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 National Environmental Satellite Data and Information Service Program Office (NESDISPO)

Funding Opportunity Title FY 2027-2028 NESDIS Broad Agency Announcement (BAA)

Announcement Type Broad Agency Announcement

Funding Opportunity Number

NOAA-NESDIS-NESDISPO-2027-33921

Assistance Listing Number(s) 11.015

Dates Applications must be submitted to Grants.gov up to 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time September 30, 2028. Applications received after this time will not be reviewed or considered for funding. Applications will be considered on a continuing/rolling basis as they are received. Funding opportunity is subject to the availability of funds.

Funding Opportunity Description A description of NOAA Line and Staff Offices is found at https://www.noaa.gov/about/organization, and applicants may contact the Agency Contacts in Section VII. below for more information. If you submit the same application to more than one Line or Staff Office, mention this in your application and notify the relevant contacts in Section VII. so that NOAA may coordinate internally.

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This notice also solicits proposals that are part of the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) program. CESU is a U.S. federal partnership network that connects agencies with universities, tribes, nonprofits, and other partners to address natural and cultural resource challenges. Each CESU is structured as a working collaborative with participation from numerous federal and non-federal institutional partners. CESUs are based at host universities and focus on a particular bio-geographic region of the country.

Full Text of Announcement I. Funding Opportunity Description A. Program Objective This Broad Agency Announcement is a mechanism to encourage research, education, outreach, innovative projects, or sponsorships that are not addressed through NOAA’s competitive discretionary programs. This announcement is not soliciting goods or services for the direct benefit of NOAA. Funding for activities described in this notice is contingent upon the availability of appropriations in the fiscal years applicable to the application. Applicants are hereby given notice that funds have not yet been appropriated for any activities described in this notice. Publication of this announcement does not oblige NOAA to review an application beyond an initial administrative review, or to award any specific project, or to obligate any available funds.

CESU projects fund applied environmental and cultural resource research, technical assistance, and education to support effective stewardship and decision-making for public lands and trust resources.

B. Program Priorities As an agency with responsibilities to understand and predict changes in weather, ocean, Earth systems, and coasts, to share that knowledge and information with others, to conserve and manage coastal and marine ecosystems and resources, for delivering valuable weather and water information and services, and supporting the global commerce and transportation upon which we all depend, NOAA must remain current and responsive in an ever-changing world.

We do this in concert with our partners and stakeholders in Federal, state, and local governments and private academic, and non-governmental organizations, applying a systematic approach that links our strategic goals through multi-year plans to the daily activities of our employees. Every year we are committed to re-evaluating our progress and priorities, looking for efficiencies, and taking advantage of new opportunities to improve our information, products, and services. In furtherance of this objective, NOAA issues this BAA for extramural research, innovative projects, and sponsorship (e.g., conferences, newsletters, etc.) that address one or more of NOAA’s mission areas.

C. Program Authority The specific program authority will vary depending on the nature of the proposed project. A list of the most prevalent assistance authorities is 15 U.S.C. 1540; 15 U.S.C. 2901 et. seq.; 16 U.S.C. 661; 16 U.S.C.

1456c; 33 U.S.C. 883a-d; 33 USC 893a; 33 U.S.C. 1442; 49 U.S.C. 44720(b).

II. Award Information A. Funding Availability There are no funds specifically appropriated by Congress for this BAA. Funding for potential projects in this notice is contingent upon the availability of appropriations in the fiscal years applicable to the application. Applicants are hereby given notice that funds have not yet been appropriated for any proposed activities in this notice.

B. Project/Award Period

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The anticipated start date of the award generally will be six months after receipt of the application by NOAA. Applications should generally be submitted for a one-year award period, but this may be negotiated if the application is recommended for funding.

Note: The award must start on the first day of a month, and end on the last day of the month in the subsequent year(s) (i.e. 08/01/2027 – 07/31/2028).

C. Type of Funding Instrument Selected applicants will enter into a grant or a cooperative agreement depending upon the amount of NOAA's involvement in the project.

III. Eligibility Information A. Eligible Applicants Eligible applicants may be institutions of higher education, nonprofits, commercial organizations, international or foreign organizations or governments, state, local, and Indian Tribal governments.

Eligibility also depends on the statutory authority that permits NOAA to fund the proposed activity.

Funding of Federal organizations is outside the scope of this announcement; if funding authority exists, Federal organizations seeking NOAA funds should contact relevant program officials about the Interagency Agreement process.

