NOAA-NOS-ORR-2022-2006974 NOFO Report.pdf

FY2022 Marine Debris Removal

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Funding Opportunity Description 4

A. Program Objective 4 B. Program Priorities 6 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 14

IV. Application and Submission Information 14 A. Address to Request Application Package 15 B. Content and Form of Application 15 C. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) 26 D. Submission Dates and Times 26 E. Intergovernmental Review 27 F. Funding Restrictions 27 G. Other Submission Requirements 28

V. Application Review Information 29 A. Evaluation Criteria 29 B. Review and Selection Process 37 C. Selection Factors 40 D. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates 40

VI. Award Administration Information 41 A. Award Notices 41 B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements 41 C. Reporting 46

VII. Agency Contacts 48 VIII. Other Information 48

Notice of Federal Funding Page 1 of 48

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: FY2022 Marine Debris Removal

Announcement Type: Initial

Funding Opportunity Number: NOAA-NOS-ORR-2022-2006974

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.999, Marine Debris Program

Dates: ATTENTION: The FY2022 competition will have a pre-proposal requirement (hereafter described as Letter of Intent; LOI). Please note the competition's early submission deadline for this requirement.

This funding opportunity requires a Letter of Intent to be submitted for competitive review before a full proposal can be submitted. LOIs must be received via email as an attachment (to grants.marinedebris@noaa.gov) no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern time, September 24, 2021. If invited per the instructions in this announcement, full proposals must then be submitted through and validated by Grants.gov on or before 11:59 p.m. Eastern time, January 14, 2022. Due to limited staffing of federal offices, hardcopy LOIs or full applications will not be accepted.

Funding Opportunity Description: The NOAA Marine Debris Program, authorized in the Marine Debris Act, codified at 33 U.S.C. § 1951 et seq., supports the development and implementation of locally-driven, marine debris assessment, removal and prevention projects that benefit coastal habitat, waterways, and marine and Great Lake resources. Projects awarded through this grant competition will create long-term, quantifiable ecological benefits and habitat improvements through on-the-ground marine debris removal activities, with highest priority for those targeting derelict fishing gear and other medium- and large-scale debris. Projects should also foster awareness of the sources and effects of marine debris to further the conservation of living marine resource habitats, contribute to the understanding of marine debris composition, distribution and impacts, and work to prevent marine debris reaccumulation. Projects awarded through this competition may be implemented throughout all United States coastal, marine, and Great Lakes areas; the coastal and marine areas of United States territories and Freely Associated States, or;

within coastal areas of Mexico or Canada as long as benefits to United States resources, navigation or economy can be clearly demonstrated. Successful proposals through this solicitation will be funded through cooperative agreements. Funding of up to $5,000,000 is expected to be available for Marine Debris Removal grants in Fiscal Year 2022. The typical

Notice of Federal Funding Page 2 of 48 funding level for the federal share of project awards ranges from $150,000 to $350,000. Funding for this grant competition comes through the NOAA Marine Debris Program as annual or supplemental appropriations to the National Ocean Service, Coastal Science, Assessment, Response and Restoration budget line, as well as from the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2019 Pub. L. 116-113, Title IX to carry out Section 3 of the Marine Debris Act (33 U.S.C. § 1952) in the North American region.

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FULL ANNOUNCEMENT TEXT

I. Funding Opportunity Description

A. Program Objective

Marine debris is defined as "any persistent solid material that is manufactured or processed and directly or indirectly, intentionally or unintentionally, disposed of or abandoned into the marine environment or the Great Lakes" (15 C.F.R. § 909.1). Marine debris can come from land-based or ocean-based sources, and can range in size from small solid waste items such as plastic bags, cigarette butts, foam take-out containers, or balloons, to large items such as derelict fishing gear and abandoned vessels. Most marine debris is primarily the result of human actions such as ineffective or improper waste management, dumping and littering, or stormwater runoff. Some types of debris, such as derelict fishing gear, can also be the result of storms or interactions with shipping or fishing gear. There are many adverse impacts from marine debris, including wildlife injury and death from entanglement or ingestion, exposure to toxic chemicals which attach to or are in plastics, habitat destruction, vessel damage, and economic loss to tourism, fisheries and maritime activities.

The NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP), a division of the Office of Response and Restoration, leads national efforts to address marine debris. NOAA MDP’s mission is to investigate and prevent the adverse impacts of marine debris, a principal objective of which is to provide financial and technical assistance to organizations with the expertise to identify, evaluate, and execute marine debris removal projects. The funding from this solicitation will develop impactful, community-driven and cost-effective projects that remove threats to living marine resources and improve habitats through the removal of marine debris. These activities align with NOAA's mission to conserve and manage coastal and marine ecosystems and resources, and promote stewardship and a conservation ethic for NOAA trust resources.

