NOAA-OAR-CIPO-2025-31269.pdf

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

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Table of Contents

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

Executive Summary Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description II. Award Information III. Eligibility Information IV. Application and Submission Information V. Application Review Information VI. Award Administration Information VII. Agency Contacts VIII. Other Information

Executive Summary Federal Agency Name OAR Cooperative Institutes Administration Office (CIAO)

Funding Opportunity Title Cooperative Institute Fostering Aquaculture Research and Marketing (CIFARM)

Announcement Type Competitive

Funding Opportunity Number

NOAA-OAR-CIPO-2025-31269

Assistance Listing Number(s) 11.432

Dates Deadline: Applications must be submitted to Grants.gov and accepted by eRA no later than 11:59 p.m.

Eastern Standard Time on Friday, September 5, 2025.

Period of Performance: This multiyear, Institutional project must have a start date no earlier than April 1, 2026 and an end date approximately 5-years later.

Funding Opportunity Description

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The NOAA Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) in collaboration with the National Marine Fisheries Service invites applications for the establishment of a Cooperative Institute Fostering Aquaculture Research and Marketing (CIFARM) that will: directly support NOAA’s Research and Development Vision Areas by advancing key goals in aquaculture, fostering innovation, promoting environmental stewardship, and building strong coastal economies; support the robust development of aquaculture in the United States to address the seafood import deficit and benefit the economy; and help the agency fulfill the tenets of the NOAA Aquaculture Strategic Plan. This Cooperative Institute (CI) will facilitate a long-term collaborative relationship between NOAA and the recipient within which broad-based research, technology innovation, and education and outreach capabilities that focus on NOAA's priorities for the US aquaculture sector can be developed and sustained. The CI may consist of one or more research institutions with expertise and capabilities in the NOAA priority areas that contribute to the areas of research described as research themes later in this announcement.

Applicants to this Notice of Funding Opportunity will submit one overarching application that seeks to establish the CIFARM at an eligible institution or group of institutions. This application should speak to high level research themes (See I.B.) that future projects could fall under, but should not include detailed projects at this time. This overarching application will be identified as a T1 award.

Following the selection of the CI host institution, the awardee will then be requested to submit an additional application for approximately $9,000,000 detailing the proposed projects that fall under the research themes. Not every applicant will be asked to submit this second application, only the institution recommended for funding. Once awarded, this second application will be identified as a T3. The host institution will continue to submit T3 detailed project applications at various funding levels throughout the life of the five year award.

All projects must take place within the United States or territories or their respective waterways.

Applicants must complete and maintain three registrations to be eligible to apply for or receive an award.

These registrations include SAM.gov, Grants.gov, and eRA Commons. All registrations must be completed prior to the application being submitted. The complete registration process for all three systems can take 4 to 6 weeks, so applicants should begin this activity as soon as possible. If an eligible applicant does not have access to the internet, please contact the Agency Contacts listed in Section VII for submission instructions. NOAA has created a website to aid applicants in understanding Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs), the application process, and how to properly format application packages to eRA, linked here.

Prior to registering with eRA Commons, applicant organizations must first obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) from SAM.gov, if needed (refer to Section IV. Applications and Submission Information, Section C).

Organizations can register with eRA Commons in tandem with completing their full SAM and Grants.gov registrations; however, all registrations must be in place by time of application submission. eRA Commons requires organizations to identify at least one Signing Official (SO) and at least one Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) account in order to submit an application.

This document sets out requirements for submitting to NOAA-OAR-CIPO-2025-31269.

Full Text of Announcement I. Funding Opportunity Description A. Program Objective

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The purpose of this announcement is to invite the submission of proposals to establish a Cooperative Institute Fostering Aquaculture Research and Marketing (CIFARM) and to provide details on the application, review, and selection process. NOAA's mission requires a forward-thinking, interdisciplinary perspective to provide the scientific underpinning for an ecosystem approach to management of ocean resources. Over the past several years, NOAA sought input from stakeholders and partners for a number of major initiatives, including the NOAA Aquaculture Program Strategic Plan, and Strategic Plan for Aquaculture Economic Development. This input helped to inform the research themes for this NOFO.

CIFARM must have a broad geographic scope (in part to address needs in both warm and temperate water), with a focused emphasis on advancing aquaculture in an open ocean environment. To do this, the CI will need to tackle research in fields such as engineering and technology, environmental modeling, monitoring, innovation, risk assessment, and demonstration.

