NOAA-OAR-CPO-2024-2008252 NOFO Report-UPDATE.pdf

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Federal Agency Name(s): Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce

Funding Opportunity Title: Climate Program Office (CPO) Adaptation Sciences Program

FY2024

Announcement Type: Initial

Funding Opportunity Number: NOAA-OAR-CPO-2024-2008252

Federal Assistance Listings Number: 11.431, Climate and Atmospheric Research

Dates: Letters of intent (LOIs) should be received via Google Form (https://forms.gle/X8Cfvh8feMLuWtdQA) by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on December 26th, 2023.

If an applicant is unable to utilize this form for technical reasons, LOIs should be received via email by the Competition Manager, Lisa Vaughan (Lisa.Vaughan@noaa.gov) with a copy to noaa.adaptation.sciences@noaa.gov by the same deadline.

Full applications must be received by 11:59 pm Eastern Time, on March 20th, 2024.

Funding Opportunity Description: The Adaptation Sciences (AdSci) program, an interdisciplinary research and engagement program, is housed in the NOAA Climate Program Office’s (CPO’s) Climate and Societal Interactions (CSI) Division. The AdSci program advances the knowledge, methods, and frameworks needed to move society beyond incremental adaptation toward more widespread, connected, and transformative adaptive pathways and resilience strategies with clear economic, social, cultural and environmental co-benefits. This work is conducted through a combination of dedicated partnerships that support capacity building and engagement activities, and competitive research awards designed to address key knowledge and information needs. Given the global complexities involved in climate impacts and society’s adaptive strategies, the AdSci program supports work both within and outside of the United States.

AdSci has two core objectives:

*Developing an understanding of key drivers and conditions that shape and enable adaptation across multiple temporal and spatial scales, in particular geographies and settings where this knowledge can be practically applied to efforts to reduce risk and enhance resilience in equitable ways; and

*Identifying key aspects of and promoting opportunities for the use of scientific information to best support preparedness and planned adaptation of high value to social and economic goals.

Learn more about AdSci at https://cpo.noaa.gov/AdSci.

Through the FY24 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), the AdSci Program is soliciting applications for two competitions:

1. Evidence-building, Evaluation and Learning Approaches to Support Adaptation to a Changing Climate

2. Developing a Social Science Research Agenda to Support Adaptation and Resilience

FULL ANNOUNCEMENT TEXT

I. Funding Opportunity Description

A. Program Objective

The Adaptation Sciences (AdSci) program, an interdisciplinary research and engagement program, is housed in the NOAA Climate Program Office’s (CPO’s) Climate and Societal Interactions (CSI) Division. The CSI Division has traditionally been a home for high-impact science, catalyzing some of the earliest U.S. government investments in regionally-scaled, societally-relevant, interdisciplinary climate research and engagement focused on reducing vulnerability and risk through the use of climate knowledge and information.

Today, CSI continues to work with partners to enhance community, cross-sectoral, and national and international resilience in the face of climatic changes, through human-centered research, engagement and capacity building activities designed to connect innovative science directly to complex and dynamic preparedness, adaptation, and resilience challenges and opportunities. It is increasingly imperative that as society incorporates a changing climate into “mainstream” planning, and risk management and resilience efforts, we seek to identify, design and implement adaptation efforts that align with and underscore other social, economic and environmental benefits, including equitable and transformational adaptation, when feasible.

CSI is composed of two core programs, the AdSci programs and the Climate Adaptation Partnership (CAP) program (formerly known as RISA), leveraging the unique approaches and contributions of each for advancing adaptation and resilience, in order to optimize the investment of NOAA resources in support of societal needs. Learn more about the CAP program here:

https://cpo.noaa.gov/divisions-programs/climate-and-societal-interactions/cap-risa/.

The AdSci program advances the knowledge, methods, and frameworks needed to move society beyond incremental adaptation toward more widespread, connected, and transformative adaptive pathways and resilience strategies with clear economic, social, cultural and environmental co-benefits. This work is conducted through a combination of dedicated partnerships that support capacity building and engagement activities, and competitive research awards designed to address key knowledge and information needs.

Given the global complexities involved in climate impacts and society’s adaptive strategies, the AdSci program supports work both within and outside of the United States.

AdSci has two core objectives:

*Developing an understanding of key drivers and conditions that shape and enable adaptation across multiple temporal and spatial scales, in particular geographies and settings where this knowledge can be practically applied to efforts to reduce risk and enhance resilience in equitable ways; and

*Identifying key aspects of and promoting opportunities for the use of scientific information to best support preparedness and planned adaptation of high value to social and economic goals.