NOAA trust resources are living marine resources and their habitats, including commercial and recreational fishery resources (marine and Great Lakes fish and shellfish); coastal habitats; diadromous fish species; endangered and threatened marine species; marine mammals and marine turtles; marshes, mangroves, seagrass beds, coral reefs, and other coastal habitats; Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) and Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (HAPCs). NOAA trust resources can also include marine habitats and resources associated with National Marine Sanctuaries, National Estuarine Research Reserves and areas under state coastal management programs, including Areas of Concern within the Great Lakes. For the purposes of this competition, NOAA trust resources may also include foreign, transient, Notice of Federal Funding Page 4 of 48 or transboundary marine species.

Marine debris removal is the most direct approach to restoring damaged or depleted habitat and mitigating any future impacts. Another principal objective of the Marine Debris Program is engaging the public to promote the long-term prevention of marine debris.

NOAA supports this objective through education and outreach projects that provide the knowledge and resources necessary to change behaviors and raise awareness of the issue. In conjunction with all removal efforts, NOAA encourages such activities to be integrated into the project to maximize the long term impact of a removal project. NOAA also encourages partnerships with relevant groups to this end. These may include partnerships with public and nonprofit organizations, citizen and watershed groups, anglers, boaters, industry (e.g. the commercial fishing industry, the aquaculture industry, fishing gear manufacturers, other marine industries, and the plastics and waste management industries), corporations and businesses, youth conservation corps, students, landowners, academics, and local, state, and federal government agencies.

A portion of the funds available through this solicitation were allocated to MDP through the USMCA Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2019 Pub. L. 116-113, Title IX to carry out Section 3 of the Marine Debris Act (33 U.S.C. § 1952) in the North American region. The USMCA, Article 24.12, recognizes the importance of taking action to prevent and reduce marine litter, including plastic litter and microplastics, in order to preserve human health and marine and coastal ecosystems, prevent the loss of biodiversity, and mitigate marine litter’s costs and impacts. The USMCA calls for cooperation among the Parties (that is, the United States, Mexico and Canada) to address matters of mutual interest with respect to combatting a variety of marine debris issues. As such, NOAA welcomes applications for projects implemented in border areas of Canada and Mexico, and in alignment with these objectives (please note additional eligibility criteria and specific priorities to address for these projects).

To better achieve these program objectives, the NOAA Marine Debris Program encourages applicants and awardees to support the principles of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion when writing their proposals and performing their work. Ensuring justice and equity means paying particular attention to the most vulnerable populations, which are often low-income, those already overburdened by pollution, those who lack economic or social opportunity, and people facing disenfranchisement. Diversity here is defined as a collection of individual attributes that together help organizations achieve objectives. Inclusion is defined as a culture that connects each person to the larger organizing structure. Promoting justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion improves the creativity, productivity, and vitality of communities in which the program engages.

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B. Program Priorities

Projects awarded through this competition may be implemented throughout all United States coastal, marine, and Great Lakes areas; the coastal and marine areas of United States territories and Freely Associated States, or; within Mexico or Canada as long as the benefits to United States resources, navigation or economy can be clearly demonstrated.

The highest program priorities for this solicitation are the detection and removal of derelict fishing gear, abandoned and derelict vessels (ADV), and the removal of medium- to large-scale marine debris that have a negative impact on NOAA trust resources and important habitat areas. Derelict fishing gear includes, but is not limited to, such items as abandoned crab or lobster pots/traps, fishing nets, and synthetic (e.g., monofilament, polypropylene) line. Medium- and large-scale debris are items that generally cannot be manually removed by an individual. Such projects must comply with applicable federal and state laws regarding handling and ownership.

In order to reduce the need for repeated removal in the future, these activities should be tied to, and include substantial interaction with, targeted user groups prioritized in Section I. A.

Information on the types and quantities of debris removed during these projects should be shared through education and outreach efforts so the relevant target audience can better prevent those debris types from accumulating in the future. Generally speaking, for such education and outreach activities, applicants are encouraged to incorporate existing resources into their projects, including those available for download at http://www.marinedebris.noaa.gov/resources. Proposals should include such activities as project components, but they should not be the main focus of the project - proposals that focus primarily on prevention through education and outreach are not a priority for this competition.

