PKG00260567-instructions.pdf

Joint Hydrographic Center 2020

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Funding Opportunity Description 3

A. Program Objective 3 B. Program Priorities 3 C. Program Authority 7

II. Award Information 7 A. Funding Availability 7 B. Project/Award Period 7 C. Type of Funding Instrument 7

III. Eligibility Information 8 A. Eligible Applicants 8 B. Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement 8 C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility 8

IV. Application and Submission Information 8 A. Address to Request Application Package 8 B. Content and Form of Application 8 C. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) 11 D. Submission Dates and Times 12 E. Intergovernmental Review 12 F. Funding Restrictions 12 G. Other Submission Requirements 12

V. Application Review Information 13 A. Evaluation Criteria 13 B. Review and Selection Process 15 C. Selection Factors 15 D. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates 15

VI. Award Administration Information 16 A. Award Notices 16 B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements 16 C. Reporting 19

VII. Agency Contacts 20 VIII. Other Information 20

Notice of Federal Funding Page 1 of 20

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Federal Agency Name(s): National Ocean Service (NOS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce

Funding Opportunity Title: Joint Hydrographic Center 2020

Announcement Type: Initial

Funding Opportunity Number: NOAA-NOS-OCS-2020-2006385

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.400, Geodetic Surveys and Services (Applications of the National Geodetic Ref System)

Dates: Proposals must be received by 5:00 p.m. eastern time on May 21, 2020.

Funding Opportunity Description: The purpose of this notice is to solicit proposals for a single cooperative agreement between NOAA and an institution of higher learning to operate and maintain a Joint Hydrographic Center as authorized in the Ocean and Coastal Mapping Integration Act and the Hydrographic Services Improvement Act. Additional supportive policy statements for the guidance of activities at these centers include the November 2019 Presidential Memorandum on ocean mapping, which calls for mapping, exploring, and characterizing the U.S. EEZ to improve our Nation’s understanding of our vast ocean resources and to advance the economic, security, and environmental interests of the United States. Proposals submitted in response to this announcement should advance the purposes of the Acts and the Proclamation by addressing the Program Priorities described in this announcement.

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FULL ANNOUNCEMENT TEXT

I. Funding Opportunity Description

A. Program Objective

Through the Hydrographic Services Improvement Act, the Congress has authorized the creation, support, and maintenance of such joint centers as the Administrator of NOAA deems appropriate or necessary to carry out the purposes of the Act, and through the Coastal and Ocean Mapping Integration Act has authorized NOAA to operate up to three joint ocean and coastal mapping centers, including a joint hydrographic center, co-located with an institution of higher education. Additional supportive policy statements for the guidance of activities at these centers include the November 2019 Presidential Memorandum on ocean mapping, which calls for mapping, exploring, and characterizing the U.S. EEZ to improve our Nation’s understanding of our vast ocean resources and to advance the economic, security, and environmental interests of the United States. NOAA desires to competitively award funds to continue the operation of a Joint Hydrographic Center, originally created in 1999 through Congressional direction. The purpose of this notice is to solicit proposals for a cooperative agreement between NOAA and an institution of higher education to operate a Joint Hydrographic Center as authorized in the Ocean and Coastal Mapping Integration Act and the Hydrographic Services Improvement Act. Proposals submitted in response to this announcement should advance the purposes of the Acts by addressing the Program Priorities described in this announcement.

B. Program Priorities

1.Advance the Technology to Map U.S. Waters:

a. Data Acquisition Improvement in the effectiveness, efficiency, and data quality of acoustic and Lidar bathymetry systems, their included backscatter and reflectance capabilities, their associated vertical and horizontal positioning and orientation systems, and other sensor technologies for hydrographic surveying and ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes mapping.

Improvement in the understanding and integration of other sensor technologies and parameters that expand the efficiency and effectiveness of mapping operations, such as water column and sub-bottom profiling.

Improvement in the operation and deployment of unmanned systems for hydrographic and other ocean mapping and similar marine domain awareness missions. Enhancements in the efficiency and hydrographic and related data acquisition capability of unmanned systems in

Notice of Federal Funding Page 3 of 20 multiple scenarios including shore-based and ship-based deployments and in line-of-sight and over-the-horizon operation and long duration autonomous ocean and coastal mapping data acquisition operations.