AdSci research projects generally include and are shaped by focused engagement with stakeholders, with attention to participation from relevant sectors and communities with roles to play advancing the evaluation, assessment and implementation of new approaches to adaptation and resilience. AdSci projects are conducted at scales designed to expand the availability, accessibility and use of climate information and related knowledge in the context of public and private decision-making. Projects seek to enhance community, sub-regional, regional, national and international networks that incorporate locally-relevant knowledge and support local decision making through the co-development of effective climate services. Relevant themes of work under a changing climate and associated changes in extreme events such as extreme heat, flooding, and coastal inundation include food security and sustainable food systems, water resources, public health and safety, infrastructure planning and design, disaster preparedness, nature based solutions (NBS), and low-carbon resilience strategies.

Learn more about AdSci at https://cpo.noaa.gov/AdSci.

B. Program Priorities

Through this announcement, the AdSci program is soliciting applications for two competitions in FY 2024:

1. Evidence-building, Evaluation and Learning Approaches to Support Adaptation to a Changing Climate

2. Developing a Social Science Research Agenda to Support Adaptation and Resilience

Prior to submitting applications, investigators are highly encouraged to learn more about the AdSci program at cpo.noaa.gov/AdSci, as well as program priorities for FY 2024. This information can be found at the following website: https://cpo.noaa.gov/Grants.

Competition 1: Evidence-building, Evaluation, and Learning Approaches to Support Adaptation to a Changing Climate

In FY24, the Adaptation Sciences program is seeking proposals for evaluation and evaluation research that advances evaluation methods and approaches in order to support more transformative adaptation and resilience. Research proposals should seek to undertake one or both of the following:

A. Expand the evidence base for evaluating adaptation actions and investments, including the identification of metrics and frameworks, with an emphasis on those that measure social and economic outcomes of adaptation (including equity) and advance society’s capacity to compare and/or scale up approaches.

B. Develop the frameworks, partnerships, approaches and methods needed to evaluate adaptation, including those elements that move society toward more transformative pathways.

We expect that much of the work supported by Competition 1 will focus on adaptation in U.S. states and territories; however, proposals will also be considered with a focus on one or more of the broadly defined regions that border the U.S: a) the Caribbean; b) the Pacific

Islands; c) Mexico and Central America; d) the Arctic. Regional and/or comparative studies focusing on multiple areas from this list also will be considered.

Projects supported under this competition could:

*Contribute new and applicable insights on the characteristics, co-effects, and enabling conditions, including governance, associated with climate adaptation strategies and investments through the systematic analysis and evaluation of case studies, with the goal of building an evidence base and advancing learning.

*Generate new or improved evaluation methods, approaches and insights related to the role of knowledge systems and processes - including networks of boundary organizations and climate information services knowledge networks - in moving society toward transformative adaptation.

*Identify and develop key metrics and/or indicators that capture the relationship between processes that occur within these systems, including co-production and the integration of local knowledge, and complex equity considerations.

*Identify and/or develop evaluation measures and indicators that reflect the social dimensions of adaptation (e.g., governance, culture, equity, participation).

*Identify and enhance knowledge about the methods of evaluation and for sharing information and learning that are most appropriate for different types of actors in the decision making context (e.g., indigenous communities, local planners, public service providers, private sector, local, state, Tribal and national governments).

Competition 2: Developing a Social Science Research Agenda in Support of Adaptation and Resilience

Understanding the societal, economic, cultural and behavioral aspects that shape risk, vulnerability and responses to climate change is essential to meeting the needs of decision makers, and supporting the development of effective adaptation and resilience strategies. As a result, there is a growing need for an organized, well-articulated social science research agenda that supports the integration of the social sciences in climate and risk assessments, and the development of effective adaptation strategies that are meaningful across scales of decisions and communities, and relevant to supporting the foundations of transformative change. Through Competition 2, AdSci is seeking proposals that will generate a social science research agenda, which reflects existing knowledge, and identifies gaps that can be addressed to support adaptation and resilience efforts. This can be achieved through inclusive review, analysis, and assessment of scientific literature, climate adaptation plans and actions, local knowledge and other similar information, in addition to engagement processes to inform social science research needs.

This work should develop and articulate a coherent set of nested research questions and approaches that will provide a framework for the generation of knowledge, methods and insights essential to the development, implementation and evaluation of effective adaptation strategies, policies and investments. It should be useful to the interdisciplinary scientific community and the broader landscape of entities, including funding agencies and implementation partners, working in this space.