ADV removal and associated vessel debris removal activities must demonstrate direct benefits to the aforementioned habitats. Proposals should also identify specific vessels or discrete target removal areas and utilize existing prioritized inventories of derelict vessels such as those maintained by state regulatory agencies. Proposals with an ADV removal component should confirm that a search for responsible parties, such as the vessel’s owner, has been conducted and that no alternative course of action for removal exists. Recreational or commercial vessels are applicable under this funding opportunity. More information on ADV policies by state may be found at NOAA’s ADV InfoHub (https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/discover-issue/types-and-sources/abandoned-and-derelict-vessels).

Other priority activities include, but are not limited to, the following:

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- Projects that pair removal activities with technically sound, cost-effective habitat monitoring that measures the benefits of debris removal to NOAA trust resources. This includes pre- and post-removal monitoring of the removal site, and should include information on the areal extent and habitat types impacted by the debris, objective measures of ecosystem health in and around the removal site, species impacts and mortality rates, length of time debris will cause impacts if not removed, time to recover after removal, or other additional data the NOAA MDP may require. Such projects that include a monitoring component may receive higher priority under this funding opportunity.

- Detection and removal of marine debris resulting from hurricanes or other natural disasters.

- Detection and removal of legacy aquaculture debris. Legacy aquaculture debris removal proposals should confirm that a search for responsible parties (such as the property’s current or former owner) has been conducted and that no alternative course of action for removal exists.

- Shoreline or riparian cleanup projects should be coupled with education and outreach efforts, a monitoring program, or volunteer involvement that aims to reduce or prevent future accumulation of marine debris. Such projects may include cleanups of shoreline litter, as well as timed, targeted watershed "hot spot" cleanups to prevent seasonal debris inundation into sensitive habitats used by NOAA trust resources. Such projects will be considered a priority only if there is a strong link to NOAA trust resource impacts. For shoreline removal activities, the NOAA MDP has developed standardized marine debris shoreline survey protocols to facilitate regional and site-specific comparisons of debris loads. If a proposal has a shoreline cleanup component, applicants should contact the NOAA MDP to discuss whether it would be appropriate to incorporate NOAA MDP monitoring and data collection protocols, which are posted at http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/research/marine-debris-monitoring-and-assessment-project.

- Derelict piling removal projects should have a meaningful benefit to NOAA trust resources or have a strong debris impact-related reason supporting removal (e.g., derelict pilings that snag marine debris and add to the impact of this debris in that area or pilings that are breaking up and generating more debris). Such projects will be considered a priority only if there is a strong link to NOAA trust resource impacts, there is landowner and/or regulatory permission to conduct the removal, and the removal is one component of a greater marine debris removal proposal or are recognized as a priority through a regional prioritization process. Piling removal proposals should indicate that a search for responsible parties (such

Notice of Federal Funding Page 7 of 48 as the property’s current or former owner) has been conducted and that no acceptable responsible party exists.

There are additional considerations for those proposed projects with work occurring in Mexico or Canada. The geographic focus for proposed projects in Mexico or Canada are border regions with the United States that have the potential for debris to impact United States resources. Activities occurring wholly within Mexico or Canada should demonstrate that such activities will address debris that impacts the United States economy, the United States marine environment (including the U.S. exclusive economic zone, territorial sea, coastal waters, Great Lakes, navigable waters of the United States, and the lands therein and thereunder, and adjacent shorelines and shorelands), or navigation safety in the United States. Projects proposing activities partially or fully occurring in Mexico or Canada should effectively engage and partner with an organization/entity in Mexico or Canada to address their identified cross-border marine debris issues. Projects that take place in Mexico will be prioritized over those taking place in Canada. This is due to the general disparity in available resources between Mexico and Canada to effectively address this issue.

For all locations, strong proposals will integrate innovative, sustainable approaches for disposal of debris (i.e. re-use, recycling, energy recovery, use of open shipping capacity to reduce transport costs (also known as "backhauling"), partnering with local waste management companies, etc.). If there are no alternative disposal options in the project area or the current alternatives present a negative impact, applicants should demonstrate that the approach being proposed is the most environmentally friendly (e.g. lower carbon footprint).

NOAA may consider the disposal methodology and whether these types of sustainable disposal options are integrated into the project as a selection factor when making final funding recommendations. Derelict fishing gear removal projects that promote innovative and comprehensive removal efforts that lead to greater recycling and/or re-use of gear materials will be prioritized. Additionally, projects that propose new or novel ways to recover marine debris that are consistent with the legislative priorities of the Marine Debris Program may be considered as well (i.e. incentive programs).

Strong proposals will also describe, where applicable, the specific resource, navigational, and economic benefits that are expected from the removal effort. Successful proposals may be required to track or measure such benefits during or following removal activities.