CI Concept/Program Background

A Cooperative Institute (CI) is a NOAA-supported, non-Federal organization that has established an outstanding research program in one or more areas that are relevant to the NOAA mission “to understand and predict changes in climate, weather, oceans, and coasts, to share that knowledge and information with others, and to conserve and manage coastal and marine ecosystems and resources.” CIs are established at research institutions with outstanding graduate degree programs in NOAA-related sciences. CIs provide significant coordination of resources among all non-government partners and promote the involvement of students and post-doctoral scientists in NOAA-funded research. NOAA establishes a new CI competitively when it identifies a need to sponsor a long-term (5-10 years) collaborative partnership with one or more outstanding non-Federal, non-profit research institutions. For NOAA, the purpose of this long-term collaborative partnership is to promote research, education, training, and outreach aligned with NOAA’s mission; to obtain research capabilities that do not exist internally;

and/or to expand research capacity in NOAA-related sciences to:

• conduct collaborative, long-term research that involves NOAA scientists and those at the research institution(s) from one or more scientific disciplines of interest to NOAA;

• utilize the scientific, education, and outreach expertise at the research institution(s) that, depending on NOAA’s research needs, may or may not be located near a NOAA facility;

• support student participation in NOAA-related research studies; and

• strengthen or expand NOAA-related research capabilities and capacity at the research institution(s) that complements and contributes to NOAA’s ability to reach its mission goals.

A CI may be comprised of a single academic institution or a consortium of academic institutions, at times working in conjunction with supporting research affiliates, each of which demonstrates outstanding performance within one or more established research programs in NOAA-related sciences. The Institutes conduct research under approved scientific research themes and tasks. These tasks may not be redefined or abbreviated:

• Task I activities are related to the management of the CI, as well as general education and outreach activities. This task also includes support of postdoctoral and visiting scientists conducting activities within the research themes of the CI that are approved by the CI Director, in consultation with NOAA, and are relevant to NOAA and the CI’s mission goals.

• Task II research activities usually involve ongoing direct collaboration with NOAA scientists. This collaboration typically is fostered by the collocation of Federal and CI employees.

• Task III research activities require minimal collaboration with NOAA scientists and may include research funded by other NOAA competitive grant programs.

B. Program Priorities Research priorities for the CIFARM are listed below, in no particular order. Several of the priorities are intersecting or related, and should not be considered mutually exclusive. Applicants are encouraged to focus primarily on these themes, but additional themes are allowed.

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1. Marine Aquaculture Demonstration - There is a recognized need for aquaculture demonstration projects in the U.S. Establishing CIFARM-held and operated test beds or proving grounds could accelerate the transition of concepts from ideation to operational implementation. Research under this theme will inform guidelines and best practices for robust aquaculture development.

o a. Implementing Pilot Projects and Offshore Test Beds: Establish pilot projects and offshore test beds to demonstrate innovative aquaculture technologies and methods in real world settings, emphasizing monitoring and evaluation of productivity, environmental performance, and economic feasibility. This approach will provide a platform for testing and refining innovative technologies and bridge the gap between concept and full-scale commercialization.

o b. NOAA Aquaculture Opportunity Areas: Strong applications will integrate test beds, field testing, and research initiatives within proposed Aquaculture Opportunity Areas (more information here and here) as part of an “ocean innovation cluster” approach to ensure regulatory efficiency and enhance coordination between testing environments and industry priorities.

o c. Best Practices for Open Ocean Aquaculture: Inform best practices and operational standards based on empirical data from demonstration projects, focusing on operational efficiency, minimizing environmental impacts and space-use conflicts, and achieving economic sustainability.

2. Aquaculture Engineering and Technology Development - Innovations in engineering and a range of technologies suitable for aquaculture are essential to NOAA’s aquaculture development goals.

Additionally, robust data analytics and remote sensing technologies are critical for real-time environmental monitoring and management, enhancing productivity, and ecological stewardship.

This priority includes research to advance durable gear and systems that can withstand harsh marine and weather conditions while minimizing environmental impact.

o a. Engineering and Gear Innovations: Develop durable and sustainable equipment for cages, nets, and other aquaculture tools, improving gear performance while reducing the overall environmental impact of farms. Examples include development of high-performance cages/pens and anchoring systems. The CI can work to design and validate such systems specifically for the challenging conditions of offshore aquaculture.

o b. Engineering to Minimize Protected Species Interactions: Develop engineering solutions and best practices aimed at minimizing interactions between aquaculture operations and protected species and their habitats. This includes the design of protective gear, deterrent systems, and habitat-aware site selection processes to reduce risks to vulnerable marine populations. By incorporating engineering approaches that prioritize endangered, threatened, and protected species conservation, the CI can help ensure aquaculture operations are reviewed and permitted efficiently.

o c. Accelerated Technology Development and Transfer: Develop straightforward mechanisms to accelerate the transfer of technology from research settings to the industry, help bring science-backed innovations to market, de-risk novel technologies, and bridge the gap between research and practical application.