Specific attention should be placed on social science research needs to support and assess transformational adaptive pathways. The work should:

*build on the current state of science and knowledge, including indigenous, traditional and other non-western ways of knowing;

*reflect a diverse suite of disciplinary expertise and perspectives in order to ensure that the social science agenda has applications for addressing real world challenges and opportunities associated with large scale adaptive capacity related to food and water security, human settlements, human and ecosystem wellbeing, conservation, infrastructure, migration, etc;

*incorporate the experience, perspectives and needs of stakeholders including frontline communities, tribes, indigenous populations and the private sector;

*address knowledge gaps and opportunities for social science research as a complement to physical and natural climate science, and climate services endeavors;

*address knowledge gaps that, if addressed, will support progress toward socio-economic and environmental outcomes and co-benefits, including those with cultural, local and heritage significance; and

*include an international perspective on questions that have global relevance and implications.

Proposed work should:

*Leverage and connect to the research, priority setting and engagement capacity of key partners (e.g. international, regional, Federal, state, local, tribal, NGO, private sector and community-based organizations) to identify and share methods, capacities and conditions needed to effectively utilize and incorporate interdisciplinary climate information science and services for adaptation and resilience.

*Engage with organizations, including the private sector, working in economic and community development, and seek to connect with efforts to support the financing and/or evaluation of adaptation actions or strategies in order to foster more evidence-based policies.

*Support research and evaluation activities as opposed to discrete adaptation project implementation activities outside of a learning framework (e.g., the implementation of a nature based solution in a specific community).

*All projects should incorporate the principles of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Applicants should demonstrate a plan to carry out their work in ways that acknowledge existing legacies of social and environmental inequities and support actions that address them, including but not limited to the inclusion of frontline community members.

C. Program Authority

49 U.S.C. 44720(b), 15 U.S.C. 2904, 15 U.S.C. 2931-2934

II. Award Information

A. Funding Availability

CPO anticipates that funding decisions on applications will be made during Spring 2024.

Such decisions are contingent upon the final FY24 appropriation for NOAA by Congress and the final allocation of funds to CPO by NOAA.

Federal funding for future fiscal years may be used to fund proposals submitted under this Notice of Funding Opportunity.

Competition 1: Evidence-building, Evaluation, and Learning Approaches to Support Adaptation to a Changing Climate

Proposals can request up to $150,000 per year, for a maximum total of $300,000.00 total. Depending on the availability of funds, it is anticipated that 5-7 projects will be supported.

Competition 2: Developing a Social Science Research Agenda in Support of Adaptation and Resilience

Proposals can request a total budget in the range of $150,000- $300,000 (proposals should distribute the budget over the two year period to reflect the methodology used for the project). Depending on the availability of funds, it is anticipated that 1 project will be supported.

B. Project/Award Period

Projects for both competitions should last for two (2) years.

C. Type of Funding Instrument

The funding instrument for awards will be a cooperative agreement. For cooperative agreements, it is anticipated that AdSci program managers will be substantially involved in the implementation of these projects. Examples of substantial involvement may include, but are not limited to, frequent communication on findings and progress between PI teams and AdSci program managers, semi- annual and/yearly progress reports utilizing the AdSci template, and participation of PIs in AdSci-related communities of practice, workshops, and quarterly calls. Funding for contractual arrangements for services and products for delivery to NOAA is not available under this announcement.

III. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants are institutions of higher education, other nonprofits, commercial organizations, international and regional organizations, and state, local and Indian tribal governments. Federal agencies or institutions are not eligible to receive Federal assistance under this notice, but may be identified as partners in the proposals (with their own resources).

B. Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement

All CPO programs have no cost sharing or matching criteria.

C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility

None.

IV. Application and Submission Information

A. Address to Request Application Package

Application packages can be found on grants.gov. For applicants without Internet access, please contact the CPO Grants Manager Diane Brown by mail to obtain an application package:

Diane Brown

NOAA Climate Program Office (R/CP1)

SSMC3, Room 12734

1315 East-West Highway

Silver Spring, MD 20910

B. Content and Form of Application

1. Letter of Intent (LOI)

The purpose of the LOI process is to provide information to potential applicants on the relevance of their proposed project to the competition in advance of preparing a full application. Full applications will be encouraged only for LOIs deemed relevant. Applicants who have not been encouraged may still submit a full application. While LOIs are strongly encouraged, applicants are not required to submit them and may submit a full application even if they have not submitted a LOI.

