[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 134 (Friday, July 11, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40052-40085]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-15720]



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Part III





Department of Commerce





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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration



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Availability of Grant Funds for Fiscal Year 2009; Notice

  Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 134 / Friday, July 11, 2008 / 
Notices  

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[Docket No. 080626787-8788-01]
RIN 0648-ZB96


Availability of Grant Funds for Fiscal Year 2009

AGENCY: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 
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) 2009. 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.

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. 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. NOAA Project Competitions
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)
    1. FY 2009 Monkfish Research Set-Aside
    2. FY 2009 Sea Scallop Research Set-Aside
    3. Cooperative Research Program
    4. FY 2009 B-WET Chesapeake
    5. FY 2009 Open Rivers Initiative
    6. FY 2009 Atlantic Salmon Conservation Grants
    7. FY 2009 Community-based Marine Debris Prevention and Removal
Project Grants
    8. Marine Fisheries Initiative (MARFIN)
    9. NOAA General Coral Reef Conservation Grants Program
    10. Projects to Improve or Amend Coral Reef Fishery Management 
Plans
    11. Protected Species Cooperative Conservation
    12. Saltonstall-Kennedy Grant Program (FY 2009)
    13. Prescott 2009
National Ocean Service (NOS)
    1. FY 2009 CRCP Coral Reef Ecosystem Monitoring
    2. FY 2009 CRCP-Coral Reef Management
    3. Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Hawaii Program
    4. CSCOR FY 2009 NGOMEX and CRES
    5. FY 2009 California Bay Watershed Education and Training 
Program
    6. International Coral
    7. NOAA's National Height Modernization Program
    8. National Coastal and Estuarine Research and Technology 
Program
    9. National Estuarine Research Reserve Graduate Research 
Fellowship Program FY 2009
    10. National Estuarine Research Reserve Land Acquisition and 
Construction Program FY 2009
Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR)
    1. Climate Program Office for FY 2009
    2. FY 2009 NMFS-Sea Grant Fellowships in Marine Resource 
Economics
    3. FY 2009 NMFS-Sea Grant Fellowships in Population Dynamics
    4. FY 2010 Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship (Knauss 
Fellowship Program)
    5. FY 2009 Joint Hurricane Testbed
    6. FY 2009 Ocean Exploration Omnibus--Education
    7. FY 2009 Ocean Exploration Omnibus--Marine Archaeology
    8. FY 2009 Ocean Exploration Omnibus--Ocean Exploration
IV. NOAA Project Competitions Listed by NOAA Mission Goals

1. Protect, Restore and Manage the Use of Coastal and Ocean 
Resources Through Ecosystem-Based Management

    Summary Description: Coastal areas are among the most developed 
in the Nation. More than half the population lives on less than one-
fifth of the land in the contiguous United States. Furthermore, 
employment in near shore areas is growing three times faster than 
population. Coastal and marine waters support over 28 million jobs 
and provide a tourism destination for nearly 90 million Americans a 
year. The value of the ocean economy to the United States is over 
$115 billion. The value added annually to the national economy by 
the commercial and recreational fishing industry alone is over $48 
billion. U.S. aquaculture sales total almost $1 billion annually. 
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.
    Funded proposals should help achieve the following outcomes:
     Healthy and productive coastal and marine ecosystems 
that benefit society
     A well-informed public that acts as a steward of 
coastal and marine ecosystems

Program Names:
    1. FY 2009 CRCP-Coral Reef Management
    2. Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Hawaii Program
    3. Cooperative Research Program
    4. Marine Fisheries Initiative (MARFIN)
    5. National Estuarine Research Reserve Land Acquisition and 
Construction Program FY 2009
    6. National Estuarine Research Reserve Graduate Research 
Fellowship Program FY 2009
    7. International Coral
    8. CSCOR FY09 NGOMEX and CRES
    9. FY 2009 California Bay Watershed Education and Training 
Program
    10. FY 2009 Ocean Exploration Omnibus--Marine Archaeology
    11. FY 2009 Sea Scallop Research Set-Aside
    12. FY 2009 CRCP Coral Reef Ecosystem Monitoring
    13. NOAA's National Height Modernization Program
    14. FY 2009 Monkfish Research Set-Aside
    15. Protected Species Cooperative Conservation
    16. FY 2009 Ocean Exploration Omnibus--Ocean Exploration
    17. FY 2009 Ocean Exploration Omnibus--Education
    18. FY 2009 B-WET Chesapeake
    19. National Coastal and Estuarine Research and Technology 
Program
    20. NOAA General Coral Reef Conservation Grants Program
    21. FY 2009 Open Rivers Initiative
    22. FY 2009 Community-based Marine Debris Prevention and Removal 
Project Grants
    23. Projects to Improve or Amend Coral Reef Fishery Management 
Plans
    24. FY 2009 Atlantic Salmon Conservation Grants
    25. FY 2010 Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship (Knauss 
Fellowship Program)

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    26. FY 2009 NMFS-Sea Grant Fellowships in Population Dynamics
    27. FY 2009 NMFS-Sea Grant Fellowships in Marine Resource 
Economics
    28. Prescott 2009

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

    Summary Description: Climate shapes the environment, natural 
resources, economies, and social systems that people depend upon 
worldwide. While humanity has learned to contend with some aspects 
of climate's natural variability, major climatic events, combined 
with the stresses of population growth, economic growth, public 
health concerns, and land-use practices, can impose serious 
consequences on society. The 1997-98 El Nino, for example, had a $25 
billion impact on the U.S. economy-property losses were $2.6 billion 
and crop losses approached $2 billion. Long-term drought leads to 
increased and competing demands for fresh water with related effects 
on terrestrial and marine ecosystems, agricultural productivity, and 
even the spread of infectious diseases. Decisions about mitigating 
climate change also can alter economic and social structures on a 
global scale. We can deliver reliable climate information in useful 
ways to help minimize risks and maximize opportunities for decisions 
in agriculture, public policy, natural resources, water and energy 
use, and public health. We continue to move toward developing a 
seamless suite of weather and climate products. The Climate Goal 
addresses predictions on time scales of up to decades or longer.
    Funded proposals should help achieve the following outcomes:
     A predictive understanding of the global climate system 
on time scales of weeks to decades with quantified uncertainties 
sufficient for making informed and reasoned decisions.
     Climate-sensitive sectors and the climate-literate 
public effectively incorporating NOAA's climate products into their 
plans and decisions.

Program Names:
    1. Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Hawaii Program
    2. Climate Program Office for FY 2009
    3. FY 2009 Ocean Exploration Omnibus--Marine Archaeology
    4. FY 2009 Ocean Exploration Omnibus--Ocean Exploration
    5. FY 2009 Ocean Exploration Omnibus--Education
    6. FY 2010 Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship (Knauss 
Fellowship Program)

3. Provide Critical Support for NOAA's Mission

    Summary Description: Strong, effective, and efficient support 
activities are necessary for us to achieve our Mission Goals. Our 
facilities, ships, aircraft, environmental satellites, data 
processing systems, computing and communication systems, and our 
approach to management provide the foundation of support for all of 
our programs. This critical foundation must adapt to evolving 
mission needs and, therefore, is an integral part of our strategic 
planning. It also must support U.S. homeland security by maintaining 
continuity of operations and by providing NOAA services, such as 
civil alert relays through NOAA Weather Radio and air dispersion 
forecasts, in response to national emergencies. NOAA ships, 
aircraft, and environmental satellites are the backbone of the 
global Earth observing system and provide many critical mission 
support services. To keep this capability strong and current with 
our Mission Goals, we will ensure that NOAA has adequate access to 
safe and efficient ships and aircraft through the use of both NOAA 
platforms and those of other agency, academic, and commercial 
partners. We will work with academia and partners in the public and 
private sectors to ensure that future satellite systems are 
designed, developed, and operated with the latest technology. 
Leadership development and program support are essential for 
achieving our Mission Goals. We must also commit to organizational 
excellence through management and leadership across a ``corporate'' 
NOAA. We must continue our commitment to valuing NOAA's diverse 
workforce, including effective workforce planning strategies 
designed to attract, retain and develop competencies at all levels 
of our workforce. Through the use of business process re-
engineering, we will strive for state-of-the-art, value-added 
financial and administrative processes. NOAA will ensure state-of-
the-art and secure information technology and systems. By developing 
long-range, comprehensive facility planning processes, NOAA will be 
able to ensure right-sized, cost-effective, and safe facilities.
    Funded proposals should help achieve the following outcomes:
     A dynamic workforce with competencies that support 
NOAA's mission today and in the future.

Program Names:
    1. Saltonstall-Kennedy Grant Program (FY 2009)
    2. FY 2010 Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship (Knauss 
Fellowship Program)

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

    Summary Description: Safe and efficient transportation systems 
are crucial to the U.S. economy. The U.S. marine transportation 
system ships over 95 percent of the tonnage and more than 20 percent 
by value of foreign trade through U.S. ports, including 48 percent 
of the oil needed to meet America's energy demands. At least $4 
billion is lost annually due to economic inefficiencies resulting 
from weather related air-traffic delays. Improved surface weather 
forecasts and specific user warnings would reduce the 7,000 weather 
related fatalities and 800,000 injuries that occur annually from 
crashes on roads and highways. The injuries, loss of life, and 
property damage from weather-related crashes cost an average of $42 
billion annually. We provide information, services, and products for 
transportation safety and for increased commerce on roads, rails, 
and waterways. We will improve the accuracy of our information for 
marine, aviation, and surface weather forecasts, the availability of 
accurate and advanced electronic navigational charts, and the 
delivery of real-time oceanographic information. We seek to provide 
consistent, accurate, and timely positioning information that is 
critical for air, sea, and surface transportation. We will respond 
to hazardous material spills and provide search and rescue routinely 
to save lives and money and to protect the coastal environment. We 
will work with port and coastal communities and with Federal and 
state partners to ensure that port operations and development 
proceed efficiently and in an environmentally sound manner. We will 
work with the Federal Aviation Administration and the private sector 
to reduce the negative impacts of weather on aviation without 
compromising safety. Because of increased interest by the public and 
private sectors, we also will expand weather information for marine 
and surface transportation to enhance safety and efficiency.
    Funded proposals should help achieve the following outcomes:
     Safe, secure, efficient, and seamless movement of goods 
and people in the U.S. transportation system
     Environmentally sound development and use of the U.S. 
transportation system.

Program Names:
    1. NOAA's National Height Modernization Program
    2. FY 2010 Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship (Knauss 
Fellowship Program)

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

    Summary Description: Floods, droughts, hurricanes, tornadoes, 
tsunamis, wildfires, and other severe weather events cause $11 
billion in damages each year in the United States. Weather is 
directly linked to public health and safety, and nearly one-third of 
the U.S. economy (about $3 trillion) 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. With our partners, we seek to provide decision makers 
with key observations, analyses, predictions, and warnings for a 
range of weather and water conditions, including those related to 
water supply, air quality, space weather, and wildfires. Businesses, 
governments, and nongovernmental organizations are getting more 
sophisticated about how to use this weather and water information to 
improve operational efficiencies, to manage environmental resources, 
and to create a better quality of life. On average, hurricanes, 
tornadoes, tsunamis, and other severe weather events cause $11 
billion in damages per year. Weather, including space weather, is 
directly linked to public safety and about one-third of the U.S. 
economy (about $3 trillion) is weather sensitive. With so much at 
stake, NOAA's role in observing, forecasting, and warning of 
environmental events is expanding, while economic sectors and its 
public are becoming increasingly sophisticated at using NOAA's 
weather, air quality, and water information to improve their 
operational efficiencies and their

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management of environmental resources, and quality of life.
    Funded proposals should help achieve the following outcomes:
     Reduced loss of life, injury, and damage to the economy
     Better, quicker, and more valuable weather and water 
information to support improved decisions
     Increased customer satisfaction with weather and water 
information and services

Program Names:
    1. FY 2009 Joint Hurricane Testbed
    2. FY 2010 Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship (Knauss 
Fellowship Program)
V. NOAA Non-competitive Opportunity

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 non-
competitive financial assistance project to be administered by NOAA. 
This project is titled ``NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Grant Program--
Coral Reef Ecosystem Research Grants''. The NOAA Coral Reef 
Conservation Grant Program announces that it is providing funding to 
the NOAA Undersea Research Program (NURP) Centers for: The Southeastern 
U.S., Florida, and Gulf of Mexico Region, the Southeast U.S. and Gulf 
of Mexico Center; and the Hawaii and Western Pacific Region, the Hawaii 
Undersea Research Laboratory, to administer two external, competitive 
coral reef ecosystem research grants programs. To receive an award for 
this project, an eligible applicant must submit a complete and 
responsive application to the appropriate program office. An award is 
made upon conclusion of the evaluation process for the prospective 
project.

II. Electronic Access

    The FFO 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.

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, which 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 online 
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 and Credential Provider 
Registration. In addition to having a DUNS number, applicants applying 
electronically through Grants.gov must register with the Federal 
Central Contractor Registry and with a Credential Provider. 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 and for registering with a credential 
provider. All applicants filing electronically must register with the 
Central Contractor Registry and receive credentials from the Grants.gov 
credential provider in order to apply online. Failure to register with 
the Central Contractor Registry and credential provider 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 any time 
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

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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 offline. 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: 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 
[email protected]. 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 you are applying for.
    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 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 acknowledgment 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.
    NOAA suggests that applicants submit their applications during the 
operating hours of the Contact Center for 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. The 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.
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
    At least three technical 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

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recommendations to the Selecting Official applying the selection 
factors listed below. The Selecting Official shall award in 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
    At least three technical 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, or
    c. Geographically.
    3. Program-specific objectives.
    4. Degree in scientific area and type of degree sought.

III. NOAA Project Competitions

National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)

1. FY 2009 Monkfish Research Set-Aside
    Summary Description: NMFS announces that the New England and Mid-
Atlantic Fishery Management Councils (Councils) have set aside 500 
monkfish days-at-sea (DAS) to be used for research endeavors under a 
research set-aside (RSA) program. NMFS is soliciting proposals for 
research activities concerning the monkfish fishery for fishing year 
2009 (May 1, 2009-April 30, 2010). Through the allocation of research 
DAS, the Monkfish RSA Program provides a mechanism to reduce the cost 
for vessel owners to participate in cooperative monkfish research. The 
intent of this program is for fishing vessels to utilize these research 
DAS to conduct monkfish related research, rather than their allocated 
monkfish DAS, thereby eliminating any cost to the vessel associated 
with using a monkfish DAS. Landings from such research trips may be 
sold to generate funds to help defray research costs. No Federal funds 
are provided for research under this notification. Rather, projects 
funded under the Monkfish RSA Program would be provided with additional 
opportunity to harvest monkfish, and the catch sold to generate income 
to offset research costs. Projects funded under an RSA DAS award must 
enhance the knowledge of the monkfish fishery resource or contribute to 
the body of information on which management decisions are made. The 
Councils and NMFS will give priority to funding research proposals in 
the following general subject areas: (1) Cooperative research to 
supplement NMFS surveys; (2) life history studies on age and growth, 
longevity, reproduction, and natural mortality; (3) tagging and 
telemetry studies to investigate short- and long-term movements and 
habitat use; (4) research concerning bycatch and discard mortality of 
target and/or non-target species; (5) trawl and gillnet gear studies 
concerning size and/or species selectivity and bycatch reduction 
(including reducing bycatch of and interactions with protected 
species); and (6) research concerning trophic interactions of monkfish 
with other species. Please note that the research subject areas listed 
above are not listed in order of priority. Projects that follow up or 
expand on previous cooperative research are encouraged and will be 
given additional consideration, provided such research would enhance 
the utility of the initial work.
    Funding Availability: No Federal funds are provided for research 
under this notification. Rather, projects selected under the Monkfish 
RSA Program would be provided with additional opportunity to harvest 
monkfish, and the catch sold to generate income to offset research 
costs. The Federal Government (i.e., NMFS) may issue an Exempted 
Fishing Permit (EFP), if needed, that may provide special fishing 
privileges in response to research proposals selected under this 
program. For example, vessels participating in an approved research 
project may be authorized by the Northeast Regional Administrator, 
NMFS, to harvest monkfish in excess of established possession limits. 
This would be the fourth year of the

[[Page 40057]]

Monkfish RSA Program. Two awards were issued under the 2006 Monkfish 
RSA Program, with these projects ending in April 2007. Three awards 
were issued under the 2007 Monkfish RSA Program, with these projects 
recently ending April 2007. Four awards have been issued under the 2008 
Monkfish RSA program, and these projects are expected to commence in 
May 2008. A total of 137.5 RSA DAS were issued to projects during FY 
2006. A total of 367 RSA DAS were issued to projects for FY 2007. All 
of the 500 monkfish RSA DAS available thru the Monkfish RSA program 
have been issued to projects for FY 2009. It is anticipated that 2-5 
awards will be made under the 2009 Monkfish RSA Program. Funds 
generated from landings harvested and sold under the Monkfish RSA 
Program shall be used to cover the cost of research activities, 
including vessel costs. For example, the funds may be used to pay for 
gear modifications, monitoring equipment, the salaries of research 
personnel, or vessel operation costs. The Federal Government shall not 
be liable for any costs incurred in the conduct of the project. 
Specifically, the Federal Government is not liable for any costs 
incurred by the researcher or vessel owner should the sale of catch not 
fully reimburse the researcher or vessel owner for his/her expenses. 
Any additional funds generated through the sale of set-aside landings, 
above the cost of the research activities, shall be retained by the 
vessel owner as compensation for the use of his/her vessel.
    Statutory Authority: Statutory authority for this program is found 
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. The ability to 
set aside monkfish DAS for research purposes was established in the 
final rule implementing Amendment 2 to the Monkfish Fishery Management 
Plan (70 FR 21927, April 28, 2005), codified at 50 CFR 648.92(c).
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.454, 
Unallied Management Projects.
    Application Deadline: Full proposals must be received by 5 p.m., 
Eastern Daylight Time, on September 9, 2008.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: To apply for this NOAA Federal 
funding opportunity, please go to http://www.grants.gov, and use the 
following funding opportunity  NMFS-NEFSC-2009-2001478. 
Applicants without Internet access may contact Cheryl Corbett, NMFS, 
Northeast Fisheries Science Center, 166 Water Street, Woods Hole, MA 
02543, by phone 508-495-2070, fax 508-495-2004, or e-mail 
[email protected].
    Information Contacts: Information may be obtained from Paul Howard, 
Executive Director, New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC), by 
phone 978-465-0492, or by fax 978-465-3116; Philip Haring, Senior 
Fishery Analyst, NEFMC, by phone 978-465-0492, or by e-mail at 
[email protected]; or Cheryl Corbett, NMFS, Northeast Fisheries Science 
Center, phone 508-495-2070, fax 508-495-2004, or e-mail 
[email protected], or from Ryan Silva, NMFS, Northeast Regional Office, 
phone (978) 281-9326, fax (978) 281-9135, e-mail [email protected].
    Eligibility: 1. Eligible applicants include, but are not limited 
to, institutions of higher education, hospitals, other nonprofits, 
commercial organizations, individuals, 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 
(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.''
2. FY 2009 Sea Scallop Research Set-Aside
    Summary Description: NMFS requests scallop research proposals to 
utilize Atlantic sea scallop (scallop) total allowable catch (TAC) and 
Days-at-Sea (DAS) that have been set-aside by the New England Fishery 
Management Council (Council) to fund scallop research endeavors through 
the 2009 Atlantic Sea Scallop Research Set-Aside Program (Scallop RSA 
Program). NMFS is requesting proposals for research activities for FY 
2009. No Federal funds are provided for research under this 
notification.
    Rather, the Scallop RSA Program funds scallop research and 
compensates participating vessels through the sale of scallops 
harvested under the research set-aside quota. Priority will be given to 
scallop research proposals that investigate research priorities 
identified by the Council and detailed under the Program Priorities 
section of the FFO.
    Funding Availability: No Federal funds are provided for sea scallop 
research under this notice. Funds are generated through the sale of 
set-aside scallops. The Federal government will issue Letters of 
Authorization (LOAs) that provide special fishing privileges in 
response to sea scallop research proposals selected to participate in 
the 2009 Scallop RSA Program. Funds generated from RSA landings shall 
be used to cover the cost of the research activities, including vessel 
costs, and to compensate vessels for expenses incurred during the 
collection of set-aside scallops. For example, these funds could 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. Any additional funds 
generated through the sale of set-aside scallops above the cost of the 
research activities, shall be retained by the vessel owner as 
compensation for the use of his/her vessel.
    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. The ability to 
set aside scallop TAC and DAS and to establish parameters are found in 
the Joint Frameworks (69 FR 63460, November 2, 2004), and Amendment 10 
(69 FR 35194, June 23, 2004) and Framework Adjustment 19 (73 FR 30790, 
May 29, 2008) to the Federal

