noaa-sec-oed-2016-2004758 ffo report.pdf

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Funding Opportunity Description 5

A. Program Objective 5 B. Program Priorities 10 C. Program Authority 11

II. Award Information 12 A. Funding Availability 12 B. Project/Award Period 12 C. Type of Funding Instrument 13

III. Eligibility Information 15 A. Eligible Applicants 15 B. Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement 17 C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility 17

IV. Application and Submission Information 20 A. Address to Request Application Package 20 B. Content and Form of Application 21 C. Unique entity identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) 59 D. Submission Dates and Times 59 D. Intergovernmental Review 59 E. Funding Restrictions 60 F. Other Submission Requirements 60

V. Application Review Information 61 A. Evaluation Criteria 61 B. Review and Selection Process 63 C. Selection Factors 65 D. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates 66

VI. Award Administration Information 66 A. Award Notices 67 B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements 74 C. Reporting 75

VII. Agency Contacts 77 VIII. Other Information 77

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 1 of 80

ANNOUNCEMENT OF FEDERAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Federal Agency Name(s): Office of the Under Secretary (USEC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce

Funding Opportunity Title: Financial Assistance to Establish Four NOAA Cooperative Science Centers at Minority Serving Institutions

Announcement Type: Initial

Funding Opportunity Number: NOAA-SEC-OED-2016-2004758

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.481, Educational Partnership Program

Dates: Applications must be submitted through Grants.Gov no later than 11:59 p.m.

EASTERN TIME on March 30, 2016. No hard copy or email applications will be accepted.

Grants.gov requires applicants to register with Grants-dot-gov and with the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) prior to submitting an application. These registration processes can take several weeks and involve multiple steps. In order to allow sufficient time for this process, applicants should register as soon as they decide they intend to apply, even if they are not yet ready to submit an application. Applications submitted through Grants.gov are automatically date/time stamped when validated and submitted to the Agency. PLEASE NOTE: When submitting through Grants.gov, an applicant will receive two emails before learning whether it has met the deadline. An initial email will be sent to confirm your attempt to submit an application. This is NOT a confirmation of acceptance of an application. It may take Grants.gov up to two business days to validate or reject the application and to send a validation email.

Please keep this in mind in developing your submission timeline. PLEASE ALSO NOTE: For a list of software applications that allow you to successfully navigate the Grants.gov pages and complete your application visit http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support/technical-support/recommended-software.html.

Two optional informational webinars with the NOAA Educational Partnership Federal Program Office will occur on December 17, 2015 and February 2, 2016 (time 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time). Interested applicants should register by contacting oed.epp10@noaa.gov and include in the Subject line of the e-mail: "Register for CSC FFO Webinar - Need Details" and provide the interested party’s name, institution, telephone number, and email address. An email response from oed.epp10@noaa.gov will be sent with the login information and date for the webinar.

Whenever possible, individuals from the same institution should join the webinar from the same computer/phone line. After the events, webinar information will be posted at www.epp.noaa.gov.

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Funding Opportunity Description: In Fiscal Year 2016, the NOAA Office of Education (OEd) Educational Partnership Program (EPP) with Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) solicits applications from eligible, accredited MSIs that confer a doctoral degree in one of the areas of the NOAA mission identified as a Cooperative Science Center (CSC) Type in this announcement. The MSI designation is determined by statute, with the U.S. Department of Education serving as the cognizant Federal education agency. The U.S. Department of Education provides the following MSI information:

(1) a part B institution (a historically Black college or university) (§322 of the HEA, 20 U.S.C.

§1061);

(2) a Hispanic-serving institution (§502 of the HEA, 20 U.S.C. §1101a);

(3) a Tribal College or University (§316 of the HEA, 20 U.S.C. §1059c);

(4) an Alaska Native-serving institution or a Native Hawaiian-serving institution (§317(b) of the HEA, 20 U.S.C. §1059d(b);

(5) a Predominantly Black Institution (§§318(b) and 371(c)(9) of the HEA; 20 U.S.C. §§ 1059e(b) and 1067q(c)(9));

(6) an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institution (§§ 320(b) and 371(c)(2) of the HEA, 20 U.S.C. §§1059g(b) and 1067q(c)(2); or

(7) a Native American-serving nontribal institution (§§319(b) and 371(c)(8) of the HEA; 20 U.S.C. §§ 1059f(b) and 1067q(c)(8).

This Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO) plans to support four awards to establish CSCs at MSIs through NOAA cooperative agreements. CSCs are designed to create collaborative partnerships with other academic institutions, including MSIs. Partnerships are also required between the designated Center, OEd EPP/MSI, and NOAA's “Line Offices” listed at http://www.noaa.gov/organizations.html. Each CSC must conduct education and research that directly supports NOAA's mission to recruit, train and graduate students, particularly from underrepresented communities, for the agency mission workforce.