Letters of intent (LOIs) should be received via Google Form (https://forms.gle/X8Cfvh8feMLuWtdQA) by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on December 26th, 2023 (per Section IV. D below). If an applicant is unable to utilize this form for technical reasons, LOIs should be received via email by the Competition Manager, Lisa Vaughan (Lisa.Vaughan@noaa.gov) with a copy to noaa.adaptation.sciences@noaa.gov by the same deadline.

The LOI should provide a concise description of the proposed work and a statement regarding its relevance to the targeted competition (AdSci 1 or AdSci 2). The LOI should be no more than two pages in length and should include the items listed below. If these items are not included or the LOI is submitted late, the LOI may not be considered.

LOI Requirements:

a. Full Competition Name.

b. A tentative project title.

c. Name(s) and institution(s) of the Lead Principal Investigator(s) and other Principal Investigator(s).

d. Email contact for the Lead Principal Investigator

e. Statement of the challenge to be addressed by the work.

f. Brief summary of work to be completed and methodology to be used

g. Potential (unfunded) collaborator/partners and beneficiaries of the work

h. Approximate cost of the project and time frame for the project.

i. Relevance to the Competition that is being targeted.

A response to the LOI from the Competition Manager (e-mail or letter) will be sent to the investigator within four weeks after the LOI due date encouraging or discouraging a full application based on its relevance to the targeted competition. It is then entirely up to the investigator whether to submit a full application.

2. Full Application

The following forms and elements are required in each application. Failure to comply with these provisions will result in applications being returned without review.

All proposals must be single spaced, written in plain language, using 12-point font type with one-inch margins on standard 8.5 by 11 inch paper.

Full applications are limited to:

-35 pages. for full applications with less than 3 Principal Investigators

-40 pages, for full applications with three or more Principal Investigators

The page limit includes:

1. Title page

2. Abstract

3. Results from prior research

4. Project Narrative (including references and figures/visuals)

5. Statement on the Integration of Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

6. Data/Information Sharing Plan

7. Current and pending support

8. Budget table and Budget Narrative (submit as a separate file labeled “Budget and Budget Narrative”)

9. Vitaes

Additional required components that must be submitted with the full application, but are not subject to the above page limitations, include the following:

10. Letters of Support

11.Indirect Cost Rate Agreement

12. Federal Forms

Description of required elements and forms for all applications:

(1) Title page (One page): The title page shall identify the Principal Investigator(s) (PI) and institutional representative and clearly indicate which Competition is being addressed by name and Competition number. The title page should also include all co-PIs. If more than one investigator is listed on the title page, please identify the lead investigator.

The lead PI and institutional representative should be identified by: full name, title, organization, telephone number, email, and address. For paper submissions, the lead PI and the institutional representative must sign the title page. Please note that the institutional representative will be responsible for signing the grant if the award is successful; ensure that this individual identified will be able to do so in a timely manner.

The total amount of Federal funds being requested should be listed for each budget period on the title page. If there are several institutions submitting separate applications (i.e.

co-applicants) associated with the same project, the names of all component institutions along with their lead PI name and institutional representative, e-mails, and amount requested per year must also appear on the title page of all applications that anticipate being funded under the same project. It is recommended that all co- applications utilize the same title but list after the title “1 of 2,” “2 of 2” etc. so each application can be paired with the correct project.

(2) Abstract (One page): A one-page abstract must be included and should contain:

a) the project title; b) the name of the Competition that is being targeted (AdSci 1 or AdSci 2); c) an introduction to the problem; d) rationale; e) a brief summary of the work to be completed; and f) a paragraph describing the work’s broader impacts and relevance to the Competition that is being targeted, as well as AdSci’s overarching objectives identified in section I.A.

For multiple applications (Co-applicants) associated with the same project, the abstract must be identical in all applications. Failure to include the abstract can result in the application being denied without additional review.

(3) Results from prior research (two pages): The results of each prior research project led by the Principal Investigator(s) during the last three years relevant to the proposed effort (not limited to NOAA funding only) should be summarized in brief paragraphs. Because NOAA believes it is important that data sets developed with its support should be shared with the scientific community, PIs should also indicate how and when they have made their data accessible and usable by the community in the past. This section should not exceed two pages. For multiple applications associated with the same project (co-applicants), this section must be identical in all applications.

