NOAA-OAR-OAP-2025-28702.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 Ocean Acidification Program (OAP) Funding Opportunity Title FY25 Ocean Acidification Coastal Research: Uniting Investigations and Shipboard Experiments (OA CRUISE) Announcement Type Competitive Funding Opportunity Number

NOAA-OAR-OAP-2025-28702

Assistance Listing Number(s) 11.017 Dates Informational webinar 10/25/24: An informational webinar will be held on October 25, 2025 at 1:00 pm ET. Please register for the webinar here:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8739403744065631317.

Full proposals due 11:59 pm ET, 1/31/25: Full proposals must be received and validated by Grants.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on January 31, 2025. Applications received after the deadline will not be considered. When developing your submission timeline, keep in mind the following information necessary to submit an application on Grants.gov: (1) a free annual registration process in the electronic System for Award Management (SAM) may take between three and five business days or as long as several weeks, as described in Section IV.G. of this Announcement, (2) required institution registration with eRA commons may take up to 4 weeks, and (3) if you submit an application via Grants.gov, you will receive a series of email notifications for up to two business days before learning via validation or rejection whether NOAA has received your application. If use of Grants.gov is not feasible, contact the NOAA OAP Program Manager (see Section VII for contact information) as soon as possible and no later than two weeks before the due date to assess whether alternative arrangements can be made.

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8739403744065631317 https://grants.gov https://SAM.gov https://grants.gov https://grants.gov

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Funding Opportunity Description NOAA’s Ocean Acidification Program (OAP) is soliciting proposals to complement core observing activities on its upcoming East Coast Ocean Acidification Cruise (ECOA-4), which targets U.S. Coastal Large Marine Ecosystems on the North American East Coast from the Scotian Shelf to the port of Miami, extending from shore to beyond the shelf break. The proposed activities should expand the ocean acidification (OA)-focused observational and experimental capabilities of this repeated quadrennial oceanographic research cruise to better achieve the strategic aims of the program. Projects should complement the existing Level 1 capabilities of the ECOA-4 cruise by fulfilling Level 2 and/or Level 3 priorities outlined in the OA Cruise Science Priority Guidance document (https://bit.ly/OAP_NOFO2023).

Proposals should demonstrate how their proposed efforts, in concert with the planned Level 1 core activities on ECOA-4, would address regionally relevant objectives in the NOAA Ocean, Coastal, and Great Lakes Research Plan: 2020-2029.

Subject to the availability of funding, the OAP anticipates approximately $350,000 will be available to support approximately 1-3 projects total, with each project funded at $100,000 - $250,000 total. This document sets out requirements for submitting to this opportunity. For additional guidance and tips on how best to prepare an application, please contact the program managers listed in section VII.

This funding opportunity is being released in tandem with a non-grant opportunity to sail on the ECOA-4 cruise. The opportunity, “Non-Grant Access to ECOA-4” will provide awardees with berth space, lab space, and sampling opportunities aboard the ECOA-4 cruise without a monetary award. The application process will require a 2-page description of the project along with logistical information regarding equipment needs, lab space and water needs, berth space requests, and others. Those interested in applying for space on ECOA-4 without receiving funding can contact the program managers listed in section VII.

Full Text of Announcement I. Funding Opportunity Description A. Program Objective The NOAA Ocean Acidification Program (OAP) was established by the Federal Ocean Acidification Research and Monitoring (FOARAM) Act of 2009. Ocean acidification (OA) is the ongoing change in ocean chemistry in response to the ocean’s uptake of increasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The OAP coordinates OA research, monitoring, and other activities to improve our understanding of how ocean chemistry is changing, what are the primary regional drivers of that change, what impacts these changes are having on marine organisms, and what risk these changes may pose to U.S. marine-dependent communities and economies. As part of its responsibilities, the OAP provides grants for research projects that explore OA effects on marine organisms and ecosystems, and the socioeconomic impacts that can lead to potential adaptive strategies within US waters.

OAP is soliciting proposals for field projects that complement the core activities of the East Coast Ocean Acidification cruise anticipated for summer 2026 (ECOA-4). Projects should specifically address Level 2 and/or Level 3 requirements detailed in the OA Cruise Science Priority Guidance document. Project activities should be coordinated with other cruise activities to achieve long-term monitoring goals of repeated coastal OA cruises, including to:

• Better understand changes in inorganic carbon dynamics due to anthropogenic carbon inputs and natural changes in coastal U.S. Large Marine Ecosystems, and

• Identify and track marine biological metrics attributable to acidification conditions.

https://bit.ly/OAP_NOFO2023

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Particular emphasis should be placed on metrics that best inform our understanding of changes in the marine biological carbon pump or OA impacts on regionally important fisheries. Research efforts should adhere to the community best-practices to ensure data can be used to determine the patterns and evolution of OA conditions in coastal waters.

