Ocean and Coastal Mapping Center 2026

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Coast Survey is soliciting proposals for a single five-year cooperative agreement to establish an Ocean and Coastal Mapping Center 2026. The center will advance the nation's capacity for modern ocean and coastal mapping through development, integration, and operational transition of innovative technologies and workflows, with specific focus on expanding hydrographic data accessibility and interoperability, advancing cartographic data applications including S-100 Universal Hydrographic Data Model integration, enhancing coastal and marine modeling and forecasting capabilities, and providing undergraduate and graduate education and professional training. Eligible applicants must be institutions of higher education in the United States and must demonstrate institutional support, suitable facilities with waterfront access for multiple survey vessels, adequate IT infrastructure including data management and cloud access capabilities, and the ability to accommodate co-location of up to 14 NOAA employees including a NOAA co-director. Applications will be evaluated on five criteria: importance/relevance and transition from research to operations (10 points), technical/scientific merit (30 points), overall qualifications of applicants (25 points), project costs (20 points), and broader impacts and outreach (15 points). The full proposal submission deadline is May 11, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. eastern time, with projects commencing no earlier than October 1, 2026, and ending no later than September 30, 2031. Applicants must complete and maintain registrations with SAM.gov, Grants.gov, and eRA Commons prior to submission.

The total anticipated funding for this award is approximately $8,500,000, with approximately $1,600,000 to be released in fiscal year 2026 and each subsequent year of the five-year period, with funding in years two through five contingent upon availability of Congressional appropriations, satisfactory performance, and agency discretion. The center must be located at an institution of higher education with office and research facilities, vessel berthing facilities for government-owned vessels, and suitable waterfront access to support hydrographic survey operations. Recipients must submit comprehensive data management plans, financial and performance reports semi-annually through eRA, and report all subawards exceeding $30,000 to the FFATA Subaward Reporting System, while maintaining compliance with uniform administrative requirements, NEPA environmental compliance, data sharing requirements, and federal science integrity standards.