[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 135 (Thursday, July 16, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34642-34685]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-16810]



[[Page 34641]]

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Part II





Department of Commerce





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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration



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Availability of Grant Funds for Fiscal Year 2010; Notice

  Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 135 / Thursday, July 16, 2009 / 
Notices  

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[Docket No. 0907081109-91109-01]
RIN 0648-ZC10


Availability of Grant Funds for Fiscal Year 2010

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

ACTION: Notice.

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

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. Evaluation Criteria and Selection Procedures
IV. NOAA Project Competitions Listed by NOAA Mission Goals
V. NOAA Project Competitions
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)
    1. 2010 Monkfish Research Set-Aside Program
    2. 2010 Open Rivers Initiative
    3. 2010 Saltonstall-Kennedy Grant Program
    4. 2010 Atlantic Scallop Research Set-Aside Program
    5. Cooperative Research Program
    6. FY 2010 NOAA Chesapeake Bay Watershed Education and Training 
(B-WET) Program
    7. FY 2010 Community-Based Marine Debris Removal Project Grants
    8. NOAA Gulf of Mexico Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-
WET) Program
    9. Marine Fisheries Initiative (MARFIN)
    10. NOAA Coastal and Marine Habitat Restoration National and 
Regional Partnership Grants
    11. NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Grant Program/General Coral 
Reef Conservation Grants
    12. NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Grant Program/Projects to 
Improve or Amend Coral
Reef Fishery Management Plans
    13. NOAA New England Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-
WET) Program
    14. 2010 Prescott Marine Mammal Stranding Grant Program
    15. Protected Species Cooperative Conservation
National Ocean Service (NOS)
    1. 2010 NOAA Coral Reef Management Grant Program
    2. 2010 NOAA Coral Reef Monitoring Grant Program
    3. Coastal Hypoxia Research Program (CHRP)
    4. FY 2010 Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Hawaii 
Program
    5. FY 2010 NOAA California Bay Watershed Education and Training 
(B-WET) Program
    6. Harmful Algal Bloom Program
    7. 2010 NOAA International Coral Reef Grant Program
    8. NOAA Pacific Northwest Bay Watershed Education and Training 
(B-WET) Program
    9. National Estuarine Research Reserve Graduate Research 
Fellowship Program FY 2010
    10. National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) Land 
Acquisition and Construction Program FY 2010
    11. Sea Level Rise--(SLR)
    12. 2010 Integrated Ocean Observing System Implementation
    13. NOAA's National Height Modernization Program
National Weather Service (NWS)
    1. Collaborative Science, Technology, and Applied Research 
(CSTAR) Program
    2. Remote Community Alert Systems Program 2010
Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR)
    1. 2010 NMFS--Sea Grant Fellowships in Marine Resource Economics
    2. 2010 NMFS--Sea Grant Fellowships in Population Dynamics
    3. 2010 Sea Grant/Regional Team Climate Engagement
    4. 2011 National Sea Grant College Program Dean John A. Knauss 
Marine Policy Fellowship
    5. Climate Program Office for FY 2010
    6. FY 2010 Ocean Exploration and Research Appropriation--Marine 
Archaeology
National Environmental Satellite Data and Information Service 
(NESDIS)
    1. Research in Satellite Data Assimilation for Numerical 
Weather, Climate and Environmental Forecast Systems
    2. Student Opportunity for Learning
VI. Non-Competitive Financial Assistance Project

I. Background

    This notice provide the general public with a consolidated source 
of program and application information related to its competitive grant 
and cooperative agreement (CA) award offerings for fiscal year (FY) 
2010. This notice provides information regarding the application 
submission process, and the evaluation criteria and selection 
procedures respectively for the grant opportunities. 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

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

Grants.gov

    Getting started with Grants.gov is easy. Users should note that 
there are two key features on the Web site: Find Grant Opportunities 
and Apply for Grants. The site is designed to support these two 
features and your use of them.
    While you can begin searching for NOAA 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 and 
submit their applications. The system will generate a default value in 
that field.

Grants.gov Application Submission and Receipt Procedures

    This section provides the application submission and receipt 
instructions for NOAA program applications. Please read the following 
instructions carefully and completely.
    1. Electronic Delivery. NOAA is participating in the Grants.gov 
Initiative that provides the Grant Community a single site to find and 
apply for grant funding opportunities. NOAA encourages applicants to 
submit their applications electronically through: http://www.grants.gov/applicants/apply_for_grants.jsp.
    2. The following describes what to expect when applying 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, except those filing as 
individuals, who are applying for funding, including renewal funding, 
must have a Dun and Bradstreet Universal Data Numbering System (DUNS) 
number. The DUNS number must be included in the data entry field 
labeled ``Organizational Duns'' on the form SF-424. Instructions for 
obtaining a DUNS number can be found at the following Web site: http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp.
    c. Central Contractor Registry. In addition to having a DUNS 
number, all applicants applying electronically through Grants.gov must 
register with the Federal Central Contractor Registry and obtain a User 
Name and password. The 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. Failure to register 
with the Central Contractor Registry will result in your application 
being rejected by the Grants.gov portal.
    The registration process is a separate process from submitting an 
application. Applicants are, therefore, encouraged to register early. 
The registration process can take approximately two weeks to be 
completed. Therefore, registration should be done in sufficient time to 
ensure it does not impact your ability to meet required submission 
deadlines. You will be able to submit your application online anytime 
after you receive your e-authentication credentials.
    d. Electronic Signature. Applications submitted through Grants.gov 
constitute submission as electronically signed applications. The 
registration and e-authentication process establishes the Authorized 
Organization Representative (AOR). The AOR is an individual who is able 
to make legally binding commitments for the applicant organization. 
When you submit the application through Grants.gov, the name of your 
AOR on file will be inserted into the signature line of the 
application.
    3. Instructions on how to submit an electronic application to NOAA 
via Grants.gov/Apply: Grants.gov has a full set of instructions on how 
to apply for funds on its Web site at http://www.grants.gov/applicants/apply_for_grants.jsp. The following provides simple guidance on what 
you will find on the Grants.gov/Apply site. Applicants are encouraged 
to read through the page entitled, ``Complete Application Package'' 
before getting started.
    Grants.gov allows applicants to download the application package, 
instructions and forms that are incorporated in the instructions, and 
work off line. In addition to forms that are part of the application 
instructions, there will be a series of electronic forms that are 
provided utilizing an Adobe Reader.

    Note for the Adobe Reader:  Grants.gov is only compatible with 
versions 8.1.1 and above. Please do not use lower versions of the 
Adobe Reader.

Mandatory Fields on Adobe Reader Forms

    In the Adobe forms you will note fields that appear with a yellow 
background and red outline color. These fields are mandatory and must 
be completed to successfully submit your application.

Completion of SF-424 Fields

    NOAA strongly recommends that applicants first complete the SF-424

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fields in Grants.gov. The Adobe forms are designed to automatically 
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 assistance with 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 by the Time on 
the due date established for each program. Proof of timely submission 
is automatically recorded by Grants.gov. An electronic time stamp is 
generated within the system when the application is successfully 
received by Grants.gov. The applicant will receive an 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. Please Note: Validation or 
rejection of your application by Grants.gov may take up to 2 business 
days after your submission. Please consider the Grants.gov validation/
rejection process in developing your application submission time line.
    NOAA suggests that applicants submit their applications during the 
operating hours of the 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 of applications will take a longer time than when using 
high speed broadband before Grants.gov receives it. Grants.gov will 
provide either an error or a successfully received transmission 
message. Grants.gov reports that some applicants abort the transmission 
because they think that nothing is occurring during the transmission 
process. Please be patient and give the system time to process the 
application. Uploading and transmitting many files, particularly 
electronic forms with associated XML schemas, will require more time to 
be processed. Important: All applicants, both electronic and paper, 
should be aware that adequate time must be factored into applicant 
schedules for delivery of the application. Electronic applicants are 
advised that volume on Grants.gov is currently extremely heavy, and if 
Grants.gov is unable to accept applications electronically in a timely 
fashion, applicants are encouraged to exercise their option to submit 
applications in paper format. Paper applicants should allow adequate 
time to ensure a paper application will be received on time, taking 
into account that guaranteed overnight carriers are not always able to 
fulfill their guarantees.

III. Evaluation Criteria and Selection Procedures

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

Project Proposals Review and Selection Process

    Some project proposals may include a pre-application process that 
provides for feedback to applicants that responded to a call for 
letters of intent or pre-proposals; however, not all programs will 
include this pre-application. If a program has a pre-application 
process, it will be described in the Summary Description section of the 
announcement and the deadline will be specified in the Application 
Deadline section.
    Upon receipt of a full application by NOAA, an initial 
administrative review will be conducted to determine compliance with 
requirements and completeness of the application. A merit review will 
also be conducted to produce a rank order of the proposals. The NOAA 
Program Officer may review the ranking of the proposals and make 
recommendations to the Selecting Official based on the administrative 
and/or merit review(s) and selection factors listed below. The 
Selecting Official selects proposals after considering the 
administrative and/or merit review(s) and recommendations of the 
Program Officer. In making the final selections, the Selecting Official 
will award in rank order unless the proposal is justified to be 
selected out of rank order based upon one or more of the selection 
factors below. The Program Officer and/or Selecting Official may 
negotiate the funding level of the proposal. The Selecting Official 
makes final award recommendations to the Grants Officer authorized to 
obligate the funds.

Evaluation Criteria

    Each reviewer (one mail and at least three peer review panel 
reviewers) will individually evaluate and rank proposals using the 
following evaluation criteria:
    1. Importance and/or relevance and applicability of a proposed 
project to the program goals: This ascertains whether there is 
intrinsic value in the proposed work and/or relevance to NOAA, Federal 
(other than NOAA), regional, state, or local activities.
    2. Technical/scientific merit: This assesses whether the approach 
is technically sound and/or innovative, if the methods are appropriate, 
and whether there are clear project goals and objectives.
    3. Overall qualifications of applicants: This ascertains whether 
the applicant possesses the necessary education, experience, training, 
facilities, and administrative resources to accomplish the project.
    4. Project costs: The project's budget is evaluated to determine if 
it is realistic and commensurate with the project needs and timeframe.
    5. Outreach and education: NOAA assesses whether this project 
provides a focused and effective education and outreach strategy 
regarding its mission to protect the Nation's natural resources.

Selection Factors

    The merit review ratings will be used to provide a rank order to 
the Selecting Official for final funding recommendations. A Program 
Officer may first make recommendations to the Selecting Official 
applying the selection factors listed below. The Selecting Official 
shall award in the rank order

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unless the proposal is justified to be selected out of rank order based 
upon one or more of the following factors:
    1. Availability of funding.
    2. Balance/distribution of funds:
    a. Geographically,
    b. By type of institutions,
    c. By type of partners,
    d. By research areas, and
    e. By project types.
    3. Whether the project duplicates other projects funded or 
considered for funding by NOAA or other federal agencies.
    4. Program priorities and policy factors.
    5. Applicant's prior award performance.
    6. Partnerships and/or participation of targeted groups.
    7. Adequacy of information necessary for NOAA to make a National 
Environmental Policy Act determination and draft necessary 
documentation before funding recommendations are made to the Grants 
Officer.

Fellowship, Scholarship and Internship Programs Review and Selection 
Process

    Some fellowship, scholarship and internship programs may include a 
pre-application process that provides for feedback to the applicants 
that have responded to a call for letters of intent or pre-proposals; 
however, not all programs will include this pre-application. If a 
program has a pre-application process, the process will be described in 
the Summary Description section of the announcement and the deadline 
will be specified in the Application Deadline section.
    Upon receipt of a full application by NOAA, an initial 
administrative review will be conducted to determine compliance with 
requirements and completeness of the application.
    A merit review will also be conducted to produce a rank order of 
the proposals. The NOAA Program Officer may review the ranking of the 
proposals and make recommendations to the Selecting Official based on 
the administrative and/or merit review(s) and selection factors listed 
below. The Selecting Official selects proposals after considering the 
administrative and/or merit review(s) and recommendations of the 
Program Officer. In making the final selections, the Selecting Official 
will award in rank order unless the proposal is justified to be 
selected out of rank order based upon one or more of the selection 
factors below. The Program Officer and/or Selecting Official may 
negotiate the funding level of the proposal. The Selecting Official 
makes final award recommendations to the Grants Officer authorized to 
obligate the funds.

Evaluation Criteria

    Each reviewer (one mail and at least three peer review panel 
reviewers) will individually evaluate and rank proposals using the 
following evaluation criteria.
    1. Academic record and statement of career goals and objectives of 
the student.
    2. Quality of project and applicability to program priorities.
    3. Recommendations and/or endorsements of the student.
    4. Additional relevant experience related to diversity of 
education; extra-curricular activities; honors and awards; and 
interpersonal, written, and oral communications skills.
    5. Financial need of the student.

Selection Factors

    The merit review ratings will be used to provide a rank order by 
the Selecting Official for final funding recommendations. A Program 
Officer may first make recommendations to the Selecting Official by 
applying the selection factors listed below. The Selecting Official 
shall award in the rank order unless the proposal is justified to be 
selected out of rank order based upon one or more of the following 
factors:
    1. Availability of funds.
    2. Balance/distribution of funds:
    a. Across academic disciplines,
    b. By types of institutions, and
    c. Geographically.
    3. Program-specific objectives.
    4. Degree in scientific area and type of degree sought.