Improvement of autonomous data acquisition systems and technologies for unmanned vehicles, vessels of opportunity, and trusted partner organizations.

b. Data Value Improvement in technology and methods for more efficient data processing, quality control, and quality assurance, including the determination and application of measurement uncertainty, of hydrographic and ocean and coastal mapping sensor and ancillary sensor data including data supporting the identification and mapping of fixed and transient features on the seafloor and in the water column and the resolution of unverified charted features.

Development of improved tools and processes for assessment, processing, and efficient application of ocean mapping data from emerging sources such as drones, cameras and optical sensors, satellites, and volunteer/crowd-sourced observing systems to nautical charts and other ocean and coastal mapping and coastal hazard products.

Application of artificial intelligence, cloud services, and machine learning to the processing and analysis of hydrographic and coastal and ocean mapping data from both established and emerging sources, as well as to data from associated systems such as water level and current sensors, and from regional and global precise positioning networks.

c. Resources of the Continental Shelf Advancements in planning, acquisition, and interpretation of continental shelf, slope, and rise seafloor mapping data, particularly for the purpose of delimiting the U.S. Extended Continental Shelf and mapping the resources of the seabed.

Adaption and improvement of hydrographic survey and ocean mapping technologies, including the development of potential new approaches and technologies, in support of mapping the Exclusive Economic Zone and of “Blue Economy” activities in U.S. waters such as offshore mineral and resource exploration, renewable energy development, coastal hazard planning, and the responsible management of U.S. living marine resources.

New approaches to the delivery of bathymetric services, including, among others, elevation models, depth comparisons and synoptic changes, model boundary conditions, and representative depths from enterprise database such as the National Bathymetric Source and national geophysical archives.

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2. Advance the Technology for Digital Navigation Services:

Development of innovative approaches and concepts for electronic navigation charts and for other tools and techniques supporting precision navigation such as chart display systems, portable pilot units and prototypes that are real-time and predictive, are comprehensive of all navigation information water levels, charts, bathymetry, models, currents, wind, vessel traffic, etc.), and support the decision process (e.g., efficient voyage management and under-keel, overhead, and lateral clearance management) in navigation scenarios.

Development of improved methods for managing hydrographic data and transforming hydrographic data and data in enterprise databases to electronic navigational charts and other operational navigation products, particularly in the context of the new S-100 framework and family of associated data standards.

Development of new approaches for the application of spatial data technology and cartographic science to hydrographic, ocean and coastal mapping, precision navigation, and nautical charting processes and products.

Application of hydrodynamic model output to the improvement and development of data products and services for safe and efficient marine navigation.

Improvement in the visualization, presentation, and display of hydrographic and ocean and coastal mapping data, vessel data, and other navigational support information such as water levels, currents, wind, and data model outputs for marine navigation. This would include real-time display of mapping data and 4-dimensional high resolution visualization of hydrodynamic model output (water level, currents, temperature, and salinity) with associated model uncertainty and incorporate intelligent machine analysis and filtering of data and information to support precision marine navigation.

Development of approaches for the autonomous interpretation and use of hydrographic and navigational information, including oceanographic and hydrodynamic models in advanced systems such as minimally-staffed and unmanned vessels.

3. Develop and Advance Marine Geospatial and Soundscape Expertise:

Development, maintenance, and delivery of advanced curricula and short courses in hydrographic and ocean mapping science and engineering at the graduate education level – leveraging to the maximum extent the proposed research program, and interacting with national and international professional bodies--to bring the latest innovations and standards into the graduate educational experience for both full-time education and continuing

Notice of Federal Funding Page 5 of 20 professional development.

Development, evaluation, and dissemination of improved models and visualizations for describing and delineating the propagation and levels of sound in the water from acoustic devices including echo sounders, and for modeling the exposure of marine animals to propagated echo sounder energy. Improvements in the understanding of the contribution and interaction of echo sounders and other ocean mapping-related acoustic devices to/with the overall ocean and aquatic soundscape.

Effective delivery of research and development results through scientific and technical journals and forums and transition of research and development results to an operational status through direct and indirect mechanisms including partnerships with public and private entities.

Public education, visualization tools,and outreach to convey the aims and enhance the application of hydrography, nautical charting ocean coastal and Great Lakes mapping and related hydrodynamic models to safe and efficient marine navigation and coastal resilience.

