PKG00294244.pdf

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

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Table of Contents

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

Executive Summary Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description II. Award Information III. Eligibility Information IV. Application and Submission Information V. Application Review Information VI. Award Administration Information VII. Agency Contacts VIII. Other Information

Executive Summary Federal Agency Name NOS National Center for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS)

Funding Opportunity Title Advancing coastal flood protection through public-private partnerships, innovative insurance products, and improved sediment management.

Announcement Type Competitive

Funding Opportunity Number

NOAA-NOS-NCCOS-2026-32934

Assistance Listing Number(s) 11.478

Dates

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The required letters of intent (LOI) should be sent by e-mail to nccos.grant.awards@noaa.gov and must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on November 9, 2026. Responses to LOIs should be expected within two weeks of LOI submission, no later than November 23, 2026. The deadline for receipt of a full proposal is 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time on February 12, 2027. The full proposal should be submitted electronically through Grants.gov. After the application is validated by Grants.gov, please send an email to nccos.grant.awards@noaa.gov to notify us of your submission.

An informational webinar on this solicitation will be offered on October 20, 2026 from 3 to 4 p.m. Eastern Time. Program Manager office hours will be listed on the NCCOS Funding Opportunities webpage. The Program Manager can also be contacted directly (see Section VII for contact information). Information regarding this Announcement, including the webinar and additional background information, is available on the NCCOS Funding Opportunities webpage (https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/about/funding-opportunities/).

Applicant organizations must complete and maintain three registrations to be eligible to apply for or receive an award. These registrations include SAM.gov, Grants.gov, and eRA Commons. All registrations must be completed prior to the application being submitted. The complete registration process for all three systems can take 4 to 6 weeks, so applicants should begin this activity as soon as possible. Refer to Section IV.G. of this Announcement for details.

Funding Opportunity Description The purpose of this document is to advise the public that NOAA/NOS/National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS)/Competitive Research Program (CRP) [formerly Center for Sponsored Coastal Ocean Research (CSCOR)/Coastal Ocean Program (COP)], is soliciting proposals for projects that will support state-of-the-art information and products to advance the use of natural infrastructure for coastal flood protection through one or more of the following focal areas: public-private partnerships, innovative insurance products, or improved sediment management. This short-term investment supports research teams that include regional users to ensure practical, efficient, and cost-effective cross-sector implementation that advances long-term flood and storm preparedness capacity that is led by states and localities. Funding is contingent upon the availability of Federal appropriations. If funds are available for this program, one to six projects are expected to be supported for up to four years in duration, with an approximate annual budget for each project up to $500,000, not to exceed $2,000,000 per project.

Electronic Access: Proposals should be submitted through Grants.gov. Sign up to receive any potential amendments to this Announcement via Grants.gov.

Full Text of Announcement I. Funding Opportunity Description A. Program Objective

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The Competitive Research Program (CRP), part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), supports development of actionable information, tools and products enabling implementation of management and policy strategies for protection of public health, ecosystems, and the economic vitality of communities. To accomplish this, NCCOS/CRP funds research with clear objectives using a competitive, peer-reviewed process involving scientists, resource managers and impacted stakeholders as research project partners or advisors working together to achieve effective outcomes. NCCOS/CRP has an over 30 year track record of delivering results addressing our Nation's most pressing issues and needs, including coastal flood and storm preparedness as authorized under the Coastal Zone Management Act (16 U.S.C. §§ 1451-1452) and Public Law 102-567, §201(c).

CRP supports science-based research and product development focused on protecting coastal businesses, communities, and infrastructure from coastal flooding and life-threatening storm surge events. Related projects advance predictive flood models and tools in collaboration with coastal decision-makers to assess how various flood management actions will perform, ultimately providing coastal decision-makers with information that will help improve safety and reduce damages and economic losses from coastal flooding and inundation. Projects evaluate the potential for natural infrastructure (e.g., barrier islands, wetlands, hybrid systems - dunes with buried sea walls, etc.) to reduce coastal inundation, and develop best practices for their inclusion in coastal protection strategies. In many cases, fostering natural coastal features provides a long-term cost-effective alternative to rigid hardened structures that may not be as effective in reducing flood risk. Consistent with Executive Order 14239: Achieving Efficiency through State and Local Preparedness, the goal is to empower state and local preparedness through informing flood and storm community planning, flood mitigation projects, infrastructure prioritization, and storm response and recovery with scientifically sound, risk-informed solutions.

