# Availability of Grant Funds for Fiscal Year 2010 and Request for Comments on Proposed Implementation Guidelines for the Coral Reef Conservation Program

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URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/fr%3A2010-721

## Record

- **Collection:** Federal Register
- **Document type:** Notice
- **Published:** January 19, 2010
- **Citation:** 75 FR 3092

## Text

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[Docket No. 0907081109-91435-03; I.D. GF001]
RIN 0648-ZC10
Availability of Grant Funds for Fiscal Year 2010 and Request for Comments on Proposed Implementation Guidelines for the Coral Reef Conservation Program

AGENCY:

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration publishes this notice to provide the general public with a consolidated source of program and application information related to its competitive grant and cooperative agreement (CA) award offerings for fiscal year (FY) 2010. This Omnibus notice is designed to replace the multiple
Federal Register
notices that traditionally advertised the availability of NOAA's discretionary funds for its various programs. It should be noted that additional program initiatives unanticipated at the time of the publication of this notice may be announced through subsequent
Federal Register
notices. All announcements will also be available through the Grants.gov Web site. In addition, this notice solicits comments on Proposed Implementation Guidelines for the Coral Reef Conservation Program.

DATES:

Proposals must be received by the date and time indicated under each program listing in the
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
section of this notice.

ADDRESSES:

Proposals must be submitted to the addresses listed in the
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
section of this notice for each program. The
Federal Register
and Full Funding Opportunity (FFO) notices may be found on the Grants.gov Web site. The URL for Grants.gov is
http://www.grants.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Please contact the person listed within this notice as the information contact under each program.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Applicants must comply with all requirements contained in the Federal Funding Opportunity announcement for each of the programs listed in this omnibus notice. These Federal Funding Opportunities are available at
http://www.grants.gov
.

There is no guarantee that sufficient funds will be available to make awards for all qualified projects. The exact amount of funds that may be awarded will be determined in pre-award negotiations between the applicant and NOAA representatives. Publication of this notice does not oblige NOAA to award any specific project or to obligate any available funds.

It is possible that additional funding may be allocated beyond that stated for any listed program in the current or a future Fiscal Year. If additional allocations of funding are made available, the responsible program, at the discretion of the Program Manager, may fund additional qualified projects rather than re-compete the funding.

The list of entries below describe the basic information and requirements for competitive grant/cooperative agreement programs offered by NOAA. These programs are open to any applicant who meets the eligibility criteria provided in each entry. To be considered for an award in a competitive grant/cooperative agreement program, an eligible applicant must submit a complete and responsive application to the appropriate program office. An award is made upon conclusion of the evaluation and selection process for the respective program.

Table of Contents

I. Background

II. Electronic Access

III. Evaluation Criteria and Selection Procedures

IV. NOAA Project Competitions Listed by NOAA Mission Goals

V. NOAA Project Competitions

National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)

1. 2010 Hawaii Seafood Program

2. 2010 Marine Education and Training Mini Grant Program

3. 2010 Western Pacific Demonstration Projects

4. 2011 Mid-Atlantic Research Set-Aside Program

5. Fisheries Science Program—FY2010

6. NOAA Great Lakes Habitat Restoration Program Project Grants under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

7. Proactive Species Conservation Program

National Ocean Service (NOS)

1. Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program—FY 2011 Competition

2. FY10 Bay Watershed Education and Training Program, Adult and Community Watershed Education in the Monterey Bay

3. FY2010 Integrated Ocean Observing System Community Modeling Environment To Support a Super-Regional Test Bed

4. Joint Hydrographic Center

5. Marine Debris Prevention and Outreach Partnership Grants

National Weather Service (NWS)

1. NWS Severe Weather Program

2. Tsunami Social Science Program

Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR)

1. NOAA Marine Aquaculture Initiative 2010

Office of the Under Secretary (USEC)

1. Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program

2. Environmental Literacy Grants for Informal/Nonformal Science Education

3. Financial Assistance To Establish Five NOAA Cooperative Science Centers at Minority Serving Institutions Announcement

National Environmental Satellite Data and Information Service (NESDIS)

1. Satellite Climate Data Record Program for 2010

VI. Request for Comments on Proposed Implementation Guidelines for the Coral Reef Conservation Program

I. Background

Each of the following grant opportunities provide: A description of the program, funding availability, statutory authority, catalog of federal domestic assistance (CFDA) number, application deadline, address for submitting proposals, information contacts, eligibility requirements, cost sharing requirements, and intergovernmental review under Executive Order 12372.

In addition, this notice announces information related to a request for comments on Proposed Implementation Guidelines for the Coral Reef Conservation Program.

II. Electronic Access

The full funding announcement for each program is available via the Grants.gov web site at:
http://www.grants.gov.
Electronic applications for the NOAA Programs listed in this announcement may be accessed, downloaded, and submitted to that Web site. The due dates and times for paper and electronic submissions are identical. NOAA strongly recommends that you do not wait until the application deadline to begin the application process through Grants.gov. Your application must be received and validated by Grants.gov no later than the due date and time.
Please Note:
Validation or rejection of your application by Grants.gov may take up to 2 business days after your submission.

Please consider the Grants.gov validation/rejection process in developing your application submission time line.

Grants.gov

Getting started with Grants.gov is easy. Users should note that there are

two key features on the Web site: Find Grant Opportunities and Apply for Grants. The site is designed to support these two features and your use of them.

While you can begin searching for grant opportunities immediately, it is recommended that you complete the steps to Get Started (below) ahead of time. This will help ensure you are ready to go when you find an opportunity for which you would like to apply.

Applications From Individuals

In order for you to apply as an individual the announcement must specify that the program is open to individuals and it must be published on the Grants.gov Web site. Individuals must register with the Credential Provider (
see
Step 3 below) and with Grants.gov (
see
Step 4 below).

Individuals do not need a DUNS number to register (see Step 4 below) and submit their applications. The system will generate a default value in that field.

Grants.gov Application Submission and Receipt Procedures

This section provides the application submission and receipt instructions for NOAA program applications. Please read the following instructions carefully and completely.

1. Electronic Delivery. NOAA is participating in the Grants.gov Initiative that provides the Grant Community a single site to find and apply for grant funding opportunities. NOAA encourages applicants to submit their applications electronically through:
http://www.grants.gov/applicants/apply_for_grants.jsp.

2. The following describes what to expect when applying on line using Grants.gov/Apply:

a. Instructions. On the site, you will find step-by-step instructions which enable you to apply for NOAA funds. The Grants.gov/Apply feature includes a simple, unified application process that makes it possible for applicants to apply for grants online. There are six “Get Started” steps to complete at Grants.gov. The information applicants need to understand and execute the steps can be found at:
http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp.
Applicants should read the Get Started steps carefully. The site also contains registration checklists to help you walk through the process. NOAA recommends that you download the checklists and prepare the information requested before beginning the registration process. Reviewing and assembling required information before beginning the registration process will make the process fast and smooth and save time.

b. DUNS Requirement. All applicants applying for funding, including renewal funding, must have a Dun and Bradstreet Universal Data Numbering System (DUNS) number. The DUNS number must be included in the data entry field labeled “Organizational Duns” on the form SF-424. Instructions for obtaining a DUNS number can be found at the following Web site:
http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp.

c. Central Contractor Registry. In addition to having a DUNS number, applicants applying electronically through Grants.gov must register with the Federal Central Contractor Registry. The
http://www.grants.gov
Web site at
http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp
provides step-by-step instructions for registering in the Central Contractor Registry. All applicants filing electronically must register with the Central Contractor Registry and receive a User Name and password from Grants.gov in order to apply on line. Failure to register with the Central Contractor Registry will result in your application being rejected by the Grants.gov portal. The registration process is a separate process from submitting an application. Applicants are, therefore, encouraged to register early. The registration process can take approximately two weeks to be completed. Therefore, registration should be done in sufficient time to ensure it does not impact your ability to meet required submission deadlines. You will be able to submit your application online anytime after you receive your e-authentication credentials.

d. Electronic Signature. Applications submitted through Grants.gov constitute submission as electronically signed applications. The registration and e-authentication process establishes the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR). When you submit the application through Grants.gov, the name of your authorized organization representative on file will be inserted into the signature line of the application. Applicants must register the individual who is able to make legally binding commitments for the applicant organization as the Authorized Organization Representative.

3. Instructions on how to submit an electronic application to NOAA via Grants.gov/Apply:

Grants.gov has a full set of instructions on how to apply for funds on its Web site at
http://www.grants.gov/applicants/apply_for_grants.jsp.
The following provides simple guidance on what you will find on the Grants.gov/Apply site. Applicants are encouraged to read through the page entitled, “Complete Application Package” before getting started.

Grants.gov allows applicants to download the application package, instructions and forms that are incorporated in the instructions, and work off line. In addition to forms that are part of the application instructions, there will be a series of electronic forms that are provided utilizing an Adobe Reader.

Note
for the Adobe Reader, Grants.gov is only compatible with versions 8.1.1 and above. Please do not use lower versions of the Adobe Reader. Mandatory Fields on Adobe Reader Forms. In the Adobe forms you will note fields that appear with a yellow background and red outline color. These fields are mandatory and must be completed to successfully submit your application. Completion of SF-424 Fields First. The Adobe forms are designed to fill in common required fields such as the applicant name and address, DUNS number, etc., on all Adobe electronic forms. To trigger this feature, an applicant must complete the SF-424 information first. Once it is completed the information will transfer to the other forms.

Customer Support. The Grants.gov Web site provides customer support via (800) 518-4726 (this is a toll-free number) or through e-mail at
support@grants.gov.
The Contact Center is open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday, except federal holidays, to address Grants.gov technology issues. For technical assistance to program related questions, contact the number listed in the Program Section of the program to which you are applying.

4. Timely Receipt Requirements and Proof of Timely Submission.

a. Electronic Submission. All applications must be received by
http://www.grants.gov/applicants/apply_for_grants.jsp
by the Time on the due date established for each program. Proof of timely submission is automatically recorded by Grants.gov. An electronic time stamp is generated within the system when the application is successfully received by Grants.gov. The applicant will receive an acknowledgement of receipt and a tracking number from Grants.gov with the successful transmission of their application. Applicants should print this receipt and save it, along with facsimile receipts for information provided by facsimile, as proof of timely

submission. When NOAA successfully retrieves the application from Grants.gov, Grants.gov will provide an electronic acknowledgment of receipt to the e-mail address of the AOR. Proof of Timely submission shall be the date and time that Grants.gov receives your application. Applications received by Grants.gov, after the established due date for the program will be considered late and will not be considered for funding by NOAA.
Please Note
: Validation or rejection of your application by Grants.gov may take up to 2 business days after your submission. Please consider the Grants.gov validation/rejection process in developing your application submission time line.

NOAA suggests that applicants submit their applications during the operating hours of Grants.gov, so that if there are questions concerning transmission, operators will be available to walk you through the process. Submitting your application during the Contact Center hours will also ensure that you have sufficient time for the application to complete its transmission prior to the application deadline. Applicants using dial-up connections should be aware that transmission may take some time before Grants.gov receives it. Grants.gov will provide either an error or a successfully received transmission message. Grants.gov reports that some applicants abort the transmission because they think that nothing is occurring during the transmission process. Please be patient and give the system time to process the application. Uploading and transmitting many files, particularly electronic forms with associated XML schemas, will take some time to be processed.