For CESU projects: the ONLY eligible applicants are non-federal partner institutions of the following CESU regional programs: California, Chesapeake Watershed, Great Lakes Northern Forests, Great Plains, Gulf Coast, Hawaii & Pacific Islands, North and West Alaska, North Atlantic Coast, Pacific Northwest, Piedmont & South Atlantic Coast, and South Florida & Caribbean. To determine if your organization is a member of a regional CESU, please visit this site: https://www.nps.gov/nature/cesu.htm.

B. Cost Share or Matching Requirement Cost sharing is not required unless it is determined that a project can only be funded under an authority that requires matching/cost sharing funds.

C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility None.

IV. Application and Submission Information A. Address to Request Application Package Applicants can obtain electronic application packages through Grants.gov by using Notice of Funding Opportunity Number to conduct a search. If a prospective applicant is having difficulty downloading the application forms from www.grants.gov, contact www.grants.gov Customer Support at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov. If an applicant does not have internet access, application materials may be requested by emailing nesdis.grants@noaa.gov.

Grants.gov requires applicants to complete a free annual registration process in the electronic System for Award Management (SAM), found at https://sam.gov/SAM/, as described in Section IV.C. and IV.G. of this Announcement.

These registration processes can take several weeks and involve multiple steps. In order to allow sufficient time for these processes, applicants should register as soon as they decide to apply, even if they are not ready to submit their application.

Additionally, applicant organizations must be registered in eRA Commons in order to submit an application package to NOAA through Grants.gov. NOAA uses the eRA system to electronically administer their Grants Management Portfolio. eRA commons, https://public.era.nih.gov/commonsplus/home.era, is the public-facing portal that recipients will use to manage any awarded applications. You can register at public.era.nih.gov. Please refer to Section G of this Announcement for eRA registration details.

https://www.grants.gov/ mailto:support@grants.gov https://sam.gov/SAM/

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NOTE: eRA Commons requires applicants to create one ORGANIZATIONAL PROFILE and two USER ACCOUNTS before submitting an application. These requirements are described in detail below.

We recommend allowing at least three weeks for eRA Commons registration. This process can be completed concurrently with your Grants.gov registration.

After creating an overall account for your “institution”, which may be for your organization or yourself as an individual, eRA Commons requires you to set up at least two user accounts: one Signing Official (SO) account and one Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) account.

The Signing Official (SO) user account must be assigned to an individual with signature authority to legally bind the organization in grants administration matters. The SO will receive 4-5 emails throughout the registration process.

The Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) account must be assigned to an individual with primary responsibility for the project(s) described in the grant application. The eRA Commons User ID (Username) for the PD/PI must also be listed on the SF-424 form for item 4 (Applicant Identifier).

Your SO and PD/PI user accounts must be active before you submit an application. Both accounts can be assigned to the same individual if appropriate.

Applications will need to pass eRA minimum requirements in order to be accepted. Please verify all attachments meet the requirements outlined on the National Institute of Health's Grants and Funding website https://grants.nih.gov/grants/how-to-apply-application-guide/format-and-write/format-attachments.htm.

B. Content and Form of Application

1. Format Requirements.

All pages should be single-spaced and composed in at least 11-point font with one-inch margins on 8” x 11” paper. The project description may not exceed 15 pages, exclusive of title page, project synopsis/abstract, literature cited, budget information, resumes of named investigators, and letters of support (if any). Failure to follow the requirements may result in the rejection of the application without review and its subsequent return.

Any PDF or other attachments that are included in an electronic application must meet the above format requirement when printed out.

2. Content Requirements:

Standard Forms:

1. Standard Form (SF)-424: Application for Federal Assistance

2. SF-424A: Budget Information for Non-construction Programs

3. SF-424B: Assurances for Non-construction Program

4. CD-511: Certification Regarding Lobbying

5. SF-LLL (if applicable): Disclosure of Lobbying Activities

The following information must be included:

a. Signed SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance: The SF-424 must be signed by the Authorized Representative. Electronic signatures submitted through Grants.gov satisfy this requirement. The SF- 424 form must also include the eRA Commons ID for the Principal Investigator.

b. Title Page (1-page limit): The title page identifies the project's title, total budget, start and end dates; and the Principal Investigator's (PI’s) and co-PI's names, affiliations, complete mailing addresses, email addresses, telephone numbers and fax numbers. The title page must also identify the specific NOAA Line or Staff Office (e.g., NESDIS, NMFS, NOS, NWS, OAR or Office of Education) and the NOAA program targeted by the application.

https://grants.nih.gov/grants/how-to-apply-application-guide/format-and-write/format-attachments.htm https://grants.nih.gov/grants/how-to-apply-application-guide/format-and-write/format-attachments.htm

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c. Project Synopsis/Abstract (1-page limit): 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 applications to NOAA’s mission and state it here in the synopsis. Line Offices may post a strategic plan and priorities on their websites for additional information.

