NOAA-OAR-SG-2024-23704.pdf

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

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Table of Contents 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 National Sea Grant College Program (SG) Funding Opportunity Title FY2024-2025 National Sea Grant BIL Marine Debris Community Action Coalitions Announcement Type Competitive Funding Opportunity Number

NOAA-OAR-SG-2024-23704

Assistance Listing Number(s) Dates Letters of Intent due 12/14/2023

Full Proposals due 03/05/2024

Period of Performance: Projects should have a start date of September 1, 2024 and an end date of no later than August 31, 2027.

Funding Opportunity Description The National Sea Grant College Program was enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1966 (amended in 2020, Public Law 116-221) to support leveraged federal and state partnerships that harness the intellectual capacity of the nation’s universities and research institutions to solve problems and generate opportunities in coastal communities.

To strengthen efforts in prevention and mitigation of marine debris, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) has directed NOAA’s National Sea Grant College Program to execute $50 million over five years “for marine debris prevention and removal.” There are many types, sources, and causes of marine debris, defined for the purposes of this competition as "any persistent solid material that is manufactured or processed and directly or indirectly, intentionally or unintentionally, disposed of or abandoned into the marine environment or the Great Lakes" (15 C.F.R. § 909.1).

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While marine debris is a global issue, it is also intensely local – the activities and attitudes of individuals, communities, and industries drive the global problem. It is important for marine debris prevention and removal to be addressed at the local scale, along with other efforts at larger scales, with the support of key players in the community. Community coalitions and local partnerships are essential to creating effective and long-lasting action on marine debris.

Due to lack of resources, entire segments of our society have not yet been able to invest funding and time into addressing challenges related to the prevention and removal of marine debris. This includes Tribes and Indigenous People who face additional institutional barriers in order to mitigate local marine debris and pollutants. Executive Order 14096, “Revitalizing Our Nation's Commitment to Environmental Justice for All" (https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/04/26/2023-08955/revitalizing-our-nations-commitment-to-environmental-justice-for-all), and E.O.13985 (https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/01/25/2021- 01753/advancing-racial-equity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government), emphasize the need for Federal agencies to take actions to redress unfair disparities and remove barriers to government programs and services. E.O. 14096 places even greater urgency on the Federal Government to “. . .

build upon and strengthen its commitment to deliver environmental justice to all communities across America. Our Nation needs . . . ". Executive Order 14008, “Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad”, also established the Justice40 Initiative, directing that 40% of the overall benefits from certain federal investments, such as climate, clean energy, and other areas, flow to disadvantaged communities and that such communities accrue the benefits of those investments. For more information, see E.O. 14008, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad (Jan. 27, 2023), https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/02/01/2021-02177/tackling-the-climate-crisis-at-home-and-abroad; Justice40 Initiative, https://www.whitehouse.gov/environmentaljustice/justice40/. This funding opportunity will support the creation of coalitions and partnerships among communities, groups, and localities, especially those that have been traditionally underserved, to address various marine debris challenges.

Applicants and awardees from the FY22 National Sea Grant Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) Marine Debris Community Action Coalitions Competition are eligible to apply for these funds. Current awardees should make clear in their application how additional funds are additive to their original award and how these additional funds would advance outcomes beyond those committed as part of their originally funded project. These applicants can focus on scaling the impact of their original proposal or adding complementary activities that will improve outcomes. NOAA also encourages new applicants or previous applicants with new project ideas to apply.

This is one of two National Sea Grant federal funding opportunities in support of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) to address the prevention and removal of marine debris, focusing on bringing communities together to address local issues in marine debris. A second opportunity NOAA-OAR-SG-2024-23706, the “National Sea Grant Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) Marine Debris Challenge Competition,” will support original, innovative, and transformational marine debris prevention and removal research that pushes the boundaries of existing technologies and approaches, changes the current landscape of marine debris mitigation, and ties that research to tangible outputs. The two Sea Grant BIL NOFOs complement two NOAA Marine Debris Program funding opportunities (NOAA-NOS-ORR-2024-2007993 “FY24 NOAA Marine Debris Removal under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law”; and NOAA-NOS-ORR-2024-2007991 “FY24 NOAA Marine Debris Interception Technologies under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law”) that will fund large scale marine debris removal and interception projects.

