oppM18AS00006-cfda15.424-instructions.doc

U.S. Department of the Interior

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Program Announcement No. M18AS00006 Analysis of Critical and Strategic Mineral Recovery from Sand Used for Beach Nourishment FY 2018 Marine Minerals Program CFDA Number 15.424

August 14, 2018 I. Funding Opportunity Description:

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) through the Marine Minerals Program (MMP) is offering a cooperative agreement opportunity to conduct research to serve the public interest in offshore sand resources, coastal restoration, coastal resiliency, and to meet the goals of MMP to develop a feasibility study that will examine alternative methodologies for the recovery of economically valuable minerals from marine sand deposits, ideally as an integral part of coastal remediation projects.

Section 1346 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) mandates the conduct of environmental and socioeconomic studies needed for the assessment and management of environmental impacts on the human, marine, and coastal environments which may be affected by oil and gas or other mineral development. OCSLA Section 1345 authorizes the use of cooperative agreements with affected States to meet the requirements of OCSLA, including sharing of information, joint utilization of available expertise, formation of joint monitoring arrangements to carry out applicable Federal and State laws, regulations, and stipulations relevant to outer continental shelf operations both onshore and offshore.

II. Award Information:

· This announcement is specifically to announce intent to undertake the following project: A partnership to collaborate on the development of a feasibility study investigating the viability of recovering economically valuable hard minerals from offshore sand deposits during beach nourishment dredging operations.

· This Program Announcement describes a cooperative agreement that may be awarded to the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals, and Energy (DMME). This is not an open solicitation for proposals. All awards are premised on receipt of an acceptable proposal.

· The total amount of funding available for an award based on this announcement is not to exceed $250,000. Work performance under the cooperative agreement award will start on day of award. The MMP anticipates making one (1) cooperative agreement award(s) in response to this Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) (see list of eligible entities below in Section III). The award ceiling, for the entire proposed project (not per year), per cooperative agreement is $250,000 and the award floor per cooperative agreement is $200,000. The Period of performance of the Cooperative Agreement will begin on the date of award and end 24 months later. Additional information regarding multi-year proposals is presented in the “Multi-Year Proposal” section below.

The overall goal of this study is to collaborate on the development of a feasibility study investigating the viability of recovering economically valuable hard minerals from offshore sand deposits during beach nourishment dredging operations. Although the study will focus on known sand deposits in federal water offshore of the Delmarva Peninsula, methodologies and conclusions should be generally applicable to all nearshore Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) hard minerals.

This award will be a cooperative agreement and must include substantial involvement by MMP staff in various aspects of study development and/or study conduct. The Project Officer and other BOEM scientists will be engaged with the Principal Investigator (PI) to provide advice and direction during the project.

The Cooperative Agreement will satisfy the following objectives:

1. Develop a feasibility study that will examine alternative methodologies for the recovery of economically valuable minerals from marine sand deposits, ideally as an integral part of coastal remediation projects. Economic heavy minerals include those containing critical elements such as titanium, zirconium, cesium, niobium, tantalum, rare earth elements, among others listed in U.S Geological Survey Open-File Report 2018-1021 (“Draft critical mineral list—Summary of methodology and background information—U.S. Geological Survey technical input document in response to Secretarial Order No. 3359”). The primary focus of the study should be on minerals known to be present in the Delmarva region.

2. The feasibility study will identify, analyze, and discuss benefits and drawbacks pertaining to offshore and onshore separation methods.

3. Study should consider, among other factors:

a) potential environmental impacts

i. at mining locations

ii. at processing location

iii. during transport

iv. potential pollutants and waste products

b) legal aspects (e.g., jurisdiction, cost-share, royalties, liability)

c) cost recovery potential (e.g., value of commodity, royalties, potential cost-share)

d) potential stakeholders

i. governmental

ii. industry

iii. NGO

iv. local community

4. Study will discuss alternative courses of action, including a detailed recommended course of action for the most actionable alternative, as jointly agreed upon by DMME and BOEM, leading to a pilot study. A detailed course of action would, for example, be usable as request for bid document with only minor modification.

5. Additional geological economic minerals data needed to identify the detailed recommended course of action may be gathered and analyzed.