B. Program Priorities

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This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) will support projects utilizing state-of-the-art methods to advance long-term, comprehensive coastal flood protection with the use or consideration of natural infrastructure within three priority areas: 1) public-private partnerships, 2) innovative insurance products, and 3) improved sediment management. Funded projects will enhance engagement between advanced academic and governmental modeling teams, where CRP has a strong record of support, and private sector experts that play a key role in reducing coastal community flood risk. Private sector engagement is only required for Priority 1, though it is relevant and valued in all three priority areas. Collaboration with intended users is required to maximize utility of developed tools and products, translate outputs for use in other sectors (e.g., engineering, planning, and resource management), and for enhancing efforts at state and local levels. Proposed projects must address at least one of the three program priority areas.

Priority 1: Improve product delivery through the private sector Interorganizational and interdisciplinary teams are key to improving implementation of natural infrastructure for innovative coastal flood mitigation design. To advance science in this area, improved collaboration between those running flood models, those engaging decision makers, and those securing resources for project implementation is needed. The private sector plays a key role in implementing flood mitigation projects and has not consistently been part of past CRP teams. Therefore, this funding opportunity will incentivize partnerships that advance the science-to-management framework through inclusion of private sector team members throughout the life of the project and in support of project planning, design, and implementation. While NCCOS/CRP funds cannot be used for construction, funds from other sources may be used by a private sector entity to carry out construction activities based on the proposed work. We expect to support 1–2 projects that include a private entity and that leverage the strengths of multiple organization types.

Priority 2: Innovating insurance mechanisms for natural coastal flood defense Projects within this priority should apply scenario-based modeling to examine insurance improvements or innovative funding mechanisms that maintain and restore natural systems for adaptive coastal flood protection of communities, while offering other co-benefits. These benefits could include economic and ecological or other considerations, like improvements to a fishery or reduction in coastal erosion or flood risk for infrastructure or homes, which could potentially be monetized to help finance the project. These could be monetized through local fees, revenue from tourism, aquaculture or fisheries, and could support a reduction in insurance premiums for towns that are part of the Community Rating System for the National Flood Insurance Program (FEMA, 2025) or that are interested in community-based parametric insurance. Projects should be capable of offering comparisons of approaches under varying scenarios.

We expect to support 1–2 projects that connect advanced coastline change modeling focused on natural infrastructure with associated returns on investment relevant to insurance and reinsurance industry improvements, or to emerging concepts such as parametric insurance concepts or natural capital investment by industry (e.g., tourism, aquaculture). Partnership with the risk management sector is desirable and may include insurers, reinsurers, risk modeling companies, or engineering firms.

Priority 3: Supporting sediment management practices The efficient beneficial use of dredged material remains a challenge due to several factors. One major obstacle is effectively matching dredge material sources with appropriate placement sites. Another challenge is the permitting process, where decision-makers often lack a clear understanding of the movement of placed sediment or of its ecological value. Projects that advance approaches that integrate models with consideration of coastal processes to predict how sediment moves, how natural systems establish or respond to material, and how sediment interacts with waves and water levels, are desired.

We expect to support 1–2 projects that develop approaches to deliver project-specific cost-benefit information to dredgers and permitters to help them make better decisions faster. Project teams that incorporate a range of experts that can contribute to the effectiveness of beneficial use projects are encouraged.

Overall Considerations: A key objective for this NOFO is the application of scenario-based modeling

NOAA NOFO Page 5 of 30 through a collaborative process with an advisory group of intended users to develop transferable and scalable approaches for coastal flood protection. To the extent possible, approaches should be pursued that leverage existing, accessible resources such as the National Ocean Service (NOS) Modeling Strategy (NOS, 2023-2028) and Strategic Plan (2024-2033). The creation of new models, rather than utilizing existing models, should come with substantial justification. Proposals should advance models capable of predicting shoreline change and quantifying the vulnerability of coastal communities, infrastructure, and ecosystems to inundation and evolving shoreline conditions. Shoreline conditions may include geomorphic setting, health of the natural systems, and anthropogenic changes made to the study area.

Outputs of actionable information and products should inform coastal decision-makers to help them make sound, long-term decisions. Incorporating outputs into existing resources is preferred, while the creation of viewers and interactive tools should come with clear justification, technical expertise to support product development, and support from an intended user. Projects are encouraged to consider natural infrastructure not merely as a substitute for traditional flood barriers, but as a component of comprehensive, long-term coastal investments aimed at ultimately reducing flood risk. Projects must be located in the coastal area of the U.S. states (including the Great Lakes), U.S. territories, commonwealths or freely associated states.

Proposal budgets should incorporate adequate funding for the proposed level of participation of private sector partners and/or leverage private sector investments. Additionally, publications (including journal articles) model code, and outputs resulting from publicly funded research must be made public. This can be accomplished by publishing in open-source publications or by providing a pre-publication version without publisher formatting. It is preferable for applicants to request appropriate financial resources in the proposal budget for making articles public or publishing in journals that do not charge for article access.