This document sets out requirements for submitting to NOAA-OAR-SG-2024-23704

Full Text of Announcement I. Funding Opportunity Description A. Program Objective To strengthen efforts in prevention and mitigation of marine debris, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) has directed NOAA’s National Sea Grant College Program to execute $50 million over five years “for marine debris prevention and removal.” There are many types, sources, and causes of marine debris, defined for the purposes of this competition as "any persistent solid material that is manufactured or processed and directly or indirectly, intentionally or unintentionally, disposed of or abandoned into the marine environment or the Great Lakes" (15 C.F.R. § 909.1).

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/04/26/2023-08955/revitalizing-our-nations-commitment-to-environmental-justice-for-all https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/04/26/2023-08955/revitalizing-our-nations-commitment-to-environmental-justice-for-all https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/01/25/2021-01753/advancing-racial-equity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/01/25/2021-01753/advancing-racial-equity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/02/01/2021-02177/tackling-the-climate-crisis-at-home-and-abroad https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/02/01/2021-02177/tackling-the-climate-crisis-at-home-and-abroad https://www.whitehouse.gov/environmentaljustice/justice40/

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While marine debris is a global issue, it is also intensely local – the activities and attitudes of individuals, communities, and industries drive the global problem. It is important for marine debris prevention and removal to be addressed at the local scale, along with other efforts at larger scales, with the support of key players in the community. Community coalitions and local partnerships are essential to creating effective and long-lasting action on marine debris.

Due to lack of resources, entire segments of our society have not yet been able to invest funding and time into addressing challenges related to the prevention and removal of marine debris. This includes Tribes and Indigenous People who face additional institutional barriers in order to mitigate local marine debris and pollutants. Executive Order 14096, “Revitalizing Our Nation's Commitment to Environmental Justice for All" (https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/04/26/2023-08955/revitalizing-our-nations-commitment-to-environmental-justice-for-all), and E.O.13985 (https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/01/25/2021- 01753/advancing-racial-equity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government), emphasize the need for Federal agencies to take actions to redress unfair disparities and remove barriers to government programs and services. E.O. 14096 places even greater urgency on the Federal Government to “. . .

build upon and strengthen its commitment to deliver environmental justice to all communities across America. Our Nation needs . . . ". Executive Order 14008, “Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad”, also established the Justice40 Initiative, directing that 40% of the overall benefits from certain federal investments, such as climate, clean energy, and other areas, flow to disadvantaged communities and that such communities accrue the benefits of those investments. For more information, see E.O. 14008, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad (Jan. 27, 2023), https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/02/01/2021-02177/tackling-the-climate-crisis-at-home-and-abroad; Justice40 Initiative, https://www.whitehouse.gov/environmentaljustice/justice40/. This funding opportunity will support the creation of coalitions and partnerships among communities, groups, and localities, especially those that have been traditionally underserved, to address various marine debris challenges.

Applicants and awardees from the FY22 National Sea Grant Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) Marine Debris Community Action Coalitions Competition are eligible to apply for these funds. Current awardees should make clear in their application how additional funds are additive to their original award and how these additional funds would advance outcomes beyond those committed as part of their originally funded project. These applicants can focus on scaling the impact of their original proposal or adding complementary activities that will improve outcomes. NOAA also encourages new applicants or previous applicants with new project ideas to apply.

This is one of two National Sea Grant federal funding opportunities in support of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) to address the prevention and removal of marine debris, focusing on bringing communities together to address local issues in marine debris. A second opportunity NOAA-OAR-SG-XXX, the “Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) Marine Debris Challenge Competition,” will support original, innovative, and transformational marine debris prevention and removal research that pushes the boundaries of existing technologies and approaches, changes the current landscape of marine debris mitigation, and ties that research to tangible outputs. The two Sea Grant BIL NOFOs complement two NOAA Marine Debris Program funding opportunities (NOAA-NOS-ORR-2024-2007993 “FY24 NOAA Marine Debris Removal under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law”; and NOAA-NOS-ORR-2024- 2007991 “FY24 NOAA Marine Debris Interception Technologies under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law”) that will fund large scale marine debris removal and interception projects.

B. Program Priorities Program priorities include (but are not limited to):

• Building local coalitions and partnerships to identify and actively address marine debris prevention and removal at the community level. Coalitions must include at least one Sea Grant program but are encouraged to also include a variety of other stakeholders.

• Support projects in communities with climate and economic justice vulnerabilities. A tool that applicants may find useful to identify communities with such vulnerabilities is the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST; https://screeningtool.geoplatform.gov/en/#3/33.47/-97.5).