6. DMME will organize and host one critical minerals workshop for key governmental stakeholders. This may be in conjunction with another meeting or may be conducted virtually. DMME is not expected to provide funding for travel or lodging but may, with CO approval, apply funding to associated costs (e.g., workshop materials, refreshments).

7. Key deliverables:

a) One-page monthly progress reports submitted using a BOEM-provided template.

b) DMME will submit drafts of the Feasibility Study Report, Map, and MMIS database at least six weeks prior to their final deliverable due dates. BOEM disseminate draft deliverables for review by MMP staff and USGS-Santa Cruz. Comments on draft products will be submitted to DMME within three weeks of receipt of draft deliverables.

c) Report detailing Feasibility Study of aforementioned items 1–5.

d) Updated map of Virginia/Delmarva marine economic mineral distribution, including the OCS. Map should be developed to meet DMME standards. Map deliverables should include:

i. Two poster sized printed copies.

ii. Electronic (pdf) version.

iii. Electronic (GIS software) version.

e) Marine Minerals Information System compatible database describing location, grade, and extent of marine economic minerals in the Virginia/Delmarva region, including the OCS.

i. Submit an electronic copy of appropriated project data generated during the course of this project to the BOEM COR in the form of a geodatabase (ESRI, .gdb) at the time of submission of the Draft Final Report. BOEM will provide a pre-formatted geodatabase that can be used to load final project data upon request.

ii. Electronic data shall include a metadata record for the geodatabase detailing all aspects of the data development process.

iii. All spatial data shall conform to FGDC-STD-001-1998 \ ISO 19115 – Metadata Standard for Geographic Data and / or align to Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) standards to include content and classification standards.

f) Summary report discussing the critical minerals workshop. Report should include a brief 1–2 page narrative, meeting minutes, and copies of presentation materials. Presentation materials may be submitted as electronic attachments.

Multi-Year Proposals:

Proposals should clearly define the work to be accomplished each year. The BOEM reserves the option to fund only the first year of a multi-year proposal with funding of subsequent years contingent upon the availability of funds and satisfactory progress demonstrated by the recipient. Progress will be determined through technical review of Progress Reports and other work identified by the BOEM project officer.

III. Eligibility Information:

This cooperative agreement will fund a partnership between the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals, and Energy (DMME) and the BOEM Marine Minerals Division (MMD). This partnership will allow DMME and BOEM to collaborate on the development of a feasibility study investigating the viability of recovering economically valuable hard minerals from offshore sand deposits during beach nourishment dredging operations. Only one application will be accepted, and only one award considered.

A contribution of matching funds towards this effort, either as cash or in-kind contributions (such as salary, equipment, etc. or a combination of both) is strongly encouraged. Match value for instrumentation and other equipment should be adjusted to the period of use within the project relative to the full life cycle for the item. Further information can be found at 2 CFR 200.306.

IV. Application and Submission Information:

1. Location of Application Package

All applications must be submitted through the www.grants.gov by the due date noted on the synopsis to this announcement. Information on the application process can be found under the “Applicants” tab. Applicants can locate the application package by visiting the grants.gov portal and searching on CFDA number 15.424 in the grants.gov search engine.

The electronic submission system requires several preliminary registration steps before the actual application can be submitted, including obtaining a DUNS number (see www.dnb.com), registering in SAM.gov (see www.sam.gov) and registering a Grants.gov account (go to www.grants.gov and click on “Register” in the top right hand corner).

2. Content and Form of Applications

The application process begins by downloading the application at grants.gov. The application portal will enable the applicant and all interested parties to view and complete the following required application forms:

SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance

SF-424a Budget Information

SF-424b Assurances – Non-Construction Programs

Project Narrative Form

Budget Narrative Form

GG Certification Regarding Lobbying Form

(Complete the Optional SF-LLL Lobbying form if lobbying has occurred)

3. Proposal Narrative

The first page (cover sheet) of the proposal shall contain the following information:

· Project Title:

· Principal Investigator(s):

· Name:

· Address:

· Phone and Fax

· Email:

· Name of the department:

· Contact Information for Technical and Administrative Negotiations

· Project Status: New/Continuation

· Project Duration: (years)

· Proposed Start Date:

· Non-Federal Matching Funds Available:

· Funds Requested from BOEM:

· Total Project Cost:

· Signature, Name, and Contact Information of Principal Investigators:

· Proposal Endorsement, including Signature, Name and Contact Information of

Authorized Official Proposal Text. The text should be no longer than 25 pages not including references, resumes, and budget information. Please include the following:

1. Abstract

2. Background/Relevance to BOEM Issues– Give a brief introduction to the research problem. State how the proposal addresses BOEM MMP and Commonwealth of Virginia goals. Explain why the work is important. Specify the contribution to science related to offshore resources and the benefits that society will receive from the project. Proposals should clearly describe why the research is important to BOEM and the Commonwealth of Virginia. Provide a brief summary of findings or outcomes of any prior work you have completed relevant to this project.

