NOAA-NOS-ORR-2022-2007022 NOFO Report.pdf

FY2022 Marine Debris Prevention

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Funding Opportunity Description 4

A. Program Objective 4 B. Program Priorities 5 C. Program Authority 10

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

III. Eligibility Information 12 A. Eligible Applicants 12 B. Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement 13 C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility 15

IV. Application and Submission Information 15 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 27 E. Intergovernmental Review 28 F. Funding Restrictions 28 G. Other Submission Requirements 29

V. Application Review Information 30 A. Evaluation Criteria 30 B. Review and Selection Process 41 C. Selection Factors 44 D. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates 45

VI. Award Administration Information 45 A. Award Notices 45 B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements 45 C. Reporting 51

VII. Agency Contacts 52 VIII. Other Information 52

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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 Prevention

Announcement Type: Initial

Funding Opportunity Number: NOAA-NOS-ORR-2022-2007022

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 e-mail as an attachment (to grants.marinedebris@noaa.gov) no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern time, October 29, 2021. If invited per the instructions in this announcement, full proposals must then be submitted through and validated by Grants.gov on or before11:59 p.m. EST, February 11, 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 actively engage and educate a target audience (such as students, teachers, recreational fisher communities, state or local governments, industries, elected officials, etc.) in hands-on programs designed to raise awareness, reduce barriers to marine debris prevention (e.g., lack of access to waste receptacles or alternatives to single-use items), and encourage and support changes in behaviors to ensure long-term prevention of marine debris. 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 (see section II. Award Information (Subsection C “Type of Funding Instrument”) for a definition). Funding of up to $5,000,000 is expected to be available for Marine Debris Prevention grants in Fiscal Year (FY)

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2022. The typical funding level for the federal share of project awards ranges from $50,000 - $400,000. Funding for this grant competition is provided through 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.

This solicitation is focused on efforts to prevent marine debris from entering the environment through targeted education and outreach efforts, as well as activities that aim to change behaviors related to common marine debris issues. It is not intended for large-scale debris removal projects or scientific research.

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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 include land-based, solid waste items, from activities that take place on land, such as plastic bags, cigarette butts, foamtake-out containers, and balloons, as well as ocean-based items such as derelict fishing gear and abandoned vessels. Marine debris is primarily the result of human actions, such as ineffective or improper waste management, dumping and littering, or storm water runoff. Fishing gear may be lost as a result of storms, accidents, or improper disposal, and become marine debris. 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. The mission of the NOAA MDP is to investigate and prevent the adverse impacts of marine debris. The mission is achieved through research, prevention, and reduction activities that aim to conserve and protect our nation’s marine environment and coastal economy, as well as ensure navigation safety.

A principal objective of the NOAA MDP is to provide federal financial and technical assistance to organizations with the expertise to identify, evaluate, and execute marine debris prevention projects that improve living marine resource habitats, with the end goal of providing the knowledge and resources necessary to change behaviors, raise awareness, and prevent marine debris for future generations. 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 include 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, 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

Notice of Federal Funding Page 4 of 52 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, or transboundary marine species.

A second objective of the NOAA MDP is to promote tangible and widespread marine debris awareness and prevention outcomes by collaborating with diverse entities and groups. These include partnerships with public and nonprofit organizations, citizen and watershed groups, anglers, boaters, industry (e.g., commercial and recreational fishing industries, fishing gear manufacturers, other marine industries, and plastic and waste management industries), corporations and businesses, youth groups, students, landowners, academics, and local and state government agencies.

To better achieve this second objective, the NOAA MDP 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.

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).

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

Notice of Federal Funding Page 5 of 52 to United States resources, navigation, or economy can be clearly demonstrated.

This funding opportunity supports efforts to prevent marine debris from entering the environment, as described in this section, and as such it is not intended for large-scale debris removal projects or scientific research. Small scale removal activities, enhancing the overall prevention efforts, could be included, but should not be the primary focus. Competitive proposals will demonstrate meaningful, measurable, and sustainable ecological benefits to coastal and marine and Great Lakes resources by preventing debris from entering the marine environment and will incorporate priorities identified in the list below.

In addition to the basic requirements listed in Section IV. (Subsection B “Content and Form of Application) and the evaluation criterion in Section V. Application Review Information (Subsection A “Evaluation Criteria”), highly competitive proposals will incorporate the priorities described below, where applicable, specific to this competition:

1) Identify a specific debris type/category/issue, target audience, and outreach/education/prevention strategy:

a) Identify a type or category of marine debris (e.g., derelict fishing gear, abandoned and derelict vessels, single-use items, microplastics, etc.), or address a specific marine debris issue (e.g., lack of public trash and recycling bins in common public areas, frequently clogged storm drains from human-made debris, etc.) as a target for prevention efforts.