(4) Project Narrative (see below for length): The proposed project must be completely described and include the following elements in narrative form, including:

a) Identification of the problem. Describe the intellectual and practical challenges that the proposed work will address, and the overarching way in which this project will contribute to the advancement of adaptation and resilience.

b) Description of the proposed project. Include the goals and objectives, the proposed methodology, engagement strategies, and relevance to stakeholders and partners.

Include a clear statement of the roles and responsibilities of each applicant, including any sub-awardees.

c) Expected outcomes of the proposed project. Describe the scientific and societal contribution or advancement that this project will enable. How would this project move the understanding, implementation and/or evaluation of adaptation forward? What are the short- and long-term outcomes of this work?

d) Societal benefits of the proposed project. Describe how this work will contribute to the well-being of society, particularly in expanding the capacity of people to adapt to climate impacts. Consider expected changes in behavior, practice, policies, rules, regulations, standards, understanding, use of information, attitudes or budget allocations as a result of the proposed work. Include direct and indirect benefits to communities and students or early career professionals.

e) Relevance to the AdSci competition, and to NOAA and CSI’s long-term climate research goals (see AdSci Information Sheet on the CPO website under funding opportunities.

f) References. Proposals should provide a list of references that were cited in the project narrative.

g) Optional but encouraged: figures and other visual materials

The Project Narrative containing these elements (a)-(g) must not exceed 20 pages of text. Applications from three or more investigators may include a Project Narrative statement of work containing up to 25 pages of overall project description. For multiple applications associated with the same project, all applications (co-applicants) must have an identical Project Narrative, including a clear statement of the roles and responsibilities of each applicant.

(5) Statement on the Integration of Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (two pages):

The AdSci program encourages applicants and awardees to support the principles of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) when writing their proposals and while performing their work. Ensuring justice and equity means paying particular attention to populations most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, which are often low-income communities, historically marginalized communities, indigenous and tribal communities, 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 JEDI improves the creativity, productivity, and vitality of the communities in which the program engages.

CPO recognizes that it has a particular and unique opportunity to support NOAA’s commitment to diversity and inclusion by taking an intentional step that encourages program applicants to consider diversity and inclusion as part of their scientific projects. This action has the potential to make an impact on not only the diversity and inclusion in science at NOAA, but also beyond the agency. In this section, applicants should describe how well the proposed activity broadens the participation of underrepresented groups (e.g., gender, ethnicity, disability, geographic, etc.) including, but not limited to, how the project advances the organization or institution’s commitment to diversity and advances full participation of women, persons with disabilities, and underrepresented minorities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). If funded activities aligned with diversity and inclusion are being proposed, please include the description of those within the project narrative and budget justification. Examples could include ways in which the project will specifically: recruit or retain under-represented groups, collaborate with minority-serving institutions, foster an inclusive and safe environment, share data and/or information in ways that it is accessible to minority-serving institutions. Applicants are also encouraged to highlight past work in JEDI and the value those experiences will add to the proposal.

(6) Data/Information Sharing 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 of what the plan should contain. This section should address how information will be disseminated if it is not addressed in the project narrative.

(7) Current and pending support: For each Principal Investigator and Co-Principal Investigator(s), submit a list of all current and pending Federal support that includes project title, supporting agency with grant number, investigator months per year, dollar value, and duration. Requested values should be listed for pending support. The list of support will be included in the page limit for the proposals. For (co-applicants) multiple applications associated with the same project, each application should include identical current and pending support information for all applications.

(8) Budget Table and Narrative:

Budget Table: An itemized budget for all years and a total itemized budget must be included as a separate table that breaks down the budget per object class category. Travel must be itemized to include destination, airfare, per diem, lodging, and ground travel. At this time, the CPO NOFOs does not allow course buyouts as a budget expenditure. At this time, CPO NOFOs does not allow for federal salary as a budget expenditure as part of an application.

For multiple applications associated with the same project, the Lead Principal Investigator should include a table that displays the total budget for all partners. All partners, including the Lead Principal Investigator and any co-PIs, should include (in their individual application) a separate budget for their portion of the project.

Budget Narrative: A brief description of the expenses listed on the budget table and how they address the proposed work must be included. Item justifications must include salaries, equipment, publications, supplies, tuition, travel, etc. Investigators who will not be requesting funds for salaries must also be listed, indicating their estimated time of commitment. Purchases of equipment greater than $5000 must include a purchase versus lease justification.

Sub Awardees should provide budget breakdown information and the lead PI will provide them with their funding. Thus, the subaward budgets should be incorporated into the Lead PI institution's overall budget and narrative.