3. Objectives/Hypotheses – List objectives and clearly define the hypotheses and how the scientific method will be employed to test them.

4. Methods/Analyses – List all references to which you refer in the text and references from your past work in the field that the research problem addresses. Be sure to identify references as journal articles, chapters in books, abstracts, maps, digital data, etc.

5. Data Management, Data Security and Data Archiving Plan: Copy of data files to be delivered to BOEM and a copy archived with National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC), National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS), or other specified and appropriate data archive.

6. Logistics plan

7. Safety management

8. Permits/Interagency coordination/Local coordination

9. Local involvement/Traditional knowledge/outreach: The BOEM considers involvement of local residents in the design and execution as well as dissemination of research data and results to be an integral and crucial aspect of projects funded by this program. Applicants are strongly encouraged to actively involve local residents in the study and to disseminate research results to the local community, the scientific community and appropriate professional organizations; local, State, regional and Federal agencies; and the general public. The BOEM encourages the Recipients to publish project reports in scientific and technical journals.

10. Project management/Staffing plan: List the Principal Investigator first, followed by the names of other individuals. Indicate the role for each participant in the project (e.g., oceanographer, geochemist, field assistant). Include a (two page maximum) curriculum vitae for each investigator.

11. Performance measures - Describe the performance, metrics or devise a performance plan that will be used to asses the accomplishment of the goals of the project. These performance measures will be incorporated in the cooperative agreement award and must be reflected in the recipient’s Quarterly Progress Report. Describe the applicant’s plan to monitor performance of contractors and sub-grantees

12. Planned Products - List product(s) (reports, analyses, maps, digital data, video, photos, etc.) that will be delivered during or at the end of the performance period. Quarterly and annual progress reports, data products, spatial databases, draft and final reports, and draft and final technical summaries are required. Also, publication of results in peer-review journals is encouraged.

13. Budget justification (see item 4, “Budget Narrative,” below)

14. Budget (include personnel costs, travel, services, supplies, equipment, tuition, indirect costs, and anticipated match for each year, as well as a grand total for both years)-submitted separately under the Budget Narrative.

15. Names and contacts of 3 suggested Peer Reviewers of deliverables

16. Project Schedule (including deliverables)

17. Critical Start Date (e.g., for season-limited field work)

18. Literature Cited

Not included in the 10 page limit are the curricula vitae, budget, budget justification, suggested peer reviewers and Literature Cited. Abbreviated curricula vitae with two pages per Principal Investigator/Co- Principal Investigator is highly encouraged. The project schedule is included within the 10-page limit.

4. Budget Narrative

This information will provide more details than the SF-424A form and will provide adequate information for the Contracting Officer to conduct a detailed analysis of the costs to determine if they are reasonable, allowable, allocable, and necessary for performance of the study. Please include the following:

a. Salaries and Wages. List positions, rate of compensation and estimated number of hours. If contract employees are hired, include their total time, rate of compensation, job titles, and roles. Provide a statement that salaries will be charged at the actual rate and that the rate is comparable to others doing similar work within the organization.

b. Fringe benefits/labor overhead. Indicate the rates/amounts in conformance with normal accounting procedures. Explain what costs are covered in this category and the basis of the rate computations. Provide a copy of the Negotiated Rate Agreement with the cognizant federal audit agency for the Recipient, and all sub-grantees.

c. Supplies. Enter the cost for all tangible property. Include the cost of office, laboratory, computing, and field supplies separately. Provide detail on any specific item, which represents a significant portion of the proposed amount. Provide a statement that supplies will be purchased in accordance with 2 CFR. 200.317.

d. Equipment. Show the cost of all special-purpose equipment necessary for achieving the objectives of the project. "Special-purpose equipment" means scientific equipment having a useful life of more than 1 year and having an acquisition cost of $5,000 or more per item. Special-purpose equipment should be itemized and include a full justification and a dealer or manufacturer quote, if available.