III. Evaluation Criteria and Selection Procedures

NOAA has standardized the evaluation and selection process for its competitive assistance programs. There are two separate sets of evaluation criteria and selection procedures (see below), one for project proposals, and the other for fellowship, scholarship, and internship programs.

Project Proposals Review and Selection Process

Some project proposals may include a pre-application process that provides for feedback to applicants that responded to a call for letters of intent or pre-proposals; however, not all programs will include this pre-application. If a program has a pre-application process, it will be described in the Summary Description section of the announcement and the deadline will be specified in the Application Deadline section.

Upon receipt of a full application by NOAA, an initial administrative review will be conducted to determine compliance with requirements and completeness of the application. A merit review will also be conducted to produce a rank order of the proposals.

The NOAA Program Officer may review the ranking of the proposals and make recommendations to the Selecting Official based on the administrative and/or merit review(s) and selection factors listed below. The Selecting Official selects proposals after considering the administrative and/or merit review(s) and recommendations of the Program Officer. In making the final selections, the Selecting Official will award in rank order unless the proposal is justified to be selected out of rank order based upon one or more of the selection factors below. The Program Officer and/or Selecting Official may negotiate the funding level of the proposal. The Selecting Official makes final award recommendations to the Grants Officer authorized to obligate the funds.

Evaluation Criteria.
Each reviewer (one mail and at least three peer review panel reviewers) will individually evaluate and rank proposals using the following evaluation criteria:

1. Importance and/or relevance and applicability of a proposed project to the program goals:
This ascertains whether there is intrinsic value in the proposed work and/or relevance to NOAA, Federal (other than NOAA), regional, state, or local activities.

2. Technical/scientific merit:
This assesses whether the approach is technically sound and/or innovative, if the methods are appropriate, and whether there are clear project goals and objectives.

3. Overall qualifications of applicants:
This ascertains whether the applicant possesses the necessary education, experience, training, facilities, and administrative resources to accomplish the project.

4. Project costs:
The project's budget is evaluated to determine if it is realistic and commensurate with the project needs and timeframe.

5. Outreach and education:
NOAA assesses whether this project provides a focused and effective education and outreach strategy regarding its mission to protect the Nation's natural resources.

Selection Factors.
The merit review ratings will be used to provide a rank order to the Selecting Official for final funding recommendations. A Program Officer may first make recommendations to the Selecting Official applying the selection factors listed below. The Selecting Official shall award in the rank order unless the proposal is justified to be selected out of rank order based upon one or more of the following factors:

1. Availability of funding.

2. Balance/distribution of funds:

a. Geographically,

b. By type of institutions,

c. By type of partners,

d. By research areas, and

e. By project types.

3. Whether the project duplicates other projects funded or considered for funding by NOAA or other federal agencies.

4. Program priorities and policy factors.

5. Applicant's prior award performance.

6. Partnerships and/or participation of targeted groups.

7. Adequacy of information necessary for NOAA to make a National Environmental Policy Act determination and draft necessary documentation before funding recommendations are made to the Grants Officer.

Fellowship, Scholarship and Internship Programs

Review And Selection Process.
Some fellowship, scholarship and internship programs may include a pre-application process that provides for feedback to the applicants that have responded to a call for letters of intent or pre-proposals; however, not all programs will include this pre-application. If a program has a pre-application process, the process will be described in the Summary Description section of the announcement and the deadline will be specified in the Application Deadline section.

Upon receipt of a full application by NOAA, an initial administrative review will be conducted to determine compliance with requirements and completeness of the application. A merit review will also be conducted to produce a rank order of the proposals.

The NOAA Program Officer may review the ranking of the proposals and make recommendations to the Selecting Official based on the administrative and/or merit review(s) and selection factors listed below. The Selecting Official selects proposals after considering the administrative and/or merit review(s) and recommendations of the Program Officer. In making the final selections, the Selecting Official will award in rank order unless the proposal is justified to be selected out of rank order based upon one or more of the selection factors below. The Program Officer and/or Selecting Official may

negotiate the funding level of the proposal. The Selecting Official makes final award recommendations to the Grants Officer authorized to obligate the funds.

Evaluation Criteria.
Each reviewer (one mail and at least three peer review panel reviewers) will individually evaluate and rank proposals using the following evaluation criteria.

1. Academic record and statement of career goals and objectives of the student.

2. Quality of project and applicability to program priorities.

3. Recommendations and/or endorsements of the student.

4. Additional relevant experience related to diversity of education; extra-curricular activities; honors and awards; and interpersonal, written, and oral communications skills.

5. Financial need of the student.

Selection Factors.
The merit review ratings will be used to provide a rank order by the Selecting Official for final funding recommendations. A Program Officer may first make recommendations to the Selecting Official by applying the selection factors listed below. The Selecting Official shall award in the rank order unless the proposal is justified to be selected out of rank order based upon one or more of the following factors:

1. Availability of funds.

2. Balance/distribution of funds:

a. Across academic disciplines,

b. By types of institutions, and

c. Geographically.

3. Program-specific objectives.

4. Degree in scientific area and type of degree sought.

IV. NOAA Project Competitions Listed by NOAA Mission Goals

1. Protect, Restore, and Manage the Use of Coastal and Ocean Resources Through an Ecosystem Approach to Management

Summary Description:
NOAA's goal to protect, restore, and manage the use of living marine and coastal and ocean resources is critical to public health and the vitality of the U.S. economy. With its Exclusive Economic Zone of 3.4 million square miles, the United States manages the largest marine territory of any nation in the world. The value of the ocean economy to the United States is more than $138 billion. The value added annually to the national economy by the commercial and recreational fishing industry alone is over $47 billion. U.S. aquaculture sales total almost $1 billion annually. To achieve balance among ecological, environmental, and social influences, NOAA has adopted an ecosystem approach to management, a concept that is central to the recommendations of the 2004 report of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy and the Administration's response to it, the U.S. Ocean Action Plan. NOAA's Ecosystems Goal responds to a specific mandate from Congress for NOAA to be a lead federal agency in this conservation, management, and restoration effort. Recent statutory revisions (e.g., the Magnuson-Stevens Reauthorization Act and the Marine Debris Research, Prevention and Reduction Act) and emerging legislative changes are broadening this mission for NOAA, opening a new chapter in NOAA's stewardship of the nation's living marine resources and management of the coasts. Funded proposals should help achieve the following outcomes:

1. Healthy and productive coastal and marine ecosystems that benefit society

2. A well-informed public that acts as a steward of coastal and marine ecosystems

Program Names:

1. NOAA Marine Aquaculture Initiative 2010

2. Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program

3. Marine Debris Prevention and Outreach Partnership Grants

4. Proactive Species Conservation Program

5. 2010 Hawaii Seafood Program

6. 2010 Marine Education and Training Mini Grant Program

7. Fisheries Science Program—FY2010

8. 2010 Western Pacific Demonstration Projects

9. NOAA Great Lakes Habitat Restoration Program Project Grants under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

10. Financial Assistance To Establish five NOAA Cooperative Science Centers at Minority Serving Institutions Announcement

11. 2011 Mid-Atlantic Research Set-Aside Program

12. FY10 Bay Watershed Education and Training Program, Adult and Community Watershed Education in the Monterey Bay

13. Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program—FY 2011 Competition

14. FY2010 Integrated Ocean Observing System Community Modeling Environment to Support a Super-Regional Test Bed

2. Serve Society's Needs for Weather and Water Information

Summary Description:
Floods, droughts, hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis, wildfires, and other severe weather events cause $11.4 billion in damage each year in the United States. Weather is directly linked to public health and safety, and nearly one-third of the U.S. economy (approximately $4 trillion, in 2005 dollars) is sensitive to weather and climate. With so much at stake, NOAA's role in understanding, observing, forecasting, and warning of environmental events is expanding. NOAA will continue to collect and analyze environmental data and to issue forecasts and warnings that help protect health, life, and property and enhance the U.S. economy. Future needs can be better met by exploring new concepts and applications through robust weather and water research. A commitment to public benefits shapes NOAA's role within the U.S. weather enterprise, including its partners in the private sector, academia, and government. These partners add value to NOAA services and help disseminate critical environmental information. We will work more closely with our partners and will develop new partnerships so that the public understands and is satisfied with our information. Together, NOAA and its partners will continuously improve existing service and expand to support evolving national needs, including space weather, freshwater and coastal ecosystems, and air quality prediction services.

Funded proposals should help achieve the following outcomes:

1. Reduced loss of life, injury, and damage to the economy

2. Better, quicker, and more valuable weather and water information to support improved decisions

3. Increased customer satisfaction with weather and water information and services Program Names:

1. Tsunami Social Science Program

2. NWS Severe Weather Program

3. Financial Assistance To Establish five NOAA Cooperative Science Centers at Minority Serving Institutions Announcement

4. FY2010 Integrated Ocean Observing System Community Modeling Environment to Support a Super-Regional Test Bed

3. Understand Climate Variability and Change To Enhance Society's Ability To Plan and Respond

Summary Description:
Climate variability and change influence the wellbeing of society, the environment, and the economy. Numerous long-term changes in climate already have been observed. The changes include those in arctic surface temperatures and sea ice, ocean salinity and carbonate chemistry,

and frequency and intensity of extreme weather such as heat and cold waves, droughts, and floods. Decision makers are challenged with addressing major climatic events compounded by issues such as population growth, economic growth, public health concerns, changes in geographic distribution of marine species, loss of habitat, and changes in land-use practices. They require a new generation of climate services. Through legislation, executive orders, and international agreements, NOAA has a long-standing commitment to provide reliable and timely climate research and information. To meet the demand for expanded services, the Climate Goal will focus research to improve understanding of complex climate processes and to enhance the predictive capacity of the global climate system. The Climate Goal's priority is to focus on the development and delivery of climate information and services that assist decision makers with national and international policy decision making, and assessing risks to ecosystems and the U.S. economy in sectors and areas that are sensitive to impacts from climate variability and change.

Funded proposals should help achieve the following outcomes:

1. A predictive understanding of the global climate system on time scales of weeks to decades to a century with quantified uncertainties sufficient for making informed and reasoned decisions

2. Use of NOAA's climate products by climate-sensitive sectors and the climate-literate public to support their plans and decisions

Program Names:

1. Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program

2. Satellite Climate Data Record Program for 2010

3. Financial Assistance To Establish five NOAA Cooperative Science Centers at Minority Serving Institutions Announcement

4. FY2010 Integrated Ocean Observing System Community Modeling Environment to Support a Super-Regional Test Bed

4. Provide Critical Support for NOAA's Mission

Summary Description: Satellite Subgoal:
Environmental satellites are a major component of NOAA's global efforts to better observe, understand, and predict various environmental phenomena. The backbone of the NOAA satellites includes the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) and Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite (POES) programs. GOES and POES are operated to provide critical atmospheric, oceanic, climatic, solar, and space data to protect life and property across the United States. The satellites carry scientific instruments and communications equipment to support the delivery of weather information and aid search and rescue operations. NOAA is acquiring the new generation of each satellite system, including ground processing systems. In concert with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), acquisition of the next-generation geostationary satellite (GOES-R) series is underway. The Department of Defense (DoD), NASA, and NOAA are joined with industry partners to build the follow-on series of polar orbiting satellites, the National Polarorbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System. NOAA's satellite systems support other NOAA offices in the delivery of improved severe storm warnings, weather forecasts, climate predictions, oceanic and ecosystems research and analyses, and satellite-aided search and rescue services.