3. Environmental Observations, Modeling, Forecasting, and Aquaculture Management - This research will enhance understanding of aquaculture’s interactions with coastal and offshore environments by examining its effects on water quality, habitat, and biodiversity. It will also assess ecosystem services, develop best practices to minimize and reduce risk of environmental impacts, and explore strategies to mitigate the effects of changing ocean conditions on aquaculture production. This theme will enhance understanding, modeling, and forecasting of aquaculture dynamics in the marine environment, including environmental interactions and production of ecosystem services. Examples include:

o a. Standardized environmental and cultural resource surveys o b. Technologies and frameworks for cost-effective environmental compliance monitoring

NOAA NOFO Page 5 of 26 o c. Tools for farm management

4. Risk Management and Vulnerability Assessment - Research to develop comprehensive risk assessment frameworks that incorporate ecological, economic, and social dimensions is essential for informed decision-making in the aquaculture sector. This research will ensure that the latest advancements in aquaculture science are available to inform regulatory and industry decision making.

o a. Disease Prevention and Biosecurity Measures: Research biosecurity protocols and disease management strategies tailored to offshore aquaculture. This focus will include developing and testing methods for early disease detection, prevention, and containment to reduce the risk of outbreaks.

o b. Economic Strength Analysis: Investigate the economic vulnerabilities of aquaculture operations, including supply chain disruptions, market fluctuations, and increases in production costs associated with varying economic conditions. This research will provide insight into how to enhance profitability and financial sustainability of aquaculture businesses in dynamic economic environments.

o c. Environmental Risk Assessment Modeling: Develop environmental modeling tools to assess potential impacts of aquaculture on water quality, sensitive habitats, wild populations, and ecosystems. This includes evaluating effects on protected species and creating data-driven scenarios to predict interactions and mitigate adverse outcomes.

These models will directly inform best practices for environmental stewardship.

o d. Risk Assessment for Investment and Insurance: Create risk assessment frameworks that evaluate environmental, biosecurity, genetic, engineering, and economic risks in aquaculture. These assessments will inform development of investment and insurance products that support the growth of the aquaculture industry while mitigating potential financial risks. This research will ensure stakeholders have a clear understanding of the operational risks involved.

o e. Increasing Profitability through Risk Reduction: Develop strategies aimed at increasing profitability while simultaneously decreasing risks both to the marine environment and the farm. By integrating economic risk assessments with proactive business planning, aquaculture operations can withstand market volatility and supply chain disruptions, ultimately fostering a stable and profitable industry.

5. Seafood Markets - Research on offshore aquaculture's market impacts is essential to understanding its economic influence as the industry develops and expands.This research can provide a detailed analysis of the potential benefits and challenges associated with aquaculture.

o a. Market Research and Economic Analysis: A comprehensive market research program is essential to evaluating aquaculture’s economic viability. Research needs include demand, market opportunities, pricing trends, consumer preferences, and supply chain logistics to inform profitability and competitiveness. Assessing economic benefits per unit effort will help maximize investment returns and support sustained market growth.

o b. Market Strength and Business Planning: Effective business planning is crucial for fostering economic strength and stability within the aquaculture sector. This involves assessing different business models and financial strategies to determine which approaches can best respond to changing market conditions.

o c. Market Access and Waterfront Infrastructure: Evaluating waterfront access, competition for space, and the availability of required infrastructure are key to ensuring that aquaculture operations can thrive without unnecessary bottlenecks. Addressing these factors is vital for smooth market entry and efficient distribution, which ultimately contributes to the growth of the industry.

NOAA NOFO Page 6 of 26 o d. Community Integration and Market Acceptance: The acceptance and desirability of aquaculture products among local communities, as well as the broader consumer base, play a major role in shaping market dynamics. Ensuring that offshore aquaculture integrates harmoniously within existing markets and coastal communities can help minimize conflicts, build community support, and foster consumer trust—key elements for maintaining strong and expanding markets.

Cross-Cutting Expectations:

Education, Outreach, and Engagement - Activities undertaken by the CIFARM should include a focus on increasing public awareness of aquaculture benefits, practices, and advancements through accessible education and outreach initiatives. Development of targeted campaigns to address misconceptions, highlight the role of aquaculture in food security, and emphasize sustainability efforts are encouraged.

Outreach and engagement efforts should ensure that science communication effectively translates complex research findings into clear language for non-experts and engages multiple stakeholders— including policymakers, industry leaders, local communities, and non-governmental organizations.