Potential Collaboration: Proposals are encouraged to complement existing and anticipated geospatial data and research, including but not limited to past efforts involving state, local, or tribal resources, nongovernmental organizations, NOAA Sea Grant, U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System, U.S.

Geological Survey, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Department of Transportation. Projects should not duplicate existing visualization applications if developing interactive tools. Leveraging current investments at sites that are likely to apply results is encouraged, including NOAA’s National Estuarine Research Reserves, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Wildlife Refuges, coastal Department of Defense sites, National Park Service, U.S. Coast Guard, and other federal and state managed lands.

Engagement with Intended Users: Application of research results by intended users is a central objective of NCCOS/CRP. Proposals should clearly articulate outcome-based goals of the project and a continuous engagement process with relevant intended users. At a minimum, the Lead Principal Investigator (PI) must establish an advisory group composed of intended users of the research project outputs. The research team must meet with this advisory group at least once a year. The purpose of the advisory group is to maximize collaboration between the PIs and the intended users, and to develop research outputs that maximize utility for the greatest number of users. The intended users should be able to use the outputs to inform policies and projects that reduce the impacts of coastal flooding without additional conversion of the output in terms of unit or data type, ensuring a smooth transition from outputs to desired outcomes. Applicants should include all costs associated with the annual meetings and engagement (except travel costs for federal employees) in the proposal budget.

Research products and outputs may include:

Advanced predictive approaches that are designed in collaboration with intended users to enable an interested party the ability to better evaluate the short- and long-term vulnerability of ecosystems, communities and infrastructure to inundation. (Note: that predicting future flood vulnerability alone is usually an insufficient output).

Models and information that enable the evaluation of regional implications for various policy options

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(e.g., insurance, innovative investments) and facilitate the design, construction, and adaptive management of restoration and/or natural infrastructure projects for coastal inundation mitigation, including comparative analysis with conventional flood mitigation approaches or infrastructure realignment under diverse inundation scenarios.

Improved understanding of the costs and benefits of different coastal flood mitigation actions in terms of the effectiveness, services, and sustainability of natural infrastructure under varying scenarios of application, and inundation.

Guidance and strategies for regional transition and application of natural infrastructure and/or metrics for objective evaluation of performance.

Advanced predictive approaches linking coastal modeling and economic investment strategies that assess flood risk over time and incorporate consideration of natural infrastructure.

Expected Outcomes:

Priority 1:

Improved coastal flood mitigation and community plans that take into account flood risk while considering the cost-effectiveness and incorporation of natural systems.

Execution of effective coastal flood mitigation projects that incorporate natural systems and leverage private sector capacity.

Reduced risk of coastal flooding and damage to transportation infrastructure and loss of coastal habitat due to inundation of roads.

Improved connection of NOAA monitoring and modeling enterprises to landscape modeling to reduce coastal flood risk.

Priority 2:

A change in operations by risk management sectors, including insurers, reinsurers, risk modeling companies, or engineering firms that leads to healthy long term investment in infrastructure at the coast.

Individual property owners and communities attain resources and implement approaches that reduce coastal flood risk and leverage natural infrastructure.

Reduced coastal flood risk and use of natural infrastructure in response to incentives from insurance companies or other risk reduction reward concepts.

Improved flood insurance premium setting practices to recognize coastal flood hazard reduction of natural infrastructure.

Priority 3:

Higher utilization of dredge material suitable for placement to complete land building or elevation increases that protect infrastructure while creating or transporting sediment to natural systems.

Innovation of Beneficial Use of Dredged Materials (BUDM) processes to ensure effective use of dredge materially nationally.

Improved leveraging of natural processes that reduce costs of BUDM.

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Reduced flood risk and habitat vulnerability through elevation increases and an improved understanding of how natural coastal systems respond to dredge material over time.

Placement of dredge material that creates essential habitat for fishery species.

An improved permitting process that allows for fast, effective decisions that could include progress towards single-point-of-contact, state-led permitting systems or information to guide effective placement of dredged sediment.

Key Definitions:

Coastal Decision-Maker/Intended User: The term “coastal decision-makers” or “intended user” will be used throughout to reference those that can utilize science to reduce coastal flood risk while considering the value of natural infrastructure, including those that take part in planning, emergency management, foreshore and tidal land management, natural resource management, structural engineering, investment, insurance, or policy implementation.

Model Advancement: Advancements could include dynamic model integration or downscaling, enhanced parameterization, improved uncertainty estimates, expanded model utility in new locations, and/or module development required to assess and evaluate possible approaches to mitigate inundation. Novel application of existing approaches is encouraged, when appropriate. Novel modeling approaches will require significant justification and explicit intended-user demand for funding consideration. Highly local or specialized models are discouraged.