The NOAA MDP strongly encourages applicants and awardees to incorporate justice, equity, diversity and inclusion when writing their proposals and performing their work. Applicants may demonstrate this in a variety of ways and examples include, but are not limited to, working in or with under-resourced or underserved communities, working with stakeholders for whom there is currently limited direct engagement on marine debris issues, working with

Notice of Federal Funding Page 8 of 48 a diverse project team (including, but not limited to, sectors, age, career stage, gender, ethnicity, disability, geographic), or incorporating different learning or engagement approaches into the project. Special consideration will be given to proposals that work with disadvantaged communities that have been historically marginalized and overburdened by pollution.

Sanctuaries, Reserves, or other protected areas are valuable natural resource areas (as described in Section I.A above). However, projects are not limited to these areas and may take place in remote, urbanized, or underserved areas. Despite project location, all proposals must have a primary emphasis on removal activities that benefit NOAA trust resources described above and must clearly lay out the direct links to such resources.

The NOAA MDP encourages projects implementing activities addressing marine debris removal that are identified in any existing regional or national publicly vetted program, priority, or strategic plans (e.g., National Estuary Program or NOAA Habitat Focus Area sites, 2021-2025 NOAA MDP Strategic Plan, NOAA Marine Debris Action Plans, etc.) and describe how they do so. NOAA Marine Debris Action Plans can be found on the NOAA MDP website at https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/emergency-response-guides-and-regional-action-plans.

Because funding is limited, proposals requesting support for large equipment purchases, to expand an organization's day-to-day administrative or program management activities or to support strictly administration, salaries, overhead, and travel without being part of a specific project will be a low priority. If a project requires funding for large equipment purchases, collection facilities, or other long-term operations, the application should provide a lease versus purchase justification, identify how the overall project will continue into the future and how any equipment operation and maintenance costs will be paid for beyond the award period. Proposals may include any associated habitat restoration costs, however such costs must be minimal and directly address habitat impaired by debris removed under the project.

Projects that duplicate those that the NOAA MDP currently supports or those that have been funded by NOAA, partner organizations, and/or other federal agencies may not receive priority.

All proposed removal projects will be evaluated based on the criteria outlined in Section V.A.

Projects focused on removing primarily hazards to human health or removals for aesthetic purposes, with no clear connection to NOAA trust resources are not a focus of this grant competition.

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Applicants should also note that the following activities, in general, will not be considered under this competition: (1) activities that constitute legally required mitigation for the adverse effects of an activity regulated or otherwise governed by local, state, or federal law;

(2) activities that constitute restoration for natural resource damages under federal, state, or local law; and (3) activities that are required by a separate consent decree, court order, statute, or regulation.

Applications addressing other types of pollution not fitting the definition of marine debris provided in Section I. A. are not priorities for this solicitation and may not be considered.

C. Program Authority

Marine Debris Act (33 U.S.C. § 1951 et seq.)

USMCA Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2019 Pub. L. 116-113, Title IX

II. Award Information

A. Funding Availability

Funding of up to $5,000,000 is expected to be available for this grant solicitation. The actual funding amount available is contingent upon Fiscal Year 2022 appropriations. The NOAA MDP does not plan to fund proposals for removal activities at less than $50,000 or more than $750,000 under this solicitation, however the exact amount of funds to be awarded and the number of awards made will be at the discretion of NOAA following pre-award negotiations with highly meritorious applicants. At NOAA's discretion, additional funding may be awarded above the $750,000 limit to allow for effective completion of proposed project objectives. The typical funding level for the federal share of project awards ranges from $150,000 to $350,000.

The NOAA MDP anticipates that between 8 and 15 awards will be made under this solicitation. NOAA may request that a highly ranked applicant submitting more than one meritorious proposal combine all or parts of its proposals into one award. Publication of this opportunity does not obligate NOAA to award any specific project or obligate all or any part of available program funds. Awards may include funding from other programs or agencies.

There is no guarantee that sufficient funds will be available to make awards for any or all proposals. The number of awards to be made under this solicitation will depend on the number and quality of eligible applications received, the amount of funding requested by recommended applicants, the merit and ranking of the proposals, and the amount of funds made available to the NOAA MDP by Congress.

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B. Project/Award Period

Applications should cover a project period of performance of no more than two years in duration. If habitat recovery monitoring activities are proposed to be conducted before or following removal, NOAA may consider applications with a period of performance of up to three years total as long as there is reasonable justification provided. The earliest anticipated start date for awards will be September 1, 2022 – applicants should consider this date when developing plans for initiating proposed project activities. Applicants selected to receive funding may be asked to modify the project start date to accommodate any delays in federal appropriations. Applications for renewal or supplementation of previously-awarded NOAA MDP projects are allowed, however such proposals will be subject to the competitive process and will not receive preferential treatment. In some cases NOAA may fund a project with incremental funding, usually in the form of a multi-year award. If incremental or multi-year funding is awarded, in which NOAA only obligates funds initially for the first phase of a project, NOAA has no obligation to provide any additional prospective funding in connection with that award in subsequent time periods; additional funding is contingent upon satisfactory performance, continued relevance to program mission and priorities, and the availability of funds.