The applicant shall propose to establish a CSC in one (1) of the following areas, also known as Center Type:

(i) Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology;

(ii) Coastal and Marine Ecosystems;

(iii) Earth System Sciences and Remote Sensing Technologies; and,

(iv) Living Marine Resources

Applicants are required to seek partners with other academic institutions, NOAA and its affiliates, as well as, public and private entities, in fields that support the NOAA mission.

Potential NOAA Partners will be listed on www.epp.noaa.gov. CSC award recipients of this

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Federal Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education workforce investment are expected to ensure that the Center educate and graduate an increased diverse pool of candidates from which the agency may select its future workforce.

NOAA plans to make four awards with an anticipated total funding of $62 million over five years. Proposed Centers should be for five (5) years in duration and have annual budgets of approximately $3.1 million, with a total Federal funding request of $15.5 million over the duration of the five-year project period. Awards will be funded in annual increments, subject to Congressional appropriations for OEd EPP/MSI. It is anticipated that awards funded through this announcement will have a start date no later than September 1, 2016.

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 4 of 80

FULL ANNOUNCEMENT TEXT

I. Funding Opportunity Description

A. Program Objective

1. NOAA’s Mission and Strategic Priorities

NOAA's mission is "To understand and predict changes in Earth's environment and to conserve and manage coastal and marine resources to meet our nation's economic, social, and environmental needs." Interested applicants are encouraged to examine the NOAA Next Generation Strategic Plan (published 12/2010), www.noaa.gov/ngsp, that provides the environmental intelligence context for the agency’s mission. NOAA identifies four mission goals: Weather Ready Nation; Climate Adaptation and Mitigation; Healthy Oceans; and Resilient Coastal Communities and Economies. Additional information about NOAA may be found on the Web site: www.noaa.gov. The NOAA Education Strategic Plan 2015- 2035 Goal 4 identifies a diverse workforce as a priority (http://go.usa.gov/c4BC3). NOAA has also developed a social science plan to guide the integration of human dimensions in the implementation of NOAA’s mission and goals (http://go.usa.gov/c4B3Y). NOAA mission research guidance is provided through a Strategic Research Guidance Memorandum http://go.usa.gov/c4Bc5). This document sets the NOAA research direction. Further guidance for the agency’s approach to research and development, is provided at http://go.usa.gov/c4Bx4.

2. National Demographics and Trends

EPP/MSI is providing access to underrepresented minority students as participants and beneficiaries while also addressing the changing demographics of the Nation. The U.S.

Department of Commerce (DOC), Census Bureau 2014 National Projections (http://go.usa.gov/c4BrB) data indicate the Nation is becoming more ethnically diverse.

African Americans are projected to increase from 42 million in 2014 to 59 million in 2060, a 28 percent increase. The Hispanic population is projected to increase from 55 million in 2014 to 119 million in 2060, an increase of 115 percent. The U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics’ projections are that with the changing demographics, increased participation of underrepresented minority groups in STEM occupations will enable the Nation to meet the anticipated workforce demand (http://go.usa.gov/c4BYx).

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The Nation’s underrepresented minority students enrolled in undergraduate STEM degree programs and gaining degrees, are an untapped talent pool. The total undergraduate enrollment across all fields for each racial/ethnic minority group increased between 2009 and 2013. The changing demographics are evidenced in increased numbers of underrepresented minority students gaining STEM degrees (http://go.usa.gov/c2VGR).

NSF's National Science and Engineering (S&E) Indicators illustrate the persisting decades-long degree attainment gap, at all degree levels, in NOAA’s mission fields. At multiple levels, the degree attainment gaps continue (see Chapter 2. Higher education in “Science and Engineering Indicators: 2014.” NSB 14-01. Arlington, VA, 2014, http://go.usa.gov/c2V7T). The Administration has placed higher education policy in the expanding contexts of social policy and global readiness. This program expands access, participation and higher education degree attainment to a widened pool of citizenry for U.S.

global leadership in the 21st Century.

3. Administration STEM Priorities

At the Federal level, the Federal STEM Education 5-Year Strategic Plan (http://go.usa.gov/c2VdT), identified NOAA OEd EPP/MSI (Box 3) as a model program.

EPP/MSI is scalable and transferable with quantitative and anecdotal best practices that yield success in meeting the goal of increasing the numbers of students, particularly from traditionally underrepresented minority communities who are awarded NOAA mission relevant STEM, management and policy degrees.

4. Role of CSCs

CSCs have the unique niche within NOAA extramural awards to expand participation in education, training, capacity building, and collaborative research focusing on groups that are traditionally underrepresented in NOAA mission-relevant STEM, natural resources management, and policy disciplines. Center awards are competitively made to increase the participation of traditionally underrepresented students, scientists, managers and policy individuals in NOAA mission fields.

Since 2001, when the first CSC grants were made, a total of 1310 degrees have been awarded by CSCs. Of these, 998 were awarded to students who self-reported in a race/ethnicity defined as underrepresented. Successful CSC award recipients are required to create collaborative partnerships among MSIs, NOAA EPP and NOAA's Line Offices, to

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 6 of 80 conduct education, training and scientific research that support and stimulate NOAA’s mission, strategic plans, objectives and outcomes.

