actions can affect the coastal/ocean environment through the watershed system. They need to also understand what a national marine sanctuary is, why it is important, the resources found within the sanctuary, and where it is located. Examples of curriculum and lesson plans that can be used to highlight this information can be found at:

http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/education/teachers/welcome.html

3. PRIORITY 3—Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences for Students or Professional Development for Teachers focused on Climate Change Education in the Monterey Bay, San Francisco or Santa Barbara Channel watersheds

Earth's climate is changing. When humans burn fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas for energy, we put rampant amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This carbon dioxide acts like a heat trapping blanket and warms the planet. The carbon dioxide also enters the ocean, causing the pH to drop and leading to ocean acidification, which makes it difficult for animals to build and maintain their shells and skeletons and has enormous health implications for life in the ocean. The overwhelming majority of climate scientists agree that humans have had a profound influence on our changing climate. Climate change will bring economic and environmental challenges as well as opportunities, and citizens who have an understanding of climate science will be better prepared to respond to both. Our quality of life and, ultimately, our survival are dependent on our “climate literacy”—our ability to understand, predict, and adapt to the reality of a warming planet.

Proposals focused on this priority area must meet the criteria as set forth in PRIORITIES 1 OR 2 by delivering MWEEs for students or teachers and should be aligned with the Climate Literacy Principles: http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/literacy/climate_literacy.pdf

3.1 Proposals addressing this priority area should focus on one or more of the following areas of climate change:

• Ocean Acidification

• Energy Reduction

• Consumer Choices

• Ecosystem Resiliency

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3.2 And should integrate the following key themes and messages:

a. Changes in climate will impact national marine sanctuaries and the overall health of the ocean that is vital to our quality of life and, ultimately, our survival.

b. One or more of the following key messages:

1) Human activities are changing the Earth’s climate.

2) Climate change affects national marine sanctuaries and the underwater treasures they protect.

3) The choices you make today do make a difference.

4) Collectively we need to adapt our carbon footprint and lower our carbon emissions.

5) Collective actions are needed to preserve as much biodiversity in the ocean as possible.

C. Program Authority

Under 33 USC 893 a(a), the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is authorized to conduct, develop, support, promote, and coordinate formal and informal educational activities at all levels to enhance public awareness and understanding of ocean, coastal, Great Lakes, and atmospheric science and stewardship by the general public and other coastal stakeholders, including underrepresented groups in ocean and atmospheric science and policy careers. In conducting those activities, the Administrator shall build upon the educational programs and activities of the agency.

II. Award Information

A. Funding Availability

This solicitation announces that approximately $850,000 may be available in FY 2018 in award amounts to be determined by the proposals and available funds. About $400,000 will be made available to the San Francisco Bay area, about $300,000 will be made available to the Monterey Bay area, and about $150,000 will be made available to the Santa Barbara and Ventura areas. The NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries anticipates that approximately 15-20 grants will be awarded with these funds. The NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries anticipates that typical project awards for the identified priority areas will range from $30,000 to $60,000.

There is no guarantee that sufficient funds will be available to make awards for all qualified projects. The exact amount of funds that may be awarded will be determined in pre-award negotiations between the applicant and NOAA representatives. Publication of this

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 10 of 32 notice does not oblige NOAA to award any specific project or to obligate any available funds. If applicants incur any costs prior to an award being made, they do so at their own risk of not being reimbursed by the government. Notwithstanding verbal or written assurance that may have been received, there is no obligation on the part of NOAA to cover pre-award costs unless approved by the Grants Officer as part of the terms when the award is made.

Applicants are hereby given notice that funds have not yet been appropriated for this program. Future opportunities for submitting proposals to the California B-WET competitive process are anticipated, but will depend on funding levels and resources available to support new projects.

B. Project/Award Period

The project start date should not begin before August 1, 2018. CA B-WET program recipients may apply for funding in 12-month increments for a maximum of three consecutive years. Each funding request should not exceed more than 12 months and a new competitive application must be submitted each year in response to the program’s annual funding announcement. If you are applying for up to three consecutive years of funding, which are competitively selected in separate 12 month funding award periods, proposal projects do not need to change significantly in scope from year to year, but should demonstrate growth in subsequent project years (i.e. in Project Years 2 and 3) and how projects remain within program priorities but are being evaluated and changing as a result of the assessment. These proposals are considered renewal projects. If a recipient would like to apply for additional years of funding, beyond the three consecutive years, they will be determined to be new awards.

Funds for both renewal projects and new proposals beyond the initial three consecutive years will be made available for only a 12-month award period and any continuance of the award period via a competitive renewal application will depend on submission of a successful proposal subject to panel reviews, adequate progress on previous award(s), and available funding to continue the award. No assurance for a funding renewal proposals or funding for project beyond the initial three consecutive years exists; funding will be at the complete discretion of NOAA.