General-purpose equipment (used for purposes other than this project) must be purchased from the applicant's operating funds. Title to non-expendable personal property may remain with the government or it may be vested solely with the Recipient. Under no circumstances shall property title be vested in a sub-tier recipient. Provide a statement that equipment will be purchased in accordance with 2 CFR 200.317 and managed in accordance with 2 CFR 200.313.

e. Services or consultants. Identify the tasks or problems for which such services would be used. List the contemplated sub-contractors by name (including consultants), the estimated amount of time required, and the quoted rate per day or hour. Sub-grantee proposals should provide cost breakdowns at the same level of detail as the Applicant’s proposal, including copies of the most current negotiated indirect cost rate.

f. Travel. State the purpose of the trip and itemize the estimated travel costs to show the number of trips required, the destinations, the number of people traveling, the per diem rates, the cost of transportation, and any miscellaneous expenses for each trip. Calculations of other special transportation costs (such as charges for use of applicant-owned vehicles or vehicle rental costs) should also be shown.

g. Publication costs. Show the estimated cost of publishing the results of the research, including the final report. Include costs of drafting or graphics, reproduction, page or illustration charges, and a minimum number of reprints.

h. Other direct costs. Itemize the different types of costs not included elsewhere; such as, shipping, computing, equipment-use charges, or other services.

i. Total Direct Charges. Totals for items a - j.

l. Indirect Charges (Overhead). Indirect cost/general and administrative (G&A) cost. Show the cost base, and proposed amount for indirect costs based on the cost principles applicable to the Applicant's organization. If the sub has separate rates for recovery of labor overhead and G&A costs, each charge should be shown. As stated in (b) above, provide a copy of the Negotiated Rate Agreement with the cognizant federal audit agency including the recipient and all sub-grantees.

m. Amount proposed. Total items k and l.

n. Multi-year projects. The Applicant shall provide summary information as well as a detailed budget for each year.

V. Application Review Information Reviewers will include BOEM staff, project managers, and may also include external peer review. Reviewers will have expertise in Federal offshore programs, coastal and marine geology, geomorphology and Quaternary geology, marine biology, marine archeology, geographic information systems, and other scientific disciplines relevant to the proposal.

Evaluation Criteria. All proposals will be evaluated in accordance with the following criteria:

1. Scientific quality and impact:

Has the applicant clearly and thoroughly explained the hypotheses and relevance to MMP’s mission?

2. Work plan/Methodology:

Is the strategy clear? Are proposed methods adequate to meet objectives? Are the geographic areas selected for study appropriate? Are logistics, safety, and permits/interagency coordination adequately addressed? Does the timeline match the proposal and reality? Are the scientific objectives appropriate for proposed time frame? Are a minimum number of samples or other measureable benchmarks for ensuring project success indicated? Does the timeline provide for submission of the draft final report six months before project end date to ensure adequate time for review, revision, editing, and printing?

3. Planned Products and Dissemination of Results:

Are the products clearly defined? Will they be useful for environmental stewardship and offshore resource management activities? Will the results be published in a peer-reviewed form? Does the proposal indicate PI will submit database in format compatible with BOEM GIS and include metadata compliant with current Federal Geographic Data Committee standards? Does the proposal indicate data will be archived with the National Environmental, Satellite, and Data Information Service/National Oceanographic Data Center (NESDIS/NODC) National Ice Data Center (NIDC), or other appropriate archive?

4. Budget Justification and Clarity:

Is staff sufficient to accomplish the proposed goals? Are field expenses, supplies, lab work, and other expenses appropriate? Are expenses adequately itemized? If applicable, are a minimum number of samples to be collected and analyzed indicated? Are all costs reasonable, allowable, as well as allocable and necessary for performance of the study?

5. Experience/Competence of Research Personnel:

Has the applicant demonstrated (through bibliographic references, previous experience, awards, etc.) that they are capable of performing the proposed research? Has the applicant demonstrated a thorough knowledge of the scientific problem? Have products been on schedule and within budget? Have results been published in peer-reviewed journals?

VI. Award Administration Information:

The recipient is responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the cooperative agreements and sub-awards to ensure compliance with applicable Federal statutes, regulations, and policies. The recipient is also responsible for meeting the performance goals identified in the Project Narrative.