Natural Infrastructure (NI): NI refers to a spectrum of systems that provide communities with protection and environmental benefits. At its core, NI encompasses either engineered hybrid systems or naturally-occurring ecosystems like forests, wetlands, floodplains, dune systems, seagrasses, barrier islands, reefs, sea ice, tundra, coastal marshes, beach systems, and coastal rivers. Beyond purely natural systems, hybrid shorelines combine both natural ("green") and human-engineered ("grey") features and processes.

Examples of these engineered systems include living shorelines or dunes with buried seawalls. NI can also involve the strategic realignment of built structures to allow space for natural coastal processes to resume. This approach can be the most economically effective long-term solution in certain regions. NI offers crucial services such as storm protection (through wave attenuation and flood storage) and enhanced water quality. For purposes of this funding opportunity, "Natural Infrastructure," is considered interchangeable with other terms like "natural and nature-based features or infrastructure" and “nature-based solutions.”

C. Program Authority 16 U.S.C. §§1456c; Public Law 102-567, §201(c), Coastal Ocean Program.

II. Award Information A. Funding Availability Funding is contingent upon availability of Federal appropriations. If funds become available, one to six projects are expected to be supported for up to four years, with an approximate annual budget for each project up to $500,000, not to exceed $2,000,000 per project.

B. Project/Award Period

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Full applications may cover a project/award period up to four years, but shorter-term project proposals are encouraged. Projects funded under this Announcement will have a September 1, 2027 start date. The start date should always begin on the first day of the month and the end date should always end on the last day of any given month when making a projection for the award start and end dates.

Awards may be funded incrementally, generally on an annual basis. Once approved, full applications are not required for the continuation out years. While applicants are not required to divide Federal assistance project activities into annual increments based on appropriations law, this approach may be constructive given the possibility that funding may not be available in subsequent years.

Funding for each year's activity is contingent upon the availability of appropriations, satisfactory performance, and is at the sole discretion of the agency.

During the implementation phase of research projects funded under this Announcement, regardless of the funding mechanism used, NCCOS/CRP Program Managers will analyze financial statements and progress reports for each continuing award, and will have dialogue with the PIs and Signing Officials of the recipient institutions to discuss research progress and expected timelines for the remaining award period. If NOAA experiences budget fluctuations in future fiscal years, the amount of funding provided in any given fiscal year will be determined on a project-specific basis by the remaining tasks to be completed, the overall pace of the research and the length of time remaining on the award and/or across the board reductions or increases based on the overall funds available.

C. Type of Funding Instrument

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In an effort to maximize the use of limited resources, applications from non-Federal and Federal applicants (including NOAA) will be evaluated in the same competition, with different funding instruments applicable to the type of applicant. Support may be solely through NCCOS/CRP or partnered with other Federal offices and agencies. Unfunded proposals may be shared with other NOAA offices or other Federal Agencies for the purposes of collaboration and eliminating duplication.

Non-Federal Applicants. The funding instrument for non-Federal applicants is expected to be a cooperative agreement. A cooperative agreement is used when substantial Federal government involvement is anticipated. This means that the recipient can expect substantial agency collaboration, participation, and intervention in project performance. Substantial involvement exists when: responsibility for the management, control, direction, or performance of the project is shared by the assisting agency and the recipient; or the assisting agency has the right to intervene (including interruption or modification) in the conduct or performance of project activities. "Substantial involvement" will be coordinated and communicated by NCCOS/CRP Program Managers, and can include collaboration and participation by NOAA (but see section III.A.5-6), as well as NCCOS/CRP Program Manager involvement in PI meetings, site visits, in situ sampling, setting up management advisory groups, development of management transition plans, and communication of project results.

NOAA Cooperative Institutes. If the non-Federal applicant is at an institution that has a NOAA Cooperative Institute (CI, https://ci.noaa.gov/), it is allowed to submit applications that reference the CI by attaching a cover letter to the application stating its desire to have the application associated with the CI. This letter should specify the name of the CI, the CI cooperative agreement number, and the NOAA-approved research theme and task that applies to the proposal. The application will use the Facilities & Administrative (F&A, or indirect cost) rate associated with the main CI agreement. If the application is selected for funding, NOAA will notify the university that a separate award will be issued with its own award number. However, the award will include two Special Award Conditions (SACs): (1) the existing University/NOAA Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) would be incorporated by reference into the terms of the competitive award, and (2) any performance report(s) for the competitive project must follow the timetable of the funding program and be submitted directly to the funding program. Report(s) will be copied to the CI's administrator when due, to be attached to the main cooperative agreement progress report as an appendix. This will allow the CI to coordinate all the projects submitted through the CI, since the terms of these awards will specify that this is a CI project via the MOA.

Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit. If the non-Federal applicant is at an institution that has a NOAA approved Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU), https://www.nps.gov/nature/cesu.htm, and meets the criteria described below for using that status, they may include a cover letter with their application stating their desire to have the application associated with that CESU. This letter should specify the name of the CESU. Of the 17 CESUs across the nation, NOAA is a member of 10: North and West Alaska, California, Hawaii-Pacific Islands, South Florida-Caribbean, Gulf Coast, Piedmont-South Atlantic Coast, Chesapeake Watershed, North Atlantic Coast, Pacific Northwest, and Great Plains.

The following criteria must be met for NOAA to use the established partnerships with CESUs:

1. The proposed project must fit within the objectives of the National CESU Network Program, which are to provide research, technical assistance, and education to Federal land management, environmental, and research agencies and their partners in biological, physical, social, cultural, or engineering disciplines needed to address natural and cultural resource management issues at multiple scales and in an ecosystem context.

2. The proposed project must fit the intent of the CESU’s existing cooperative and joint agreement, which means (a) the research partnership will carry out or stimulate an activity (e.g., data, products, or services) for a public purpose, and (b) NOAA will be significantly involved in the work.

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Federal Applicants. The intra- and inter-agency transfers of funds are not Federal assistance (grants or cooperative agreements), and the policies described in this Announcement applicable to Federal assistance awards do not apply to Federal entities receiving intra- and inter-agency transfers of funds. In the agreements implemented in these situations, NOAA will be substantially involved in the projects in a manner similar to the cooperative agreements with non-federal parties. Contact the NCCOS Grants Administrator for more information (refer to Section VII).

1. NOAA Federal Applicants. The funding instrument for a selected application from an eligible NOAA Federal applicant will be an intra-agency transfer of funds, if authorized.

2. Federal Applicants (except NOAA). The funding instrument for a selected application from a non- NOAA Federal applicant will be through an inter-agency transfer of funds, provided legal authority exists for the Federal applicant to receive funds from another agency. Non-NOAA Federal applicants that intend to be the lead institution should contact the NCCOS Grants Administrator (refer to Section VII) to discuss how to structure budgets and prepare required documentation.

III. Eligibility Information A. Eligible Applicants Eligible applicants for Federal financial assistance in this competition are U.S. institutions of higher education, non-profits, state and local governments, tribal government entities, U.S. Territories, U.S.

Affiliated Pacific Islands institutions, and for-profit organizations. Federal applicants (including NOAA) are eligible provided legal authority exists for the Federal applicant to receive funds from another agency.

Please note that:

1. PIs must be employees of an eligible entity listed above; and applications must be submitted through that entity. Non-Federal researchers should comply with their institutional requirements for application submission.

2. Non-Federal researchers affiliated with NOAA-University CIs will be funded through cooperative agreements.

3. Foreign researchers must apply as subawards or contracts through an eligible U.S. entity.

4. Federal applicants are eligible to submit applications for intra- or inter-agency funds transfers through this competition. Non-NOAA Federal applicants will be required to submit certifications or documentation showing that they have specific legal authority to accept funds for this type of research.

5. An eligible U.S. entity may propose Federal agency researchers as funded or unfunded collaborators.

If Federal agency researchers are proposed as funded collaborators, the applicant should present the collaborator's funding request in the application in the same way documentation is provided for a subrecipient for purposes of project evaluation, even though intra- or inter-agency funding transfers will generally be used if the project is selected.

6. NOAA/NCCOS researchers may apply through an eligible U.S. entity as funded or unfunded collaborators, but cannot be the lead PI on the application. Federal employees, including NOAA, with the exception of NOAA/NCCOS employees, may serve as lead PI on the application. NOAA Federal salaries will not be paid.

B. Cost Share or Matching Requirement

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None.

C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility Each application must substantially comply with the 12 elements listed under Section IV.B.4 Content and Form of Application: Required Elements (a)–(l), or it will be returned to sender without further consideration. A checklist with the required and requested application elements can be found in Section

VIII.

IV. Application and Submission Information A. Address to Request Application Package Proposal materials are available at http://www.grants.gov as part of the electronic proposal package, which includes the federal forms. Please contact the NCCOS Grants Administrator should you have an issue accessing the materials (see Section VII for contact information).

B. Content and Form of Application

1. Required Letter of Intent (LOI) LOIs are required before a full application is submitted. The LOI should be sent by e-mail to nccos.grant.awards@noaa.gov and must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on November 9, 2026.