IV. NOAA Project Competitions Listed by NOAA Mission Goals

    1. 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 
Goal addresses predictions on time scales of up to decades or longer.
    Funded proposals should help achieve the following outcomes:
    1. 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
    2. Climate-sensitive sectors and the climate-literate public 
effectively incorporating NOAA's climate products into their plans and 
decisions
    Program Names:
    1. Collaborative Science, Technology, and Applied Research (CSTAR) 
Program
    2. Climate Program Office for FY 2010
    3. FY 2010 Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Hawaii 
Program
    4. 2011 National Sea Grant College Program Dean John A. Knauss 
Marine Policy Fellowship
    5. Research in Satellite Data Assimilation for Numerical Weather, 
Climate and Environmental Forecast Systems
    6. 2010 Sea Grant/Regional Team Climate Engagement
    7. 2010 Integrated Ocean Observing System Implementation
    2. Serve Society's Needs for Weather and Water Information
    Summary Description: Floods, droughts, hurricanes, tornadoes, 
tsunamis, wildfires, and other severe weather events cause $11 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

[[Page 34646]]

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 
management of environmental resources, and quality of life.
    Funded proposals should help achieve the following outcomes:
    1. Reduced loss of life, injury, and damage to the economy
    2. Better, quicker, and more valuable weather and water information 
to support improved decisions
    3. Increased customer satisfaction with weather and water 
information and services
    Program Names:
    1. Collaborative Science, Technology, and Applied Research (CSTAR) 
Program
    2. 2011 National Sea Grant College Program Dean John A. Knauss 
Marine Policy Fellowship
    3. Research in Satellite Data Assimilation for Numerical Weather, 
Climate and Environmental Forecast Systems
    4. 2010 Sea Grant/Regional Team Climate Engagement
    5. Remote Community Alert Systems Program 2010
    6. 2010 Integrated Ocean Observing System Implementation
    3. 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:
    1. Safe, secure, efficient, and seamless movement of goods and 
people in the U.S. transportation system
    2. Environmentally sound development and use of the U.S. 
transportation system.
    Program Names:
    1. Collaborative Science, Technology, and Applied Research (CSTAR) 
Program
    2. 2011 National Sea Grant College Program Dean John A. Knauss 
Marine Policy Fellowship
    3. 2010 Sea Grant/Regional Team Climate Engagement
    4. 2010 Integrated Ocean Observing System Implementation
    4. 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:
    1. Healthy and productive coastal and marine ecosystems that 
benefit society
    2. A well-informed public that acts as a steward of coastal and 
marine ecosystems
    Program Names:
    1. Cooperative Research Program
    2. FY 2010 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) 
Program
    3. John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program 
2010
    4. Marine Fisheries Initiative (MARFIN)
    5. FY 2010 Hawaii Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) 
Program
    6. Coastal Hypoxia Research Program (CHRP)
    7. Sea Level Rise--(SLR)
    8. 2011 National Sea Grant College Program Dean John A. Knauss 
Marine Policy Fellowship
    9. NOAA International Coral Reef Grant Program
    10. NOAA Gulf of Mexico Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-
WET) Program
    11. NOAA Pacific Northwest Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-
WET) Program
    12. 2010 NMFS--Sea Grant Fellowships in Population Dynamics
    13. 2010 NMFS--Sea Grant Fellowships in Marine Resource Economics
    14. NOAA New England Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) 
Program
    15. FY 2010 California Bay Watershed Education and Training Program
    16. Research in Satellite Data Assimilation for Numerical Weather, 
Climate and Environmental Forecast Systems
    17. 2010 NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Monitoring Grant Program
    18. 2010 NOAA Coral Reef Management Grant Program
    19. Protected Species Cooperative Conservation
    20. NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Grant Program/General Coral Reef 
Conservation Grants
    21. NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Grant Program/Projects to Improve 
or Amend Coral Reef Fishery Management Plans
    22. 2010 Atlantic Scallop Research Set-Aside Program
    23. 2010 Monkfish Research Set-Aside Program
    24. 2010 Sea Grant/Regional Team Climate Engagement

[[Page 34647]]

    25. 2010 Saltonstall-Kennedy Grant Program
    26. Harmful Algal Blooms Program
    27. FY 2010 Community-based Marine Debris Removal Project Grants
    29. FY 2010 Ocean Exploration and Research Appropriation--Marine 
Archaeology
    30. 2010 Open Rivers Initiative
    31. NOAA Coastal and Marine Habitat Restoration National and 
Regional Partnership Grants
    32. 2010 Integrated Ocean Observing System Implementation
    5. 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, most-effective, and safe 
facilities.
    Funded proposals should help achieve the following outcomes:
    1. A dynamic workforce with competencies that support NOAA's 
mission today and in the future.
    Program Names:
    1. National Estuarine Research Reserve Graduate Research Fellowship 
Program FY 2010
    2. 2011 National Sea Grant College Program Dean John A. Knauss 
Marine Policy Fellowship
    3. National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) Land 
Acquisition and Construction Program FY 2010
    4. Student Opportunity for Learning

V. NOAA Project Competitions

National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)

1. 2010 Monkfish Research Set-Aside Program
    Summary Description: NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service 
(NMFS) is soliciting monkfish research proposals to utilize 500 
Monkfish Days-at-Sea (DAS) that have been set-aside by the New England 
Fishery Management and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils 
(Councils) to fund monkfish research endeavors through the 2010 
Monkfish Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program (May 1, 2010-April 30, 2011). 
No Federal funds are provided for research under this notification. 
Rather, proceeds generated from the sale of monkfish harvested during a 
set-aside DAS is used to fund research activities and compensate 
vessels that participate in research activities and/or harvest set-
aside quota.
    Projects funded under the Monkfish RSA Program must enhance the 
knowledge of the monkfish fishery resource or contribute to the body of 
information on which monkfish management decisions are made. Priority 
will be given to monkfish research proposals that investigate research 
priorities identified by the Councils and which are detailed under the 
Program Priorities section of this announcement.
    Funding Availability: DAS will be awarded to successful applicants. 
No Federal funds are provided for research under this notification. 
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 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 their 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. 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, in previous years, some successful applicants 
have requested, and were granted, exemption from monkfish DAS 
possession limits to make compensation fishing more efficient and cost 
effective. In such cases, applicants were authorized to harvest a 
maximum amount of monkfish by weight, or fish up to the number of 
awarded monkfish DAS, whichever came first. To obtain such an 
exemption, an EFP application must be submitted to the Northeast 
Regional Office, NMFS. Please be aware that EFP applications are 
reviewed on a case by case basis, and may be disapproved. For 
additional information, contact Ryan Silva, Cooperative Research 
Liaison, at 978-281-9326, or [email protected].
    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: Applications must be received and validated 
by Grants.gov, postmarked, or provided to a delivery service on or 
before 5 p.m. EDT, August 31, 2009. Please note: Validation or 
rejection of your application by Grants.gov may take up to 2 business 
days after submission. Please consider this process in developing your 
submission timeline. Applications received after the deadline will be 
rejected/returned to the sender without further consideration. Use of 
U.S. mail or another delivery service must be documented with a 
receipt. No

[[Page 34648]]

facsimile or electronic mail applications will be accepted.
    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-2010-2001980. 
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, Cooperative Research Liaison, phone (978) 281-9326, fax (978) 
281-9326, e-mail [email protected].
    Eligibility: 1. Eligible applicants are 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. 2010 Open Rivers Initiative
    Summary Description: The NOAA Open Rivers Initiative (ORI) provides 
funding and technical assistance 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 
must feature 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. Proposals selected for funding 
through this solicitation will be implemented through a cooperative 
agreement. Funding of up to $6,000,000 is expected to be available for 
ORI Project Grants in FY 2010. The NOAA Restoration Center within the 
Office of Habitat Conservation will administer this grant initiative, 
and anticipates that typical awards will range from $200,000 to 
$750,000. Although a select few may fall outside of this range, project 
proposals requesting less than $100,000 or greater than $3,000,000 will 
not be accepted or reviewed.
    Funding Availability: This solicitation announces that funding of 
up to $6,000,000 is expected to be available for Open Rivers Initiative 
Project Grants in FY 2010. Actual funding availability for this program 
is contingent upon Fiscal Year 2010 Congressional appropriations. NOAA 
anticipates that typical project awards will range from $200,000 to 
$750,000; proposals requesting less than $100,000 or more than 
$3,000,000 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 15 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 received and validated 
by Grants.gov, postmarked, or provided to a delivery service by 11:59 
EST on November 16, 2009. Please note: Validation or rejection of your 
application by Grants.gov may take up to 2 business days after 
submission. Please consider this process in developing your submission 
timeline. Use of U.S. mail or another delivery service must be 
documented with a receipt. No facsimile or electronic mail applications 
will be accepted.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: Applicants may submit their 
applications through Grants.gov. If Grants.gov cannot reasonably be 
used, a hard copy application with the SF424 signed in ink (blue ink is 
preferred) must be postmarked or provided to a delivery service and 
documented with a receipt by November 16, 2009 and sent to: NOAA 
Restoration Center (F/HC3) Office of Habitat Conservation, NOAA 
Fisheries, 1315 East West Highway, Rm. 15749, Silver Spring, MD 20910 
Attn: Open Rivers Initiative Project Applications.
    Applications postmarked or provided to a delivery service after 
November 16, 2009 will not be considered for funding. Applications 
submitted via the U.S. Postal Service must have an official postmark; 
private metered postmarks are not acceptable. In any event, 
applications received later than 15 business days following the 
postmark closing date will not be accepted. No facsimile or electronic 
mail applications will be accepted. Paper applications should be 
printed on one side only, on

[[Page 34649]]

8.5 x 11 paper, and should not be bound in any 
manner.
    Information Contacts: For further information contact Tisa Shostik 
([email protected]) at (301) 713-0174 x184 or Cathy Bozek 
([email protected]) at (301) 713-0174 x150. 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 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 is 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. 
Applicants with less than 1:1 match will not be disqualified, however, 
applicants should note that cost sharing is an element considered in 
Evaluation Criterion 4 ``Project Costs'' (Section V.A.4. of 
the Full Funding Opportunity). Match to NOAA funds can come from a 
variety of public and private sources and can include in-kind goods and 
services and volunteer labor. Applicants are permitted to combine 
contributions from non-federal partners, as long as such contributions 
are not being used to match any other federal funds and are available 
within the project period stated in the application. Federal sources 
cannot be considered for matching funds, but can be described in the 
budget narrative to demonstrate additional leverage. Applicants are 
also permitted to apply federally negotiated indirect costs in excess 
of federal share limits as described in Section IV.E.2 of the Full 
Funding Opportunity, ``Indirect Costs.''
    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 Full Funding Opportunity.
    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 
SPOC's are listed on the Office of Management and Budget's home page 
at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html.
3. 2010 Saltonstall-Kennedy Grant Program
    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 addressed to any aspect 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 appropriations. 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.
    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 Dev and Utilization Research and Dev Grants and Coop 
Agreements Program.

    Application Deadline: Applications must be received and validated 
by Grants.gov on or before 5 p.m. EDT on September 1, 2009. Please 
note: Validation or rejection of your application by Grants.gov may 
take up to 2 business days after submission. Please consider this 
process in developing your submission timeline. Applications received 
after the deadline will be rejected/returned to the sender without 
further consideration. No facsimile or electronic mail applications 
will be accepted. If an applicant does not have Internet access, hard 
copy proposals will be accepted and the date recorded when they are 
received in the program office. Hard copy applications must be received 
by the Saltonstall-Kennedy Grant Program Office by 5 p.m. EDT on 
September 1, 2009.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: Applications submitted in 
response to this announcement must be submitted electronically through 
the Federal grants portal--http://www.grants.gov. Electronic access to 
the full funding announcement for this program is also available 
through this Web site. If an applicant does not have Internet access, 
hard copy proposals (with original

