Cooperative Agreements to USA Nonprofits, For-Profits, Agencies, Tribes, and IHEs for Research Related to Estuarine Habitats and Species

Chesapeake Bay Fisheries Research Program

Agency

Federal

GrantWatch ID#

195405

Funding Source

U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) - National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)

CFDA Number: 11.457

Funding or PIN Number: NOAA-NMFS-HCPO-2023-2007764

Geographic Focus

All USA
USA Territories: American Samoa (USA); Guam (USA); Puerto Rico (USA); Virgin Islands (USA); Northern Mariana Islands (USA);

Important Dates

Deadline: 04/17/23 11:59 PM Eastern Time

Grant Description

Cooperative agreements to USA and territories nonprofit and for-profit organizations, government agencies, tribal governments, and IHEs for research projects related to fish habitats and species in eligible areas. Applicants must complete required registrations prior to applying. NCBO’s Fisheries Research Program targets a better understanding of fisheries status, trends, and ecosystem value to inform ecosystem-based management of Chesapeake Bay estuarine species and habitats.

The program seeks to establish a strong understanding of the Chesapeake Bay system, the complex connections among organisms and their habitats, multispecies interactions, and the wide range of processes that affect their dynamics. Research conducted under this program should help to inform fisheries management and natural resource decisions through:

Increased understanding of climate change and related ecological shifts.
Improved habitat assessment techniques.
Quantification of habitat ecosystem services.
Integration of species, habitat, and ecosystem information.

Data, findings and products resulting from projects supported through this research program should lead to tools and applications that guide management decisions for commercial, recreational, and non-consumptive uses of Chesapeake Bay living resources to support ecosystem based management, sustainable fisheries and vibrant coastal communities and economies.

The NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office (NCBO) is directed by law to provide technical assistance in: (1) identifying science-based management options for restoration and protection of living resources and their habitats; (2) monitoring and assessing the status of living resources and their habitats; and, (3) evaluating the effectiveness of management plan implementation.

This Fiscal Year 2023 Notice of Funding Opportunity is seeking projects with clear near term management application and projects that either 1) investigate the impacts of climate change, habitat quality, and/or changing environmental variables on fish and shellfish resources to inform sustainable and ecosystem based fisheries management or 2) use innovative methods to assess the effectiveness of nearshore habitat restoration in enhancing fish communities and ecosystem resilience in response to climate change. Projects should seek to employ and educate undergraduate or graduate students from groups underrepresented in marine science careers, including minorities,

NCBO also encourages projects from principal investigators that have not been funded through the Chesapeake Bay Fisheries Research Program before.

For FY 2023, funding will be made available for projects that address funding priorities and the special interest area identified in the Program Priorities Section (I.B.1 - I.B.2) which can be found on page 5 of the NOFO in Attached Files below. Any proposal to this announcement must meet one of the Priority Areas described in this section. NOAA also has an additional Special Interest Area, the Middle Peninsula of Virginia Habitat Focus Area (HFA). This new HFA includes the tidal watersheds of the York River, the Piankatank River, and Mobjack Bay in Virginia. Within this geography, NOAA is working with partners to enhance fish habitat restoration and improve coastal resiliency.

Recipient

Eligibility

City or township governments
County governments
For profit organizations other than small businesses
Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
Private institutions of higher education
Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
Small businesses
State governments

Additional Eligibility Criteria

Eligible applicants are institutions of higher education, non-profit or for-profit organizations, U.S. territories, and state, local and Native American tribal governments. Individuals and federal agencies are strongly encouraged to work with states, non-governmental organizations, municipal and county governments, and others that are eligible to apply.

The Department of Commerce/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is strongly committed to broadening the participation of historically black colleges and universities, Hispanic serving institutions, tribal colleges and universities, and institutions that work in underserved areas. The NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office encourages proposals involving any of the above institutions.

Additional Geographic Information:

More information on the NOAA Middle Peninsula Habitat Focus Area can be found at https://www.habitatblueprint.noaa.gov/habitat-focus-areas/middle-peninsula-virginia/

Ineligible

Applications from individuals, federal agencies, or employees of federal agencies will not be considered.

Funding Restrictions: Projects that primarily involve business start-up or infrastructure development are not eligible for funding under the Chesapeake Bay Fisheries Research Program. NOAA will not consider expenses associated with fees, fund-raising activities, travel for activities not directly related to project implementation, travel or salaries for Federal employees, or profit as allowable costs in the proposed budget. The total costs of a project consist of all allowable costs incurred in accomplishing project activities during the project period. Applicants will not be reimbursed for time expended or costs incurred in developing a project or in preparing an application, or in any discussions or negotiations with the agency prior to the award. Such expenditures may not be considered as part of the applicant's cost share or matching contribution.

Pre-Proposal Conference

An informational webinar about the FY 2023 Chesapeake Bay Fisheries Research Program funding announcement will be held on January 20, 2023 at 10 AM Eastern Time. To participate in that webinar, please go to https://meet.google.com/gpo-fivy-ywg at that date and time.

Pre-Application Information

Open Date: January 11, 2023
Closing Date: April 17, 2023

The deadline for applications is 11:59 PM Eastern Time on April 17, 2023 and applications must be submitted using www.grants.gov (Grants.gov).
PLEASE NOTE: it may take Grants.gov up to two business days to validate or reject the application. Please keep this in mind in developing your submission timeline. Due to limited staffing of federal offices, hardcopy applications will not be accepted.

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), which may be accessed online at https://www.sam.gov/SAM/. Each applicant is required to (i) register in the Federal System for Award Management (SAM) before submitting an application; (ii) provide a valid unique entity identifier in the application; and (iii) 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).

View this opportunity on Grants.gov: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=345348

Additional Funding Information

Estimated Total Program Funding:

$1,500,000

Number of Grants

Estimated Size of Grant

Typical awards range from $50,000 to $125,000 annually.

Term of Contract

The project start date should not begin before October 1, 2023. Applications should cover a project period between 12 and 36 months.

Funding is anticipated to maintain cooperative agreements for up to 3 years duration, but is dependent on funding made available annually by Congress.

Contact Information

Andrew Larkin
Senior Program Analyst, NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office
Office: (757) 317-0442‬
Email: andrew.w.larkin@noaa.gov

RFP & Supporting Documents

Before starting your grant application, please review the funding source's website listed below for updates / changes / addendums / conferences / LOIs.

195405_NOAA-NMFS-HCPO-2023-2007764_NOFO_Report.pdf

Cooperative Agreements to USA Nonprofits, For-Profits, Agencies, Tribes, and IHEs for Research Related to Estuarine Habitats and Species

Chesapeake Bay Fisheries Research Program

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