Please note that the Level 1 requirements are being funded separately from this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).

Guiding Documents:

In addition to the FOARAM Act and state legislation, several national and regional reports and products can provide background information on OA research and strategies and rationale for this NOFO:

• NOAA Ocean, Coastal, and Great Lakes Research Plan: 2020-2029:

https://oceanacidification.noaa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/ResearchPlan2020- 2029_comp.pdf

• OA Cruise Science Priority Guidance: https://bit.ly/OAP_NOFO2023

• Link to OA Cruise information page: https://oceanacidification.noaa.gov/ocean-acidification-research-cruises/

B. Program Priorities Projects must achieve Level 2 and/or Level 3 activities as outlined in the OA Cruise Science Priority Guidance document. Additionally, projects must address at least one of the priorities listed below:

• Expand observational and experimental capabilities of repeated OA research cruises to better achieve the strategic aims of the program.

• Address at least one priority research theme in the NOAA Ocean, Coastal, and Great Lakes Research Plan: 2020-2029.

Additionally, projects must fit within the operational and logistical configurations of repeated OA research cruises, which are detailed in the following two paragraphs.

The ECOA-4 cruise will be executed on a NOAA research vessel similar to the NOAA ship Henry B. Bigelow with an at-sea operational endurance of approximately 40 days. The primary operations of this cruise consist of a series of sampling transects extending from nearshore and estuarine waters to beyond the shelf break for intercomparison with GO-SHIP surveys. Along these transects, CTD/Niskin casts are performed at approximately 200 stations to document the core biogeochemical properties at each station. Proposed projects should nest inside this operational configuration but may request special augmentations as necessary (e.g. a limited set of selected stations could be targeted for diel measurements).

Ultimately, any selected projects will need to work within the time, lab-space, water budgeting, and ship capability constraints as determined by the OAP field operations manager and cruise lead scientists.

The ECOA-4 cruise is anticipated to be executed between May and September of 2026 for approximately 40 days, running between Nova Scotia, Canada, and Miami, Florida, USA. The exact timing, duration, and direction of the cruise track are subject to change pending vessel availability. The cruise will be led by scientists selected through a separate funding opportunity. It is anticipated that the ship will be equipped with atmospheric and oceanographic instruments, underway carbon sensors, dry and wet labs, deck space for laboratory vans, and winch and A-frame capability. Further information about recent ECOA cruises can be found here: https://oceanacidification.noaa.gov/ocean-acidification-research-cruises/.

https://oceanacidification.noaa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/ResearchPlan2020-2029_comp.pdf https://oceanacidification.noaa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/ResearchPlan2020-2029_comp.pdf https://bit.ly/OAP_NOFO2023 https://oceanacidification.noaa.gov/ocean-acidification-research-cruises/ https://oceanacidification.noaa.gov/ocean-acidification-research-cruises/ https://oceanacidification.noaa.gov/ocean-acidification-research-cruises/ https://oceanacidification.noaa.gov/ocean-acidification-research-cruises/

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The OAP works to establish a culture of professionalism and respect through violence prevention and response. All cruise participants will be required to undergo Sexual Assault and Sexual Harrassment (SASH) training and OAP will provide a dedicated SASH liaison on board each cruise. Please find more about NOAA’s Workplace Violence Prevention and Response Program here: https://www.noaa.gov/workplace-violence-prevention-response-program See section VI.B.12 below for the NOAA Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Prevention and Response Policy.

C. Program Authority The Ocean Acidification Program was established by the Federal Ocean Acidification Research and Monitoring (FOARAM) Act Act 33 U.S.C. 3701-3708.

II. Award Information A. Funding Availability Subject to the availability of funding, it is anticipated that approximately $350,000 will be available to support approximately 1-3 projects total, with each project funded at $100,000 - $250,000 total. Each project should not exceed three years in duration.

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 costs 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 costs if this program fails to receive full funding.

