PKG00263078-instructions.pdf

FY 2021 Marine Fisheries Initiative (MARFIN)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Funding Opportunity Description 3

A. Program Objective 3 B. Program Priorities 3 C. Program Authority 9

II. Award Information 9 A. Funding Availability 9 B. Project/Award Period 10 C. Type of Funding Instrument 10

III. Eligibility Information 10 A. Eligible Applicants 10 B. Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement 11 C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility 11

IV. Application and Submission Information 11 A. Address to Request Application Package 11 B. Content and Form of Application 11 C. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) 18 D. Submission Dates and Times 18 E. Intergovernmental Review 18 F. Funding Restrictions 19 G. Other Submission Requirements 19

V. Application Review Information 20 A. Evaluation Criteria 20 B. Review and Selection Process 22 C. Selection Factors 24 D. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates 25

VI. Award Administration Information 25 A. Award Notices 25 B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements 26 C. Reporting 29

VII. Agency Contacts 29 VIII. Other Information 29

Notice of Federal Funding Page 1 of 29

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Federal Agency Name(s): National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce

Funding Opportunity Title: FY 2021 Marine Fisheries Initiative (MARFIN)

Announcement Type: Initial

Funding Opportunity Number: NOAA-NMFS-SE-2021-2006610

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.433, Marine Fisheries Initiative

Dates: Applications must be received by http://www.Grants.gov, postmarked, or provided to a delivery service by 11:59 pm, Eastern Daylight Savings Time, Friday, October 23, 2020. Use of Grants.gov is preferred. If Grants.gov cannot be used, use of U.S. mail or another delivery service must be documented with a receipt; private metered postmarks are not acceptable.

Applications received more than 5 business days following the closing date will not be accepted.

No facsimile or electronic mail applications will be accepted.

Please note: Validation or rejection of your application by Grants.gov may take up to two (2) business days after submission. Please consider this process in developing your submission timeline. Applications not adhering to postmark or submission deadlines will be rejected and returned to the sender without further consideration.

Funding Opportunity Description: The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Southeast Region, is seeking proposals under the Marine Fisheries Initiative Program (MARFIN), for research and development projects that optimize the use of fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and off the South Atlantic states of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, involving the U.S. fishing industry (recreational and commercial), including fishery biology, resources assessment, socio-economic assessment, management and conservation, selected harvesting methods, and fish handling and processing.

This program addresses NOAA's mission goal "Healthy Oceans."

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FULL ANNOUNCEMENT TEXT

I. Funding Opportunity Description

A. Program Objective

The Marine Fisheries Initiative (MARFIN) is a competitive Federal assistance program that funds projects seeking to optimize research and development benefits from U.S. marine fishery resources through cooperative efforts involving the best research and management talents to accomplish priority activities. Projects funded under MARFIN provide answers for fishery needs covered by NOAA Fisheries Strategic Plan, available from NOAA Fisheries, particularly those goals relating to: rebuilding over-fished marine fisheries, maintaining currently productive fisheries, and integrating conservation of protected species and fisheries management. Funding priorities for MARFIN are formulated from recommendations received from non-scientific and technical experts and from NOAA Fisheries research and operations officials.

With the long-term planning capabilities available through the Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR) process, the priorities are selected to coordinate assessment needs with this solicitation.

B. Program Priorities

All of the items listed below under Ecosystems and Fisheries are considered high priorities and are not listed in any particular order of importance. Items under Economics and Human Dimensions are in order of priority. Proposals must address one of the priority areas listed below as they pertain to federally managed species. If you select more than one priority, you should list first on your application the priority that most closely reflects the objectives of your proposal. Projects should focus on the greatest probability of recovering, maintaining, improving, or developing fisheries; collecting data directly applicable for improving stock assessments, collecting and improving data on bycatch estimates and protected species fishery interactions, and/or generating increased social and economic values and opportunities for the commercial, recreational, and subsistence sectors of fisheries.