The single selected proposal, written as a cooperative agreement, will:

Support the objectives and priorities outlined in this announcement in order to improve the technology and practice of hydrographic surveying and coastal and ocean mapping in the United States.

Provide for onsite presence of a NOAA co-director and designate a university co-director, and indicate the availability of suitable space for the co-location of up to 14 NOAA employees, including the NOAA co-director. (Payment by NOAA for employee space will be through separate agreement.)

Document a robust data management and sharing plan.

Demonstrate the availability of suitable support facilities and infrastructure, including:

Office and research space and facilities Educational infrastructure and space Information technology (IT) infrastructure Ocean mapping technology laboratory facilities and infrastructure Suitably outfitted and staffed vessel(s) for hydrographic and ocean mapping research, development, and education Pier and waterfront facilities for berthing and supporting survey vessels

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C. Program Authority

Statutory authority for this program is provided under 33 U.S.C. 883a and 883d.

II. Award Information

A. Funding Availability

This will be a 5-year, multiyear award. The intent is to make a single 5-year award.

Total anticipated funding for this award is approximately $38,500,000 with approximately $7,700,000 to be released in FY 2020 and each subsequent year of the 5 years. This award and the subsequent annual releases of funds are subject to the availability of FY 2020 appropriations and the appropriations of each subsequent FY. The initial award and subsequent annual release of funds will be adjusted based on available funding.

There is no guarantee that funds will be available to make awards for this federal funding opportunity or that any proposal will be selected for funding. If an applicant incurs any costs prior to receiving an award agreement signed by an authorized NOAA official, they do so at their own risk of these costs not being included in a subsequent award. In no event will NOAA or the Department of Commerce be responsible for any proposal preparation costs.

Recipients and sub-recipients are subject to all Federal laws and agency policies, regulations, and procedures applicable to Federal financial assistance awards.

B. Project/Award Period

This is a multi-year funding opportunity. Proposals should request funding for five years. This multi-year award may be funded incrementally on an annual basis, but once the cooperative agreement is awarded the recipient will not compete for funding in the subsequent four years.

When the successful multi-year proposal is approved, funding initially will be provided for only the first year of the program. The Project start date should be no earlier than October 1, 2020 and no later than January 1, 2021. Funding in years two, three, four, and five is contingent upon availability of funds from Congress, satisfactory performance, and is at the sole discretion of the agency.

C. Type of Funding Instrument

Applications should be written as cooperative agreements since NOAA will be substantially involved in aspects of the project. The proposal should clearly identify this funding instrument in the proposal abstract and cover sheet. Examples of NOAA federal involvement include presence of a NOAA co-director for coordination with NOAA, federal research collaboration, co-location of federal employees, federal participation in educational

Notice of Federal Funding Page 7 of 20 activities, and joint use of federal vessels and equipment.

III. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Applicants

Eligible funding applicants are institutions of higher education in the United States.

Federal agencies are not allowed to receive funds under this announcement.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement

No cost sharing is required or desired under this program. Applicant resource commitment will, however, be considered in the competitive selection process. Refer to Part V, Section A, (Overall Qualifications of Applicant) for further information.

C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility not applicable

IV. Application and Submission Information

A. Address to Request Application Package

Application packages for proposals are available through Grants.gov at http://www.grants.gov. If an applicant does not have Internet access, application packages can be requested from Andrew Armstrong at the NOAA Joint Hydrographic Center, 24 Colovos Road, Durham, NH 03824, or contact him at 240-676-6090 or via e-mail at andy.armstrong@noaa.gov.

B. Content and Form of Application

Applicants must follow proposal application requirements stated in this announcement or the proposal application will not be considered.

Full proposal applications must total no more than 60 pages (single-spaced, 11 or 12-point font and exclusive of appendices). The 60-page limit does not include the proposal title page, a table of contents if one is included, the project summary referenced below under item (2), and any appendices. Appendices should be limited to materials that directly support the main body of the proposal (e.g., detailed budget information, NEPA information, support letters, resumes, references, letters of collaboration, lists of data sources, sample curricula, equipment lists, and maps). Applicants should paginate their proposal and any appendices.

Appendices may be paginated as stand-alone documents (individually) or collectively.

In addition to the required forms, all funding application packages must contain the

Notice of Federal Funding Page 8 of 20 following components:

(a) Title Page (Proposal Cover Sheet). Include proposal title, recipient institution, complete contact information for the Principal Investigator and Financial Representative, start and end dates of proposed project, funding type (cooperative agreement), funding request by year, and identification of the NOAA Joint Hydrographic Center as its aim.