B. Project/Award Period Applicants may submit proposals for projects up to 3 years in duration that are anticipated to begin September 1, 2025. Each project should include pre-cruise planning, cruise execution, and post-cruise data analysis and archival.

Subsequent funding is contingent on the availability of out-year appropriations and performance under the current award. Pre-award spending may be authorized 90 days prior to the start date of the award with approval from the program manager and the NOAA grants officer.

C. Type of Funding Instrument Successful proposals will be funded through a cooperative agreement, therefore NOAA will be substantially involved by, for example, coordinating partners and teams to accomplish the work; assisting with technical aspects of the project; and/or coordinating access to Federal operational entities, data or facilities needed to support the work. Funding for contractual arrangements for services or products for delivery to NOAA is not available under this notice.

III. Eligibility Information A. Eligible Applicants https://www.noaa.gov/workplace-violence-prevention-response-program https://www.noaa.gov/workplace-violence-prevention-response-program

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Eligible applicants for this competition are institutions of higher education, nonprofit and for-profit organizations, and federal, state, local, and tribal governments. Foreign institutions may not be the primary recipient of awards under this announcement. Applications from non-Federal and Federal applicants will be competed against each other. Proposals selected for funding from non-Federal applicants will be funded through a cooperative agreement as described above in section II. C. of this notice. Proposals selected for funding from NOAA scientists shall be distributed by an intra-agency fund transfer. Proposals selected for funding from a non-NOAA Federal agency will be funded through an inter-agency transfer.

PLEASE NOTE: Before non-NOAA Federal applicants may be funded, they must demonstrate that they have legal authority to receive funds from another Federal agency in excess of their appropriation. Because this announcement is not proposing to procure goods or services from applicants, the Economy Act (31 USC 1535) is not an appropriate legal basis.

If an applicant has a partner(s) who would receive funds, the lead grantee will be expected to use subawards or subcontracts or other appropriate mechanisms to provide funds to the partner(s).

B. Cost Share or Matching Requirement There is no requirement for cost sharing.

The OAP appreciates that applicants may seek additional support (in-kind or cash) for projects. While a cost share of funding is not required, applicants are requested to provide a description of complementary funding and in-kind contributions from project partners if applicable.

C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility The OAP Field Operations Manager listed below will evaluate if a project is feasible given the limitations of the cruise vessel (ie: berthing space, water budget, vessel capacity etc.). Only projects deemed feasible will be eligible to be forwarded for review. Please reach out to the Field Operations Manager in advance of submission if you have questions about whether your project will be eligible.

It is the applicant's responsibility to obtain all necessary Federal, state and local government permits and approvals where necessary for the proposed work to be conducted. Applicants are expected to design their proposals so that they minimize the potential adverse impact on the environment. If applicable, documentation of requests or approvals of environmental permits must be received by the Program Manager prior to funding. Applications will be reviewed to ensure that they have sufficient environmental documentation to allow program staff to determine whether the proposal is categorically excluded from further National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis, or whether an Environmental Assessment is necessary in conformance with requirements of the NEPA. For those applications needing an Environmental Assessment, affected applicants will be informed after the peer review stage;

and will be requested to assist in the preparation of a draft of the assessment (prior to award). Failure to apply for and/or obtain Federal, state, and local permits, approvals, letters of agreement, or failure to provide environmental analysis where necessary (e.g. NEPA environmental assessment) will also delay the award of funds if a project is otherwise selected for funding.

IV. Application and Submission Information A. Address to Request Application Package

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This solicitation, complete application packages (including required Federal forms) with instructions and the address for submission can be found at www.grants.gov, or by contacting Liza Wright-Fairbanks (liza.wright-fairbanks@noaa.gov). If an eligible applicant does not have access to the internet, please contact the agency contacts listed in Section VII for submission instructions. Visit the Resources for Applicants and Grantees section of OAP's website for a New Application Process Guide created by NOAA Fisheries, partially summarized below.

The Department of Commerce has transitioned their grants management system from Grants Online to eRA Commons. This change requires updates to an organization’s application submission process. Any grant application submitted to a Notice of Funding Opportunity in Grants.gov after January 1, 2024 must register for the systems below if the applicant’s organization does not already have an active account.

System Registrations: Applicant organizations must complete and maintain three registrations to be eligible to apply for or receive an award. Check with your organization prior to applying to determine if the organization already has active accounts in the systems listed below. All registrations must be completed prior to the application being submitted.