Any full proposals submitted without a prior timely LOI submission will not be considered. The purpose of the LOI process is to provide information to potential applicants on the relevance of their proposed project and the likelihood of it being competitive in advance of preparing a full application. Full applications will be encouraged only for LOIs deemed relevant; however, the final decision to submit a full proposal is made by the PI. The LOI should provide a concise description of the proposed work and its relevance to this NOFO. The LOI should be no more than two pages (front only) in length, single spaced in 12-point font with 1-inch margins and should include in order the components listed below. If all these components are not included or the LOI is late, the LOI will not be considered.

NCCOS/CRP Program Managers will review each LOI to determine whether it is responsive to the program's goals, as advertised in this NOFO. Letters or emails to encourage or discourage a full application are scheduled to be sent out approximately two weeks after the LOI due date. If all these components are not included, the LOI will not be considered:

a. Tentative project title.

b. Name(s), phone number(s), email address(s), and institution(s) of all PIs, and specification of which individual is the Lead PI.

c. Priority Area (public-private partnerships, innovative insurance products, or improved sediment management; multiple priority areas are okay if strongly relevant).

d. Approximate total cost of the project.

e. Statement of the problem and its relevance.

f. Brief summary of work to be completed, methodology to be used, and the plan for engaging with the coastal decision makers.

g. Brief description of relevant outputs that can be delivered by methodology and targeted outcomes.

2. Sample Full Application

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A sample application package and other guidance can be found under “Information for Applicants” located on the NCCOS website at: https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/about/funding-opportunities/application-forms/.

3. Collaborative Proposals If more than one institution is collaborating in a project awarded funds, the lead institution will be the only institution to directly receive funds from NOAA and will be responsible for distributing funds to the partner institutions except for Federal agency partners. Federal agencies will be funded with either intra- or inter-agency agreements initiated by NCCOS. Only one full proposal per project must be submitted via Grants.gov. Collaborating institutions expected to receive funds must be budgeted as subawards or contracts in the submitted proposal and provide the lead institution with their documents for submission by the lead. Unfunded collaborators may also participate.

4. Required Elements for Full Applications Each application must substantially comply with the following 12 elements (a–l) to be forwarded for merit review. The Summary Title Page, Abstract, Project Description, References, Biographical Sketch, and Budget Narrative must be single spaced in 12-point font with one-inch margins. The Collaborators List must use an Excel spreadsheet and be submitted by email to nccos.grant.awards@noaa.gov. The 12 elements are as follows:

a. Standard Form 424. The applicant must submit the Standard Form, SF-424, “Application for Federal Assistance,” to indicate the total amount of funding proposed for the whole project period.

b. Summary Title Page. One-page maximum. The Summary Title Page identifies the project's title and the PI’s name, affiliation, complete address, phone, and email information. The requested funding amounts for each fiscal year should be included on the Summary Title Page. If this proposal is a resubmission from a previous NCCOS competition, indicate the former competition on the Summary Title Page.

c. One-page Abstract/Project Summary. The Project Summary (Abstract) should appear on a separate single page, headed with the proposal title, institution(s), investigator(s), total proposed cost, and budget period. It should be written in the third person and in plain language. The Abstract should include an introduction of the problem, project objectives, and a brief summary of work to be completed and outcomes. The summary Abstract allows the respondents to summarize key points in their own words.

Abstracts of applications that receive funding may be posted on program-related websites.

d. Project Description. The description of the work proposed must include three Project Description narrative sections: the Proposed Research, its Application to Management, and a Data Management Plan.

The proposal shall not exceed more than: 15 pages for the description of the Proposed Research and Application to Management; two additional pages may be used for the Data Management Plan. Any Project Description narrative beyond the page limits will not be reviewed or considered. The three Project Description sections must include the information as described below.

(1) Proposed Research The Proposed Research narrative section should be thorough and explicitly indicate its relevance to the program goals and scientific priorities by:

(a) Identifying the topic that is being addressed by the proposal;

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(b) Describing the proposed scientific objectives and research activities in relation to the present state of knowledge in the field and, if appropriate, in relation to previous and current work by the proposing PI(s);

(c) Discussing how the proposed project lends value to the program goals; and

(d) Identifying the function of each PI. The Lead PI will be responsible for communicating with the NCCOS/CRP Program Manager on all pertinent verbal or written information.

Note: If the proposal is a resubmission from a previous competition, any concerns identified with the Project Description in the previous review process and provided to the applicant(s) should be addressed in the resubmitted proposal.

(2) Application to Management The Application to Management Narrative should establish the connection to relevant information needs by explicitly identifying the intended user group(s) including evidence of the linkage between the scientific questions and management needs. The format and role of the advisory group(see Section I.B) should be included in this section. The narrative should provide the management justification for the research by:

(a) Articulating the coordination with one or more intended users.