With the history of educating and investing in underrepresented students, MSIs are well positioned to develop candidates for career opportunities in NOAA mission related fields in STEM, including geosciences, environmental sciences, natural resource management, and policy. MSIs address persistent opportunity gaps in higher education and increase opportunity to improve the outcomes of all eligible students from traditionally underrepresented groups, in NOAA mission fields, that participate in higher education. The National Science Foundation reported that Historically Black Colleges and Universities were the top eight baccalaureate institutions for African Americans who later earned science and engineering Ph.D. degrees (Table 2, National Science Foundation, Division of Science Resources Statistics. 2008. “Baccalaureate Origins of S&E Doctorate Recipients.” InfoBrief.

NSF 08-311. Arlington, VA; URL - http://go.usa.gov/c2VHG.

CSC awards are an investment in MSIs to:

(i) Promote equity and access to training in NOAA mission fields;

(ii) Strengthen education and research capacity in NOAA mission fields;

(iii) Increase student recruitment, retention and graduation in NOAA mission fields;

(iv) Establish partnerships (www.epp.noaa.gov) with NOAA, other governmental and/or private sector organizations; and,

(v) Engage with communities traditionally underrepresented in NOAA mission STEM, natural resources management, and policy careers.

5. CSC Desired Program Level Outcomes and Outputs

Awards made under this announcement enhance national competitiveness and innovation in support of NOAA’s mission, strategic plans, objectives and outcomes. Applicants should clearly describe how they will support all of the following CSC desired Program-level outputs and outcomes.

5.1 Education and Training

In comparison with national statistics for Under Represented Minorities (URMs) in NOAA mission-relevant fields, using 2011 data as a baseline (NSF S&E Indicators, http://go.usa.gov/c2VwV), at the Program level the CSC awards contribute to:

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Outcome 1. Increased number, annually, of CSC post-secondary students, trained.

Outputs o Increased quantitative and analytical skills;

o Increased competence in applying STEM to decision making, policy and management;

and, o Increased skills to use large data sets, geographical information systems (GIS) and statistical analysis, computer modeling, and algorithm development.

Outcome 2. Increased number of CSC post-secondary students educated and graduated annually.

Outputs o The number of degrees earned annually in NOAA mission-related disciplines.

o The number of students (total and URM) who participated in professional development opportunities, to include at least one on-site experiential research and training opportunity at a NOAA lab, office, or facility with tangible training and research: (a) for a minimum duration of 4 consecutive weeks, and (b) resulted in a publication or an oral or poster presentation to experts, peers, and/or other stakeholders.

Outcome 3. Increased CSC capacity to train and graduate students.

Outputs o Number of seminars, new courses, new programs, and new degrees offered to develop working skills and functional competencies to support the NOAA mission and workforce.

o Total numbers of students supported by the CSCs and degrees awarded that reflect the changing demographics of the nation (Census Bureau 2014 National Projections, http://go.usa.gov/c2VfP).

Outcome 4. Reduce the attainment gap for URMs in NOAA mission-relevant fields

Outputs o Increased number of URM students in student development activities that will lead them to the attainment of degrees and/or employment in NOAA mission fields.

o Increased number of URM students who select to pursue higher education in NOAA mission fields.

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5.2 Scientific Research

Outcome 1. Increased NOAA mission-relevant research capacity at MSIs.

Outputs o Number of research collaborations with NOAA and CSC faculty, staff and students.

o Number of NOAA scientists serving as mentors and advisors for student research.

o Number of intra-institutional collaborative partnerships established and maintained in support of NOAA’s mission.

o Number of uses of NOAA data in research and tool development.

o Number of inter-institutional collaborative partnerships established and maintained in support of NOAA’s mission.

Outcome 2. CSC-supported faculty, staff and students’ research directly aligned with NOAA’s mission and strategic priorities.

Outputs o Number of peer reviewed publications, presentations, and tools developed by faculty, staff and students.

o Use of CSC research results and tools by NOAA and other stakeholders.

o Number of instances CSC publications are cited.

o Number of CSC students, staff or faculty recognized nationally for CSC research.

5.3 CSC Administration

Outcome 1. Increased CSC capacity to support and sustain education and research in NOAA mission areas.

Output o Amount of funds leveraged with CSC award to support NOAA mission in education and research.

Outcome 2. Increased engagement by CSCs with the URM communities to enhance the mission workforce pipeline.

Output

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 9 of 80 o Number of structured activities to recruit and retain students, particularly from URM communities, in NOAA mission-relevant higher education programs.

o Number of MSI inter-institutional collaborative partnerships established and maintained in support of NOAA’s mission.

Outcome 3. To increase communication of CSC accomplishments and capacity o Number of CSC products used by stakeholders.

o Number of featured articles in print or digital media referencing the NOAA CSC.