The complete registration process for all three systems can take 4-6 weeks, so applicants should begin activity as soon as possible. If an eligible applicant does not have access to the internet or other technical issues prevent electronic submission, please contact the Agency Contacts listed in the Notice of Funding Opportunity to enable submission prior to the deadline. Registration for all three systems is free.

1. SAM.gov: Prior to registering with eRA Commons, applicant organizations must first register in SAM.gov to obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). The username and password for SAM.gov are managed by Login.gov. Registration can take 2+ weeks and requires renewal annually. Registration guidance can be accessed here.

2. eRA Commons: Prior to submitting in Grants.gov, applicant organizations must first register in eRA Commons. The eRA registration can start while an organization is waiting for their final SAM.gov approval of their UEI. However, the organization must have a complete SAM.gov registration in order to submit the final application.

Registration can take up to 4 weeks. eRA Commons registration must be completed by the organization’s Signing Official (SO). An SO is someone in the organization with signatory authority, such as a President, Executive Director, Owner, etc. In addition, a Project Director/Principal Investigator account must be created and linked on the SF- 424 for a successful submission. Registration guidance can be accessed here. For eRA Commons questions, contact the eRA Service Desk toll-free at (866) 504-9552 or

(301) 402-7469. The eRA Service Desk hours of operation are Monday – Friday 7AM to 8PM Eastern Time (closed on federal holidays).

3. Grants.gov: In order to submit an application, applicant organizations must be registered in Grants.gov. Organizations must register after receiving the UEI from SAM.gov. Registration can take 2-4 weeks. Registration guidance can be accessed here.

Submission Checks:

When an application is submitted in Grants.gov, it will undergo two layers of checks. This is a new process with the transition to eRA Commons.

• First check - Grants.gov: Grants.gov will check for an on-time submission and attachments uploaded for each required form in the application package. If your application is successfully submitted in Grants.gov, you will receive a Grants.gov tracking number.

https://www.grants.gov (alexandra.puritz@noaa.gov https://oceanacidification.noaa.gov/funding-opportunities/resources-for-applicants-and-grantees/ https://oceanacidification.noaa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/NOAA-Fisheries-NEW-Application-Process.pdf https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration https://www.era.nih.gov/register-accounts/register-in-era-commons.htm https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration

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• Second check - eRA Commons: eRA Commons will check for ERRORS and WARNINGS (elements of the application that need to be resolved and resubmitted - such as file formatting or role information). Therefore, a Grants.gov tracking number alone does not verify a successful submission. You must resolve any ERRORS listed and resubmit in Grants.gov prior to the due date in order for NOAA to receive your application for processing. Applicants cannot consider their application fully received by the agency until they receive an email from eRA Commons confirming application receipt in addition to the Grants.gov tracking number.

In addition to Grants.gov, this announcement will also be available by contacting the program official identified in Section VII. Please refer to important information in Submission Dates and Times (Section IV.D.) to help ensure your application is received on time.

B. Content and Form of Application This section provides an overview of the Required Proposal Elements (and where to locate them). Applications must adhere to the provisions under "Required Proposal 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. All required proposal elements should be single spaced in 12-point font with 1-inch margins.

The submitting applicant should redact all Personally Identifiable Information (PII) in the application materials prior to final submission to grants.gov. PII that should be redacted from the application 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.

Required Proposal Elements: A full proposal application must include the following elements:

1. Project Narrative. The Project Narrative must include the following documents:

• Project Description: Include all elements below. The total number of pages should not exceed 7. Excess pages will not be included in the review.

o Cover page (1 page): Include the project title; names, titles, affiliations, and contact information (email and phone) of co-PIs; and a budget overview including the total project cost and annual breakdown of requested funding by partner.

o Project abstract (250 words): Provide a concise summary of the proposed project.

o Project background (½ page): Explain the specific problem(s) this project seeks to address and justify its importance as well as its relevance to the level 2 and level 3 activities listed in the OA Cruise Science Priority Guidance.

o Project objectives (½ page): Provide a list of clearly defined objectives. For each objective, provide a concise statement explaining how it is aligned with the goals and priorities of this funding opportunity. How will these objectives, in concert with the other cruise data, advance broader regional objectives as detailed in the NOAA Ocean, Coastal, and Great Lakes Acidification Research Plan and better inform our assessment of regional vulnerability to acidification?

https://oceanacidification.noaa.gov/sites/oap-redesign/Documents/Funding%20Opps/OA%20Cruise%20Science%20Priority%20Guidance.pdf?ver=2023-05-04-100350-237&timestamp=1683565678207