d. Project Description (15-page limit): The applicant should describe and justify the project being proposed and address each of the evaluation criteria as described below in Section V. Project descriptions should include clear objectives and specific approaches to achieving those objectives, including methods, timelines, and expected outcomes.

e. Literature Cited: If applicable

f. Assurances: The SF-424B Assurances form must be completed and submitted for all non-construction applications, and the SF-424D Assurances form must be completed and submitted for all construction applications.

g. Completed Form CD-511, Certification Regarding Lobbying, if applicable.

h. CVs/Resumes for each major participant: Key Personnel; Principal Investigator(s); Co-Principal Investigators.

i. Standard Application Forms: Please refer to the application package available through Grants.gov.

Please review each form to determine which are required for submission. Each applicant may not be required to submit all forms listed, depending on the project type or applicant type.

j. National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Questionnaire: NOAA has a NEPA policy applicable to funding applicants, described in Section VI of this announcement. Applicants are required to submit answers to questions 1 through 19 and 51 through 57 of the Environmental Compliance Questionnaire for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Notice of Federal Funding Opportunity Applicants NOAA NEPA Questionnaire.

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

l. Budget and Budget Justification: The SF-424A Budget Information Form must be completed, and there should be a detailed budget justification accompanying the SF- 424 budget forms (SF-424A non-construction or SF-424C construction, as appropriate). Indicate matching funds if provided in a separate column. Provide justifications for all budget items in sufficient detail to enable the reviewers to evaluate the appropriateness of the funding requested. The budget justification should be broken out and detailed using the same budget categories as the SF-424 budget form (SF-424A or SF-424C).

Budget Narrative Guidance can be found at: NOAA Budget Narrative Guidance (Pending).

If you are requesting to recoup indirect costs at a rate greater than the de minimis rate, you must provide a signed copy of their organization’s existing approved Federal indirect cost (IDC) rate agreement with the application package. This document will need to be signed by your cognizant agency and an effective period that has not expired.

Applicants through the CESU program may use a 17.5% previously negotiated indirect cost rate.

CESU applicants must provide documentation of their organization’s affiliation with a CESU. No further supporting materials for indirect costs need to be attached to CESU applications.

m. If an applicant has not previously established an indirect cost rate with a Federal agency, the applicant may choose to negotiate a rate with its cognizant agency (the agency from which the applicant receives the most grant funding), or use the de minimis indirect cost rate with the Modified Total Direct Costs (as allowable under 2 C.F.R. §200.414). Applicants requesting indirect costs at a rate greater than the de minimis rate must provide a signed copy of their existing approved Federal indirect cost (IDC) rate agreement with the application package.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WVoZ-HPMlBu8Web6ITxAJlmG2tepoTEb/view?usp=sharing https://www.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/legacy/document/2019/Jun/gmd_budget_narrative_guidance_-_05-24-2017_final.pdf

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If an applicant seeks to establish a new indirect cost rate agreement and NOAA would be the cognizant agency, the applicant must submit its indirect cost rate agreement documentation per the Department of Commerce Financial Assistance Standard Terms and Conditions, https://www.commerce.gov/oam/policy/financial-assistance-policy, or any amended versions that may be applicable, within 90 days after award start date or those costs will not be allowed. The approval process may take several weeks. The indirect cost rate applications in these cases should be sent by mail or email (separately from the grant application) to:

Jennifer Jackson, Grants Officer, NOAA Grants Management Division, Email:

jennifer.jackson@noaa.gov

For applicants seeking to establish a new indirect cost rate agreement and NOAA would be the cognizant agency, the information that must be provided (separate from the application) to establish an Approved Indirect Cost Rate Agreement is described below:

Submitted by Non-Profits and Commercial Entities

1. A chart showing the organizational structure during the period for which the proposal applies, along with a functional statement noting the duties and/or responsibilities of all units that comprise the organization. Please make sure this includes a brief narrative background statement outlining the financial operation of the organization.

2. The basic proposal including all other supporting schedules and financial and statistical information supporting the basic proposal. Any supporting schedules should be cross-referenced to the basic proposal (accounting records and related work papers to support the costs contained in the indirect cost proposal).

a. The total costs shown in the basic proposal should also be reconciled to the financial statements in the most recent audit report, which should also be provided.

b. Reconciliations/Analyzes

i. As stated above, detailed reconciliation between the proposal and the financial statements;

ii. Adjusted detailed trial balance which agrees to the audited financial statements;

iii. Trend Analysis Report - It must itemize expense account line items that support the totals of both direct and indirect expenses for three years (only two years would be required if the entity has only been in business for two years). Comparisons or trends of the indirect cost rates only will cause your indirect cost proposal to be rejected, until the correctly prepared trend analysis report is received; and

iv. Calculations showing how applicable prior year carry-forward amounts were applied to formulate current year’s rate submission.