(b) Project Summary. Provide a one to three-page summary of the proposed project. The summary should be prepared to be readable to a broad audience and contain the following sections:

1. Project Name/Title

2. Primary Contact (name, address, phone, fax, e-mail)

3. Proposed funding over each year of the project

4. Recipient Institution

5. Principal Investigator and if applicable, Co-Principal Investigator, and other lead investigators (names and affiliated institutions or organizations)

6. Brief Project Summary including objectives and intended benefits

7. Partners (if any)

(c) Project Description. All project descriptions (proposals) must include the following sections:

1. Goals and Objectives. Describe in the narrative the specific project goals to be addressed and objectives to be achieved. Where practicable, goals and objectives should be specific for each year of the work plan presented. Recipients will be required to submit semi-annual progress reports in which progress against these goals and objectives will be reported.

2. Background. Provide sufficient background information for NOAA and/or non-NOAA reviewers to independently assess the relevance of the proposed effort. Summarize the problem(s) to be addressed and the status of ongoing efforts to address the identified needs.

Summarize the relationship of the proposed work to previous efforts and to NOAA hydrographic and ocean mapping missions.

3. Personnel. List the program personnel and briefly relate their background to their role in the proposed effort.

4. Equipment and Facilities. Describe the equipment and facilities available for carrying out the proposed work.

5. Proposed Research and Development Effort. Formulation of the proposed effort into subject area themes is encouraged. For each theme or work area, describe the research and development efforts to be carried out, and the approach to the effort. List the key investigators, partners and staff and describe their roles. Summarize work leading up to the proposed effort. Identify potential obstacles to successful completion, and describe how those obstacles would be addressed. Describe the benefits of proposed effort in terms of societal goals and identify the beneficiaries of the proposed efforts. Explain how the benefits will reach the intended beneficiaries.

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6. Data Management and Data Sharing. Clearly address data management and data sharing requirements, and the steps to be taken to achieve efficient and effective data access and archive that is compliant with federal regulations. Data sharing requirements are addressed in Section VI. B. of this Notice of Funding Opportunity.

7. Education. Outline the goals and objectives of the educational component. Describe the proposed educational effort, summarizing the proposed curricula, listing the key individuals in the development and delivery of the educational program, and the role of the educational offering in the context of the Joint Hydrographic Center.

8. Benefits. Identify the users of the information derived from the work, and the benefits that will be achieved for those users, as well as society as a whole. Document how user needs are guiding the proposed work. Describe how the information from the project will be delivered to those users, and any special considerations or requirements for ensuring or improving the delivery of information.

9. Project Budget. Provide a budget description that follows the categories and formats in the NOAA grants package (Standard Form 424-A) and a brief narrative justification of the budget. Detailed budget information, such as a repeat of the information in Form SF-424A along with more details should be included in an appendix. In this appendix, the budget narrative also shall clearly identify the cost of separable elements of the proposed work.

(d) Appendices

1. Mandatory Detailed Budget Information, including budgets of subawards and contracts.

Information should include the name of the entity receiving funds, the location of the entity receiving the funds (e.g., city, state, and Congressional district), the location of the entity receiving funds (city, state, and Congressional district), and the location of the primary place of performance under the contract/subaward.

Applicants must list, and describe the intended use of, equipment costing $5,000 or greater that will be purchased under the award. Specific information is required for year 1. When detailed information cannot reasonably be provided, more general information is acceptable for subsequent years. Applicants must provide a lease versus purchase analysis for any equipment $5,000 or greater. Decisions about equipment disposition are at the sole discretion of NOAA.

The budget narrative must also provide, to the extent possible, detailed information on travel, including costs, a description of anticipated travel, destinations, the number of travelers, and a justification of how the requested travel is directly relevant to the successful completion of the project. If actual trip details are unknown, applicants must state the basis for the proposed travel charges. Foreign travel, wherever practicable, should be specifically included in the proposal. Applicants may factor in travel costs for participation in a NOAA Grants Management Division workshop for recipients as well as for meeting with NOAA

Notice of Federal Funding Page 10 of 20 staff and/or key project personnel, for relevant outreach activity, and for presenting research results and educational developments at national and international technical fora.