NOAA NOFO Page 8 of 22 o Project details (2 ½ pages): Provide an explanation of the methods you will use to address your project objectives. Provide details on what is required to complete the proposed project, including but not limited to: berth space, ship capabilities, laboratory bench space, dedicated ship maneuvers, small boat operations, freezer space, HAZMAT storage or disposal, A-frame or winch needs, equipment deployment, and/or the amount of water needed from each CTD cast.

o Anticipated milestones and deliverables (1 page): What are the expected milestones and deliverables that will mark the project’s progress? Please provide a timeline for accomplishing the proposed milestones and deliverables, which spans the entire duration of the project, including the release of deliverables.

o Outreach plan (½ page): Describe how you will be able to engage with or support cruise outreach efforts spearheaded by NOAA OAP. The OAP strives to have dedicated outreach personnel onboard for the duration of the cruise.

Please note if you will be able to work with them to achieve cruise outreach goals, including photography, videography, interviews, and project summaries for a public audience. Also note if you have additional outreach opportunities which you would like to pursue as part of this project.

o Diversity statement (½ page): The OAP 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 applicants to consider diversity and inclusion as part of their scientific projects. In this section, describe how the proposed activity broadens the participation of underrepresented groups (e.g., race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, geography, etc.)

and how these groups are given a voice in the community of practice.

Examples could include (but are not limited to) the full participation of women, persons with disabilities, and underrepresented minorities in conducting this work or benefitting from its outcomes. Applicants are encouraged to review the resources and best practices compiled by NSGO related to diversity, equity and inclusion:

https://seagrant.noaa.gov/insideseagrant/Implementation/Network- Visioning/DiversityInclusion

• Project supplemental materials (all components are required except the letters of support):

o Works cited (no page limit): All in-text citations should be listed here.

o Curriculum vitae (CV) for each co-PI: Each person’s CV should not be longer than 2 pages. Excess pages will not be included in the review.

o Current and pending support: Describe any current or pending sources of support for each co-PI.

o Letters of support: Letters of support are optional and can be included here.

• Required Environmental Compliance materials: Include all of the information referenced in Section VI.B (NEPA) below as well as copies of existing permits. If permits have not yet been secured but are necessary for the proposed work, please provide a clear timeline for securing these permits. The timeline should clearly indicate: 1) relevant permitting authorities, 2) information required to secure a permit, 3) when permit applications will be submitted and 4) how long permitting generally takes (estimate only). Answers to the NOAA NEPA questionnaire are not required for this solicitation.

https://seagrant.noaa.gov/insideseagrant/Implementation/Network-Visioning/DiversityInclusion https://seagrant.noaa.gov/insideseagrant/Implementation/Network-Visioning/DiversityInclusion

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• Data Management Plan (not to exceed 2 pages): All applications must include a Data Management Plan that is compliant with NOAA’s Public Access to Research Results Plan (https://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/parr.html). The Data Management Plan should include descriptions of the types of metadata and data expected to be created during the course of the project, plans for disseminating the metadata and data to the broader community, and plans for long-term archiving of the metadata and data. The National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) serves as the data management focal point for the NOAA Ocean Acidification Program (https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/ocean-carbon-acidification-data-system), and all data resulting from proposals selected for funding must be archived and accessible through NCEI. Post-cruise data reduction, quality control, and coordination/sharing with other cruise participants should be performed within 12 months of cruise execution, with submission to NCEI OCADS no later than 2 years from collection in accordance with NOAA data management standards.

2. Budget Narrative: Applications must include a detailed budget narrative to support all proposed budget categories for each fiscal year of the proposed project. An applicant requesting funds for indirect costs in its proposal budget that has a current Federally approved rate should submit documentation of the indirect cost rate agreement as an attachment to its application submission. An applicant without a Federally approved rate should refer to Section IV.B. of this Announcement regarding options.

3. Standard forms: In addition to the documents required above, standard Federal Forms and Assurances are required for the overall application and can be found with the application package on Grants.gov (links found below). These include:

• SF-424 Form (Grants.gov, OMB Control No. 4040-0004) This form, titled “Application for Federal Assistance,” must identify the entire funding period, as well as the federal funding amount being requested by the applicant and the non-federal matching fund amount. The form must be completed with the institution’s accurate EIN and DUNS and Point of Contact, and signed by the institution’s authorized representative or designee.