3. A listing of directly awarded grants and contracts by Federal agency, Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number, dollar amounts separated by direct- indirect-total costs, period of performance, applicable cost principle, and the identification of any cost limitations and special award terms/conditions applicable to each.

4. Cost Policy Statement (e.g. Disclosure Statement) the purpose of which is to establish an unambiguous understanding between the grantee and the Federal Government as to what costs will be charged directly and what costs will be charged indirectly. If a Cost Policy Statement was submitted with last year’s proposal and not proposing any changes to the current year’s submission, the following suggested language should be included in their transmittal letter when a proposal is submitted: [ABC Organization] hereby confirms that no changes to its accounting practices as set forth in its Cost Policy Statement dated [date] have been made.

https://www.commerce.gov/oam/policy/financial-assistance-policy mailto:jennifer.jackson@noaa.gov

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5. Statement of Total Costs contains all line items of cost included in the organization’s chart of accounts and applicable columns for direct costs (by cost center/activity, Federal grants, non-Federal grants, fundraising, etc.), indirect costs (overhead, G&A, etc.), and unallowable costs (if applicable).

These columns should show the type (e.g. labor, travel supplies, etc.) and amount of cost incurred by each activity. The total costs should reconcile to the organization’s financial statements. If the reconciliation is not clear, the organization should provide a separate schedule supporting the difference.

6. Statement of Indirect Costs contains all line items of cost included in the indirect cost pool(s), the applicable base(s), and the resulting indirect cost rate(s). The allocation base should be traceable to the organization’s total costs. If not clearly traceable, an additional schedule should be provided to support the reconciliation.

7. Specific Personnel Costs includes a list of all volunteers by job title, along with a description of the services they provided to the organization, if significant. Also required is a list of all management level employees, their position descriptions and salaries.

8. Certification of Indirect Costs - A completed Certification must be signed on behalf of the organization by an official at a level no lower than Executive Director or Chief Financial Officer. The Certification must identify the period of coverage for the indirect cost proposal, asserting that it has been prepared in accordance with the applicable cost principles and guidelines [2 CFR Part 200 (non-profits), FAR Part 31 (commercial)].

9. Identification of Other Items to be included within the indirect cost proposal package. If these items are not provided with the organization’s proposal, it may be necessary for them to be provided later during the review process as circumstances dictate.

a. Identify assets purchased with Federal sponsored program funds or Non-Federal sponsored program funds, if any, and specify if ownership remains with the sponsoring entity or transfers to the recipient upon successful completion of the award.

b. Identify all related party transactions.

c. Identify idle facilities, if any.

10. Lobbying Certificate – A completed Certification must be signed on behalf of the organization by an official at a level no lower than Executive Director or Chief Financial Officer. Completion of this Certification indicates the organization has complied with the requirements and standards on lobbying costs in the development of the indirect cost rate.

1. DOC’s Indirect Cost Proposal Checklist. Please mark the Checklist item number on the corresponding document (or start of section) within the final proposal package. Follow this link to view a copy of the IDC Proposal Checklists:

a. Nonprofit-Proposal-Checklist.docx

b. Insular-State-Local-Proposal-Checklist.docx

Submitted by State and Local Governments and Indian Tribes

All entities receiving this guidance desiring to claim indirect costs under Federal awards using an indirect cost rate must prepare and maintain their completed indirect cost rate proposal for review, as set forth in 2 CFR Part 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements for Federal Grants.

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

C. Unique entity identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) https://ibc.doi.gov/sites/default/files/ICS/Nonprofit/Nonprofit-Proposal-Checklist.docx https://ibc.doi.gov/sites/default/files/ICS/Insular-State-Local/ICP-Proposal-Completeness-Checklist-State.docx

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To enable the use of a universal identifier and to enhance the quality of information available to the public as required by the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act, 31 U.S.C. 6101 note, to the extent applicable, any proposal awarded in response to this announcement will be required to use the System for Award Management (SAM).

Each applicant is required to:

1. Register in the federal System for Award Management (SAM) at https://sam.gov/SAM/ before submitting an application;

2. Provide a valid unique entity identifier in the application; and

3. Continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active Federal award or an application or plan under consideration by NOAA (or any other Federal agency).

NOAA may not make a Federal award to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable unique entity identifier and SAM requirements. If an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time NOAA is ready to make a Federal award, NOAA 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. See also Sections IV.A. and IV.G. of this Announcement.