Applicants should also include a clear explanation for why this type or category of debris was chosen, and how it is detrimental to the area, including impacts to both the environment and wildlife, as well as the surrounding communities. This explanation could reference, but is not limited to, local, state, or regional assessments, monitoring data, reports, Marine Debris Action Plans, published literature, or documented and historical perspectives of key stakeholders or partners in the region.

b) Identify a target audience and the reasons for this choice

i) Examples of a target audience may include, but are not limited to students, teachers, recreational fisher communities, coastal tourists, state or local governments, industries, elected officials, etc. (*see paragraph below for additional guidance specific to youth education-related target audiences).

ii) Proposals should justify how and why target audiences were chosen. Applicants are encouraged to provide detailed information about the communities they are working with, Notice of Federal Funding Page 6 of 52 benefits provided by the project, and impacts on the livelihood of the engaged stakeholders and surrounding communities. Applicants can also include letters of support from target audiences as supplemental materials for the application where applicable and appropriate.

c) Provide an outline of a clear and strategic outreach/education/prevention strategy demonstrating (where applicable):

i) A creative or practical approach to preventing or reducing the identified marine debris type or issue;

ii) the actions to be taken to reduce or eliminate the type of debris and/or encourage changes in behavior;

iii) the key messages, information, and experiences, to share with audiences;

iv) the potential barriers to overcome to achieve the desired change and actions/products that will be taken to address these barriers;

v) the long-term prevention measures that will remain in place following the completion of the funded project;

vi) metrics to ensure project success should be clearly identified, justified, and quantifiable. These may include, but are not limited to, pre- and post-project assessments, debris monitoring, and/or the number of P-12 students, educators, and adults engaged in formal and informal education opportunities;

vii) the benefits from the project beyond the proposed award period.

2) Implement justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion practices throughout proposed work:

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, encouraging diverse perspectives from project leaders and partners (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.

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3) Reference other published plans or reports:

The NOAA MDP encourages projects implementing activities addressing marine debris prevention 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.

4) Describe how the proposed work will benefit NOAA trust resources:

Projects taking place in or near Sanctuaries, Reserves, or other protected areas (as described in Section I Funding Opportunity Description (Subsection A “Program Objective”) may receive greater consideration for funding in this competition. However, projects are not limited to these areas and may take place in remote, upstream/inland, or urbanized areas.

Regardless of project location, all proposals must have a primary emphasis on prevention activities that benefit NOAA trust resources described above and must clearly lay out the direct links to such resources. Projects that address a marine debris issue on a national level are eligible for funding under this competition, however, such proposals must demonstrate the merits of a national approach over a regional approach. All proposals should tailor project goals, objectives, and activities so that the outcomes increase marine debris prevention and are measurable within the geographic area of the project.

*Additional guidance specific to projects with a target audience of P-12 students/teachers:

Since experiential learning techniques have been shown to increase interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), the NOAA MDP is looking for place-based, culture-based, project-based, systems-based, and culturally responsive educational approaches and/or impactful participation components for projects that engage P-12 audiences. Proposals to develop new virtual educational materials, will be considered a priority, as long as the applicant can demonstrate a clear need for it and it does not duplicate existing NOAA MDP products (see the NOAA MDP website for existing resources at:

https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/resources). NOAA encourages using digital media as an outreach strategy, especially to more easily adapt the content to reach virtual audiences.

However, this opportunity seeks unique, innovative approaches and technologies that are practical and tangible (beyond developing a website or mobile phone app) that engage diverse audiences in marine debris prevention.

Additional guidance specific to projects taking place in Mexico or Canada:

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There are additional considerations for those proposed project activities occurring in Mexico or Canada:

1) 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.

2) 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.

3) As a specific priority for proposed work in Mexico in this listing, the NOAA MDP is seeking applications for projects preventing marine debris, particularly plastic pollution, resulting from coastal/ocean tourism. The geographic focus for this priority is the Caribbean coast of Mexico in the state of Quintana Roo, especially the heavily touristed areas from the northern end of Quintana Roo south to Tulum. Applicants for such projects would work with appropriate target audiences, including relevant organizations, industries and other entities of the tourism industry; community organizations; relevant local, state and national government entities; and/or other relevant stakeholders.

The purpose of this priority is to better understand and reduce the prevalence and impacts of marine debris, particularly plastic pollution, resulting from high-density tourism that occurs along Mexico’s Caribbean coast; and to promote more sustainable practices to comprehensively address the most problematic types of plastic pollution resulting from tourism in the proposed project location. This priority should include a marine debris monitoring component to initially understand the most problematic types of plastic debris in the study area and to enable the applicant to assess short and long-term changes (following the conclusion of the project) in marine debris in the environment, resulting from the project’s implementation.