Outcome 4. Increased use of post-secondary education evaluation methodologies o Number of best practices that are measurable, scalable and transferrable.

o Consistent use of established evaluation practices, including higher education practices, to measure effectiveness of each component of the award.

B. Program Priorities

The goal of this Federal Funding Opportunity is, through full and open competition, to make awards to applicants that successfully describe proposed education and research that support NOAA’s mission, strategic plans, objectives and outcomes. The intent of the EPP/MSI-funded CSC is to make a significant impact on the challenge and opportunities being addressed in this announcement, with the expectation that major outcomes will be sustained after NOAA funding ends. Applicants should show how they will increase participation of the currently untapped pool of students from traditionally underrepresented minority groups, and address changing national demographics and the persistent degree attainment gap in NOAA STEM, policy and management fields.

Each CSC must conduct both education and research. The Center education and research shall directly support NOAA’s mission, strategic plans, objectives and outcomes to recruit, Federal Funding Opportunity Page 10 of 80 train and graduate post-secondary students, particularly from underrepresented minority communities, to become eligible to successfully compete and enter the agency mission workforce, academia, and other STEM focused management agencies. The overall Program level metrics for this FFO are:

1. Annually, number of EPP-funded post-secondary students from underrepresented communities who are trained and graduate in NOAA-mission sciences.

2. Annually, number of EPP-funded post-secondary students who are trained and graduate in NOAA-mission fields relevant to this announcement.

3. Annually, number of EPP-funded graduates who enter the NOAA mission workforce as hires by NOAA, NOAA contractors, NOAA partners, or resource management agencies, or academia or as entrepreneurs.

4. Annually, number of EPP-funded graduates who participate in and complete agency mission-related postdoctoral level programs.

5. Funds leveraged with NOAA EPP award (including post-secondary student support).

C. Program Authority

The applicable statutory authorities and Executive Orders for this program follow:

The America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science Act (America COMPETES Act), 33 U.S.C. 893a (see P.L. 110-69 and P.L. 111-358);

Cooperative Agreements, 15 U.S.C. 1540;

White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans Commission, Executive Orders 13230;

White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Executive Order 13256;

White House Initiative on Tribal Colleges and Universities, Executive Order 13270;

American Indian and Alaska Native Education, Executive Order 13336; and, Federal Funding Opportunity Page 11 of 80

Increasing Economic Opportunity and Business Participation of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Executive Order 13339.

II. Award Information

A. Funding Availability

All funding is contingent upon availability of Federal appropriations. NOAA anticipates that approximately $3.1 million will be available annually for each CSC for a period of five years. Four awards may be made to establish four (4) CSCs. Proposed Centers should be for five (5) years in duration and have annual budgets of $3.1 million with a total funding request of $15.5 million over the five year project period. Subject to Congressional appropriations, NOAA anticipates making awards no later than September 1, 2016.

B. Project/Award Period

Projects with an award period of 5 years will be considered for funding under this competition; the requested award start date should begin on the first day of the month and end on the last day of the month. Proposals may include an award start date no earlier than September 1, 2016. Awards will be funded incrementally with one year budget periods.

Funding for the next budget period is contingent on satisfactory progress and the availability of Federal funds.

After the initial five-year project period, a subsequent 5-year award may be issued without competition based on the outcome of an independent and technical administrative review in the fourth year, and contingent on funding and continued relevance to NOAA.

This ensures continuity within the program and allows for full development of trainees through the course of their education.

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C. Type of Funding Instrument

CSC financial assistance awards are established through cooperative agreements. The cooperative agreements are five-year awards made to the lead MSI. A NOAA cooperative agreement means that NOAA will collaborate with the award recipient in the design and implementation of the program. A cooperative agreement is appropriate when substantial NOAA involvement is anticipated.

Substantial Involvement

There will be substantial NOAA involvement, collaboration and/or participation, in Center performance. Substantial involvement exists when responsibility for the management, direction, or performance of the award is shared by the assisting agency and the recipient or the assisting agency has the right to intervene (including interruption or modification) in the conduct or performance of award activities.

NOAA will be significantly involved in the planning of education, training, and research activities at the CSCs. For example NOAA will:

(i) identify agency directors and managers to serve as the Technical Monitor to ensure science, natural resource management and policy conducted at the CSC is compatible with NOAA and the respective Line Office (LO);

(ii) participate on the science committees that evaluate projects submitted for approval through the CSC administrative structure;

(iii) participate on the education and outreach committees that evaluate projects submitted for approval through the CSC administrative structure;

(iv) serve as subject matter expert mentors and/or advisors on graduate student thesis or dissertation committees;

(v) coordinate and/or facilitate experiential research and training opportunities for CSC post-secondary students and postdoctoral fellows at NOAA facilities;

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(vi) serve as mentors for CSC post-secondary students to facilitate student preparation and professional development for the NOAA mission workforce;

(vii) provide post-award guidance on the CSC Implementation, Science, and Student Development Plans;

(viii) facilitate hosting of CSC faculty at NOAA facilities or other bi-directional collaboration; and,

(ix) coordinate with the CSCs on the Biennial Education and Science Forum planning.