Duplicate work with different federally-funded projects, commonly referred to as "double dipping," is not permitted. As stated in the Code of Federal Regulations, specifically Subpart E- Cost Principles,2 CFR 200.430 (i)(1)(i-vii), Standards for Documentation of Personnel Expenses, "Charges to Federal awards for salaries and wages must be based on records that accurately reflect the work performed." The regulations additionally state that the work, "Reasonably reflects the total activity for which the employee is compensated by the non- Federal entity, not exceeding 100% of compensated activities."

The budget table and budget narrative should be submitted in a separate file labeled “Budget Table and Narrative”

(9) Vitaes: Abbreviated curriculum vitae are requested with each application for PIs and Co- PIs. Reference lists should be limited to all relevant publications in the last three years with up to five other relevant papers. For multiple applications (co-applicants) associated with the same project, each application should include identical vitae for all applications.

Reminder: The following required components (10-12) are not included in the page limits noted above, and should be submitted as separate files.

(10) Letters of Support: Letters of Support are not required. However, up to 10 letters may be submitted and can be used to supplement information included in the Full Proposal, and they will be taken into consideration when evaluating the proposal if submitted as part of the application. When collecting letters of support, applicants should prioritize partners whose terms of engagement and participation are already well developed or in the process of developing. Potential partners or partners at the very early stages of engagement should be described in the narrative as part of the proposal's engagement strategy.

(11) Indirect Costs: A copy of the institution’s current Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (IDCRA) must be included. Each applicant and co-applicant must include a copy of their institution’s current IDCRA. The full proposal and IDCRA should be put into one electronic file. To obtain an indirect cost rate if your institution does not already have one, an applicant must submit an indirect cost proposal to its cognizant agency and negotiate an indirect cost agreement. If an applicant has not previously (ever) established an indirect cost rate with a Federal agency they may choose to negotiate a rate with the Department of Commerce or use the de minimis indirect cost rate of 10% of MTDC (as allowable under 2C.F.R. 200.414).

(12) Federal Budget Forms: The Federal Budget Forms (SF424, SF424A, SF424B, CD511) and other mandated forms are required for all non-federal applicants, including all non- federal co-applicants and sub-awardees.

Sub awardees need to submit to the lead PI their own federal forms (SF424 and SF424a) so they can be included in the application.

Budget numbers corresponding with the descriptions contained in the budget narrative and budget table must be included. In addition to including the total budget on the SF424, the application must include the total budget and budgets for years 1, 2, and 3 in separate columns in Section B on page 1 on the SF424A.

(Note that this revised 424A Section B format is a NOAA requirement that is not reflected in the Instructions for the SF 424A). All budget items need to be rounded up to the nearest dollar to avoid discrepancies.

For ALL non-federal applicants including for multiple applications associated with the same project, each application requesting funding from NOAA needs to complete the Federal Budget Forms (SF424, SF424A, SF424B, CD511) for their specific institution.

SF-424B: Assurances – Non-Construction Programs - The SF-424B is required for all applicants that have not updated their System for Award Management (SAM.gov) entity registration since February 2, 2019 to include the Federal financial assistance certifications and representations (certs and reps). If an applicant has updated their SAM.gov entity registration since February 2, 2019 to include the certifications and representations, then the SF-424B is not required.

Reminder: These Federal Forms should be submitted as separate files and are not included in the page count.

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Questionnaire: This program does not require any NEPA questions to be answered as part of the application.

Additional information related to sub awards, Co-applicants and first time applicants can be found below:

For Sub Awardees: Sub Awardees should not submit a separate application. However, subwards still need to submit to the lead PI their own federal forms (SF424 and SF424a) and budget breakdown information and the lead PI will provide them with their funding. The subaward budgets should be incorporated into the Lead PI institution's overall budget and narrative.

For Co-applicants (several institutions submitting separate applications associated with the same project): All of the above items 1-11 are required however, additional context is given here for what items should be identical for all co-applicants. All sections except for “budget table and narrative” should be identical, as detailed below.

*Title Page: The total amount of Federal funds being requested should be listed for each budget period. If there are several institutions submitting separate applications (i.e. Co-applicants) associated with the same project, the names of all component institutions along with their lead PI name, e-mail, and amount requested per year must also appear on the title page of all applications that anticipate being funded under the same project. It is recommended that all co-applications utilize the same title but list after the title “1 of 1,” “2 of 2” etc. so each application can be paired with the correct project.

*Abstract: For multiple applications (Co-applicants) associated with the same project, the abstract must be identical in all applications. Failure to include the abstract can result in the application being denied without additional review.