• Providing technical support to local businesses, municipalities, tribes, and other stakeholders to mitigate marine debris

• Enhance community literacy about marine debris through formal and informal education

• Educate and develop a local marine debris-aware workforce (e.g., fishers, harbormasters, charter boat operators, waterfront business owners, etc.)

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/04/26/2023-08955/revitalizing-our-nations-commitment-to-environmental-justice-for-all https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/04/26/2023-08955/revitalizing-our-nations-commitment-to-environmental-justice-for-all https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/01/25/2021-01753/advancing-racial-equity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/01/25/2021-01753/advancing-racial-equity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/02/01/2021-02177/tackling-the-climate-crisis-at-home-and-abroad https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/02/01/2021-02177/tackling-the-climate-crisis-at-home-and-abroad https://www.whitehouse.gov/environmentaljustice/justice40/

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• Address topics from relevant, existing planning efforts, such as regional marine debris action plans (https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/emergency-response-guides-and-regional-action-plans), strategic plans, or other, similar documents

Planning and capacity building activities are encouraged, and projects should have clear deliverables that lead to measurable positive outcomes that benefit communities. Projects should complement broader NOAA efforts, particularly those from the National Ocean Service’s Marine Debris Program, which focuses on active removal, mitigation, and prevention of marine debris. Participating Sea Grant programs must determine and prioritize local requirements and research-driven solutions that fully integrate the needs of historically underserved communities as defined by Executive Order 13985 (Section 2(b)).

Proposed projects should also address the following four foundational elements:

• Be responsive to state, local, and regional needs within a national framework.

• Leverage existing Sea Grant and partner investments and capacities.

• Embed diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and accessibility (DEIJA) fully into the effort, and be responsive to the Justice40 initiative.

• Show how this work will be enhanced through partnerships, including collaboration among Sea Grant programs and with other appropriate partners.

Principal investigators of proposals selected for funding will be required to participate in annual National Sea Grant Marine Debris meetings to share results of work conducted, discuss challenges, synthesize outputs, and to plan next steps.

Example projects may include (but are not limited to):

• Partnering with local businesses and business associations (e.g., food service, tourism, waterfront, etc.) to identify opportunities to reduce the use of items that may become marine debris (e.g. single use items), determine alternative materials and processes that reduce debris generation, and implement long-term, sustainable, and cost effective replacement strategies.

• Establishing/scaling formal educational initiatives that engage students and schools in efforts to learn about and address marine debris and its sources in their communities. Conducting outreach to local commercial and recreational fishers related to derelict fishing gear, marine debris, waste management, and port reception facilities. Establish and encourage options for fishers, boaters, and other ocean users to bring derelict fishing gear ashore and dispose of it properly.

• Supporting community efforts to identify local sources of microplastics and microfibers and mitigate their release into local waterways. Generating educational resources that increase awareness of microplastics and microfibers for a wide range of audiences from the public to policymakers.

• Partnering with municipalities to plan for waste and stormwater management improvements to prevent debris from reaching local waterways. Assist these communities to establish or improve their recycling practices.

• Engaging communities to get involved with local and state rulemaking processes. Continue to support efforts that reduce the use of single use and plastics.

C. Program Authority Statutory authority for this program is provided under the National Sea Grant College Program Act of 1966, as amended (33 USC 1121 et seq.) and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (Pub.L. 117–58 ).

II. Award Information A. Funding Availability Subject to the availability of funding, this announcement describes how eligible applicants should apply for the National Sea Grant BIL Marine Debris Community Action Coalitions Competition. Sea Grant anticipates approximately $3,000,000 in FY 2024 and 2025 federal funds will be available to individual Sea Grant programs in order to support approximately 10 to 20 Marine Debris Community Action Coalitions.

Each award will be no greater than $300,000. Applications DO NOT require the standard 50 percent non-federal match for Sea Grant projects.

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B. Project/Award Period The anticipated start date is September 1, 2024, with projects to be completed by August 31, 2027.

C. Type of Funding Instrument The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement to an eligible institution. A cooperative agreement is used when substantial involvement of the federal government during performance of the proposed work is anticipated. The nature of the substantial involvement includes strategic engagement with the National Sea Grant Marine Debris Team, support from National Sea Grant Communication efforts, and annual National Sea Grant Marine Debris meetings.

III. Eligibility Information A. Eligible Applicants The following entities are eligible to submit to this opportunity: Sea Grant Programs (Sea Grant Colleges, Institutions, or Coherent Area Programs).