• SF-424A Form (Grants.gov, OMB Control No. 4040-0006): This form, titled “Budget Information - Non-Construction Programs,” should describe the entire funding period in federal and non-federal dollars, for the entire application. Fill out Section B of this SF-424A form to show the overall budget breakdown by object class by year. Each federal and match year should have its own column. If there is insufficient space, an additional SF-424A Form, Extra Section B should be used (see below).

• SF-424B Assurances (Grants.gov, OMB Control No. 4040-0007): The form, titled “Assurances – Non-Construction Programs,” should be completed and signed by the institution's authorized representative or designee.

• CD-511 (Grants.gov, US Department of Commerce): The form, titled “Certification Regarding Lobbying,” should be completed and signed by the institution’s authorized representative or designee. In some instances, the SF-LLL Disclosure of Lobbying Activities form may also be required. See the instructions on the CD-511 for further information.

• SF-LLL (Grants.gov, OMB Control No. 0348-0046) if applicable: The form, titled “Disclosure of Lobbying Activities,” should be completed and signed by the institution’s authorized representative or designee, if appropriate.

4. Cruise logistics: Fill in the information requested in the OA Cruise Proposal Logistical Requests spreadsheet: https://oceanacidification.noaa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/OA- Cruise-Proposal-Logistical-Requests.xlsx. If a certain box in the spreadsheet does not apply to the proposed work, fill it in with “n/a”. This document is not included in any page limits.

https://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/parr.html https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/ocean-carbon-acidification-data-system https://oceanacidification.noaa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/OA-Cruise-Proposal-Logistical-Requests.xlsx https://oceanacidification.noaa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/OA-Cruise-Proposal-Logistical-Requests.xlsx

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Application format and assembly: Applications submitted via Grants.gov should follow the format guidelines below:

• Follow the instructions found on the Grants.gov website for application submission into the Grants.gov system. All required forms that do not have specific placeholders in the Mandatory Document box must be submitted in the Optional Form box as Other Attachments and labeled with the document name: i.e. budget narrative, project description, milestone chart etc.

• Save your completed application package with two different names before submission to avoid having to re-create the package should you experience submission problems. If you experience submission problems that may result in your application being late, send an email to support@grants.gov and call the Grants.gov help desk. Their phone number is posted on the Grants.gov website. The Program Manager associated with the Notice of Funding Opportunity will use programmatic discretion in accepting applications due to documented electronic submission problems.

Please note: If more than one submission of an application is performed, the last application submitted before the due date and time will be the official version.

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.

C. Unique entity identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) 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 unique entity identifier 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 here. 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 SAM.gov. An institution registration with eRA Commons is also required and may take up to 4 weeks (see below for additional guidance).

https://sam.gov/content/home

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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 registrations (including: eRA commons, SAM, Grants.gov)

The Department of Commerce has transitioned their grants management system from Grants Online to eRA Commons. This change requires updates to an organization’s application submission process. Any grant application submitted to a Notice of Funding Opportunity in Grants.gov after January 1, 2024 must register for the systems below if the applicant’s organization does not already have an active account.

System Registrations: Applicant organizations must complete and maintain three registrations to be eligible to apply for or receive an award. Check with your organization prior to applying to determine if the organization already has active accounts in the systems listed below. All registrations must be completed prior to the application being submitted.

The complete registration process for all three systems can take 4-6 weeks, so applicants should begin activity as soon as possible. If an eligible applicant does not have access to the internet or other technical issues prevent electronic submission, please contact the Agency Contacts listed in the Notice of Funding Opportunity to enable submission prior to the deadline. Registration for all three systems is free.

1. SAM.gov: Prior to registering with eRA Commons, applicant organizations must first register in SAM.gov to obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). The username and password for SAM.gov are managed by Login.gov. Registration can take 2+ weeks and requires renewal annually. Registration guidance can be accessed here.

2. Grants.gov: In order to submit an application, applicant organizations must be registered in Grants.gov. Organizations must register after receiving the UEI from SAM.gov, but can register before or after registering in eRA Commons. Registration can take 2-4 weeks. Registration guidance can be accessed here.

3. eRA Commons: Prior to submitting in Grants.gov, applicant organizations must first register in eRA Commons. The eRA registration can start while an organization is waiting for their final SAM.gov approval of their UEI. However, the organization must have a complete SAM.gov registration in order to submit the final application.