Fleet Services Subgoal:
NOAA operates a fleet of 20 ships and 10 aircraft to ensure continuous observation of critical environmental conditions. The Fleet Services Subgoal manages these platforms to increase the number of ship operating days and aircraft flight hours to meet NOAA's data collection requirements. It provides ship and aircraft support for NOAA's four Mission Goals, upgrades NOAA's fleet of ships and aircraft, and partners with the programs to facilitate the development, demonstration, and deployment of new observation platforms, such as Autonomous Underwater Vehicles and Unmanned Aerial Systems.

Modeling And Observing Infrastructure (MObI) Subgoal:
The MObI Subgoal's analyses and operational capabilities provide critical infrastructure and support for the integrated monitoring and improved understanding of the Earth's environment. The subgoal enables NOAA's operational forecast products and services and provides NOAA a strategic investment portfolio recommendation encompassing observing, modeling, and high-performance computing capabilities. NOAA's internal forecasting, assessment, and stewardship capabilities—as well as the capabilities of partners and customers—require integrated oceanic and atmospheric data. Furthermore, NOAA's operations require modeling support, high-performance computing, observing system design and analysis, research and development of improved modeling and data assimilation, and guidance on the architecture of observation and data management systems. MObI also manages the integration of NOAA's observing systems and associated data with those of other federal agencies and nations under the GEO System of Systems framework.

Leadership And Corporate Services Subgoal:
The Leadership and Corporate Services Subgoal strives to produce cost-effective, value-added solutions in the cross-cutting areas of Line Office and Headquarters management, workforce management, acquisition and grants, facilities, financial services, homeland security, IT, and administrative services. This is accomplished by effective and strategic leadership at corporate and Line Office levels that optimize agency performance and mission accomplishment through streamlined, results oriented processes. The development of long-range facility and IT modernization plans provides the investment framework to ensure that NOAA's facility and IT portfolio will continue to support a safe, secure, and state-of-the-art work environment. The development of streamlined acquisition and workforce management processes will enable NOAA to effectively fulfill its research and operational missions with a competent workforce and effective third-party partnerships. The public demand for financial stewardship and accountability requires NOAA to maintain an effective financial and internal control program. The national dependence on NOAA's services and information products compels effective continuity of operations planning and all-hazards incident management.

Funded proposals should help achieve the following outcomes:

1. A continuous stream of satellite data and information with the quality and accuracy to meet users requirements for spatial and temporal sampling and timeliness of delivery

2. Provision of the number of ship operating days and aircraft flight hours needed to meet NOAA's data collection requirements with high customer satisfaction

3. Integration of observing system architectures, data management architectures, and computing and modeling capabilities to better enable NOAA's mission

4. One NOAA working together—guided by a clear strategic vision for planning, programming, and execution—to achieve NOAA's goals

5. Secure, reliable, and robust information flows within NOAA and out to the public

6. Modern and sustainable facilities providing safe and effective work environment

7. Efficient and effective financial, administrative, and acquisition management services

8. Workforce management processes that support a diverse and competent workforce

9. Integrated Homeland Security and emergency response capabilities

Program Names:

1. Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program

2. Financial Assistance To Establish five NOAA Cooperative Science Centers at Minority Serving Institutions Announcement

3. Environmental Literacy Grants for Informal/Nonformal Science Education

5. Support the Nation's Commerce With Information for Safe, Efficient, and Environmentally Sound Transportation

Summary Description:
NOAA responds to the specific demands of air, sea, and surface transportation with consistent, timely, and accurate information to aid sound and routine operational decision making. All modes of transportation are affected by significant challenges as they operate in the elements of nature. The natural environment is, in turn, affected by our transportation systems. Safe, efficient, and environmentally sound transportation systems are crucial to the nation's commerce, and thus to the nation's economy. For example, more than 78 percent of U.S. overseas trade by weight and 38 percent by value comes and goes by ship. Nine million barrels of oil come through U.S. ports daily, and 8,000 foreign vessels make 50,000 port calls annually. Vessel traffic in the U.S. Marine Transportation System, which ships over 95 percent of foreign trade by tonnage, will double by 2020 and contribute roughly $2 trillion annually to the U.S. economy. NOAA provides information products for transportation systems, including marine and surface weather forecasts, navigational charts, real-time oceanographic information, and Global Positioning System augmentation. NOAA works with the Federal Aviation Administration and industry to improve the weather resilience of aviation systems. NOAA also provides emergency response services to save lives and money and to protect the coastal environment, including hazardous material spill response and search and rescue functions. NOAA works with federal, state, and local partners to ensure the efficient and environmentally sound operation and development of ports.

Funded proposals should help achieve the following outcomes:

1. Safe, secure, efficient, and seamless movement of goods and people in the U.S. transportation system

2. Environmentally sound development and use of the U.S. transportation system

Program Names:

1. Financial Assistance to Establish five NOAA Cooperative Science Centers at Minority Serving Institutions Announcement

2. Joint Hydrographic Center

3. FY2010 Integrated Ocean Observing System Community Modeling Environment to Support a Super-Regional Test Bed

V. NOAA Project Competitions

National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)

2010 Hawaii Seafood Program

Summary Description:
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA/NMFS) is soliciting competitive applications for the 2010 Hawaii Seafood Program. The 2010 Hawaii Seafood Program is designed to help strengthen and to sustain the economic viability of Hawaii's fishing and seafood industry through activities that promotes Hawaii fisheries products as high-quality and safe domestic seafood produced by a responsible and well-managed fishery. Projects may seek support for cooperative seafood safety research, technical assistance, and/or seafood education.

Funding Availability:
Total funding available under this notice is anticipated to be approximately $1,000,000. Actual funding availability for this program is contingent upon FY 2010 Congressional appropriations. Proposals in any amount may be submitted. Award amounts will be determined by the proposals and available funds. There is no set minimum or maximum amount, within the available funding, for any award. There is also no limit on the number of applications that can be submitted by the same applicant; however, multiple applications submitted by the same applicant must clearly identify different projects. If an application for a financial assistance award is selected for funding, NOAA/NMFS has no obligation to provide any additional funding in connection with that award in subsequent years. Notwithstanding verbal or written assurance that may have been received, pre-award costs are not allowed under the award unless approved by the NOAA Grants Officer.

Statutory Authority:
The statutory authority for the Hawaii Seafood Program is 15 U.S.C. 713c-3(d).

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number:
11.452, Unallied Industry Projects.

Application Deadline:
Proposals must be received by 5 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time March 5, 2010.

Address for Submitting Proposals:
Proposals should be submitted through Grants.gov. For those applicants without internet access, proposals should be submitted to NOAA Federal Program Officer, Pacific Islands Regional Office, 1601 Kapiolani Blvd., Suite 1110, Honolulu, Hawaii, 96814.

Information Contacts:
If you have any questions regarding this proposal solicitation, please contact Scott W.S. Bloom at the NOAA/NMFS Pacific Islands Regional Office, 1601 Kapiolani Blvd, Honolulu, Hawaii, 96814, by phone at 808-944-2218, or by e-mail at
Scott.Bloom@noaa.gov.

Eligibility:
Eligible applicants are individuals, institutions of higher education, other nonprofits, commercial organizations, international organizations, foreign governments, organizations under the jurisdiction of foreign governments, and state, local and Indian tribal governments. Federal agencies, or employees of Federal agencies, are not eligible to apply. The Department of Commerce/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (DOC/NOAA) 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 Hawaii Seafood Program encourages proposals involving any of the above institutions.

Cost Sharing Requirements:
No cost sharing or matching is required under this program.

Intergovernmental Review:
Applications under this program are subject to Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.

2010 Marine Education and Training Mini Grant Program

Summary Description:
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA/NMFS) is soliciting competitive applications for the 2010 Pacific Islands Region Marine Education and Training Mini-Grant Program. Projects are being solicited to improve communication, education, and training on marine resource issues throughout the region

and increase scientific education for marine-related professions among coastal community residents, including indigenous Pacific islanders, Native Hawaiians, and other underrepresented groups in the region.

Funding Availability:
Total funding available under this notice is anticipated to be approximately $150,000. Actual funding availability for this program is contingent upon FY 2010 Federal appropriations. Proposals in excess of $15,000 are unlikely to be funded. Award amounts will be determined by the proposals and available funds. There is no limit on the number of applications that can be submitted by the same applicant; however, multiple applications submitted by the same applicant must clearly identify different projects. If an application for a financial assistance award is selected for funding, NOAA/NMFS has no obligation to provide any additional funding in connection with that award in subsequent years. Notwithstanding verbal or written assurance that may have been received, pre-award costs are not allowed under the award unless approved by the NOAA Grants Officer.

Statutory Authority:
Authority for the 2010 Pacific Islands Region Marine Education and Training Mini-Grant Program is provided under 16 U.S.C. 1855j.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number:
11.452, Unallied Industry Projects.

Application Deadline:
Proposals must be received by 5 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time March 5, 2010.

Address for Submitting Proposals:
Proposals should be submitted through Grants.gov. For those applicants without internet access, proposals should be submitted to NOAA Federal Program Officer, Pacific Islands Regional Office, 1601 Kapiolani Blvd., Suite 1110, Honolulu, Hawaii, 96814.

Information Contacts:
If you have any questions regarding this proposal solicitation, please contact Scott W.S. Bloom at the NOAA/NMFS Pacific Islands Regional Office, 1601 Kapiolani Blvd, Honolulu, Hawaii, 96814, by phone at 808-944-2218, or by e-mail at
Scott.Bloom@noaa.gov.

Eligibility:
Eligible applicants are individuals, institutions of higher education, nonprofits, commercial organizations, state, local and Indian tribal governments. Federal agencies, or employees of Federal agencies are not eligible to apply. The Department of Commerce/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (DOC/NOAA) 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 undeserved areas. The 2010 Marine Education and Training Mini-Grant Program encourages proposals involving any of the above institutions.

Cost Sharing Requirements:
No cost sharing or matching is required under this program.

Intergovernmental Review:
This federal funding opportunity is subject to Executive Order 12372, “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.” An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review. The names and addresses of these contacts are available at
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html.
2010 Western Pacific Demonstration Projects.

Summary Description:
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA/NMFS) is soliciting applications for financial assistance for Western Pacific Demonstration Projects. Eligible applicants are encouraged to submit projects intended to foster and promote use of traditional indigenous fishing practices and/or develop or enhance Western Pacific community-based fishing opportunities benefiting the island communities in American Samoa, Guam, Hawaii, and the Northern Mariana Islands.