C. Type of Funding Instrument

Whether the funding instrument is a grant or a cooperative agreement will be determined by the amount of the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries’ involvement in the project. A cooperative agreement will be used if National Marine Sanctuary System staff share responsibility for management, control, direction, or performance of the project with the recipient. Specific terms regarding substantial involvement will be contained in special

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 11 of 32 award conditions.

III. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants are K-12 public and independent schools and school systems, institutions of higher education, community-based and nonprofit organizations, state or local government agencies, interstate agencies, and Indian tribal governments. Existing recipients selected during the FY2016 (NOAA-NOS-ONMS-2016-2004702) and FY2017 (NOAA- NOS-ONMS-2017-2005059) California BWET competitions are eligible to apply as competitive renewal projects and are required to re-apply to receive consideration for further funding. For profit organizations, foreign organizations, and foreign public entities are not eligible to apply.

However, for-profit and foreign organizations and foreign public entities may participate with an eligible applicant as a project partner. Likewise, Federal agencies are not eligible to receive Federal assistance under this announcement, but may be project partners. Applicants must be located within the U.S. and can be physically located in any state, but must work within the geographic boundaries of the Monterey Bay, San Francisco Bay or Santa Barbara Channel watersheds. Projects whose sole audience is outside the watersheds outlined above are not eligible.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement

Cost sharing is not required under this program. 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

1. Electronic submission Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit applications electronically through http://www.grants.gov. You may access the electronic grant application for the California Bay Watershed Education and Training Program at http://www.grants.gov.

Please note that applicants must locate the downloadable application package for this

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 12 of 32 program by the FFO number (found on the first page of the FFO) or CFDA number (11.429).

Users of Grants.gov will be able to download a copy of the application package, complete it off line, and then upload and submit the application via the Grants.gov website. When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find information about submitting an application electronically through the site as well as the hours of operation. We strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline date to begin the application process through Grants.gov.

After electronic submission of the application, applicants will receive an automatic acknowledgment from Grants.gov that contains a Grants.gov tracking number. NOAA may request that you provide original signatures on forms at a later date.

2. Hard copy submission If an applicant does not have Internet access or if Grants.gov has technical issues that make submission impractical, hard copy applications will be accepted. A signed original may be submitted to Attn: Seaberry Nachbar, B-WET Coordinator, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Office, 99 Pacific Street, Building 455A, Monterey, CA 93940. The closing deadline for applying through Grants.gov is the same as for the paper submission noted in this announcement.

B. Content and Form of Application

Proposals must adhere to the following provisions and requirements:

Federal Forms The required forms are as follows:

Standard Form 424: Application for Federal Assistance Standard Form 424A: Budget Information, Non-construction Programs Standard Form 424B: Assurances, Non-Construction Programs Form CD-511: Certification Regarding Lobbying Standard Form LLL: Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (if applicable)

1. Proposals Applicants should not assume prior knowledge on the part of the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries as to the relative merits of the project described in the application. For an example proposal and budget narrative, please go to the National Marine Sanctuaries CA B- WET website at: http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/bwet/welcome.html.

a. Proposal Requirements: Required elements for all submissions

(1) Components of the proposal outlined in Section IV. B. 2b. (1-9) should be submitted as

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 13 of 32 a single PDF document and uploaded into the Grants.gov system as a single PDF document.

The order of the documents should reflect the order outlined below (Project summary, Project description (items 2- 7), Budget narrative, Budget table, Letters of support, CVs, Logic model, and all other Supporting documents).

(2) Proposal format must be in a 12-point font and single-spaced. The entire proposal narrative should not exceed 15 pages. The budget narrative, budget table, Federal forms, indirect cost rate, and the project summary are not included in this 15 page limit.

(3) Appendices and supporting documentation may be included, but may not exceed a total of 10-pages. Appendices may include information such as curriculum, resumes, and/or letters of endorsement. Additional informational material will be disregarded.

(4) Brevity will assist reviewers and program staff in dealing effectively with proposals.

Therefore the entire application package (proposal and appendices) should not exceed 25-pages (this total does not include the budget narrative, budget table, Federal forms, data management plan, indirect cost rate, and the project summary).

b. Proposal Format:

Proposals should include the following information and it is recommended that they follow the format outlined below:

(1) Project summary (1-page):

- Organization title

- Principal Investigator(s) (PI)

- Address, telephone number, and email address of applicant and PI

- Partner(s)

- Priority Area

- Project title

- Project duration

- Summary of work to be performed (include number of teachers and/or students that will be involved in your project and total project cost per student/teacher

- Total Federal funds requested

- Cost-sharing to be provided from non-Federal sources, if any (specify whether contributions are project-related cash or in-kind)

- Total project cost

(2) Project description (15-pages):

- Accomplishments to Date (this applies only to those applicants that have received a B- WET grant in prior years).