[[Page 40058]]

Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan (May 15, 1982).
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.454, 
Unallied Management Projects.
    Application Deadline: Full proposals must be received by 5 p.m., 
Eastern Standard Time, on August 25, 2008.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: To apply for this NOAA Federal 
funding opportunity, please go to http://www.grants.gov, and use the 
following funding opportunity  NMFS-NEFSC-2009-2001472. 
Applicants without Internet access may contact Cheryl Corbett, NMFS, 
Northeast Fisheries Science Center, 166 Water Street, Woods Hole, MA 
02543, by phone 508-495-2070, fax 508-495-2004, or e-mail 
[email protected].
    Information Contacts: Information may be obtained from Deirdre 
Boelke, New England Fishery Management Council, phone (978) 465-0492, 
fax (978) 465-3116, or e-mail [email protected], from Cheryl Corbett, 
NMFS, Northeast Fisheries Science Center, phone 508-495-2070, fax 508-
495-2004, or e-mail [email protected], or from Ryan Silva, NMFS, 
Northeast Regional Office, phone (978) 281-9326, fax (978) 281-9135, e-
mail [email protected].
    Eligibility: 1. Eligible applicants include, but are not limited 
to, institutions of higher education, hospitals, other nonprofits, 
commercial organizations, individuals, 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 
(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.''
3. Cooperative Research Program
    Summary Description: The CRP program provides financial assistance 
for projects that seek to increase and improve the working relationship 
between researchers from the NMFS, state fishery agencies, 
universities, and fishermen in the Gulf of Mexico and off the South 
Atlantic states of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida 
involving the U.S. fishing industry (recreational and commercial). The 
program is a means of involving commercial and recreational fishermen 
in the collection of fundamental fisheries information. Collection 
efforts support the development and evaluation of management and 
regulatory options. This program addresses NOAA's mission goal to 
``Protect, Restore, and Manage the Use of Coastal and Ocean Resources 
Through an Ecosystem Approach to Management.''
    Funding Availability: Approximately $2.0 million may be available 
in fiscal year (FY) 2009 for projects. Actual funding availability for 
this program is contingent upon Fiscal Year 2009 Congressional 
appropriations. The NMFS Southeast Regional Office estimates awarding 
projects that will range from $25,000 to $400,000. The average award is 
$150,000. Publication of this notice does not obligate NMFS to award 
any specific grant or cooperative agreement or any of the available 
funds.
    Statutory Authority: Authority for the CRP is provided by the 
following: 15 U.S.C. 713c-3(d).
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.454, 
Unallied Management Projects.
    Application Deadline: Applications must be received by 5 p.m., 
Eastern Daylight Time on September 9, 2008 to be considered for 
funding. Applications received after the deadline will be rejected/
returned to the sender without further consideration.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: Applications must be submitted 
through www.grants.gov, unless an applicant does not have Internet 
access. In that case, hard copies with original signatures may be sent 
to: National Marine Fisheries Service, State/Federal Liaison Branch, 
263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701.
    Information Contacts: For questions regarding the application 
process, you may contact: Robert Sadler, State/Federal Liaison Branch, 
(727) 824-5324, or [email protected].
    Eligibility: Eligible applicants may be institutions of higher 
education, nonprofits, commercial organizations, individuals, and 
state, local, and Indian tribal governments. Federal agencies or 
institutions are not eligible. Foreign governments, organizations under 
the jurisdiction of foreign governments, and international 
organizations are excluded for purposes of this solicitation since the 
objective of the CRP is to optimize research and development benefits 
from U.S. marine fishery resources. Applicants who are not commercial 
or recreational fisherman must have commercial or recreational 
fishermen participating in their project. There must be a written 
agreement with a fisherman describing the involvement in the project 
activity.
    Cost Sharing Requirements: Cost-sharing is not required for this 
program.
    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 SPOCs are listed in the Office of Management 
and Budget's home page at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html.
4. FY 2009 B-WET Chesapeake
    Summary Description: The Chesapeake B-WET grant program 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 entire Chesapeake Bay watershed. Funded projects assist 
in meeting the Stewardship and Community Engagement goals of the 
Chesapeake 2000 Agreement. Projects chosen for award under this program 
support organizations that provide students meaningful watershed 
educational experiences and teachers related professional development 
opportunities related to the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

[[Page 40059]]

    Funding Availability: This solicitation announces that 
approximately $3.5M may be available in FY 2009 in award amounts to be 
determined by the proposals and available funds. Funding is anticipated 
to maintain partnerships for up to 3 years duration, but is dependent 
on funding made available annually by Congress. Project proposals 
accepted for funding with a project period over one year do not have to 
compete for the additional years of funding. However, funding for the 
additional years is contingent upon the availability of funds and 
satisfactory performance and is at the sole discretion of the agency. 
1. Approximately $2.5M of the $3.5M available in FY 2009 will be for 
exemplary programs that successfully integrate teacher professional 
development on the Chesapeake Bay watershed with in-depth classroom 
study and outdoor experiences for their students. 2. Approximately 
$500K of the $3.5M available in FY 2009 will be for proposals that 
provide opportunities either for students to participate in MWEEs 
related to Chesapeake Bay or related Professional Development for 
teachers. 3. Approximately $500K of the $3.5M available in FY 2009 will 
be for proposals that incorporate CBIBS into meaningful watershed 
educational experiences for students or related professional 
development for teachers. The NCBO anticipates that typical awards for 
B-WET Exemplar Programs that successfully integrate teacher 
professional development with in-depth classroom student and outdoor 
experiences for their students will range from $50,000 to $200,000. 
Projects that represent either meaningful watershed educational 
experiences for students or teacher professional development in 
watershed education will range from $25,000 to $75,000. Projects 
focusing on the Chesapeake Bay Interpretive Buoy system will range from 
$25,000 to $200,000. Actual funding availability for this program is 
contingent upon Fiscal Year 2009 Congressional appropriations. 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: Under 33 U.S.C. 893a(a), the Administrator of 
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is authorized to 
conduct, develop, support, promote, and coordinate formal and informal 
educational activities at all levels to enhance public awareness and 
understanding of ocean, coastal, Great Lakes, and atmospheric science 
and stewardship by the general public and other coastal stakeholders, 
including underrepresented groups in ocean and atmospheric science and 
policy careers. In conducting those activities, the Administrator shall 
build upon the educational programs and activities of the agency.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.457, 
Chesapeake Bay Studies.
    Application Deadline: Proposals must be received by 5 p.m. eastern 
time on Friday, October 3, 2008.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: Applications must be submitted 
through www.grants.gov, unless an applicant does not have Internet 
access. In that case, hard copies with original signatures may be sent 
to: Shannon Sprague, B-WET Program Manager, NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office, 
410 Severn Avenue, Suite 107A, Annapolis, MD 21403
    Information Contacts: Please visit the B-WET Web site for further 
information at: http://noaa.chesapeakebay.net/educationgrants.aspx or 
contact the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office, 410 Severn Avenue, Suite 107A, 
Annapolis, MD 21403, or by phone at 410-267-5660. Potential applicants 
are also invited to contact the staff before submitting an application 
to discuss the applicability of partnership ideas to B-WET goals and 
objectives. B-WET contacts are as follows: Virginia/West Virginia: Ann 
Marie Chapman ([email protected]--757-627-3823), Maryland's 
Eastern Shore/Delaware: Doug Levin ([email protected]--410-226-5193), 
Maryland (other than Eastern Shore)/Washington, DC: Kevin Schabow 
([email protected]--410-267-3145), Pennsylvania/New York: Shannon 
Sprague ([email protected]--410-267-5664).
    Eligibility: Eligible applicants are K-through-12 public and 
independent schools and school systems, institutions of higher 
education, community-based and nonprofit organizations, state or local 
government agencies, interstate agencies, and Indian tribal governments 
in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. 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 applying for 
either area of interest to share as much of the costs of the award 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 are 
subject to Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal 
Programs.
5. FY 2009 Open Rivers Initiative
    Summary Description: The NOAA Open Rivers Initiative (ORI) provides 
funding to catalyze the implementation of locally-driven projects to 
remove dams and other river barriers, in order to benefit living marine 
and coastal resources, particularly diadromous fish. Projects funded 
through the Open Rivers Initiative have strong on-the-ground habitat 
restoration components that foster economic, educational, and social 
benefits for citizens and their communities in addition to long-term 
ecological habitat improvements for NOAA trust resources. Through the 
ORI, NOAA provides funding and technical assistance for barrier removal 
projects. Proposals selected for funding through this solicitation will 
be implemented through a cooperative agreement. Funding of up to 
$7,000,000 is expected to be available for ORI Project Grants in FY 
2009. The NOAA Restoration Center (RC) within the Office of Habitat 
Conservation will administer this grant initiative, and anticipates 
that typical awards will range from $50,000 to $250,000. Although a 
select few may fall outside of this range, project proposals requesting 
less than $30,000 or greater than $1,000,000 will not be accepted or 
reviewed.
    Funding Availability: This solicitation announces that funding of 
up to $7,000,000 is expected to be available for Open Rivers Initiative 
Project Grants in FY 2009. Actual funding availability

[[Page 40060]]

for this program is contingent upon Fiscal Year 2009 Congressional 
appropriations. NOAA anticipates that typical project awards will range 
from $50,000 to $250,000; proposals requesting less than $30,000 or 
more than $1,000,000 will not be accepted under this solicitation. NOAA 
does not guarantee that sufficient funds will be available to make 
awards for all proposals. 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 by the applicants, the merit 
and ranking of the proposals, and the amount of funds made available to 
the ORI by Congress. NOAA anticipates that between 10 and 20 awards 
will be made as a result of this solicitation. 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 Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, 16 U.S.C. 661, as amended by 
the Reorganization Plan No. 4 of 1970, to provide grants or cooperative 
agreements for fisheries habitat restoration. The Secretary of Commerce 
is also authorized under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Reauthorization Act of 2006 (H.R. 5946) to provide funding 
and technical expertise for fisheries and coastal habitat restoration 
and to promote significant community support and volunteer 
participation in such activities.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.463, 
Habitat Conservation.
    Application Deadline: Applications must be submitted through 
www.grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. EDT, October 31, 2008. If an applicant 
does not have Internet access, hard copy applications with the SF-424 
Form bearing an original, ink signature must be postmarked, or provided 
to a delivery service and documented with a receipt, by October 31, 
2008. No facsimile or electronic mail applications will be accepted.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: Applications must be submitted 
through www.grants.gov, unless an applicant does not have Internet 
access. In that case, hard copies with original signatures may be sent 
to: NOAA Restoration Center (F/HC3), Office of Habitat Conservation, 
NOAA Fisheries, 1315 East-West Highway, Rm. 14718, Silver Spring, MD 
20910. ATTN: Open Rivers Initiative Project Applications.
    Information Contacts: For further information contact Tisa Shostik 
([email protected]) or Melanie Gange ([email protected]) at 
(301) 713-0174. Potential applicants are invited to contact NOAA 
Restoration Center staff before submitting an application to discuss 
the applicability of project ideas to the goals and objectives of ORI. 
Additional information on the ORI 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 whose projects have the potential 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, tribal colleges and 
universities, and institutions that work in under-served areas. The ORI 
encourages proposals from or involving any of the above institutions.
    Cost Sharing Requirements: A major goal of the ORI will be to 
provide seed money for projects that leverage funds and other 
contributions from a broad public and private sector to implement 
locally important barrier removals to benefit living marine and coastal 
resources. To this end, applicants are encouraged to demonstrate a 1:1 
non-federal match for ORI funds requested to conduct the proposed 
project. NOAA strongly encourages applicants to leverage as much 
investment as possible. 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.) in the FFO. Matching 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 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. 2. ``Indirect Costs'' 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 individual 
barrier removal 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 under this initiative 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 
SPOCs are listed in the Office of Management and Budget's home page at: 
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html.
6. FY 2009 Atlantic Salmon Conservation Grants
    Summary Description: NOAA Atlantic Salmon Conservation Grants 
provide funding to catalyze the implementation of locally driven 
projects that address priority needs for Atlantic salmon recovery and 
restoration. Through these grants, NOAA provides funding and technical 
assistance to support restoration of habitat connectivity and function 
for the benefit of Atlantic salmon within their current and historical 
range in New England. Funded projects have strong on-the-ground habitat 
restoration or protection components that lead to long-term ecological 
habitat improvements for Atlantic salmon, and also provide educational 
and social benefits related to Atlantic salmon conservation for 
citizens and their communities. Proposals selected for funding through 
this solicitation will be implemented

[[Page 40061]]

through a cooperative agreement. The Atlantic Salmon Conservation 
Grants initiative is collaboratively managed by the NOAA Northeast 
Regional Office and the Office of Habitat Conservation. The NOAA 
Restoration Center (RC) within the Office of Habitat Conservation will 
administer the grant competition. Funding of up to $2,500,000 is 
expected to be available for Atlantic Salmon Conservation Grants in FY 
2009. Typical awards will range from $50,000 to $250,000. Although a 
select few may fall outside of this typical award range, project 
proposals requesting less than $30,000 or more than $500,000 will not 
be accepted or reviewed.
    Funding Availability: This solicitation announces that funding of 
up to $2,500,000 is expected to be available for the Atlantic Salmon 
Conservation Grants in FY 2009. Actual funding availability for this 
solicitation is contingent upon Fiscal Year 2009 Congressional 
appropriations. NOAA anticipates that typical project awards will range 
from $50,000 to $250,000; proposals requesting less than $30,000 or 
more than $500,000 will not be accepted under this solicitation. NOAA 
anticipates that between 25 and 40 awards will be made as a result of 
this solicitation. 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 Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, 16 U.S.C. 661, as amended by 
the Reorganization Plan No. 4 of 1970, to provide grants or cooperative 
agreements for fisheries habitat restoration. The Secretary of Commerce 
is also authorized under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Reauthorization Act of 2006 (H.R. 5946) to provide funding 
and technical expertise for fisheries and coastal habitat restoration 
and to promote significant community support and volunteer 
participation in such activities.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.463, 
Habitat Conservation.
    Application Deadline: Applications must be submitted through 
www.grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. EDT, November 14, 2008. If an applicant 
does not have Internet access, hard copy applications with the SF-424 
Form bearing an original, ink signature must be postmarked, or provided 
to a delivery service and documented with a receipt, by November 14, 
2008. No facsimile or electronic mail applications will be accepted.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: Applications must be submitted 
through www.grants.gov, unless an applicant does not have Internet 
access. In that case, hard copies with original signatures may be sent 
to: NOAA Restoration Center (F/HC3), Office of Habitat Conservation, 
NOAA Fisheries, 1315 East-West Highway, Rm. 14727, Silver Spring, MD 
20910. ATTN: Atlantic Salmon Conservation Grant Applications.
    Information Contacts: For further information contact Cathy Bozek 
([email protected]) or Craig Woolcott ([email protected]) at 
(301) 713-0174. Potential applicants are invited to contact NOAA staff 
before submitting an application to discuss the applicability of 
project ideas to the goals and objectives of the grant solicitation.
    Eligibility: Eligible applicants are institutions of higher 
education, other non-profits, industry and commercial (for profit) 
organizations, organizations under the jurisdiction of foreign 
governments, international organizations, and state, local and Indian 
tribal governments whose projects have the potential 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, tribal colleges and 
universities, and institutions that work in under-served areas. NOAA 
encourages proposals from or involving any of the above institutions.
    Cost Sharing Requirements: A major goal of this grant solicitation 
will be to provide seed money for projects that leverage funds and 
other contributions from a broad segment of the public and private 
sector to implement locally important habitat restoration projects to 
benefit Atlantic salmon populations. To this end, applicants are 
encouraged to demonstrate a 1:1 non-federal match for NOAA funds 
requested to conduct the proposed project. NOAA strongly encourages 
applicants to leverage as much investment as possible, but applicants 
with little or no match will not be disqualified. Applicants should 
note that cost sharing is an element considered in Evaluation Criterion 
4 ``Project Costs'' (Section V.A.4.) of the FFO; however 
matters related to the importance and scientific merits of the proposed 
project comprise the majority of the evaluation criteria. 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 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 individual 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 under this initiative 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 
SPOCs are listed in the Office of Management and Budget's home page at: 
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html.
7. FY 2009 Community-based Marine Debris Prevention and Removal Project 
Grants
    Summary Description: The NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP), 
authorized in the Marine Debris Research, Prevention, and Reduction Act 
(MDRPR Act, 33 U.S.C. 1951 et seq.), provides funding to catalyze the

[[Page 40062]]

implementation of locally driven, community-based marine debris 
prevention, assessment and removal projects that will benefit coastal 
habitat, waterways, and NOAA trust resources. Projects funded through 
the MDP have strong on-the-ground habitat components involving the 
removal of marine debris and derelict fishing gear, as well as 
activities that provide social benefits for people and their 
communities in addition to long-term ecological habitat improvements 
for NOAA trust resources. Through this solicitation the MDP identifies 
marine debris prevention, assessment and removal projects, strengthens 
the development and implementation of habitat restoration through the 
removal of marine debris within communities, and fosters awareness of 
the effects of marine debris to further the conservation of living 
marine resource habitats across a wide geographic area. Proposals 
selected for funding through this solicitation will be implemented 
through a cooperative agreement. Funding of up to $2,000,000 is 
expected to be available for Community-based Marine Debris Prevention 
and Removal Project Grants in FY 2009. The NOAA MDP anticipates that 
typical awards will range from $15,000 to $150,000.
    Funding Availability: This solicitation announces that funding of 
up to $2,000,000 is expected to be available for Community-based Marine 
Prevention and Removal Project Grants in FY 2009. Actual funding 
availability for this program is contingent upon Fiscal Year 2009 
Congressional appropriations. The NOAA Restoration Center anticipates 
that typical project awards will range from $15,000 to $150,000; NOAA 
will not accept proposals for under $15,000 or proposals for over 
$250,000 under this solicitation. There is no guarantee that sufficient 
funds will be available to make awards for all proposals. 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 initiating marine debris removal projects by the applicants, the 
merit and ranking of the proposals, and the amount of funds made 
available to the MDP by Congress. The NOAA Restoration Center 
anticipates that between 10 and 25 awards will be made as a result of 
this solicitation. 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 part of any available 
funds. In FY 2008, 10 applications were recommended for funding ranging 
from $39,000 to $175,000, for a total grant competition funding level 
of approximately $900,000. This is the fourth year of the Community-
based Marine Debris Prevention and Removal Project Grants, a grant 
partnership between the NOAA Marine Debris Program and NOAA Restoration 
Center. These grants are funded through the NOAA Marine Debris Program 
with appropriations to the Office of Response and Restoration, National 
Ocean Service for this purpose. The NOAA Restoration Center will 
administer this grants program in the same manner that the Community-
based Restoration Program is conducted.
    Statutory Authority: The Administrator of the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration is authorized under the MDRPR Act to provide 
grants or cooperative agreements to identify, determine sources of, 
assess, reduce, and prevent marine debris and its adverse impacts on 
the marine environment and navigation safety.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.463, 
Habitat Conservation.
    Application Deadline: Applications must be submitted through 
www.grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. EDT, October 31, 2008. If an applicant 
does not have Internet access, hard copy applications with the SF-424 
Form bearing an original, ink signature must be postmarked, or provided 
to a delivery service and documented with a receipt, by October 31, 
2008. No facsimile or electronic mail applications will be accepted.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: Applications must be submitted 
through www.grants.gov, unless an applicant does not have Internet 
access. In that case, hard copies with original signatures may be sent 
to: NOAA Restoration Center (F/HC3), Community-based Restoration 
Program, NOAA Fisheries, 1315 East-West Highway, Rm. 14727, Silver 
Spring, MD 20910. ATTN: MDP Project Applications.
    Information Contacts: For further information contact David 
Landsman at 301-713-0174 or by e-mail at [email protected].
    Eligibility: Eligible applicants are institutions of higher 
education, other non-profits, commercial (for profit) organizations, 
organizations under the jurisdiction of foreign governments, 
international organizations, and state, local and Indian tribal 
governments whose projects have the potential 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, tribal colleges and 
universities, and institutions that work in under-served areas. The MDP 
encourages proposals involving any of the above institutions.
    Cost Sharing Requirements: A major goal of the MDP is to provide 
seed money to projects that leverage funds and other contributions from 
a broad segment of the public and private sector to implement locally 
important marine debris prevention and removal activities to benefit 
living marine resources. To this end, the MDRPR Act requires applicants 
to demonstrate a minimum 1:1 non-Federal match for MDP funds requested 
to conduct the proposed project. In addition to formal match, NOAA 
strongly encourages applicants to leverage as much investment as 
possible. However, the MDRPR Act allows the Administrator to waive all 
or part of the matching requirement if the applicant can demonstrate 
that: (1) No reasonable means are available through which applicants 
can meet the matching requirement and (2) the probable benefit of such 
project outweighs the public interest in such matching requirement. In 
addition, the MDP may waive any requirement for matching funds by an 
Insular Area (Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Trust Territory 
of the Pacific Islands, and the Government of the Northern Mariana 
Islands). Under 48 U.S.C. 10.1469a(d.ii.i), any department or agency 
may waive any requirement for matching funds otherwise required by law 
to be provided by the Insular Area involved. All applicants should note 
that cost sharing is an element considered in Evaluation Criterion 
4, ``Project Costs'' of the FFO. Match can come from a variety 
of public and private sources and can include in-kind goods and 
services such as private boat use 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 funds and 
are available within the project period stated in the application. 
Federal sources cannot be