Funding Availability:
Total funding available under this notice is anticipated to be approximately $500,000. Actual funding availability for this program is contingent upon FY 2010 Congressional appropriations. Proposals in any amount may be submitted. Award amounts will be determined by the proposals and available funds. There is no set minimum or maximum amount, within the available funding, for any award. There is also no limit on the number of applications that can be submitted by the same applicant; however, multiple applications submitted by the same applicant must clearly identify different projects. If an application for a financial assistance award is selected for funding, NOAA/NMFS has no obligation to provide any additional funding in connection with that award in subsequent years. Notwithstanding verbal or written assurance that may have been received, pre-award costs are not allowed under the award unless approved by the NOAA Grants Officer.

Statutory Authority:
Authority for the Western Pacific Demonstration Projects is provided under 16 U.S.C. 1855 note.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number:
11.452, Unallied Industry Projects

Application Deadline:
Pre-proposals (letters of intent) must be received at the Pacific Islands Regional Office by 5 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time, February 18, 2010. NOAA reserves 15 days to review pre-proposals against NOAA's mission requirements. If an applicant submitting a pre-proposal is invited to submit a full proposal, it must be received by 5 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time, 75 days after publication in the
Federal Register
. Anticipated start dates will be July 1, 2010.

Address for Submitting Proposals:
Proposals should be submitted through Grants.gov. For those applicants without internet access, proposals should be submitted to NOAA Federal Program Officer, Pacific Islands Regional Office, 1601 Kapiolani Blvd., Suite 1110, Honolulu, Hawaii 96814.

Information Contacts:
Points of contact are Scott W.S. Bloom (NMFS), NOAA Federal Program Officer for Western Pacific Demonstration Projects, Pacific Islands Region, National Marine Fisheries Service, 1601 Kapiolani Boulevard, Suite 1110, Honolulu, Hawaii 96814; or by telephone at 808-944-2218, or by e-mail at
Scott.Bloom@noaa.gov;
or Charles Kaaiai, Indigenous Coordinator for the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council, 1164 Bishop Street, Suite 1400, Honolulu, Hawaii, 96813 or by telephone at 808-522-8220, or by e-mail at
Charles.Kaaiai@noaa.gov.

Eligibility:
Eligible applicants are limited to communities in the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Area, as defined at section 305(i)(2)(D) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), 16 U.S.C. 1855(i)(2)(D); and meet the standards for determining eligibility set forth in section 305(i)(2)(B) of the Act, 16 U.S.C. 1855(i)(2)(B). The eligibility criteria developed by the Council and approved by the Secretary was published in the
Federal Register
on April 16, 2002 (67 FR 18512, 18514). The published criteria supplement those set forth in section 305(i)(2)(B) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act and shall be applied equally in determining a party's eligibility to participate in the demonstration project. Given this, applicants must:

1. Be located within the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Area (American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam or Hawaii);

2. Consist of community residents descended from aboriginal people indigenous to the western Pacific area who conducted commercial or subsistence fishing using traditional fishing practices in the waters of the western Pacific;

3. Consist of community residents who reside in their ancestral homeland;

4. Have knowledge of customary practices relevant to fisheries of the western Pacific;

5. Have traditional dependence on fisheries of the western Pacific;

6. Experience economic or other barriers that have prevented full participation in the western Pacific fisheries and, in recent years, have not had harvesting, processing or marketing capability sufficient to support substantial participation in fisheries in the area; and,

7. Develop and submit a Community Development Plan to the Western Pacific Council and the National Marine Fisheries Service. For the purposes of determining eligibility to participate and receive funding assistance authorized under Section 111(b) of the Sustainable Fisheries Act, Public Law 104-297, as amended, and published in 16 U.S.C. 1855 note, a project proposal shall be considered a Community Development Plan.

Cost Sharing Requirements:
No cost sharing or matching is required under this program.

Intergovernmental Review:
Applications under this program are subject to Executive Order 12372, “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs”. An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review. The names and addresses of these contacts are available at
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html.
2011 Mid-Atlantic Research Set-Aside Program.

Summary Description:
NMFS, in cooperation with the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council), is soliciting proposals under the 2011 Mid-Atlantic Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program that address research priorities concerning the summer flounder, scup, black sea bass, Loligo squid, Illex squid, Atlantic mackerel, butterfish, bluefish, and tilefish fisheries. The Mid-Atlantic RSA Program was created by the Council as a vehicle to fund research projects through the sale of research quota. Under this program, the Council may set aside up to 3-percent of the total allowable landings (TAL) from the above listed species to fund selected projects. Proceeds from the sale of research quota are used to pay for research costs and to compensate fishing vessels that harvest research quota. Any additional funds, generated through the sale of the fish harvested under the research quota, above the cost of the research activities, shall be retained by the vessel owner as compensation for use of his/her vessel. Participating vessels may be authorized to harvest and land fish in excess of Federal possession limits and/or during fishery closures. No Federal funds are provided for research under this notification. NMFS and the Council will give priority to funding proposals addressing the research needs identified in Section I-B of the FFO.

Funding Availability:
No Federal funds are provided for research under this notification, but rather the opportunity to fish with the catch sold to generate research funds and to provide compensation for harvesting of RSA quota. The Federal Government may issue an exempted fishing permit (EFP) to selected projects, which may provide special fishing privileges, such as exemption from possession limits and fishery closures. Funds generated from RSA landings shall be used to cover the cost of the research activities, including vessel costs, and to compensate boats for expenses incurred during the collection of the set-aside species. For example, the funds may be used to pay for gear modifications, monitoring equipment, additional provisions (e.g., fuel, ice, food for scientists), or the salaries of research personnel. The Federal Government is not liable for any costs incurred by the researcher or vessel owner should the sale of RSA quota not fully reimburse the researcher or vessel owner for his/her expenses. Any additional funds, generated through the sale of the fish harvested under the research quota, above the cost of the research activities, shall be retained by the vessel owner as compensation for use of his/her vessel. The Council, in consultation with the Commission, will incorporate RSA quotas for each of the set-aside species for the 2011 fishing year into the Council's annual quota specification recommendations. NMFS will consider the recommended level of RSA as part of the associated rulemaking process. RSA quota available to applicants under the 2011 Mid-Atlantic RSA Program will be established through the 2011 quota specification rulemaking process. The Council is scheduled to adopt quotas, including RSA quotas, by the end of 2010. Based on Council recommendations, NMFS may choose to adopt less than 3 percent of TAL as a set-aside, or decide not to adopt any set-aside for a given fishery. The value of RSA quota will be dictated by market conditions prevailing at the time the compensation fishing trips are conducted. To help researchers develop proposals and proposal budgets for the 2011 Mid-Atlantic RSA Program, recent quota amount and quota value information is listed below. This information is for guidance purposes only; it does not reflect actual RSA quota amounts or quota values that will be in effect for fishing year 2011. RSA quota amounts are based on 2010 FMP specifications proposed by the Council. RSA quota values are based on landings data taken from Fisheries of the United States, 2008. This information is listed below in the following format: Species/RSA quota amount (lb)/RSA quota total value/RSA value per pound. -Summer flounder/663,900 lb/$1,656,845/2.50 lb -Scup/423,300 lb/$478,327/$1.13 lb -Black sea bass/69,000 lb/$192,076/$2.78 lb -Loligo squid/1,256,635 lb/$1,173,033/$0.93 lb -Bluefish/877,914 lb/$376,279/$0.42 lb -Butterfish/33,069 lb/$17,282/$0.52 lb -Illex squid/1,587,328 lb/$0/$0.24 lb (no Illex squid was requested) -Atlantic mackerel/0 lb/$0/$0.14 (no Atlantic mackerel was requested) -Tilefish/0 lb/$0/$2.26 lb (no tilefish RSA was allocated) Starting in 2010, successful projects may not have more than 50 vessels authorized to conduct compensation fishing at any given time unless sufficient rationale can demonstrate that more than 50 vessels are needed. In addition, principal investigators and project coordinators should be aware that it may take NMFS up to 4 weeks to process requests to revise the list of vessels that are authorized to conduct compensation fishing.

Statutory Authority:
Statutory authority for this program is provided under sections 303(b)(11), 402(e), and 404(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, 16 U.S.C.1853(b)(11), 16 U.S.C. 1881a(e), and 16 U.S.C. 1881(c), respectively. Statutory authority for entering into cooperative agreements and other financial agreements with non-profit organizations is found at 15 U.S.C. 1540. Framework Adjustment 1 to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass FMP, Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish FMP, Bluefish FMP, and Tilefish FMP established the Mid-Atlantic RSA Program (66 FR 42156, August 10, 2001), which is codified in regulations at 50 CFR 648.21(g).

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number:
11.454, Unallied Management Projects

Application Deadline:
Applications must be received on or before 5 p.m. EST on March 22, 2010. Proposals received after the established deadline will be rejected and returned to the sender without consideration. For applications submitted through Grants.gov, a date and time receipt indication will be the basis of determining timeliness. For those not having access to the Internet, one signed original and two hard copy applications must be received by the established due date for the program at the following address: Cheryl A. Corbett, NMFS, Northeast Fisheries Science Center, 166 Water Street, Woods Hole, MA 02543. Use of U.S. mail or another delivery service must be documented with a receipt. No facsimile or electronic mail proposals will be accepted. January 1, 2011, should be used as the proposed start date on proposals, unless otherwise directed by the Program Officer.

Address for Submitting Proposals:
To apply for this NOAA Federal Funding Opportunity, please submit applications to
http://www.grants.gov
and use funding opportunity number NOAA-NMFS-NEFSC-2011-2002247. Applicants who do not have Internet access may submit their application to Cheryl A. Corbett, NMFS, Northeast Fisheries Science Center, 166 Water Street, Woods Hole, MA 02543.

Information Contacts:
Information may be obtained from Kathy Collins, Public Affairs Specialist, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, by phone 302-674-2331 ext. 14, or via e-mail at kcollins1@mafmc.org, or Cheryl A. Corbett, Cooperative Programs Specialist, NMFS, Northeast Fisheries Science Center, 166 Water Street, Woods Hole, MA 02543, or by phone at 508-495-2070, or fax at 508-495-2004, or via e-mail at
cheryl.corbett@noaa.gov;
or from Ryan Silva, Cooperative Research Liaison, NMFS, Northeast Regional Office, by phone 978-281-9326, or via e-mail at
ryan.silva@noaa.gov.

Eligibility:
1. Eligible applicants include institutions of higher education, hospitals, other nonprofits, commercial organizations, individuals, and state, local, and Native American tribal governments. Federal agencies and institutions are not eligible to receive Federal assistance under this notice. Additionally, employees of any Federal agency or Regional Fishery Management Council are ineligible to submit an application under this program. However, Council members who are not Federal employees may submit an application. 2. DOC/NOAA supports cultural and gender diversity and encourages women and minority individuals and groups to submit applications to the RSA program. In addition, DOC/NOAA 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. DOC/NOAA encourages proposals involving any of the above institutions. 3. DOC/NOAA encourages applications from members of the fishing community and applications that involve fishing community cooperation and participation.

Cost Sharing Requirements:
None required.