[[Page 34650]]

signatures) will be accepted and should be sent to the attention of: 
Mr. Daniel A. Namur, S-K Program Manager, NOAA/NMFS (F/MB); 1315 East-
West Highway, Room 13358; Silver Spring, MD 20910-3282.
    Information Contacts: The point of contact is: Daniel A. Namur, S-K 
Program Manager, NOAA/NMFS (F/MB); 1315 East-West Highway, Room 13358; 
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3282; or by Phone at (301) 713-1365 ext. 118, 
or fax at (301) 713-1464, 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), being 
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 an entity that is a corporation, partnership, 
association, or other non-Federal entity, non-profit or otherwise 
(including Indian tribes), if such entity is a citizen of 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 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. You may find this formula 
useful:
    1. Total Project Cost (Federal and non-Federal cost share combined) 
x .9 = Maximum Federal Share.
    2. Total Cost - Federal share = Applicant Share. For example, if 
the proposed total budget for your project is $100,000, the maximum 
Federal funding you can apply for is $90,000 ($100,000 x .9).
    Your cost share in this case would be $10,000 ($100,000 - $90,000). 
For a total project cost of $100,000, you must contribute at least 
$10,000, but no more than $50,000 (10-50 percent of total project 
cost). Accordingly, the Federal share you apply for would range from 
$50,000 to $90,000.
    If your application does not comply with these cost share 
requirements, we will return it to you and will not consider it for 
funding. The funds you provide as cost sharing may include funds from 
private sources or from state or local governments, or the value of in-
kind contributions. You may not use Federal funds to meet the cost 
sharing requirement except as provided by Federal statute. In-kind 
contributions are non-cash contributions provided to you by non-Federal 
third parties. In-kind contributions may include, but are not limited 
to, personal services volunteered to perform tasks in the project, and 
permission to use, at no cost, real or personal property owned by 
others. We will determine the appropriateness of all cost sharing 
proposals, including the valuation of in-kind contributions, on the 
basis of guidance provided in 15 CFR parts 14 and 24. In general, the 
value of in-kind services or property you use to fulfill your cost 
share will be the fair market value of the services or property. Thus, 
the value is equivalent to the cost for you to obtain such services or 
property if they had not been donated. You must document the in-kind 
services or property you will use to fulfill your cost share. If we 
decide to fund your application, we will require you to account for the 
total amount of cost share included in the award document.
    Intergovernmental Review: Applications submitted by state and local 
governments are subject to the provisions of Executive Order 12372, 
``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.'' Any applicant 
submitting an application for funding is required to complete item 16 
on SF-424 regarding clearance by the State Single Point of Contact 
(SPOC) established as a result of EO 12372. To find out about and 
comply with a State's process under EO 12372, the names, addresses and 
phone numbers of participating SPOC's are listed in the Office of 
Management and Budget's home page at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html.
    4. 2010 Atlantic Scallop Research Set-Aside Program
    Summary Description: NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service 
(NMFS) is soliciting Atlantic Sea Scallop (scallop) research proposals 
to utilize 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 2010 Atlantic 
Sea Scallop Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program (March 1, 2010-February 
28, 2011).
    No Federal funds are provided for research under this notification. 
Rather, proceeds generated from the sale of scallops harvested under a 
set-aside quota are used to fund research activities and compensate 
vessels that participate in research activities and/or harvest set-
aside quota. Projects funded under the Scallop RSA Program must enhance 
the knowledge of the scallop fishery resource or contribute to the body 
of information on which scallop management decisions are made. Priority 
will be given to scallop research proposals that investigate research 
priorities identified by the Council, which are detailed under the 
Program Priorities section of this announcement.
    Funding Availability: Previous Scallop RSA Program announcements 
required applicants to specify which TAC and/or DAS set-aside they were 
requesting. In addition, applicants were required to use scallop price 
and catch rate estimates provided by NMFS when developing their budget. 
Several issues resulted from this process, including persistent grant 
delays, and dated price and catch rate estimates that were published in 
the FFO.
    These issues resulted primarily from a disconnect between the 
timelines for Scallop FMP frameworks, which establish set aside quotas 
and price and catch rate estimates (among other

[[Page 34651]]

things), and the Scallop RSA annual solicitation. Therefore, 
application requirements are being adjusted for the 2010 Scallop RSA 
Program in an attempt to rectify these issues.
    TAC and DAS set-asides and scallop price and catch rate estimates 
will no longer be published in the FFO. Accordingly, applicants will no 
longer base their budget on available RSA quota or price and catch rate 
estimates published in the FFO. Instead, applicants must submit a 
budget that is based solely on monetary needs, which includes funds 
necessary to execute the research plan and funds necessary to 
compensate vessel owners harvesting set-aside quota. To facilitate the 
submission of relevant and timely access area research proposals, it is 
anticipated that the Elephant Trunk and Delmarva Access Areas will be 
open in the Mid-Atlantic, and the Nantucket Lightship and/or Closed 
Area I Access Areas will be open on Georges Bank for the 2010 scallop 
fishing year. This access area schedule is preliminary and subject to 
change. The final schedule will be established by Framework 21 to the 
Scallop FMP, which is currently under development. Upon project 
selection, NMFS will negotiate with successful applicants on the 
specific TAC and/or DAS award. Priority will be given primarily to the 
higher technically ranked proposal, although additional factors such as 
individual project needs and cost effectiveness may be considered 
during negotiations. NMFS will establish a common DAS catch rate and 
scallop price estimate, based on the best and most recent data 
available, to determine the amount of set-aside necessary to cover 
research and compensation fishing expenses. If a desired set-aside 
quota has been fully utilized by another applicant, TAC and/or DAS will 
be awarded from a different set-aside quota. Once all the TAC and/or 
DAS set-aside quotas have been awarded, or all qualified proposals have 
been funded, whichever comes first, the selection process will end. It 
is anticipated that these changes will facilitate timely grant awards 
and improve scallop price and catch rate estimates used to establish 
TAC and DAS set-aside values. No Federal funds are provided for 
research under this notification. Funds generated from landings 
harvested and sold under the Scallop 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 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 their 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. The Federal 
government (i.e., NMFS) will issue Letters of Authorization (LOAs) to 
eligible vessels identified by the Project Coordinator, which authorize 
such vessels to take access area and DAS compensation fishing trips, 
and exceed the vessel's normal scallop possession limit.
    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 is authorized through the scallop FMP 
published in the Federal Register on June 23, 2004 (69 FR 35193).

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

    Application Deadline: Applications must be received and validated 
by Grants.gov on or before 5 p.m. EST on August 31, 2009. Please note: 
Validation or rejection of your application by Grants.gov may take up 
to 2 business days after submission. Please consider this process in 
developing your submission timeline. If an applicant does not have 
Internet access, hard copy proposals will be accepted, and date 
recorded when they are received in the program office. Electronic or 
hard copies received after the deadline will not be considered, and 
hard copy applications will be returned to the sender. Mark hard copy 
proposals ``Attention--2010 Atlantic Scallop Research Set Aside 
Program.''
    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-2010-2001979. 
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 are 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 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.''
5. Cooperative Research Program
    Summary Description: The Cooperative Research Program (CRP) 
provides opportunity to compete for financial assistance for projects 
which seek to increase and improve the working relationship between 
fisheries researchers from NMFS, state fishery agencies, universities, 
and the U.S. fishing community (recreational and commercial) in the 
Gulf of Mexico (FL, AL, MS, LA, TX), South Atlantic (NC, SC, GA) and 
Caribbean (USVI and Puerto Rico). The program is a means of

[[Page 34652]]

involving commercial and recreational fishermen in the collection of 
fundamental fisheries information in support 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) 2010 for projects. Actual funding availability for 
this program is contingent upon FY 2010 Congressional appropriations. 
The NMFS Southeast Regional Office estimates awarding approximately 
eight 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.
    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 and validated 
by Grants.gov, postmarked, or provided to a delivery service on or 
before 4 p.m. ET, September 14, 2009. Please note: Validation or 
rejection of your application by Grants.gov may take up to 2 business 
days after submission. Please consider this process in developing your 
submission timeline.
Applications received after the deadline will be rejected/returned to 
the sender without further consideration. Use of U.S. mail or another 
delivery service must be documented with a receipt. 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: 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: Dax Ruiz, 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.
6. FY 2010 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) 
Program
    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 support organizations that provide 
students meaningful watershed educational experiences and teachers 
related professional development opportunities and resources related to 
the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
    Funding Availability: This solicitation announces that 
approximately $3.5M may be available in FY 2010 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. Applicants are hereby 
given notice that funds have not yet been appropriated for this 
program.
    1. About $2.5M 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. About $500K will be for proposals that incorporate the 
Chesapeake Bay Interpretive Buoy System (CBIBS) into meaningful 
watershed educational experiences for students or related professional 
development for teachers.
    3. About $250K will be for proposals that provide opportunities 
either for students to participate in Meaningful Watershed Educational 
Experiences (MWEEs-related to Chesapeake Bay or related Professional 
Development for teachers.
    4. About $250K will be for capacity building proposals that address 
larger, systematic needs and/or provide resources to the educational 
community related to MWEES.
    The NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office (CBO) anticipates that typical 
awards for B-WET Exemplary 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 focusing on the Chesapeake Bay Interpretive Buoy system will 
range from $25,000 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 addressing the capacity building needs of 
organizations will range from $15,000 to $75,000. There is no guarantee 
that sufficient funds will be available to make awards for all 
qualified projects. The exact amount of funds that may be awarded will 
be determined in pre-award negotiations between the applicant and NOAA 
representatives. Publication of this notice does not oblige NOAA to 
award any specific project or to obligate any available funds. If 
applicants incur any costs prior to an award being made, they do so at 
their own risk of not being reimbursed by the government. 
Notwithstanding verbal or written assurance that may have been 
received, there is no obligation on the part of NOAA to cover pre-award 
costs unless approved by the Grants Officer as part of the terms when 
the award is made.
    Statutory Authority: 33 U.S.C. 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

[[Page 34653]]

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: Applications must be received and validated 
by Grants.gov on or before 5 p.m. EDT on October 16, 2009. Please note: 
Validation or rejection of your application by Grants.gov may take up 
to 2 business days after submission. Please consider this process in 
developing your submission timeline.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: Applicants are strongly 
encouraged to submit applications electronically through http://www.grants.gov. Hard copies may be submitted by postal mail, commercial 
delivery service, or hand-delivery. Proposals being submitted hard copy 
must be received by: NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office; Education Coordinator; 
410 Severn Avenue, Suite 107A, Annapolis, Maryland 21403. Facsimile 
transmissions and e-mail submission of proposals will not be accepted. 
You may access the electronic grant application for the Chesapeake Bay 
Watershed Education & Training Program (B-WET) at http://www.grants.gov. Users of Grants.gov will be able to download a copy of 
the application package, complete it off line, and then upload and 
submit the application via the Grants.gov site. When you enter the 
Grants.gov site, you will find information about submitting an 
application electronically through the site as well as the hours of 
operation.
    We strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application 
deadline date to begin the application process through Grants.gov. To 
use Grants.gov, applicants must have a DUNS number and register in the 
Central Contractor Registry (CCR). You should allow a minimum of 5 days 
to complete the CCR registration. After electronic submission of the 
application, applicants will receive an automatic acknowledgment from 
Grants.gov that contains a Grants.gov tracking number. Electronic 
application packages are strongly encouraged and are available at: 
http://www.grants.gov/. Paper applications may be mailed 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. B-WET contacts are as 
follows: Virginia/West Virginia: Ann Marie Chapman 
([email protected]); Maryland's Eastern Shore/Delaware: Doug 
Levin ([email protected]); Maryland/Washington, DC: Kevin Schabow 
([email protected]); and Pennsylvania/Other: Shannon Sprague 
([email protected]).
    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.
7. FY 2010 Community-Based Marine Debris 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 
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 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 Removal Project Grants in FY 2010. 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 
Removal Project Grants in FY 2010. Actual funding availability for this 
program is contingent upon Fiscal Year 2010 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.

[[Page 34654]]

    This is the fourth year of the Community-based Marine Debris 
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: 33 U.S.C. 1951 et seq.

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

    Application Deadline: Applications must be received and validated 
by Grants.gov, postmarked, or provided to a delivery service on or 
before 11:59 p.m. EDT, October 31, 2009. Please note: Validation or 
rejection of your application by Grants.gov may take up to 2 business 
days after submission. Please consider this process in developing your 
submission timeline. Applications received after the deadline will be 
rejected/returned to the sender without further consideration. Use of 
U.S. mail or another delivery service must be documented with a 
receipt. No facsimile or electronic mail applications will be accepted.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: If the applicant does not have 
Internet access, a hard copy application with the SF424 bearing an 
original, ink signature (blue ink preferred) must be postmarked, or 
provided to a delivery service and documented with a receipt, by 11:59 
p.m. EDT, October 31, 2009, and sent to: David Landsman, NOAA 
Restoration Center (F/HC3), Attn: MDP Project Applications, 1315 East 
West Highway, Rm. 14727, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Applications 
postmarked or provided to a delivery service after that date will not 
be considered for funding. Applications submitted via the U.S. Postal 
Service must have an official postmark; private metered postmarks are 
not acceptable. In any event, applications received later than 15 
business days following the postmark closing date will not be accepted. 
No facsimile or electronic mail applications will be accepted. Paper 
applications should be printed on one side only, on 8.5'' x 11'' paper, 
and should not be bound in any manner.
    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, on-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 public and private sector to implement locally important marine 
debris 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 shall waive any requirement for matching funds 
to 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), 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.'' 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. To meet the 1:1 match 
requirement, 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 Full Funding 
Opportunity announcement. 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 
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. Gulf of Mexico NOAA Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) 
Program
    Summary Description: The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), 
Southeast Region, is seeking proposals under the Gulf of Mexico B-WET

[[Page 34655]]

Program. The B-WET program is an environmental education program that 
promotes locally relevant, experiential learning in the K-12 
environment. Funded projects provide meaningful watershed educational 
experiences for students, related professional development for 
teachers, and helps to support regional education and environmental 
priorities in the northern Gulf of Mexico.
    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: It is anticipated that approximately $700,000 
will be available in FY 2010 for new awards. NOAA anticipates making 
approximately 3 to 5 new awards during FY 2010. The total Federal 
amount that may be requested from NOAA shall not exceed $100,000. The 
minimum Federal amount that must be requested from NOAA is $25,000. 
Applications requesting Federal support from NOAA for more than 
$100,000 per year will not be considered for 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: Authority for the Marine Fisheries Initiative 
Program is provided by the following: 16 U.S.C. 661.