[[Page 40063]]

considered for matching funds, but can be described in the budget 
narrative to demonstrate additional leverage. Applicants are permitted 
to combine contributions from multiple non-federal partners in order to 
meet the 1:1 match recommendation, as long as such contributions are 
not being used to match any other funds. Applicants are also permitted 
to apply federally negotiated indirect costs in excess of federal share 
limits as described in Section IV. E. 2. ``Indirect Costs'' of the FFO. 
Applicants should also note that the following activities, in general, 
will not be considered as match under project awards: (1) Activities 
that constitute legally required mitigation for the adverse effects of 
an activity regulated or otherwise governed by local, state or Federal 
law; (2) activities that constitute restoration for natural resource 
damages under Federal, state or local law; and (3) activities that are 
required by a separate consent decree, court order, statute or 
regulation. However, the MDRPR Act allows the Administrator to 
authorize, as appropriate, the non-Federal share of the cost of a 
project to include money paid pursuant to, or the value of any in-kind 
service performed under, an administrative order on consent or judicial 
consent decree that will remove or prevent marine debris. 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 names of 
participating volunteers and the overall number of volunteer or 
community participation hours devoted to individual marine debris 
prevention or removal projects. Letters of commitment for any secured 
resources expected to be used as match for an award should be submitted 
as an attachment to the application.
    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 SPOCs are listed in the Office of 
Management and Budget's home page at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html.
8. Marine Fisheries Initiative (MARFIN)
    Summary Description: The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), 
Southeast Region, is seeking proposals under the Marine Fisheries 
Initiative Program (MARFIN), for research and development projects that 
optimize the use of fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico and off the South 
Atlantic states of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida 
involving the U.S. fishing industry (recreational and commercial), 
including fishery biology, resource assessment, socioeconomic 
assessment, management and conservation, selected harvesting methods, 
and fish handling and processing. This program addresses NOAA's mission 
goal to ``Protect, Restore, and Manage the Use of Coastal and Ocean 
Resources Through an Ecosystem Approach to Management.''
    Funding Availability: Approximately $2.0 million may be available 
in fiscal year (FY) 2009 for projects. This amount includes possible 
in-house projects. Actual funding availability for this program is 
contingent upon Fiscal Year 2009 Congressional appropriations. The NMFS 
Southeast Regional Office anticipates awarding projects that will range 
from $25,000 to $300,000. The average award is $150,000. Publication of 
this notice does not obligate NMFS to award any specific grant or 
cooperative agreement or any of the available funds. Project proposals 
accepted for funding with a project period over one year do not have to 
compete for the additional years of funding. However, funding for the 
additional years is contingent upon the availability of funds and 
satisfactory performance and is at the sole discretion of the agency.
    Statutory Authority: Authority for the Marine Fisheries Initiative 
Program is provided by the following: 15 U.S.C. 713c-3(d).
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.433, 
Marine Fisheries Initiative.
    Application Deadline: Applications must be received by 5 p.m., 
Eastern Daylight Time on August 11, 2008 to be considered fur funding. 
Applications received after the deadline will be rejected/returned to 
the sender without further consideration.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: Applications must be submitted 
through www.grants.gov, unless an applicant does not have Internet 
access. In that case, hard copies with original signatures may be sent 
to: National Marine Fisheries Service, State/Federal Liaison Branch, 
263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701.
    Information Contacts: For questions regarding the application 
process, you may contact: Robert Sadler, State/Federal Liaison Branch, 
(727) 824-5324, or [email protected].
    Eligibility: Eligible applicants may be institutions of higher 
education, nonprofits, commercial organizations, individuals, state, 
local and Indian tribal governments. Federal agencies or institutions 
are not eligible. Foreign governments, organizations under the 
jurisdiction of foreign governments, and international organizations 
are excluded for purposes of this solicitation since the objective of 
the MARFIN program is to optimize research and development benefits 
from U.S. marine fishery resources.
    Cost Sharing Requirements: Cost-sharing is not required for this 
program.
    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 SPOCs are listed in the Office of Management 
and Budget's home page at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html.
9. NOAA General Coral Reef Conservation Grants Program
    Summary Description: The NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program/
General Coral Reef Conservation Grants Program (GCRCGP) provides 
funding to institutions of higher education, non-profit organizations, 
commercial organizations, Freely Associated State government agencies, 
and local and Indian tribal governments to support coral reef 
conservation projects in the United States and the Freely Associated 
States in the Pacific, as authorized under the Coral Reef Conservation 
Act of 2000. Projects funded through the GCRCGP support on-the ground 
efforts that: (1) Help preserve, sustain and restore the condition of 
coral reef ecosystems, (2) promote the wise management and sustainable 
use of coral reef resources, (3) increase public knowledge and 
awareness of coral reef ecosystems and issues regarding their 
conservation and (4) develop sound scientific information on the 
condition of coral reef ecosystems and the threats to such ecosystems. 
Projects should complement and fill gaps in state,

[[Page 40064]]

territorial and commonwealth coral reef programs, emphasize community-
based conservation, or address local action strategy priorities.
    Proposals selected for funding through this solicitation require a 
1:1 match and will be implemented through a grant. Funding of up to 
$600,000 is expected to be available for GCRCGP in FY 2009. These funds 
will be divided approximately equally among the U.S. Pacific and 
Atlantic to maintain geographic balance, as outlined in the Coral Reef 
Conservation Act of 2000. Awards will range from $15,000-$50,000.
    Funding Availability: NOAA announces the availability of up to 
$600,000 of Federal assistance may be available in FY 2009 for the 
GCRCGP to support financial assistance awards for coral conservation 
activities. Proposals can be submitted for a minimum of $15,000 to a 
maximum of $50,000; NOAA will not accept proposals requesting over 
$50,000 of Federal funds. There is no limit on the number of 
applications that can be submitted by the same applicant during the 
2009 competitive grant cycle. However, multiple applications submitted 
by the same applicant must clearly identify different projects and must 
be successful in the competitive review process. The number of awards 
made as a result of this solicitation will depend on the number of 
eligible applications received, the amount of funds requested for each 
project, the merit and ranking of the proposals, and the amount of 
funds made available to the Program by Congress. In addition, funding 
will be divided between the U.S. Pacific and U.S. Atlantic to meet 
requirements for geographic distribution of funds, as described in the 
Coral Reef Conservation Act. Attempts will also be made to fund one or 
more projects in each jurisdiction, provided that the project addresses 
priorities outlined above, it is identified as having sufficient merit, 
and it meets all other requirements as stipulated in this solicitation. 
The funds have not yet been appropriated for this program, and there is 
no guarantee that sufficient funds will be available to make awards for 
all qualified projects. Publication of this notice does not oblige NOAA 
to award any specific project or to obligate any available funds.
    Statutory Authority: Authority for the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation 
Grant Program is provided by Section 6403 (Coral Reef Conservation 
Program) of the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 6401 et 
seq.).
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.463, 
Habitat Conservation.
    Application Deadline: Proposals must be received by 5 p.m. Eastern 
Time on November 3, 2008.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: Applications must be submitted 
through www.grants.gov. If an applicant does not have Internet access, 
hard copy applications with the SF-424 Form bearing an original, ink 
signature must be postmarked November 3, 2008 and sent to: Jennifer 
Koss, NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program, NOAA Fisheries, Office of 
Habitat Conservation (F/HC), 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 
20910. ATTN: CRCGP Project Applications.
    Information Contacts: Technical point of contact for NOAA Coral 
Reef Conservation Grant Program/General Grants is Jennifer Koss, 301-
713-3459, extension 195 or E-mail at [email protected].
    Eligibility: Institutions of higher education, non-profit 
organizations, commercial organizations, local and Indian tribal 
governments and Freely Associated State Government Agencies can apply 
for funding under the GCRCGP. U.S. federal, state, territory, and 
commonwealth governments and Regional Fishery Management Councils are 
not eligible for this program. NOAA employees are not allowed to help 
in the preparation of applications or write letters of support for any 
application. NOAA staff are available to provide information on 
programmatic goals and objectives, ongoing coral reef conservation 
programs, Regional funding priorities, and, along with other Federal 
Program Officers, can provide information on application procedures and 
completion of required forms. For activities that involve collaboration 
with current NOAA programs or staff, NOAA employees must provide a 
letter verifying that they are collaborating with the project. Federal 
employee travel and salaries are not allowable costs under this 
program.
    Cost Sharing Requirements: As per section 6403(b)(1) of the Coral 
Reef Conservation Act of 2000, Federal funds for any coral conservation 
project funded under this Program may not exceed 50 percent of the 
total cost of the project. All GCRCGP projects submitted to this 
program require a 1:1 match obtained from non-Federal sources. 
Applicants must specify in their proposal the source of the match and 
provide letters of commitment to confirm stated match contributions. 
The match can include in-kind contributions and other non-cash support. 
Applicants are permitted to combine contributions from additional non-
Federal partners in order to meet the 1:1 match expected, as long as 
such contributions are not being used to match any other funds. Federal 
funds may not be used 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. Applicants with less than 1:1 match will not be 
disqualified, if they provide justification for a lower amount of 
matching funds, however, applicants should note that cost sharing is an 
element considered in Evaluation Criterion d. Project Costs of the FFO. 
As per section 6403(b)(2) of the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000, 
the NOAA Administrator may waive all or part of the matching 
requirement if the Administrator determines that the project meets the 
following two requirements: (1) No reasonable means are available 
through which an applicant can meet the matching requirement; and (2) 
The probable benefit of such project outweighs the public interest in 
such matching requirement. In the case of a waiver request, the 
applicant must provide a detailed justification at the time the 
proposal is submitted explaining the need for the waiver including 
attempts to obtain sources of matching funds, how the benefit of the 
project outweighs the public interest in providing match, and any other 
extenuating circumstances preventing the availability of match. 
Notwithstanding any other provisions herein, and in accordance with 48 
U.S.C. 1469a(d), the Program shall waive any requirement for local 
matching funds for any project under $200,000 (including in-kind 
contribution) to the governments of Insular Areas, defined as the 
jurisdictions of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the 
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Eligible applicants 
choosing to apply 48 U.S.C. 1469a(d) must include a letter requesting a 
waiver that demonstrates that their project meets the requirements of 
48 U.S.C. 1469a(d).
    Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this Program are 
subject to 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. 
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html.

[[Page 40065]]

10. Projects To Improve or Amend Coral Reef Fishery Management Plans
    Summary Description: The NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Grant 
Program/Projects to Improve or Amend Coral Reef Fishery Management 
Plans (CRFMPGP) provides funding to the Regional Fishery Management 
Councils for projects to conserve and manage coral reef fisheries, as 
authorized under the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000. Projects 
funded through the CRFMPGP are for activities that: (1) Provide better 
scientific information on the status of coral reef fisheries resources, 
critical habitats of importance to coral reef fishes, and the impacts 
of fishing on these species and habitats; (2) identify new management 
approaches that protect coral reef biodiversity and ecosystem function 
through regulation of fishing and other extractive uses; and (3) 
incorporate conservation and sustainable management measures into 
existing or new Federal fishery management plans for coral reef 
species. Proposals selected for funding through this solicitation will 
be implemented through a Cooperative Agreement. The role of NOAA in the 
CRFMPGP is to help identify potential projects that reduce impacts of 
fishing on coral reef ecosystems, strengthen the development and 
implementation of the projects, and assist in coordination of these 
efforts with Federal, state, territory or commonwealth management 
authorities and various coral reef user groups. Funding up to 
$1,050,000 is expected to be available for CRFMPGP Cooperative 
Agreements in FY 2009. These funds will be divided equally among the 
Atlantic and Pacific to maintain the geographic split required by the 
Act. The NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program anticipates that awards 
will range from $175,000-$525,000.
    Funding Availability: This solicitation announces that 
approximately $1,050,000 is expected to be available for cooperative 
agreements in support of coral reef conservation activities for 
Projects to Improve or Amend Coral Reef Fishery Management Plans 
(CRFMPGP) in FY 2009. Actual funding availability for this program is 
contingent upon Fiscal Year 2009 Congressional appropriations. The NOAA 
Coral reef Conservation Program anticipates that typical project awards 
will range from about $175,000 to $525,000; NOAA will not accept 
proposals for over $525,000 under this solicitation. Equal funding will 
be provided to the Atlantic and Pacific, up to a maximum of $525,000 
for activities in the Western Pacific, and a maximum of $525,000 for 
activities in the South Atlantic, the Gulf of Mexico, and the 
Caribbean. The exact amount of funds that may be awarded will be 
determined in pre-award negotiations between the applicant and NOAA 
representatives. Activities approved by NOAA will be awarded as new 
cooperative agreements through the NMFS Office of Habitat Conservation 
(HC). The number of awards made as a result of this solicitation will 
depend on the number of eligible applications received, the amount of 
funds requested for each project, the merit and ranking of the 
proposals, and the amount of funds made available to the Program by 
Congress. The funds have not yet been appropriated for this program, 
and there is no guarantee that sufficient funds will be available to 
make awards for all qualified projects. Publication of this notice does 
not oblige NOAA to award any specific project or to obligate any 
available funds.
    Statutory Authority: Authority for the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation 
Grant Program is provided by Section 6403 (Coral Reef Conservation 
Program) of the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 6401 et 
seq.).
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.441, 
Regional Fishery Management Councils.
    Application Deadline: Proposals must be received by 5 p.m. eastern 
time on November 3, 2008.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: Applications must be submitted 
through www.grants.gov, unless an applicant does not have Internet 
access. In that case, hard copies with original signatures may be sent 
to: Jennifer Koss, NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program, NOAA 
Fisheries, Office of Habitat Conservation (F/HC1), 1315 East-West 
Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. ATTN: CRCGP Project Applications. 
Electronic copies of the project narrative and budget narrative are 
requested when submitting by mail ([email protected]), however E-mail 
applications submitted without a mailed hard copy with appropriate 
postal date stamp will not be accepted.
    Information Contacts: Technical point of contact for NOAA Coral 
Reef Conservation Grant Program/Projects to Improve or Amend Coral Reef 
Fishery Management Plans Grants Program is Jennifer Koss, 301-713-3459, 
extension 195 or E-mail at [email protected].
    Eligibility: Eligible applicants are limited to the Western Pacific 
Regional Fishery Management Council, the South Atlantic Fishery 
Management Council, the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, and 
the Caribbean Fishery Management Council.
    Cost Sharing Requirements: No cost sharing or matching is required 
under this program. The Administrator has waived the matching 
requirement for the Fishery Management Councils as discussed in Section 
VII of the Coral Reef Conservation Grant Program Implementation 
Guidelines (Federal Register Vol. 67, No. 76, page 19396, Friday, April 
19, 2002). This waiver is based on the fact that the Councils are 
funded solely by awards from the U.S. Federal Government, and 
therefore, do not have the ability to generate matching funds.
    Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this CRFMPGP are 
subject to Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal 
Programs. Specific information regarding Intergovernmental Review can 
be found above in Section IV. Application and Submission Information, 
D. Intergovernmental Review of the FFO.
11. Protected Species Cooperative Conservation
    Summary Description: States play an essential role in the 
conservation and recovery of endangered and threatened species. 
Protected species under the National Marine Fisheries Service's (NMFS) 
jurisdiction may spend all or a part of their life-cycles in state 
waters, and success in conserving these species will depend in large 
part on working cooperatively with State agencies. The NMFS is 
authorized to provide Federal assistance to eligible States to support 
the development of conservation programs for marine and anadromous 
species that reside within that State. This assistance, provided in the 
form of grants through the Protected Species Cooperative Conservation 
program, can be used to support conservation of endangered, threatened, 
and candidate species, as well as post-delisting monitoring of 
recovered species. Funded activities may include development and 
implementation of management plans, scientific research, and public 
education and outreach; projects should address priority actions 
identified in either an ESA Recovery Plan or a State's ESA section 6 
conservation program. Projects focusing on listed Pacific salmon will 
not be considered for funding under this grant program; such projects 
may be funded through the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund. Any 
State agency that has entered into an agreement with the NMFS pursuant 
to section 6(c) of the ESA is eligible to apply to this grant program. 
This document describes how to submit proposals for funding in fiscal 
year (FY) 2009 and how NMFS will

[[Page 40066]]

determine which proposals will be funded; the document should be read 
in its entirety, as information may have changed from the previous 
year.
    Funding Availability: This solicitation announces that a minimum of 
$330K and a maximum of $780K may be available for distribution under 
the FY 2009 PSCC program, in award amounts to be determined by the 
proposals and available funds; actual funding availability for this 
program is contingent upon Fiscal Year 2009 Congressional 
appropriations. As 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 NOAA to award any specific grant proposal or to 
obligate any 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. Multiple applications submitted by the same applicant must 
clearly identify distinct projects, and single applications should not 
include multiple, unrelated projects. Project proposals accepted for 
funding with a project period over one year do not have to compete for 
the additional years of funding. However, funding for the additional 
years is contingent upon the availability of funds and satisfactory 
performance and is at the sole discretion of the agency.
    Statutory Authority: 16 U.S.C. 661 et seq.; 1535.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.472, 
Unallied Science Program.
    Application Deadline: Proposals submitted through Grants.gov must 
be received by 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on September 17, 2008; 
proposals submitted by mail must be postmarked by September 17, 2008.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: Applications must be submitted 
through www.grants.gov, unless an applicant does not have Internet 
access. In that case, 3 hard copies with original signatures may be 
sent to: NMFS Office of Protected Resources, Attn: Lisa Manning, 1315 
East-West Highway, SSMC3, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Paper applications 
should not be bound in any manner.
    Information Contacts: If you have any questions regarding this 
proposal solicitation, please contact Lisa Manning at the NOAA/NMFS/
Office of Protected Resources, Endangered Species Division, 1315 East-
West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910, by phone at 301-713-1401, or by 
E-mail at [email protected]. You may also contact one of the 
following people in your region for further guidance: Karla Reece, 
Southeast Regional Office, Protected Resources Division 
([email protected], 727-824-5312); Amanda Johnson, Northeast 
Regional Office, Protected Resources Division ([email protected], 
978-281-9300 x6513); Jayne LeFors, Pacific Islands Regional Office, 
Protected Resources Division ([email protected], 808-944-2277); 
Scott Rumsey, Northwest Regional Office, Fish and Wildlife 
Administrator ([email protected], 503-872-2791).
    Eligibility: Eligible applicants are state agencies that have 
entered into an agreement with NMFS pursuant to section 6(c) of the 
ESA. The terms ``state'' and ``state agency'' are used as defined in 
section 3 of the ESA (16 U.S.C. 1532). Currently eligible state 
agencies are from the following states: Delaware, Florida, Georgia, 
Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North 
Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and 
Washington. Any state agency that enters into a section 6(c) agreement 
with NMFS prior to the application deadline (September 17, 2008) is 
also eligible to apply. States may apply for funding to conduct work on 
federally listed species that are included in their ESA section 6 
agreement and any species that has become a candidate species by the 
grant application deadline. States may not apply for funding to conduct 
work on federally listed species that are not covered in their ESA 
section 6 agreement unless said species is added to the agreement by 
the grant application deadline. Federal agencies or institutions are 
not eligible to receive Federal assistance under this notice. In 
addition, NOAA and NMFS employees shall not provide assistance in 
writing applications, write letters of support for any application, or 
otherwise confer any unfair advantage on a particular application. 
However, for activities involving collaboration with current NMFS 
programs, NMFS employees can write a letter verifying that they are 
collaborating with the project.
    Cost Sharing Requirements: In accordance with section 6(d) of the 
ESA, all proposals submitted must include a minimum non-Federal cost 
share of 25 percent of the total budget if the proposal involves a 
single state. If a proposal involves collaboration of two or more 
states, the minimum non-Federal cost share decreases to 10 percent of 
the total project budget. The project proposal and budget should 
reflect the work and responsibilities to be carried out by each of the 
cooperating states. Pursuant to Public Law 95-134, Title V, section 501 
(1977), as amended (48 U.S.C. 1469a) the following Insular Areas are 
exempt from this matching requirement: American Samoa, Guam, the Virgin 
Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands. The non-Federal cost share 
should be identified in the project budget (and on the SF-424A) and may 
include in-kind contributions according to the regulations at 15 CFR 
part 24.
    Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this program are 
subject to Executive Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal 
Programs.''
12. Saltonstall-Kennedy Grant Program (FY 2009)
    Summary Description: The Saltonstall-Kennedy Act established a fund 
(known as the S-K fund) that the Secretary of Commerce uses to provide 
grants or cooperative agreements for fisheries research and development 
projects addressing aspects of U.S. fisheries, including, but not 
limited to, harvesting, processing, marketing, and associated 
infrastructures. U.S. fisheries include any fishery, commercial or 
recreational, that is, or may be, engaged in by citizens or nationals 
of the United States, or citizens of the Northern Mariana Islands 
(NMI), the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Republic of Palau, and the 
Federated States of Micronesia.
    Funding Availability: Funding is contingent upon availability of 
Federal allocations. The S-K program has sought funding for $5 million 
in grant awards. We anticipate awarding 20-25 grants of approximately 
$100,000 to $250,000 each. Applicants are hereby given notice that 
funds have not yet been allocated for this program. In no event will 
NOAA or the Department of Commerce be responsible for proposal 
preparation costs if this program fails to receive funding or is 
cancelled because of other agency priorities. Publication of this 
notice does not obligate NOAA to award any specific project or to 
obligate any available funds. You should not initiate your project in 
expectation of Federal funding until you receive a grant award document 
signed by an authorized NOAA official. If one incurs any costs prior to 
receiving an award agreement signed by an authorized NOAA official, one 
would do so solely at one's own risk of these costs not being included 
under the award. Recipients and subrecipients are subject to all 
Federal laws and agency policies, regulations and procedures applicable 
to Federal financial assistance awards.