D. Submission Dates and Times Applications can be submitted on a rolling basis starting from the publication date of this Broad Agency Announcement up to 11:59:59 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time on September 30, 2028. Applications received after this time will not be reviewed or considered for funding. Applications shall be evaluated for funding generally within three to six months of receipt. An applicant can expect to receive either a rejection notice based on the initial pre-screening review (if found ineligible), a rejection notice based on merit review or program restrictions, a request for additional information, and/or an award within that time frame.

E. Intergovernmental Review Applications submitted by state and local governments are subject to the provisions of Executive Order 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." Any applicant submitting an application for funding is required to complete item 16 on the SF-424 regarding clearance by the State Single Point of Contact (SPOC) established as a result of EO 12372.

To find out about and comply with a State's process under EO 12372, the names, addresses and phone numbers of participating SPOCs are listed on the Office of Management and Budget's home page at https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/SPOC-list-as-of-2023.pdf.

F. Funding Restrictions None, unless required by the statute under which the award is funded.

G. Other Submission Requirements To be eligible to apply to or receive an award, applicant organizations must complete and maintain three registrations: SAM.gov, grants.gov, and eRA Commons.

All three registrations must be completed prior to application submission. The complete registration process may take several weeks so applicants are encouraged to begin as soon as possible. If an eligible applicant does not have access to the internet, please contact the Agency Contacts in Section VII of this document.

Please note that prior to registering with eRA Commons, applicant organizations must obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (see Section IV, Part C of this document).

eRA Commons requires organizations to identify at least one Signing Official (SO) and at least one Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) account in order to submit an application.

https://sam.gov/SAM/ https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/SPOC-list-as-of-2023.pdf http://sam.gov http://grants.gov https://www.era.nih.gov/eracommons-timeline.htm

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The first listed PD/PI listed on the application must include their eRA Commons ID in the "Credential, e.g.

agency login" field of the Research & Related Senior/Key Person Profile Form. Failure to register in the Commons and to include a valid PD/PI Commons ID in that field will prevent the successful submission of an electronic application.

Detailed information on electronic grants management systems applicants have to use to apply for and receive grant funds is provided here.

If you do not experience any errors with your initial submission, you will receive a total of five (5) emails from Grants.gov and electronic Research Administration (eRA) Commons. Detailed information on application notifications and submissions is provided here.

After application submission, you will receive an automatic acknowledgment of receipt that contains a grants.gov tracking number. This indicates receipt by grants.gov only, NOT receipt by NOAA. Applications submitted through grants.gov will be accompanied by four automated responses:

1. grants.gov Submission Receipt

2. grants.gov Submission Validation Receipt for Application

3. grants.gov Grantor Agency Retrieval Receipt for Application

4. grants.gov Agency Tracking Number Assignment for Application

In addition to the grants.gov automated notifications, you will receive an email notification from the eRA email address era-notify@mail.nih.gov. This email will either confirm a successful submission to eRA or list errors and warnings associated with the application. You must resolve all eRA Commons errors prior to the application due date in order for the application to be processed. For issues during the submission process, please contact the eRA Service Desk.

Please note that it is common for applications to be rejected for formatting issues, including:

1. All attachments must be in PDF form.

2. Failure to flatten PDFs. To flatten a fillable PDF, you can use the “Print to PDF” function from any web browser or PDF reader application.

3. All attachments must be less than 100 MB.

4. All pages must be U.S. standard letter paper size (8.5” x 11”).

5. Do not use bundling or portfolio features to combine multiple PDFs into a single document.

6. Descriptive filenames may only be 50 characters or fewer, including spaces.

7. Descriptive filenames may NOT include special characters.

8. Failure to include eRA Commons ID on the SF-424 form. The first PD/PI listed on the application must include their eRA Commons ID in the “Credential, e.g. agency login” Applicant Identifier field.

9. Failure to include the Universal Entity Identifier (UEI) from SAM.gov on the SF-424 form.

10. Failure to include the Congressional District on the SF-424 form. The correct format is: [State

Abbreviation]-[three digit district number]. For example, Virginia’s 1st Congressional District would be listed as VA-001.

Save proof of all submission messages from both grants.gov and eRA Commons. If you do not receive acceptance messages from both grants.gov and eRA Commons, follow up with the Agency Contacts in Section VII.