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

    Application Deadline: Applications must be received and validated 
by Grants.gov on or before 5 p.m. ET on November 13, 2009. Please note: 
Validation or rejection of your application by Grants.gov may take up 
to 2 business days after submission. Please consider this process in 
developing your submission timeline. Applications received after the 
deadline will be rejected/returned to the sender without further 
consideration. Use of U.S. mail or another delivery service must be 
documented with a receipt. 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: 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: Ellie Francisco Roche, Chief, State/Federal 
Liaison Branch, (727) 824-5324, or [email protected].
    Eligibility: Eligible applicants are K-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.
    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. 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) 2010 for projects. This amount includes possible 
in-house projects. Actual funding availability for this program is 
contingent upon Fiscal Year 2010 Congressional appropriations. The NMFS 
Southeast Regional Office anticipates awarding approximately ten 
projects that will range from $25,000 to $175,000 per year. The total 
Federal amount that may be requested shall not exceed $350,000 for a 
two year project, and $525,000 for a three year project. 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 and validated 
by Grants.gov on or before 5 p.m. EDT on August 17, 2009. Please note: 
Validation or rejection of your application by Grants.gov may take up 
to 2 business days after submission. Please consider this process in 
developing your submission timeline. 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: Ellie Francisco Roche, Chief, 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

[[Page 34656]]

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.
10. NOAA Coastal and Marine Habitat Restoration National and Regional 
Partnership Grants
    Summary Description: NOAA delivers funding and technical expertise 
to restore coastal and marine habitats. These habitats support valuable 
fisheries and protected resources, improve the quality of our water, 
provide recreational opportunities for the public's use and enjoyment 
and buffer our coastal communities from the impacts of storms and sea 
level rise. Partnerships funded through NOAA have strong on-the-ground 
habitat restoration components that provide social and economic 
benefits in addition to long-term ecological habitat improvements that 
benefit NOAA trust resources. Through this solicitation, NOAA seeks to 
openly compete funding available for multi-year national and regional 
habitat restoration Partnerships. Partnerships will result in 
implementation of a wide-range of individual habitat restoration 
projects, from locally-driven, grass-roots projects that emphasize 
stewardship and hands-on restoration, to mid-scale, watershed level 
projects that yield significant ecological and socio-economic benefits. 
NOAA envisions working jointly on such Partnerships through its 
Community-based Restoration Program (CRP) to identify, evaluate, fund, 
and administer projects that offer this range of ecological, socio-
economic and stewardship benefits to coastal watershed communities. 
This document describes the types of habitat restoration Partnerships 
that NOAA envisions establishing, portrays the qualities that NOAA 
deems desirable in such Partnerships, and describes criteria under 
which applications will be evaluated for funding consideration. 
Partnership applications selected through this announcement will be 
implemented through a multi-year cooperative agreement, and will 
ultimately involve joint selection of multiple community-based habitat 
restoration projects funded as sub-awards made through the Partner 
organization. Funding of approximately $10 million is expected to be 
available to establish habitat restoration Partnerships in 2010, with 
annual funding anticipated to maintain them for up to 3 years duration. 
Requests for funding to establish Partnerships typically exceed the 
funds available for this purpose and the selection process will be 
highly competitive. Typical Partnership awards will range from $500,000 
to $1,000,000 per year.
    Funds will be administered by the NOAA Restoration Center within 
NOAA Fisheries Office of Habitat Conservation. This is not a request 
for individual community-based habitat restoration project proposals.
    Funding Availability: NOAA anticipates that approximately $10 
million may be available in FY 2010 to establish national and regional 
Partnerships that will implement coastal and marine habitat restoration 
through sub awards. Funding is expected to be provided on an annual 
basis to maintain Partnerships for up to 3 years duration, and is 
dependent upon the level of funding made available by Congress. NOAA 
anticipates that typical awards for the initial year of restoration 
Partnerships will range from $500,000 to $1,000,000. NOAA will not 
accept proposals with a first year budget under $250,000 or over 
$5,000,000 under this solicitation. Applicants can request increases to 
continue scaling up Partnership activities in subsequent budget periods 
to a limit of $7,500,000 in FY 2011, and to $10,000,000 in FY 2012. 
Annual funding levels and any increases over FY 2010 levels for 
successful applicants will be at the discretion of the NOAA Restoration 
Center Chief (Chief). The Chief will make annual funding determinations 
for each Partner, in consultation with NOAA technical staff, based on 
Partnership performance, capacity of the Partner organization to 
generate quality projects with respect to funding potentially available 
to them under an award, the amount of prior year funding remaining to 
be expended, regional and Administration priorities, and other factors 
deemed important to the annual allocation process. For reference, in FY 
2007 the NOAA Restoration Center established and funded 17 multi-year 
Partnerships for a total of $8.8 million in their first year, $7.1 
million in FY 2008, and $9.8 million in FY 2009. There is no guarantee 
that sufficient funds will be available to make awards for all 
Partnership applications. The number of awards to be made as a result 
of this solicitation will depend on the number of eligible applications 
received, the amount of funds requested for establishing national and 
regional habitat restoration Partnerships by the applicants, the merit 
and ranking of the applications, and the amount of funds made available 
by Congress.
    The exact amount of funds that may be awarded will be determined in 
pre-award negotiations between the applicant and NOAA representatives, 
and multi-year funding requests are expected to be funded incrementally 
on an annual basis.
    Publication of this document does not obligate NOAA to award any 
specific project or obligate all or any parts of any available funds.
    Statutory Authority: The Secretary of Commerce is authorized under 
the following statutes to provide grants and cooperative agreements for 
habitat restoration: Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act 16 U.S.C. 661, 
as amended by the Reorganization Plan No. 4 of 1970; Magnuson-Stevens 
Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act of 2006, 16 
U.S.C. 1891a.

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

    Application Deadline: Applications must be received and validated 
by Grants.gov, postmarked, or provided to a delivery service on or 
before 11:59 p.m. EDT on September 30, 2009. Please note: Validation or 
rejection of your application by Grants.gov may take up to 2 business 
days after submission. Please consider this process in developing your 
submission timeline. Use of a delivery service must be documented with 
a receipt. No facsimile or electronic mail applications will be 
accepted.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: Applicants may submit their 
applications through Grants.gov. If an applicant does not have Internet 
access, a hard copy application must be postmarked, or provided to a 
delivery service and documented with a receipt, by September 30, 2009 
and sent to: NOAA Restoration Center, NOAA Fisheries, 1315 East West 
Highway, Rm. 14853, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Attn: Restoration 
Partnership Applications. Applications postmarked or provided to

[[Page 34657]]

a delivery service after that time will not be considered for funding.
    Applications submitted via the U.S. Postal Service must have an 
official postmark; private metered postmarks are not acceptable. In any 
event, applications received later than 7 business days following the 
postmark closing date will not be accepted. No facsimile or electronic 
mail applications will be accepted. Paper applications should be 
printed on one side only, on 8.5'' x 11'' paper, and should not be 
bound in any manner. Applicants submitting paper applications must also 
include a full copy of the application as a single PDF file, including 
Federal forms, on a compact disc (CD).
    Information Contacts: For further information contact Robin 
Bruckner or Melanie Gange at (301) 713-0174, or by e-mail at 
[email protected] or [email protected]. Prospective 
applicants are invited to contact NOAA staff before submitting an 
application to discuss their partnership ideas. Additional information 
on habitat restoration can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/habitat/restoration.
    Eligibility: Eligible applicants are institutions of higher 
education, non-profits, commercial (for profit) organizations, U.S. 
Territories, and state, local and Indian tribal governments. 
Applications from Federal agencies or employees of Federal agencies 
will not be considered. Federal agencies are strongly encouraged to 
work with states, non-governmental organizations, municipal and county 
governments, conservation corps organizations and others that are 
eligible to apply.
    The Department of Commerce/National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration (DOC/NOAA) is strongly committed to broadening the 
participation of historically black colleges and universities, 
Hispanic-serving institutions, tribal colleges and universities, and 
institutions that work in under-served areas. NOAA encourages 
applications involving any of the above institutions.
    Cost Sharing Requirements: The overall focus of the CRP is to 
implement coastal and marine habitat restoration that leverages funds 
and other contributions from the public and private sector to 
accomplish broad yet locally important habitat benefits. To this end, 
applicants seeking national and regional Partnerships with NOAA are 
encouraged to demonstrate a 1:1 non-Federal match overall for federal 
funds requested.
    Additionally, those Partnerships that propose to provide cash match 
toward project implementation funds at the national/regional level 
(before local, project-specific contributions are included) will be 
likely to score higher in the evaluation of project costs. While this 
is not a requirement, NOAA strongly advises applicants to leverage as 
much investment as possible. Applicants with less than 1:1 match and 
those that do not have cash match for project implementation funds at 
the national/regional level will not be disqualified, however 
applicants should note that cost sharing is an element considered in 
evaluation criteria 4. ``Project Costs'' (Section V.A.4 of the 
Full Funding Opportunity announcement).
    Similarly, proposals that limit administrative costs to 20% at the 
national or regional level also will be likely to score higher on this 
criterion. The match can come from a variety of public and private 
sources and can include in-kind goods and services. Federal funds may 
not be considered matching funds, but can be described in the budget 
narrative to demonstrate additional leverage. Applicants are permitted 
to combine non-federal contributions from additional Partners in order 
to meet the 1:1 match expected to establish a Partnership, as long as 
the matching funds are not already being used to match other funding 
sources and are available within the project period stated in the 
application. Applicants are also permitted to apply federally 
negotiated indirect costs in excess of federal share limits as 
described in Section IV.E. ``Funding Restrictions'' in the Full Funding 
Opportunity announcement.
    Applicants whose proposals are selected for habitat restoration 
Partnership funding will be bound by the percentage of cost sharing 
reflected in the award document signed by the NOAA Grants Officer. 
Successful applicants must be prepared to carefully document matching 
contributions, including the number of volunteer or community 
participation hours devoted to individual habitat restoration projects.
    Intergovernmental Review: Applications submitted by state and local 
governments are subject to the provisions of Executive Order 12372, 
``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.'' Any applicant 
submitting an application for funding is required to complete item 16 
on SF-424 regarding clearance by the State Single Point of Contact 
(SPOC) established as a result of EO 12372. To find out about and 
comply with a State's process under EO 12372, the names, addresses and 
phone numbers of participating SPOC's are listed in the Office of 
Management and Budget's home page at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html.
11. NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Grant Program/General Coral Reef 
Conservation Grants
    Summary Description: The NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program/
General Coral Reef Conservation Grants (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, 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 2010. 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 2010 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 
2010 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

[[Page 34658]]

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: Applications must be received and validated 
by Grants.gov, postmarked, or provided to a delivery service on or 
before 11:59 p.m. EDT on November 2, 2009. Please note: Validation or 
rejection of your application by Grants.gov may take up to 2 business 
days after submission. Please consider this process in developing your 
submission timeline. Use of a delivery service must be documented with 
a receipt. Applications postmarked or provided to a delivery service 
after that time will not be accepted for funding. Applications 
submitted via U.S. Postal Service must have an official postmark; 
private metered postmarks are not acceptable. In any event, 
applications received later than 15 business days following the 
postmarked closing date will not be accepted. No facsimile or 
electronic mail applications will be accepted. There will be no 
extensions beyond these dates. If an application is not submitted 
through grants.gov or postmarked by the deadline listed above, it will 
not be reviewed or considered for FY 2010 funding.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: Applicants may submit their 
applications through Grants.gov. If Internet access is unavailable, 
hard copies can be submitted 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. Applicants submitted by mail are required to 
include original signed and dated copies of the Federal financial 
assistance forms. Electronic copies of the project narrative and budget 
narrative are requested with the submission of a paper application. 
Please submit these to [email protected]. All applicants, both 
electronic and paper, should be aware that adequate time must be 
factored into applicant schedules for delivery of the application. 
Electronic applicants are advised that volume on Grants.gov is 
currently extremely heavy, and if Grants.gov is unable to accept 
applications electronically in a timely fashion, applicants are 
encouraged to exercise their option to submit applications in paper 
format. Paper applicants should allow adequate time to ensure a paper 
application will be received on time, taking into account that 
guaranteed overnight carriers are not always able to fulfill their 
guarantees.
    Information Contacts: Technical point of contact for NOAA Coral 
Reef Conservation Grant Program/General Grants is Jennifer Koss, 301-
713-4300 extension 165 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 under this category. 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 IV.E. 
Evaluation Criterion, 4. Project Costs in the Full Funding Opportunity. 
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

[[Page 34659]]

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 (SSPOC) established as a result of EO 12372. 
The SSPOC for your state can be found at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html.
12. NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Grant Program/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 2010. 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 fiscal year 2010. Actual funding availability for this 
program is contingent upon fiscal year 2010 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: Applications must be received and validated 
by Grants.gov, postmarked, or provided to a delivery service on or 
before 5 p.m. ET, on November 2, 2009. Please note: Validation or 
rejection of your application by Grants.gov may take up to 2 business 
days after submission. Please consider this process in developing your 
submission timeline. Applications received after the deadline will be 
rejected/returned to the sender without further consideration. Use of 
U.S. mail or another delivery service must be documented with a 
receipt. No facsimile or electronic mail applications will be accepted.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: Federal forms should be filled 
out and submitted on line at www.grants.gov with the rest of the grant 
application. If applicants are unable to submit through www.grants.gov, 
an original paper copy of signed Federal financial assistance forms and 
the complete project narrative and budget narrative must be submitted 
by mail 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/General Grants is Jennifer Koss, 301-
713-4300 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 in the Full Funding Opportunity.
13. NOAA New England Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) 
Program
    Summary Description: NOAA B-WET is an environmental education 
program that promotes locally relevant, experiential learning in the K-
12 environment. Funded projects provide meaningful watershed 
educational

[[Page 34660]]

experiences for students, related professional development for 
teachers, and helps to support regional education and environmental 
priorities in New England.
    Funding Availability: It is anticipated that approximately $300,000 
will be available in FY 2010 for new awards. NOAA anticipates making 
approximately 2 to 5 new awards during FY 2010. NOAA will consider only 
projects with duration of 1 to 3 years. The total Federal amount that 
may be requested from NOAA shall not exceed $100,000 per year and 
$300,000 for all years of the proposed project. The minimum Federal 
amount that must be requested from NOAA for one year is $10,000 and for 
all years is $30,000.
    Applications requesting Federal support from NOAA of less than 
$10,000 for one year or more than $100,000 per year and $300,000 total 
for the duration of the project will not be considered for 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: 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: 11.469, 
Congressionally Identified Awards and Projects.