Other considerations:

For all locations, this funding opportunity supports efforts to prevent marine debris from entering the environment, as described in this section, and as such it is not intended for large-

Notice of Federal Funding Page 9 of 52 scale debris removal projects or scientific research. Small scale removal activities enhancing the overall prevention efforts could be included, but should not be the primary focus.

Additionally, proposal budgets requesting funds that are directly applicable to the proposed project, specifically during the award period, will be prioritized over requests 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 or indicating support to an underserved or underrepresented organization or community. 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. Projects proposing new approaches or goals not seen in recently funded projects from this competition will score higher than those that are duplicative of projects that the NOAA MDP currently or recently funded (see the NOAA MDP website for examples of past and current projects that were successful under this grant competition: https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/current-efforts/prevention).

All proposed prevention projects will be evaluated based on the criteria outlined in Section V. (Subsection A “Application Review Information”).

Applicants should also note that the following activities, in general, will not be considered for use of federal dollars under project awards: (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. Funding Opportunity Description (Subsection A “Program Objectives”) 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

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Funding of up to $5,000,000 is expected to be available for this grant solicitation. The actual funding amount available is contingent upon the availability of FY2022 appropriations. The NOAA MDP does not plan to fund proposals for prevention activities at less than $50,000 or more than $400,000 under this solicitation.

The NOAA MDP anticipates that between 8 and 15 awards will be made under this solicitation, depending upon appropriations. 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. 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 invited, 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 through the Federal appropriations process.

B. Project/Award Period

Applications should cover a project period of performance from one to two years in duration. If behavior change monitoring activities are to be conducted during the project, NOAA may consider applications with a period of performance beyond two years, as long as there is reasonable justification provided. However, NOAA expects that all primary project activities would be completed within two years of the start date of the award. 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 multiyear 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

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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, tracking the progress of prevention efforts through site visits, regular conference calls, and progress report evaluation and milestone approval, developing performance measures to assess project outcomes, engagement with recipient on environmental compliance requirements, hands-on technical collaboration or permitting assistance, support in developing public-facing communication materials or events to highlight marine debris prevention activities, support in developing and/or reviewing study approach, methodologies and conceptual models, and reviewing manuscript drafts (if any).

Marine debris prevention 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 noncompetitive selection process.

III. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Applicants

As outlined in the Marine Debris Act, eligible applicants for projects taking place in the United States, territories, and Freely Associated States (or their adjacent waterways), are state, local, tribal, and territory 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

Notice of Federal Funding Page 12 of 52 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 and underrepresented 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. Applicants should indicate if the proposal has been submitted elsewhere for funding as described in the Budget Justification referenced in Section IV. Application and Submission Information (Subsection B “Content and Form of Application”) of this announcement.

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 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 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

Notice of Federal Funding Page 13 of 52 indirect costs as match. Refer to Section IV. Application and Submission Information (Subsection F(2) "Indirect Costs").

If the match requirement cannot be met, the Marine Debris Act (see 33 U.S.C. § 1952(d)(2)(B)) 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 and the Marine Debris Act, 33 U.S.C. § 1951-58, 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 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 abovementioned insular areas may be waived at the discretion of NOAA.

Applicants should note that cost sharing is incorporated in an evaluation criterion (See Section V. Application Review Information (Subsection 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

Notice of Federal Funding Page 14 of 52 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 U.S.C. § 1952(d)(3).

C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility

For 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, decisionmakers, 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

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 Prevention 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 Amanda Dwyer (amanda.dwyer@noaa.gov, 240-533-0402).

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 e-mail attachment to

Notice of Federal Funding Page 15 of 52 grants.marinedebris@noaa.gov by 11:59 pm EDT on October 29, 2021 (see Section IV.

Application and Submission Information (Subsection D “Submission Dates and Times”).

Please put "FY2022 Marine Debris Prevention Letter of Intent (LOI)" in the email subject heading. Do not direct questions to this email address (see Section VII Agency Contacts 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 process is a critical step to determine if proposed projects are well-suited for this specific competition. The goal of the LOI process is to streamline the 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 prevention of marine debris, and 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, and how. Those applicants whose LOI does not strongly align with program objectives and goals, as determined by the NOAA MDP (through the review process described below in Section V. Application Review Information (Subsection A “Application Review Information”), will not be invited to submit full applications.