Registration can take up to 4 weeks. eRA Commons registration must be completed by the organization’s Signing Official (SO). An SO is someone in the organization with signatory authority, such as a President, Executive Director, Owner, etc. In addition, a Project Director/Principal Investigator account must be created and linked on the SF- 424 for a successful submission. Registration guidance can be accessed here. For eRA Commons questions, contact the eRA Service Desk toll free at (866) 504-9552 or

(301) 402-7469. The eRA Service Desk hours of operation are Monday – Friday 7AM to 8PM Eastern Time (closed on federal holidays).

https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration https://www.era.nih.gov/register-accounts/register-in-era-commons.htm

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Submission Checks:

When an application is submitted in Grants.gov, it will undergo two layers of checks. This is a new process with the transition to eRA Commons.

• First check - Grants.gov: Grants.gov will check for an on-time submission and attachments uploaded for each required form in the application package. If your application is successfully submitted in Grants.gov, you will receive a Grants.gov tracking number.

• Second check - eRA Commons: eRA Commons will check for ERRORS and WARNINGS (elements of the application that need to be resolved and resubmitted - such as file formatting or role information). Therefore, a Grants.gov tracking number alone does not verify a successful submission. You must resolve any ERRORS listed and resubmit in Grants.gov prior to the due date in order for NOAA to receive your application for processing. Applicants cannot consider their application fully received by the agency until they receive an email from eRA Commons confirming application receipt in addition to the Grants.gov tracking number.

In addition to Grants.gov, this announcement will also be available by contacting the program official identified in Section VII. Please refer to important information in Submission Dates and Times (Section IV.D.) to help ensure your application is received on time.

D. Submission Dates and Times Full proposal applications must be submitted to Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on January 31, 2025. Applicants should be aware that OAP staff will only be available to answer questions until 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Please note that validation or rejection of an application by Grants.gov may take up to two business days after submission.

Applications received after the deadline will not be reviewed. Once submitted through Grants.gov, eRA does another verification and this may impact your timely submission.

Please submit early to avoid missing the deadline due to system errors. Note: Please view the “New Application Process” guide listed as a resource under “Applying for a Notice of Funding Opportunity” on OAP’s website. This guide contains a list of common errors troubleshooting.

E. Intergovernmental Review Applications under this program are not subject to Executive Order 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." It has been determined that this notice is not significant for purposes of Executive Order 12866. Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(a) (2), an opportunity for public notice and comment is not required for this notice relating to grants, benefits and contracts. Because this notice is exempt from the notice and comment provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act, a Regulatory Flexibility Analysis is not required, and none has been prepared. It has been determined that this notice does not contain policies with Federalism implications as that term is defined in Executive Order 13132.

F. Funding Restrictions See Section III. A. Eligible Applicants for restrictions on the use of funds related to federal agencies, labs, and personnel.

G. Other Submission Requirements Proposals must be submitted through Grants.gov. If an eligible applicant does not have access to the internet, please contact the Agency Contacts listed in Section VII for submission instructions.

https://oceanacidification.noaa.gov/funding-opportunities/resources-for-applicants-and-grantees/

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H. Address for Submitting Proposals V. Application Review Information

1. Importance/relevance and applicability of proposed projects to the program goals

Maximum Points:

This criterion ascertains whether there is intrinsic value in the proposed work and/or relevance to NOAA, federal, regional, state, or local activities.

This criterion ascertains whether there is intrinsic value in the proposed work and/or relevance to NOAA, federal, regional, state, or local activities. This includes the appropriateness of the proposed effort for the associated regional cruise. This also includes how well the effort addresses elements listed in the OA Cruise Science Priority Guidance.

2. Technical/scientific merit Maximum Points: 35 This criterion assesses whether the approach is technically sound and/or innovative, if the methods are appropriate, and whether there are clear project goals and objectives.

This criterion assesses whether the approach is technically sound and/or innovative, if the methods are appropriate and will be piloted/demonstrated prior to the execution of the cruise, and whether there are clear project goals, objectives, and data management considerations.

3. Overall qualifications of applicants Maximum Points: 5 This criterion ascertains whether the applicant possesses the necessary education, experience, training, facilities, and administrative resources to accomplish the project.

This criterion ascertains whether the applicant possesses the necessary education, experience, training, facilities, and administrative resources to accomplish the project.

4. Project costs Maximum Points: 10 This criterion evaluates the budget to determine if it is realistic and commensurate with the project needs and time frame.