    Application Deadline: Applications must be received and validated 
by Grants.gov, postmarked, or provided to a delivery service on or 
before 5 p.m. EDT, October 2, 2009. Please note: Validation or 
rejection of your application by Grants.gov may take up to 2 business 
days after submission. Please consider this process in developing your 
submission timeline. Applications received after the deadline will be 
rejected/returned to the sender without further consideration. Use of 
U.S. mail or another delivery service must be documented with a 
receipt.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: Applications submitted through 
Grants.gov will be accompanied by an automated receipt of the date and 
time of submission. Hard copy applications will be hand stamped with 
time and date when received in the NOAA Fisheries, Northeast Regional 
Office (Attn: New England B-WET Program). Note that late-arriving hard 
copy applications provided to a delivery service on or before 5 p.m., 
EDT October 2, 2009 will be accepted for review if the applicant can 
document that the application was provided to the guaranteed delivery 
service by the specified closing date and time, and if the proposals 
are received NOAA Fisheries, Northeast Regional Office by 5 p.m., EDT, 
no later than 2 business days following the closing date. Applicants 
are recommended to send hard copies via expedited shipping methods 
(e.g., Airborne Express, DHL, FedEx, UPS, etc.). No e-mail and/or 
facsimile pre-proposals and/or full applications will be accepted. 
Applications that are late or are received by fax or e-mail will not be 
considered for review. Important: All applicants, both electronic and 
paper, should be aware that adequate time must be factored into 
applicant schedules for delivery of the application. Electronic 
applicants are advised that volume on Grants.gov is currently extremely 
heavy, and if Grants.gov is unable to accept applications 
electronically in a timely fashion, applicants are encouraged to 
exercise their option to submit applications in paper format. Paper 
applicants should allow adequate time to ensure a paper application 
will be received on time, taking into account that guaranteed overnight 
carriers are not always able to fulfill their guarantees.
    Information Contacts: Kathi Rodrigues, New England B-WET Program 
Manager, NOAA, 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930-2276, or 
via e-mail at [email protected]. Questions about this 
opportunity may also be directed to Bronwen Rice, B-WET National 
Coordinator, by phone at 202-482-6797 or e-mail at 
[email protected].
    Eligibility: Eligible applicants are K-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.
    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 underserved areas. While applicants do not 
need to be from the targeted geographical regions specified in the 
program objectives, they must be working with target audiences in these 
areas.
    Cost Sharing Requirements: No cost sharing is required under this 
program, however, the NOAA B-WET Program strongly encourages applicants 
include a 25% or higher match. Funds from other Federal awards may not 
be considered matching funds. The nature of the contribution (cash vs. 
in-kind) and the amount of matching funds will be taken into 
consideration during the review process. Priority selection is given to 
proposals that propose cash rather than in-kind services.
    Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this program are not 
subject to Executive Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal 
Programs.''
14. John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program 2010
    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

[[Page 34661]]

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 $4,000,000 may be available for distribution under the FY 
2010 annual competitive Prescott Grant Program.
    Applicants are hereby given notice that these funds have not yet 
been appropriated for this program. 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 is stated in 
the legislative language 16 U.S.C. 1421f-1. Funds may 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 2010 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). Eligible 
researchers applying as Principal Investigators, but not independently 
authorized under MMPA Section 112(c), MMPA Section 109(h) (50 CFR 
216.22), or the National Contingency Plan for Response to Marine Mammal 
Unusual Mortality Events, can only receive 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 Grant 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 the section entitled 
Eligibility for information regarding the eligibility requirements.
    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 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 an applicant incurs any costs prior to 
receiving an award agreement signed by an authorized NOAA official, the 
applicant would do so solely at their 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: Applications must be received and validated 
by Grants.gov, postmarked, or provided to a delivery service on or 
before 11:59 p.m. EDT, October 5, 2009. Please note: Validation or 
rejection of your application by Grants.gov may take up to 2 business 
days after submission. Please consider this process in developing your 
submission timeline. Applications received after the deadline will be 
rejected/returned to the sender without further consideration. Use of 
U.S. mail or another delivery service must be documented with a 
receipt. No facsimile or electronic mail applications will be accepted.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: Submit your application 
electronically through Grants.gov at www.grants.gov. For those 
applicants without Internet access submit your applications to: 
Prescott Grant Program, NOAA/NMFS/Office of Protected Resources (F/PR), 
1315 East-West Highway, Room 13620, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
    Information Contacts: The point of contact is: Michelle Ordono, 
Prescott Grant Program, NOAA/NMFS/Office of Protected Resources (F/PR), 
1315 East-West Highway, Room 13620, Silver Spring, MD 20910; Phone: 
(301) 713-2322; or e-mail at [email protected].
    Eligibility: There are three categories of eligible stranding 
network participants that may apply for funds under the Prescott Grant 
Program: (1) Stranding Agreement (SA) holders or their designee 
organizations; (2) holders of researcher authorization letters issued 
by a NMFS Regional Administrator; and (3) eligible Federal, state, or 
local government personnel or tribal 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 and/or Endangered Species Act (ESA) 
scientific research or enhancement permit holder, the applicant must 
have fulfilled all permit requirements including submission of all 
reports. The applicant must not have any 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 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

[[Page 34662]]

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 therefrom 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 in the Full Funding 
Opportunity). 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 must fulfill reporting 
obligations outlined in 50 CFR 216.22. Government officials must be 
involved in areas of geographic need (i.e., municipality or larger 
region with no existing SA holder responder). Applicants must submit 
the required documentation in their proposal (see Section IV, 
Application and Submission Information in the Full Funding Opportunity) 
as evidence that they are an SA holder or designee participant, 
researcher participant, or a Federal, state, or local 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. We 
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 Commonwealth of 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 underserved 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; to strengthen the Nation's capacity to provide high-quality 
education; and to increase opportunities for MSIs to participate in, 
and benefit from, Federal financial assistance programs. The 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, NOAA/NMFS 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. 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; and regional funding priorities for the current and 
previous Prescott solicitations. MMHSRP staff and 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 2010 
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 when determining the correct cost share amounts, we 
urge all applicants to use the cost share calculator on the Prescott 
Program webpage (http://

[[Page 34663]]

www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/health/prescott/proposals/costshare.htm).
    Legislation under which the Prescott Grant Program operates 
requires this cost sharing, or non-Federal match, 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, the proposal will not be returned to the 
applicant and it will not be 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 in 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. The fair market value is the cost of obtaining 
such services or property, had they not been donated, or of obtaining 
such services or property for the period of a 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 
is 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. 
The Grants Officer 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 (EO) 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. For information on a 
State's process under EO 12372, the SPOC's are listed in the Office of 
Management and Budget's home page at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html.
15. 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 or proposed 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; proposals should address priority actions 
identified in an ESA Recovery Plan, a State's ESA Section 6 Program, or 
a State Wildlife Action Plan. Any State agency that has entered into or 
applied for an agreement with the NMFS pursuant to section 6(c) of the 
ESA is eligible to apply under this solicitation. Proposals focusing on 
listed Pacific salmon will not be considered for funding under this 
grant program; such projects can be considered under a NMFS Pacific 
salmon grant program. This document describes how to submit proposals 
for funding in fiscal year (FY) 2010 and how the NMFS will determine 
which proposals will be funded; this document should be read in its 
entirety, as some information has changed from the previous year.
    Funding Availability: NOAA anticipates that up to $12 million may 
be available for distribution under the FY 2010 PSCC program; awards 
are expected to range between $500,000 and $2,000,000 in federal 
funding per year. Applications requesting less than $200,000 in federal 
funding per year may receive lower priority. The exact amount of funds 
that may be awarded will be determined during pre-award negotiations 
between the applicant and NOAA representatives. 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 grant proposal or to obligate any available funds. NOAA will 
consider funding more than one project under a single application. 
Applicants that bundle projects into a single application should ensure 
that there is sufficient detail for each project as per the guidelines 
and information requirements listed in this document if an application 
is to be competitive. Bundled projects should address the same or 
related species (e.g. shortnose and Atlantic sturgeon) or species that 
share similar habitats to allow for appropriate review of the proposal. 
There is no limit on the number of applications that can be submitted 
by the same Principal Investigator, agency, or State. Multiple 
applications submitted by the same applicant must, however, clearly 
identify distinct projects. If an application for a financial 
assistance award is selected for funding, NOAA has no obligation to 
provide any additional funding in connection with that award in 
subsequent years. Notwithstanding verbal or written assurance that may 
have been received, pre-award costs are not allowed under the award 
unless approved by the Grants Officer.
    Statutory Authority: 16 U.S.C. 661 et seq.; 16 U.S.C. 1535.

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

    Application Deadline: Applications must be received and validated 
by Grants.gov, postmarked, or provided to a delivery service on or 
before 11:59 p.m. EDT, October 5, 2009. Please note: Validation or 
rejection of your application by Grants.gov may take up to 2 business 
days after submission. Please consider this process in developing your 
submission timeline. Applications received after the deadline will be 
rejected/returned to the sender without further consideration. Use of 
U.S. mail or another delivery service must be documented with a 
receipt. No facsimile or electronic mail applications will be accepted.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: Applications should be submitted 
electronically through the Grants.gov Web site at http://www.grants.gov. NOAA strongly recommends that applicants do not wait 
until the application deadline to begin the application process through 
Grants.gov. To use Grants.gov, applicants must have a DUNS number and 
register in the Central Contractor Registry (CCR). Applicants should 
allow at least 5 business days to complete the CCR

[[Page 34664]]

registration; registration is only required once. Also, it may take 
Grants.gov up to two business days to validate or reject an 
application. Please keep this in mind when developing your submission 
timeline. Following submission of applications through Grants.gov, 
applicants should receive two automated responses from Grants.gov: One 
confirms receipt of the application; the other confirms that the 
application has been forwarded to NOAA. If both confirmation messages 
from Grants.gov are not received, applicants should contact both the 
Grants.gov Helpdesk and the NMFS Office of Protected Resources to 
confirm the application has been transmitted and received by NOAA. For 
applicants lacking Internet access, hard copies may be submitted (by 
postal mail or commercial delivery) to the NMFS Office of Protected 
Resources, Attn: Lisa Manning, 1315 East-West Highway, SSMC3, Silver 
Spring, MD 20910. Applications submitted by U.S. Postal Service must 
have an official postmark; private metered postmarks are not 
acceptable. Use of a delivery service other than U.S. mail must be 
documented with a receipt. Paper applications should be printed on one 
side only, on 8.5 inch x 11 inch paper, and not be bound in any manner. 
A signed (in ink) SF 424 must be included. No facsimile or electronic 
mail applications will be accepted.
    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: Amanda Johnson, 
Northeast Regional Office [email protected], 978-282-8463); Karla 
Reece, Southeast Regional Office [email protected], 727-824-5348); 
Scott Rumsey, Northwest Regional Office [email protected], 503-872-
2791); Scott Hill, Southwest Regional Office [email protected], 562-
908-872-5348); Kaja Brix, Alaska Regional Office [email protected], 
907-586-7824); Krista Graham, Pacific Islands Regional Office, 
[email protected], 808-944-2238).
    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 within 60 days following the grant application deadline is 
also eligible to apply. State agencies 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 or a proposed 
species by the grant application deadline. State agencies 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 within 60 days following 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, proposals 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. 
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. Match requirements of section 6(d) 
of the ESA do not apply to insular areas covered by the Omnibus Insular 
Areas Act of 1977 (48 U.S.C. 1469a) including Guam, American Samoa, 
Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
    Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this program are 
subject to Executive Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal 
Programs.''