C. Type of Funding Instrument

Selected applications will be funded through cooperative agreements since NOAA staff will be substantially involved in aspects of the project. Substantial involvement is defined as, but is not limited to, engagement with the recipient on environmental compliance requirements, hands-on technical collaboration or permitting assistance, support in developing protocols (e.g., for data collection or monitoring), tracking the progress of removal efforts through site visits, regular conference calls, and progress report evaluation and milestone approval, developing performance measures to assess project outcomes, reviewing manuscript drafts (if any), and support in developing and disseminating public-facing communication materials or events to highlight marine debris removal activities.

Marine debris removal, prevention, or monitoring activities funded through this competition may have long term planning goals and objectives common to the programmatic needs of both NOAA and the recipients. As such, NOAA may seek to maintain a long-term partnership with recipients by establishing cooperative agreements in relevant situations as “institutional awards”. If a cooperative agreement is established as an institutional award, the initial cooperative agreement will be established for no more than five years and NOAA may issue new cooperative agreements to the recipient for similar or related activities through a non-competitive selection process.

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III. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Applicants

As outlined in the Marine Debris Act, eligible applicants for projects taking place in the United States, territories, or Freely Associated States (or their adjacent waterways), are state, local, tribal, territory, and freely associated state governments whose activities affect research or regulation of marine debris. Equally eligible are any institution of higher education, nonprofit organization, or commercial (for-profit) organization with expertise in a field related to marine debris. Applications from federal agencies or employees of federal agencies will not be considered. Interested federal agencies may collaborate with eligible applicants but may not receive funds through this competition. Foreign public entities (see 2 CFR 200.1) from outside of the Freely Associated States are not eligible to apply as the primary applicant but can be involved as project partners.

Eligible applicants for projects taking place in Mexico or Canada are limited to any institution of higher education, nonprofit organization or commercial (for-profit) organization with expertise in a field related to marine debris. This includes community based organizations, business associations, and non-public foreign organizations. Foreign public entities (see 2 CFR 200.1), from Canada or Mexico are not eligible to receive awards or subawards under the Marine Debris Act and will not be considered. Interested governmental agencies in Canada or Mexico may collaborate with eligible applicants but may not receive funds through this competition.

NOAA is strongly committed to broadening the participation of veterans, minority-serving institutions, and entities that work in underserved areas. The NOAA MDP encourages applicants of all backgrounds, circumstances, perspectives and ways of thinking to apply.

Applications that have been submitted to other NOAA grant programs or as part of another NOAA grant may be considered under this solicitation.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement

The Marine Debris Act (33 U.S.C. § 1951 et seq.) requires NOAA MDP’s grant programs to leverage its federal grant funding with non-federal cost share or match.

Applicants often satisfy this requirement by developing and including public and private partnerships, as well as in-kind and financial contributions, to accomplish the overall project objectives. Applicants must provide a minimum 1:1 ratio of non-federal matching contributions to NOAA funds requested to conduct the proposed project. Applicants may consider involving co-PIs from other institutions that may have an easier time finding sources for matched funds. In addition to required cost sharing, the NOAA MDP encourages

Notice of Federal Funding Page 12 of 48 applicants to leverage additional investment where possible.

"Cost share" or "match" is defined by 2 C.F.R. 200.1 as "the portion of project costs not paid by federal funds (unless otherwise authorized by federal statute)." Any shared costs or matching funds and all contributions, including cash and third party in-kind contributions, will be accepted as part of an applicant's cost sharing or matching when the contributions meet the criteria listed in 2 C.F.R. 200.306. Matching funds may come from a variety of public and private sources and may include in-kind goods and services from the applicant or third parties (e.g., private boat use, existing equipment, volunteer labor, etc.). In addition, applicants are permitted to combine contributions for allowable costs from non-federal partners when they meet the criteria in Section 200.306, such as not being contributed as match for other projects, and being available within the project period stated in the application. Section 200.306 also describes the valuations to attribute to the matching contributions. Federal contributions cannot be used as match without a specific legal authority, but can be described in the budget narrative to demonstrate additional leverage or partnership. Applicants may also choose to designate part or all of their federally-negotiated indirect costs as match. Refer to Section IV.F.2. "Indirect Costs".