The National Sea Grant College Program champions diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) by recruiting, retaining, and preparing a diverse workforce, and proactively engaging and serving the diverse populations of coastal communities. Sea Grant is committed to building inclusive research, extension, communication, and education programs that serve people with unique backgrounds, circumstances, needs, perspectives, and ways of thinking. We encourage Sea Grant program applications to reflect diverse participation with regards to age, race, ethnicities, national origins, gender identities, sexual orientations, disabilities, cultures, religions, citizenship types, marital statuses, education levels, job classifications, veteran status types, income, and socioeconomic status.

B. Cost Share or Matching Requirement Standard Sea Grant cost sharing is not required for this call.

IV. Application and Submission Information A. Address to Request Application Package Application packages are available online and can be downloaded from www.grants.gov under opportunity NOAA- OAR-SG-2024-23704. If an eligible applicant does not have access to the internet, please contact the Agency Contacts listed in Section VII for submission instructions.

B. Content and Form of Application This section provides an overview of these required proposal elements (and where to locate them). Applications must adhere to the provisions under "Required Elements" below. Failure to adhere to these provisions may result in a delay in award processing or rejection of the application, based on the extent of the noncompliance.

The submitting Sea Grant program or applicant must redact all Personally Identifiable Information (PII) in the application materials prior to final submission to grants.gov. PII that must 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.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This proposal package will be using a different set of forms than Sea Grant programs have completed in the past. Instead of the “SF424 NOAA Standard Non-Construction Application Package” of forms, this application will include the “SF424 NOAA Research & Related (R&R) Forms Package.” While many of the forms may be familiar, please pay special attention to the headings and instructions in this section. Additional form-specific guidance may be available at a later date.

Required Elements:

http://www.grants.gov/

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

Letter of Intent Requirements

Applicants must submit a letter of intent (LOI) before a full proposal is submitted. Applicants that do not submit a LOI will not be eligible to submit a full proposal. Full proposals should not deviate greatly from the LOI. However, LOIs are not binding, and the applicant may adjust details of their project before submitting the full proposal as their research to application plan evolves. LOIs are meant to provide Sea Grant with metrics on the scope and size of the application pool to assist with reviewer recruitment and review event planning.

LOIs should not exceed 2 pages and should include the following components:

• Working project title

• PI Name(s)

• PI Position(s) and Affiliation

• Partnering Sea Grant program

• Contact information

• Brief discussion of the partner community, including justification for selection; include its primary service area to the county-equivalent level by Federal Information Processing Series (FIPS) code (https://transition.fcc.gov/oet/info/maps/census/fips/fips.txt)

• Brief discussion of the focal topic and approach

• The approximate amount of funding to be requested

Letters of Intent (LOIs) will allow the NSGO to gauge interest and topics that may be submitted. To be eligible for awards, LOIs must be received via email by the Program Managers (sg.grants@noaa.gov) by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on December 14, 2023.

Full Proposal Required Elements

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

1. Research & Related Senior/Key Person Profile Form (Grants.gov, OMB Control No. 4040-0001)

This form must be completed and include a profile for the Principal Investigator and any co-PI(s). CVs and Current and Pending Support for each person’s profile will also be attached to this form. The first listed PD(s)/PI(s) on the application must include their eRA Commons ID in the “Credential, e.g., agency login” field of the SF424 form. Failure to register in eRA Commons and to include a valid PD/PI Commons ID in the Applicant Identifier field will prevent the successful submission of an electronic application.

2. Research and Related Budget Form (OMB Control No. 4040-0001)

The Research and Related Budget is a single form that will need to be filled out covering the entire award by budget period following the instructions from Grants.gov. At the end of the Research and Related Budget form, “Section L” provides space for one attachment titled, “Budget Justification.” The budget narrative for the project must be attached there. The budget narrative should explain the budget items by object class category (both federal and non-federal/match) in sufficient detail to enable review of the appropriateness of the funding requested. Additional budget narrative guidance can be found at: NOAA Grants Management Division's Budget Narrative Guidance

3. Research & Related Other Project Information Form (Grants.gov, OMB Control No. 4040-0001) https://www.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/gmd_budget_narrative_guidance_-_05-24-2017_final.pdf https://www.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/gmd_budget_narrative_guidance_-_05-24-2017_final.pdf

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This form must be completed for the application, and should also be used to attach the Project Abstract Summary Form, the Project Narrative, Bibliography & References Cited, and any other relevant forms or information as applicable. See form-specific instructions available on Grants.gov for additional instructions as needed.