2. Resumes. Provide curriculum vitae (CV) for the Principal Investigator and any Co- Principal Investigator, and abbreviated CVs for other key personnel critical to the success of the project. Ensure that CVs address qualifications relevant to conducting the proposed work. For other than the Principal Investigator and Co-Principal Investigator, publication, presentation, and cruise listings should be limited to those in the last five years with up to five other relevant publications.

3. Letters of Collaboration. All supporting letters from partner organizations that are instrumental to the project shall be included in the application package. Letters must clearly indicate the level of commitment and/or collaboration. Letters of collaboration do not need original signatures.

4. National Environmental and Policy Act (NEPA). Applicants are required to complete part of the Environmental Compliance Questionnaire for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Federal Financial Assistance Applicants (OMB Approval No.: 0648-0538, Expires: 11/30/2021) found on the NOAA NEPA website:

https://www.nepa.noaa.gov/docs/NOAA-Grants-Questionnaire-final.pdf.

Answer all the questions except Numbers 14 through 34 for this Notice of Funding Opportunity. Applicants should answer the NEPA questions to the best of their ability with as much detail as possible. Some questions may be answered with “not applicable” if that is the case. If the applicant does not answer all of the questions indicated in the Notice of Funding Opportunity, the application will be considered incomplete.

Some of the questions may overlap with material provided in other parts of the application.

This overlap occurs because the answers to the questionnaire are provided to NOAA staff members who do not review the other parts of the application. If appropriate, the applicant may copy the information from other parts of the application and paste it into the answers to the questionnaire. Many questions have a "yes" or "no" response. If the response is "no" the applicant does not need to elaborate on their answer. If the response is "yes" the question will have a second part asking the applicant to provide more information.

A Paperwork Reduction Act Statement is found at the end of the NEPA questionnaire.

5. Proposals submitted in response to this Announcement must include a Data Management Plan (up to 2 pages). See Section VI.B., Administrative and National Policy Requirements, below for additional information on what the plan should contain.

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

Each applicant (unless the applicant is an individual or Federal awarding agency that is

Notice of Federal Funding Page 11 of 20 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 a valid unique entity identifier 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. The Federal awarding agency 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 the Federal awarding agency is ready to make a Federal award, the Federal awarding agency 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. To enable the use of a universal identifier and to enhance the quality of information available to the public as required by the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act, 31 U.S.C. 6101 note, to the extent applicable, any proposal awarded in response to this announcement will be required to use the System for Award Management (SAM), which may be accessed online at https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/.

Applicants are also required to use the Dun and Bradstreet Universal Numbering System, as identified in OMB guidance published at 2 CFR Parts 25, which may be accessed at http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=2dae4a7dcd5848a6364bb94d2d7786dd&mc=true&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title02/2subtitl eA.tpl.

D. Submission Dates and Times

Full proposals must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. ET on May 21, 2020. For proposals submitted through Grants.gov, a date and time receipt indication by Grants.gov will be the basis of determining timeliness. Hard copy applications will be date- and time-stamped when they are received. Full proposals received after the submission deadline will not be reviewed or considered.

E. Intergovernmental Review

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

F. Funding Restrictions

Funding for the first year will be dependent on availability of funds, and funding beyond the first year will be dependent upon satisfactory performance and the continued availability of funds.

G. Other Submission Requirements

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Full proposal application packages, including all letters of collaboration, shall be submitted through the apply function on Grants.gov. The standard NOAA funding application package is available at www.grants.gov. Potential funding applicants must register with Grants.gov before any application materials can be submitted. An organization's one-time registration process may take up to three weeks to complete so allow sufficient time to ensure applications are submitted before the closing date. The Grants.gov site contains directions for submitting an application, the application package (forms), and is also where the completed application is submitted.

If an applicant does not have Internet access, one set of originals (signed) and an electronic copy (on CD or DVD) of the proposals and related forms shall be mailed to the attention of Amanda Phelps at the Office of Coast Survey, 1315 East West Highway, SSMC3 Station 6407 , Silver Spring, MD 20910-3282, tel (240) 533-0093. No e-mail or fax copies of the full proposal will be accepted. Full proposal application packages, including any letters of support, should be submitted together in one package.

V. Application Review Information

A. Evaluation Criteria

Technical/Scientific Merit (20%) This criterion assesses whether the approach is technically sound and/or innovative, if the methods are appropriate, and whether there are clear project goals and objectives.