If the match requirement cannot be met, the Marine Debris Act allows the NOAA Administrator to waive all or part of the matching requirement if the applicant can demonstrate the following:

1) No reasonable means are available through which applicants can meet the matching requirement, and

2) The probable benefit of such project outweighs the public interest in such matching requirement.

Applicants wishing to waive all or part of this competition’s match requirement should request a waiver in the Budget Narrative section of the application package being submitted.

Match waiver requests must justify the need for the waiver, describe attempts to obtain sources of matching funds, and explain how the benefit of the project outweighs the public interest in providing match, along with any other extenuating circumstances preventing the incorporation or local availability of matching contributions. In certain cases, if circumstances warrant, match waivers may also be negotiated post-award at NOAA’s discretion.

In accordance with 48 U.S.C. 1469a, NOAA has determined that any requirement for local matching funds less than $200,000 (including in-kind contributions) to be provided by applicants from American Samoa, Guam, the Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the

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Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau, shall be waived, notwithstanding any other provision of law. Any matching funds otherwise required by law to be provided by government entities of the above-mentioned insular areas may be waived at the discretion of NOAA.

Applicants should note that cost sharing is an evaluation criterion (See Section V.A.

"Evaluation Criteria") for this funding opportunity. As such, if available, the inclusion of matching contributions is encouraged. Please note within the proposal whether cash or third party in-kind contributions have been secured at the time of application, or if such contributions are still pending.

Applicants whose proposals are selected for funding will be bound by the cost share amount reflected in the award document signed by the NOAA Grants Officer. Successful applicants should carefully document cost sharing, including but not limited to, the estimated value of services and/or resources provided by the applicant’s organization or a third party (e.g., real property, equipment, supplies and expendable goods) as well as facilities and administration costs. Letters of commitment for any secured matching contributions expected for an award should be submitted as an attachment to the application.

The Marine Debris Act also allows the NOAA Administrator to authorize, as appropriate, the non-federal share of the cost of a project to include money paid pursuant to, or the value of any in-kind service performed under, an administrative order on consent or judicial consent decree that will remove or prevent marine debris. See 33 USC 1952(d)(3).

C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility

For removal and monitoring activities conducted under an award funded through this competition, recipients of financial assistance from the NOAA MDP involved in the collection, assessment, oversight, or interpretation of scientific information are required to adhere, to the best of their ability, to the principles, policies and codes of conduct identified in NOAA’s Policy on Scientific Integrity (NOAA Administrative Order 202-735D), which is available at: https://www.noaa.gov/organization/administration/nao-202-735d-2-scientific-integrity

The intent of the policy is to strengthen widespread confidence (from scientists, decision-makers, and the general public) in the quality, validity, and reliability of NOAA-funded science. Further information on this policy can be found at: https://nrc.noaa.gov/Scientific- Integrity-Commons.

IV. Application and Submission Information

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A. Address to Request Application Package

Complete application packages, including required federal forms, general instructions, and supplementary instructions specific to the Fiscal Year 2022 Marine Debris Removal grants competition, can be found on Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov). If the application forms and instructions cannot be downloaded from Grants.gov, please contact Tom Barry (tom.barry@noaa.gov, 202-870-2863).

B. Content and Form of Application

LETTER OF INTENT:

Applicants must submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) and receive an invitation from the NOAA MDP before submitting a full proposal. LOIs must be submitted as an email attachment to grants.marinedebris@noaa.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern time on September 24, 2021 (see Section IV.D. below). Please put “FY2022 Marine Debris Removal Letter of Intent (LOI)” in the email subject heading. Do not direct questions to this email address (see Section VII below). An email confirmation will be sent indicating successful submission of the LOI. If no confirmation email is received, that is an indication that the LOI submission was not successful and will not be reviewed. In such cases please contact NOAA MDP to resolve the issue prior to the deadline. For this reason, it is highly recommended that LOIs are submitted early.

Applicants must follow the LOI and full application requirements stated in this announcement, or they may not be considered. The LOI submission is a critical step to determine if proposed projects are well-suited for this specific competition. The goal of the LOI is to streamline the proposal review process by inviting full applications only from those applicants whose projects are most likely to support NOAA's implementation of the Marine Debris Act through the removal of marine debris, for NOAA MDP to be able to provide feedback and guidance on invited application ideas, and to ensure a manageable number of applications are included in the merit review process. In the LOI, applicants must indicate clearly which priorities their project proposes to address, the geographic location of all project activities, and the methods to be used. Those applicants whose LOIs do not strongly align with program objectives and goals, as determined by the NOAA MDP (through the review process described below in Section V.A.), will not be invited to submit full applications. The LOI must be no more than two (2) pages in length. It should be single-spaced, use 11- or 12-point font, with one-inch margins, and should provide a concise description of the proposed work and its relevance to the competition’s priorities. A third page may be submitted showing only project site maps and photographs of the area or the debris targeted for removal. If the LOI is incomplete, does not meet the guidelines above, or

Notice of Federal Funding Page 15 of 48 is submitted late, it may not be considered. Those applicants invited to submit a full proposal will receive an email notification containing feedback and full-proposal submission instructions from NOAA MDP. NOAA MDP may limit the number of full applications invited in order to meet the Program’s expected budget or to manage the review workload.