a. Project Summary/Abstract Attachment

This attachment should be the completed Project Abstract Summary Form (Grants.gov, OMB Control No. 4040-0019) that is available as part of the application package. Using 4,000 characters or less, the Project Abstract should provide an overview of the application. Ensure the Project Abstract succinctly describes the project in plain language that the public can understand and use without the full proposal. It should be a self-contained description of the application and should contain a general statement of objectives and methods to be employed. It should be informative to other persons working in the same or related fields and understandable to a technically literate lay reader. Do not include personally identifiable, sensitive or proprietary/confidential information. This project abstract information (as submitted) will be made available on public websites and/or databases including USAspending.gov.

Project Abstract Elements:

• Use the following format:

o Purpose:

o Activities to be performed:

o Expected Outcomes:

o Intended Beneficiaries:

o Subrecipient Activities:

• Keep it short. In most cases, each element above should be a couple of sentences to a paragraph in length.

• DO NOT repeat the Proposal Title. The Proposal Title is always presented with the Project Description, so including it in the abstract is not necessary.

• Include a high quality description that includes specificity regarding the purpose of the project.

Characteristics of strong abstracts include a plain language description of the purpose for the project (which may include specific performance goals, indicators, milestones, or expected outcomes of the project), activities to be performed, deliverables and expected outcomes, intended beneficiary or recipient.

• Keep it simple. Do not use abbreviations, acronyms, technical terminology, or agency-specific terms. The intended audience is Congress and the general public, not specific interested parties and/or federal employees. The education level of the reader should be assumed to be the fifth grade of elementary school.

Even those who are highly educated will appreciate a simply written document when they have hundreds of projects to review in one sitting.

b. Project Narrative Attachment

1. Project Description. The total number of pages in the project description can be up to fifteen (15).

Applicants do not need to use the entire 15-page maximum. Depending on the complexity of the proposed activities, a shorter description may suffice. Any works cited, CVs, letters of support, and current and pending support sections included do not contribute to the suggested page limit.

1. Cover page (not included in the page count)

▪ Project title and names, titles, affiliations, and contact information (email and phone) of

PI and any co-PIs.

▪ Budget overview - Total cost and annual breakdown of requested funding by partner.

▪ Provide the project’s location and region, including its primary service area to the county-equivalent level by Federal Information Processing Series (FIPS) code.

2. Project abstract (½ page maximum; not included in the page count)

3. Project background

▪ Explain the specific marine debris problem(s) this project seeks to address and justify its importance.

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▪ Describe the partner community, the community’s needs with regards to marine debris, and what has prevented them from addressing these issues previously.

4. Project objectives

▪ Provide a list of clearly defined project objectives. For each objective, provide a concise statement explaining how it is aligned with the goals and priorities of this funding opportunity.

5. Project details

▪ Provide an explanation of the methods you will use to address your project objectives.

▪ Provide a list of all project partners and explain how this project leverages the expertise of local communities and stakeholders.

▪ Provide a description of any cost sharing, leveraged funds, or in-kind match or other contributions (e.g. personnel, volunteer hours, services, etc.).

6. Anticipated outcomes and deliverables

▪ Provide a list of expected outcomes and deliverables that will result from your project.

Explain how these outcomes will be directly, beneficially applied to the current and future needs of communities and local stakeholders.

7. Project timeline

▪ Provide a timeline for accomplishing the proposed work, which covers the entire duration of the project. Include approximate dates for key milestones related to the proposed work, including the accomplishment of anticipated outcomes and release of deliverables.

▪ Applicants submitting proposals that involve the use of human test subjects should state so clearly in their application. These proposed research activities require approval of the applicant’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) before such research can proceed.

Applicants are responsible for obtaining IRB approval from their institution and providing that documentation to NOAA once the approval is obtained and prior to any NOAA-funded human subject testing. Proposals intending to use human test subjects should specify clearly in the timeline approximately when IRB approval will be obtained and when the testing is expected to occur.