List your objectives from previous years and provide accomplishments to date for each of the objectives. Provide as much detail as possible to demonstrate to reviewers that the project goals and objectives of your grant have been/are being met. Please include your

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 14 of 32 evaluation results from your evaluation report, including the tools and methods that you used. Specifically include your evaluation summary.

This is intended to provide to the reviewers a clear outline of the work you have accomplished in prior years and to outline what work is needed to be accomplished with additional funds. More importantly, this is your opportunity to describe to the reviewers your successes, lessons learned and any assessment/evaluation results you have completed. When the reviewers are reading this proposal they will want to know why funding should be continued, so use this section to demonstrate your growth.

- Need: Provide a statement that describes the need for this type of project. Why are you proposing this project? Cite studies or sources, where appropriate, that validate the need for your project.

- Target audience: Identify the target audience and demonstrate an understanding of the needs of that audience. Identify specifically how many students and/or teachers are involved in your project and their demographics.

- Participant recruitment: Provide a plan of action that outlines how you will recruit your target audience and identify incentives to be used such as teacher stipends or continuing education credits.

- Objectives: Explain your objectives and how you are going to accomplish these objectives.

Objectives do not include the number of people served or the activities you and your audience(s) engage in. Objectives should be simple and understandable; as specific and quantitative as possible (please reference the CA B-WET website:

https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/bwet/, when developing your objectives). Clearly explain how you will achieve your expected outputs and outcomes.

- What: Provide a statement of your project that includes a clear statement of the work to be undertaken. Demonstrate how your project meets the criteria defined in the Program Priorities.

- Where: Give a precise location of the project and the area(s) that will be served.

(3) Who: Organization leads and partners.

- Organization leads: Explain who from your organization will conduct the project. Include key individuals who will work on the project and a short description of the nature of their effort or contribution. A resume for each individual that is participating significantly in the project is required. These can be embedded within the Project description or as a part of the Supporting documents. Please demonstrate to the reviewers that the staff employed is representative of the target audience needs. For example if you are working with a Latino audience, you have/will be employing a bi-lingual staff member. For those staff members that are participating in the project but do not play a major role, a bio is sufficient.

- Partners/collaborators: List each partner organization, cooperator, or other key individuals who will work on the project. A letter of support from each partner must be included in the

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Supporting documents.

(4) Project timeline: Provide a project timeline in a table format that outlines the project from beginning to end.

(5) Project evaluation: 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.

For this section, please include a logic model: Provide a graphic to display the outputs and outcomes developed through the project. An example of a basic logic model can be found on our website at http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/education/evaluation/welcome.html.

In your evaluation plan, please describe 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 California 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 activities you and your audience(s) engage in. 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. For detailed information on how to create an evaluation plan or an evaluation report, please use the CA B-WET website at http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/bwet/welcome.html.

Participation in B-WET National Evaluation:

In addition to project evaluation, grantees will be asked to participate in data collection for the national B-WET evaluation. The B-WET national evaluation consists of two parts; part 1 is for all recipients of B-WET grants while part 2 is only for programs that work with teachers. The B-WET national evaluation is intended to monitor program implementation and outcomes on an ongoing basis. Results of this evaluation will be used to improve the B- WET program, document its value, and better tailor it to program audiences. Grantees with teacher participants will be able to view a summary of responses from their participating teachers. Success of this effort depends on grantee participation, so applicants are strongly encouraged to review the information about the national evaluation system (available here:

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 16 of 32 http://www.oesd.noaa.gov/grants/bwet_eval.php) and consider how they can support it as part of their projects.

Part 1 (for all B-WET grantees): As part of this evaluation system, one individual from each recipient organization will be asked to voluntarily complete an online questionnaire once per year of the award. The questionnaire should be able to be completed within 30-60 minutes (depending on the nature of the program) and may require some internal data compilation.

Part 2 (for programs with teacher professional development): For projects that work with teachers, the teacher-participants will be asked to complete one questionnaire at the close of their professional development and one after implementing Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences with their students (at the end of the following school year). Each teacher questionnaire should be able to be completed within 30 minutes. Along with completing the recipient questionnaire, grantees will be asked to provide the email addresses of participating teachers (after notifying teachers that their email will be shared) and to encourage teachers to participate in the national evaluation.

B-WET grantees and teachers who respond to the questionnaires will remain anonymous to B-WET and NOAA. NOAA will only view the resulting data in aggregate at the national or regional level, however grantees will receive a password-protected report link to allow them to view data from teacher participants of their project in aggregate.