Intergovernmental Review:
Applicants will need to determine if their state participates in the intergovernmental review process. This information can be found at the following Web site:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html.
This information will assist applicants in providing either a Yes or No response to Item 16 of the Application Form, SF-424, entitled “Application for Federal Assistance.” Fisheries Science Program—FY2010.

Summary Description:
The NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office (NCBO) is directed by congressional mandate 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. For FY2010, it is anticipated that approximately $500k could be made available for projects that address multiple species interactions and stock assessment research as identified in the Program Priority Section (I.B.1 and I.B.2) of FFO.

Funding Availability:
This solicitation announces approximately $500,000 in federal funds that may be available in FY 2010 in award amounts to be determined by the proposals. It is expected that these funds will provide support for 5-10 projects at approximately $50,000 to $100,000 per project. Funding for subsequent years of work will depend on the performance of grantees to successfully conduct activities as determined by the Federal Program Officer through performance reports, site visits, and compliance with award conditions. There is no guarantee that sufficient funds will be available to make awards for all qualified projects. The exact amount of funds that may be awarded will be determined in pre-award negotiations between the applicant and NOAA representatives. Publication of this notice does not oblige NOAA to award any specific project or to obligate any available funds. If applicants incur any costs prior to an award being made, they do so at their own risk of not being reimbursed by the government. Notwithstanding verbal or written assurance that may have been received, there is no obligation on the part of NOAA to cover pre-award costs unless approved by the Grants Officer as part of the terms when the award is made.

Statutory Authority:
The Secretary is authorized under the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, as amended, at 16 U.S.C. 661, to provide assistance to, and cooperate with, Federal, State, and public or private agencies and organizations in the development, protection, rearing, and stocking of all species of wildlife, resources thereof, and their habitat, in controlling losses of the same from disease or other causes, and in minimizing damages from overabundant species.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number:
11.457, Chesapeake Bay Studies

Application Deadline:
Full proposals must be received by 5:00 pm eastern time March 5, 2010.

Address for Submitting Proposals:
Applications submitted in response to this announcement are strongly encouraged to submit via
http://www.grants.gov.
Electronic access to the full funding announcement for this program is also available at this site. If internet access is unavailable, paper applications (a signed original and two copies) may also be submitted to the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office, 410 Severn Avenue, Suite 107A, Annapolis, MD 21403. No facsimile applications will be accepted. Institutions are encouraged to submit Letters of Intent to NCBO within 30 days of this announcement to aid in planning the review processes. Letters of Intent may be submitted via e-mail to
Derek.Orner@noaa.gov.
Information should include a general description of the program administration proposal.

Information Contacts:
For further information about the Chesapeake Bay Fisheries Science Program, please visit the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office Web site at:
http://noaa.chesapeakebay.net/.
For assistance with forms, application requirements, or submission procedures please contact Derek Orner, NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office; 410 Severn Avenue, Suite 107A, Annapolis, MD 21403, or by phone at 410-267-5676, or fax to 410-267-5666, or via Internet at
derek.orner@noaa.gov.

Eligibility:
Eligible applicants are institutions of higher education, other

nonprofits, commercial organizations, foreign governments, organizations under the jurisdiction of foreign governments, international organizations, state, local and Indian tribal governments. Federal agencies or institutions are not eligible to receive Federal assistance under this notice. The Department of Commerce/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (DOC/NOAA) 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 NCBO encourages proposals involving any of the above institutions.

Cost Sharing Requirements:
No cost sharing is required under this program, however, the NCBO strongly encourages applicants to share as much of the project costs as possible. Funds from other Federal awards may not be considered matching funds. The nature of the contribution (cash versus in kind) and the amount of matching funds will be taken into consideration in the review process. Priority selection will be given to proposals that propose cash rather than in-kind contributions.

Intergovernmental Review:
Applications under this program (CFDA 11.457, Chesapeake Bay Studies) are subject to Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs. NOAA Great Lakes Habitat Restoration Program Project Grants under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

Summary Description:
NOAA delivers funding and technical expertise to restore Great Lakes coastal habitats. These habitats support valuable fisheries and protected resources; improve the quality of our water; provide recreational opportunities for the public's use and enjoyment; and buffer our coastal communities from the impacts of changing lake levels. Projects funded through NOAA have strong on-the-ground habitat restoration components that provide social and economic benefits for people and their communities in addition to long-term ecological habitat improvements. Through this solicitation, NOAA seeks to openly compete funding available for habitat restoration under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative as proposed in the President's FY2010 Budget. Applications should be submitted for any project that is to be considered for this funding, even for those projects already submitted as applications to other NOAA competitions including the recent American Recovery and Reinvestment Act solicitation. Competition will ensure that the most beneficial restoration projects are selected to realize significant ecological gains and ensure that projects are truly “shovel-ready.” Applications selected for funding through this solicitation will be implemented through a grant or cooperative agreement, with awards dependent upon the amount of funds made available to NOAA for this purpose by the Environmental Protection Agency. NOAA anticipates up to $10 million may be available for Great Lakes coastal habitat restoration; typical awards are expected to range between $1 million to $1.5 million. Funds will be administered by NOAA's Great Lakes Habitat Restoration Program (GLHRP).

Funding Availability:
NOAA anticipates that up to $10 million may be available for Great Lakes coastal habitat restoration; typical awards are expected to range between $1 million and $1.5 million. NOAA will not accept applications requesting less than $500,000 or more than $2.5 million of federal funds under this solicitation. There is no guarantee that sufficient funds will be available to make awards for all applications. The number of awards to be made as a result of this solicitation will depend on the number of eligible applications received, the amount of funds requested for habitat restoration projects by the applicants, the merit and ranking of the applications, and the amount of funds made available. The exact amount of funds that may be awarded will be determined in pre-award negotiations between the applicant and NOAA representatives. Publication of this document does not obligate NOAA to award any specific project or obligate all or any parts of any available funds.

Statutory Authority:
The Secretary of Commerce is authorized under the following statutes to provide grants and cooperative agreements for habitat restoration:—Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act 16 U.S.C. 661, as amended by the Reorganization Plan No. 4 of 1970;—Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act of 2006, 16 U.S.C. 1891a;—Marine Debris Research, Prevention, and Reduction Act, 33 U.S.C. 1951
et seq.;
—Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, as amended, 16 U.S.C. 1451
et seq.
—National Marine Sanctuaries Act, 16 U.S.C. 1431
et seq.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number:
11.463, Habitat Conservation.

Application Deadline:
Applications must be postmarked, provided to a delivery service, or received by
www.grants.gov
by 11:59 p.m. EST on February 16, 2010. Use of U.S. mail or another delivery service must be documented with a receipt. No facsimile or electronic mail applications will be accepted. 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.

Address for Submitting Proposals:
If an applicant does not have internet access, a hard copy application must be postmarked, or provided to a delivery service and documented with a receipt, by 11:59 p.m. EST on February 16, 2010 and sent to: NOAA Restoration Center (F/HC3) NOAA Fisheries, Office of Habitat Conservation, 1315 East West Highway, Rm. 14730, Silver Spring, MD 20910
Attn:
Great Lakes Habitat Restoration Project Applications. Applications postmarked or provided to a delivery service after 11:59 p.m. EST February 1, 2010 will not be considered for funding. Applications submitted via the U.S. Postal Service must have an official postmark; private metered postmarks are not acceptable. In any event, applications received later than 5 business days following the postmark closing date will not be accepted. No facsimile or electronic mail applications will be accepted. Paper applications should be printed on 8.5″ x 11″ paper (12-point font with 1″ margins; reviewers generally prefer 1.5 line spacing) and should not be bound in any manner.

Information Contacts:
For further information contact Jenni Wallace at (301) 713-0174 ext. 183, or by e-mail at
Jenni.Wallace@noaa.gov.
Prospective applicants are invited to contact NOAA staff before submitting an application to discuss whether their project ideas are within the scope of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative's objectives and NOAA's mission and goals. Additional information on habitat restoration can be found on the World Wide Web at
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/habitat/restoration/.

Eligibility:
Eligible applicants are institutions of higher education, non-profits, industry and commercial (for profit) organizations, organizations under the jurisdiction of foreign governments, international organizations, and state, local and Indian tribal governments. Applications from Federal agencies or employees of Federal agencies will not be considered. Federal agencies are strongly encouraged to work with states, non-governmental organizations, municipal and county governments, conservation corps organizations and others that are eligible to apply. The Department of Commerce/National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (DOC/NOAA) 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 under-served areas. The GLHRP encourages applications involving any of the above institutions.

Cost Sharing Requirements:
There is no statutory matching requirement for this funding. NOAA typically leverages its Federal funding with matching contributions and/or partnerships from a broad range of sources in the public and private sector to implement locally important coastal habitat restoration. To this end, applicants are encouraged to demonstrate a 1:1 non-federal match for GLHRP funds requested to conduct the proposed project. Applicants with less than 1:1 match will not be disqualified, however, applicants should note that cost sharing is an element considered in Evaluation Criterion #4 “Project Costs” (Section V.A.4. of the FFO). Match to NOAA funds can come from a variety of public and private sources and can include in-kind goods and services and volunteer labor.

Applicants are permitted to combine contributions from non-federal partners, as long as such contributions are not being used to match any other federal funds and are available within the project period stated in the application. Federal sources cannot be considered for matching funds, but can be described in the budget narrative to demonstrate additional leverage.

Applicants are also permitted to apply federally negotiated indirect costs in excess of Federal share limits as described in Section IV.E. “Funding Restrictions” of the FFO. Applicants whose proposals are selected for funding will be bound by the percentage of cost sharing reflected in the award document signed by the NOAA Grants Officer. Successful applicants should be prepared to carefully document matching contributions, including the overall number of volunteers and in-kind participation hours devoted to habitat restoration projects. Letters of commitment for any secured resources that will be used as match for an award under this solicitation should be submitted as an attachment to the application, see Section IV.B. of the FFO.

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 19 on 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 in the Office of Management and Budget's home page at:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html
.

Proactive Species Conservation Program

Summary Description:
The NMFS is seeking to provide federal assistance, in the form of grants or cooperative agreements, to support conservation efforts for the current list of marine and anadromous species under the Proactive Species Conservation Program. The program supports voluntary conservation efforts designed to conserve marine and anadromous species before they reach the point at which listing as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) becomes necessary. Such proactive conservation efforts can serve as an efficient, non-regulatory, and cost-effective means of managing potentially at-risk species. To raise awareness of potentially at-risk species and to foster their proactive conservation, the NMFS created a ‘species of concern' list in April 2004 (69 FR 19975). ‘Species of concern' are species that are potentially at risk of becoming threatened or endangered or may potentially require protections under the ESA, yet for which sufficient data are lacking. The species-of-concern status carries no procedural or regulatory protections under the ESA. The list of species of concern and descriptions of each species are available at
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/concern/#list.
Under this solicitation, any state, territorial, tribal, or local entity that has authority to manage or regulate these species or activities that affect these species is eligible to apply to this grant program. This document describes how to submit proposals for funding in fiscal year (FY) 2010 and how the NMFS will determine which proposals will be funded. This document should be read in its entirety, as some information has changed from the previous year.