The LOI should include each of the components listed below:

a) Applicant Organization;

b) Project Title;

c) Principal Investigator(s) Name, Address, Telephone Number and Email Address.

Briefly describe the PI or organization’s experience or expertise that would lead to a successful removal project. A list of primary project partners and their roles/contributions should also be part of this section;

d) Project Location - list the geographic area(s) in which the project will be implemented and what the overall debris problem at the site is / why this area is being targeted. Include geographic coordinates of removal sites if known.

e) Project Description: clearly state the purpose of the project and briefly list specific tasks to be accomplished with requested funds and proposed techniques that will be used;

identify NOAA trust resources that are likely to benefit (habitats and species expected to benefit) and why the project is important; and indicate the duration of the project.

f) Removal activity start date (not the proposed award start date);

g) Funding: approximate federal funds requested and non-federal match anticipated

h) Project Outcomes: estimate how many pounds of debris will be removed from the marine/coastal environment, number of traps/nets (if applicable), acreage to be cleared, volunteer participation, etc; and describe how data will be recorded. Describe any anticipated ecological services to be restored by debris removal, as well as any quantifiable economic benefits anticipated. This section should also describe any associated prevention / education / outreach activities that are planned.

i) Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion description: briefly describe how justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion will be promoted in the proposed work. This may be demonstrated in a variety of ways and examples include but are not limited to working in or with under resourced or underserved communities, working with stakeholders for whom there is currently limited direct engagement on marine debris issues, working with a diverse project team (including, but not limited to, sectors, age, career stage, gender, ethnicity, disability, geographic), or incorporating different learning or engagement approaches into the project.

An LOI template can be found at: http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/proposal-submission-guidance-applicants

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FULL PROPOSAL (only if invited):

Applicants may only submit a full proposal if invited to do so by NOAA. Applicants are required to apply through the Grants.gov website. No hardcopy applications will be accepted due to limited staff presence in federal offices.

Please visit http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/proposal-submission-guidance-applicants for helpful information on developing and submitting proposal documents/information.

Applicants are also encouraged to minimize the number of files uploaded to an application by combining the proposal’s files as much as possible. Adobe PDF is the preferred file format for all application attachments.

Applications must adhere to page limits and any pages that exceed the limit for each section may not be reviewed. Files that cannot be opened or downloaded will not be reviewed. Full proposals will not be accepted if sent via fax or email.

Application documents must use 11- or 12-pt font on an 8.5” x 11” page size.

Applications should be sufficiently detailed in accordance with the guidelines and information requirements listed below and elsewhere in this announcement, and should be able to be completed within the proposed period of performance. Each full proposal application must contain the following required federal application forms (available from Grants.gov) and adhere to page limits indicated for each category, unless otherwise noted below:

- SF-424 - Application for Federal Assistance

- SF-424A - Budget Information, Non-construction Programs

- SF-424B - Assurances, Non-construction Programs

- CD-511 - Certifications Regarding Lobbying

- SF-LLL Disclosure of Lobbying Activities: (if applicable)

- Project Summary (described below, 2 pages or less);

- Project Narrative (described below, 12 pages or less);

- Data Sharing Plan (described below, 2 pages or less);

- Budget Narrative (described below, 6 pages or less);

- Curriculum vitae or résumé of the primary project personnel (2 pages or less per person);

- Maps with site location(s) highlighted (no page limit);

- Photographs of targeted debris and removal site characteristics (no page limit);

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- Letter(s) documenting partner support (no page limit);

- Indirect cost rate agreement, if applicable (no page limit); and

- Other relevant attachments important to the overall understanding and evaluation of the proposed project, such as summaries of regional marine debris action plans, or documentation about any permits necessary to perform the project. Do not include entire documents (management plans, action plans, organizational protocols, etc…) that exceed the page limit for this section (20 pages or less).