Facilities Required for a new Cooperative Institute Fostering Aquaculture Research and Marketing

(CIFARM):

The CIFARM must have an implementable plan for an ocean test bed or consortia of test beds. This may include fully permitted offshore sites or an implementation plan, which includes an assessment of what permits must be sought for planned activities, development of a permit application plan, evaluation of expected environmental impacts from potential activities, and description of how a permit application and/or impact assessment would address possible social or environmental impacts.

The CIFARM is expected to promote student and postdoctoral involvement in aquaculture projects in ways that will enable the next generation of scientists to perpetuate the societal benefits of aquaculture.

The CIFARM should provide substantial support for graduate and undergraduate students and post-doctoral scientists, thereby enabling development of a wide range of expertise. CIFARM employees and students will conduct research that complements NOAA's mission with support from NOAA. The Nation’s students enrolled in undergraduate science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) degree programs and gaining degrees, are an untapped talent pool.

COMPOSITION OF THE INSTITUTE

The proposed CI may be comprised of a single academic institution that offers accredited graduate level degree-granting programs in NOAA-related sciences. The CI may also be comprised of multiple academic institutions (a consortium) with supporting research affiliates, if appropriate. A consortium must be led by a single academic institution that offers accredited graduate level degree-granting programs in NOAA-related sciences. Applicants must have strong programs in support of at least one of the identified research areas. The CI would be expected to develop and implement mechanisms to facilitate collaborative research, education, and outreach with NOAA.

DEMONSTRATED ABILITY TO SUPPORT NOAA’S LONG-TERM GOALS AND RESEARCH FOCI

The proposed CIFARM should support the long-term goals of NOAA’s Research and Development Vision Areas: 2020-2026 and NOAA’s 2026 Strategic Research Guidance Memorandum by advancing key goals in aquaculture, fostering innovation, promoting environmental stewardship, and building strong coastal economies.

C. Program Authority 15 U.S.C. 1540; 118 Stat. 71 (January 23, 2004).

II. Award Information A. Funding Availability

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Subject to the availability of funding, this announcement describes how eligible applicants should apply to the Cooperative Institute Fostering Aquaculture Research and Marketing (CIFARM) competition. NOAA is seeking to establish this CI with a ceiling of $300,000,000 in federal funds for the initial 5 year term of the Institutional award. The actual annual funding that the CI receives will be less than the proposed ceiling amount and will depend on the specific projects that are submitted by the CI and approved by NOAA after the main CI award begins, the availability of funding, the quality of the research, the satisfactory progress in achieving the stated goals described in project proposals, and continued relevance to program objectives.

NOAA anticipates that, pending appropriations, approximately $9,000,000 will be available for projects proposed as part of the T3 application. Projects proposed as T3 tasks should request a minimum of $250,000 per project, with project durations of 1-5 years.

This award and individual project applications DO NOT require non-federal match.

There is no guarantee that funds will be available to make awards, or that any application will be selected for funding. If an applicant incurs any cost prior to receiving an award agreement signed by an authorized NOAA official, it does so at its own risk of not being selected or of these costs not being included in a subsequent award. NOAA and DOC will not be responsible for any incurred project cost if a project fails to receive full funding.

B. Project/Award Period The award period for the CI will be 5 years and may be renewed for up to an additional 5 years based on the outcome of a review of scientific and administrative performance conducted in the fourth year of the award period, as described in the NOAA CI Institute Handbook.

The CI must have a proposed start date no earlier than April 1, 2026 and an end date of no later than 5 years after the proposed start date. This original application to this particular Notice of Funding Opportunity will be identified as the T1.

Subsequent individual project applications (which will be identified as T3s) must have award periods that fit within the CI award period (the T1).

Pre-award spending may be authorized 90 days prior to the start date of the award (See Section VI below for more details).

C. Type of Funding Instrument The funding instrument for this institutional award will be a cooperative agreement since NOAA will be substantially involved in working with the CI. The nature of the substantial involvement includes the following: The recipient can expect substantial collaboration, participation, and/or intervention in the management of the project by NOAA. Some examples of substantial involvement by NOAA include, but are not limited to, required NOAA approval before certain projects can be initiated in grant out-years; the ability of NOAA to halt an activity immediately if detailed performance specifications are not met; NOAA specifying direction or redirection of scope of work due to the interrelationships with other projects;

proposals for collaboration between NOAA scientists and a CI scientist and/or assistance by NOAA personnel in developing curricula; and NOAA involvement in mid-cycle programmatic evaluation and planning processes. NOAA will issue only one award to the successful institution or to the lead academic institution of a consortium of universities, with supporting research affiliates if applicable, where the Institute will be established and resident.

III. Eligibility Information A. Eligible Applicants The following entities are eligible to submit to this opportunity:

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Eligibility is limited to non-Federal public and private non-profit universities, colleges and research institutions that offer accredited graduate-level degree-granting programs in NOAA-related sciences.