Questions:

1. Is the approach appropriate for the stated goals and objectives?

2. Does the proposed approach build upon the most relevant and current scientific, engineering, and/or technical advancements in the fields of hydrography, coastal and ocean mapping and digital navigation services?

3. Are innovative approaches present in the proposal?

4. Is there an effective mechanism for delivery of the research results into operational use?

5. Is the education program assessed and validated by independent accreditation, recognition, or evaluation bodies?

Importance/Relevance and Applicability of Proposal to the Program Goals (20%) This criterion ascertains whether there is intrinsic value in the proposed work and/or relevance to NOAA, federal, regional, state, or local activities.

Questions:

1. Does the proposed research and education enhance the technology and practice of hydrography, coastal and ocean mapping, and digital navigation services in the United States?

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2. Does the proposed research and education focus on the stated program priorities?

3. Does the proposed research work demonstrate potential for successful transition from research to operations?

Overall Qualification of Applicant (25%) This criterion ascertains whether the applicant possesses the necessary education, experience, training, facilities, and administrative resources to accomplish the project.

Questions:

1. Does the proposal demonstrate institutional support for both the research and development and the educational aspects of the program?

2. Are the investigators well qualified and is the organizational framework appropriate to conduct a project of the nature and scope proposed?

3. Are suitable office, laboratory, communications, waterfront and vessel facilities and infrastructure available?

4. Is there provision for co-location of NOAA employees?

5. Does the proposal demonstrate that a capable and mature IT infrastructure, including management, data storage, security, and physical plant is in place?

Project Costs (15%) This criterion evaluates the budget to determine if it is realistic and commensurate with the project needs and time-frame.

Questions:

1. Does the proposal demonstrate that the budget is commensurate with project needs?

2. Is the cost effectiveness of the project optimized through effective partnerships with collaborating institutions, agencies, or private sector partners?

Outreach and Education (10%) This criterion assesses whether the project provides a focused and effective education and outreach strategy regarding NOAA's mission to protect the Nation's natural resources.

Questions

1. Does the proposal demonstrate a commitment to public outreach and education?

2. Does the outreach program demonstrate local, regional, and national scope?

3. Does the outreach program include activity designed and targeted toward the stated program outreach priority?

Data Management Plan Technical Soundness (10%) This criterion assesses whether the Data Management Plan, if required, ensures that the data collected and/or created will be made available to general users in a timely manner free of charge, or at minimal cost.

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Questions:

1. Does the proposed data management plan meet the requirements of this Notice of Funding Opportunity?

2. Does the proposed data management plan indicate an institutional commitment to full and timely sharing of data?

B. Review and Selection Process

An initial administrative screening is conducted to determine compliance with requirements/completeness. All proposals will be evaluated and individually ranked in accordance with the assigned weights of the above evaluation criteria by at least three expert merit reviewers through an independent individual merit review process. The merit reviewers' ratings are used to produce a rank order of the proposals. Appropriate mechanisms will be established to avoid conflicts of interest during the proposal review process. The Selection Official, after considering the reviews, ratings, and other selection factors, will make the final recommendation for award to the Grants Officer, who is authorized to obligate the funds and execute the award.

C. Selection Factors

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

1. Availability of funding.

2. Balance/distribution of funds:

a. geographically

b. by type of institution

c. by type of partners

d. by research priority

e. by project types

3. Duplication of other projects funded or considered for funding by NOAA/Federal agencies.

4. Program priorities and policy factors.

5. Applicant’s prior award performance.

6. Partnerships with/Participation of targeted groups.

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

D. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates

The start date on proposals should be no earlier than October 1, 2020 and no later than

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January 1, 2021.

VI. Award Administration Information

A. Award Notices

The application recommended for funding by the selecting official will be forwarded to the NOAA Grants Management Division (GMD) by the Program Office. The applicant will be notified by the program office by e-mail that their application was recommended for funding. The applicant must be aware that the notification by the program office is NOT the official award notice. Official notification happens only when the applicant receives an award notice from the Grants Officer electronically.

Unsuccessful applicants will be notified by e-mail once the recommended awards are made.

Unsuccessful applications for the Joint Hydrographic Center cooperative agreement will be destroyed and not returned to the applicant.