(b) Discussing the expected significance of the project to priorities and needs. Specific information needs, with proposed outputs and outcomes, should describe how this project will improve the region's capabilities to avoid flooding while leveraging natural infrastructure. Outputs are defined as products (e.g., publications and models) or activities that lead to outcomes (i.e., changes in management knowledge or action). Definitions and examples of outputs and outcomes are provided in Section I.B with additional examples at https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/about/funding-opportunities/outputs-and-outcomes/. The timeline for achieving outputs should be included in the Milestone Chart (below).

(c) Describing specific activities, such as workshops or development of outreach materials, that will enhance information transfer from project scientists to relevant management entities, other intended users, or the public.

(d) Describing the structure, size, and activities of the advisory group of intended users, particularly by including a plan for how the group will engage with project PIs. Members of the advisory group should be named, when possible. Letters may be included, but are not required, to indicate that they have agreed to serve on the advisory group; these letters do not count against the page limits.

(3) Data Management Plan NOAA requires that grant-produced data be made publicly available, preferably with open data licenses.

Proposals must provide a detailed Data Management Plan that describes how metadata and data collected as part of the project will be openly disseminated to the broader community, and plans for longer term archiving of these data. PIs that propose to collaborate with data centers or networks, except the NOAA/National Center for Environmental Information (NCEI), are advised to obtain letters of commitment that affirm the collaboration. Where possible, all PIs are strongly encouraged to use existing data centers and data portals to archive and disseminate their data. Costs associated with use of data centers, or data archiving, should be included in the application budget. Proposed Data Management Plans should reflect archiving Option A, B, and/or C as stated below. Note: non-digital data (e.g., laboratory notebooks, preliminary analyses, drafts of scientific papers, plans for future research, peer review reports, communications with colleagues, or physical objects, such as laboratory specimens) are not required to be made publicly accessible.

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Option A: For the majority of oceanographic and ecological data, except non-digital data as described above, funding recipients are expected to submit data to the NOAA/NCEI for long-term preservation, which will provide public access, archiving, discovery metadata meeting NOAA standards and formats, and a Digital Object Identifier (DOI).

Option B: For any other data not appropriate for submission to NOAA/NCEI, funding recipients are expected to submit data to an appropriate long-term data facility (e.g., National Institutes of Health’s GenBank for genomics data) that preserves data, properly manages archived data to assure their quality, mints DOIs, and makes archived data and related information available to users in a timely and efficient manner. Funding recipients should submit discovery metadata meeting NOAA standards and formats documenting these non-NOAA data archives to the NCCOS/CRP Program Manager (see Section VII for contact information).

Option C: For limited-release data that are limited by law, regulation, policy, security requirements, commercial or international agreements, or valid technical considerations, funding recipients may request permission not to make data publicly accessible from the NCCOS/CRP Program Manager.

For additional information regarding Data Management Plans, see https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/about/funding-opportunities/data-management-plan and the NOAA Data Sharing Plan policy statement below in Section VI.B., Administrative and National Policy Requirements. For questions regarding data management and implementing this guidance: refer to Section VII for the contact information for the NCCOS Data Coordinator.

e. References cited. Reference information is required. Each reference should include the names of all authors in the same sequence they appear in the publication, the article title, the journal or book title, volume number, page numbers, and year of publication. While there is no established page limitation, this section should include bibliographic citations only and should not be used to provide parenthetical information outside of the Project Description.

f. Milestone chart. Provide timelines of major tasks covering the duration of the proposed project.

g. Biographical sketch. All PIs and co-PIs must provide summaries of up to two pages that include the following:

(1) A listing of professional and academic credentials and mailing address; and

(2) A list of up to five publications most closely related to the proposed project and five other significant publications.

h. Standard Form (SF) 424A. The lead applicant is required to provide a SF-424A Budget Form that identifies the budget for each fiscal year of the proposal. Place each fiscal year in separate columns in Section B of page one on the SF- 424A by filling in the fiscal years 1-4 in Section A Budget Summary - Grant Program Function or Activity column. (Note that this revised SF-424A Section B format is a NOAA requirement that is not reflected in the Instructions for the SF-424A). The budget figures must correspond with the descriptions contained in the Budget Narrative.

The lead institution should list the total subaward costs under line item 6.h. Other category and contractor costs under line item 6.f. Contractual category on the SF-424A. Signed approval from the institution of each identified subaward and contractor should be provided. All ship costs belong in the “h:

Other” category and are not subject to indirect costs.

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Each subaward must include a detailed budget table that corresponds to the form SF424A, but the official form does not need to be used. A separate column should be used for each budget year.