National Ocean Service (NOS)

1. 2010 NOAA Coral Reef Management Grant Program
    Summary Description: The NOAA Coral Reef Management Grant Program, 
as authorized under the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000, provides 
matching grants to the Governor 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 NOAA 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 $2,700,000 is expected to be 
available from NOAA/CRCP 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 FY 2010 is 
likewise contingent upon the availability of future funding and the 
requirements of the Federal agency supporting the project. Each 
eligible jurisdiction can apply for a maximum of $600,000. A minimum of 
50% of the final award amount must be dedicated to the implementation 
and support of the Local Action Strategy initiative and/or the outcomes 
of the state and territory coral reef management priority setting 
processes. In certain instances, when requested by the applicant, 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 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 management needs.
    Statutory Authority: Authority for the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation 
Grant Program is provided by Section 6403

[[Page 34665]]

(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 5 p.m. EST on Monday, November 30, 2009. A pre-application must be 
submitted for review in order to submit a full application. Final 
applications must be received and validated by Grants.gov, postmarked, 
or provided to a delivery service on or before 5 p.m. ET, March 12, 
2010. Please note: Validation or rejection of your application by 
Grants.gov may take up to 2 business days after submission. Please 
consider this process in developing your submission timeline. 
Applications received after the deadline will be rejected/returned to 
the sender without further consideration. Use of U.S. mail or another 
delivery service must be documented with a receipt. No facsimile or 
electronic mail applications will be accepted.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: If Internet access is not 
available, submissions by surface mail should be sent to Jenny Waddell, 
1305 East West Highway, 10th Floor, N/ORM, Silver Spring, MD 20910, or 
telephone 301-713-3155 extension 150. Final applications must be 
submitted electronically to: www.grants.gov, the Federal grants portal. 
If Internet access is unavailable, hard copies can be submitted to 
Jenny Waddell, 1305 East West Highway, 10th Floor, N/ORM, Silver 
Spring, MD 20910, or telephone 301-713-3155 extension 150.
    Information Contacts: Technical point of contact for State and 
Territory Coral Reef Management is Jenny Waddell, 1305 East West 
Highway, 10th Floor, N/ORM, Silver Spring, MD 20910, or telephone 301-
713-3155 extension 150.
    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.
2. 2010 NOAA Coral Reef Monitoring Grant Program
    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 2010 to support coral reef ecosystem monitoring 
activities under this program. FY 2010 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 2010 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 2010 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

[[Page 34666]]

monitoring needs in support of coral reef management objectives.
    Statutory Authority: Authority for the NOAA Coral Reef Monitoring 
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: Pre-applications must be received no later 
than 5 p.m. EST on Friday, November 20, 2009. A pre-application must be 
submitted for review in order to submit a full application. Final 
applications must be received and validated by Grants.gov, postmarked, 
or provided to a delivery service on or before 5 p.m. EST, February 19, 
2010. Please note: Validation or rejection of your application by 
Grants.gov may take up to 2 business days after submission. Please 
consider this process in developing your submission timeline. 
Applications received after the deadline will be rejected/returned to 
the sender without further consideration.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: Pre-applications must be sent to 
[email protected] or to Jenny Waddell, NOAA National Ocean Service, 
1305 East-West Highway, SSMC4, N/ORM, Silver Spring, MD 20910. All 
invited final applications should be submitted via www.grants.gov the 
Federal grants portal. If the applicant does not have Internet access, 
the applicant may submit by surface mail, one original and two signed 
copies of the Federal financial assistance forms along with the final 
application. Applicants should consider the delivery time when 
submitting their applications from international or remote areas. Use 
of U.S. mail or another delivery service must be documented with a 
receipt. No facsimile or electronic mail applications will be accepted.
    Information Contacts: The technical point of contact for State and 
Territory Coral Reef Monitoring is Jenny Waddell. She can be reached at 
301-713-3155 extension 150 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, the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the 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 2010 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. Federal funds from NOAA or 
other Federal agencies may not be considered as matching funds. 
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. 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.
3. Coastal Hypoxia Research Program (CHRP)
    Summary Description: The purpose of this document is to advise the 
public that NOAA is soliciting proposals for projects of 2 to 5 years 
in duration that advance understanding, prediction, and management of 
the causes and ecological and economic impacts of hypoxia in 
representative coastal ecosystems. Funding is contingent upon the 
availability of Fiscal Year 2010 Federal appropriations. It is 
anticipated that final recommendations for funding under this 
announcement will be made by early Calendar Year 2010, and that 
projects funded under this announcement will have an August 1, 2010 
start date.
    Background Information about the needs and priorities for research 
related to hypoxia in U.S. coastal waters is available in: 1. An 
Assessment of Coastal Hypoxia and Eutrophication in U.S. Waters (2003), 
Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. (Report prepared 
pursuant to Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act): 
http://www.nccos.noaa.gov/publications/hypoxia.pdf; 2. A Scientific 
Assessment of Hypoxia in US Coastal Waters (2009) (updated version of 
An Assessment of Coastal Hypoxia and Eutrophication in U.S. Waters), 
available soon at either http://www.cop.noaa.gov/stressors/extremeevents/hab/habhrca/Report_Plans.html or http://ocean.ceq.gov/about/sup_jsost_iwgs.html; 3. Effects of Nutrient Enrichment in the 
Nation's Estuaries: A Decade of Change (2007): http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/publications/eutroupdate/. 4. Priority Topics for 
Nutrient Pollution in Coastal Waters: An Integrated National Research 
Program for the United States (2003), Howarth et al. NOAA/NCCOS, in 
cooperation with the National Science Foundation, United States 
Department of Agriculture

[[Page 34667]]

and United States Geological Survey: http://www.nccos.noaa.gov/documents/nutrientpollution.pdf; 5. Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA) 
documents http://www.gulfofmexicoalliance.org/; and 6. CSCOR's CHRP Web 
site describing past and current projects and program priorities: 
http://www.cop.noaa.gov/stressors/pollution/current/chrp.html.
    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 Reengineering Team. In order to fulfill these 
responsibilities, this solicitation announces that award amounts will 
not exceed $350,000 per project per year with project durations from 2 
to 5 years (except for the Gulf of Mexico projects which, given the 
timetable outlined in the GOMA framework described in the Governors' 
Action Plan (http://www.gulfofmexicoalliance.org/), should be completed 
in no more than 4 years). It is anticipated that 4 to 8 total projects 
will be funded, including 1 to 2 projects submitted under the Gulf of 
Mexico Regional Subcomponent and 3 to 6 projects from other regions. 
Proposals for the Gulf of Mexico Regional Subcomponent will be 
evaluated separately from other regions. Support in out years after FY 
2010 is contingent upon the availability of funds. 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 ones 
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: 33 U.S.C. 1442 and Public Law 105-383 title 
VI, Nov. 13, 1998, 112 Stat. 3447.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.478, Center 
for Sponsored Coastal Ocean Research--Coastal Ocean Program.

    Application Deadline: Applications must be received and validated 
by Grants.gov, postmarked, or provided to a delivery service on or 
before 3 p.m. ET, October 14, 2009. Please note: Validation or 
rejection of your application by Grants.gov may take up to 2 business 
days after submission. Please consider this process in developing your 
submission timeline. Applications received after the deadline will be 
rejected/returned to the sender without further consideration. Use of 
U.S. mail or another delivery service must be documented with a 
receipt. 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: Laura J. Golden, 1305 East West Hwy., Routing Code: N/SCI2, 
Building: SSMC4, Silver Spring, MD 20910-3278.
    Information Contacts: Technical Information: Libby Jewett Program 
Manager, 301-713-3338 ext 121, Internet: [email protected]. 
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 researcher 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 Required.
    Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this program are not 
subject to Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal 
Programs.
4. FY 2010 Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Hawaii Program
    Summary Description: This federal funding opportunity meets NOAA's 
mission goals to: (1) Protect, restore and manage the use of coastal 
and ocean resources through ecosystems-based management, and (2) 
understand climate variability and change to enhance society's ability 
to plan and respond. The purpose for this financial assistance will 
support NOAA's goal by developing a well-informed citizenry involved in 
decision-making that positively impacts our coastal, marine and 
watershed ecosystems in the State of Hawaii.
    This opportunity is a competitively-based grant that provides 
funding to assist in the development of new programs, encourage 
innovative partnerships among environmental education programs and 
support geographically targeted programs to advance environmental 
education efforts that complement national and state school 
requirements. The B-WET Hawaii Program is an environmental education 
program that promotes locally relevant, experiential learning in the K-
12 environment on priority topics, such understanding climate change, 
earth sciences and community resilience to hazards. Funded projects 
provide meaningful watershed educational experiences for students, 
related professional development for teachers, and support regional 
education and environmental priorities.
    Funding Availability: This solicitation announces that 
approximately $1,000,000 may be available in FY 2010 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 NOAA Mission 
Goals 1 and 2 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

[[Page 34668]]

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(a).

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.473, 
Coastal Services Center.

    Application Deadline: Applications must be received and validated 
by Grants.gov, postmarked, or provided to a delivery service on or 
before 5:59 p.m. Hawaii Time, August 31, 2009. Please note: Validation 
or rejection of your application by Grants.gov may take up to 2 
business days after submission. Please consider this process in 
developing your submission timeline. Applications received after the 
deadline will be rejected/returned to the sender without further 
consideration. Use of U.S. mail or another delivery service must be 
documented with a receipt. 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, application packages may be hand delivered or 
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. No e-mail or fax copies will be accepted. 
Proposals received after the deadline 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 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 sources 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.
5. FY 2010 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.
    Funding Availability: This solicitation announces that 
approximately $2,000,000 may be available in FY 2010 in award amounts 
to be determined by the proposals and available funds. About $850,000 
will be made available to the San Francisco Bay area, about $700,000 
will be made available to the Monterey Bay area, and about $450,000 
will be made available to the Santa Barbara area. The NOAA Office of 
National Marine Sanctuaries 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 NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries 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 
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: 11.429, Marine 
Sanctuary Program.

    Application Deadline: Applications must be received and validated 
by Grants.gov, postmarked, or provided to

[[Page 34669]]

a delivery service on or before 5 p.m. PDT, October 8, 2009. Please 
note: Validation or rejection of your application by Grants.gov may 
take up to 2 business days after submission. Please consider this 
process in developing your submission timeline. Applications received 
after the deadline will be rejected/returned to the sender without 
further consideration. Use of U.S. mail or another delivery service 
must be documented with a receipt. No facsimile or electronic mail 
applications will be accepted.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: Applications must be received and 
validated by Grants.gov. For applicants without Internet service 
applications should be sent to: Seaberry Nachbar, 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 NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries encourages proposals 
involving any of the above institutions.
    Cost Sharing Requirements: No cost sharing is required under this 
program; however, the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries 
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. Harmful Algal Blooms Program
    Summary Description: The purpose of this document is to advise the 
public that NOAA is soliciting proposals for the interagency Ecology 
and Oceanography of Harmful Algal Blooms Program (ECOHAB), the NOAA 
Monitoring and Event Response for Harmful Algal Blooms Program 
(MERHAB), and the NOAA Prevention, Control, and Mitigation of Harmful 
Algal Blooms Program (PCMHAB).
ECOHAB Objectives
    ECOHAB aims to develop quantitative understanding of HABs and, 
where applicable, their toxins in relation to the surrounding 
environment with the intent of providing new information and tools, 
predictive models and forecasts, and prevention strategies and to 
develop models of trophic transfer of toxins, knowledge of biosynthesis 
and metabolism of toxins, and assessment of impacts of toxins on higher 
trophic levels. Information in these areas, in turn, supports a 
critical goal of the ECOHAB program, the development of reliable models 
to forecast bloom development, persistence, toxicity, and impacts. 
Research results will be used directly to guide management of coastal 
resources to reduce HAB development, impacts, and future threats and 
will feed into other HAB programs for development of tools to improve 
HAB management and response.
MERHAB Objectives
    The principal objective of MERHAB is to build capacity of local, 
state, and tribal governments, and the private sector, for less costly 
and more precise and comprehensive monitoring of HAB cells and toxins, 
and for responding to HAB events. With these advances, State programs 
will be better able to take preventative actions (e.g. increase 
monitoring efforts, close shellfish beds, warn affected communities) to 
safeguard the public health, local economies, and fisheries. Further 
advancements will assist the wildlife health communities respond to 
HAB-related mortalities. As a result of the MERHAB Program, managers 
will be able to mitigate the expanding HAB problems in their coastal 
regions and be better positioned, especially during difficult state 
fiscal climates, to request long-term support from local, state, 
regional or Federal funding sources.
PCMHAB Objectives
    The PCM HAB program will transition promising technologies and 
strategies for preventing, controlling, or mitigating HABs and their 
impacts from development through demonstration and technology transfer 
for field application by end-users. The technologies will arise from 
HAB research conducted by the two existing national HAB programs, 
ECOHAB and MERHAB, or other research programs which conduct some HAB 
research. The purpose is to develop new tools to improve HAB management 
and response.
    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 Reengineering Team. In order to fulfill these 
responsibilities, this solicitation announces that award amounts will 
be determined by the proposals and available funds. The following 
program-specific guidelines for budget requests are provided. (1) 
ECOHAB Targeted: $100,000-$250,000/yr not including ship time (2) 
MERHAB Targeted: $100,000-$250,000/yr not including ship time (3) 
ECOHAB Regional: $1,000,000/yr, not including ship time (4) MERHAB 
Regional: $600,000/yr, not including ship time (5) PCM HAB: $100,000-
$600,000/yr, not including ship time. Budget requests that exceed the 
guidelines will need to be specifically justified. Project periods may 
be modified after review due to the availability of Federal 
appropriations. It is anticipated that 1-3 regional-scale ECOHAB or 
MERHAB projects and 4-15 targeted ECOHAB, targeted MERHAB or PCM HAB 
projects will be funded. 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 ones 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. Project periods may be modified 
after review due to the availability of federal appropriations.
    Recipients and subrecipients are subject to all Federal laws and 
agency

[[Page 34670]]

policies, regulations and procedures applicable to Federal financial 
assistance awards.
    Statutory Authority: ECOHAB: 16 U.S.C. 1456C; 33 U.S.C. 883d; 33 
U.S.C. 1442; 15 U.S.C. 1540; Pub. L. 105-383, as amended by Pub. L. 
108-456. MERHAB HAB: 16 U.S.C. 1456C; 33 U.S.C. 883d; 33 U.S.C. 1442; 
15 U.S.C. 1540; Pub. L. 105-383, as amended by Pub. L. 108-456. PCM 
HAB: 16 U.S.C. 1456C; 33 U.S.C. 883d; 33 U.S.C. 1442; 15 U.S.C. 1540; 
Pub. L. 105-383, as amended by Pub. L. 108-456.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.478, Center 
for Sponsored Coastal Ocean Research--Coastal Ocean Program.