Federal agencies and their personnel are not permitted to receive federal funding under this competition;

however, federal scientists and other employees can serve as uncompensated partners or co-Principal Investigators on applications. Federal labs and offices can also make available specialized expertise, facilities or equipment to applicants but cannot be compensated under this competition for their use.

To be eligible to apply or receive an award, applicants must complete and maintain three registrations;

SAM.gov, Grants.gov, and eRA Commons. For each, the complete registration process can take 4 to 6 weeks, so applicants must begin this activity as soon as possible and well before the proposal due date.

For more information on how to meet these registration and application submission requirements without errors, we advise all to carefully review relevant Applicant and Grantee Training modules:

https://www.commerce.gov/ocio/programs/gems/applicant-and-grantee-training. Additionally, we advise that all carefully read ‘Additional Application Package Forms’ within the ‘Full Proposal Required Elements’ section below.

B. Cost Share or Matching Requirement Cost sharing or matching is not required. It cannot be used as an evaluation factor during the merit review of applications or proposals but may be considered. Values for non-Federal entity contributions of services and property must be established in accordance with applicable cost principles. Voluntarily committed cost sharing is not considered when determining the level of the CI’s funding ceiling.

Acceptable cost sharing proposals could include, but are not limited to: offering a reduced indirect cost rate against activities in one or more Tasks; waiver of any indirect costs assessed by the awardee on subawards; waiver of indirect costs assessed against base funds and/or Task I activities; waiver or reduction of any costs associated with the use of facilities at the CI; and full or partial salary funding for the CI director, administrative staff, graduate students, visiting scientists, or postdoctoral scientists.

C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility There are no other criteria that affect eligibility.

IV. Application and Submission Information A. Address to Request Application Package Application packages are available online as part of the NOFO announcement on Grants.gov under opportunity NOAA-OAR-CIPO-2025-31269. Users of Grants.gov will be able to download a copy of the application package, and submit all application forms via Grants.gov. The application will then be screened and submitted to eRA Commons. Applicants should not consider their application complete and received by the agency until they receive a final email from eRA Commons confirming a successful application with no errors or warnings and/or can verify the successful status in eRA Commons.

B. Content and Form of Application This section provides an overview of these required proposal elements (and where to locate them).

Applications must adhere to the provisions under "Required Elements" below. Failure to adhere to these provisions may result in a delay in award processing or rejection of the application, based on the extent of the noncompliance.

The submitting applicant should not include any Personally Identifiable Information (PII) in the application materials prior to final submission to grants.gov. PII includes, but is not limited to, social security number, date of birth, student identification number (from transcripts) or other information which if lost, compromised, or disclosed without authorization, could result in harm, embarrassment, inconvenience, or unfairness to an individual.

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IMPORTANT NOTE: This proposal package will be using a different set of forms than applicants may have completed in the past. Instead of the “SF424 NOAA Standard Non-Construction Application Package”, this application will include the “SF424 NOAA Research & Related (R&R) Forms Package.”

While many of the forms may be familiar, please pay special attention to the headings and instructions in this section.

NOAA has created a guide to aid applicants format application packages to eRA: Tips and Tricks for Successful eRA Submissions, linked here. Recent applicants have had their applications rejected for formatting issues. Please be aware of the following:

• All attachments must be in PDF form.

• Do not use “bundling” or “portfolio” features to combine PDFs into a single document. Everything must be visible in the PDF.

• Descriptive filenames may only be 50 characters or less (including spaces).

• Keep attachment file size to 100 MB or less.

• eRA won’t accept any pages larger than the U.S. standard letter paper size (8.5” x 11”).

We strongly recommend that applicants submit their completed proposals at least a few days prior to the due date in case they encounter issues with the system. We will not extend the deadline date based on issues you may encounter in submitting your application into the system. Please contact the eRA Service Desk for assistance.

Required Elements:

Applications must include the following elements. Failure to adhere to these provisions may result in a delay in award processing or rejection of the application, based on the extent of the noncompliance.

Letter of Intent Requirements

Letters of Intent are not required for this NOFO.

Full Proposal Required Elements

(please also see VIII. Other Information for additional post-application required elements for submission):

REMEMBER: The intent of this application is to be high level and propose the establishment of the CI.

Specific project level detail, goals or budget should NOT be included at this time.