1. Economics and Human Dimensions

a. Estimate the economic value of alternative allocations to the private angler, for-hire and commercial sectors, inclusive of all value generated up to the end user/consumer, in at least one fishery where at least one sector is managed under catch shares and at least one

Notice of Federal Funding Page 3 of 29 fishery where no sector is managed under catch shares

b. Evaluate the social impacts of alternative allocations among competing user groups including the commercial, private angler, and for-hire sectors in at least one fishery where at least one sector is managed under catch shares and at least one fishery where no sector is managed under catch shares

c. Evaluate the potential economic and social effects of alternative catch share programs in the private recreational sector in fisheries where they have been implemented (e.g., Tarpon in FL) or in fisheries where this sector has its own allocation (e.g., Gulf Red Snapper).

d. In the South Atlantic Region, estimate the economic value of alternative allocations to the private angler, for-hire and commercial sectors, inclusive of all value generated up to the end user/consumer. Research should be inclusive of the potential and forgone economic benefits derived when a portion of the allocation is left unharvested.

e. Collect social and economic information on crew members/mates in the for-hire sector who are not owners or operators in the commercial and for-hire fisheries , including, but not limited to, basic personal and household demographic information, personal and household income and debt, employment patterns (seasonal, across fisheries, non-fishing), economic and other social measures of well-being, and attitudinal information concerning fishing, fisheries management, and expectations of future well-being and continued participation in the fishing industry; sample to support analysis by fishery and gear-type. NOTE: If an award under this priority is issued, the instrument developed to collect data must be submitted to an IRB panel for clearance before funds can be expended.

f. Develop a simulation model to forecast the expected change in commercial fishing behavior to changes in, for example but not limited to, the stock size, regulations, and economic factors (costs and fish prices). Apply the model to one fishery (or component thereof) managed with catch shares and one fishery not managed with catch shares

g. Design and administer a discrete choice experiment survey (or other stated or revealed preference model) to estimate anglers' willingness to pay (WTP) for catching and keeping or releasing key Southeast species or species groups.

h. Develop a simulation model to forecast the expected change in for-hire (vessel) or private recreational fishing behavior due to changes in, for example but not limited to, the stock size, regulations (e.g., catch shares), and economic factors (costs)

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i. Develop economic impact models (e.g., input-output models) for Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands that can be used to accurately assess the economic impacts of the commercial or recreational fisheries and changes to those impacts due to regulatory changes and other factors

j. Develop fishing portfolios at the vessel and community level over time in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic regions.

2. Ecosystems

a. Link inshore coastal habitats to offshore fisheries production so habitat protection and restoration could be incorporated into stock assessments. Provide scientific support to demonstrate how NOAA’s habitat program is adding value to the fishing economy.

b. Refine/develop ecosystem models to improve our understanding of the long-term benefits and impacts of Mississippi River sediment diversions on NOAA trust resources and coastal communities (diversions)

1) Advance ecosystem modeling and socioeconomic impact assessments of MS River Sediment Diversions

2) Determine what environmental changes are most influential in overall marsh health (e.g., varying nutrient loads on aboveground and below-ground biomass, varying nutrient loads and salinities on soil shear strength and marsh sustainability, varying flood heights and duration, and what extent soil shear strength is a reliable indicator

c. Evaluate how dredging affects federally-managed fish species' use of shallow sand bottom areas as nursery, spawning and foraging habitat. Evaluate effects of dredging on the use of ebb/flood shoals as nursery, spawning, and foraging habitat.

d. Evaluate SAFMC HAPC designations and for EFH Assessments of major federal projects; SAFMC EFH 5-year review and recurring federal projects

1) Evaluate effects of dredging on use of ebb/flood shoals as nursery, spawning and foraging habitat

2) Evaluate effects of dredging on larval transport through inlets

e. Identify and prioritize those federally-managed fish stocks in the Southeast Region that would most benefit from habitat utilization assessments that will help us better understand and demonstrate the benefits of habitat conservation to fisheries and protected species

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f. Evaluate the use of nearshore hardbottom, tidal freshwater, oligohaline wetland, and coastal inlet habitats by NOAA trust resources in the Southeast Region

g. Study the factors contributing to listed corals’ susceptibility to disease and corals’ resiliency to climate stressors to support efforts to improve resistance to disease and adaptation to climate impacts

h. Identify the science needed to better integrate and inform EFH consultation processes for managed fisheries:

1) Improve the understanding of shore-side factors, such a land use run-off, coastal development, etc., on the marine ecosystem and associated fisheries resources

2) Define and develop an inshore-offshore decision support tool to effectively help habitat managers evaluate the impacts of management decisions affecting onshore habitats on the productivity of offshore fish populations

3) Investigate the value of artificial reefs and Gulf oil rigs as fish habitat for reef fishes as well as their potential as habitats to enhance stock building efforts

i. Obtain and provide georeferenced data to support development of a Caribbean Fishery Ecosystem Plan; exemplary datasets include but are not limited to turbidity, ocean color (chlorophyll), sea surface temperature and others that may be available to a limited audience.