Institutional Awards

In accordance with the Department of Commerce Interim Grants Manual, Chapter 6, Section 2., “the Grants Officer is responsible for determining whether a program is designated as an institutional award program and may determine that only one or more awards under a program are institutional awards.” The Educational Partnership Program with Minority Serving Institutions (EPP/MSI) is designated by the Director of the NOAA Grants Management Division as an Institutional Program. Beginning with this Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO) in FY 16, Cooperative Science Center awards will be made for a project performance period of 5 years with the potential for an additional 5 years.

The first five-year award will be made based on the outcome of the FY 16 FFO through open competition, pursuant to the procedures for initial selection of a new recipient under a discretionary institutional program as described in the DOC Interim Grants Manual Chapter 8, Section D. The performance of FY 16 award recipients will be subject to periodic reviews, Additionally, in Year 4 (FY 20), award recipients will be externally reviewed by subject matter experts and NOAA Grants Officer to evaluate the effectiveness and continued desirability of the use of institutional awards in accordance with Chapter 16, Section K.2 of the DOC Interim Grants Manual. The results of the review must be a consideration by both the Program Officer and Grants Officer in making a determination to continue providing funding without competition to each recipient of an institutional award.

Pursuant to procedures for non-discretionary funding as described in Chapter 8, Section G, of the DOC Interim Grants Manual, future applications for subsequent new awards, if the

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 14 of 80 incumbent is performing satisfactorily will utilize a non-competitive renewal application process. In FY 21, incumbent award recipients may be invited to respond to a non-competitive request for applications. The incumbent award recipients may respond by submitting a renewal application. The renewal application process, in FY 21, will enable Program to ensure performance of recipients continues to be in alignment with agency priorities.

Renewal applications will be reviewed by an independent expert panel. Successful renewal applicants may be awarded a second 5-year award period. The performance of awardee shall continue to align with the NOAA mission priorities and Line Office strategic objectives.

If a recipient is unsuccessful in the renewal application process, NOAA may publish an FFO to allow for an open competition for the specific Center type(s). New award recipients under a discretionary institutional program are selected as specified in the DOC Interim Grants Manual Chapter 8, Section D.

III. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Applicants

For the purpose of this program, Minority Serving Institutions, as designated by the U.S.

Department of Education as to current MSI status, are eligible to apply. Each applicant or academic partner indicating MSI status shall append official documentation of such designation, from the U.S. Department of Education, at the time of the application submission. To continue to be eligible to receive award funds as an MSI, supporting documentation is required to NOAA each year, no later than, the anniversary date of the award. The U.S. Department of Education provides the following Minority Serving Institution information:

(1) a part B institution (a historically Black college or university) (§322 of the HEA, 20

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U.S.C. §1061);

(2) a Hispanic-serving institution (§502 of the HEA, 20 U.S.C. §1101a);

(3) a Tribal College or University (§316 of the HEA, 20 U.S.C. §1059c);

(4) an Alaska Native-serving institution or a Native Hawaiian-serving institution (§317(b) of the HEA, 20 U.S.C. §1059d(b);

(5) a Predominantly Black Institution (§§318(b) and 371(c)(9) of the HEA; 20 U.S.C. §§ 1059e(b) and 1067q(c)(9));

(6) an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institution (§§ 320(b) and 371(c)(2) of the HEA, 20 U.S.C. §§1059g(b) and 1067q(c)(2); or

(7) a Native American-serving nontribal institution (§§319(b) and 371(c)(8) of the HEA;

20 U.S.C. §§ 1059f(b) and 1067q(c)(8).

The following are requirements for prospective CSCs:

1. the lead academic institution must be an accredited MSI with a Ph.D. degree-granting program in a STEM field that directly supports NOAA’s mission and addresses the proposed Center Type in the application;

2. the lead and partner institutions must demonstrate a proven track record of educating, training and graduating post-secondary students, particularly from traditionally underrepresented minority groups, in NOAA mission sciences, management and policy;

3. the lead and partner institutions must demonstrate that resources are available to conduct NOAA mission research;

4. the lead and partner institutions must demonstrate the capability to manage the education and training, scientific research, and administrative aspects of a Center program;

and,

5. the lead and partner institutions must demonstrate the capability to recruit, retain, train and graduate post-secondary students, particularly for underrepresented minority communities, in NOAA mission science fields of study that align with this Federal Funding Opportunity.

Applications will not be accepted from non-profit organizations (except organizations that are classified as Institutions of Higher Education), foundations (except foundations that represent Institutions of Higher Education), auxiliary services or any other entity submitted on behalf of MSIs. Private and /or public sector and community college partnerships are encouraged.

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Partnerships with community colleges may be considered as a mechanism to build the undergraduate pipeline of four-year academic institutions. A CSC may partner with one or more institutions that have demonstrated education and research performance in NOAA-related sciences.