H. Address for Submitting Proposals V. Application Review Information Evaluation Criteria Instructions https://coast.noaa.gov/data/coasthome/funding/_pdf/grants-guidance.pdf https://coast.noaa.gov/data/coasthome/funding/_pdf/application-notifications-submissions.pdf http://grants.gov http://grants.gov http://grants.gov http://grants.gov https://www.era.nih.gov/need-help http://sam.gov

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The criteria for this BAA are listed below. Applicants are required to adhere to all the noted submission requirements and to provide a demonstrable link and/or to emphasize the manner in which study objectives results relate to NOAA's mission goals/priorities. Since applications responding to this BAA may vary significantly in their activities/objectives, assigning a set weight for each evaluation criterion is not feasible, but is based on a total possible score of 100. The Program Office and/or Selection Official will determine which of the following criteria and weights will be applied. Some applications, for example sponsorships, may not be able to address all the criteria like technical/scientific merit.

However, it is in your best interest to prepare an application that can be easily evaluated against these five criteria. When applicable, an applicant’s Data Management Plan, as described in Section VI of this announcement, will be considered within the criteria below.

1. Importance/relevance and applicability of proposed projects to the program goals

Maximum Points: 0

This ascertains whether there is intrinsic value in the proposed work and/or relevance to NOAA, Federal, regional, state, or local activities: i.e., How does the proposed activity enhance NOAA's mission goals? Applications should also address the significance/possibilities of securing productive results, i.e., Does this study address an important problem? If the aims of the application are achieved, how will scientific knowledge be advanced? What will be the effect of these studies on the concepts or methods that drive this field? What effect will the project have on improving public understanding of the role of the ocean, coasts, and atmosphere in the global ecosystem?

Applications may also be scored for innovation, i.e., Does the project employ novel concepts, approaches or methods? Are the aims original and innovative? Does the project challenge existing paradigms or develop new methodologies or technologies?

2. Technical/scientific merit

This assesses whether the approach is technically sound and if the methods are appropriate, and whether there are clear project goals and objectives. Applications should address the approach/soundness of design: i.e., Are the conceptual framework, design, methods, and analyses adequately developed, well-integrated, and appropriate to the aims of the audiences to be engaged through the project? Does the applicant acknowledge potential problem areas and consider alternative tactics?

This criterion should also address the applicant's proposed methods for monitoring, measuring, and evaluating the success or failure of the project, i.e., What are they? Are they appropriate?

Additionally, if needed, a data management plan should include descriptions of the types of environmental data and information expected to be created during the course of the project; the tentative date by which data will be shared; the standards to be used for data/metadata format and content; methods for providing data access; approximate total volume of data to be collected; and prior experience in making such data accessible.

3. Overall qualifications of applicants

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This ascertains whether the applicant possesses the necessary education, experience, training, facilities, and administrative resources to accomplish the project. If appropriate, applications should also address the physical environment and collaboration, if any, i.e., Does the environment in which the work will be done contribute to the probability of success? Do the proposed experiments or activities take advantage of unique features of the intended environment or employ useful collaborative arrangements?

4. Project costs

The budget is evaluated to determine if the cost is realistic and commensurate with the project needs and time-frame. Additionally, if required, this will assess the value of the matching/cost-sharing funds.

5. Outreach and Education

NOAA assesses whether this project provides a focused and effective education and outreach strategy regarding NOAA’s mission to protect the Nation’s natural resources. NOAA assesses whether this project aligns with NOAA's education vision, for an informed society that uses ocean, coastal, Great Lakes, weather, and climate science to make the best social, economic, and environmental decisions. Evaluation of these criteria will include if the project addresses any of the goals or employs any of the strategies of the NOAA Education Strategic Plan, as well as how the outcomes of the project will be communicated to NOAA and the interested public.

Review and Selection Process NOAA will conduct an initial administrative review to determine eligibility for the award, compliance with requirements and completeness of the application. This review includes determining whether:

1. Sufficient funds are available in the budget of the program office receiving the application to support the proposed project;

2. Statutory authority exists to provide financial assistance for the project or organization;

3. A complete application package has been submitted, that is, all required elements of the application are included, and the application follows format requirements;

4. The Project Description/Narrative is consistent with NOAA’s mission;

5. If the application falls within the scope of an existing NOAA competitive announcement (found at www.Grants.gov) or duplicates an existing non-discretionary project announced or awarded in FY24, FY25, FY26, FY27, or FY28, then it cannot be funded under this announcement;

6. The work in the application does not directly benefit NOAA (if it will, it should be supported by a procurement contract, not a financial assistance award which cannot be funded under this announcement, as provided in 31 U.S.C. 6303).

Additional Information about:blank

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Applications not passing this initial review will not be considered further for funding through this BAA, and will not receive further review. NOAA will evaluate application(s) that pass this initial review and comply with all the requirements under this BAA individually (i.e., applications will not be compared to each other). A merit review will be conducted by mail reviewers and/or peer panel reviewers. Each reviewer will individually evaluate the application(s) using the evaluation criteria provided above; a minimum of three merit reviewers per application is required. More than three reviewers may be used based on the complexity of the application. The reviewers may be any combination of Federal and/or non-Federal personnel. Reviewers may discuss an application, but if more than one non-Federal reviewer is used, the application(s) will be individually scored (i.e., a consensus is not reached).