j. Study the factors impacting coral recruitment, particularly grazing, to inform management measures to facilitate recruitment

k. Identify, define and operationalize human dimension indicators in the Southeast Region that help us better understand and demonstrate the feedback loops between the ecosystem and human communities. The human dimensions’ indicator development should move past socio-demographic information and focus on concepts such as human well-being, sustainability, equity and security

l. Collect fishermen ecological knowledge to develop innovative strategies for adapting and mitigating environmental change for the Southeast region

3. Fisheries

a. Conduct comprehensive fishery-independent monitoring and sampling in the South Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, or U.S. Caribbean to support quantitative assessments, track

Notice of Federal Funding Page 6 of 29 changes in fish size and abundance through time, assess status and trends of reef fish species, and reconcile difference between catch per unit effort indices and fishery-dependent age composition used for stock assessments. Indices should cover a broad seasonal/spatial scale and age structure.

b. Create reliable annual estimates of marine mammals, threatened and endangered species, and other bycatch in managed fisheries by enhancing existing observer and survey programs and applying new technologies, including working with the Marine Recreational Information Program to test and validate the use of electronic reporting methodologies for this purpose; priority fisheries include shrimp (including assessing compliance with turtle excluder device requirements), South Atlantic snapper-grouper, other Southeast Region recreational hook-and-line fisheries, and fisheries under take reduction teams

c. Obtain better estimates of natural mortality and release mortality in commercial and recreational fisheries for snapper grouper species and effects of devices and methods to improve survival of released fish.

d. Develop pilot studies and methods for enhancing data collection to test alternative management strategies for the recreational sector, such as harvest tags, days-at-sea, regional state-by-state management, and catch share programs.

e. Continue to invest in maintaining and improving both fishery-dependent (including sample processing) and fishery-independent data from the Marine Recreational Information Program, Marine Resources Monitoring Assessment and Prediction program, Southeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program, Southeast Fishery-Independent Survey, video surveys in the Gulf and South Atlantic, National Coral Reef Monitoring Program, targeted demographic surveys for threatened corals in the Keys and Puerto Rico, and surveys for threatened corals in the U.S. Virgin Islands - Fisheries

f. Develop and validate three-dimensional larval dispersal/connectivity models and conduct associated genetic studies for identifying and predicting spatial patterns of recruitment of reef fishes and spiny lobster in the Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic, and U.S.

Caribbean.

g. Conduct research on age, growth, and reproduction of reef fish in anticipation of upcoming stock assessments, with emphasis on data-poor species.

h. Conduct density dependence studies using a habitat context to examine the potential effects of habitat on catchability and selectivity.

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i. Conduct research (e.g., otolith analysis, tagging, etc.) to better describe stock structure and mixing rates of stocks.

Table 1. Data and Research Needs by Stock Please note this table is not inclusive or prioritized.

South Atlantic

Black Sea Bass – Climate change impacts on species distribution Blueline Tilefish - Abundance indices, fecundity, recruitment, discard mortality rates and effects of best fishing practices Cobia - Stock identification, abundance indices, tagging, recruitment Dolphin - Age information, assessment approach, recruitment Gag Grouper – Abundance index for age-0 fish, discard mortality rates, and effects of besting fishing practices Gray Snapper - Stock ID, discard mortality, age validation, recruitment Gray Triggerfish – Recruitment, abundance index for age-0 fish Greater Amberjack - Age validation, discard mortality rates, abundance indices, recruitment, role of Sargassum in life history Red Grouper – Recruitment, discard mortality rates and effects of best fishing practices Red Porgy – temporal trends in growth, sex at age, and female maturity at age, potential factors contributing to low recruitment, investigate whether males establish and maintain territories as part of spawning behavior Red Snapper - Discard mortality rates, private recreational discards, recruitment Scamp - Age and growth, age validation, recruitment, discard mortality rate and effects of best fishing practices Snowy Grouper – Abundance indices, stock ID, recruitment, discard mortality rates and effects of best fishing practices Spanish Mackerel - Stock ID, recruitment Tilefish - Abundance indices, particularly for juveniles, recruitment Vermilion Snapper - Growth models with age-0 fish, recruitment White Grunt - Stock ID, age validation, recruitment, discard mortality rate

Gulf of Mexico

Cobia - Recruitment measures, discard mortality, stock structure Gag - Continuous red tide effect analysis, sex ratio, recruitment, reproduction