Acceptance of a Federal Financial Assistance award from the Department of the Interior (DOI) Bureau of Ocean Energy Management carries with it the responsibility to be aware of and comply with the terms and conditions of award. Acceptance is defined as the start of work, drawing down funds, or accepting the award via electronic means. Awards are based on the application submitted to, and as approved by BOEM, and are subject to the following:

· Program legislation\regulation.

· Special terms and conditions.

· Code of Federal Regulations/Regulatory Requirements, as applicable (contact the Contracting Officer with any questions regarding the applicability of the following ): Terms and conditions incorporated either directly or by reference in the following:

2 CFR Part 200 Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards 2 CFR Part 25 Universal Identifier and System for Award Management 2 CFR Part 170 Reporting Subaward and Executive Compensation Information

2 CFR Part 175 Award Term for Trafficking in Persons 2 CFR Part 182 Governmentwide Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace

2 CFR Part 1400 Nonprocurement Debarment and Suspension

2 CFR Part 1401 Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace

2 CFR Part 1402 Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards

43 CFR Part 18 New Restrictions on Lobbying

Reporting. BOEM will conduct oversight and monitoring of the work progress and financial status of each cooperative agreement by requiring the following, at a minimum:

1. Federal Cash Transactions Reports

The recipient must submit the Standard Form 425, Federal Financial Report, and, when necessary, its continuation form, if funds are withdrawn in advance of expenditures. The BOEM will use the form to monitor the cash advanced to the recipient, and to obtain disbursement or outlay information for each cooperative agreement.

2. Performance and Financial Status Reporting Requirements

Reporting requirements for the projects are regulated by 2 CFR Part 200. These regulations specify basic cooperative agreement reporting requirements including performance and financial reports. BOEM will work closely with the recipient to incorporate appropriate performance and financial reporting requirements into each cooperative agreement award, consistent with 2 CFR Part 200. These regulations provide some flexibility in determining the appropriate content and frequency of performance and financial reports. At a minimum, however, the reporting schedule will require the recipient to report their progress at least quarterly through the established reporting process and yearly submission of financial status reports.

3. Single Audit Requirements

Nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance funds of $750,000 or more in Federal awards must have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $750,000 in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in 2 CFR 200.501.

4. Technical Reporting Requirements

· Quarterly reports, draft and Final Reports, and draft and Final Technical Summaries are required. Details are available at: https://www.boem.gov/ESP-Data-and-Information-Specifications/.

· The Draft Final Summary Report will be submitted to BOEM at least 6 months before the end of the period of performance for review and approval.

· Technical reports will be prepared throughout the duration of the project, with the Draft Technical Report due 30 days after submission of the Summary Report. Project activities and results will be summarized in quarterly reports to BOEM.

VII. Agency Contacts:

Grants.gov:

Technical questions concerning the application process:

Grants.gov Help Desk at:

Phone: 1-800-518-4726

Email: support@grants.gov Program Announcement and Cooperative Agreement Questions:

Christy Tardiff Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement

Acquisition Management Division 45600 Woodland Road, VAE-AMD Sterling, Virginia 20166 Phone: (703) 787-1367 Email: Christy.Tardiff@bsee.gov Program Office:

Jeffrey Waldner P.G.

Physical Scientist / Oceanographer Marine Minerals Program

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

45600 Woodland Road Sterling, VA 20166

(703) 787-1779 Jeffrey.Waldner@boem.gov

VIII. Other Information:

Dissemination of Research Results. The BOEM considers dissemination of research data and results to be an integral and crucial aspect of projects funded by this program. This includes the proper archiving of samples and databases to maximize public access in the future. Applicants are strongly encouraged to disseminate research results to the scientific community and appropriate professional organizations; local, State, regional, and Federal agencies; and the general public. The BOEM encourages the recipient to publish project reports in scientific and technical journals. Applicants should include in the proposal a plan to present findings at two major meetings, one of which may be a BOEM Gulf of Mexico Offshore Sand Management Working Group Meeting.

Extensions to the Project Period. Extensions are discouraged. The timely conduct of funded projects is of great importance to the achievement of the goals of the BOEM. . Applicants should consider their time commitments at the time of applying for funding support.

--End of Program Announcement M18AS000XX--