Otherwise, the Program Officer has the discretion to authorize a score based on consensus. NOAA selects evaluators on the basis of their professional qualifications and expertise as related to the unique characteristics of the application. The NOAA Program Officer will assess the evaluations and make a fund or do-not-fund recommendation to the Selecting Official with an explanation of the reasons for the recommendation.

The selection official shall provide a rationale for funding the application and shall address any comments provided by the reviewers. Any applicant considered for funding may be required to address the issues raised in the evaluation of the application by the reviewers, Program Officer, Selecting Official, and/or Grants Officer before an award is issued.

Applications not selected for funding in the fiscal year the application is submitted may be considered for funding in a subsequent fiscal year, but may be required to re-validate the terms of the original application or resubmit in the next BAA cycle if one is published for FY2029. The Program Officer, Selecting Official and/or Grants Officer may negotiate the final funding level of the application with the intended applicant. The Selecting Official makes the final recommendation to award to the NOAA Grants Officer, who is authorized to commit the Federal Government and obligate the funds.

Selection Factors Not Applicable.

Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates Subject to the availability of funds, awards are expected to be made three to six months after receipt by NOAA of the full application. Given this time frame, submissions received after March 31, 2027, may not be able to be awarded in FY27 (October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2027). Similarly, submissions received after March 31, 2028, may not be able to be awarded in FY28 (October 1, 2027, through September 30, 2028).

VI. Award Administration Information A. Award Notices PRE-AWARD COSTS.Written pre-approval is required from NOAA for pre-award costs but prior approval will be waived for awards designated by NOAA as research. Award recipients spend pre-award costs up to 90 days before the period of performance start date at the applicant’s own risk and in accordance with the applicant’s internal policies and procedures. Such costs are allowable only to the extent that they would have been allowable if incurred after the date of the Federal award. This does not include direct proposal costs (as defined at 2 CFR 200.460). In no event will NOAA or the Department of Commerce be responsible for direct proposal preparation costs. Pre-award costs will be a portion of, not in addition to, the approved total budget of the award. Pre-award costs expended more than 90 days prior to the period of performance start date require approval from the Grants Officer. This does not change the period of performance start date.

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GRANTS OFFICER SIGNATURE. Proposals submitted in response to this solicitation are not considered awards until the Grants Officer has signed the grant agreement. Only Grants Officers can bind the Government to the expenditure of funds. The Grants Officer’s digital signature constitutes an obligation of funds by the federal government and formal approval of the award.

The Notice of Award is executed by the NOAA Grants Officer and is the authorizing award document. It is generally provided electronically via the eRA system to the Authorized Representative of the recipient organization. The Authorized Representative for a successful applicant will accept the award via NOAA’s electronic grants management system, eRA. NOAA will notify unsuccessful applicants in writing.

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY. Funding for programs listed in this notice is contingent upon the availability of funds. Applicants are hereby given notice that funds may not have been appropriated yet for the programs listed in this notice. Publication of this announcement does not oblige NOAA to award any specific project or to obligate any available funds.

For CESU awards, upon completion of the review and selection process, successful applicants will receive notification from a CESU Regional representative that the application has been recommended for funding selection to the NOAA Grants Management Division.

B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements UNIFORM ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS, COST PRINCIPLES, AND AUDIT REQUIREMENTS. Through 2 C.F.R. § 1327.101, the Department of Commerce adopted Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards at 2 C.F.R. Part 200, which applies to awards in this program. Refer to http://go.usa.gov/SBYh and http://go.usa.gov/SBg4.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE PRE-AWARD NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS FOR GRANTS AND

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

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE (DOC) TERMS AND CONDITIONS. Successful applicants who accept a NOAA award under this solicitation will be bound by the DOC Financial Assistance Standard Terms and Conditions. This document will be provided in the award package in eRA at https://www.commerce.gov/oam/policy/financial-assistance-policy.