This criterion evaluates the budget to determine if it is realistic and commensurate with the project needs and time frame.

5. Outreach, Education and Diversity Maximum Points: 15 This criterion assesses whether the project provides a focused and effective education and outreach strategy regarding NOAA's mission to protect the Nation's natural resources.

This criterion assesses how well the proposed activity broadens the participation of underrepresented groups (e.g., gender, ethnicity, disability, geographic, etc) in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Evaluation Criteria

1. Relevance and applicability to the program goals (35 percent). This criterion ascertains whether there is intrinsic value in the proposed work and/or relevance to NOAA, federal, regional, state, or local activities. This includes the appropriateness of the proposed effort for the associated regional cruise. This also includes how well the effort addresses elements listed in the OA Cruise Science Priority Guidance.

2. Technical/scientific merit (35 percent). This criterion assesses whether the approach is technically sound and/or innovative, if the methods are appropriate and will be piloted/demonstrated prior to the execution of the cruise, and whether there are clear project goals, objectives, and data management considerations.

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3. Overall qualifications of applicants (5 percent). This criterion ascertains whether the applicant possesses the necessary education, experience, training, facilities, and administrative resources to accomplish the project.

4. Project costs (10 percent). This criterion evaluates the budget to determine if it is realistic and commensurate with the project needs and time frame.

5. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (15 percent). This criterion assesses how well the proposed activity broadens the participation of underrepresented groups (e.g., gender, ethnicity, disability, geographic, etc) in science, technology, engineering and mathematics

(STEM).

Review and Selection Process Once a full proposal application has been received by NOAA, an initial administrative review is conducted to determine compliance with requirements and completeness of the application. Applications that are missing required elements listed in Section IV. B. 2. Full Proposal Application Requirements or applications coming from ineligible applicants may be rejected without further review at the discretion of the competition manager.

Applications that pass the administrative review will be reviewed by technical experts drawn from disciplines that are relevant to the applications. Each proposal will receive at least three written reviews assessing its merits with regard to the evaluation criteria. A rank order list will be created from the average scores from the written reviews.

The proposals will be reviewed by the program manager to assess the environmental compliance of the proposed actions. The program manager, NEPA staff lead, or grants specialist may contact the applicants to discuss questions about the environmental effects, or administrative correctness of the application, and may delay approval of the application, or impose conditions on the award preventing funding or execution of certain activities, until all questions are satisfactorily answered.

A final feasibility review by the OAP field operations manager in conjunction with the ECOA-4 cruise leads will occur to confirm that the proposed effort can be achieved within the context of all proposals given merit review scores and project-specific logistical needs including berth space, water budget limitations, and other vessel restrictions. The results of this review will be presented to the selecting official to inform their decision.

Selection Factors The Selecting Official shall award in the rank order unless the proposal is justified to be selected out of rank order based on one or more of the following factors:

1. Availability of funding.

2. Feasibility of the project within cruise resource limitations (e.g. ship capabilities, berth space, and water budget).

3. Balance/distribution of funds:

a. geographically

b. by research priority

c. by type of institution

d. by type of partners

e. by project types

4. Duplication of other projects funded or considered for funding by NOAA/federal agencies.

5. Program priorities and policy factors.

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6. Applicant’s prior award performance.

7. Partnerships with/participation of targeted groups.

8. Adequacy of information necessary for NOAA staff to make a NEPA determination and draft necessary documentation before recommendations for funding are made to the Grants Officer.

Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates Proposals will be reviewed in the spring of 2025. Applicants will be notified no later than June 2025 for a start date of September 1, 2025.

VI. Award Administration Information A. Award Notices Successful applicants will receive notification when the application has been recommended for funding to the NOAA Grants Management Division. This notification is not an authorization to begin performance of the project. Official notification of funding, signed by the NOAA grants officer, is the authorizing document that allows the project to begin.

Notification will be issued to the authorizing official and the PI of the project either electronically or in hard copy. Unsuccessful applicants will be notified that their proposal was not selected. Anonymous copies of reviews and summaries of review panel deliberations, if any, will be made available to all applicants, regardless of whether they were selected to be funded.

B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

UNIFORM ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS, COST PRINCIPLES, AND AUDIT REQUIREMENTS.

Through 2 C.F.R. § 1327.101, the Department of Commerce adopted Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards at 2 C.F.R. Part 200, which applies to awards in this program.