[[Page 40067]]

    Statutory Authority: Authority for the Saltonstall-Kennedy Grant 
Program is provided under the Saltonstall-Kennedy Act (S-K Act), as 
amended (15 U.S.C. 713c-3).
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.427, 
Fisheries Development and Utilization Research and Development Grants 
and Cooperative Agreements Program.
    Application Deadline: Applications must be received by 5 p.m., 
Eastern Time on October 1, 2008. Applications received after the 
deadline will be rejected/returned to the sender without further 
consideration. No facsimile or electronic mail applications will be 
accepted.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: Applications must be submitted 
through www.grants.gov, unless an applicant does not have Internet 
access. In that case, hard copies with original signatures may be sent 
to: Mr. Steve Aguzin, S-K Program Manager, NOAA/NMFS (F/MB5), 1315 
East-West Highway, Room 13134, Silver Spring, MD 20910-3282.
    Information Contacts: The point of contact is: Steve Aguzin, S-K 
Program Manager, NOAA/NMFS (F/MB5), 1315 East-West Highway, Room 13134, 
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3282; or by Phone at (301) 713-2358 ext. 215, 
or fax at (301) 713-1306, or via E-mail at [email protected].
    Eligibility: You are eligible to apply for a grant or a cooperative 
agreement under the Saltonstall-Kennedy Grant Program if: 1. You are a 
citizen or national of the United States; 2. You are a citizen of the 
Northern Mariana Islands (NMI), or an individual who qualifies as such 
under section 8 of the Schedule on Transitional Matters attached to the 
constitution of the NMI; 3. You are a citizen of the Republic of the 
Marshall Islands, Republic of Palau, or the Federated States of 
Micronesia; or 4. You represent a corporation, partnership, 
association, or other non-Federal entity, non-profit or otherwise 
(including Indian tribes), that is based in the United States or NMI, 
within the meaning of section 2 of the Shipping Act, 1916, as amended 
(46 U.S.C. app. 802). We support cultural and gender diversity in our 
programs and encourage women and minority individuals and groups to 
submit applications. Furthermore, we recognize the interest of the 
Secretaries of Commerce and Interior in defining appropriate fisheries 
policies and programs that meet the needs of the U.S. insular areas, so 
we also encourage applications from individuals, government entities, 
and businesses in U.S. insular areas. We are strongly committed to 
broadening the participation of Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), 
which include Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic 
Serving Institutions, and Tribal Colleges and Universities, in our 
programs, including S-K. Therefore, we encourage all applicants to 
include meaningful participation of MSIs. We encourage applications 
from members of the fishing community, and applications that involve 
fishing community cooperation and participation. We will consider the 
extent of fishing community involvement when evaluating the potential 
benefit of funding a proposal. You are not eligible to submit an 
application under this program if you are an employee of any Federal 
agency; a Fishery Management Council; or an employee of a Council. 
However, Council members who are not Federal employees can submit an 
application to the S-K Program.
    Cost Sharing Requirements: We are requiring cost sharing in order 
to leverage the limited funds available for this program and to 
encourage partnerships among government, industry, and academia to 
address the needs of fishing communities. You must provide a minimum 
cost share of 10 percent of total project costs, but your cost share 
must not exceed 50 percent of total costs.
    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 SPOCs are listed in the Office of 
Management and Budget's home page at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html.
13. Prescott 2009
    Summary Description: The Marine Mammal Health and Stranding 
Response Program of the National Marine Fisheries Service is charged 
under the Marine Mammal Protection Act with facilitating the collection 
and dissemination of reference data on stranded marine mammals and 
health trends of marine mammal populations in the wild. Through 
cooperation with NMFS Regional Coordinators, local organizations and 
state and local government officials respond to and collect valuable 
data from stranded marine mammals as participants in the national 
Marine Mammal Stranding Network. The John H. Prescott Marine Mammal 
Rescue Assistance Grant Program is conducted by NOAA to provide Federal 
assistance to eligible members of the Stranding Network to: (1) Support 
basic needs of organizations for response, treatment, and data 
collection from living and dead stranded marine mammals; (2) fund 
scientific research objectives designed to answer questions about 
marine mammal strandings, health, or rehabilitation techniques 
utilizing data from living and dead stranded marine mammals; and, (3) 
support facility operations directly related to the recovery or 
treatment of stranded marine mammals and collection of data from living 
or dead stranded marine mammals.
    Funding Availability: This solicitation announces that 
approximately $4M may be available for distribution under the FY 2009 
annual competitive Prescott Program. Actual funding availability for 
this program is contingent upon FY 2009 Congressional appropriations. 
Applicants are hereby given notice that these funds have not yet been 
appropriated for this program, and therefore exact dollar amounts 
cannot be given. There is no guarantee that sufficient funds will be 
available to make awards for all qualified projects. The maximum 
Federal award for each grant cannot exceed $100,000, as stated in the 
legislative language (16 U.S.C. 1421f-1). Funds will be set aside from 
the annual appropriation to provide for emergency assistance awards to 
eligible stranding network participants. These emergency funds will be 
available until expended. There is no limit on the number of proposals 
that can be submitted by the same stranding network participant during 
the 2009 competitive grant cycle. However, since there are insufficient 
funds to award financial assistance to every member of the network, 
organizations will receive no more than two awards per year as part of 
the competitive program. The two awards must be for projects that are 
clearly separate in their objectives, goals, and budget requests and 
must be successful in the competitive review process. The two projects 
should be completely independent (i.e., you will be able to carry out 
either proposal even if the other does not receive funding). In 
addition, eligible researchers applying as Principal Investigators, but 
not independently authorized under the MMPA Section 112(c), the MMPA 
Section 109(h) (50 CFR 216.22), or the National Contingency Plan for 
Response

[[Page 40068]]

to Marine Mammal Unusual Mortality Events, can receive no more than one 
award per year as part of the competitive cycle.
    Authorized stranding network participants and researchers may be 
identified as Co-Investigators or collaborators on as many proposals as 
needed as long as no more than 100 percent of their time is funded 
through the Prescott Program. In addition, Department of Commerce (DOC) 
and Department of Interior (DOI) employees may act as collaborators if 
they are responsible for performing analyses on data or samples 
collected under a Prescott award. See section I.F. of the FFO for 
Eligibility requirements. 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 beyond the award period. If one incurs any costs prior to 
receiving an award agreement signed by an authorized NOAA official, one 
would do so solely at one's own risk of these costs not being included 
under the award. Notwithstanding any verbal or written assurance that 
applicants have received, pre-award costs are not allowed under the 
award unless the Grants Officer approves them in accordance with 15 CFR 
14.28.
    Statutory Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1421f-1.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.439, 
Marine Mammal Data Program.
    Application Deadline: Proposals must be postmarked or submitted 
online by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, October 1, 2008.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: Applications must be submitted 
through www.grants.gov, unless an applicant does not have Internet 
access. In that case, hard copies with original signatures may be sent 
to: NOAA/NMFS/Office of Protected Resources, Marine Mammal Health and 
Stranding Response Program, 1315 East-West Highway, Room 13620, Silver 
Spring, MD 20910-3283.
    Information Contacts: Please visit the Prescott Grant Program Web 
site at: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/health/prescott/ or contact 
Michelle Ordono at the NOAA/NMFS/Office of Protected Resources, Marine 
Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program, 1315 East-West Highway, 
Room 13620, Silver Spring, MD 20910-3283, by phone at (301) 713-2322, 
or by fax at (301) 427-2525, or by E-mail at 
[email protected].
    Eligibility: There are three categories of eligible stranding 
network participants that may apply for funds under this Program: (1) 
Stranding Agreement (SA) holders or their designee organizations; (2) 
holders of researcher authorization letters issued by a NMFS Regional 
Administrator; and, (3) state, local, eligible federal government or 
tribal employees or personnel. All applicants must currently be: (1) 
Active as an authorized participant or researcher in the marine mammal 
stranding network; (2) In good standing and; (3) Not a current full or 
part-time employee or contractor of DOC or DOI. To be ``in good 
standing'', you must meet all of the following criteria: (1) If the 
applicant is a designated Principal Investigator of an MMPA or 
Endangered Species Act (ESA) scientific research or enhancement permit 
holder, the applicant must have fulfilled all permit requirements, 
including but not limited to submission of all reports, and must have 
no pending or outstanding enforcement actions under the MMPA or ESA. 
(2) Have complied with the terms and responsibilities of the 
appropriate SA, MMPA Section 109(h) authorization, or researcher 
authorization letter. This includes, but is not limited to, the 
following reporting requirements: (a) Timely reporting of strandings to 
NMFS; (b) timely submission of complete reports on basic or Level A 
data to the Regional Coordinator (includes investigator's name, 
species, stranding location, number of animals, date and time of 
stranding and recovery, length and condition, and sex; marine mammal 
parts retention or transfer; annual reports); and (c) collecting 
information or samples as necessary and as requested. This also 
includes the following coordination/cooperation requirements: (a) 
Cooperation with state, local, and Federal officials; (b) cooperation 
with state and local officials in the disposition of stranded marine 
mammals; and (c) cooperation with other stranding network participants. 
(3) Have cooperated in a timely manner with NMFS in collecting and 
submitting Level B (supplementary information regarding sample 
collection related to life history and to the stranding event) and 
Level C (necropsy results) data and samples, when requested. (4) Have 
no current enforcement investigation for the take of marine mammals 
contrary to the MMPA/ESA regulations. (5) Have no record of a pending 
NMFS notice of violation(s) regarding the policies governing the goals 
and operations of the Stranding Network and Stranding Agreement, if 
applicable (e.g., probation, suspension, or termination). In addition 
to these general criteria, organizations and individuals must meet the 
following eligibility criteria specific to their category of 
participation: (1) SA Holder Participant or SA Designee Participant. SA 
participants must be holding a current (active) SA for stranding 
response (either live or dead animal response) or rehabilitation from a 
NMFS Regional Administrator or the Assistant Administrator. SA Designee 
participants must be holding a current (active) letter of designation 
from a NMFS SA holder, and designees cannot request authorization for 
activities beyond the scope of what is authorized by the SA to the 
letter holder. (2) Researcher Participant. Researcher participants must 
be holding a current (active) authorizing letter for the proposed award 
period from the NMFS Regional Administrator or the Assistant 
Administrator to salvage stranded marine mammal specimens and parts or 
samples for the purpose of utilization in scientific research (50 CFR 
216.22). Persons authorized to salvage dead marine mammal specimens 
under this section must register the salvage with the appropriate NMFS 
Regional Office within 30 days after the taking occurs. Researchers who 
are authorized under an MMPA/ESA Scientific Research Permit must still 
obtain an authorizing letter from the Regional Stranding Coordinator in 
order to use parts or specimens from stranded animals. Researcher 
participants that would not require an authorizing letter from the NMFS 
Regional Administrator (i.e., they will be working with data only and 
not possessing samples or specimens) must still provide a letter of 
eligibility from the Regional Stranding Coordinator (see IV.B.8 of the 
FFO). Researcher participants must also have designated Co-
Investigator(s) that are active NMFS authorized stranding network 
participants in good standing, and provide documentation to this 
effect. (3) State, Local, Federal Government Employees or Tribal 
Participants, State and local government officials or employees 
participating pursuant to MMPA Section 109(h) (16 U.S.C. 1379(h)) for 
marine mammal species not listed under the ESA fulfilling reporting 
obligations outlined in 50 CFR 216.22 (i.e., submission of written 
report to NMFS every six months containing description of animal(s) 
involved, circumstances of taking, method of taking, name and position 
of official or employee involved, and disposition of animal(s)). 
Government officials must be involved in areas of geographic need 
(i.e., municipality or larger region with no existing SA holder 
responder).

[[Page 40069]]

Applicants must submit the required documentation in their proposal 
(see Section IV, Application and Submission Information of the FFO) as 
evidence that they are an SA holder or designee participant, researcher 
participant, or a state, local, or Federal government employee, or 
tribal participant at the time of the submission and during the award 
period. All eligibility criteria specified for the participant's 
category must be met in order for a proposal to be considered for 
funding. We support cultural and gender diversity in our programs and 
encourage eligible women and minority individuals and groups to submit 
proposals. Furthermore, we recognize the interest of the Secretaries of 
Commerce and Interior in defining appropriate marine management 
policies and programs that meet the needs of the U.S. insular areas, so 
we also encourage proposals from eligible individuals, government 
entities, universities, colleges, and businesses in U.S. insular areas 
as defined by the MMPA (Section 3(14), 16 U.S.C. 1362). This includes 
the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American 
Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands. We are strongly 
committed to broadening the participation of Minority Serving 
Institutions (MSIs), which include Historically Black Colleges and 
Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, Tribal Colleges and 
Universities, and institutions that work in undeserved areas in our 
programs.
    The DOC/NOAA/NMFS vision, mission, and goals are to achieve full 
participation by MSIs, to advance the development of human potential, 
strengthen the Nation's capacity to provide high-quality education, and 
increase opportunities for MSIs to participate in and benefit from 
Federal financial assistance programs. Therefore, Prescott Grant 
Program encourages all eligible applicants to include meaningful 
participation of MSIs whenever practicable. Applicants are not eligible 
to submit a proposal under this program if they are an employee of the 
DOC or DOI. NOAA/NMFS employees (whether full-time, part-time, or 
intermittent) are not allowed to help in the preparation of proposals, 
except for providing information on data or sample analyses as an 
identified collaborator/Co-Investigator in the proposal. Since this is 
a competitive program, NMFS and NOAA employees cannot provide 
assistance in conceptualizing, developing, or structuring proposals, or 
write letters of support for any proposal. However, for activities that 
involve collaboration with current NOAA programs that include, but are 
not limited to, the National Marine Mammal Tissue Bank (NMMTB) or 
laboratories conducting analysis of tissues for contaminants, employees 
of NOAA or the National Institute of Standards and Technology can write 
a letter verifying that they are collaborating with the project, or 
that the organization or individual applying is trained to participate 
in the NMMTB or is currently participating in the National Marine 
Analytical Quality Assurance Program. In addition, proposals 
encompassing activities conducted under the authority of a MMPA 
Scientific Research Permit issued to a DOC or DOI organization (e.g., 
NMFS Regional Science Center) should include a copy of the permit and a 
letter from the Principal Investigator (DOC/DOI employee) verifying 
that the work is being conducted with their approval. Federal employee 
travel costs or salaries are not allowable costs under this program. 
MMHSRP staff (at the regional and national level) are available to 
provide information regarding statistics on strandings, MMHSRP 
programmatic goals and objectives, ongoing marine mammal programs, 
regional funding priorities for the current and previous Prescott 
solicitations, and, along with other Federal Program Officers, can 
provide guidance on application procedures and proper completion of 
required forms. Unsatisfactory performance under prior or current 
Federal awards, including delinquency in submitting progress and 
financial reports, may result in proposals not being considered for 
funding under the 2009 Prescott Grant Program.
    Cost Sharing Requirements: All proposals submitted must provide a 
minimum non-Federal cost share of 25 percent of the total budget (i.e., 
.25 x total project costs = total non-Federal share). Therefore, the 
total Federal share will be 75 percent or less of the total budget. For 
a proposed total Federal share of $100,000, the minimum non-Federal 
share is $33,334 (total budget of $133,334; .25 x $133,334 = $33,334). 
For a proposed total Federal share of $80,000, the minimum non-Federal 
share is $26,667 (total budget of $106,667; .25 x $106,667 = $80,000). 
Cost share must be an integer, so please round up. The applicant can 
include a non-Federal cost share for more than 25 percent of the total 
budget, but this obligation will be binding. In order to reduce 
calculation error in determining the correct cost share amounts, we 
urge all applicants to use the cost share calculator on the Prescott 
Program Web page (http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/health/prescott/proposals/costshare.htm). Legislation under which the Prescott Program 
operates requires this cost sharing, or non-Federal match, in order to 
leverage the limited funds available for this program and to encourage 
partnerships among government, private organizations, non-profit 
organizations, the stranding network, and academia to address the needs 
of marine mammal health and stranding response. If a proposal does not 
comply with these cost share requirements, it will not be returned and 
considered in this annual funding cycle. Pursuant to 48 U.S.C. 1469a, 
match may be waived for applicants that are residents in the U.S. 
insular areas (Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, 
American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands). The Federal Program 
Officer will determine the appropriateness of all non-Federal cost 
sharing proposals, including the valuation of in-kind contributions, 
according to the regulations codified at 15 CFR 14.23 and 24.24. An in-
kind contribution is a non-cash contribution, donated or loaned, by a 
third party to the applicant. In general, the value of in-kind services 
or property used to fulfill a non-Federal cost share will be the fair 
market value of the services or property. Thus, the value is determined 
by the cost of obtaining such services or property if they had not been 
donated, or of obtaining such services or property for the period of 
the loan. The applicant must document the in-kind services or property 
used to fulfill the non-Federal cost share. If we decide to fund a 
proposal, we will require strict accounting of the in-kind 
contributions within the total non-Federal cost share included in the 
award document. The Grants Officer (i.e., the DOC official responsible 
for all business management and administrative aspects of a grant and 
with delegated authority to award, amend, administer, close out, 
suspend, and/or terminate awards) is the final approving authority for 
the award, including the budget and any cost-sharing proposals.
    Intergovernmental Review: Applications submitted under this program 
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

[[Page 40070]]

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.