BUREAU TERMS AND CONDITIONS. Successful applicants who accept an award under this solicitation will be bound by bureau-specific standard terms and conditions. These terms and conditions will be provided in the award package in the eRA system. For NOAA awards only, the Administrative Standard Award Conditions for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Financial Assistance Awards U.S. Department of Commerce are applicable to this solicitation and may be accessed online at https://www.noaa.gov/organization/acquisition-grants/financial-assistance

HUMAN SUBJECTS RESEARCH. For research projects involving Human Subjects an Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval or an exemption determination will be required in accordance with DOC Financial Assistance Standard Terms and Conditions Section G.05.i “Research Involving Human Subjects” found at https://www.commerce.gov/oam/policy/financial-assistance-policy.

http://go.usa.gov/SBYh http://go.usa.gov/SBg4 http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2014-12-30/pdf/2014-30297.pdf https://www.commerce.gov/oam/policy/financial-assistance-policy https://www.noaa.gov/organization/acquisition-grants/financial-assistance https://www.commerce.gov/oam/policy/financial-assistance-policy

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NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT (NEPA). NOAA must analyze the potential environmental impacts, as required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), for applicant projects or proposals which are seeking NOAA federal funding opportunities. Detailed information on NOAA compliance with NEPA can be found at the following NOAA NEPA website: http://www.nepa.noaa.gov/, including our NOAA Administrative Order 216-6 for NEPA, http://www.nepa.noaa.gov/NAO216_6.pdf, and the Council on Environmental Quality implementation regulations, http://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/NEPA- 40CFR1500_1508.pdf. Consequently, as part of an applicant's package, and under their description of their program activities, applicants are required to provide detailed information on the activities to be conducted, locations, sites, species and habitat to be affected, possible construction activities, and any environmental concerns that may exist (e.g., the use and disposal of hazardous or toxic chemicals, introduction of non- indigenous species, impacts to endangered and threatened species, aquaculture projects, and impacts to coral reef systems). In addition to providing specific information that will serve as the basis for any required impact analyses, applicants may also be requested to assist NOAA in drafting an environmental assessment, if NOAA determines an assessment is required. Applicants will also be required to cooperate with NOAA in identifying feasible measures to reduce or avoid any identified adverse environmental impacts of their proposal. Failure to do so shall be grounds for not selecting an application. In some cases if additional information is required after an application is selected, funds can be withheld by the Grants Officer under a special award condition requiring the recipient to submit additional environmental compliance information sufficient to enable NOAA to make an assessment on any impacts that a project may have on the environment.

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT. Department of Commerce regulations implementing the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. Sec. 552, are found at 15 C.F.R. Part 4, Public Information. These regulations set forth rules for the Department regarding making requested materials, information, and records publicly available under the FOIA. Applications submitted in response to this Notice of Funding Opportunity may be subject to requests for release under the Act. In the event that an application contains information or data that the applicant deems to be confidential commercial information that should be exempt from disclosure under FOIA, that information should be identified, bracketed, and marked as Privileged, Confidential, Commercial or Financial Information. In accordance with 15 CFR § 4.9, the Department of Commerce will protect from disclosure confidential business information contained in financial assistance applications and other documentation provided by applicants to the extent permitted by law.

http://www.nepa.noaa.gov/ http://www.nepa.noaa.gov/NAO216_6.pdf http://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/NEPA-40CFR1500_1508.pdf http://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/NEPA-40CFR1500_1508.pdf

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SCIENCE INTEGRITY. 1. Maintaining Integrity. The non-Federal entity shall maintain the scientific integrity of research performed pursuant to this grant or financial assistance award including the prevention, detection, and remediation of any allegations regarding the violation of scientific integrity or scientific and research misconduct, and the conduct of inquiries, investigations, and adjudications of allegations of violations of scientific integrity or scientific and research misconduct. All the requirements of this provision flow down to subrecipients. 2. Peer Review. The peer review of the results of scientific activities under a NOAA grant, financial assistance award or cooperative agreement shall be accomplished to ensure consistency with NOAA standards on quality, relevance, scientific integrity, reproducibility, transparency, and performance. NOAA will ensure that peer review of "influential scientific information" or "highly influential scientific assessments" is conducted in accordance with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Final Information Quality Bulletin for Peer Review and NOAA policies on peer review, such as the Information Quality Guidelines. 3. In performing or presenting the results of scientific activities under the NOAA grant, financial assistance award, or cooperative agreement and in responding to allegations regarding the violation of scientific integrity or scientific and research misconduct, the non- Federal entity and all subrecipients shall comply with the provisions herein and NOAA Administrative Order (NAO) 202-735D, Scientific Integrity, and its Procedural Handbook, including any amendments thereto. That Order can be found at https://www.noaa.gov/organization/administration/nao-202-735d-2-scientific-integrity. 4. Primary Responsibility. The non-Federal entity shall have the primary responsibility to prevent, detect, and investigate allegations of a violation of scientific integrity or scientific and research misconduct. Unless otherwise instructed by the grants officer, the non-Federal entity shall promptly conduct an initial inquiry into any allegation of such misconduct and may rely on its internal policies and procedures, as appropriate, to do so. 5.