8. Community engagement, DEIJA, and outreach plan

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▪ Strategy for Advancing Equity and Support for Underserved Communities. NOAA is committed to advancing equity for all, including people of color and others who have been marginalized, underserved, and underrepresented, and adversely affected by persistent poverty and inequality. Applicants should address these factors in the design of their proposed projects. The NOAA National Sea Grant BIL Marine Debris Community Action Coalitions Competition Climate Resilience Regional Challenge program will advance the Justice40 Initiative requiring that 40 percent of the overall benefits of this effort flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved, and overburdened by pollution. NOAA encourages all applicants to use the information available through the following tools to assist them in identifying and assessing the marginalized, underserved and underrepresented communities that are connected to their proposed adaptation actions. Applicants should use the Climate & Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST) as the primary tool to identify disadvantaged communities.

Applicants are encouraged to use the information available through any of the following tools to assist in assessing how the benefits of a project will reverse or mitigate the burdens of disadvantage: Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (athttps://screeningtool.geoplatform.gov/en/#3/33.47/-97.5); the National Risk Index (athttps://www.fema.gov/flood-maps/products-tools/national-risk-index); the Environmental Justice Index (athttps://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/placeandhealth/eji/index.html); EJScreen (athttps://www.epa.gov/ejscreen); US Census Community Resilience Estimates (https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/community-resilience-estimates/data/tools.html); and other relevant tools. In this section, applicants should describe how engagement and benefits to marginalized, underserved and underrepresented communities and tribes will be supported in the proposal. Tribes and other lead entities who are themselves, or who represent the interests of, marginalized, underserved, or underrepresented communities, should describe how the proposed efforts expand participation and meet the needs of these populations and the role of marginalized, underserved and underrepresented communities in decision-making. All applicants should describe ways in which the collaborative team will foster an inclusive environment and recruit from, engage with, and collaborate with members of marginalized, underserved, and underrepresented communities, or other organizations or institutions serving the needs of these populations. Applicants should describe the provision of financial resources to enable engagement and collaboration with marginalized, underserved, and underrepresented communities, or other organizations or institutions serving the needs of these populations. Applicants are encouraged to highlight previous efforts and relationships that add value to the proposed activities. Applicants should also describe opportunities for individuals in underserved communities through educational opportunities, job training, job creation, workforce development, leadership development, and training programs structured toward long-term careers and not limited to entry-level skill building, as appropriate to the project’s purpose and scope.

▪ Describe how the work will provide long-term engagement and support to those groups.

▪ Applicants are encouraged to review and implement the resources and best practices compiled by the National Sea Grant Office (NSGO) related to diversity, equity, and inclusion: https://seagrant.noaa.gov/insideseagrant/Implementation/Network- Visioning/DiversityInclusion.

9. Works cited (does not count towards page limit)

▪ Any in-text citations should be listed here.

10. Curriculum vitae (CV) for each co-PI (does not count towards page limit)

▪ Each co-PI’s CV should not be longer than 2 pages.

11. Letters of support (does not count towards page limit)

▪ Any letters of support can be included here.

12. Current and pending support (does not count towards page limit)

▪ Describe any current or pending sources of support if applicable.

https://screeningtool.geoplatform.gov/en/#3/33.47/-97.5 https://www.fema.gov/flood-maps/products-tools/national-risk-index https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/placeandhealth/eji/index.html https://www.epa.gov/ejscreen https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/community-resilience-estimates/data/tools.html https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/community-resilience-estimates/data/tools.html https://seagrant.noaa.gov/insideseagrant/Implementation/Network-Visioning/DiversityInclusion https://seagrant.noaa.gov/insideseagrant/Implementation/Network-Visioning/DiversityInclusion

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c. Bibliography & References Cited Attachment

If applicable, provide a bibliography of any references cited in the Project Narrative. Each reference must include the names of all authors (in the same sequence in which they appear in the publication), the article and journal title, book title, volume number, page numbers, and year of publication. Include only bibliographic citations. Applicants should be especially careful to follow scholarly practices in providing citations for source materials relied upon when preparing any section of the application.

d. Other Attachments

Abbreviated Environmental Compliance Questionnaire (OMB Control No. 0648-0538)

• Applicants must ensure that the questionnaire is completed in full and includes detailed information regarding project location, methodology, and permits. Copies of all permits required for project activities should be included with application materials. If a permit is pending or planned, please provide this information.

1. A separate questionnaire must be completed for each relevant action/project in the proposal.

2. The questionnaire can be found here.

3. Guidance on how to complete the questionnaire, including how to describe work that will not involve any environmental impact, can be found here. Examples of questionnaires can be found here.