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Gray Snapper - Recruitment measures, age and growth, Stock ID Gray Triggerfish - Age composition and validation, recruitment, gear selectivity Greater Amberjack - Age composition and validation, recruitment Red Snapper - Discard mortality rates, effect of devices to reduce barotrauma, stock structure Scamp - Recruitment measures, age and growth, Stock ID Spanish Mackerel - Recruitment measures Tilefish - Recruitment measures, age and growth, Stock ID Vermilion Snapper - Recruitment measures Yellowedge Grouper - Age and length composition samples, recruitment, discard mortality

Gulf and South Atlantic

Black Grouper - Recruitment Goliath Grouper - Non-catch based assessment methods, age and length composition data, recruitment, reproduction, discard mortality rates, gear selectivity Hogfish - Recruitment, stock ID, gear selectivity, discard mortality King Mackerel - Discard mortality, recruitment, Mexican data Mutton Snapper - FI indices, recruitment, discard mortality, climate change impacts on species distribution Spiny Lobster - Age composition, recruitment, relationship between the reproductive cycle characteristics in Florida and in the Caribbean, with postlarval recruitment in Florida Yellowtail Snapper - Stock ID, recruitment

U.S. Caribbean

Life history information, Stock ID for Coney, Dolphin, Mutton Snapper, Red Hind, Queen Snapper, Queen Trigger, Silk Snapper, Spiny Lobster, and Queen Conch HMS-Sharks Bull Shark, Sandbar Shark - Stock ID, discard mortality Finetooth Shark - Stock ID, life history update

C. Program Authority

Authority for the Marine Fisheries Initiative Program is provided by 16 U.S.C 753a and 16 U.S.C. 742d.

II. Award Information

A. Funding Availability

Notice of Federal Funding Page 9 of 29

Actual funding available for this program is contingent upon the availability of FY 2021 Congressional appropriations. Publication of this notice does not obligate NOAA to award any specific project or to obligate any available funds. The number of awards made as a result of this solicitation will depend on the number of eligible applications received, the amount of funds requested for each project, the merit and ranking of the proposals, and the amount of funds made available to the MARFIN program.

B. Project/Award Period

The period of award may be from one to three years. The requested award start date must begin on the first day of the month and end on the last day of the month. The earliest start date for projects will be September 1, 2021, dependent upon availability of Federal funding as provided by Congress, acceptable completion of all NOAA/applicant negotiations including National Environmental Policy Act analysis and permit requirements, and the provision of other supporting documentation as requested. Applicants selected to receive funding may be asked to modify the project start date.

C. Type of Funding Instrument

The funding instrument (grant or cooperative agreement) will be determined by the NOAA Grants Office. A cooperative agreement will be used if the proposed project involves substantial Federal scientific or programmatic involvement. Substantial involvement means that, after award, NOAA scientific or program staff will assist, guide, coordinate, or participate in project activities in a partnership role; it is not to assume direction, prime responsibility, or a dominant role in the activities. The dominant role and prime responsibility resides with the awardee for the project as a whole, although specific tasks and activities may be shared among the awardees and NOAA. The exact amount of funds, the scope of work, and the terms and conditions of a successful award will be determined in pre-award negotiations between the applicant's Authorized Representative and NOAA Fisheries representatives.

III. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants may be institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, individuals, and state, local, and Indian tribal governments. Federal agencies or institutions are not eligible. Foreign governments, organizations under the jurisdiction of foreign governments, and international organizations are excluded for purposes of this solicitation since the objective of the MARFIN program is to optimize research and development benefits from U.S. marine fishery resources.

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B. Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement

Cost sharing is not required for the MARFIN program.

C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility

Not Applicable.

IV. Application and Submission Information

A. Address to Request Application Package

The standard application package is available at https://www.Grants.gov. If you do not have internet access, or if Grants.gov is inaccessible, you can obtain an application package by contacting Kelly Donnelly, Federal Program Officer, NOAA/NMFS/SERO, 263 13th Avenue S., St. Petersburg, FL 33701, Phone: (727) 551-5731, e-mail:

kelly.donnelly@noaa.gov.

B. Content and Form of Application

1. Format Requirements:

A complete standard NOAA grant application package is required in accordance with the guidelines in this document. Applications that are not complete on the closing date of this announcement will not be reviewed. Your application must contain all required documents and forms; if these forms are not signed via the www.Grants.gov application process, they MUST be signed in ink. Paper applications without inked signatures on their forms will be considered incomplete and will not be reviewed. An incomplete application or one that does not follow the format requirements will not be reviewed and will be withdrawn from the competition.

All application materials should be submitted in Adobe PDF or a common word processing format, and when printed out should meet all format requirements. All pages must be no less than single-spaced printed or typed, in at least 12-point font, and printable on 8.5-inch x 11-inch paper, with 1-inch margins. If these requirements are not followed, the proposal will be withdrawn without consideration.