Example Budget Table for Subawards:

i. Budget Narrative. In order to allow reviewers to fully evaluate the appropriateness of costs, all applications must include a detailed budget narrative to support all proposed budget categories for each fiscal year, for the recipient and any subrecipients. There is no specific page limit for the budget narrative.

For additional budget guidance, see https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/about/funding-opportunities/requirements/.

Personnel costs should be broken out by named PI, total annual salary, number of months, and percentage of time requested per year per PI. Support for each PI should be commensurate with their stated involvement in the project’s goals and objectives. Any unnamed personnel (graduate students, post-doctoral researchers, and technicians) should be identified by their job title, and their personnel costs explained similar to PI personnel costs. The contribution of any personnel to the project goals should be explained.

Travel costs should be broken out by number of people traveling, destination and purpose of travel, and projected costs per person (i.e., hotel rate, meals and incidentals, and transportation). Note: Conference registration fees belong in the “h. Other” category in the SF424A and budget narrative.

Equipment costs should describe the equipment to be purchased, and its contribution to the achievement of the project goals.

Any ship time needs must be clearly identified in the proposed budget. The applicant is responsible for requesting ship time through appropriate channels and for meeting all requirements to ensure the availability of requested ship time. If any NOAA personnel will be present during ship operations, vessel safety clearances must be obtained through the NOAA Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO) in advance of the cruise. Required information and procedures are detailed in NOAA Administrative Order 209-115: NOAA Employees Aboard Non-NOAA Vessels.

Object Class Category Year X Total

A. Personnel $0 $0

B. Fringe Benefits $0 $0

C. Travel $0 $0

D. Equipment $0 $0

E. Supplies $0 $0

F. Contractual $0 $0

G. Construction $0 $0

H. Other $0 $0

I. Total Direct Charges $0 $0

J. Indirect Charges $0 $0

K. Total (sum of I + J) $0 $0

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If more than one institution is collaborating in a project recommended for funding, the lead institution will be the only institution to directly receive funds from NOAA unless a Federal agency is a funded collaborator. Federal agencies may be funded directly by NOAA. The lead institution is responsible for sending funds to the other subaward institutions. A separate budget table and budget narrative is required for each subaward (including Federal collaborators receiving funds) and must be provided to the lead institution for submission. Signed approval from each identified subaward institution is required. For acquisition contracts, the purpose and cost or price must be fully justified and the contract must fully comply with 2 C.F.R. 200.317-.327.

Applicants are encouraged to include the costs of project-level data management, including: coordinating, organizing, documenting, formatting, or otherwise preparing datasets for submission to NOAA or non- NOAA data facilities; establishing and maintaining data access tools and services and related metadata;

and managing non-digital data that are not required to be made publicly accessible, including laboratory notebooks, preliminary analyses, drafts of scientific papers, plans for future research, peer review reports, communications with colleagues, or physical objects, such as laboratory specimens.

An applicant requesting funds for indirect costs in its proposal budget that has a current Federally approved rate should submit documentation of the indirect cost rate agreement as an attachment to its application submission. An applicant without a Federally approved rate should refer to Section IV.F. of this Announcement regarding options.

j. CD-511. Certification Regarding Lobbying. Lead institutions can submit these forms through the Grants.gov CD-511 document placeholder without a hard signature because electronic signatures are allowed on documents from the submitting institution.

k. Standard Form (SF) 424B. Assurances - Non-Construction Programs. Lead institutions can submit these forms through the Grants.gov SF-424B document placeholder without a hard signature because electronic signatures are allowed on documents from the submitting institutions.

l. List of Collaborators. The List of Collaborators must use an Excel spreadsheet and be submitted by email to nccos.grant.awards@noaa.gov. Do not submit it with your application through Grants.gov as this will cause an error when the application is transferred to NOAA’s grant system, eRA.

Provide one list that includes all (U.S. and Foreign) collaborators, advisors, and advisees for each investigator (PI, co-PIs, post-docs, and subawardees), complete with corresponding institutions. This list must include the names of each PI and co-PI. Submit only one, combined and alphabetized list per application in an Excel spreadsheet using First Name, Last Name, and Institution for the column headings. Collaborators are individuals who have participated in a project or publication within the last 48 months with any investigator. Collaborators also include those persons with which the investigators may have ongoing collaboration negotiations. Advisees and Advisors do not have a time limit. Advisees are persons with whom the individual investigator has had an association as thesis or dissertation advisor or postdoctoral sponsor. Advisors include an individual’s own graduate and postgraduate advisors.

Unfunded participants in the proposed study should also be listed (but not their collaborators). This information is critical for identifying potential conflicts of interest and avoiding bias in the selection of…