4. Additional Application Package Forms

In addition to the forms required above, standard federal forms and assurances are required and can be found with the application package on Grants.gov. These include:

a. SF-424 R&R Form (Grants.gov, OMB Control No. 4040-0001)

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 any 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. Total federal and non-federal amounts listed in the SF-424 R&R, the Cumulative Budget of the Research and Related Budget form, and overall Sea Grant 90-4 form must be the same.

b. SF-424B Assurances (Grants.gov, OMB Control No. 4040-0007)

The form, titled “Assurances – Non-Construction Programs,” must be completed and signed by the institution's authorized representative or designee.

c. CD-511 (Grants.gov, US DOC)

The form, titled “Certification Regarding Lobbying,” must be completed and signed by the institution’s authorized representative or designee.

d. SF-LLL (Grants.gov, OMB Control No. 0348-0046) - optional form, include if appropriate

This form, titled “Disclosure of Lobbying Activities,” is an optional form and should be included if appropriate. If included, it must be completed and signed by the institution’s authorized representative or designee.

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) https://seagrant.noaa.gov/insideseagrant/Implementation https://seagrant.noaa.gov/Portals/1/Forms/NEPA%20Questionnaire%20-%20Guidance.pdf https://seagrant.noaa.gov/insideseagrant/Implementation

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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.

D. Submission Dates and Times Letters of Intent must be received via email by the Competition Manager (sg.grants@noaa.gov) by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on December 14, 2023.

Applications must be submitted to Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on March 05, 2024.

Incomplete or late applications will not be reviewed. Applicants should be aware that National Sea Grant Office staff will only be available to answer questions until 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

Please note: validation or rejection of an application by Grants.gov may take up to two business days after submission. Eligible Sea Grant programs should consider this process in developing their submission timeline. For eligible Sea Grant program applications submitted through Grants.gov, a date and time receipt indication is included and will be the basis of determining timeliness.

Letters of Intent must be received via email by the Competition Manager (sg.grants@noaa.gov) by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on December 14, 2023.

Applications must be submitted to Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on March 05, 2024.

Incomplete or late applications will not be reviewed. Applicants should be aware that National Sea Grant Office staff will only be available to answer questions until 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

Please note: validation or rejection of an application by Grants.gov may take up to two business days after submission. Eligible Sea Grant programs should consider this process in developing their submission timeline. For eligible Sea Grant program applications submitted through Grants.gov, a date and time receipt indication is included and will be the basis of determining timeliness.

E. Intergovernmental Review Applications under the National Sea Grant College Program are not subject to Executive Order 12372, “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.”

F. Funding Restrictions The Sea Grant Act at 33 USC 1124(d)(2) states:

“No payment under any grant or contract under this section may be applied to:

(A) the purchase or rental of any land; or

(B) the purchase, rental, construction, preservation, or repair of any building, dock, or vessel; except that payment under any such grant or contract may be applied to the short-term rental of buildings or facilities for meetings which are in direct support of any Sea Grant Program or project and may, if approved by the Secretary, be applied to the purchase, rental, construction, preservation, or repair of non-self-propelled habitats, buoys, platforms, and other similar devices or structures, or to the rental of any research vessel which is used in direct support of activities under any Sea Grant Program or project.”

G. Other Submission Requirements

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Applicant organizations must complete and maintain three registrations to be eligible to apply for or receive an award. These registrations includeSAM.gov,Grants.gov,andeRA Commons. All registrations must be completed prior to the application being submitted. The complete registration process for all three systems can take 4 to 6 weeks, so applicants should begin this activity as soon as possible. If an eligible applicant does not have access to the internet, please contact the Agency Contacts listed in Section VII for submission instructions.

Prior to registering with eRA Commons, applicant organizations must first obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) from SAM.gov, if needed (refer to Section IV. Applications and Submission Information, Section C). Organizations can register with eRA Commons in tandem with completing their full SAM and Grants.gov registrations; however, all registrations must be in place by time of application submission. eRA Commons requires organizations to identify at least one Signing Official (SO) and at least one Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) account in order to submit an application.

The first listed PD/PI listed on the application must include their eRA Commons ID in the "Credential, e.g. agency login" field of the Research & Related Senior/Key Person Profile Form. Failure to register in the Commons and to include a valid PD/PI Commons ID in that field will prevent the successful submission of an electronic application.

H. Address for Submitting Proposals V. Application Review Information A. Evaluation Criteria Projects will be sent for review only if they have a complete application package.

Importance and applicability of the proposed project to the program goals Maximum Points: 35

This criterion assesses whether there is intrinsic value in the proposed work and/or relevance to program priorities.