2. Content Requirements:

Each application must include (listed below are minimum requirements that must be included in the proposal submission. If any of these are not included the proposal will not be

Notice of Federal Funding Page 11 of 29 considered and will be withdrawn from the competition):

- Federal application forms, which are available on Grants.gov, including:

SF-424 - Application for Federal Assistance - The Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424) must be signed by the authorized representative identified in Grants Online.

Electronic signatures submitted through Grants.gov satisfy this requirement. If the person submitting the application is not the AOR listed in Block 21 of the SF-424, then hardcopies of ink signatures of the AOR must be included.

SF-424A - Budget Information, Non-Construction Programs SF-424B - Assurances, Non-Construction Programs CD-511 - Certifications Regarding Lobbying (CD-511) SF-LLL - Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (if applicable)

- Data Sharing Plan (described)

- A Project Synopsis (described below, limit 2 pages)

- A Project Narrative (described below, limit 20 pages)

- A Budget Narrative (described below)

It is recommended, but not required, that each application should also include the following.

If the application results in an award, these will be required:

- NOAA NEPA Questionnaire (https://www.nepa.noaa.gov/docs/NOAA-Grants- Questionnaire-final.pdf). It is recommended that you pay attention to responding to Questions 1-19 and 20-37, the latter of which are specific to NMFS project submissions.

Note: It is strongly recommended that applicants complete this questionnaire when initially submitting a full proposal application.

- Other Supporting Documentation (described below, IV.2.D.)

Requirements:

A. Project Synopsis (2-page maximum):

It is critical that the project synopsis accurately describes the project being proposed and conveys all essential elements of the activities. It is imperative that potential applicants tie their proposals to one of the program priorities listed in Section I.B of the Notice of Funding Opportunity.

The synopsis must include:

Notice of Federal Funding Page 12 of 29

- Applicant Information: Applicant organization and name, title, and contact information of the Principal Investigator.

- Project Information: Project title, location, requested project period (start and end dates), Federal funding requested, and identification of the MARFIN priority that most closely reflects the objectives of your proposal. If more than one priority is addressed by the proposal, one priority must be identified as the primary. The primary priority will determine the type of subject matter expert used to evaluate your proposal.

- Partners: partners and their organizations Identification and contact information of co- Principal Investigators.

- Abstract: A clear description of proposed activities, including the species/resources to be addressed. It is critical the abstract accurately describes the project being proposed and conveys all essential elements of the project for public dissemination.

B. Project Narrative (20-page maximum)

The project narrative comprises the research plan for the project. The narrative must be detailed enough for reviewers to make a clear connection between the proposed activities and the project costs. The major part of the narrative should be devoted to a description and justification for the project, including details of the methods to be used. It should include a timeline for major activities, and should indicate who will be responsible for which activities. There should be no ambiguity about who will perform particular parts of the project, and the time at which these activities take place.

The project narrative should closely follow the evaluation criteria outlined in this solicitation (See Section V.A. Evaluation Criteria) for the application to receive a consistent review against competing applications. The narrative should demonstrate your knowledge of, and convey the need for, the project and show how your proposal builds upon any past and current work in the subject area, as well as relevant work in related fields. The narrative should highlight any relationship to fishery management plans, or other fishery-related strategic planning or management documents, and if the project will yield environmentally compatible socioeconomic benefits.

The project narrative should include:

1. Project goals and objectives

2. Project impacts – Describe the anticipated impacts of the project on the fisheries resource and the fishing community in terms of increased product yield, or other measurable benefits. Identify the benefits that will be achieved as a result of this effort, both to the

Notice of Federal Funding Page 13 of 29 recipient, the industry and the general public as a whole.

3. Evaluation of Project – Specify the criteria and procedures that you will use to monitor and evaluate the relative success or failure of a project in achieving its objectives.

4. Need for government financial assistance – Explain why you need NOAA financial assistance for the proposed work, and why other funding sources, if applicable, cannot fund all the proposed work. List all other sources of funding you have or are seeking for the project.

5. Federal, state, and local government activities and permits – It is your responsibility to obtain all necessary Federal, state, and local government permits and approvals where necessary for the proposed work to be conducted. You must note whether or not permits are required. If no permits are required, this section must indicate “no permits are required.” If permits are required, provide a list of all applicable permits that will be required to perform the proposed work and an indication of the status of any permits needed (e.g., not yet applied, permit application submitted/pending/ permit granted, etc.) or a statement indicating that no permits are necessary.