The application must include the following 18 elements:

1. Standard Form (SF) 424 (R&R)

2. Title Page

3. Project Abstract Summary Form

4. Results from Prior Research

5. Description of Work - Research Plan

6. Description of Project Performance Sites

7. List of Senior and Key Personnel

8. Description of Data Sharing

9. Publication/Reference Review

10. Research & Related Budget (Total Fed & Non-Fed - Budget Form)

11. R&R Subaward Budget (Fed/Non-Fed) Attachment(s) Form (if applicable)

12. Detailed Budget Justification

13. Vitae

14. Current and Pending Support

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15. CD-511

16. SF-424B

17. SF-LLL (if applicable)

18. Copy of the applicant’s current approved Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA)

The instructions for preparation of full proposals provided below are mandatory. Required content includes:

Standard Form 424 (R&R): All applicants requesting direct funding must submit the Standard Form 424 (R&R), (SF-424 R&R), “Application for Federal Assistance” to indicate the total amount of funding proposed for their institution for the whole project period. This form is to be the cover page for the original proposal and is the first required form in the Grants.gov proposal package. The form can be downloaded at https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/r-r-family in the Forms Repository section under the R&R Family hyperlink. For a NOAA and non-NOAA Federal partner, applications for Federal assistance (SF-424 (R&R) and the Research & Related Budget (Total Fed + Non-Fed) Budget Form, must show the total amount less what would go to the Federal partner.

• Federal Award Payment Requirement - be sure that the Employer Identification Number (EIN) and Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)) numbers are correct.

Title Page: The title page should clearly indicate the proposed name of the CI, principal investigators (for the institutional award), total amount of Federal funds being requested, and award period. In the event that the application is submitted by a consortium, the lead academic institution for the consortium should submit the application on behalf of the consortium and any supporting research affiliates. Applications submitted by a CI consortium should include the name of each academic institution and supporting research affiliate, along with each associated principal investigator.

Project Abstract Summary Form: The Project Abstract Summary succinctly describes the project in plain language that the public can understand and use without the full proposal. If the application is funded, your project abstract information (as submitted) will be made available to public websites and/or databases including USAspending.gov. An abstract must be included and should contain a brief description of the CI, research themes, and proposed activities. The abstract should appear on a separate page, headed with the proposal title, institution’s investigators, total proposed cost and budget period.

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

• Project Name/Title

• Primary Contact (name address, telephone, email)

• Primary Recipient's Institution

• Other Investigators (name, affiliated institution or agency)

• Brief Project Summary including objectives and intended benefits

• Partners

Results from Prior Research: The results of related projects supported by NOAA and other agencies should be described, including their relation to the currently proposed work. Reference to each prior research award should include the title, agency, award number, Principal Investigators, period of award, and total award. The section should be a brief summary and should not exceed two pages.

Description of Work - Research Plan: The project description includes the following sections:

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• Introduction/Narrative (information contained in this section of the proposal should provide background information and significance of the proposed research).

• Specific aims/milestones (information in this section of the proposal should provide the proposed goals and expected outcomes. It should also show when the researcher expects to reach the proposed goals and outcomes).

• Timeline for milestones (table showing the timeline for the milestones).

• Relationship to NOAA Goals (information in this section of the proposal should show how the proposed research relates to the current NOAA Research Goals identified by the Cooperative Institute).

• Educational outreach plans.

Description of Project Performance Sites: List facilities that may be used outside of the Cooperative Institute (including any Federally owned property) where research conducted will be directly related to the proposed research – this would not include consortium members.

List of Senior and Key Personnel: Describe their specific roles as they relate to the specific aims/milestones.

Description of Data Sharing: Information in this section of the proposal shows how the final research data will be shared and with whom or explains why data-sharing is not possible at this time and the plan and time-frame for data sharing.

Publication/Reference Review: Each reference should include the names of all authors in the same sequence they appear in the publications, the article title, the journal or book title, volume number, page numbers, and year of publications. While there is no established page limitation, this section should include bibliographic citations only and should not be used to provide parenthetical information outside of the Research Plan.

Research & Related Budget (Total Fed + Non-Fed) Form: All applicants are required to submit a Research & Related Budget (Total Fed + Non-Fed) Budget Form, which identifies the budget for each fiscal year of the primary proposal. A new Research & Related Budget (Total Fed + Non-Fed) form is required for each fiscal year in sections A - D for the primary award. The form can be downloaded at https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/sf-424-family in the Forms Repository section under the R&R Family hyperlink.

• Avoid the section title “Statement of Work/deliverables.” This phrase suggests a contractual arrangement.

Each subaward should provide a R&R Subaward Budget (Fed/Non-Fed) Attachment(s) Form if applicable for each fiscal year of the project. The form can be downloaded at https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/sf-424-family in the Forms Repository section under the R&R Family hyperlink.