*Project Narrative: For multiple applications associated with the same project, all applications (Co-applicants) must have an identical Project Narrative, including a clear statement of the roles and responsibilities of each applicant.

*Statement on the Integration of Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion: For (Co-applicants) multiple applications associated with the same project, each application should include an identical Statement of Diversity and Inclusion.

*Data/Information Sharing Plan: For (Co-applicants) multiple applications associated with the same project, each application should include an identical data/information sharing plan.

*Current and Pending Support: For (Co-applicants) multiple applications associated with the same project, each application should include identical current and pending support information for all applications.

*Budget table: For multiple applications associated with the same project, the Lead Principal Investigator should include a table that displays the total budget for all partners. All partners, including the Lead Principal Investigator and any co-PIs, should include (in their individual application) a separate budget narrative for their portion of the project.

*Budget Narrative: For multiple applications associated with the same project, each application should include a budget narrative aligned with their individual portion of the budget.

*Vitae: For multiple applications (Co-applicants) associated with the same project, each application should include identical vitae for all applications.

*Federal Budget Forms: The Federal Budget Forms (SF424, SF424A, SF424B, CD511) and other mandated forms should be completed by each institution and are required for all non-federal applicants, including all non-federal co-applicants and sub awardees.

For First time applicants:

-Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)

*Excerpt 2 CFR 200 Appendix I.D.3: Each applicant (unless the applicant is an individual or Federal awarding agency that is excepted 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.

*In order to submit an application through Grants.gov, an applicant must register for a Grants.gov user ID and password.

*Note that this process can take between three to five business days or as long as four weeks if all steps are not completed correctly.

*To avoid delays, applicants are strongly encouraged to start early and not wait until the approaching application deadline before registering, logging in, reviewing the application instructions, and applying.

*Information about the Grants.gov registration process for organizations can be found at http://grants.gov/applicants/organization_registration.jsp.

*INDIRECT COST RATE - If an applicant has not previously established an indirect cost rate with a Federal agency they may choose to negotiate a rate with the Department of Commerce or use the de minimis indirect cost rate of 10% of MTDC (as allowable under 2 C.F.R. §200.414). The negotiation and approval of a rate is subject to the procedures required by NOAA and the Department of Commerce Standard Terms and Conditions.

*The NOAA contact for indirect or facilities and administrative costs is: Michele Mazzocchetti, NOAA Grants Management Division, 1325 East-West Highway, 11th Floor, Silver Spring, MD 20912 or michele.mazzocchetti@noaa.gov.

-Utilize the attached checklist on Grants.gov to assist you in submitting your application.

Additional Required Materials for all applications (but excluded from the page limit):

-Negotiated indirect cost rate agreement (NICRA)

-Federal Forms: SF424, SF424A, SF424B, CD511 and other mandated forms

Additional Optional Materials:

-Associated figures (included in the page limit)

-Letters of support (not included in the page limit)

Letters of Support are not required but may be used to supplement information included in the Full Proposal. If submitted as part of the application, they will be taken into consideration when evaluating the proposal.

-For example, unfunded collaborations should be documented in the body of the Full Proposal (the sections included in page count), and a Letter of Support from the unfunded collaborator could be included as a supplement.

-In another example, if the proposal includes key stakeholders or users, this should be documented in the Full Proposal, and a supplementary letter of support could be included to convey the value of the project to the stakeholder or user. Please see the AdSco Information Sheet for further competition-specific instructions.

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

Excerpt 2 CFR 200 Appendix I.D.3: Each applicant (unless the applicant is an individual or Federal awarding agency that is excepted 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.?

In order to submit an application through Grants.gov, an applicant must register for a Grants.gov user ID and password. Note that this process can take between three to five business days or as long as four weeks if all steps are not completed correctly. To avoid delays, applicants are strongly encouraged to start early and not wait until the approaching application deadline before registering, logging in, reviewing the application instructions, and applying. ?

Information about the Grants.gov registration process for organizations can be found at http://grants.gov/applicants/organization_registration.jsp.?

Please note that organizations already registered with Grants.gov do not need to re-register; however, all registered organizations must keep their Grants.gov password and SAM database (which now incorporates CCR) registration up-to-date or their applications will not be accepted by Grants.gov. Note that your CCR username will not work in SAM.

You must create a new SAM user account to renew or update your registration. Registration on SAM is a requirement. To obtain additional information and to verify that all required registrations are current, please visit www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM.?