6. Statement of Work

a. What is the project design? What specific work, activities, procedures, statistical design, or analytical methods will you undertake? Describe methodologies or technical plans for activities to be conducted under the project.

b. Who will be responsible for carrying out the various activities? Provide information about the specific responsibilities of other personnel funded through the proposal, including the technical and administrative points of contact as appropriate.

c. What are the project milestones? Display timelines for major tasks, target milestones for important immediate and final products, and key project outcomes. This includes identifying all consultation and permitting requirements and their status (e.g., not applied for, pending, secured). Describe the timeline in increments (e.g., month 1, month 2) rather than by specific dates. Identify the individual(s) responsible for the various specific activities.

7. Project Management – Describe how the project will be organized and managed. Describe how the necessary experience, facilities, and administrative resources are in place to successfully meet the responsibilities associated with managing a federal financial assistance award. Proposals should demonstrate the applicant organization’s knowledge and experience in delivering the project requested in this application.

Include the resume or curriculum vitae of the Principal Investigator(s) and any consultants and/or subcontractors, and indicate their level of involvement in the project. Include copies of any agreements between you and the participants describing the specific tasks to be

Notice of Federal Funding Page 14 of 29 performed. Agreement documents, and resumes/curricula vitae (2 page maximum for each), should be included in the “Supporting Documentation”. This information does not count toward the project narrative’s 20-page limitation.

9. Data Management/Sharing Plan (2-page limit)

a. Environmental data and information collected or created under NOAA grant or cooperative agreements must be made discoverable by and accessible to the general public, in a timely fashion (typically within two year), 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.

b. Proposals submitted in response to this Announcement must include a Data Management/Sharing Plan of up to two pages describing how these requirements will be satisfied. The Data Management/Sharing Plan should be aligned with the Data Management Guidance provided by NOAA in the Announcement. The contents of the Data Sharing Plan), 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 data 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 submission and may charge a fee, particularly for large or unusual datasets.

c. NOAA may, at its own discretion, make publicly visible the Data Management/Sharing Plan from funded proposals, or use information from the Data Sharing Plan to produce a formal metadata record and include the metadata in a Catalog to indicate the pending availability of new data.

d. 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

Notice of Federal Funding Page 15 of 29 publication by the journal.

C. Budget Narrative

Each application must include clear and concise budget information, both on the required federal forms and as described here. To evaluate the appropriateness of proposed costs, a budget narrative must explain and justify all costs by object class category, as listed on the SF-424A, Section B. You are encouraged to include a budget table to further clarify the cost breakdown. All proposed costs must be reasonable, allowable, allocable, and necessary to the supported activity.

All funds must be estimated to the nearest dollar, do not submit budgets containing cents.

For multi-year award applications, indicate and describe separate funding amounts for each year in the detailed justification and in Section B of the SF-424A Budget Information form.

You must submit a copy of a current negotiated indirect cost rate agreement with a federal agency, if such an agreement exists.

The budget narrative must include the following, as applicable:

a. Personnel costs, including salary and wages, should be broken out by named Principal Investigator and number of months requested per year, per PI, as a percentage of their normal salary rate. Support for each PI should be commensurate with their stated involvement. Any unnamed personnel (graduate students, post-doctoral researchers, technicians) should be identified by their job title, monthly or hourly rate, and amount of effort per year. Fringe benefits should be listed separately from salary and wages.

b. Travel costs should be broken out by number of people traveling, destination, purpose of travel, and projected costs per person. Travel costs include transport costs, lodging, per diem for all travelers, which are to be described in the budget narrative. If details for a particular trip are unknown, explain how the estimate was determined. To qualify for support, attendance at meetings or conferences must enhance the investigator’s capability to perform the research or disseminate its results. Domestic travel is to be justified separately from foreign travel, since the latter may require additional clearances. You must adhere to the provisions of the "Fly America Act".

c. Equipment is non-expendable, tangible personal property with a unit cost of $5,000 or more, and a useful life of more than one year. Items that do not meet the equipment definition must be included under supplies. List each piece of equipment separately and reference the type/model to be purchased and its contribution to the achievement of the

Notice of Federal Funding Page 16 of 29 project goals. General use equipment must be used 100% for the proposed project if charged directly to the award; if the equipment will be used for multiple projects, only a portion of the expense that is commensurate with the actual use of the equipment during the project may be requested.

d. Supplies should be itemized to the level of detail known or may be based on established historical costs. Whenever possible, you should include the quantity/number of units and cost per unit to justify expenses listed in the supplies category.

e. Each contract should be itemized and explained in the budget narrative. Contract budgets should follow standard budget categories that appear in the SF-424A. For each contract include a budget and explanation of the, products or services to be obtained. You must indicate the basis for each contract cost estimate and specify the products or services to be obtained through all contracts.

f. The budget may include an amount for indirect costs if the applicant has an approved indirect cost rate agreement with the Federal government. Indirect costs are costs for basic operational functions that are incurred for a common purpose, and cannot be identified specially with a particular project. A copy of the current, approved negotiated indirect cost rate agreement must be included with the application, if applicable.