Funding Availability:
This solicitation announces that approximately $200,000 may be available for distribution in FY 2010 under the PSCP; there are no restrictions on minimum or maximum funding requests. Applicants may apply for funds for up to 5 years (see below) so the total amount requested over the life of the project may be more than $200,000, but the limit for FY 2010 should be $200,000. Actual funding availability for this program is contingent upon Fiscal Year 2010 Congressional appropriations. Applicants are hereby given notice that funds have not yet been appropriated for this program. There is no guarantee that sufficient funds will be available to make awards for all qualified projects.

Publication of this notice does not oblige the NMFS to award any specific project or to obligate any available funds; and, if an application is selected for funding, the NMFS has no obligation to provide any additional funding in connection with that award in subsequent years. There is also no limit on the number of applications that can be submitted by the same applicant. Multiple applications submitted by the same applicant must clearly identify distinct projects, and single applications should not include multiple, unrelated projects. Notwithstanding verbal or written assurance that may have been received, pre-award costs are not allowed under the award unless approved by the Grants Officer in accordance with 2 CFR Part 225.

Statutory Authority:
Authority for the Proactive Species Conservation Program is provided by 16 U.S.C. 661.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number:
11.472, Unallied Science Program.

Application Deadline:
Applications must be postmarked, provided to a delivery service, or received by
http://www.grants.gov/
by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on February 11, 2010. Use of a delivery service other than U.S. mail must be documented with a receipt. PLEASE NOTE: It may take Grants.gov up to two business days to validate or reject an application. Please keep this in mind when developing your submission timeline.

Address for Submitting Proposals:
For applicants without internet access, paper applications can be mailed to NOAA/NMFS/Office of Protected Resources, Attn: Dwayne Meadows, NMFS Office of Protected Resources F/PR3, 1315 East-West Highway, SSMC3, Silver Spring, MD 20910. If it is necessary to submit a paper application, then one signed original and two signed copies (including supporting information) must be submitted; paper applications should not be bound in any manner.

Information Contacts:
If you have any questions regarding this proposal solicitation, please contact Dwayne Meadows at the NMFS Office of Protected Resources F/PR3, Endangered Species Division, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910, by phone at 301-713-1401 x199, or by e-

mail at
Dwayne.Meadows@noaa.gov.
You may also contact one of the following people in your region for further guidance: Sarah Laporte, Northeast Regional Office (
Sarah.Laporte@noaa.gov
, 978-282-8477), Calusa Horn, Southeast Regional Office (
Calusa.Horn@noaa.gov
, 727-824-5312), Krista Graham, Pacific Islands Regional Office (
Krista.Graham@noaa.gov,
808-944-2238), Susan Wang, Southwest Regional Office (
Susan.Wang@noaa.gov,
562-980-4199), Eric Murray, Northwest Regional Office (
Eric.Murray@noaa.gov,
503-872-2791), Brad Smith, Alaska Regional Office (
Brad.Smith@noaa.gov,
907-271-3023).

Eligibility:
Eligible applicants are U.S. state, territorial, tribal, or local governments that have regulatory or management authority over one or more SOC or activities that affect one or more SOC. A current list of SOC can be found at
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/concern/#list
or obtained from the Office of Protected Resources (
see
Section VII, Agency Contacts, of the FFO). Applicants are not eligible to submit a proposal under this program if they are a federal employee; however, federal employees may serve as Cooperators. In addition, NMFS employees are not allowed to actively engage in the preparation of proposals or write letters of support for any application. However, if applicable, NMFS employees can write a letter verifying that they are collaborating with a particular project. NMFS contacts (
see
Section VII of the FFO) are available to provide information regarding programmatic goals and objectives associated with the PSCP, other ongoing ESA programs, regional funding priorities, and, along with other Federal Program Officers, can provide information on application procedures and completion of required forms.

Cost Sharing Requirements:
There are no cost-sharing or matching requirements under this solicitation.

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 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 SPOC's are listed on the Office of Management and Budget's home page at:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html
.

National Ocean Service (NOS) Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program—FY 2011 Competition

Summary Description:
The purpose of this document is to advise eligible coastal states and territories (requirements described below) that OCRM is soliciting coastal and estuarine land conservation project proposals for competitive funding under the CELCP. States and territories must have submitted to NOAA a CELCP plan on or before February 19, 2010, in order to be eligible to participate in the FY2011 funding opportunity. Funding is contingent upon the availability of FY 2011 Federal appropriations. It is anticipated that projects funded under this announcement will have a grant start date between June 1, 2011 and October 1, 2011. The program authority is 16 U.S.C. 1456-1.

Funding Availability:
NOAA anticipates that approximately 20-60 projects may be included on a competitively-ranked list of projects that are ready and eligible for funding in FY 2011. Funding for projects selected for the prioritized list is contingent upon availability of Federal appropriations for FY 2011. Applicants are hereby given notice that funds have not yet been appropriated for this program. The FY 2011 President's Budget request for CELCP is $15 million. Annual appropriated funding levels for the CELCP have ranged from $8-$50 million from FY 2002-2009. Eligible coastal states and territories may select and submit up to three projects for this competition, including subsequent phases of projects previously funded by CELCP. Applicants may include multiple parcels in a project proposal if the parcels are related; however, please note that NOAA will evaluate project readiness and feasibility for completion within the required 18 month timeframe. For such projects, NOAA recommends that applicants limit the scope to acquiring no more than 5 separate parcels (including parcels that would be acquired directly with CELCP funds as well as those that would be counted an in-kind match).
See
Section III.C of the FFO for additional details. The maximum amount that may be requested for the Federal share of each project is $3,000,000.

The amount of funding per award in previous years has ranged from $105,000 to $3,000,000 for competitively selected projects, depending on the amount requested, size, and type of project. There is no guarantee that sufficient funds will be available to make awards for all qualified projects. Publication of this notice and the list of projects deemed ready and eligible does not oblige NOAA to award any specific project or to obligate any available funds. If an applicant incurs any costs prior to receiving an award agreement signed by an authorized NOAA official, they do so at their own risk of these costs not being included under the award. In no event will NOAA or the Department of Commerce be responsible for proposal preparation or other project costs if this program fails to receive funding or is cancelled because of other agency priorities. Recipients and sub-recipients are subject to all Federal laws and agency policies, regulations, and procedures applicable to Federal financial assistance awards. NOAA is committed to continual improvement of the grants process and accelerating the award of financial assistance to qualified recipients in accordance with the recommendations of the NOAA Program Review Team. If funding is appropriated in FY 2011 for projects recommended through this competition, NOAA will request final grant applications from successful applicants as soon as feasible in order to expedite the grant process (
see
VI. Award Administration Information). Applicants must be in good standing with all existing NOAA grants in order to receive funds.

Statutory Authority:
Authority for the CELCP is 16 U.S.C. 1456-1 (formerly authorized under 16 U.S.C. 1456d).

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number:
11.419, Coastal Zone Management Administration Awards.

Application Deadline:
Applications must be received by Grants.gov or be delivered to the OCRM office (address listed in this announcement) no later than 6:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on April 9, 2010. No facsimile or electronic mail applications will be accepted. Paper applications delivered after the deadline will not be accepted, regardless of postmark date. Please note that it may take Grants.gov up to two (2) business days to validate or reject an application. Please keep this in mind when developing your submission timeline; do not wait until the last day to submit an application.

Address for Submitting Proposals:
The proposal may be submitted electronically through Grants.gov online at:
http://www.grants.gov
or by mailing a signed original and four copies of each proposal to Attn: Elaine Vaudreuil, NOAA, Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, National Policy and Evaluation Division (N/ORM7), 1305

East-West Highway, SSMC4, Station 10657, Silver Spring MD 20910.

Information Contacts:
CELCP Program Manager, Elaine Vaudreuil, Phone: (301) 713-3155 ext 103,
E-mail: Elaine.Vaudreuil@noaa.gov.

Eligibility:
Only coastal states and territories with Coastal Zone Management Programs or National Estuarine Research Reserves approved under the CZMA, and that have submitted a draft CELCP plan to NOAA on or before February 19, 2010, are eligible to participate in the FY 2011 CELCP competition. A list of the status of each state and territory's CELCP plan, including the states and territories eligible for this competition, is available at
http://coastalmanagement.noaa.gov/land/media/CELCPplans_web.pdf,
and will be updated as of February 19, 2010. The designated lead agency for implementing CELCP in each state or territory (“lead agency”) is eligible to submit projects for funding under this competition. The lead agency is presumed to be the agency designated as lead for implementing the state or territory's coastal management program, as approved under the CZMA, unless otherwise designated by the Governor. A list of lead contacts for each state and territory is available on the CELCP Web site at
http://coastalmanagement.noaa.gov/land/media/celcpstateleadcontacts.pdf
. The designated lead agency may solicit, and include in their application, project proposals from additional eligible state or territorial agencies, local governments as defined at 15 CFR 24.3, or entities eligible for assistance under section 306A(e) of the CZMA (16 U.S.C. 1455a(e)), provided that each has the authority to acquire and manage land for conservation purposes. As defined at 15 CFR 24.3, local government means a county, municipality, city, town, township, local public authority (including any public and Indian housing agency under the United States Housing Act of 1937), school district, special district, intrastate district, council of governments (whether or not incorporated as a nonprofit corporation under State law), any other regional or interstate government entity, or any agency or instrumentality of a local government. Under section 306A(e) of the CZMA, an eligible entity may be a local government, an areawide agency designated under Chapter 41, Subchapter II, Section 3334 of Title 42, a regional agency, or an interstate agency. The public agencies/entities, or types of entities, considered to be eligible within each state or territory may be identified within the state or territory's CELCP plan. A list of Web sites for state or territory CELCP plans is available at
http://coastalmanagement.noaa.gov/land/media/CELCPplans_web.pdf.
The lead agency will be responsible for: Ensuring that projects are consistent with land conservation priorities outlined in the state or territory's draft or approved CELCP plan; reviewing proposals for completeness and eligibility requirements; prioritizing proposals according to CELCP plan criteria; and nominating up to three proposals to the national selection process at a requested funding level not to exceed $3 million per proposal. For selected projects, NOAA may make financial assistance awards to the lead agency, which will be responsible for ensuring that allocated funds are used for the purposes of and in a manner consistent with this program, including any funds awarded to an eligible sub-applicant. NOAA may, with concurrence of the state or territory's CELCP lead agency, make a grant directly to the identified sub-applicant in order to expedite completion of an approved project. In such cases, the sub-applicant (as the grant recipient) will be responsible for ensuring that allocated funds are used for the approved purposes and in a manner consistent with this program. Interested parties should contact the appropriate CELCP lead in each state or territory for additional information on their project solicitation process. (
See

http://coastalmanagement.noaa.gov/land/media/celcpstateleadcontacts.pdf
for a list of lead contacts for each state and territory.)