If you experience a Grants.gov systems issue (technical problems or glitches with the Grants.gov website) that you believe threatens your ability to complete a submission before the application deadline, please do all of the following:?

*Print any error message received?

*Call the Grants.gov Contact Center at 1-800-518-4726 for immediate assistance?

*Contact NOAA using the contact information in section VIII. of this NOFO prior to the close of the competition?

*Ensure that you obtain a case number regarding your communications with Grants.gov?

In the event of a confirmed systems issue, NOAA reserves the right to accept an application in an alternate format prior to the application deadline. Problems with an applicant organization’s computer system or equipment are not considered systems issues.

Similarly, an applicant’s failure to do the following are not considered systems issues:?

*Complete the required registration?

*Ensure that a registered Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) submits the application?

*Read an email message with guidance from Grants.gov?

D. Submission Dates and Times

Letters of intent (LOIs) should be received via Google Form (https://forms.gle/X8Cfvh8feMLuWtdQA), which is also linked in the Adaptation Sciences FY24 Information Sheet, by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on December 26th, 2023. If an applicant is unable to utilize this form for technical reasons, LOIs should be received via email by the Competition Manager, Lisa Vaughan (Lisa.Vaughan@noaa.gov) with a copy to noaa.adaptation.sciences@noaa.gov by the same deadline.

Full applications for all competitions must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, on

March 20th, 2024. Applications received after this time will not be considered for funding.

Applications must be submitted via http://www.grants.gov. For applications submitted through grants.gov, the basis for determining timeliness is the receipt notice issued by http://www.grants.gov, which includes the date and time received. Emailed or faxed copies of applications will not be accepted.

E. Intergovernmental Review

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

F. Funding Restrictions

Fees and profits are not permitted.

G. Other Submission Requirements

All applications should be submitted through grants.gov. If an applicant does not have Internet access, CPO Grants Manager Diane Brown should be contacted by mail at: NOAA Climate Program Office (R/CP1), SSMC3, Room 12734, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910 for hard copy submission instructions.?

V. Application Review Information

A. Evaluation Criteria

1. Importance/Relevance and Applicability of Application to the Program Goals (Technical/Scientific Merit Review Weight= 0%) (Relevance Review Weight = 100%) (Final Weight=40%)

This criterion ascertains whether there is intrinsic value in the proposed work and/or relevance to NOAA, federal, regional, international, state, tribal, indigenous or local activities. This includes importance and relevance to the CSI program objectives in Sections I.A and I.B; the Statement of Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) described in Section IV.B (5); the PI’s record of making their data accessible and usable in the past, and procedures described in Section IV.B (6) will also be considered when evaluating the importance and relevance of the application.

2. Technical/Scientific Merit (Technical Review Weight= 70%) (Relevance Review Weight = 0%) (Final Weight=42%)

This criterion assesses whether the approach is technically sound and/or innovative, if the methods are appropriate, and whether the goals of the AdSci Competitions will be realized through clear project goals and objectives.

3. Overall Qualifications of Applicants (Technical/Scientific Review Weight =20%) (Relevance Review Weight = 0%) (Final Weight=12%)

This criterion assesses whether the applicant team possesses the necessary education, experience, training, facilities, and/or administrative resources to accomplish the project.

4. Project Costs (Technical/Scientific Merit Weight = 10%) (Relevance Review Weight = 0%) (Final Weight =6 %) This criterion evaluates the budget to determine if it is realistic and commensurate with the project needs and time frame.

B. Review and Selection Process

Once a full application has been received, an administrative review will first be conducted to determine compliance with requirements and completeness of the application.

Each competition will be evaluated separately based on criteria provided in section V.A. For each FY24 AdSci competition, proposals will be reviewed by a panel of experts who will score them for technical/scientific merit and relevance. Panels may consider independent peer mail reviews and panelists may consist of both Federal and/or non-Federal experts.

Panels will not give consensus advice. We protect the identities of reviewers to the extent permitted by law.

The technical and relevance scoring is done as part of the same panel review with final ranking based on a combined technical/relevance score for each proposal. Proposals with a final score below 3.0 (out of a possible high score of 5) will not be considered for funding.

Each technical/scientific reviewer will provide one score for each of three criteria:

technical/scientific merit, overall qualifications of applicants, and project costs for each application. The scores from the technical/scientific reviewers for each application will be combined using the weighting averages to produce a single numerical score. Each relevance reviewer will provide one score.

If a mail review and a panel review are both conducted as part of the evaluation, the mail reviews will be provided to the review panel for use in its deliberations prior to providing its ratings, but the…