    Application Deadline: Applications must be received and validated 
by Grants.gov on or before 3 p.m. ET on October 14, 2009. Please note: 
Validation or rejection of your application by Grants.gov may take up 
to 2 business days after submission. Please consider this process in 
developing your submission timeline. Letters of Intent (LOI) for all 
Competitions, although not required, should be received by 5 p.m. 
Eastern Time, August 17, 2009.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: LOIs should be submitted by e-
mail to the identified NOAA Program Manager listed in the Agency 
Contact section. If an applicant does not have Internet access, LOI 
hard copies may be sent to the Program Managers. Hard copies LOIs 
should be sent to NOAA Center for Sponsored Coastal Ocean Research, 
1305 East-West Highway, SSMC4, Mail Station 8218, 8th floor, Silver 
Spring, MD 20910 or faxed to 301-713-04044. Please allow two weeks 
after receipt for a response.
    Applications must be received and validated by Grants.gov. For 
applicants without Internet service applications should be sent to: 
NOAA Center for Sponsored Coastal Ocean Research, 1305 East-West 
Highway, SSMC4, Mail Station 8218, 8th floor, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
    Information Contacts: Technical Information--ECOHAB: Quay Dortch, 
ECOHAB Coordinator, 301/713-3338 ext 157, [email protected]. MERHAB: 
Marc Suddleson, MERHAB Program Manager, 301/713-3338 ext 162, 
[email protected]. PCM: Quay Dortch, Acting PCM Program Manager, 
301/713-3338 ext 157, [email protected]. 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 researcher 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 required.
    Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this program are not 
subject to Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal 
Programs.
7. NOAA International Coral Reef Grant Program
    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 
three funding categories: (1) Support Planning for Effective Marine 
Protected Area Management; (2) Encourage the Development of National 
Networks of Marine Protected Areas in the Wider Caribbean, Bermuda, 
Brazil, Southeast Asia, and the South Pacific; and (3) 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 
$1,000,000 in FY 2010 to support grants and cooperative agreements 
under the NOAA 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 (found in the Full Funding Opportunity 
announcement). 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 $1,000,000 may be available in FY 2010 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. Planning for Effective 
Marine Protected Area Management: Single sites: up to $50,000; Multiple 
sites: up to $80,000 2. MPA National Networks: $40,000-$50,000 3. 
Regional Socio-Economic Monitoring projects: $20,000-$40,000 Pre- and 
final applications with requests over the limit of each category will 
NOT be accepted.
    Pre-applications and final applications must be submitted under 
only one of the above mentioned categories. Funding will be subject to 
the availability of federal appropriations. 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., ET, on Monday, November 9, 2009. Final applications must be 
received and validated by Grants.gov, postmarked, or provided to a 
delivery service on or before 5 p.m. ET, February 17, 2010. Please 
note: Validation or rejection of your application by Grants.gov may 
take up to 2 business

[[Page 34671]]

days after submission. Please consider this process in developing your 
submission timeline. Applications received after the deadline will be 
rejected/returned to the sender without further consideration. Use of 
U.S. mail or another delivery service must be documented with a 
receipt. No facsimile or electronic mail applications will be accepted.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: Pre-applications may be submitted 
by surface mail or e-mail by 5 p.m., ET, November 9, 2009. 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: Scot Frew, NOAA/NOS International Program Office, 
1315 East West Highway, 5th Floor, N/IP, Room 5735, Silver Spring, MD 
20910. Fax submittals will also be accepted for pre-applications only 
(Fax: 301-713-4263). Please note that late pre-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.
    Final applications will be accepted only from those applicants who 
are invited to submit a final application. Applicants 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 
eligible to be considered for invitations to submit a final application 
by 5 p.m., ET, on February 17, 2010. The applicant may submit the final 
application (narratives, federal forms, and supporting documentation) 
in one of two ways: Applications must be submitted through 
www.grants.gov, unless an applicant does not have Internet access. In 
that case, hard copies with original signatures and scanned copies on a 
CD 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 and their territories or 
protectorates. 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 NOAA International Coral Reef 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

[[Page 34672]]

funds section of the respective pre- and final applications.
    Intergovernmental Review: Applications under the NOAA International 
Coral Reef Grant program are not subject to Executive Order 12372, 
Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.
8. NOAA Pacific Northwest Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) 
Program
    Summary Description: NOAA B-WET is an environmental education 
program that promotes locally relevant, experiential learning in the K-
12 environment. Funded projects provide meaningful watershed 
educational experiences for students, related professional development 
for teachers, and helps to support regional education and environmental 
priorities in the Pacific Northwest.
    Funding Availability: It is anticipated that approximately $700,000 
will be available in FY2010 for all Pacific Northwest projects, 
including projects awarded in 2008 and 2009, which were multi-year 
awards. NOAA anticipates making approximately five new awards during FY 
2010. NOAA will consider only projects with a duration of one year. The 
total Federal amount that may be requested from NOAA shall not exceed 
$60,000 per year. The minimum Federal amount that must be requested 
from NOAA for all years is $25,000. Applications requesting Federal 
support from NOAA of less than $25,000 total or more than $60,000 per 
year will not be considered for funding. Proposals may be considered 
eligible for renewal beyond the first project period. However, funds 
will be made available for only a 12-month award period and any renewal 
of the award period will depend on submission of a successful proposal 
subject to panel reviews, adequate progress on previous award(s), and 
available funding to renew the award. No assurance for funding renewal 
exists; funding will be at the complete discretion of NOAA. Projects 
that plan on renewal must include in their first-year submission a full 
description of the activities and budget for the first year as 
described in this announcement, and a summary description of the 
proposed work and estimated budget for each subsequent year. If 
selected for funding, the applicant will be required to submit a full 
proposal each subsequent year by the deadline announced in the 
following competitive cycle. In addition to the requirements for new 
proposals, renewed projects should include the accomplishments to date 
on the previous year's grant in their subsequent grant submissions. No 
proposal will be considered for renewal more than two times. 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: Under 33 U.S.C. 893 a(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: 11.429, Marine 
Sanctuary Program.

    Application Deadline: Applications must be received and validated 
by Grants.gov, postmarked, or provided to a delivery service on or 
before 5 p.m. PDT, October 8, 2009. Please note: Validation or 
rejection of your application by Grants.gov may take up to 2 business 
days after submission. Please consider this process in developing your 
submission timeline. Applications received after the deadline will be 
rejected/returned to the sender without further consideration. Use of 
U.S. mail or another delivery service must be documented with a 
receipt. No e-mail and/or facsimile pre-proposals and/or full 
applications will be accepted. Applications that are late or are 
received by fax or e-mail will not be considered for review. 
Applications submitted through Grants.gov will be accompanied by an 
automated receipt of the date and time of submission. Hard copy 
applications will be hand stamped with time and date when received in 
the Office of Education. (Note that late-arriving hard copy 
applications provided to a delivery service on or before 5 p.m., PDT, 
October 8, 2009 will be accepted for review if the applicant can 
document that the application was provided to the guaranteed delivery 
service by the specified closing date and time, and if the application 
is received before 5 p.m., PDT, no later than two business days 
following the closing date. Applicants are recommended to send hard 
copies via expedited shipping methods (e.g., Airborne Express, DHL, 
FedEx, UPS, etc.).
    Address for Submitting Proposals: Applications must be received and 
validated by Grants.gov. For applicants without Internet access 
applications should be sent to Robert Steelquist, NOAA B-WET PNW 
Manager, 115 E. Railroad Ave., Suite 301, Port Angeles, WA, 98362.
    Information Contacts: For the Pacific Northwest, please contact 
Robert Steelquist, NOAA B-WET PNW Manager, 115 E. Railroad Ave., Suite 
301, Port Angeles, WA, 98362; 360/457-6622 ext.19 or by e-mail at: 
[email protected].
    Eligibility: Eligible applicants are K-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. 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 underserved areas.
    While applicants do not need to be from the targeted geographical 
regions specified in the program objectives, they must be working with 
target audiences in these areas.
    Cost Sharing Requirements: No cost sharing is required under this 
program, however, the NOAA B-WET Program strongly encourages applicants 
include a 25% or higher match. Funds from other Federal awards may not 
be considered matching funds. The nature of the contribution (cash vs. 
in-kind) and the amount of matching funds will be taken into 
consideration during the review process. Priority selection is given to 
proposals that propose cash rather than in-kind services.
    Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this program are not 
subject to Executive Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal 
Programs.''

[[Page 34673]]

9. National Estuarine Research Reserve Graduate Research Fellowship 
Program FY 2010
    Summary Description: 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.
    Funding Availability: The National Estuarine Research Reserve 
System of NOAA announces the availability of Graduate Research 
Fellowships. Based on funds available, the Estuarine Reserves Division 
anticipates that up to 22 Graduate Research Fellowships will be 
competitively awarded to provide funding to qualified graduate students 
whose research occurs within the boundaries of at least one National 
Estuarine Research Reserve. Minority students are encouraged to apply. 
The amount of the fellowship is $20,000; at least 30% of total project 
cost match is required by the student's institution. To illustrate, the 
total project cost for a one year Graduate Research Fellowship is 
$28,572. Twenty-thousand of this amount is supplied by the federal 
government with a minimum 30% non-federal match in the amount of $8,572 
supplied by the student's eligible institution for a total 1 year 
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). Section 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 received and validated 
by Grants.gov, postmarked, or provided to a delivery service on or 
before 11 p.m. ET, November 2, 2009. Please note: Validation or 
rejection of your application by Grants.gov may take up to 2 business 
days after submission. Please consider this process in developing your 
submission timeline. Applications received after the deadline will be 
rejected/returned to the sender without further consideration. Use of 
U.S. mail or another delivery service must be documented with a 
receipt. No facsimile or electronic mail applications will be accepted.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: Applications submitted in 
response to this announcement are strongly encouraged to be submitted 
through the www.grants.gov Web site no later than November 2, 2009 at 
11 p.m. ET. Electronic access to the full funding announcement for this 
program is available via the www.grants.gov Web site. The announcement 
will also be available by contacting Alison Krepp with the Estuarine 
Reserves Division at [email protected] or 301-713-3155 x 105. 
Applicants who do not have Internet access may submit a paper 
application (one signed original and two copies) to the Estuarine 
Reserves Division at the following address, postmarked by November 2, 
2009: Attn: Alison Krepp, NOAA/Estuarine Reserves Division, 1305 East 
West Highway, Room 10503, Silver Spring, Maryland 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/
ORM5, SSMC4, Station 10503, Silver Spring, MD 20910 or via e-mail at 
[email protected], or fax at 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].
    Eligibility: Awards are normally made to the fellow's graduate 
institution through the use of a grant. Therefore, students must work 
with their institution's authorized representatives to complete the 
following required standard federal forms: SF 424, CD-511, and SF 424B. 
Institutions eligible to receive awards include institutions of higher 
education, other non-profits, 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. Students 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. Students 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. To illustrate, the total project cost for a one year Graduate 
Research Fellowship is $28,572. Twenty-thousand of this funding is 
supplied by the federal government with a minimum 30% non-federal match 
for the total project cost ($28,572) in the amount of $8,572 is 
supplied by the student's eligible applicant institution. Requested 
overhead costs under fellowship awards are limited to 10% of the 
federal amount and institutional fees that do not qualify as direct 
costs under fellowship awards are limited to 10% of the federal amount 
as well. 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 System (NERRS) Land Acquisition 
and Construction Program FY 2010
    Summary Description: 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

[[Page 34674]]

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 and 
enhancement.
    Funding Availability: This funding opportunity announces that 
approximately $3.89 million may be available to designated reserve 
agencies or universities only through this announcement for fiscal year 
2010. Awards will be issued as competitive grants. It is anticipated 
that the awards generally 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.

    Application Deadline: Applications must be received and validated 
by Grants.gov, postmarked, or provided to a delivery service on or 
before 11:59 p.m. ET, November 30, 2009. Please note: Validation or 
rejection of your application by Grants.gov may take up to 2 business 
days after submission. Please consider this process in developing your 
submission timeline. Applications received after the deadline will be 
rejected/returned to the sender without further consideration. Use of 
U.S. mail or another delivery service must be documented with a 
receipt. No facsimile or electronic mail applications will be accepted.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: Applications submitted in 
response to this announcement are strongly encouraged to be submitted 
through the www.grants.gov Web site no later than November 30, 2009 at 
11:59 ET. Electronic access to the full funding announcement for this 
program is available via the www.grants.gov Web site. The announcement 
will also be available by contacting Nina Garfield with the Estuarine 
Reserves Division at [email protected] or 301-713-3155 x 171. 
Applicants who do not have Internet access may submit a paper 
application (one signed original and two copies) to the Estuarine 
Reserves Division at the following address postmarked by November 2, 
2009: Attn: Nina Garfield, NOAA/Estuarine Reserves Division, 1305 East 
West Highway, Room 10503, Silver Spring, Maryland 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 10500, Silver Spring, MD 
20910 or via phone: 301-713-3155 ext. 171, e-mail: 
[email protected], or fax: 301-713-4012. The program Web site can 
be accessed at http://coastalmanagement.noaa.gov/programs/nerr.html. 
Other questions should be directed to Nina Garfield at 301-713-3155, 
extension 171, [email protected] or Laurie McGilvray at (301) 713-
3155 ext. 158, [email protected].
    Eligibility: Eligible applicants are National Estuarine Research 
Reserve lead state agencies or universities in coastal states. Eligible 
applicants should have completed all requirements as stated in the 
NERRS regulations at Title 15, Part 921 of the Code of Federal 
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 of total project cost for 
construction awards and 50 percent of total project cost 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 Budget's Web site at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html.
11. Sea Level Rise (SLR)
    Summary Description: The purpose of this document is to advise the 
public that NOAA is soliciting research proposals for projects of 3 to 
5 years in duration for development of modeling and mapping tools to 
better understand and predict the impacts of sea level rise on coastal 
ecosystems, including ecologically and economically valuable natural 
resources, to support proactive coastal management and mitigation 
decisions. The area of interest includes the coastal ecosystems in the 
northern Gulf of Mexico, ranging from the eastern boundary of the 
Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve to the western extent 
of the Mississippi coast. Projects should be interdisciplinary, 
multiple investigator, and well integrated studies designed to develop 
capabilities for understanding, predicting, and mitigating the effects 
of long term sea level rise. Funding is contingent upon the 
availability of Fiscal Year 2010 Federal appropriations. It is 
anticipated that final recommendations for funding under this 
announcement will be made in early calendar year 2010, and that 
projects funded under this announcement will have a July 2010, start 
date. Electronic Access: Background information about NOAA's efforts in 
the Ecological Effects of Sea Level Rise Program can be found at http://www.cop.noaa.gov/stressors/climatechange/welcome.html.
    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 Reengineering Team. In order to fulfill these 
responsibilities, this solicitation announces that award amounts will 
be determined by the proposals and available funds. Award amount will 
not exceed $1 million per project per year with project durations of 
three to five years; total project funding will not exceed $3 million.
    It is anticipated that 1 award will be funded through this 
solicitation. 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

[[Page 34675]]

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: 16 U.S.C. 1456c.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.478, Center 
for Sponsored Coastal Ocean Research--Coastal Ocean Program.

