2026 Atlantic Sea Scallop Research Set Aside Program
Closed Posted
- Opportunity number
- NOAA-NMFS-GARFO-2026-31286
- Agency
-
Department of Commerce
- Applications due
- Award size
- Not on record
Opportunity facts
- Assistance listings
-
- 11.454 Unallied Projects
- Funding instrument
- Cooperative Agreement, Grant
- Category
-
- Natural Resources
- Eligible applicants
-
- Other
- Points of contact
-
- Ryan Silva ryan.silva@noaa.gov (978) 281-9326
Opportunity details come from Grants.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The 2026 Atlantic Sea Scallop Research Set-Aside Program, administered by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in coordination with the New England Fishery Management Council, solicits research proposals that enhance knowledge of the scallop fishery resource or contribute to scallop management decisions. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration seeks proposals addressing nine research priorities, with highest priority given to scallop resource surveys and medium priority assigned to scallop biology, sea turtle behavior, commercial fishing gear improvements, bycatch reduction, fishing impacts in high-density areas, offshore wind energy effects, and scallop resource enhancement. Eligible applicants include institutions of higher education, nonprofits, commercial organizations, individuals, and state and tribal governments, though federal agencies and Regional Fishery Management Council employees are excluded. Proposals are evaluated on five criteria: importance and relevance to program goals (20 points), technical and scientific merit (50 points), applicant qualifications (10 points), project costs (10 points), and outreach and education (10 points). The application deadline is March 23, 2026, at 5 p.m. EDT, with applicants required to register with SAM.gov, eRA Commons, and Grants.gov prior to submission.
Rather than direct federal funding, successful applicants receive scallop Research Set-Aside (RSA) quota valued at market prices, with up to 760,193 pounds, 787,470 pounds, and 899,631 pounds available from the 2026, 2027, and 2028 allocations respectively, generating funds to support approved research activities and compensate scallop vessel owners. Regional scallop survey proposals may request up to four years of funding (2026-2029), scallop resource enhancement research proposals may request up to three years (2026-2028), and all other proposals may request up to two years (2026-2027), with a standard project start date of July 1, 2026. Award announcements are expected approximately six months after the application deadline. Research activities will take place in federal, state, and U.S. territorial waters under the jurisdiction of the New England Fishery Management Council, with principal investigators expected to present findings to the Council's Scallop Committee.
Synopsis
2 versions
Update #2 · Latest ·
Correction notice: THIS OPPORTUNITY IS NOT ACCEPTING NEW APPLICATIONS. This notice of funding opportunity was published to correct errors in the 2026 Scallop Research Set-Aside Program Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) (NOAA-NMFS-GARFO-2026-31286), which published January 23, 2026, and closed March 23, 2026. Section V, "Application Review Information," contained incorrect information; the description for importance/relevance was duplicated under technical/scientific merit, qualifications, and project costs. The evaluation criteria and associated scores were otherwise correct. Applicants that successfully submitted an application may amend the application in consideration of this correction. This opportunity will not accept new applications. Complete proposals/applications must be received on or before 5 p.m. EDT on DATE 7 DAYS AFTER PUBLICATION. Proposals received after the established deadline will be rejected and returned to the sender without consideration. For proposals submitted through Grants.gov, a date and time receipt indication will be the basis of determining timeliness. The proposal must be validated by Grants.gov in order to be considered timely. PLEASE NOTE: It may take Grants.gov up to two (2) business days to validate or reject the application. Please keep this in mind in developing your submission timeline. -
NMFS, in coordination with the New England Fishery Management Council (Council), is soliciting proposals under the Scallop RSA Program. Projects funded under the Scallop RSA Program must enhance the knowledge of the scallop fishery resource or contribute to the body of information on which scallop management decisions are made. Priority will be given to proposals that investigate research priorities developed by the Council, which are detailed under the Program Priorities section of this announcement Successful applicants will be awarded scallop RSA quota. No federal funds are provided for research under this notification. Rather, proceeds generated from the sale of RSA quota will be used to fund approved activities and compensate scallop vessel owners.
Update #1 ·
NMFS, in coordination with the New England Fishery Management Council (Council), is soliciting proposals under the Scallop RSA Program. Projects funded under the Scallop RSA Program must enhance the knowledge of the scallop fishery resource or contribute to the body of information on which scallop management decisions are made. Priority will be given to proposals that investigate research priorities developed by the Council, which are detailed under the Program Priorities section of this announcement Successful applicants will be awarded scallop RSA quota. No federal funds are provided for research under this notification. Rather, proceeds generated from the sale of RSA quota will be used to fund approved activities and compensate scallop vessel owners.
Files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| REVISED_NOAA-NMFS-GARFO-2026-31286.pdf | ||
| Foa_Content_of_NOAA-NMFS-GARFO-2026-31286.pdf |
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