1. Project Summary (2 pages or less):

A brief project summary must include the following components:

a) Applicant Organization;

b) Project Title;

c) Principal Investigator(s) Name, Address, Telephone Number and Email Address.

d) Project Location (list the geographic area(s) in which the project will be implemented. Include geographic coordinates of removal sites if known.);

e) Project Description: clearly state the purpose of the project and briefly list specific tasks to be accomplished with requested funds and proposed techniques that will be used;

identify NOAA trust resources that are likely to benefit (habitats and species currently using the project area or expected to benefit); and indicate the duration of the project.

f) Removal activity start date (not the proposed award start date);

g) Funding: approximate federal funds requested and non-federal match anticipated

h) Project Outcomes: estimate how many pounds of debris will be removed from the marine/coastal environment, acreage to be cleared, volunteer participation, etc. Describe any anticipated ecological services to be restored by debris removal, as well as any quantifiable economic benefits anticipated. For those projects taking place in Mexico or Canada, describe how the proposed project will include and enhance international collaboration between project partners.

2. Project Narrative (12 pages or less)

When writing the project narrative, applicants should understand the components of the evaluation criteria (see Section V.A. "Evaluation Criteria" in this announcement), as they explain how proposals will be scored for the application to be competitive. The project narrative must not be more than 12 pages long and should give a clear presentation of the proposed work. Generally, the project narrative should include:

Introduction: A summary of what the removal project will do, and why the removal project

Notice of Federal Funding Page 18 of 48 is needed, demonstrating anticipated benefits to specific NOAA trust resources (as described in Section I.A.), as well as any benefits to the economy or navigation safety that might result.

Describe how these benefits will be achieved through the marine debris detection, assessment, and removal techniques proposed in the application. Identify the habitats, species and/or resources expected to directly and indirectly benefit from removal activities, including anticipated ecological services to be restored by debris removal. These benefits should be tracked during the award period.

Description: Describe all phases and aspects of the proposed on-the-ground project activities, removal techniques and processes. Describe the project location. Proposals should also describe the project's disposal arrangements to ensure debris would not potentially be re-introduced. Strong proposals will integrate innovative, sustainable approaches for debris disposal (e.g. re-use, recycling, return to owner, energy recovery, use of open shipping capacity to reduce transport costs (also known as "backhauling"), partnering with local waste management companies, etc.) as described in Section I.B.

Applicants should note, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and other environmental statutes require NOAA to analyze a project's potential environmental impacts.

Applicants therefore should provide as much detailed information as is reasonable about the project's activities in this section, including details (and coordinates) about site locations and access routes, species and habitat(s) that could be affected, proposed removal techniques and other on-the-ground project activities to be implemented, the time of year that work will take place, duration of removal activities in the field, and any environmental concerns that may exist (e.g., the use of and/or disposal of hazardous or toxic substances, potential introduction of non-indigenous species, impacts to endangered and threatened species, impacts to coral reef systems). See Section VI.B.10 for further detail on the NEPA process and requirements for applicants.

This section should also describe the community involvement in the project, such as contributions from partners, volunteer opportunities, citizen science participation, education and outreach plans, and efforts to disseminate information on project goals, results, and/or the sources of project funding and support. If applicable, the narrative should explain how the proposed project would engage and educate a target audience in hands-on programs designed to raise awareness, reduce barriers to marine debris prevention, and/or encourage and support changes in behaviors to ensure long-term prevention of the targeted type of marine debris. Community involvement may include participation in the physical debris removal during the project, marine debris education and outreach activities, hands-on training, cash contributions, or donation of in-kind goods and services such as boat time, and/or monitoring activities undertaken by volunteers or work crews. Letters demonstrating

Notice of Federal Funding Page 19 of 48 support for such participation should be included in the application. This section should also briefly describe how justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion will be promoted in the proposed work. This may be demonstrated in a variety of ways and examples include but are not limited to working in or with under resourced or underserved communities, working with stakeholders for whom there is currently limited direct engagement on marine debris issues, working with a diverse project team (including, but not limited to, sectors, age, career stage, gender, ethnicity, disability, geographic), or incorporating different learning or engagement approaches into the project.

Applicants should indicate whether the proposed project is part of a larger, ongoing effort or is otherwise prioritized in any existing regional or national, publicly-vetted programs, priorities or strategic plans (e.g., National Estuary Program or NOAA Habitat Focus Area sites, 2021-2025 NOAA MDP Strategic Plan, NOAA Marine Debris Action Plans, etc.) and describe how they do so. Proposal narratives should explicitly list or otherwise cite such documents for verification purposes, including the page or action number if referencing a specific action or issue within the plan.

Project Location: Provide maps, exact coordinates of all removal locations, and the time of year that removal activities will take place in each location. Be as specific as possible.