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 Section B.06. 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, Maryland 20910 lamar.revis@noaa.gov

D. Other Supporting Documentation

Include any relevant attachments the applicant deems important to the overall understanding and evaluation of the proposed project (such as references, maps, tables, or other visual materials). Applicants requiring scientific research permits must also include evidence of

Notice of Federal Funding Page 17 of 29 such a permit, or evidence that they have submitted the permit applications. Additional material that is necessary or useful to describe the project may also be provided (e.g., letters of collaboration received from the relevant partners involved in the project (combined into one PDF document). This documentation will not count against the Project Narrative 20-page limit.

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

Each applicant (unless the applicant is an individual or Federal awarding agency that is excepted from those requirements under 2 CFR 25.110(b) or (c), or has an exception approved by the Federal awarding agency under 2 CFR 25.110(d)) is required to: (i) be registered in SAM before submitting its application; (ii) provide a valid unique entity identifier in its application (i.e. Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number); and

(iii) continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active Federal award, 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. Applicants should allow a minimum of five (5) days to complete the SAM registration; registration is required only once, but must be renewed periodically.

Applicants are strongly encouraged not to wait until the application deadline date to begin the application process through https://www.Grants.gov.

D. Submission Dates and Times

Applications must be received by https://www.Grants.gov, postmarked, or provided to a delivery service by 11:59 PM, Eastern Daylight Savings Time (EDST) on October 23, 2020.

Use of Grants.gov is preferred. If Grants.gov cannot be used, use of U.S. mail or another delivery service must be documented with a receipt; private metered postmarks are not acceptable. Applications received more than five (5) business days following the closing date will not be accepted. No facsimile or electronic mail applications will be accepted.

Please note: Validation or rejection of your application by Grants.gov may take up to two (2) business days after submission. Please consider this process in developing your submission timeline. Applications not adhering to postmark or submission deadlines will be rejected and returned to the sender without further consideration.

E. Intergovernmental Review

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Applications submitted by state and local governments are subject to the provisions of Executive Order (E.O.) 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs. Any applicant submitting an application for funding is required to complete item 19 on SF-424 regarding clearance by the State Single Point of Contact (SPOC) established as a result of E.O. 12372. To find out about and comply with a State's process under E.O. 12372, the names, addresses and phone numbers of participating SPOCs are listed in the Office of Management and Budget's home page at:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/management/office-federal-financial-management/.

F. Funding Restrictions

Construction is not an allowable activity under this program. Therefore, applications will not be accepted for construction projects.

The MARFIN Program will not consider expenses associated with fees, fund-raising activities, travel for activities not directly related to project implementation, travel or salaries for Federal employees, or profit as allowable costs in the proposed budget. NOAA funds may not be used to support ongoing efforts to comply with legal requirements, including permit conditions, mitigation and settlement agreements.

The total costs of a project consist of all allowable costs incurred in accomplishing project activities during the project period. Project costs can only include support for activities conducted between the effective start date and end date of the award (including any approved no-cost extensions), and cannot include activities undertaken either before or after the agreed upon dates. Applicants will not be reimbursed for time expended or costs incurred in developing a project or in preparing an application, or in any discussions or negotiations with the agency prior to the award.

Funding beyond the first year will be dependent upon satisfactory performance and the continued availability of funds. The total amount that may be requested shall not exceed $175,000 for a one-year project, $350,000 for a two-year project, and $525,000 for a three-year project. Each funding year cannot exceed $175,000. Minor amount differences will be accepted for review, but no more than these limits will be awarded.

G. Other Submission Requirements

Applicants should submit applications electronically through https://www.Grants.gov.

Applicants should note that it can take between 3 and 5 business days, or as long as three weeks to register with Grants.gov if all steps are not completed in a timely manner, and registration is required only once. Users of Grants.gov will be able to download a copy of the application package, complete it off line, and then upload and submit the application via the

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Grants.gov site. If an applicant has problems downloading the application forms from Grants.gov, call Grants.gov Customer Support at 1-800-518-4726 or email them at support@grants.gov.