An application can only address one center type. An institution shall only submit one application as the lead. Institutions may collaborate on up to two proposals as partners.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement

There are no matching funds requirements for the Educational Partnership Program with Minority Serving Institutions. Matching resources will not be factored into the review process as evaluation criteria. Inclusion of voluntary committed cost sharing is prohibited under this announcement.

C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility

Each application deemed responsive to this announcement must address PART I A. and PART I B. The participants must satisfy all the requirements in this announcement to receive award funds. Eligibility for student and postdoctoral fellows as participant beneficiaries follows:

CSC Postdoctoral Fellowship Eligibility Requirements: (1) United States (U.S.) Citizenship;

(2) Recent doctoral graduate – within two (2) years of graduation; (3) Doctoral degree field must support NOAA’s mission; and (4) Period of eligibility for the fellow to be supported on award funds in the CSC Postdoctoral Fellowship Program is 24 months within a 26-month period.

Student Eligibility for CSC Beneficiary Support Requirements: (1) must be U.S. citizen;

(2) full-time post-secondary student; however, graduate students at the writing stage of their thesis or dissertation, having met all other course requirements, could be exempt from the “full-time post-secondary student” requirement when enrolled in thesis or dissertation

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 17 of 80 credits; and, (3) must maintain a minimum 3.0 grade point average (GPA) per school term, whether quarter or semester system, and satisfy the following support time periods:

1. No more than four (4) years for students pursuing baccalaureate degrees;

2. No more than three (3) years for students pursuing Master's degrees; and,

3. No more than five (5) years for students pursuing doctoral degrees.

EPP/MSI funds may not be used to support post-secondary students who do not meet the minimum 3.0 GPA for every school term or to repeat courses previously paid for with EPP/MSI funds. A student may return to the Program when the GPA is 3.0 or higher.

EPP/MSI funds may not be used to support any student engaged in full-time employment, outside of the Center, degree program, and/or the academic institution. For the purpose of this FFO, full-time employment is considered 40 hours per week.

Each application may request any combination of undergraduate and/or graduate and/or professional NOAA mission-field degree level support for education and training towards a postsecondary degree. There is no limit to the number of post-secondary students an institution may propose to support.

Post-secondary students attending two-year colleges that are legally authorized to offer a two-year or equivalent program of college-level studies which are principally creditable toward a baccalaureate degree, may be awarded an undergraduate scholarship from eligible baccalaureate academic partner institutions in cases where an articulation agreement, bridging agreement, or other type of collaborative arrangement exists between the subject baccalaureate-level institution(s) and the two year college.

No international travel is supported with award funds through this program.

While the Center will be established at an MSI, consortia with non-minority serving institutions partners is unrestricted. If a cooperative agreement is awarded to a consortium of institutions, the consortium must propose a governance structure that includes a single Center Director for an award. Where multi-institutional applications between majority and

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MSIs are submitted, no less than eighty percent (80%) of the total funds shall be awarded to the MSI(s). The MSI lead cannot issue sub-awards for more than twenty percent (20%) of the total proposed CSC costs to majority institutions. Proposal shall describe approaches for majority institution partners to actively collaborate to build NOAA mission capacity at MSIs in the Center.

The application must state how the proposed CSC will address the following EPP/MSI Program-level CSC Responsiveness Criteria. Proposals that do not meet the following responsiveness criteria will not be forwarded to technical review:

C.1 Responsiveness Criterion 1. Applications for the CSCs shall support NOAA’s mission. The application must support the future agency mission workforce and Strategic Plans, Program Objective and Description (Part I, A - B).

C.2 Responsiveness Criterion 2 - Center Academic Partnerships. The CSC's lead academic institution must be an accredited MSI with a Ph.D. program in one of the NOAA-mission science areas of the Center Types. NOAA requires partnerships for the performance of the award (see www.epp.noaa.gov for list of NOAA Partners related to this announcement). A CSC may partner with one or more institutions that have demonstrated education and research performance in NOAA mission-related STEM, natural resource management, and policy.

C.3 Responsiveness Criterion 3 - Accountability for Performance and Key Outputs and Outcomes. Any eligible academic institutions submitting an application for a Center Award must, as a part of the application, describe alignment that will result in increased participation of students from traditionally underrepresented minority communities for the future workforce to support NOAA’s mission, strategic plans, objectives and outcomes.

Proposed CSC activities should be presented in sufficient detail to allow assessment of their intrinsic merit and potential effectiveness. Applicants must show how they will increase degree attainment, and advance Program-level outputs and outcomes in NOAA mission STEM, policy and management fields. Ultimately, awards are to yield a diverse pool of candidates that that will result in increased numbers of CSC graduates from traditionally underrepresented minority communities eligible to enter the workforce at NOAA and in NOAA mission-relevant occupations.

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IV. Application and Submission Information

A. Address to Request Application Package

The standard application forms are available at through the “Apply” function on Grants.gov or http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-family.html#sortby=1.