National Ocean Service (NOS)

1. 2009 CRCP Coral Reef Ecosystem Monitoring
    Summary Description: The NOAA Coral Reef Monitoring Grant Program, 
as authorized under the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000, provides 
matching grants to Governor-appointed point of contact agencies for the 
jurisdictions of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI), Florida, 
Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 
Islands (CNMI), the Republic of Palau, the Federated States of 
Micronesia (including Chuuk, Yap, Kosrae, and Pohnpei), and the 
Republic of the Marshall Islands to support State and Territory Coral 
Reef Monitoring activities in these jurisdictions.
    Funding Availability: NCCOS may provide approximately $1,100,000 in 
funding for FY 2009 to support coral reef ecosystem monitoring 
activities under this program. FY 2009 awards to Puerto Rico, Florida, 
U.S. Virgin Islands, Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth 
of the Northern Mariana Islands are expected to range from $50,000 to 
$130,000. FY 2009 awards to the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM--
including Chuuk, Yap, Kosrae, and Pohnpei), Republic of Palau, and the 
Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) are expected to be approximately 
$30,000 per year. Funding will be subject to the availability of 
federal appropriations. FY 2009 grant seekers may submit proposals up 
to three years in duration, at funding levels specified above (i.e., up 
to $90,000 for three year proposals for Palau, FSM, and RMI, and up to 
$390,000 for three year proposals for all other eligible applicants). 
In certain instances, when requested by the applicant and agreed upon 
by NOAA, NOAA may hold back a portion of any awarded funds in order to 
provide specific technical assistance in the form of contractual or 
other services. This will only be allowed where such priority technical 
assistance and/or the lack of sufficient means to deliver it are 
unavailable at the local level. Such requests proposed herein will be 
reviewed on a case by case basis with respect to the specific 
management objectives of this and the local coral reef program. If all 
available funds are not awarded, NOAA will consult with the eligible 
applicants on the use of any residual funds. NOAA will work with each 
jurisdiction to ensure the greatest degree of success in meeting local, 
state, territorial, and national coral reef monitoring needs.
    Statutory Authority: Authority for the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation 
Grant Program is provided by Section 6403 (Coral Reef Conservation 
Program) of the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 6401 et 
seq.).
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.426, 
Financial Assistance for National Centers for Central Coastal Ocean 
Science.
    Application Deadline: Preproposals due: 5 p.m. on EST November 14, 
2008. Comments on preproposals provided to the applicants on January 9, 
2009. Final proposals due: 5 p.m. EST on February 20, 2009.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: Pre-applications must be sent to 
[email protected] or to Jenny Waddell, NOAA National Ocean Service, 
N/SCI-1, 1305 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Final 
applications must be submitted through www.grants.gov, unless an 
applicant does not have Internet access. In that case, hard copies with 
original signatures may be sent to: Jenny Waddell, NOAA National Ocean 
Service, N/SCI-1, 1305 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
    Information Contacts: The technical point of contact for State and 
Territory Coral Reef Monitoring is Jenny Waddell. She can be reached at 
301-713-3028 extension 174 or by e-mail at [email protected].
    Eligibility: Eligible applicants are limited to a natural resource 
management agency in each U.S. State or Territory, or an appropriate 
non-governmental agency in the case of the Freely Associated States, 
with jurisdiction over and an ability to monitor the condition of coral 
reefs, as designated by the respective governors or other applicable 
senior jurisdictional official. Applicants from the Freely Associated 
States must also provide a letter of support from their respective 
officially-designated coral reef point of contact to ensure that the 
proposed activities are coordinated with other ongoing coral reef 
conservation efforts. NOAA is requesting proposals from Puerto Rico, 
Florida, U.S. Virgin Islands, Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, and 
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of 
Micronesia, Republic of Palau, and the Republic of the Marshall 
Islands. Federal agencies are not eligible for funding under this 
Program. Furthermore, to be eligible for FY 2009 funding, applicants 
previously receiving funds under this program must have made 
significant progress implementing those tasks and met data submission 
deadlines, including all performance and fiscal reporting requirements 
and data transfers.
    Cost Sharing Requirements: As per section 6403(b)(1) of the Coral 
Reef Conservation Act of 2000, Federal funds for any coral conservation 
project funded under this Program may not exceed 50 percent of the 
total cost of the projects. Therefore, any coral conservation project 
under this program requires a 1:1 match. Matching funds must be from 
non-Federal sources and can include in-kind contributions and other 
non-cash support.
    NOAA strongly encourages applicants to leverage as much investment 
as possible. Federal funds may not be considered as matching funds. As 
per section 6403(b)(2) of the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000, the 
NOAA Administrator may waive all or part of the matching requirement if 
the Administrator determines that the project meets the following two 
requirements: 1. No reasonable means are available through which an 
applicant can meet the matching requirement, and, 2. The probable 
benefit of such project outweighs the public interest in such matching 
requirement. Applicants must specify in their proposal the source and 
may be asked to provide letters of commitment to confirm stated match 
contributions.
    In the case of a waiver request, the applicant must provide a 
detailed justification explaining the need for the waiver including 
attempts to obtain sources of matching funds, how the benefit of the 
project outweighs the public interest in providing match, and any other 
extenuating circumstances preventing the availability of match. 
Notwithstanding any other provisions herein, and in accordance with 48 
U.S.C. 1469a(d), the Program shall waive any requirement for local 
matching funds for any project under $200,000 (including in-kind 
contribution) to the governments of Insular Areas, defined as the 
jurisdictions of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the 
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Please Note: eligible 
applicants choosing to apply 48 U.S.C. 1469a(d) should note the use and 
amount in the matching funds section of the respective application.
    Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this program are not 
subject to Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal 
Programs.

[[Page 40071]]

2. 2009 CRCP--Coral Reef Management
    Summary Description: The NOAA Coral Reef Management Grant Program, 
as authorized under the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000, provides 
matching grants to the Governors appointed point of contact agencies 
for the jurisdictions of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI), 
Florida, Hawaii, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands 
(CNMI), and American Samoa for State and Territory Coral Reef 
Management activities. The objective of the State and Territory Coral 
Reef Management Grant program is to support comprehensive management 
programs for the conservation of coral reef ecosystems in these 
jurisdictions.
    Funding Availability: Funding up to $3,000,000 is expected to be 
available for cooperative agreements to support priority coral reef 
management activities that address areas 1-10 in the Federal Funding 
Opportunity. There is no appropriation of funds at this time and the 
final funding amount will be subject to the availability of federal 
appropriations. Support in out-years following FY2009 is likewise 
contingent upon the availability of future funding and the requirements 
of the Federal agency supporting the project (Department of Commerce or 
Department of the Interior (DOI)). Each eligible jurisdiction can apply 
for a maximum of $600,000. A minimum of 40% of the final award amount 
must be dedicated to the implementation and support of the Local Action 
Strategy initiative in each jurisdiction. In certain instances, when 
requested by the applicant and agreed upon by NOAA and DOI, NOAA may 
hold back a portion of any awarded funds in order to provide specific 
coral reef conservation technical assistance in the form of contractual 
or other services. This will only be allowed where such priority 
technical assistance and/or the lack of sufficient means to deliver it 
are unavailable at the local level. Such requests proposed herein will 
be reviewed on a case by case basis with respect to the specific 
management objectives of this and the local coral reef program. If all 
funds that become available after Congressional appropriation are not 
awarded, NOAA and DOI will consult with the eligible applicants on the 
use of any residual funds. NOAA and DOI will work with each 
jurisdiction to ensure the greatest degree of success in meeting local, 
state, territorial and national coral reef management needs.
    Statutory Authority: Authority for the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation 
Grant Program is provided by Section 6403 (Coral Reef Conservation 
Program) of the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 6401 et 
seq.)
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.419, 
Coastal Zone Management Administration Awards.
    Application Deadline: Pre-applications must be received no later 
than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Monday, December 1, 2008. 
Final applications must be received no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern 
Standard Time on Thursday, March 12, 2009.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: Final applications should be 
submitted electronically to: www.grants.gov, the Federal grants portal. 
If Internet access is unavailable hard copies can be submitted to David 
Kennedy, NOAA National Ocean Service, NOAA Coral Reef Conservation 
Program, Office of Response and Restoration, N/ORR, Room 10102, 1305 
East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
    Information Contacts: Technical point of contact for State and 
Territory Coral Reef Management is Dana Wusinich-Mendez at 301-713-
3155, extension 159 or e-mail at [email protected], FAX: 
301-713-4367. Address: OCRM/NOAA, N/-ORM3, 1305 East-West Highway, 
Silver Spring, MD 20910.
    Eligibility: Eligible applicants are the governor-appointed point 
of contact agencies for coral reef activities in each of the 
jurisdictions of American Samoa, Florida, the Commonwealth of the 
Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. 
Virgin Islands.
    Cost Sharing Requirements: As per section 6403(b)(1) of the Coral 
Reef Conservation Act of 2000, Federal funds for any coral conservation 
project funded under this Program may not exceed 50 percent of the 
total cost of the projects. Therefore, any coral conservation project 
under this program requires a 1:1 match. Match can come from a variety 
of public and private sources and can include in-kind goods and 
services such as private boat use and volunteer labor. Federal sources 
cannot be considered for matching funds, but can be described in the 
budget narrative to demonstrate additional leverage. Applicants are 
permitted to combine contributions from multiple non-federal partners 
in order to meet the 1:1 match requirement, as long as such 
contributions are not being used to match any other funds. Applicants 
must specify in their proposal the source(s) of match and may be asked 
to provide letters of commitment to confirm stated match contributions. 
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. Applicants should be prepared to carefully 
document matching contributions for each project selected to be funded. 
As per section 6403(b)(2) of the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000, 
the NOAA Administrator may waive all or part of the matching 
requirement if the Administrator determines that the project meets the 
following two requirements: 1. No reasonable means are available 
through which an applicant can meet the matching requirement, and, 2. 
The probable benefit of such project outweighs the public interest in 
such matching requirement. In the case of a waiver request, the 
applicant must provide a detailed justification explaining the need for 
the waiver including attempts to obtain sources of matching funds, how 
the benefit of the project outweighs the public interest in providing 
match, and any other extenuating circumstances preventing the 
availability of match. Match waiver requests including the appropriate 
justification should be submitted as part of the final application 
package. Notwithstanding any other provisions herein, and in accordance 
with 48 U.S.C. 1469a(d), the Program shall waive any requirement for 
local matching funds for any project under $200,000 (including in-kind 
contribution) to the governments of Insular Areas, defined as the 
jurisdictions of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the 
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

    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 
respective application.

    Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this program are not 
subject to Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal 
Programs.
3. Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Hawaii Program
    Summary Description: The purpose of this notice is to solicit 
proposals for grants to support NOAA's goal of developing a well-
informed citizenry involved in decision-making that positively impact 
our coastal, marine and watershed ecosystems in the state of Hawaii. 
This opportunity is an annually awarded, competitively-based grant that 
provides initial funding to: (1) Assist in the development of new 
programs; (2)

[[Page 40072]]

encourage innovative partnerships among environmental education 
programs throughout Hawaii; and (3) support geographically targeted 
programs to advance environmental education efforts that complement 
appropriate school requirements. Funded projects provide meaningful 
science-based outdoor experiences for K-12 students and professional 
development opportunities for teachers in the area of environmental 
education as defined in this announcement.
    Funding Availability: This solicitation announces that 
approximately $1,000,000 may be available in FY 2009 in award amounts 
to be determined by the proposals and available funds. The NOAA Pacific 
Services Center anticipates that approximately 5 to 15 grants will be 
awarded with these funds, pending availability of funds. Applicants are 
hereby given notice that funds have not yet been appropriated for this 
program. It is anticipated that typical project awards for Priority 1 
and 2 (see FFO) will range from approximately $10,000 to $100,000. 
Applications requesting Federal support from NOAA of more than $100,000 
total will not be considered for review or funding. 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: 15 U.S.C. 1540; 33 U.S.C. 892a.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.473, 
Coastal Services Center.
    Application Deadline: Full proposals must be received must be 
received by 5:59 Hawaii Time on August 15, 2008.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: Applications must be submitted 
through www.grants.gov, unless an applicant does not have Internet 
access. In that case, hard copies with original signatures must be 
postmarked on or before August 15, 2008, and sent to: NOAA Pacific 
Services Center, 737 Bishop Street, Suite 1550, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813, 
ATTN: Stephanie Bennett. The postmark will be used to determine the 
timeliness of the proposal. Applicants submitting hard copy 
applications must submit one (1) hard copy of the entire application 
package, a CD copy of the package, including all forms with original 
signatures. Facsimile transmissions and electronic mail submissions 
will not be accepted.
    Information Contacts: For administrative and technical questions, 
contact Stephanie Bennett, Federal Program Officer at NOAA Pacific 
Services Center, 737 Bishop Street, Suite 1550, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813 
or by phone at (808) 522-7481, or via e-mail at 
[email protected].
    Eligibility: Eligible applicants for Priority 1 and 2 are K-12 
public and independent schools and school systems, institutions of 
higher education, commercial and nonprofit organizations, state or 
local government agencies, and Indian tribal governments. Individual 
applicants and Federal agencies are not eligible. Federal agencies are 
not allowed to receive funds under this announcement but may serve as 
collaborative project partners. 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, Alaskan Native and Native Hawaiian institutions, and 
institutions that service undeserved areas.
    Cost Sharing Requirements: No cost sharing is required under this 
program, however, the NOAA Pacific Services Center strongly encourages 
applicants to share as much of the costs of the award 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 
with cash being the preferred method of contribution.
    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.
4. CSCOR FY 2009 NGOMEX and CRES
    Summary Description: The purpose of this opportunity is to advise 
the public that NOAA/NOS/NCCOS/CSCOR is soliciting proposals for two 
separate programs. Program 1 is the Regional Ecosystem Prediction 
Program on Coral Reef Ecosystem Studies (CRES) From Science to 
Conservation: Linking Coral Reefs, Coastal Watersheds and their Human 
Communities in the Pacific Islands. Projects under this program will be 
3 to 5 years in duration. The goal of this funding opportunity is to 
utilize existing scientific tools and approaches (e.g., biophysical 
models; coupled watershed and hydrodynamic models) within a social, 
cultural, and economic framework to develop and implement effective 
coastal ecosystem management practices in the Pacific Islands. 
Proposals should be regional in scale, interdisciplinary, 
comprehensive, integrated, and include multiple investigators to 
develop capabilities for innovative forecasts and predictions for 
improved management and control capabilities. Program 2 is the Northern 
Gulf of Mexico Ecosystems and Hypoxia Assessment Program (NGOMEX). 
NGOMEX has two components. The Modeling the Causes of Hypoxia component 
takes a regional ecosystem prediction approach to advance model 
development assessing the association between the northern Gulf hypoxic 
zone and causative factors. The proposed research for this competition 
should be 3-5 years in duration. The Modeling the Impacts of Hypoxia 
component takes an ecosystem stressors approach to advance 
understanding of hypoxia on ecologically and commercially important 
living resource populations of the northern Gulf of Mexico ecosystem. 
These projects should be 3 to 5 years of duration. Funding is 
contingent upon the availability of Fiscal Year 2009 Federal 
appropriations. It is anticipated that final recommendations for 
funding under this announcement will be made by February 2009 and that 
projects funded under this announcement will have a July 1, 2009 
through August 1, 2009 start date. Background information about the 
NCCOS/CSCOR efforts can be found at http://www.cop.noaa.gov.
    Funding Availability: Funding is contingent upon availability of 
Federal appropriations. 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 
Business Process Re-engineering Team. In order to fulfill these 
responsibilities, this solicitation announces that award

[[Page 40073]]

amounts will be determined by the proposals and available funds. Funds 
for the Coral Reef Ecosystem Studies From Science to Conservation: 
Linking Coral Reefs, Coastal Watersheds and their Human Communities in 
the Pacific Islands will not exceed $200,000 per project per year. (1) 
It is anticipated that only one project will be awarded for this 
program with project duration of 3 to 5 years. Funds for the Modeling 
the Causes of Hypoxia component of the Northern Gulf of Mexico 
Ecosystems and Hypoxia Assessment program will not exceed $1,000,000. 
(2) It is anticipated that only one project will be awarded for this 
program component with project duration of 3 to 5 years. Funds for the 
Modeling the Impacts of Hypoxia component of the Northern Gulf of 
Mexico Ecosystems and Hypoxia Assessment program will be up to $500,000 
per project per year. (3) It is anticipated that 3 to 5 projects will 
be awarded for this program component with project duration of 3 to 5 
years. Applicants are hereby given notice that funds have not yet been 
appropriated for this program. In no event will NOAA or the Department 
of Commerce be responsible for proposal preparation costs if this 
program fails to receive funding or is cancelled because of other 
agency priorities. There is no guarantee that sufficient funds will be 
available to make awards for all qualified projects. Publication of 
this notice does not obligate NOAA to award any specific project or to 
obligate any available funds. If one incurs any costs prior to 
receiving an award agreement signed by an authorized NOAA official, one 
would do so solely at one's own risk of these costs not being included 
under the award. Publication of this notice does not obligate any 
agency to any specific award or to obligate any part of the entire 
amount of funds available. Recipients and subrecipients are subject to 
all Federal laws and agency policies, regulations and procedures 
applicable to Federal financial assistance awards.
    Statutory Authority: For the Coral Reef Ecosystem Studies From 
Science to Conservation: Linking Coral Reefs, Coastal Watersheds and 
their Human Communities in the Pacific Islands program the program 
authority is 16 U.S.C. 6403, for the Northern Gulf of Mexico Ecosystems 
and Hypoxia Assessment Program the program authority is 33 U.S.C. 1442.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.478, 
Center for Sponsored Coastal Ocean Research--Coastal Ocean Program.
    Application Deadline: The deadline for receipt of proposals at the 
NCCOS/CSCOR office is 3 p.m., Eastern Time for both of the programs. 
For the Coral Reef Ecosystem Studies proposals are due October 9, 2008. 
For the Northern Gulf of Mexico proposals are due October 20, 2008.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: Applications must be submitted 
through www.grants.gov, unless an applicant does not have Internet 
access. In that case, hard copies with original signatures may be sent 
to: Laura J. Golden 1305 East-West Hwy. Routing Code: N/SCI2, Building: 
SSMC4, Silver Spring, MD 20910-3278
    Information Contacts: Technical Information: Program Managers 
contact information can be found under each program element listed in 
B. Program Priorities of the FFO. Business Management Information: 
Laurie Golden, NCCOS/CSCOR Grants Administrator, 301-713-3338/ext 151, 
Internet: [email protected].
    Eligibility: Eligible applicants are institutions of higher 
education, other non-profits, state, local, Indian Tribal Governments, 
commercial organizations and Federal agencies that possess the 
statutory authority to receive financial assistance. Please note that: 
(1) NCCOS/CSCOR will not fund any Federal Full Time Employee (FTE) 
salaries, but will fund travel, equipment, supplies, and contractual 
personnel costs associated with the proposed work. (2) Researchers must 
be employees of an eligible entity listed above; and proposals must be 
submitted through that entity. Non-Federal researchers should comply 
with their institutional requirements for proposal submission. (3) Non-
NOAA Federal applicants will be required to submit certifications or 
documentation showing that they have specific legal authority to 
receive funds from the Department of Commerce (DOC) for this research. 
(4) NCCOS/CSCOR will accept proposals that include foreign researchers 
as collaborators with a research who has met the above stated 
eligibility requirements. (5) Non-Federal researchers affiliated with 
NOAA-University Cooperative/Joint Institutes should comply with joint 
institutional requirements; they will be funded through grants either 
to their institutions or to joint institutes.
    Cost Sharing Requirements: None.
    Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this program are not 
subject to Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal 
Programs.
5. FY 2009 California Bay Watershed Education and Training Program
    Summary Description: The California B-WET grant program 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 San Francisco Bay, Monterey Bay, and Santa Barbara 
Channel watersheds. Projects support organizations that provide 
students ``meaningful'' watershed educational experiences and teachers 
professional development opportunities in the area of environmental 
education related watersheds.
    Funding Availability: This solicitation announces that 
approximately $2,000,000 may be available in FY 2009 in award amounts 
to be determined by the proposals and available funds. About $850,000 
will be made available to the San Francisco Bay watershed area, about 
$700,000 will be made available to the Monterey Bay watershed area, and 
about $450,000 will be made available to the Santa Barbara Channel 
watershed area. The National Marine Sanctuary Program anticipates that 
approximately 35 grants will be awarded with these funds. 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.
    The National Marine Sanctuary Program anticipates that typical 
project awards for Meaningful Watershed Experiences and Professional 
Development in the Area of Environmental Education for Teachers will 
range from $30,000 to $60,000. Proposals will be considered for funds 
greater than the specified ranges if there is sufficient demonstration 
that the project requires additional funds and/or if the proposal 
includes multiple partners. 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 
Office as part of the terms when the award is made.
    Statutory Authority: 33 U.S.C. 893 a(a).