For this criterion, applicants will be evaluated based on the following:

1. Marine debris problem addressed - Does the project address a critical marine debris prevention and/or removal problem within a specific community? Does the problem have community, local, or regional significance? (5 points)

2. Practicality and effectiveness - Does the project propose practical and effective solutions to the specific marine debris problem? Are there direct outcomes that will mitigate marine debris? (10 points)

3. Project priority and coalition building - Does the project align with the priorities laid out in the “Project Description and Priorities” of this document? Does the project build intra-community partnerships with local businesses, municipalities, tribes, and other stakeholder groups? Are the local groups meaningfully bought into the project? (10 points)

4. Community benefits - Do the project outcomes have direct benefits to local communities? Will the project outcomes improve the local approach to tackling marine debris in the short, medium, and long terms? (10 points)

Technical and scientific merit Maximum Points: 30 This criterion assesses whether the approach is technically sound, if the methods are appropriate, whether there are clear project goals and objectives, and data management considerations. For this criterion, applicants will be evaluated based on the following:

1. Project description and milestones - Does the proposal include sufficient detail to assess the merit of the planned actions? Does the proposal include a realistic timeline of key milestones and deliverables? (5 points)

2. Methodological strength - Are the proposed actions feasible? Is the proposed approach aligned with outcomes such that success is clearly achievable? Are performance measures and metrics of success explicitly stated by the applicant? (10 points)

3. Deliverables - Does the proposal include clear deliverables? Are the deliverables likely to measurably mitigate marine debris while benefiting local communities? Are the deliverables useful and usable to communities - specifically underserved communities - and stakeholders? (10 points)

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4. Community resilience and longevity - Does the proposal describe the susceptibility of potential project sites and activities to climate change and other impacts and discuss how the proposal would improve long-term resilience? Does the proposal have an appropriate plan to sustain and maintain its deliverables beyond the period of the award? (5 points)

Overall Qualifications of Applicants Maximum Points: 10 This criterion assesses whether the applicant and partners possess the necessary education, experience, training, facilities, and administrative resources to accomplish the proposed activities.

1. Does the project team demonstrate the necessary technical experience and background in planning, design, and management to successfully carry out the project?

Community Engagement, DEIJA, and Outreach Maximum Points: 30 This criterion assesses whether the project effectively engages local communities in multiple ways. In particular, this criterion assesses whether the project provides a focused, effective, and equitable education and outreach strategy regarding NOAA’s mission to protect the Nation’s natural resources, Sea Grant's strategic focus areas, and the goals of the individual competition announcement to target audiences. This criterion also assesses how well the project engages underserved communities in addressing marine debris issues and builds lasting partnerships to address marine debris. For this criterion, applicants will be evaluated based on the following:

1. Inclusive planning and engagement - Are local communities - including underserved communities and tribes - meaningfully engaged in project planning and activities? Is there a clear strategy to obtain input from a diverse range of communities? (10 points)

2. Education and workforce development - Does the project enhance marine debris literacy? Is there a clear strategy to share information about the project’s work on marine debris to a broad audience through formal or non-formal education? Does the project reach the community members most likely to implement marine debris mitigation solutions? (10 points)

3. Sea Grant engagement - Are Sea Grant activities fully supported and utilized? (5 points)

4. Marine Debris Action Plans - Does the project tie into existing activities and partnerships outlined in local

Marine Debris Action Plans? (https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/emergency-response-guides-and-regional-action-plans) (5 points)

Project Costs Maximum Points: 10 This criterion assesses whether the project budget is realistic and commensurate with the project’s needs and timeframe. Does the budget adequately cover the proposed activities? Are the spending levels appropriate compared to market value? Where possible, do the funds spent flow to and support local communities?

B. 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. above, or applications coming from ineligible applicants may be rejected without further review.

Applications that pass the administrative review will be reviewed by at least three independent reviewers drawn from experts in a range of disciplines that are relevant to the applications. Each proposal will receive at least three written reviews from the reviewers assessing its merits with regard to the evaluation criteria. These reviews will be averaged to produce a rank order. The selecting official shall award in the rank order unless the application is justified to be selected out of rank order based upon any of the selection factors provided in Section V.C. The selecting official shall make final recommendations for awards to the Grants Officer who is authorized to obligate the funds and execute the award.

The program manager, NEPA staff lead, or grants specialist may contact the applicants to discuss questions about the merit or administrative correctness of the application and may delay…