Only electronic applications, as Adobe Acrobat (.PDF) files, may be submitted via Grants-dot-gov to NOAA in response to this Federal Funding Opportunity. For an overview of the Grants.gov application process see http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants.html.

Applicants are urged to submit application early in the Grants.gov portal.

Complete application packages, including required Federal forms and instructions may be found on www.grants.gov. Electronic access to the Full Funding Opportunity Announcement for this program is available via www.grants.gov. The Federal Funding Opportunity announcement will also be available at the NOAA EPP/MSI web site:

www.epp.noaa.gov.

Grants.gov requires applicants to register with the system prior to submitting an application. This registration process can take several weeks and involves multiple steps. In order to allow sufficient time for this process, applicants should register as soon as they decide they intend to apply, even if they are not yet ready to submit their applications. Also, even if an applicant has registered with Grants.gov previously, the applicant's password may have expired or their System for Award Management (SAM) registration (formerly Central Contractor Registration [CCR]) may need to be renewed or updated prior to submitting to 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.) Grants.gov will not accept submissions if the applicant has not been authorized or if credentials are incorrect.

Authorizations and credential corrections can take several days to establish. Please plan accordingly to avoid late submissions. For further information please visit the SAM web portal (https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/).

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B. Content and Form of Application

Successful applications adhere to the guidance in this announcement for establishing CSCs.

NOAA reserves the right to make awards that will assure all Americans have access to this opportunity, across racial and ethnic groups, eligible institution types, geography, and/or demographics.

1. Proposal Electronic File Size

The total electronic file size, as recommended by Grants.gov for the complete application package, should not exceed 200 megabytes in storage space. Files that cannot be opened or downloaded will not be reviewed. There is no file size limit for NOAA Grants Online. If an applicant has a challenge uploading the application package then splitting the document into small files is recommended. Applicants shall be responsible for uploading the complete application package in response to this solicitation. Pages shall be numbered.

2. Proposal Pagination Instructions

Applicants are advised to adhere to the pagination as specified in this announcement.

Each section of the proposal that is uploaded as a separate file must be individually paginated prior to being uploaded to the Grants.gov electronic system. Submitted pages beyond the limitations will not be reviewed.

3. Proposal Margin and Spacing Requirements

All application materials should use a legible 12-point font with 1-inch margins on all sides. All figures and tables are included in the page limitation. These requirements apply to all uploaded sections of a proposal, including supplementary documentation.

4. Page Formatting

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Applicants are strongly encouraged to use only a standard, single-column format for the text. A two-column format should be avoided since it can cause difficulties when reviewing the document electronically.

The guidelines specified above establish the minimum type size requirements; however, applicants are advised that readability is of paramount importance and should take precedence in selection of an appropriate font for use in the proposal. Small type size makes it difficult for reviewers to read the proposal; consequently, the use of small type not in compliance with the above guidelines may be grounds for NOAA to return the proposal without review. Adherence to type size and line spacing requirements is also necessary to ensure that no applicant will have an unfair advantage, by using smaller type or line spacing to provide more text in the proposal.

5. Page Limitation

The 55-page limit for Narrative Description does not include Supplemental Elements, Required Standard Forms, Appendices, or the Budget Justification. Supplemental Elements should not total more than 10 total pages excluding National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) information, governmental forms, and information provided to complete government forms. Pages submitted that exceed the page limitations listed below will not be forwarded to reviewers for consideration, e.g. only the first 55 pages will be reviewed for the narrative description.

Proposed CSC Narrative Description, Elements, and Plans (Total: max 55 pages):

o Proposed CSC Narrative Description: (recommended 15 pages) and includes the 5-page limit for previous accomplishment in area of application over the past five years o Education and Training Plan: recommended 15 pages o Research Science Plan: recommended 10 pages o Data Management Plan: 5 pages and includes a Data Sharing Plan of up to two (2) pages (see PART IV, B., 8)

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 22 of 80 o Center Administration Plan: (max 10 pages) includes but not limited to – o Structure and Management;

o Resumes of Principal Investigator for the project and other key personnel critical to success of the project. Ensure resumes address qualifications relevant to conducting the proposed work. Limit each resume to a maximum of two pages; and, o Plan for Evaluation of up to two (2) pages.

Supplemental Elements (max 10 pages):

o Letter of Commitment from Chief Executive Officer of the applicant institution;

o Institutional data and profile that includes: numbers for post-secondary student enrollment, retention and graduation by gender, racial groups, ethnic groups for the past five

(5) years; placement of graduates during the past five years; and, enrollment and graduation numbers and placement for graduated post-secondary students from traditionally underrepresented groups, for the past five (5) years;

o Institutional Review Board Approval for Research on Human Subjects; and, o Letters of Collaboration. Letters of collaboration may be submitted from NOAA mission related entities, external to NOAA, for education and training and/or research collaborations. These letters should be brief and restricted to a statement of intent only to collaborate. Additional information on the nature of the collaboration and the roles should be included in the Center application, within the page limitations for proposed CSC narrative description.