B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE PRE-AWARD NOTIFICATION

REQUIREMENTS FOR GRANTS AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS. The Department of Commerce Pre-Award Notification Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements contained in the Federal Register notice of December 30, 2014 (79 FR 78390) are applicable to this solicitation and may be accessed online at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2014-12-30/pdf/2014-30297.pdf.

UNIFORM ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS, COST PRINCIPLES, AND AUDIT

REQUIREMENTS. Through 2 C.F.R. § 1327.101, the Department of Commerce adopted Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards at 2 C.F.R. Part 200, which apply to awards in this program. Refer to http://go.usa.gov/SBYh and http://go.usa.gov/SBg4 .

DOC TERMS AND CONDITIONS. Successful applicants who accept a NOAA award under this solicitation will be bound by Department of Commerce Financial Assistance Standard Terms and Conditions. This document will be provided in the award package in NOAA’s Grants Online system at http://www.ago.noaa.gov and at http://go.usa.gov/hKbj.

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY. Funding for programs listed in this notice is contingent upon the availability of appropriations. Applicants are hereby given notice that funds may not have been appropriated yet for the programs listed in this notice. In no event will NOAA or the Department of Commerce be responsible for proposal preparation costs. Publication of

Notice of Federal Funding Page 16 of 20 this announcement does not oblige NOAA to award any specific project or to obligate any available funds.

INDIRECT COST RATE - If an applicant has not previously established an indirect cost rate with a Federal agency they may choose to negotiate a rate with the Department of Commerce or use the de minimis indirect cost rate of 10% of MTDC (as allowable under 2 C.F.R. §200.414). The negotiation and approval of a rate is subject to the procedures required by NOAA and the Department of Commerce Standard Terms and Conditions. The NOAA contact for indirect or facilities and administrative costs is: Lamar Revis, Grants Officer, NOAA Grants Management Division, 1325 East West Highway, 9th Floor, Silver Spring, MD 20910, or lamar.revis@noaa.gov.

UNPAID OR DELINQUENT TAX LIABILITY. In accordance with Section 523 of Division B and Sections 744 and 745 of Division E of the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015 (Pub. L. 113-235) or a future public law, an authorized representative of the selected applicant(s) will be required to provide certain pre-award representations regarding federal felony and federal criminal tax convictions, unpaid federal tax assessments, and delinquent federal tax returns. The form must be completed and submitted with grant applications for: (a) all for-profit and non-profit organization applicants (Part I, and if required, Part II); and (b) all non-Federal entity applicants anticipating receipt of $5 million or more in the current Federal Fiscal Year appropriated funding (Part II only).

The form can be found at http://www.ago.noaa.gov/grants/forms.html.

NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT (NEPA). NOAA must analyze the potential environmental impacts, as required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), for applicant projects or proposals which are seeking NOAA federal funding opportunities. Detailed information on NOAA compliance with NEPA can be found at the following NOAA NEPA website: http://www.nepa.noaa.gov/, including our NOAA Administrative Order 216-6 for NEPA, http://www.nepa.noaa.gov/NAO216_6.pdf, and the Council on Environmental Quality implementation regulations, http://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/NEPA-40CFR1500_1508.pdf. Consequently, as part of an applicant's package, and under their description of their program activities, applicants are required to provide detailed information on the activities to be conducted, locations, sites, species and habitat to be affected, possible construction activities, and any environmental concerns that may exist (e.g., the use and disposal of hazardous or toxic chemicals, introduction of non- indigenous species, impacts to endangered and threatened species, aquaculture projects, and impacts to coral reef systems). In addition to providing specific information that will serve as the basis for any required impact analyses, applicants may also be requested to assist NOAA in drafting an environmental assessment, if NOAA determines

Notice of Federal Funding Page 17 of 20 an assessment is required. Applicants will also be required to cooperate with NOAA in identifying feasible measures to reduce or avoid any identified adverse environmental impacts of their proposal. Failure to do so shall be grounds for not selecting an application.

In some cases if additional information is required after an application is selected, funds can be withheld by the Grants Officer under a special award condition requiring the recipient to submit additional environmental compliance information sufficient to enable NOAA to make an assessment on any impacts that a project may have on the environment.