If an applicant does not have Internet access or if Grants.gov is inaccessible, paper applications will be accepted. Paper applications must be submitted with completed, signed, inked signatures, with original forms in hard copy and an electronic copy of the entire application on a thumb drive, including scanned signed forms.

If the applicant has completed the entire application in Grants.gov but is unable to submit it via Grants.gov, then this application package should be provided via thumb drive along with printed and signed versions of forms SF-424, SF-424B, and CD-511. The Authorized Representative MUST sign and date these forms in the space reserved for electronic signature. Signatures (electronic or ink) must match the name printed in the “Authorized Representative” section of the SF-424 Block 21. Another Authorized Representative may not sign on behalf of the individual noted in Block 21. Paper applications should not be bound in any manner.

Paper applications must be postmarked or provided to a delivery service and documented with a receipt, private metered postmarks are not acceptable, and sent to Kelly Donnelly, Federal Grants Program Manager, NOAA/NMFS/SERO, 263 13th Avenue S., St.

Petersburg, FL 33701, Phone: (727) 551- 5731, e-mail: kelly.donnelly@noaa.gov.

Applications postmarked or provided to a delivery service after 11:59 PM, Eastern Daylight Savings Time (EDST), on October 23, 2020, will not be considered for funding. Postmarked applications received more than five (5) business days following the closing date will not be accepted. No facsimile or electronic mail applications will be accepted.

V. Application Review Information

A. Evaluation Criteria

A. Evaluation Criteria

Reviewers will assign scores to applications ranging from 0-100 points based on the following five evaluation criteria. The maximum score for each criterion is indicated in parentheses. Each criterion also includes the factors the reviewers will consider to determine how well an application meets the criterion. We encourage applicants to make explicit connections to the evaluation criterion and factors in their applications. Written comments are required to justify provided scores in each section of the review. Applications that best address these criteria will be most competitive. Score ranges are identified for each evaluation criteria below. Top range scores indicate the application fully addressed the criterion, a score of 0 indicates the criterion was not addressed at all.

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1. Importance/relevance and applicability of proposed projects to the program goals (35 points): This criterion ascertains whether there is intrinsic value in the proposed work and/or relevance to NOAA, federal, regional, state, or local activities. Does the proposal describe its relevance to a MARFIN Program Priority, and how information gathered will contribute to NOAA's mission to enhance the understanding of the fishery resource and contribute to the body of information on which management decisions are made? Does this study address an important problem, providing a clear definition of the problem, issue or research need? Is this the best method to obtain the needed data?

Using the scale below as a general guide (lowest score possible is 0)

Marginally Adequately Frequently Highly Most Highly 0---------------10-----------------------15---------------25---------------30--------35

2. Technical/scientific merit (40 points): 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. Proposals should provide a clear definition of the approach to be used, including descriptions of field work, theoretical studies, and laboratory analysis to support the proposed research. Are the conceptual framework, design, methods, and analyses adequately developed, well integrated, and appropriate to the aims of the project? Are the objectives in the proposal clearly defined and focused, realistic and attainable within the proposed project period? Is there sufficient description of the project's environmental impact, such as detailed information on the activities to be conducted, locations, sites, species and habitat to be affected, and any environmental concerns that may exist? Does the applicant acknowledge potential problem areas and consider ways to resolve the issues or implement alternative tactics? Does the project develop new methodologies or technologies? Is sufficient detail provided in the proposal about the methods proposed for monitoring and evaluating the success of the project, and are they appropriate?

Using the scale below as a general guide (lowest score possible is 0)

Marginally Adequately Frequently Highly Most Highly 0---------------10----------------------15---------------25--------30--------35--------40

3. Overall qualifications of applicants (10 points): This criterion ascertains whether the applicant possesses the necessary education, experience, training, facilities, and administrative resources to accomplish the project. Does the applicant have the expertise to conduct the scope and scale of the proposed work, as indicated by the qualifications and past experience of the project leaders and partners, if necessary to complete the work, that show

Notice of Federal Funding Page 21 of 29 adequate experience in successfully completing similar projects? Does the applicant describe the facilities, equipment and/or administrative resources available to support and successfully manage the work and award responsibilities? If consultants and contractors are conducting the critical activities under the award, is the primary applicant's involvement necessary?

Using the scale below as general guide (lowest score possible is 0)

Marginally Frequently Most Highly 0----------------5----------------10

4. Project costs (10 points): This criterion evaluates the budget to…