Appendices should not total more than 10 pages:

o Strategic Plan;

o Center Logic Model;

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 23 of 80 o Results from Assessment of Needs for NOAA mission future workforce; used to baseline and benchmark the proposal;

o Proof of MSI designation per U.S. Department of Education; and, o Risk Assessment.

Budget Explanation (no limit on pages):

o Funds for salaries and fringe benefits may be requested only for those personnel who are directly involved in implementing the proposed project and whose salaries and fringe benefits are directly related to specific outputs and outcomes of the proposed CSC. NOAA strongly encourages applicants to request reasonable amounts of funding for salaries and fringe benefits to ensure that the application is competitive.

o Salary line shall not be used for funds to support student beneficiaries. All students supported through the CSC award are to be included in participant costs.

o For more information see NOAA budget narrative description guidance (http://go.usa.gov/c2p2F).

o This program limits indirect cost (IDC) recovery. See Section IV.E. Funding Restrictions. The IDC rate limitation flows down.

6. File Names.

A complete application package for this solicitation, in addition to the required SF-424 form family (see PART IV B, 9), will contain required and supplemental elements. The application package (see PART IV B, 8.4) should be uploaded as a single .pdf file. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure a complete application package is uploaded. Should there be challenges in uploading a single document, then two .pdf files may be uploaded as follows:

1) Required Elements (see PART IV B, 8.4.1-5) that are uploaded as a single .pdf file

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 24 of 80 with name containing Narrative Description; and,

2) Supplemental Elements (see PART IV B,8.4.6 that are uploaded as a single .pdf file with name containing Supplemental Elements.

7. Description of CSC Structure and Management.

In this FY 2016 announcement, NOAA informs applicants that achievement, more than activities, will be measured. All applicants are required to describe how their Center, if supported, will contribute to: (i) the stated targets; and (ii) establishment of trajectories to produce Program-specific required outputs and outcomes for this Federal STEM education investment.

Awards made under this announcement should have a clear management structure and decision making process that specifies the roles of each of the collaborative applicant and key personnel. Applicants may choose their preferred method for managing their collaborative partnership and should explain the management structure in the proposed CSC narrative. The lead institution and the submitting Principal Investigator/Center Director (PI/CD) lead in coordinating the Center award (see PART III, A and PART IV, B.).

The lead and performance of activities at each Center shall be coordinated and led by the lead institution and through sub-awards to partner institutions. The applicant must follow the requirements for sub-award, subcontracts and/or consultants as set out at 2 C.F.R.

200.330 through 200.332 and 200.317 through 200.326, as applicable.

Where the applicant selects a consultant, subcontractor and/or sub-awardee prior to submitting an application, indicate the process that was used for selection and provide a statement of his/her qualification or background.

Description of CSC Type. An applicant selects from one of the four (4) CSC Types. The applicant may submit only one application as the lead institution under this funding opportunity. All applications responding to this announcement shall align with the Strategic

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Plans for NOAA, NOAA Education Goal 4, and the Primary Line Office Strategic Objectives.

Eligible institutions may compete for an award to establish a CSC based on the Center Type criteria provided herein. Each application must address all criteria for a single Center Type. This announcement requests applications for four (4) CSC Types. The criteria for each CSC Type follows:

7.1.0 Center Type: Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology (ASM)

National Weather Service (NWS) – Primary Line Office NWS Strategic Plan, http://www.nws.noaa.gov/sp/ Weather Ready Nation Plan, www.weather.gov/com/stratplan

7.1.1 Applicants must address, for the Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology CSC, the following priorities:

o developing a candidate pool of Center graduates, especially from traditionally underrepresented groups, with working technical skills, knowledge and competencies that integrate academic training, experiential learning, professional development, socioeconomic and behavioral science factors for competitive career paths in atmospheric sciences and/or meteorology to support the NOAA Education Strategic Plan diverse future workforce goal, NWS Weather Ready Nation strategic objective, and NOAA’s Strategic Plan;

o identifying and describing impacts of changing climate on communities & ecosystems;

o quantifying and communicating forecast uncertainty/risks for decision making;

o understanding the causes and impacts of changing atmospheric composition and crafting options for strategic actions; and, o developing decision support information and tools using NOAA and other source data

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 26 of 80 to contribute to enhanced forecasts with integrated ecosystem level modeling (physical + biological + socio-economic impacts) to improve and translate research findings to application.

7.1.2 Key focus areas.

Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology CSC applications should address the ability to train and graduate post-secondary students for operational meteorology and to conduct collaborative research in integrated environmental forecasting, numerical weather prediction, data assimilation, climate modeling, climate analysis and prediction, water resources, and/or studies that lead to improvements in warning and forecast operations. Key area of focus shall include collaborative research that: (1) advances the understanding of the weather-climate linkage, cloud and precipitation processes, airborne particulate matter, health sensitivities to weather and climate, and planetary boundary layer processes (especially in complex terrain);

(2) improves quantification of forecast uncertainty, long-range forecasting and regional…