Cost Sharing Requirements:
Federal funds awarded under this program must be matched with non-Federal funds at a ratio of 1:1, with the following exception. In accordance with 48 U.S.C. 1469a(d), the 1:1 matching requirement is waived for any project under $200,000 for Insular Areas, defined as the jurisdictions of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. For any project equal to or greater than $200,000, the matching requirement would be waived for the portion under $200,000. The 1:1 match requirement would apply to the portion equal to or above $200,000.
Please note:
Eligible applicants choosing to apply 48 U.S.C. 1469a(d) should note the use of the waiver and the total amount of funds requested to be waived in the matching funds section of the project proposal. Non-Federal matching funds may be derived from state, local, non-governmental or private sources in the form of cash or in-kind contributions. Eligible sources of match and other cost-sharing requirements are specified in Section 2.7 of the CELCP Guidelines as well as in the 2009 CELCP authorization (16 U.S.C. 1456-1), and are outlined in detail in Section III.C. “Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility” of the FFO. The following costs may not be counted toward the non-Federal matching share: (1) Costs associated with CELCP-funded properties that are incurred prior to the grant award. (2) Lands or services previously used as match to a Federal grant. Any funds or in-kind contributions, including the value of donated lands or services, that have been previously used to satisfy the matching requirements of this program or that that have been or will be used to satisfy another Federal grant, may not be counted toward the non-Federal matching share. (3) Lands or services acquired with Federal funds. Unless otherwise provided by Federal law, the value of property, interests in property or services acquired with Federal funding may not be used as non-Federal match. (4) Cash contribution of Federal funds. Unless otherwise provided by Federal law, funding that originated from Federal sources may not be used as non-Federal match.

Intergovernmental Review:
Applications under this program are subject to Executive Order 12372, “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs” for states that participate in this process. A list of the participating states and the clearinghouse points of contact can be found at
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html.

FY10 Bay Watershed Education and Training Program, Adult and Community Watershed Education in the Monterey Bay

Summary Description:
The California B-WET Program, Adult and Community Watershed Education, is a competitively based program that supports existing environmental education programs, fosters the growth of new programs, and encourages the development of partnerships among environmental education programs throughout the Monterey Bay watershed. Funded projects provide meaningful watershed education to adults and communities. The term meaningful watershed education is defined as outcome-based programs that educate citizens about their role in protecting water quality and demonstrate behavioral changes that improve water quality and promote environmental stewardship.

Funding Availability:
This solicitation announces that approximately $200,000 may be available in FY 2010 in award amounts to be determined by the

proposals and available funds. The Office of National Marine Sanctuaries anticipates that approximately 3-6 grants will be awarded with these funds and that typical project awards will range from $20,000 to $60,000. The California B-WET Program should not be considered a long-term source of funds; applicants must demonstrate how ongoing programs, once initiated, will be sustained.

There is no guarantee that sufficient funds will be available to make awards for all qualified projects. The exact amount of funds that may be awarded will be determined in pre-award negotiations between the applicant and NOAA representatives. Publication of this notice does not oblige NOAA to award any specific project or to obligate any available funds. If applicants incur any costs prior to an award being made, they do so at their own risk of not being reimbursed by the government. Notwithstanding verbal or written assurance that may have been received, there is no obligation on the part of NOAA to cover pre-award costs unless approved by the Grants Officer as part of the terms when the award is made.

Statutory Authority:
33 U.S.C. 893 a(a).

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number:
11.429, Marine Sanctuary Program

Application Deadline:
Applications must be received and validated by Grants.gov on or before 5 p.m. PST on February 12, 2010. 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. Both hard copy and electronic proposals received after that time will not be considered for funding and will be returned to the applicant.

Address for Submitting Proposals:
Application packages should be submitted through Grants.gov. If an applicant does not have Internet access, the applicant should send the application package to: Seaberry Nachbar, B-WET Program Manager, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Office, 299 Foam Street, Monterey, CA 93940.

Information Contacts:
Please visit the Office National Marine Sanctuaries B-WET Web site for further information at:
http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/BWET
or contact Seaberry Nachbar, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Office; 299 Foam Street, Monterey, CA 93940, or by phone at 831-647-4204, or fax to 831-647-4250, or via Internet at
seaberry.nachbar@noaa.gov
.

Eligibility:
Eligible applicants are institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, state or local government agencies, and Indian tribal governments. The Department of Commerce/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (DOC/NOAA) is strongly committed to broadening the participation of historically black colleges and universities, Hispanic serving institutions, tribal colleges and universities, and institutions that service undeserved areas. The National Marine Sanctuary Program encourages proposals involving any of the above institutions.

Cost Sharing Requirements:
No cost sharing is required under this program; however, the National Marine Sanctuary Program strongly encourages applicants to share as much of the costs of the award as possible. Funds from other Federal awards will not be accepted as matching funds. The nature of the contribution (cash versus in-kind) and the amount of matching funds will be taken into consideration in the review process with cash being the preferred method of contribution.

Intergovernmental Review:
Applications under this program are not subject to Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.

FY2010 Integrated Ocean Observing System Community Modeling Environment To Support a Super-Regional Test Bed

Summary Description:
The Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) is working to link national and regional observations (observations subsystem), data management (data management and communications subsystem), and modeling and analysis subsystem to provide required data and information on local to global scales to address IOOS seven societal goals of: (1) Improve predictions of climate change and weather and their effects on coastal communities and the nation, (2) Improve the safety and efficiency of maritime operations, (3) More effectively mitigate the effects of natural hazards, (4) Improve national and homeland security, (5) Reduce public health risks, (6) More effectively protect and restore healthy coastal ecosystems, and (7) Enable the sustained use of ocean and coastal resources.

The IOOS modeling and analysis (MA) subsystem supports the ocean, coastal and Great Lakes nowcasting/forecasting/hindcasting and decision making capabilities of IOOS that are needed to address these societal goals. IOOS observing subsystem and data management and communication subsystems are supporting elements for the MA system. Modeling expertise is available within the IOOS Regional Associations, other academic and research institutes, private sector entities, the Federal, local and state government. NOAA, along with other IOOS stakeholders, views the development of a community modeling environment that successfully demonstrates the capability for modeling scientists to share the use of a wide range of oceanic, coastal, atmospheric, hydrologic, and ecological models and associated data, tools and techniques that supports systematic testing, evaluation and transition as appropriate, into operations, as essential to a sustained and operational IOOS. This modeling environment should be designed with the potential to be used for a variety of different modeling problems and over different geographies.

The program priorities for this funding opportunity are to conduct a super-regional test bed demonstration of the community modeling environment by transitioning models, tools, toolkits and other capabilities to a Federal operational facility to improve the understanding, prediction, and mitigation of the consequences of extreme events and chronic conditions affecting the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. Of particular interest are phenomena that intersect the mission goals of NOAA, other operational agencies and the IOOS Regional Associations. This demonstration should also include estimates of the potential costs and benefits of improvements in the current modeling systems at Federal operational agencies.

NOAA seeks proposals for a single cooperative agreement that will define and implement the community modeling environment and demonstration of a super-regional test bed. This test bed is a common environment in which identical variables, boundary conditions, initial conditions, parameterizations and other inputs used in various models to rigorously test and evaluate forecasting skill and the requirements needed for transition to a Federal operational facility or other entities as appropriate. The community environment and associated test bed must also enable data integration and dissemination, and enable scientists to share use of numerical models, observations, and tools; and in addition, provide an environment for identifying, prioritizing and resolving issues associated with interoperable coupling of a range of models such as coastal, oceanic, atmospheric, hydrologic and ecological. Such a test bed and community

modeling environment should include no less than 20 academic partners and research institutions, and partnerships with appropriate Federal operational modeling groups to guarantee it is multi-disciplinary, inclusive of community-modeling, and able to address operational constraints inherent in transitioning models into an operational Federal environment.

Submitted proposals should address the following: (1) In collaboration with Federal partners, development of metrics and a system to evaluate the potential feasibility, costs, and benefits of improvement to existing operational capabilities of transitioning current and emerging community-based ocean, coastal and Great Lakes models into Federal operational facilities. Cooperative development of strategies and specific steps needed to transition existing models or modeling systems into Federal operational facilities including addressing issues of transition costs, reliability, expanded coverage, etc. (2) Define and transition into a Federal operational facility one or more models, tools, toolkits or other capabilities to advance an operational capability to predict an environmental extreme event in the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. The transition to a Federal operational agency is not intended to imply a model, tool or other capability is operational, but rather has been implemented by the agency under pre-operational conditions. (3) Use and build upon existing infrastructure, models and expertise to maximize the benefits to the modeling community and leverage existing resources, capacities and capabilities. (4) Define roles and responsibilities of academic, government and private sector modeling experts, infrastructure and capabilities in the community modeling environment and test bed demonstration. (5) Demonstrate engagement of customer or end users that define the requirements for modeling improvements and provide feedback and evaluation from beginning to end of the project. (6) Conduct the end-to-end modeling process of data access and assimilation, interoperable model coupling, model output delivery, model testing and evaluation, analysis, visualization, skill assessment and user evaluation. (7) Describe suggested strategies for sustaining the modeling test bed infrastructure and expanding to other areas, models or problems.

Funding Availability:
Total anticipated funding for the cooperative agreement is subject to the availability of appropriations. The anticipated federal funding for this announcement is up to $4,500,000.00 for a single award. While the full funding amount will be awarded in year one, applicants may submit proposals that identify how this project will be implemented within a 1-3 year period.

Statutory Authority:
Statutory authority for this program is provided under the Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System Act of 2009, 33 U.S.C. 3601-3610.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number:
11.012, Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS).

Application Deadline:
Applications must be received no later than 5 p.m. EST, February 18, 2010. For applications submitted through
http://grants.gov/,
a date and time receipt indication by Grants.gov will be the basis of determining timeliness. Hard copy applications delivered by mail will be date and time stamped when they are received. Applications received after that time will not be reviewed or considered. Important: All applicants, both electronic and paper, should be aware that adequate time must be factored into applicant schedules for delivery of the application. Electronic applicants are advised that volume on Grants.gov is currently extremely heavy, and if Grants.gov is unable to accept applications electronically in a timely fashion, applicants are encouraged to exercise their option to submit applications in paper format. Paper applicants should allow adequate time to ensure a paper application will be received on time, taking into account that guaranteed overnight carriers are not always able to fulfill their guarantees.

Address for Submitting Proposals:
If an applicant does not have Internet access, the applicant must submit through surface mail one set of originals (signed) and two copies of the proposals and related forms to the NOAA IOOS Program. No e-mail or fax copies will be accepted. Application packages for proposals are available through Grants.gov APPLY. Full proposal application packages submitted by mail must be received no later than the deadline. Any U.S. Postal Service correspondence should be sent to the attention of Regina Evans, NOAA IOOS; 1100 Wayne Avenue, Suite 1225, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910; or by phone at 301-427-2422, fax at 301-427-2073, or e-mail at
Regina.Evans@noaa.gov
.

Information Contacts:
For questions regarding this announcement, contact: Regina Evans, NOAA IOOS; 1100 Wayne Avenue, Suite 1225, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910; or by phone at 301-427-2422, fax at 301-427-2073, or e-mail at
Regina.Evans@noaa.gov
.