[[Page 40074]]

    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.429, 
Marine Sanctuary Program.
    Application Deadline: Proposals must be received by 5 p.m. Pacific 
Daylight Time on October 6, 2008.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: Applications must be submitted 
through www.grants.gov, unless an applicant does not have Internet 
access. In that case, hard copies with original signatures may be sent 
to: Attn: Seaberry Nachbar, B-WET Program Manager, Monterey Bay 
National Marine Sanctuary Office, 299 Foam Street, Monterey, CA 93940.
    Information Contacts: Please visit the National Marine Sanctuaries 
CA B-WET Web site at: http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/bwet/welcome.html or contact Seaberry Nachbar, Monterey Bay National Marine 
Sanctuary office, 299 Foam Street, Monterey, CA 93940, or by phone at 
831-647-4201, or fax to 831-647-4250, or via Internet at 
[email protected].
    Eligibility: Eligible applicants are K-through-12 public and 
independent schools and school systems, 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 applying for either area of interest to share as 
much of the costs of the award 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 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.
6. International Coral
    Summary Description: The NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Grant 
Program, as authorized under the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000, 
provides matching grants of financial assistance for international 
coral reef conservation projects. The Program solicits proposals under 
four funding categories: (1) Promote Watershed Management in the Wider 
Caribbean, Brazil, and Bermuda; (2) Support Planning for Effective 
Marine Protected Area Management; (3) Encourage the Development of 
National Networks of Marine Protected Areas in the Wider Caribbean, 
Bermuda, Brazil, Southeast Asia, and the South Pacific; and (4) Promote 
Regional Socio-Economic Training and Monitoring in Coral Reef 
Management in the Wider Caribbean, Brazil, Bermuda, the Western Indian 
Ocean, the Red Sea, the South Pacific, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. 
Each funding category has specific applicant and project eligibility 
criteria.
    Funding Availability: NOAA announces the availability of up to 
$500,000 in FY 2009 to support grants and cooperative agreements under 
the International Coral Reef Grant Program. These funds will be used to 
support financial assistance awards under the program categories listed 
in section I.B. Program Priorities and III.C. Other Criteria that 
Affect Eligibility of the FFO. Applicants that are invited to submit a 
final application may be requested to revise award objectives, work 
plans, or budgets prior to submittal of the final application. The 
amount of funds to be awarded and the final scope of activities will be 
determined in pre-award negotiations among the applicant, NOAA Grants 
Management Division (GMD) and relevant NOAA staff. Up to approximately 
$500,000 may be available in FY 2009 to support grants and cooperative 
agreements under this program. Approximately $75,000-$100,000 may be 
allocated to each of the four project categories listed below, with the 
following award ranges: 1. Watershed Management: $30,000-$50,000; 2. 
Planning for Effective Marine Protected Area Management: Single sites: 
Up to $50,000; Multiple sites: Up to $80,000; 3. MPA National Networks: 
$40,000-$50,000; 4. Regional Socio-Economic Monitoring projects: 
$15,000-$30,000 Pre- and final applications with requests over the 
limit of each category will NOT be accepted. Pre- and final 
applications must be submitted under only one of the above mentioned 
categories. Funding will be subject to the availability of federal 
appropriations. Support in outyears after FY 2009 is contingent upon 
the availability of funds. Applicants should never begin a project in 
expectation of funds under this program. The International Program 
Office reserves the right to transfer any given proposal to another 
category within the International program if the proposal better 
addresses the criteria of another category.
    Statutory Authority: Authority for the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation 
Grant Program is provided by Section 6403 (Coral Reef Conservation 
Program) of the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 6401 et 
seq.).
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.463, 
Habitat Conservation.
    Application Deadline: Pre-applications must be received by NOAA by 
5 p.m., U.S. Eastern Time, on Monday, November 3, 2008. Final 
applications must be received by NOAA by 5 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time, on 
Friday, February. 13, 2009.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: 1. Pre-application Submission 
Information: Pre-applications may be submitted by surface mail or e-
mail by 5 p.m., U.S. Eastern Time, November 3, 2008. Submissions by e-
mail are preferred to [email protected]. Acceptable electronic 
formats for narratives, attachments, and images are limited to Adobe 
Acrobat (.PDF), or Microsoft Word files. If submitting by surface mail, 
please include an electronic copy of the pre-application on CD. Federal 
financial assistance forms are NOT required to be submitted with the 
pre-application. If surface mail is selected, paper pre-applications 
must be submitted to: David Kennedy, NOAA Coral Reef Conservation 
Program Coordinator, Office of Response and Restoration, N/ORR, Room 
10102, NOAA National Ocean Service, 1305 East-West Highway, Silver 
Spring, MD 20910. Fax submittals will also be accepted for pre-
applications (Fax: 301-713-4389). b. Please note that late applications 
cannot be considered under any circumstances including e-mail 
transmission malfunctions.
    Electronic files of pre-applications must arrive without viruses. 
If attachments cannot be opened due to a virus or they arrive with a 
virus, the pre-applications will be disqualified. You may call us at 
301-713-3078 x218 before the deadline to ensure that your pre-
application arrived.
    2. Final Application Submission Information: Applicants who are 
invited to submit a final application may be required to make 
modifications or revisions to the project and budget narratives and 
must submit these narratives with a Federal financial assistance award 
application package (federal forms described below). Only applicants 
who submitted pre-applications by the deadline will be

[[Page 40075]]

eligible to be considered for invitations to submit a final application 
by 5 p.m., U.S. Eastern Time, on February 13, 2009. The applicant may 
submit the final application (narratives, federal forms, and supporting 
documentation) in one of two ways: Applications must be submitted 
through http://www.grants.gov, unless an applicant does not have 
Internet access. In that case, hard copies with original signatures may 
be sent to: Scot Frew, NOAA/NOS International Program Office, 1315 
East-West Highway, 5th Floor, N/IP, Room 5735, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
    Applicants should consider the delivery time when submitting their 
pre- and final applications from international or remote areas. Late 
applications by any method cannot be accepted under any circumstances.
    Information Contacts: Technical point of contact for International 
Coral Reef Conservation is Scot Frew, NOAA/NOS International Program 
Office, 301-713-3078, extension 220 or e-mail at [email protected].
    Eligibility: Eligible applicants include institutions of higher 
education, U.S. and international non-profit organizations, and 
commercial organizations. U.S. federal agencies and individuals are not 
eligible. For specific country eligibility per category, please refer 
to individual category descriptions in Section V of the Federal Funding 
Opportunity. The proposed work must be conducted at a non-U.S. site. 
Eligible countries are defined as follows: The Wider Caribbean includes 
the 37 States and territories that border the marine environment of the 
Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, and the areas of the Atlantic Ocean 
adjacent thereto, and Brazil and Bermuda, but excluding areas under 
U.S. jurisdiction. The South Pacific Region includes South Pacific 
Regional Environment Program's Pacific island countries and 
territories, including the Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of 
Palau, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands, but excluding U.S. 
territories and four developed country members. South Asia includes 
India, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Southeast 
Asia Region includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, 
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam. The Western 
Indian Ocean Region includes Comoros, France (La Reunion), Kenya, 
Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, the United Republic of 
Tanzania, and South Africa. The Red Sea Region includes five member 
countries of the Regional Organization for the Conservation of the 
Environment of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden (PERSGA): Djibouti, Egypt, 
Jordan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Yemen.
    Cost Sharing Requirements: The International Coral Grant Program is 
subject to the matching fund requirements described below. As per 
section 6403(b)(1) of the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000, Federal 
funds for any coral conservation project funded under this Program may 
not exceed 50 percent of the total cost of the projects. Therefore, any 
coral conservation project under this program requires a 1:1 match. 
Match can come from a variety of public and private sources and can 
include in-kind goods and services such as private boat use and 
volunteer labor. Federal sources cannot be considered for matching 
funds, but can be described in the budget narrative to demonstrate 
additional leverage. Applicants are permitted to combine contributions 
from multiple non-federal partners in order to meet the 1:1 match 
recommendation, as long as such contributions are not being used to 
match any other funds.
    Applicants must specify in their proposal the source(s) of match 
and may be asked to provide letters of commitment to confirm stated 
match contributions. 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. Applicants should 
be prepared to carefully document matching contributions for each 
project selected to be funded. As per section 6403(b)(2) of the Coral 
Reef Conservation Act of 2000, the NOAA Administrator may waive all or 
part of the matching requirement if the Administrator determines that 
the project meets the following two requirements: 1. No reasonable 
means are available through which an applicant can meet the matching 
requirement, and, 2. The probable benefit of such project outweighs the 
public interest in such matching requirement. In the case of a waiver 
request, the applicant must provide a detailed justification explaining 
the need for the waiver including attempts to obtain sources of 
matching funds, how the benefit of the project outweighs the public 
interest in providing match, and any other extenuating circumstances 
preventing the availability of match. Match waiver requests including 
the appropriate justification should be submitted as part of the final 
application package. Notwithstanding any other provisions herein, and 
in accordance with 48 U.S.C. 1469a(d), the Program shall waive any 
requirement for local matching funds for any project under $200,000 
(including in-kind contribution) to the governments of Insular Areas, 
defined as the jurisdictions of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American 
Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

    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 
respective pre- and final applications.

    Intergovernmental Review: Applications under the International 
Coral Reef Grant program are not subject to Executive Order 12372, 
Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.
7. NOAA's National Height Modernization Program
    Summary Description: The purpose of this notice is to solicit 
proposals for cooperative agreements and/or grants between NOAA and 
partnering entities in the United States, implementing NOAA's National 
Height Modernization Program (NHMP) Plan. Proposals submitted in 
response to this announcement should contribute to the beneficial 
public outcomes associated with the five priority issues in this plan 
which consists of enhancing the vertical component of the National 
Spatial Reference System (NSRS); enabling users to access the vertical 
component of the NSRS; outreach and education regarding geospatial 
issues and activities as they relate to NHMP; capacity building and 
technology transfer as they relate to NHMP; coordination, cooperation, 
and collaboration with other entities to accomplish common goals as 
they relate to NHMP. This competition is focused on the geography of 
the United States and its territories in response to NOAA's NHMP 
Regional Implementation Plan and subsequent congressional 
appropriations. The program priorities for this opportunity support 
NOAA's mission support goal of: Commerce and Transportation, Enable 
safe, secure, and seamless movement of goods and people in the United 
States transportation system. Priorities addressing this mission goal 
also frequently are found to support NOAA's other mission goals: 
Improve protection, restoration, and management of coastal and ocean 
resources through ecosystem-based management; increase understanding of 
climate variability and change; and improve accuracy and

[[Page 40076]]

timeliness of weather and water information.
    Funding Availability: Total anticipated funding for all awards is 
approximately $2,500,000 and is subject to the availability of FY 2009 
appropriations. The anticipated federal funding per award (min-max) is 
approximately $50,000 to $1,200,000 per year. The anticipated number of 
awards ranges from 10 to 20, approximately, and will be adjusted based 
on available funding and quality of received proposals.
    Statutory Authority: 33 U.S.C. 883a and 33 U.S.C. 883d.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.400, 
Geodetic Surveys and Services (Applications of the National Geodetic 
Reference System).
    Application Deadline: Letters of Intent (LOIs) must be received by 
the National Ocean Service by 4 p.m. ET on August 1, 2008. Full 
proposals must be received no later than 4 p.m. ET, September 2, 2008.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: A letter of intent (LOI) may be 
sent via e-mail to [email protected]. Insert FY 2009 National 
NHMP Program as the subject line of the e-mail containing the LOI. 
Applicants submitting multiple LOIs must use a unique project title for 
each LOI and may send all LOIs in one e-mail or in multiple e-mails. If 
hard copy LOIs are submitted, an original and two copies should be sent 
to the attention of Gilbert Mitchell at 1315 East-West Highway, N/NGS1, 
Room 9356, SSMC3, Silver Spring, MD 20910 contact him at 301-713-
3228x114 or e-mail [email protected]. Full proposal application 
packages must be submitted through Grants.gov. If an applicant does not 
have Internet access, one set of originals (signed) and two copies of 
the hard copy proposals and related forms should be mailed to the 
attention of Gilbert Mitchell at 1315 East-West Highway, N/NGS1, Room 
9356, SSMC3, Silver Spring, MD 20910 contact him at 301-713-3228x114 No 
e-mail or fax copies will be accepted.
    Information Contacts: For administrative questions, contact Gilbert 
Mitchell, NOAA NOS, SSMC3; 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 
20910, or by phone at 301-713-3228 Extension 114, or by fax 301-713-
4176, or via e-mail at [email protected]. For technical 
questions regarding this announcement, contact Renee Shields, NOAA NOS 
SSMC3; 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910; or contact her 
by phone at 301-713-3231 Extension 115, or by fax 301-713-4176, or via 
e-mail at [email protected].
    Eligibility: Eligible funding applicants are institutions of higher 
education, state, local and Indian tribal governments.
    Cost Sharing Requirements: There is no requirement for cost 
sharing.
    Intergovernmental Review: Funding applications under the National 
Ocean Service 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.
8. National Coastal and Estuarine Research and Technology Program
    Summary Description: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration (NOAA) seeks to establish a national estuarine research 
and technology program which operates in partnership with the National 
Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS). Funds will be used to 
conduct collaborative research and transform the best available science 
into practical innovative tools that coastal managers can use to 
detect, prevent, and reverse the impacts of coastal pollution and 
habitat degradation. Additionally, the program will provide coastal and 
estuarine managers a better understanding of what tools are available, 
how well they work, and how best to apply them to detect, prevent, and 
reverse the impacts of coastal pollution and habitat degradation.
    Funding Availability: Funding is contingent upon the availability 
of Federal appropriations. NOAA's Estuarine Reserves Division 
anticipates up to $5,232,000 will be available to fund a National 
Coastal and Estuarine Research and Technology Program under this 
competition. Applicants are hereby given notice that funds have not yet 
been appropriated for this program. In no event will NOAA or the 
Department of Commerce be responsible for proposal preparation costs if 
this program fails to receive funding or is cancelled because of other 
agency priorities. There is no guarantee that sufficient funds will be 
available to make awards for all qualified projects. Publication of 
this notice does not oblige NOAA to award any specific project or to 
obligate any available funds. If one incurs any costs prior to 
receiving an award agreement signed by an authorized NOAA official, one 
would do so solely at one's own risk of these costs not being included 
under the award. Recipients and subrecipients are subject to all 
Federal laws and agency policies, regulations and procedures applicable 
to Federal financial assistance awards.
    Statutory Authority: Section 310 of the Coastal Zone Management Act 
of 1972, as amended, 16 U.S.C. 1456c.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.419, 
Coastal Zone Management Administration Awards.
    Application Deadline: Applications must be submitted no later than 
5 p.m. (EDT) on September 9, 2008. No facsimile or electronic mail 
applications will be accepted.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: Applications must be submitted 
through www.grants.gov, unless an applicant does not have Internet 
access. In that case, hard copies with original signatures may be sent 
to: Erica Seiden, 1305 East-West Highway, N/ORM5, SSMC4 10542, Silver 
Spring, MD 20910. Facsimile transmissions and electronic mail 
submission of full proposals will not be accepted.
    Information Contacts: Technical Information: Erica Seiden, OCRM/ERD 
Project Manager, [email protected], 301-563-1172. Business 
Management Information: Erica Seiden, OCRM/ERD Project Manager, 
[email protected], 301-563-1172.
    Eligibility: Eligible applicants are non-Federal institutions of 
higher education, other non-profits, commercial organizations, and 
state and local governments that possess the statutory authority to 
receive financial assistance. Please note that: (1) The Office of Ocean 
and Coastal Resource Management, Estuarine Reserves Division (OCRM/ERD) 
will not fund any Federal Full Time Employee (FTE) salaries, but will 
fund travel, equipment, supplies, and contractual personnel costs 
associated with the proposed work. (2) Researchers must be employees of 
an eligible entity listed above; and proposals must be submitted 
through that entity. Non-Federal researchers should comply with their 
institutional requirements for proposal submission. (3) OCRM/ERD will 
accept proposals that include foreign researchers as collaborators with 
a researcher who has met the above stated eligibility requirements.
    Cost Sharing Requirements: None.
    Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this program are not 
subject to Executive Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal 
Programs.''

[[Page 40077]]

9. National Estuarine Research Reserve Graduate Research Fellowship 
Program FY2009
    Summary Description: The National Estuarine Research Reserve System 
of NOAA announces the availability of graduate research fellowships. 
The National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) consists of 
estuarine areas of the United States and its territories which are 
designated and managed for research and educational purposes. Each 
reserve within the system is chosen to reflect regional differences and 
to include a variety of ecosystem types in accordance with the 
classification scheme of the national program as presented in 15 CFR 
part 921. Each reserve supports a wide range of beneficial uses of 
ecological, economic, recreational, and aesthetic values which are 
dependent upon the maintenance of a healthy ecosystem. The sites 
provide habitats for a wide range of ecologically and commercially 
important species of fish, shellfish, birds, and other aquatic and 
terrestrial wildlife. Each reserve has been designed to ensure its 
effectiveness as a conservation unit and as a site for long-term 
research and monitoring. As part of a national system, the reserves 
collectively provide an excellent opportunity to address research 
questions and estuarine management issues of national significance. For 
detailed descriptions of the sites, refer to the NERR Web site at 
http://www.nerrs.noaa.gov/fellowship or contact the site staff.
    Funding Availability: The Estuarine Reserves Division anticipates 
that 25 Graduate Research Fellowships will be competitively awarded to 
provide funding to qualified graduate students whose research occurs 
within the boundaries of at least one reserve. Minority students are 
encouraged to apply for these fellowships. The amount of the fellowship 
is $20,000; at least 30% of total project cost match is required by the 
applicant (i.e. $8,572 match for $20,000 in federal funds for a total 
project cost of $28,572).
    Statutory Authority: Section 315 of the Coastal Zone Management Act 
of 1972, as amended CZMA), 16 U.S.C. 1461, establishes the National 
Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS). 16 U.S.C. 1461(e)(1)(B) 
authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to make grants to any coastal 
state or public or private person for purposes of supporting research 
and monitoring within a National Estuarine Research Reserve that are 
consistent with the research guidelines developed under subsection (c).
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.420, 
Coastal Zone Management Estuarine Research Reserves.
    Application Deadline: Applications must be submitted through 
www.grants.gov no later than 11 p.m. (EST) November 1, 2008 or 
postmarked no later than November 1, 2008.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: Applications must be submitted 
through www.grants.gov, unless an applicant does not have Internet 
access. In that case, hard copies with original signatures may be sent 
to: Alison Krepp, Graduate Research Fellowship Coordinator, NOAA 
Estuarine Reserves Division, 1305 East West Highway, N/ORM 5, SSMC 4 
Station 10503 Silver Spring MD 20910.
    Information Contacts: For questions regarding the program and 
application process, please contact Alison Krepp (301-713-3155 ext. 
105) at NOAA/Estuarine Reserves Division, 1305 East-West Highway, N/ORM 
5, SSMC 4, Station 10503, Silver Spring, MD 20910 or via e-mail: 
[email protected], or fax: 301-713-4012. The program Web site can 
be accessed at http://www.nerrs.noaa.gov/fellowship. If the Web page 
does not provide sufficient information and Alison Krepp is 
unavailable, please contact Erica Seiden at (301) 713-3155 ext. 172 or 
[email protected]. For further information on specific research 
opportunities at National Estuarine Research Reserves, contact the site 
staff listed in Appendix I of the FFO.
    Eligibility: Awards are normally made to the fellow's graduate 
institution through the use of a grant. However, institutions eligible 
to receive awards include institutions of higher education, other non-
profits, commercial organizations, and state and local governments. All 
reserve staff are ineligible to submit an application for a fellowship 
under this announcement. Funds are expected to be available on a 
competitive basis to qualified graduate students for research within a 
reserve(s) leading to a graduate degree. Applicants must be admitted to 
or enrolled in a full-time master's or doctoral program at a U.S. 
accredited university in order to be eligible to apply. Applicants 
should have completed a majority of their graduate course work at the 
beginning of their fellowship and have an approved thesis research 
program. Minority students are encouraged to apply.
    Cost Sharing Requirements: Requested federal funds must be matched 
by at least 30 percent of the TOTAL cost, not the federal share, of the 
project (i.e. $8,572 match for $20,000 in federal funds for a total 
project cost of $28,572). Requested overhead costs and institutional 
fees that do not qualify as direct costs under fellowship awards are 
limited to 10% of the federal amount. Waived overhead costs may be used 
as match.
    Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this program are 
subject to Executive Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal 
Programs.'' Applicants should contact their State Single Point of 
Contact (SPOC) to find out about and comply with the State's process 
under EO12372. The names and addresses of the SPOCs are listed in the 
Office of Management and Budget's Web site at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html.
10. National Estuarine Research Reserve Land Acquisition and 
Construction Program FY 2009
    Summary Description: This funding opportunity announces funding for 
land acquisition/construction awards. The National Estuarine Research 
Reserve System consists of estuarine areas of the United States and its 
territories which are designated and managed for research and 
educational purposes. Each reserve within the system is chosen to 
represent different bio-geographic regions and to include a variety of 
ecosystem types in accordance with the classification scheme of the 
national program as presented in 15 CFR part 921. Through the funding 
of designated reserve agencies and universities to undertake land 
acquisition and construction projects that support the NERRS purpose, 
NOAA will strengthen protection of key land and water areas; enhance 
long-term protection of the area for research and education; and 
provide for facility and exhibit construction.
    Funding Availability: This funding opportunity announces that 
approximately $6.89 million may be available to designated reserve 
agencies or universities through this announcement for fiscal year 
2009, subject to availability of funding. It is anticipated that 5 to 
23 total projects may be funded. Awards will be issued as competitive 
grants. It is anticipated that the awards will run for up to two years. 
In the past, funding for land acquisition/construction awards has 
ranged in amount from approximately $50,000 to $3 million.
    Statutory Authority: Authority for the NERR program is provided by 
16 U.S.C. 1461(e)(1)(A)(i),(ii), and (iii).
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.420, 
Coastal Zone Management Estuarine Research Reserves.