Detailed Budget Justification: All proposals must include a detailed budget narrative covering the proposed period of performance with a justification to support all proposed budget categories for each fiscal year. A separate budget narrative is required for each subcontract/subaward, if applicable. For additional information concerning each of the required budget categories and appropriate level of disclosure please see: https://coast.noaa.gov/data/coasthome/funding/_pdf/forms/budget-narrative-guidance-for-NOAA-grants.pdf

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• If a partner is requested to perform any work as part of the project, please be advised that the work to be performed must be reflected separately in the project description and partner budget.

The budget should clearly identify the recipient and funded activity. A R&R Subaward Budget (Fed/Non-Fed) Attachment(s) Form should accompany the budget narrative specific for each partner.

If more than one institution is collaborating in a project awarded funds, a separate budget narrative is required for each subaward (including Federal collaborators) and must be provided to the lead institution for submission. The lead institution will be the only institution to directly receive funds from NOAA and is responsible for sending funds to their other subaward institutions. The Budget Narrative must match the same direct cost categories as the Research & Related Budget (Total Fed + Non-Fed) Budget and the R&R Subaward Budget (Fed/Non-Fed) Attachment(s) forms for the primary and each subaward.

Curriculum Vitae: (single-spaced, 12-point font, 1-inch margins, two (2) pages maximum, per person) Provide resumes of the Principal Investigator for the CI and other key personnel critical to the success of the CI. Ensure that resumes address qualifications relevant to conducting the proposed work. Publication lists should be limited to all publications in the last 3 years with up to five other relevant papers.

Current and pending support: For each principal investigator, submit a list which includes project title, supporting agency with grant number, investigator months, dollar value, and duration. Requested values should be listed for pending support.

CD-511: Certification Regarding Lobbying: Required only for the lead institution, which may submit this form through the Grants.gov CD511 document placeholder without a hard signature because electronic signatures are allowed on documents from the submitting institution. The form can be downloaded at:

https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/sf-424-family.

SF-424B: Assurances - Non-Construction Programs: Required only for the lead institution, which may submit this form through the Grants.gov SF-424B document placeholder without a hard signature because electronic signatures are allowed on documents from the submitting institutions. The form can be downloaded at https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/sf-424-family.

SF-LLL: Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (if applicable): If lobbying activity is or has been secured to influence the outcome of a covered federal action, complete the SF-LLL standard lobbying disclosure form found at https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/sf-424-family and include it with your proposal package.

Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA): Applicants must include a copy of their most recent approved NICRA. NOAA and the Cooperative Institute may share resources such as facilities, equipment, or personnel, which may offset the use of the institution’s facilities and administration, as recovered under the indirect rate. In accordance with 2 C.F.R. 414(c)(3), the NOAA Cooperative Institute program has an approval to deviate from negotiated indirect cost rates. More information is available at https://www.commerce.gov/oam/policy/financial-assistance-policy. If the applicant is proposing a lower indirect cost rate to be applied to this award, also include that here.

Data Management Plan:

Proposals submitted in response to this Announcement must include a Data Management Plan (up to 2 pages). See Section VI.B., Administrative and National Policy Requirements, below for additional information on what the plan should contain.

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If proposed activities will not generate any environmental data, please include the following statement at the end of the Project Narrative (after the NEPA Questionnaire or NEPA Statement): “Because this project will not generate environmental data, a Data Management Plan is not required.”

Environmental Compliance:

The U.S. Department of Commerce National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Environmental Questionnaire & Checklist, which may be found at: https://www.nepa.noaa.gov/docs/NOAA-Grants- Questionnaire-final.pdf. Applicants are required to submit answers to the following abbreviated set of questions and, depending on the specifics of the project as indicated in response to those questions, may be required to provide additional detail, prior to a funding decision, as NOAA deems necessary in order for NOAA to fulfill its NEPA responsibilities:

The NEPA Questionnaire is required for ALL research projects even if the project is fully lab-based or relies on social science. The NEPA Questionnaire is also required for any project that will have components including:

• Requires environmental permits, authorizations or waivers

• Includes Biological take and/or release

• Includes Environmental sampling

• Generates Hazardous or toxic substances and waste

• Could have Permanent or temporary environmental effects

• Could involve Endangered or threatened species and/or protected areas

• Could have Known or unknown risks to human health or the environment

• Includes Controversial environmental subject matter

NEPA Statement

Projects or actions that fall into the below categories do not need a questionnaire. If a program believes that a project in the application meets one of the exceptions, the program should include the following NEPA Statement directly after the relevant project narrative. Please use the following format for the NEPA Statement:

“This project’s activities are exclusively composed of [choose applicable activities from the bulleted list below] and therefore no NEPA Questionnaire is being submitted, as allowed by NOAA guidance.“

NOAA has final responsibility to determine whether a project or action requires environmental compliance review. If NOAA determines that a project or action needs an environmental review, and the NEPA Statement is not sufficient, staff may request completion of a NEPA Questionnaire be provided instead.