All applicants should provide information about how they plan to support this national evaluation system, incorporate it into the project timeline, and ensure responses from participating teachers as part of their application. Applicants may incorporate staff time required to complete the B-WET national evaluation in their budget proposal. More information, including all of the survey instruments, is available on the NOAA B-WET national website here: http://www.oesd.noaa.gov/grants/bwet_eval.php. Grantees should review the information available and take this into consideration in the planning for their project evaluations. For example:

- Grantees may not need to include questions that will be answered through the teacher instrument in their own evaluations.

- Wherever possible grantees should try to incorporate participation in the evaluation system into existing requirements for professional development program completion. For example, on completion of the teacher professional development survey, teachers will receive some program incentive.

Note that this evaluation system is not intended to replace project level evaluation. While grantees will have access to their teacher’s results from the evaluation system, the national

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 17 of 32 evaluation may not provide the level of detail needed to fully understand, describe, and improve specific grant projects. Grantees are therefore encouraged to balance these needs within the 10% of their budget that is recommended for evaluation.

Additional information about this project, including background, FAQs, survey instruments, and suggested text for communicating with your teacher participants about this project, is available here: http://www.oesd.noaa.gov/grants/bwet_eval.php

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

(6) Benefits or results expected: Identify and document the results or benefits to be derived from the proposed activities. Include any evaluation data and results that your organization may have conducted.

(7) Outreach and Education: Explain how your project will work with the target audience to educate and inform others of the results of your project, and any products, outcomes, or benefits of your project. The CA B-WET Program strongly encourages applicants to present at conferences, meetings, and other venues in which they can share the results of their project and inform others on their successes. This section should outline mechanisms for significant external sharing and communication about the project by students, teachers, or project staff. Examples include community events (event that engage parents, other community members), peer to peer sharing for teacher and/or student (in-service days, school assemblies, etc.), conferences and to the media/social media.

(8) Budget narrative: The budget narrative should be composed of two parts, a budget table and a budget description. The budget narrative should include the total project costs that are required to accomplish what is proposed in the Project Description and includes contributions and donations. The budget narrative should provide the information needed to determine how the numbers outlined in the budget table and budget information form (SF- 424A) were derived. The narrative should explain the specific budget categories that are outlined in the SF-424A form, such as personnel/salaries, fringe benefits, travel, equipment, supplies, contract costs, and indirect costs. The budget narrative submitted with the application should match the dollar amounts on all required Federal forms (SF-424, SF- 424A). Additional cost detail may be required prior to a final analysis of overall cost allowability, allocability, and reasonableness. See 2 CFR part 200, Subpart E “Cost Principles” for additional information. Please note the following:

- Need for government financial assistance: Demonstrate the need for assistance.

Explain why other funding sources cannot fund all the proposed work.

- Sustainability: The California B-WET Program should not be considered a long-term source of funding; therefore it is crucial that you explain how you will ensure that ongoing programs, once initiated, will be sustained. If you have received multiple years of funding

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 18 of 32 you must include how your project will be sustainable beyond B-WET funding and how you plan to continue meeting your goals and objectives.

- Funds for salaries and fringe benefits may be requested only for those personnel who are directly involved in implementing the proposed project and whose salaries and fringe benefits are directly related to specific products or outcomes of the proposed project. NOAA strongly encourages applicants to request reasonable amounts of funding for salaries and fringe benefits to ensure that your proposal is competitive.

- 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.

For more information on equipment, see 2 CFR §200.313 and §§ 200.317-.326.

- Non-profit and university applicants should 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 price or cost information supporting contracts. Information must include, to the extent known, 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.

- Grant recipients may be encouraged to attend a state or regional B-WET meeting once during the duration of their grant. This will be an opportunity for former and current B-WET grant recipients to present their B-WET projects and learn from each other. This meeting may be part of an existing state conference or environmental education conference to minimize travel expenses. Budgets should include, in the travel category, estimated funds this meeting (such as meals, lodging, and transportation including rental car, shuttle, or taxi).

No more than $1000 should be budgeted for this expense.

Please refer to the budget NOAA Budget Narrative Guidance found on NOAA’s Grants Office webpage http://www.ago.noaa.gov/grants/training.html for assistance.

- 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

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 19 of 32 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, lamar.revis@noaa.gov

(9) Supporting documentation: Provide any required documents, which include:

- Letters of support: If the applicant organization has partners, such as schools, state agencies, or other organizations, letters of commitment should be included from partners explaining their role in and/or funding of the proposed project. If no letters are included, it will be assumed the applicant has no partners. Letters of recommendation may also be included to demonstrate previous work.

- Curriculum vitae;

- Evaluation tools;

The amount of information given in this section will depend on the type of project, but should be no more than 10 pages (this does not include the budget narrative, budget table, Federal forms, data management plan, indirect cost rate, and the project summary).

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

To enable the use of a universal…