[[Page 40078]]

    Application Deadline: Complete grant applications must be received 
or postmarked by 5 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, November 30, 2008.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: Applications must be submitted 
through www.grants.gov, unless an applicant does not have Internet 
access. In that case, hard copies with original signatures may be sent 
to: NOS/OCRM/ERD, Nina Garfield, 1305 East-West Highway, Room 10505, 
Silver Spring, MD 20910.
    Information Contacts: Administrative and Technical questions 
regarding the program and application process, please contact Nina 
Garfield, program coordinator, at NOAA/Estuarine Reserves Division, 
1305 East-West Highway, N/ORM5, SSMC4, Station 10505, Silver Spring, MD 
20910 or via phone: 301-563-1171 ext. 171, e-mail: contact 
[email protected], or fax: 301-713-4363. The program Web site can 
be accessed at http://www.ocrm.nos.noaa.gov/nerr.html. Other questions 
should be directed to Nina Garfield of ERD at 301-563-1171 ext. 171, or 
fax 301-713-4012, or via Internet at [email protected] or Laurie 
McGilvray at (301) 713-3155 ext. 158, [email protected].
    Eligibility: Eligible applicants are NERR lead state agencies or 
universities in coastal states. Eligible applicants should have 
completed all requirements as stated in the NERRS regulations at Title 
15--Commerce and Foreign Trade, Chapter IX--National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce, Part 921--National 
Estuarine Research Reserve System Regulations (15 CFR part 921) http://nerrs.noaa.gov/Background_Regulations.html.
    Cost Sharing Requirements: The amount of federal funds requested 
must be matched by the applicant: 30 percent total project match for 
construction awards and 50 percent total project match for land 
acquisition awards. Cash or in-kind contributions directly benefiting 
the project may be used to satisfy the matching requirements. If using 
Reserve land acquisition banked match, a list of the banked match must 
be included with the application. Applicants must identify all match 
sources and amounts equal to that requested above.
    Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this program are 
subject to Executive Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal 
Programs.'' Applicants should contact their State Single Point of 
Contact (SPOC) to find out about and comply with the States process 
under EO12372. The names and addresses of the SPOCs are listed in the 
Office of Management and Budgets Web site at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html.

Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR)

1. Climate Program Office for FY 2009
    Summary Description: NOAA'S Climate Mission Goal is to understand 
climate variability and change to enhance society's ability to plan and 
respond. The long-term climate efforts of NOAA are designed to develop 
a predictive understanding of variability and change in the global 
climate system, and to advance the application of this information in 
climate-sensitive sectors through a suite of process research, 
observations and modeling, and application and assessment activities. 
The NOAA Climate Program Office coordinates climate activities across 
all NOAA in fulfillment of NOAA's Climate Mission Goal. The Program 
partners with Federal, academic, private, and international research 
institutions and is a key contributing element of the U.S. Climate 
Change Science Program (CCSP).
    Funding Availability: In FY 2007, approximately $8M in first-year 
funding was available for 94 new awards. Similar funds and number of 
awards are anticipated in FY 2009. Please be advised that the number of 
new awards and funding levels will depend upon the final FY 2009 budget 
appropriations. It is anticipated that awards will be up to three years 
in length and cost between $50,000 and $200,000 per year. Federal 
funding for FY 2010 may be used to fund some awards submitted under 
this Competition. Current or previous grantees are eligible to apply 
for a new award that builds on, but does not replicate, activities 
covered in the current or previous award. Current grantees should not 
apply for supplementary funding through this announcement.
    Statutory Authority: 49 U.S.C. 47720(b), 15 U.S.C. 2904, 15 U.S.C. 
2931-2934.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.431, 
Climate and Atmospheric Research.
    Application Deadline: Full applications for all Competitions must 
be received by 5 p.m. Eastern Time, October 9, 2008. Letters of Intent 
for all Competitions, although not required, should be received by 5 
p.m. Eastern Time, August 11, 2008. LOIs should be submitted by e-mail 
to the identified Competition Manager.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: 1. Letter of Intent Submission 
LOIs should be submitted by e-mail to the identified NOAA Competition 
Manager listed with each Competition in the Program Priorities section. 
If an applicant does not have Internet access, LOI hard copies may be 
sent to the Competition Managers. Hard copies should be sent to NOAA 
Climate Program Office (R/CP1), SSMC3, Room 12112, 1315 East-West 
Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910 or faxed to 301-713-0518. Please allow 
two weeks after receipt for a response. 2. Full Applications must be 
submitted through www.grants.gov. If an applicant does not have 
Internet access, the CPO Grants Manager Diane Brown should be contacted 
by mail at NOAA Climate Program Office (R/CP1), SSMC3, Room 12112, 1315 
East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910 for hard copy submission 
instructions. Please allow two weeks after receipt for a response.
    Information Contacts: Please visit the CPO Web site for further 
information http://www.climate.noaa.gov/ or contact the CPO Grants 
Manager, Diane Brown by mail (see Address above). Please allow up to 
two weeks after receipt for a response.
    Eligibility: Eligible applicants are institutions of higher 
education, other nonprofits, commercial organizations, international 
organizations, and state, local and Indian tribal governments. Federal 
agencies or institutions are not eligible to receive Federal assistance 
under this notice.
    Cost Sharing Requirements: None.
    Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this program are not 
subject to Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental Review of federal 
programs.
2. 2009 NMFS-Sea Grant Fellowships in Marine Resource Economics
    Summary Description: The Graduate Fellowship Program generally 
awards two new PhD fellowships each year to students who are interested 
in careers related to the development and implementation of 
quantitative methods for assessing the economics of the conservation 
and management of living marine resources. Fellows will work on thesis 
problems of public interest and relevance to NMFS under the guidance of 
NMFS mentors at participating NMFS Science Centers or Laboratories. The 
NMFS-Sea Grant Fellowships in Marine Resource Economics meets NOAA's 
Mission goal of ``Protect, Restore and Manage the Use of Coastal and 
Ocean Resources Through Ecosystem-Based Management.''
    Funding Availability: The NMFS-Sea Grant Joint Graduate Fellowship 
Program in Marine Resource Economics

[[Page 40079]]

expects to support two new fellowships for up to 2 years for each 
fellowship.
    Statutory Authority: Authority for the Resource Economics Graduate 
Fellowship Program is provided by the following: 33 U.S.C. 1127(a).
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.417, Sea 
Grant Support.
    Application Deadline: Applications must be received by 4 pm, 
Eastern Time February 20, 2009 by the National Sea Grant Office (NSGO). 
For applications submitted through www.grants.gov, a date and time 
receipt indication is included and will be the basis of determining 
timeliness. The State Sea Grant programs are encouraged to ask for 
applications from fellowship applicants a month before the due date to 
facilitate the entry of non-electronic applications into Grants.gov.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: Applications from Sea Grant 
programs must be submitted through www.grants.gov. Facsimile 
transmission and electronic mail submission of applications will not be 
accepted.
    Information Contacts: Contact Miguel Lugo, National Sea Grant 
College Program, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910; tel: 
(301) 734-1075; e-mail: [email protected].
    Eligibility: Prospective Fellows must be United States citizens. At 
the time of application, prospective Marine Resource Economics Fellows 
must be admitted to a PhD degree program in natural resource economics 
or a related field at an institution of higher education in the United 
States or its territories or submit a signed letter from the 
institution indicating provisional acceptance to a PhD degree program 
conditional on obtaining financial support such as this fellowship. 
Applications must be submitted by the institution of higher education, 
which may be any such institution in the United States or its 
territories.
    Cost Sharing Requirements: Of the $38,500 award, 50 percent 
($19,250) will be contributed by NMFS, 33 \1/3\ percent ($12,833) by 
the National Sea Grant Office (NSGO), and 16 \2/3\ percent ($6,417) by 
the institution of higher education as the required 50 percent match of 
NSGO funds.
    Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this program are not 
subject to Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal 
Programs.
3. 2009 NMFS-Sea Grant Fellowships in Population Dynamics
    Summary Description: The Graduate Fellowship Program generally 
awards two new PhD fellowships each year to students who are interested 
in careers related to the development and implementation of 
quantitative methods for assessing the economics of the conservation 
and management of living marine resources. Fellows will work on thesis 
problems of public interest and relevance to NMFS under the guidance of 
NMFS mentors at participating NMFS Science Centers or Laboratories. The 
NMFS-Sea Grant Fellowships in Population Dynamics meets NOAA's Mission 
goal of ``Protect, Restore and Manage the Use of Coastal and Ocean 
Resources Through Ecosystem-Based Management.''
    Funding Availability: The Graduate Fellowship Program awards at 
least two new PhD fellowships each year to students who are interested 
in careers related to the population dynamics of living marine 
resources and the development and implementation of quantitative 
methods for assessing their status. The award for each Fellowship, 
contingent upon the availability of Federal funds, will be a multi-year 
cooperative agreement in the amount of $38,500 per year for up to three 
years. This involvement includes serving for 10-20 days aboard a 
research or commercial vessel during a scientific survey or 
experimental activity. Additionally, the Fellow may work on his/her 
thesis research or related activity at a participating NMFS facility. 
The Fellow's work will be overseen by a NMFS mentor who will provide 
advice and guidance.
    Statutory Authority: Authority for the Population Dynamics Graduate 
Fellowship Program is provided by the following: 33 U.S.C. 1127(a).
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.417, Sea 
Grant Support.
    Application Deadline: Applications must be received by 4 p.m., 
Eastern Time February 20, 2009 by the National Sea Grant Office (NSGO). 
For applications submitted through Grants.gov APPLY, a date and time 
receipt indication is included and will be the basis of determining 
timeliness. The State Sea Grant programs are encouraged to ask for 
applications from fellowship applicants a month before the due date to 
facilitate the entry of non-electronic applications into Grants.gov.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: Applications from Sea Grant 
programs must be submitted through www.grants.gov. Facsimile 
transmission and electronic mail submission of applications will not be 
accepted.
    Information Contacts: Contact Miguel Lugo, National Sea Grant 
College Program, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910; tel: 
(301) 734-1075; e-mail: [email protected].
    Eligibility: Prospective Fellows must be United States citizens. At 
the time of application, prospective Population Dynamics Fellows must 
be admitted to a PhD degree program in population dynamics or a related 
field such as applied mathematics, statistics, or quantitative ecology 
at an institution of higher education in the United States or its 
territories, or submit a signed letter from the institution indicating 
provisional acceptance to a PhD degree program conditional on obtaining 
financial support such as this fellowship. Applications must be 
submitted by the institution of higher education, which may be any such 
institution in the United States or its territories.
    Cost Sharing Requirements: Of the $38,500 award, 50 percent 
($19,250) will be contributed by NMFS, 33 \1/3\ percent ($12,833) by 
the National Sea Grant Office (NSGO), and 16 \2/3\ percent ($6,417) by 
the institution of higher education as the required 50 percent match of 
NSGO funds.
    Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this program are not 
subject to Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal 
Programs.
4. 2010 Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship (Knauss Fellowship 
Program)
    Summary Description: This notice announces that applications may be 
submitted for the Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship (Knauss 
Fellowship). The Knauss Fellowship is a program initiated by the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Sea 
Grant Office (NSGO), in fulfilling its broad educational 
responsibilities and legislative mandate of the Sea Grant Act, to 
provide educational experience in the policies and processes of the 
Legislative and Executive Branches of the Federal Government to 
graduate students in marine and aquatic-related fields. The Knauss 
Fellowship meets NOAA's Mission goal of Protect, Restore and Manage the 
Use of Coastal and Ocean Resources Through Ecosystem-Based Management.
    Funding Availability: The SGCP program receives and administers the 
overall cooperative agreement of $44,000 per student on behalf of each 
Fellow selected from their program. Of this amount, the local Sea Grant 
program provides $34,000 to each Fellow for stipend and living expenses 
(per diem). $8,000 will be used to cover mandatory health insurance for 
the

[[Page 40080]]

Fellow and moving expenses. Any remaining funds of the $8,000 shall be 
used for the fellow during the Fellowship year, first to satisfy 
academic degree-related activities, and second for Fellowship-related 
activities. Finally, up to $2,000 from the total $44,000 can be used to 
cover placement week costs. Indirect costs are not allowable from the 
Federal funds either for the Fellowships or for any costs associated 
with the Fellowships, including the $2,000 budgeted for placement week. 
These costs, though, can be denoted as matching funds. During the 
Fellowship, the host may provide supplemental funds for work-related 
travel by the Fellow. The SGCP awards 30-50 agreements each year. Not 
less than 30 applicants will be selected, of which the selected 
applicants assigned to the Congress maybe limited to 10.
    Statutory Authority: 33 U.S.C. 1127(b).
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.417, Sea 
Grant Support.
    Application Deadline: Applications from prospective fellows to the 
State Sea Grant College Programs (SGCP) are due February 20, 2009. 
Contact your state Sea Grant program (see IV.A. of the Federal Funding 
Opportunity for program contact information) for information on 
deadlines. Selected applications from the sponsoring SGCP are to be 
received in the National Sea Grant Office (NSGO) through Grants.gov no 
later than 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on April 03, 2009. For 
applications submitted through Grants.gov, a date and time receipt 
indication is included and will be the basis of determining timeliness.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: Eligible graduate students must 
submit applications to the SGCP. The addresses and contact information 
for each SGCP can be found at http://www.seagrant.noaa.gov/other/programsdirectors.html. The addresses can also be received from Miguel 
Lugo, Knauss Fellowship Program Manager, National Sea Grant College 
Program, 1315 East-West Highway, R/SG, Rm 11718, Silver Spring, MD 
20910. After the State Sea Grant Program review, selected applications 
from the sponsoring SGCP must be submitted through www.grants.gov. SGCP 
without Internet access may send hard copy proposals to Miguel Lugo at 
the above address.
    Information Contacts: Contact Miguel Lugo, Knauss Fellowship 
Program Manager, National Sea Grant College Program, 1315 East-West 
Highway, R/SG, Rm 11718, Silver Spring, MD 20910; tel: (301) 734-1077 
x1075.
    Eligibility: Any student, regardless of citizenship, who, on 
February 20, 2009, is in a graduate or professional program in a marine 
or aquatic-related field at a United States accredited institution of 
higher education in the United States or U.S. Territories may apply.
    Cost Sharing Requirements: There will be the one-third required 
cost share of the total cost of the award for those applicants selected 
as legislative fellows.
    Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this program are not 
subject to Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal 
Programs.
5. FY 2009 Joint Hurricane Testbed
    Summary Description: The Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research 
(OAR), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), is 
soliciting LOIs (Letters of Intent) under the United States Weather 
Research Program (USWRP), as administrated by the USWRP Joint Hurricane 
Testbed (JHT). This notice also provides guidelines for the submission 
of full proposals. This notice describes opportunities and application 
procedures for the transfer of relevant research and technology 
advances into tropical cyclone analysis and forecast operations. This 
notice calls for researchers to submit proposals to test and evaluate, 
and modify if necessary, in a quasi-operational environment, their own 
scientific and technological research applications. Projects satisfying 
metrics for success and operational constraints may be selected for 
operational implementation by the operational center(s) after the 
completion of the JHT-funded work. The period of the award is from one 
to two years. This opportunity addresses the NOAA mission goal of 
``Serving Society's Needs for Weather and Water Information.''
    Funding Availability: The estimate for total JHT funding that will 
be available in FY 2009 is $1,250,000, which will likely be used to 
fund 10-15 new projects. Award amounts for previous JHT grants have 
been mostly between $50,000 and $200,000 per year. A similar range is 
expected for this announcement. Initial and renewal funding of any JHT 
proposals is contingent upon availability of these funds. In no event 
will NOAA or the Department of Commerce be responsible for proposal 
preparation costs.
    Statutory Authority: 49 U.S.C. 44720(b), 33 U.S.C. 883d.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.431, 
Climate and Atmospheric Research.
    Application Deadline: Letters of Intent (LOIs) submitted by 
Principal Investigators (PIs) must be received no later than 5 p.m. 
Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on 31 July 2008. LOIs received after the 
deadline will not be reviewed, but in such cases PIs are still 
permitted to submit a full proposal. Response letters will be sent from 
NOAA no later than 22 September 2008. Full proposals must be received 
no later than 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on 30 October 2008. 
Full proposals received after the deadline will not be considered for 
funding.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: Letters of Intent (LOs) should be 
submitted to the JHT Director--Dr. Jiann-Gwo Jiing--preferably by e-
mail at: [email protected]. Those without e-mail access should 
send a printed copy to: Dr. Jiann-Gwo Jiing, Director, Joint Hurricane 
Testbed, Tropical Prediction Center, 11691 SW. 17th Street, Miami, FL 
33165. Full proposal packages must be submitted through the 
www.grants.gov Web site. For those without Internet access or for 
federal agency submissions, hard copy proposal packages with original 
signatures should be addressed to Dorothy Fryar, DOC/NOAA, Office of 
Weather & Air Quality Research, Routing Code R/WA, 1315 East-West 
Highway, Room 11209, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Ms. Fryar's phone number 
is 301-734-1179.
    Information Contacts: Please visit the Joint Hurricane Testbed Web 
site for further information at: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/jht/index.shtml or contact Dr. Jiann-Gwo Jiing, Director, Joint Hurricane 
Testbed, Tropical Prediction Center, 11691 SW. 17th Street, Miami, FL 
33165, phone (305) 229-4443, or via e-mail at [email protected]. 
Any technical questions addressed by Dr. Jiing (or his authorized 
representative) about this JHT funding opportunity and the answers will 
be posted on the JHT Web site.
    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; and Federal agencies. Applications from non-Federal 
and Federal applicants will be competed against each other.
    Cost Sharing Requirements: No cost sharing is required under this 
program.