Some examples of projects that can use the NEPA Statement are:

• Program management o Program Development projects (these projects may need to undergo environmental compliance review when the program identifies project activities; please work with the federal program officer during implementation of these projects).

• Placeholder projects (e.g., "Future Competed Projects"; these projects will have a Specific Award Condition on the grant and undergo environmental compliance review when the program submits an award action request to satisfy that specific award condition)

• Workshops or conferences that do not involve the above list of actions in the previous section

• Communication activities that do not involve the above list of actions in the previous section

• Hiring actions

• Purely administrative actions (e.g., purchase of office supplies)

C. Unique entity identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)

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Any applicant awarded in response to this Announcement will be required to use the System for Award Management (SAM), which may be accessed online at https://sam.gov/SAM/. SAM enables the use of a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and to build the quality of information available to the public as required by the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act, 31 U.S.C. 6106 Note, to the extent applicable.

Each applicant (unless the applicant is an individual or Federal awarding agency that is expected from those requirements under 2 CFR 25.110(b) or (c), or has an exception approved by the Federal awarding agency under 2 CFR 25.110(d)) is required to: (i) Be registered in SAM before submitting its application;

(ii) Provide a valid unique entity identifier (UEI) in its application; and (iii) Continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active Federal award or an application or plan under consideration by a Federal awarding agency. NOAA may not make a Federal award to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable UEI and SAM requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time NOAA is ready to make a Federal award, NOAA may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a Federal award and use that determination as a basis for making a Federal award to another applicant.

D. Submission Dates and Times The initial T1 application must be submitted to Grants.gov and accepted by eRA by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on Friday, September 5, 2025. Once a tentative selection is made, the selected applicant will be provided guidance and a timeline for submitting their detailed project T3 application (first round of projects).

Please note: validation or rejection of an application by Grants.gov and eRA may take up to two business days after submission. Eligible applicants should consider this process in developing their submission timeline. For eligible applications submitted through Grants.gov and eRA, a date and time receipt indication is included and will be the basis of determining timeliness. NOAA has created a guide to aid applicants format application packages to eRA: Tips and Tricks for Successful eRA Submissions, linked here.

E. Intergovernmental Review Applications under this program are not subject to Executive Order 12372, “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.”

F. Funding Restrictions NOAA will not consider expenses associated with fees, fund-raising activities, travel for activities not directly related to project implementation, travel or salaries for Federal employees, or profit as allowable costs in the proposed budget. The total costs of a project consist of all allowable costs incurred in accomplishing project activities during the project period. Project costs can only include support for activities conducted between the effective start date and end date of the award, and cannot include activities undertaken either before or after the agreed upon dates. Applicants will not be reimbursed for time expended or costs incurred in developing a project or in preparing an application, or in any discussions or negotiations with the agency prior to the award. Such expenditures may not be considered as part of the applicant’s cost share or matching contribution.

G. Other Submission Requirements Federal employees are not allowed to assist in the preparation of an application or proposal, except that these individuals may provide you with information on program goals, funding priorities, application procedures, and completion of application forms. Because this is a competitive program, Federal employees will not provide assistance in conceptualizing, developing, or structuring proposals, or write letters of support for an application or proposal.

Registration requirements

NOTE: We strongly encourage all prospective applicants to initiate required registrations as early as possible. Completing the required registrations can take six weeks or longer. Submission due dates will not be extended because of registration delays. Submissions received after the due date will be considered late and will not be accepted.

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Applicant organizations and individuals must register for three different Federal systems prior to submitting an application through Grants.gov (SAM.gov, eRA Commons, and Grants.gov). See below for more detailed information on each required registration process.

System for Award Management (Sam.gov)

SAM.gov registration is required to do business with the U.S. government. After registering with SAM.gov, you will receive a 12-character Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) that you will use throughout the application process.

We recommend allowing at least three weeks for initial SAM.gov registrations and at least two weeks for SAM.gov registration renewals. Additional information on SAM.gov registration is available here:

https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration eRA Commons

After completing your SAM.gov registration and receiving your Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), you must register with eRA Commons and create several required user accounts. NOAA uses eRA Commons to process grant applications and manage grant awards.

NOTE: eRA Commons requires applicants to create one ORGANIZATIONAL PROFILE and two USER ACCOUNTS before submitting an application. These requirements are described in detail below.

We recommend allowing at least three weeks for eRA Commons registration. This process can be completed concurrently with your Grants.gov registration. Additional information on the eRA Commons registration process is available here: https://www.commerce.gov/ocio/programs/gems/applicant-and-grantee-training

After creating an…