REVIEW OF RISK. After applications are proposed for funding by the Selecting Official, the Grants Office will perform administrative reviews, including an assessment of risk posed by the applicant under 2 C.F.R. 200.205. These may include assessments of the financial stability of an applicant and the quality of the applicant’s management systems, history of performance, and the applicant’s ability to effectively implement statutory, regulatory, or other requirements imposed on non-Federal entities. Special conditions that address any risks determined to exist may be applied. Applicants may submit comments to the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS) about any information included in the system about their organization for consideration by the awarding agency.

DATA SHARING PLAN. 1. Environmental data and information collected or created under NOAA grants or cooperative agreements must be made discoverable by and accessible to the general public, in a timely fashion (typically within two years), free of charge or at no more than the cost of reproduction, unless an exemption is granted by the NOAA Program. Data should be available in at least one machine-readable format, preferably a widely-used or open-standard format, and should also be accompanied by machine-readable documentation (metadata), preferably based on widely used or international standards. 2. Proposals submitted in response to this Announcement must include a Data Management Plan of up to two pages describing how these requirements will be satisfied. The Data Management Plan should be aligned with the Data Management Guidance provided by NOAA in the Announcement. The contents of the Data Management Plan (or absence thereof), and past performance regarding such plans, will be considered as part of proposal review. A typical plan should include descriptions of the types of environmental data and information expected to be created during the course of the project; the tentative date by which data will be shared;

the standards to be used for data/metadata format and content; methods for providing data access; approximate total volume of data to be collected; and prior experience in making such data accessible. The costs of data preparation, accessibility, or archiving may be included in the proposal budget unless otherwise stated in the Guidance. Accepted submission of data to the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) is one way to satisfy data sharing requirements; however, NCEI is not obligated to accept all submissions and may charge a fee, particularly for large or unusual datasets. 3. NOAA may, Notice of Federal Funding Page 18 of 20 at its own discretion, make publicly visible the Data Management Plan from funded proposals, or use information from the Data Management Plan to produce a formal metadata record and include that metadata in a Catalog to indicate the pending availability of new data. 4. Proposal submitters are hereby advised that the final pre-publication manuscripts of scholarly articles produced entirely or primarily with NOAA funding will be required to be submitted to NOAA Institutional Repository after acceptance, and no later than upon publication. Such manuscripts shall be made publicly available by NOAA one year after publication by the journal.

MINORITY SERVING INSTITUTIONS - The Department of Commerce/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (DOC/NOAA) is strongly committed to increasing the participation of Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), i.e., Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribal colleges and universities, Alaskan Native and Native Hawaiian institutions, and institutions that work in underserved communities.

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA) - In the event that an application contains information or data that you do not want disclosed prior to award for purposes other than the evaluation of the application, mark each page containing such information or data with the words "Privileged, Confidential, Commercial, or Financial Information - Limited Use" at the top of the page to assist NOAA in making disclosure determinations. DOC regulations implementing the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C 552, are found at 15 C.F.R.

Part 4, which sets forth rules for DOC to make requested materials, information, and records publicly available under FOIA. The contents of funded applications may be subject to requests for release under the FOIA. Based on the information provided by the applicant, the confidentiality of the content of funded applications will be maintained to the maximum extent permitted by law.

C. Reporting

The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act, 31 U.S.C. 6101 note, includes a requirement for awardees of applicable Federal grants to report information about first-tier subawards and executive compensation under Federal assistance awards. All awardees of applicable grants and cooperative agreements are required to report to the Federal Sub-award Reporting System (FSRS) available at https://www.fsrs.gov/ on all sub-awards over $25,000. Refer to 2 CFR Parts 170.

Financial and progress reporting requirements shall be semi-annually. Grant recipients will be required to submit financial and performance (technical) progress reports on a semi-annual basis electronically through the NOAA Grants On-Line System. Instructions for submitting financial and progress reports will be provided by NOAA Grants Management Division.

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VII. Agency Contacts

For administrative and technical questions, contact Andrew Armstrong at NOAA Joint Hydrographic Center, 24 Colovos Road, Durham, NH 03824, or contact him at 240-676- 6090 or via e-mail <andy.armstrong@noaa.gov>

VIII. Other Information

The Grants.gov site contains directions for submitting an application, the application package (forms), and is also where the completed application is submitted. Applicants using Grants.gov must locate the downloadable application package for this solicitation by the Funding Opportunity Number or the CFDA number (11.400). Applicants will be able to download a copy of the application package, complete it off line, and then upload and submit the application via the Grants.gov site.

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