[[Page 40081]]

    Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this program are not 
subject to Executive Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal 
Programs.''
6. FY 2009 Ocean Exploration Omnibus--Education
    Summary Description: In prior years, OE has funded the development 
of educational products to enable teachers to bring NOAA science into 
classrooms throughout the country. With this announcement, OE is 
seeking proposals that will facilitate the use of NOAA science in 
formal and informal education environments by extending the use of 
existing OE education products, located on its Web site http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov, in school districts and other learning centers 
throughout the country. OE is seeking pre-proposals and full proposals 
to support its mission, consistent with NOAA's Strategic Plan (http://www.nrc.noaa.gov), to further ocean science education and ocean 
literacy. It is anticipated that a total of approximately $300,000 will 
be available through this Ocean Exploration Education announcement. 
Only ocean education proposals will be funded, any other kind of 
project will not be reviewed. Applicants are encouraged to visit the 
Ocean Explorer Web site (http://www.oceanexplorer.noaa.gov) to 
familiarize themselves with past and present OE-funded activities.
    Funding Availability: In anticipation of the FY09 President's 
Budget, OE anticipates a total of approximately $300,000 will be 
available through this Ocean Exploration Education announcement. 
Depending on the quality and quantity of proposals received, a minimum 
of six projects are expected to be funded, resulting in an average 
award level of approximately $50,000. The OE Director may hold-over 
select proposals submitted for 2009 funding for consideration in 2010. 
The amount of funding available through this announcement is subject to 
the final FY09 appropriation for Ocean Exploration. Publication of this 
announcement does not obligate NOAA to fund any specific project or to 
obligate all or any part of available funds. There is no guarantee that 
sufficient funds will be available to initiate or continue research 
activities where funding has been recommended by OE. The exact amount 
of funds that OE may recommend be granted will be determined in pre-
award negotiations between the applicant and NOAA representatives. 
Future opportunities for submitting proposals may be available and will 
depend on OE funding levels.
    Statutory Authority: 33 U.S.C. 883d.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.460, 
Special Oceanic and Atmospheric Projects.
    Application Deadline: Completed pre-proposals are required for all 
categories and must be received by 5 p.m. (EDT) on August 29, 2008. 
Full proposal submissions must be received by 5 p.m. (EDT) on October 
21, 2008. Applications received after the above deadlines will not be 
considered.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: Pre-proposal submissions can be 
either by e-mail (preferred, send to ([email protected]) or by hard-
copy (see address below). If by e-mail, please put your last name in 
the subject heading along with the words OE Pre-proposal, e.g., ``Smith 
OE Pre-proposal.'' Adobe PDF format is preferred. No facsimile pre-
proposals will be accepted. Full proposal submissions must be through 
Grants.gov, except for those non-Federal applicants without Internet 
access and Federal applicants, who may submit hard copies to ATTN: Dr. 
Nicolas Alvarado, Proposal Manager, NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration & 
Research, SSMC3, 10th Floor, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, 
Maryland 20910. (see Address below.) No e-mail or facsimile proposal 
submissions will be accepted.
    Information Contacts: For further information contact the NOAA 
Office of Ocean Exploration at (301) 734-1015 or submit inquiries via 
e-mail to the Frequently Asked Questions address: [email protected].; 
e-mail inquiries should include the Principal Investigator's name in 
the subject heading. Inquiries can be mailed to: ATTN: Dr. Nicolas 
Alvarado, NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration, 1315 East-West Highway, 
SSMC3, 10th Floor, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910.
    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; and Federal agencies. PLEASE NOTE: Before non-NOAA 
Federal applicants may be funded, they must demonstrate that they have 
legal authority to receive funds from another Federal agency in excess 
of their appropriation. Because this announcement is not proposing to 
procure goods or services from applicants, the Economy Act (31 U.S.C. 
1535) is not an appropriate legal basis.
    Cost Sharing Requirements: Cost-sharing is not required.
    Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this program are 
subject to Executive Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal 
Programs.'' Applicants must contact their State's Single Point of 
Contact (SPOC) to find out about and comply with the State's process 
under EO 12372. The names and addresses of the SPOC's are listed in the 
Office of Management and Budget's Web site: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html.
7. FY 2009 Ocean Exploration Omnibus--Marine Archaeology
    Summary Description: Proposals for exploration and discovery of 
significant maritime heritage sites are the priority. Submerged, 
previously subaerial, landscapes, shipwrecks, and other maritime 
cultural sites are typical focus subjects of the program. Proposals 
will emphasize the early phases of field archaeology: searching, 
locating, evaluating or inventorying sites. This Announcement does not 
invite proposals to support later phases of archaeological research, 
such as intensive site excavations, and major conservation projects. 
All applicants must convincingly describe: The archaeological 
significance of their site(s), and their importance to human history; 
how their research fits within the realm of exploration; why their 
methodologies are innovative and make the most economical use of 
current marine technology. OE is seeking pre-proposals and full 
proposals to support its mission, consistent with NOAA's Strategic Plan 
(http://www.nrc.noaa.gov), to search, investigate, and document marine 
archaeological resources. OE is seeking proposals for exploration and 
discovery of significant maritime heritage sites, including submerged, 
previously subaerial, landscapes, shipwrecks, aircraft, and other 
maritime cultural sites. Competitive OE proposals will be bold, 
innovative and interdisciplinary in their approach and objectives. 
Proposals will emphasize the early phases of field archaeology: 
searching, locating, evaluating or inventorying sites. Marine 
Archaeology projects may be conducted in any of the world's oceans, 
coasts or Great Lakes regions, on any suitable platform, vessel or 
other charter. It is anticipated that a total of approximately $400,000 
will be available through this announcement. Only marine archaeology 
proposals will be funded. Any other kind of project will not be 
reviewed. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Ocean Explorer

[[Page 40082]]

Web site (http://www.oceanexplorer.noaa.gov) to familiarize themselves 
with past and present OE-funded activities. Background on how to apply 
and the required proposal cover sheets are accessible through the OE 
Office Web site at http://www.explore.noaa.gov/opportunity/welcome.html. The program priorities for this opportunity support NOAAs 
mission support goal of: Ecosystems--Protect, Restore, and Manage Use 
of Coastal and Ocean Resources through Ecosystem-Based Management. Full 
proposal submissions for non-Federal applicants must be submitted 
through Grants.gov. Federal applicants or applicants without Internet 
access may submit hard-copies to: ATTN: Dr. Nicolas Alvarado, Proposal 
Manager, NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration & Research, SSMC III, 10th 
Floor, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. No E-mail or 
facsimile full proposal submissions will be accepted.
    Funding Availability: In anticipation of the FY09 President's 
Budget, OE anticipates a total of approximately $400,000 will be 
available through this announcement for Marine Archaeology. OE 
anticipates supporting approximately four awards through this 
solicitation, averaging $100,000. The OE Director may hold-over select 
proposals submitted for 2009 funding for consideration in 2010. The 
amount of funding available through this announcement is subject to the 
final FY09 appropriation for Ocean Exploration. Publication of this 
announcement does not obligate NOAA to fund any specific project or to 
obligate all or any part of available funds. There is no guarantee that 
sufficient funds will be available to initiate or continue research 
activities where funding has been recommended by OE. The exact amount 
of funds that OE may recommend be granted will be determined in pre-
award negotiations between the applicant and NOAA representatives. 
Future opportunities for submitting proposals may be available and will 
depend on OE funding levels.
    Statutory Authority: 33 U.S.C. 883d.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.460, 
Special Oceanic and Atmospheric Projects.
    Application Deadline: Completed pre-proposals are required for all 
categories and must be received by 5 p.m. (EDT) on August 29, 2008. 
Full proposal submissions must be received by 5 p.m. (EDT) on October 
21, 2008. Applications received after the above deadlines will not be 
considered.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: Pre-proposal submissions can be 
either by E-mail (preferred, send to [email protected]) or by hard-
copy (send three copies to the mailing address below). If by E-mail, 
please put your last name in the subject heading along with the words 
OER Pre-proposal, e.g., ``Smith OER Pre-proposal.'' Adobe PDF format is 
preferred. No facsimile pre-proposals will be accepted. Full proposal 
submissions for non-Federal applicants must be submitted through 
Grants.gov. Federal applicants or applicants without Internet access 
may submit hard-copies to: ATTN: Dr. Nicolas Alvarado, Proposal 
Manager, NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration & Research, SSMC III, 10th 
Floor, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. No E-mail or 
facsimile full proposal submissions will be accepted.
    Information Contacts: For further information contact the NOAA 
Office of Ocean Exploration at (301) 734-1015 or submit inquiries via 
E-mail to the Frequently Asked Questions address: [email protected].; 
E-mail inquiries should include the Principal Investigator's name in 
the subject heading. Inquiries can be mailed to ATTN: Dr. Nicolas 
Alvarado (Proposal Manager), NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration, 1315 
East-West Highway, SSMC3, 10th Floor, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
    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; and Federal agencies. PLEASE NOTE: Before non-NOAA 
Federal applicants may be funded, they must demonstrate that they have 
legal authority to receive funds from another Federal agency in excess 
of their appropriation. Because this announcement is not proposing to 
procure goods or services from applicants, the Economy Act (31 U.S.C. 
1535) is not an appropriate legal basis.
    Cost Sharing Requirements: Cost-sharing is not required.
    Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this program are 
subject to Executive Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal 
Programs.'' Applicants must contact their State's Single Point of 
Contact (SPOC) to find out about and comply with the State's process 
under EO 12372. The names and addresses of the SPOC's are listed in the 
Office of Management and Budget's Web site: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html.
8. FY 2009 Ocean Exploration Omnibus--Ocean Exploration
    Summary Description: OE is seeking pre-proposals and full proposals 
to support its mission, consistent with NOAA's Strategic Plan (http://www.nrc.noaa.gov), to search, investigate, and document poorly-known 
and unknown areas of the ocean and Great Lakes through 
interdisciplinary exploration, and to advance and disseminate knowledge 
of the ocean environment and its physical, chemical, and biological 
resources. Competitive OE proposals will be bold, innovative and 
interdisciplinary in their approach to Ocean Exploration. NOAA OE 
anticipates a total of approximately $1,400,000 including costs for 
ship and submersible assets will be available through this 
announcement. Only exploratory proposals will be funded, any other kind 
of project will not be reviewed. Applicants are encouraged to visit the 
Ocean Explorer Web site (http://www.oceanexplorer.noaa.gov) to 
familiarize themselves with past and present OE-funded activities. 
Background on how to apply and the required proposal cover sheets are 
accessible through the OE Office Web site at http://www.explore.noaa.gov. The program priorities for this opportunity 
support NOAA's mission support goal of: Ecosystems--Protect, Restore, 
and Manage Use of Coastal and Ocean Resources through Ecosystem-Based 
Management. Pre-proposal submissions can be either by E-mail 
(preferred, send to [email protected] or by hard-copy (send three 
copies to the mailing address below). If by E-mail, please put your 
last name in the subject heading along with the words OER Pre-proposal, 
e.g., ``Smith OER Pre-proposal.'' Adobe PDF format is preferred. No 
facsimile pre-proposals will be accepted. Full proposal submissions for 
non-Federal applicants must be submitted through Grants.gov. Federal 
applicants or applicants without Internet access may submit hard-copies 
to: ATTN: Dr. Nicolas Alvarado, Proposal Manager, NOAA Office of Ocean 
Exploration & Research, SSMC III, 10th Floor, 1315 East-West Highway, 
Silver Spring, Maryland 20910. No E-mail or facsimile full proposal 
submissions will be accepted.
    Funding Availability: In anticipation of the FY09 President's 
Budget, OE anticipates a total of approximately $1,400,000 will be 
available through this announcement. Depending on the quality and 
quantity of proposals received, OE anticipates supporting approximately 
4 awards through this solicitation, resulting in an average

[[Page 40083]]

award level of approximately $350,000. The OE Director may hold-over 
select proposals submitted for 2009 funding for consideration in 2010. 
The amount of funding available through this announcement is subject to 
the final FY09 appropriation for Ocean Exploration. Publication of this 
announcement does not obligate NOAA to fund any specific project or to 
obligate all or any part of available funds. There is no guarantee that 
sufficient funds will be available to initiate or continue research 
activities where funding has been recommended by OE. The exact amount 
of funds that OE may recommend be granted will be determined in pre-
award negotiations between the applicant and NOAA representatives. 
Future opportunities for submitting proposals may be available and will 
depend on OE funding levels.
    Statutory Authority: 33 U.S.C. 883d.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.460, 
Special Oceanic and Atmospheric Projects.
    Application Deadline: Completed pre-proposals are required for all 
categories and must be received by 5 p.m. (EDT) on August 29, 2008. 
Full proposal submissions must be received by 5 p.m. (EDT) on October 
21, 2008. Applications received after the above deadlines will not be 
considered.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: Pre-proposal submissions can be 
either by E-mail (preferred, send to [email protected] or by hard-
copy (send three copies to the mailing address below). If by E-mail, 
please put your last name in the subject heading along with the words 
OER Pre-proposal, e.g., ``Smith OER Pre-proposal.'' Adobe PDF format is 
preferred. No facsimile pre-proposals will be accepted. Full proposal 
submissions for non-Federal applicants must be submitted through 
Grants.gov. Federal applicants or applicants without Internet access 
may submit hard-copies to: ATTN: Dr. Nicolas Alvarado, Proposal 
Manager, NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration & Research, SSMC III, 10th 
Floor, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910. No E-mail 
or facsimile full proposal submissions will be accepted.
    Information Contacts: For further information contact the NOAA 
Office of Ocean Exploration at (301) 734-1015 or submit inquiries via 
E-mail to the Frequently Asked Questions address: [email protected]. 
E-mail inquiries should include the Principal Investigator's name in 
the subject heading. Inquiries can be mailed to: ATTN: Dr. Nicolas 
Alvarado (Proposal Manager) NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration 1315 East-
West Highway SSMC3, 10th Floor, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910.
    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; and Federal agencies. PLEASE NOTE: Before non-NOAA 
Federal applicants may be funded, they must demonstrate that they have 
legal authority to receive funds from another Federal agency in excess 
of their appropriation. Because this announcement is not proposing to 
procure goods or services from applicants, the Economy Act (31 U.S.C. 
1535) is not an appropriate legal basis.
    Cost Sharing Requirements: Cost-sharing is not required.
    Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this program are 
subject to Executive Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal 
Programs.'' Applicants must contact their State's Single Point of 
Contact (SPOC) to find out about and comply with the State's process 
under EO 12372. The names and addresses of the SPOC's are listed in the 
Office of Management and Budget's Web site: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html.

IV. NOAA Non-Competitive Project

    The following entry provides the description and requirements of 
NOAA's noncompetitive project.

1. NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Grant Program--Coral Reef Ecosystem 
Research Grants

    Summary Description: The NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Grant Program 
announces that it is providing funding to the NOAA Undersea Research 
Program (NURP) Centers for: the Southeastern U.S., Florida, and Gulf of 
Mexico Region, the Southeast U.S. and Gulf of Mexico Center; and the 
Hawaii and Western Pacific Region, the Hawaii Undersea Research 
Laboratory, to administer two external, competitive coral reef 
ecosystem research grants programs. Research supported through these 
programs will address priority information needs identified by coral 
reef ecosystem managers and scientists. Broad coral reef research 
priorities supported through these programs may include research on 
coral disease and bleaching, fisheries population dynamics and ecology, 
coral reef restoration and mitigation approaches, effects of 
anthropogenic stressors on benthic invertebrates, impacts and spread of 
invasive species, and evaluation of management actions and strategies. 
Specific priorities within these broad areas, and geographic 
preferences, will be indicated in each NURP Center's request for 
proposals. The NURP Center external coral reef research grants programs 
are part of the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Grants Program under the 
Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000. The program priorities for this 
opportunity support NOAA's mission support goal of: Ecosystems--
Protect, Restore, and Manage Use of Coastal and Ocean Resources through 
Ecosystem-Based Management.
    Funding Availabilty: Approximately $600,000 may be available in FY 
2009 to support awards under this program.
    Statutory Authority: Statutory authority for this program is 
provided under 16 U.S.C. 6403.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.430, 
National Undersea Research Program.
    Information Contact: Kimberly Puglise, 301-734-1007 or E-mail at 
[email protected]. Announcements requesting proposals will be 
announced on: http://www.uncw.edu/nurc, for the NURP Center for the 
Southeastern U.S. and the Gulf of Mexico; on http://www.soest.hawaii.edu/HURL, for the NURP Center for Hawaii and the 
Western Pacific, the Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory.
    Cost Sharing Requirements: The awards require a 1:1 federal to non-
federal match.
    Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this program are not 
subject to Executive Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal 
Programs.''
Limitation of Liability
    Funding for programs listed in this notice is contingent upon the 
availability of Fiscal Year 2009 appropriations. Applicants are hereby 
given notice that funds have not yet been appropriated for the programs 
listed in this notice. In no event will NOAA or the Department of 
Commerce be responsible for proposal preparation costs if these 
programs fail to receive funding or are cancelled because of other 
agency priorities. Publication of this announcement does not oblige 
NOAA to award any specific project or to obligate any available funds.
Universal Identifier
    Applicants should be aware that, they are required to provide a Dun 
and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number during the

[[Page 40084]]

application process. See the October 30, 2002 Federal Register, (67 FR 
66177) for additional information. Organizations can receive a DUNS 
number at no cost by calling the dedicated toll-free DUNS Number 
request line at 1-866-705-5711 or via the Internet http://www.dunandbradstreet.com.
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
    NOAA must analyze the potential environmental impacts, as required 
by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), for applicant projects 
or proposals which are seeking NOAA federal funding opportunities. 
Detailed information on NOAA compliance with NEPA can be found at the 
following NOAA NEPA Web site: http://www.nepa.noaa.gov/, including our 
NOAA Administrative Order 216-6 for NEPA, http://www.nepa.noaa.gov/
NAO216_6_TOC.pdf, NEPA Questionnaire, http://www.nepa.noaa.gov/questionnaire.pdf, and the Council on Environmental Quality 
implementation regulations, http://ceq.eh.doe.gov/nepa/regs/ceq/toc-- 
ceq.htm. Consequently, as part of an applicant's package, and under 
their description of their program activities, applicants are required 
to provide detailed information on the activities to be conducted, 
locations, sites, species and habitat to be affected, possible 
construction activities, and any environmental concerns that may exist 
(e.g., the use and disposal of hazardous or toxic chemicals, 
introduction of non-indigenous species, impacts to endangered and 
threatened species, aquaculture projects, and impacts to coral reef 
systems). In addition to providing specific information that will serve 
as the basis for any required impact analyses, applicants may also be 
requested to assist NOAA in drafting of an environmental assessment, if 
NOAA determines an assessment is required. Applicants will also be 
required to cooperate with NOAA in identifying feasible measures to 
reduce or avoid any identified adverse environmental impacts of their 
proposal. The failure to do so shall be grounds for not selecting an 
application. In some cases if additional information is required after 
an application is selected, funds can be withheld by the Grants Officer 
under a special award condition requiring the recipient to submit 
additional environmental compliance information sufficient to enable 
NOAA to make an assessment on any impacts that a project may have on 
the environment.
Compliance With Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security 
Export
    Administration Regulations (a) This clause applies to the extent 
that this financial assistance award involves access to export-
controlled information or technology. (b) In performing this financial 
assistance award, the recipient may gain access to export-controlled 
information or technology. The recipient is responsible for compliance 
with all applicable laws and regulations regarding export-controlled 
information and technology, including deemed exports. The recipient 
shall establish and maintain throughout performance of the financial 
assistance award effective export compliance procedures at non-NOAA 
facilities. At a minimum, these export compliance procedures must 
include adequate controls of physical, verbal, visual, and electronic 
access to export-controlled information and technology. (c) Definitions 
(1) Deemed export. The Export Administration Regulations (EAR) define a 
deemed export as any release of technology or source code subject to 
the EAR to a foreign national, both in the United States and abroad. 
Such release is ``deemed'' to be an export to the home country of the 
foreign national. 15 CFR 734.2(b)(2)(ii). (2) Export-controlled 
information and technology. Export-controlled information and 
technology is information and technology subject to the EAR (15 CFR 
parts 730 et seq.), implemented by the DOC Bureau of Industry and 
Security, or the International Traffic I Arms Regulations (ITAR) (22 
CFR parts 120-130), implemented by the Department of State, 
respectively. This includes, but is not limited to, dual-us items, 
defense articles and any related assistance, services, software or 
technical data as defined in the EAR and ITAR. (d) The recipient shall 
control access to all export-controlled information and technology that 
it possesses or that comes into its possession in performance of a 
financial assistance award, to ensure that access is restricted, or 
licensed, as required by applicable Federal laws, Executive Orders, 
and/or regulations. (e) Nothing in the terms of this financial 
assistance award is intended to change, supersede, or waive and of the 
requirements of applicable Federal laws, Executive Orders or 
regulations. (f) The recipient shall include this clause, including 
this paragraph (f), in all lower tier transactions (subawards, 
contracts, and subcontracts) under the financial assistance award that 
may involve access to export-controlled information technology.
NOAA implementation of Homeland Security Presidential Directive--12
    If the performance of a financial assistance award, if approved by 
NOAA, requires recipients to have physical access to Federal premises 
for more than 180 days or access to a Federal information system, any 
items or services delivered under a financial assistance award shall 
comply with the Department of Commerce personal identity verification 
procedures that implement Homeland Security Presidential Directive--12, 
FIPS PUB 201, and the Office of Management and Budget Memorandum M-05-
24. The recipient shall insert this clause in all subawards or 
contracts when the subaward recipient or contractor is required to have 
physical access to a Federally controlled facility or access to a 
Federal information system.
    The Department of Commerce Pre-Award Notification Requirements for 
Grants and Cooperative Agreements.
    The Department of Commerce Pre-Award Notification Requirements for 
Grants and Cooperative Agreements contained in the Federal Register 
notice of February 11, 2008 (73 FR 7696) are applicable to this 
solicitation.
Paperwork Reduction Act
    This document contains collection-of-information requirements 
subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). The use of Standard Forms 
424, 424A, 424B, 424C, 424D, and SF-LLL has been approved by OMB under 
the respective control numbers 4040-0004, 0348-0044, 4040-0007, 0348-
0041, 4040-0009, and 0348-0046. Notwithstanding any other provision of 
law, no person is required to respond to, nor shall any person be 
subject to a penalty for failure to comply with, a collection of 
information subject to the requirements of the PRA unless that 
collection of information displays a currently valid OMB control 
number.
Executive Order 12866
    This notice has been determined to be not significant for purposes 
of Executive Order 12866. Executive Order 13132 (Federalism). It has 
been determined that this notice does not contain policies with 
Federalism implications as that term is defined in Executive Order 
13132.
Administrative Procedure Act/Regulatory Flexibility Act
    Prior notice and an opportunity for public comment are not required 
by the Administrative Procedure Act or any other law for rules 
concerning public

[[Page 40085]]

property, loans, grants, benefits, and contracts (5 U.S.C. 553(a)(2)). 
Because notice and opportunity for comment are not required pursuant to 
5 U.S.C. 553 or any other law, the analytical requirements of the 
Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) are inapplicable. 
Therefore, a regulatory flexibility analysis has not been prepared.

    Dated: July 3, 2008.
Dan Clever,
Deputy Director, Acquisition and Grants Office, National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration.
 [FR Doc. E8-15720 Filed 7-10-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-PJ-P