Eligibility:
Eligible funding applicants are institutions of higher education, non-profit and for-profit organizations, and state, local and Indian tribal governments. Federal agencies or institutions and foreign governments may not be the primary recipient of awards under this announcement, but are encouraged to partner with applicants when appropriate. If a federal partner is a NOAA office, the funds will be transferred internally. If the Federal partner is an agency other than NOAA, they must demonstrate that they have legal authority to accept funds in excess of their appropriation. Because they would be receiving funds from a non-Federal source, the Economy Act (31 U.S.C. 1535) would not be an appropriate authority.

Cost Sharing Requirements:
There is no requirement for cost sharing or matching. NOAA appreciates that the proposers may utilize existing modeling and information technology investments to further extend the results of this funding opportunity. While a cost share of funding is not required, applicants are encouraged to provide a description of complementary funding and in-kind contributions from project partners so that the government has a more complete picture of the overall project and can better interpret progress reports and other project outputs.

Intergovernmental Review:
Funding applications under the Center are subject to Executive Order 12372, “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.” It is the state agency's responsibility to contact their state's Single Point of Contact (SPCO) to find out about and comply with the state's process under EO 12372. To assist the applicant, the names and addresses of the SPOCs are listed on the Office of Management and Budget's Web site
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html.

Joint Hydrographic Center

Summary Description:
The purpose of this notice is to solicit proposals for a single cooperative agreement between NOAA and an institution of higher learning to operate and maintain a Joint Hydrographic Center as authorized in the Ocean and Coastal Mapping Integration Act and the Hydrographic Services Improvement Act. Proposals submitted in response to this announcement should advance the purposes of the Acts including research and development of hydrographic technologies necessary to ensure safe and efficient navigation; research and development of innovative ocean and coastal mapping technologies, equipment, and data products; mapping

of the United States Outer Continental Shelf and other regions; data processing for nontraditional data and uses; advancing the use of remote sensing technologies, for related issues, including mapping and assessment of essential fish habitat and of coral resources, ocean observations, and ocean exploration; and providing graduate education and training in ocean and coastal mapping sciences. The program priorities for this opportunity support NOAA's mission goal of: Support the Nation's commerce with information for safe, efficient, and environmentally sound transportation.

Funding Availability:
This will be a 5-year, multiyear award. The intent is to make a single 5-year award. Total anticipated funding for this award is approximately $32,500,000 with approximately $6,500,000 to be released in FY 2010 and each subsequent year of the 5 years. This award and the subsequent annual releases of funds are subject to the availability of FY 2010 appropriations and the appropriations of each subsequent FY.

The initial award and subsequent annual release of funds will be adjusted based on available funding.

Statutory Authority:
Statutory authority for this program is provided under 33 U.S.C. 883a and 883d, the Coastal and Ocean Mapping Integration Act, and the Hydrographic Services Improvement Act.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number:
11.400, Geodetic Surveys and Services (Applications of the National Geodetic Ref System)

Application Deadline:
Letters of Intent must be received by the Office of Coast Survey no later than 4 p.m. ET February 3, 2010 . Full proposals must be received by the Office of Coast Survey no later than 4 p.m. ET on March 5, 2010.

Address for Submitting Proposals:
Letters of intent (LOI) may be sent via e-mail to
gretchen.imahori@noaa.gov.
Insert “FY 2010 Joint Hydrographic Center LOI” as the subject line of the e-mail. If hard-copy LOIs are submitted, an original and 3 copies should be sent to the attention of Gretchen Imahori at the Office of Coast Survey, 1315 East West Highway, SSMC3 Station 6715, Silver Spring, MD 20910-3282, tel. 301-713-2777 ext. 123. Full proposal application packages, including any letters of support, should be submitted through Grants.gov APPLY. The standard NOAA funding application package is available at
www.grants.gov
. Please be advised that potential funding applicants must register with Grants.gov before any application materials can be submitted. An organization's one time registration process may take up to three weeks to complete so please allow sufficient time to ensure applications are submitted before the closing date. The Grants.gov site contains directions for submitting an application, the application package (forms), and is also where the completed application is submitted. If an applicant does not have Internet access, one set of originals (signed) and 3 copies of the proposals and related forms should be mailed to the attention of Gretchen Imahori at the Office of Coast Survey, 1315 East West Highway, SSMC3 Station 6715, Silver Spring, MD 20910-3282, tel. 301-713-2777 ext. 123. No e-mail or fax copies of the full proposal will be accepted. Full proposal application packages, including any letters of support, should be submitted together in one package.

Information Contacts:
For administrative and technical questions, contact Gretchen Imahori at the Office of Coast Survey, 1315 East West Highway, SSMC3 Station 6715, Silver Spring, MD 20910-3282, or contact her at 301-713-2777 ext. 123 or via e-mail
gretchen.imahori@noaa.gov
.

Eligibility:
Eligible funding applicants are institutions of higher education in the United States. Federal agencies are not allowed to receive funds under this announcement but may serve as collaborative project partners and may contribute services in kind.

Cost Sharing Requirements:
There is no requirement for cost sharing.

Intergovernmental Review:
Applications under this program are not subject to Executive Order 12372, “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.”

Marine Debris Prevention and Outreach Partnership Grants

Summary Description:
The NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP), mandated by the Marine Debris Research, Prevention and Reduction Act in 2006, has a lead role in addressing marine debris affecting the marine environment and navigation safety in the United States. The MDP defines marine debris as any persistent solid material that is manufactured or processed and directly or indirectly, intentionally or unintentionally, disposed of or abandoned into the marine environment or the Great Lakes. The MDP conducts reduction, prevention, and research activities, as well as supports grants, partnerships, cooperative agreements, and contracts to address marine debris. It has held regional, national, and international workshops and an information exchange forum, and established an interactive Web site (
www.marinedebris.noaa.gov
) which includes a nation-wide web educational campaign. The MDP invites the public to submit applications requesting funding to establish multi-year national and regional partnerships focusing on utilizing existing networks and expanding on existing resources to address marine debris through prevention, education, and outreach activities, and the dissemination and/or development of tools to support these activities. Partnerships are expected to catalyze the public or a target audience to address marine debris in a way that will benefit living marine resources and/or navigation safety. NOAA envisions working jointly on such partnerships through its Marine Debris Program to identify, evaluate, fund, and administer projects that address marine debris and help to restore NOAA trust resource species and habitats.

This document describes the types of marine debris partnerships that NOAA envisions establishing, portrays the qualities that NOAA has found to be ideal in previous partnerships, and describes criteria under which applications will be evaluated for funding consideration. Partnership applications selected through this announcement will be implemented through a cooperative agreement, and will involve joint selection of any multiple marine debris projects funded as sub-awards made through the partner organization. Funding requested to establish partnerships in FY2010 is expected to be greater than funds available for this purpose and the selection process is anticipated to be highly competitive. This is not a request for individual project proposals addressing marine debris, rather it is a focused effort to establish partnerships between the applicant and the MDP that will lead to joint projects addressing marine debris prevention and outreach. Funding is contingent upon the availability of Fiscal Year 2010 appropriations.

Funding Availability:
Total anticipated funding for all partnership awards is approximately $500,000 and is subject to the availability of FY 2010 appropriations. Annual funding is anticipated to maintain partnerships for up to 3 years duration, but this is dependent upon the level of funding made available by Congress. Funding for subsequent years will also depend on the ability of partners to successfully perform partnership activities as stated in their applications. Multiple awards are anticipated from this announcement. The anticipated federal funding per partnership award (min-max) is approximately $20,000 to $150,000 per

year. The anticipated number of partnerships ranges from one (1) to ten (10), approximately, and will be adjusted based on available funding. NOAA will not accept proposals with a single year budget under $15,000 or over $175,000 under this solicitation. Applicants can request increases to continue scaling up partnership activities in subsequent budget periods to a limit of 10% per year, however annual funding levels and any increases over FY 2010 levels for successful applicants will be dependent upon partnership success, regional priorities, and the level of funding provided by Congress in the future.

In accordance with the NOAA Marine Debris Program Grant Program Guidelines published on December 21, 2009 in the
Federal Register
, the NOAA Marine Debris Division Chief (Chief) will determine the proportion of funds available to the MDP on an annual basis that will be obligated to national and regional partnerships each year. The number of partnership awards to be made as a result of this solicitation will depend on the number of eligible applications received, the amount of funds requested for initiating partnerships by the applicants, the merit and ranking of the proposals, and the amount of funds made available to the MDP by Congress. NOAA anticipates that between 1 and 10 awards will be made as a result of this solicitation. There is no guarantee that sufficient funds will be available to initiate partnerships where funding has been recommended, and the number of national and regional partnerships established will be up to the discretion of the Chief. The exact amount of funds that may be awarded to work within a marine debris outreach partnership will be determined in pre-award negotiations between the applicant and NOAA representatives, and multi-year funding requests are expected to be funded incrementally on an annual basis. Publication of this document does not obligate NOAA to establish any specific partnership proposed or to obligate all or any parts of the available funds for partnership activities.

Statutory Authority:
The Administrator is authorized under the under the Marine Debris Research, Prevention, and Reduction Act (MDRPR Act), 33 U.S.C. 1952, to provide grants and cooperative agreements to address marine debris.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number:
11.463, Habitat Conservation

Application Deadline:
Full proposals must be received and validated by Grants.gov, postmarked, or provided to a delivery service on or before 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time February 18, 2010. Validation or rejection of your application by Grants.gov may take up to 2 business days after submission. Please consider this process in developing your submission timeline. Use of a delivery service must be documented with a receipt. No facsimile or electronic mail applications will be accepted.

Address for Submitting Proposals:
Applications should be submitted via www.grants.gov. If grants.gov cannot reasonably be used, applications must be postmarked, or provided to a delivery service and documented with a receipt, by January 30, 2010 and sent to:
Attn:
MD Prevention and Outreach Partnership Applications. NOAA Marine Debris Division (N/ORR), Office of Response and Restoration, N/ORR, 1305 East West Highway, 10th Floor, Silver Spring, MD 20910.

Information Contacts:
For further information contact Sarah Morison at 301-713-2989, or by fax 301-713-4389, or via e-mail at
Sarah.Morison@noaa.gov.

Eligibility:
Eligible applicants are institutions of higher education, hospitals, other non-profits, commercial (for-profit) organizations, Regional Fishery Management Councils and Commissions, organizations under the jurisdiction of foreign governments, international organizations, state, local and Indian tribal governments whose applications propose to benefit NOAA trust resources. Applications from federal agencies or employees of federal agencies will not be considered. Federal agencies are strongly encouraged to work with states, non-governmental organizations, national service clubs or youth corps organizations and others that are eligible to apply. The Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (DOC/NOAA) is strongly committed to broadening the participation of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, and Tribal Colleges and Universities in its educational and research programs. The DOC/NOAA vision, mission, and goals are to achieve full participation by Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) in order to advance the development of human potential, to strengthen the nation's capacity to provide high-quality education, and to increase opportunities for MSIs to participate in, and benefit from, Federal financial assistance programs. DOC/NOAA encourages proposals for innovative national and regional partnerships involving MSIs according to the criteria in this document, to strengthen the capacity of MSIs to foster student careers, research and workforce competitiveness in addressing marine debris through identific

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Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/fr%3A2010-721. Public record. Not legal advice.