The LOI must be no more than two 8.5” x 11” 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 as outlined below. If the LOI is incomplete, does not meet the guidelines above, or 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 the NOAA MDP. The 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;

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

Briefly describe the PI or organization’s role/contributions and experience or expertise that would lead to a successful marine debris prevention 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;

e) Project Start Date: enter the anticipated start date of the proposed effort;

f) Funding: list the approximate federal funds requested and non-federal match anticipated (these may change, if invited for a full proposal, if appropriately justified).

g) Project Description: clearly state the purpose of the project and the specific marine debris issue being addressed, summarize planned activities, duration of project, target audience, NOAA trust resources that are likely to benefit, and the duration of the project.

h) Project Outcomes: describe the anticipated products and outcomes the project may be expected to produce and an associated timeline. Include a description of how project activities will reduce debris, encourage changes in behavior, raise awareness through education and outreach, and/or ensure prevention measures will remain in place following the completion of the funded project period.

i) Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion description: 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, encouraging diverse perspectives from project leaders and partners (including, but not limited to, sectors, age, career stage, gender, ethnicity, disability, geographic), or incorporating different learning or engagement approaches into the project.

A sample Letter of Intent template may be found at: https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/proposal-submission-guidance-applicants

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.

Notice of Federal Funding Page 17 of 52

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 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 proposed activities 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 (http://www.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, 10 pages or less);

- Statement of Diversity and Inclusion (described below 2 pages or less);

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

Notice of Federal Funding Page 18 of 52

- 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 any site location(s) highlighted (no page limit);

- Photographs of targeted debris (no page limit);

- 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 (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;

e) Funding: federal funds requested and non-federal match anticipated;

f) Project Description: clearly state the purpose of the project and the specific marine debris issue being addressed; summarize planned activities; identify the target audience;

identify NOAA trust resources that are likely to benefit; and indicate the duration of the project; and

g) Project Outcomes: briefly describe the anticipated products and outcomes the project may be expected to produce and an associated timeline. Include a description of how project activities will reduce debris, encourage changes in behaviors, raise awareness through education and outreach, and/or ensure prevention measures will remain in place following

Notice of Federal Funding Page 19 of 52 the completion of the funded project period. 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 (10 pages or less).

When writing the Project Narrative, applicants should understand the components of the evaluation criteria (see Section V. Application Review Information Subsection A "Evaluation Criteria" in this announcement), as they explain how proposals will be scored for the application to be competitive. The Project Narrative is limited to 10 pages and should give a clear presentation of the proposed work. Generally, the Project Narrative should include:

a) Introduction: a summary of why the prevention priority chosen for the grant is important. Please discuss how the proposed project will prevent marine debris, engage the target audience, and make broader contributions to the marine debris field. Include the type or categories of marine debris to be addressed (e.g., derelict fishing gear, land-based litter, etc.), the behaviors to be changed, and/or the proposed approaches to be employed. Include a justification for the chosen target audience, debris type, and study area/region of interest.

b) Description: a description of the type or category of marine debris to be addressed (e.g., derelict fishing gear, land-based litter, etc.), any education and/or outreach method(s) to be implemented, the target audience, the behaviors to be changed, and the proposed approaches for prevention. Proposals should include a robust evaluation plan to assess the potential for long-term changes in the target audience’s actions as a result of the project’s activities;

clearly demonstrate the benefits expected to living marine and Great Lakes resources, habitat, and/or navigation safety as a result of the project’s activities; demonstrate why the selected action(s) will benefit marine and Great Lakes resources and reduce any barriers that currently exist (e.g., lack of access to waste receptacles or alternatives to single-use items);

and describe how the project is innovative. The description should also clearly describe the potential benefits the project may have on NOAA trust resources and coastal communities.

Applicants should note, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires NOAA to analyze a project's potential environmental impacts. Applicants therefore should provide as much detailed information as is reasonable on the project's activities in this section, including details about site locations, species and habitat(s) to be affected, on-the-ground project activities and processes proposed, the time of year that work will take place, 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 marine mammals, Notice of Federal Funding Page 20 of 52 impacts to endangered and threatened species, impacts to coral reef systems). Sufficient detail should be provided to enable reviewers to assess whether the proposed scope of work raises any concerns with regard to Federal policy considerations, such as those related to the NEPA, Endangered Species Act, Historic Preservation Act, and Marine Mammal Protection Act. See Section VI. Award Administration Information (Subsection B.(10) “NEPA Requirements'') for further detail on the NEPA process and requirements for applicants.

Describe the community involvement in the project, such as contributions from community partners, volunteer opportunities, citizen participation, education/outreach/stewardship plans, and efforts to disseminate information on project goals, results, and/or the sources of project funding and support. Community participation may include direct involvement in project activities, involvement in marine debris prevention and education 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 such participation should be included in the application.

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, Marine Debris Action Plans, etc.) and…