    Application Deadline: Applications must be received and validated 
by Grants.gov, postmarked, or provided to a delivery service on or 
before 3 p.m. ET, October 14, 2009. Please note: validation or 
rejection of your application by Grants.gov may take up to 2 business 
days after submission. Please consider this process in developing your 
submission timeline. Applications received after the deadline will be 
rejected/returned to the sender without further consideration. Use of 
U.S. mail or another delivery service must be documented with a 
receipt. 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: Laura J. Golden, 1305 East-West Hwy., Routing Code: N/SCI2, 
Building: SSMC4, Silver Spring, MD 20910-3278.
    Information Contacts: Technical Information: Carol Auer, Program 
Manager, 301-713-3338/ext 164, Internet: [email protected]. 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) NOAA 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) NOAA will accept proposals that include foreign researchers as 
collaborators with a researcher 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 institution or to joint institutes.
    Cost Sharing Requirements: The applicant is responsible for 
identifying a funding source for the annual Managers' Workshops to 
support 100% of the costs after Year 1.
    Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this program are not 
subject to Executive Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal 
Programs.''
12. 2010 Integrated Ocean Observing System Implementation
    Summary Description: The Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) 
is working to link national and regional observations, data management, 
and modeling to provide required data and information on local to 
global scales. IOOS Regional Coastal Ocean Observing Systems (RCOOS) 
complement the observing systems managed directly by federal agencies 
to meet national priorities. With the guidance of Regional Associations 
to understand regional priorities, RCOOS provide the data, information, 
and products needed to address estuarine and coastal issues of 
importance to the nation's ocean and coastal regions and the Great 
Lakes. NOAA views this announcement as an opportunity to enhance the 
regional coastal component of IOOS. In addition, NOAA views the testing 
and development of sensor technologies to study and monitor coastal and 
ocean environments as essential to a sustained and operational IOOS. 
Thus, this announcement includes two focus areas for proposals: (1) 
Regional Coastal Ocean Observing Systems by Geography and (2) 
Verification and validation of sensors for coastal and ocean observing 
systems. The program priorities for this funding opportunity support 
NOAA's mission goals to: Serve society's needs for weather and water 
information; Protect, restore, and manage the use of coastal and ocean 
resources through an ecosystem approach to management; Understand 
climate variability and change to enhance society's ability to plan and 
respond; and Support the Nation's commerce with information for safe, 
efficient, and environmentally sound transportation. For focus area 
one, NOAA seeks proposals for one-year cooperative agreements to 
continue the implementation and development of the regional component 
of IOOS within the following regions of the United States: Northeast 
(Maine to Rhode Island), Mid-Atlantic (Cape Cod to Cape Hatteras), 
Southern California (Point Conception to the Mexico border), Pacific 
Northwest (Washington, Oregon, and northern California), and Pacific 
Islands (Hawaii).
    Proposed projects must build upon the progress already made by IOOS 
Regional Associations. It is expected that these efforts will result in 
a regional system that is optimized to provide data and products that 
meet regional needs and national IOOS specifications, and that are 
available in forms and at rates designed to meet the needs of regional 
decision makers. To accomplish that task, the regional systems will 
integrate existing observing system components, and construct products 
and data management processes to deliver data and information to the 
regional stakeholders for the benefit of the region. Proposals should 
demonstrate the approach and benefits of integration and implementation 
at the scale of the Regional Association (not sub-regional) and should 
address the following: (a) Regional deployment, operation and 
maintenance of sensors and platforms to address needs for data and 
information that have been clearly articulated by the IOOS Regional 
Associations as representative of their stakeholders. (b) Regional 
participation in developing a standards-based data integration 
framework (DIF) for data streams, quality assurance procedures, and 
data delivery. (c) Generation of regional or appropriately-scaled 
products, including data and model output, and improved 
interoperability of these outputs based on emerging standards and 
protocols, to facilitate the development of value-added, targeted 
products for identified users. For focus area two, NOAA seeks proposals 
that will provide information useful for selecting the most appropriate 
sensor technologies to study and monitor ocean and coastal 
environments, and to test, validate, and verify such technologies. NOAA 
anticipates making six (6) total awards in response to this 
announcement, five (5) awards in focus area one and one (1) award in 
focus area two.
    Funding Availability: Total anticipated funding for all awards is 
subject to the availability of appropriations. The anticipated federal 
funding per award (min-max) is approximately $500,000 to $3,000,000 per 
year. The anticipated number of awards ranges from five (5) to six (6),

[[Page 34676]]

approximately, and will be adjusted based on available funding.
    Statutory Authority: Statutory authority for this program is 
provided under Coastal Zone Management Act, 16 U.S.C. 1456c (Technical 
Assistance); 33 U.S.C. 883d; and 33 U.S.C. 1442 (Research program 
investigating possible long-range effects of pollution, overfishing, 
and anthropogenically-induced changes of ocean ecosystems).

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.473, 
Coastal Services Center.

    Application Deadline: Applications must be received and validated 
by Grants.gov, postmarked, or provided to a delivery service on or 
before 5 p.m. EDT, October 30, 2009. Please note: Validation or 
rejection of your application by Grants.gov may take up to 2 business 
days after submission. Please consider this process in developing your 
submission timeline. Applications received after the deadline will be 
rejected/returned to the sender without further consideration. Use of 
U.S. mail or another delivery service must be documented with a 
receipt. No facsimile or electronic mail applications will be accepted.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: All proposal package materials, 
including any letters of support, must be submitted through Grants.gov. 
Applicants without Internet access may submit proposals by surface mail 
to Gabrielle Canonico, NOAA IOOS, 1100 Wayne Avenue, Suite 1225, Silver 
Spring, Maryland 20910. No e-mail or fax copies will be accepted. 
Please be advised that potential funding applicants must register with 
Grants.gov before any application materials can be submitted. An 
organization's one-time registration process may take up to three weeks 
to complete, so please allow sufficient time to ensure applications are 
submitted before the closing date. The Grants.gov site contains 
directions for submitting an application, the application package 
(forms), and is also where the completed application is submitted. 
Applicants using Grants.gov must locate the downloadable application 
package for this solicitation by the Funding Opportunity Number or the 
CFDA number (11.473). Applicants will be able to download a copy of the 
application package, complete it off line, and then upload and submit 
the application via the Grants.gov site. Grants.gov will provide 
information about submitting a proposal through the site as well as the 
hours of operation. After electronic submission of the application, the 
person submitting the application will receive within the next 24 to 48 
hours two e-mail messages from Grants.gov updating them on the progress 
of their application. The first e-mail will confirm receipt of the 
application by the Grants.gov system, and the second will indicate that 
the application has either been successfully validated by the system 
prior to transmission to the grantor agency or has been rejected due to 
errors. After the application has been validated, this same person will 
receive another e-mail when the application has been downloaded by the 
federal agency. To use Grants.gov, applicants must have a Dun and 
Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and be 
registered in the Central Contractor Registry (CCR). Allow a minimum of 
five days to complete the CCR registration. (Note: Your organization's 
Employer Identification Number (EIN) will be needed on the application 
form.)
    Information Contacts: For questions regarding this announcement, 
contact: Gabrielle Canonico, NOAA IOOS; 1100 Wayne Avenue, Suite 1225, 
Silver Spring, Maryland 20910; or by phone at 301-427-2428, fax at 301-
427-2073, or e-mail at [email protected].
    Eligibility: Eligible applicants are institutions of higher 
education, non-profit and for-profit organizations, and state, local 
and Indian tribal governments. Federal agencies or institutions and 
foreign governments may not be the primary recipient of awards under 
this announcement, but are encouraged to partner with applicants when 
appropriate. If requesting funds under this award, federal partners 
must identify the relevant statutory authorities that will allow for 
the receipt of funds. If a federal partner is a NOAA office, the funds 
will be transferred internally. If the Federal partner is an agency 
other than NOAA, they must demonstrate that they have legal authority 
to accept funds in excess of their appropriation. Because they would be 
receiving funds from a non-Federal source, the Economy Act (31 U.S.C 
1535) would not be an appropriate authority.
    Cost Sharing Requirements: There is no requirement for cost 
sharing. NOAA appreciates that IOOS Regional Associations are seeking 
additional support (in-kind or cash) to support development of regional 
observing systems under the umbrella of IOOS. While a cost share of 
funding is not required, applicants are encouraged to provide a 
description of complementary funding and in-kind contributions from 
project partners.
    Intergovernmental Review: 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 (SPOC) 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.
13. NOAA's National Height Modernization Program
    Summary Description: NOAA's National Height Modernization Program 
did not receive Congressional Appropriations to fund Fiscal Year 2009 
grants applications. NOAA's Geodetic Survey office will be holding all 
proposals received in response to the Fiscal Year 2009 solicitation and 
use those applications for Fiscal Year 2010 funding. Funding of these 
applications are still contingent on the availability of funds in 
Fiscal Year 2010. For administrative questions please contact Sonita 
Tiwari, NOAA NOS, SSMC3; 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring MD, 
20910, Phone 301-713-3231X115 or E-mail [email protected].

National Weather Service (NWS)

1. Collaborative Science, Technology, and Applied Research (CSTAR) 
Program
    Summary Description: The CSTAR Program represents an NOAA/NWS 
effort to create a cost-effective transition from basic and applied 
research to operations and services through collaborative research 
between operational forecasters and academic institutions that have 
expertise in the environmental sciences. These activities will engage 
researchers and students in applied research of interest to the 
operational meteorological community and will improve the accuracy of 
forecasts and warnings of environmental hazards by applying scientific 
knowledge and information to operational products and services. The 
NOAA CSTAR Program is a contributing element of the U.S. Weather 
Research Program (USWRP).
    NOAA's program is designed to complement other agency contributions 
to that national effort. The CSTAR Program addresses NOAA's Mission 
Goal 3, Serve society's needs for weather and water information.
    Funding Availability: The total funding amount available for 
proposals is anticipated to be approximately $750,000. However, there 
is no appropriation of funds at this time and no guarantee that there 
will be. Individual annual awards in the form of

[[Page 34677]]

cooperative agreements are limited to a maximum of $125,000 per year 
for no more than three years. We anticipate making 4-6 awards.
    Statutory Authority: Authority for the CSTAR program is provided by 
the following: 15 U.S.C. 313; 49 U.S.C. 44720(b); 33 U.S.C. 883d; 15 
U.S.C. 2904; 15 U.S.C. 2934.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.468, 
Applied Meteorological Research.

    Application Deadline: Applications must be received and validated 
by Grants.gov, postmarked, or provided to a delivery service on or 
before 5 p.m. EDT, October 16, 2009. Please note: Validation or 
rejection of your application by Grants.gov may take up to 2 business 
days after submission. Please consider this process in developing your 
submission timeline. Applications received after the deadline will be 
rejected/returned to the sender without further consideration. Use of 
U.S. mail or another delivery service must be documented with a 
receipt. No facsimile or electronic mail applications will be accepted.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: Applications should be submitted 
through www.grants.gov. For those organizations without Internet 
access, applications may be sent to Sam Contorno, CSTAR Program 
Manager, NOAA/NWS, 1325 East-West Highway, Room 15330, Silver Spring, 
Maryland 20910.
    Information Contacts: The point of contact is Sam Contorno, NOAA/
NWS, 1325 East-West Highway, Room 15330, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910-
3283, or by phone at 301-713-3557 ext. 150, by fax to 301-713-1253, or 
via e-mail at [email protected].
    Questions concerning this announcement must be made via e-mail to 
[email protected]. Questions and NOAA responses will be made 
public via the Web at http://www.nws.noaa.gov/ost/cstar.htm.
    Eligibility: Eligible applicants are institutions of higher 
education and federally funded educational institutions such as the 
Naval Postgraduate School. This restriction is needed because the 
results of the collaboration are to be incorporated in academic 
processes which ensure academic multidisciplinary peer review as well 
as Federal review of scientific validity for use in operations.
    Cost Sharing Requirements: No cost sharing is required under this 
program.
    Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this program are not 
subject to Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal 
Programs.
2. Remote Community Alert Systems Program 2010
    Summary Description: The Remote Community Alert Systems Program 
2010 represents a NOAA/NWS effort to provide for outdoor alerting 
technologies in remote communities effectively underserved by 
commercial mobile service for the purpose of enabling residents of 
those communities to receive emergency messages. These activities will 
engage the private sector, academia, county and local governments with 
their State Government office, U.S. Territory or Possession Government 
office or Tribal Community Government office in opportunities and 
technologies to further disseminate emergency messages. This program is 
a contributing element of the Warning, Alert, and Response Network 
(WARN) Act, and is designed to complement other agency contributions to 
that national effort. This program adopts the Federal Communications 
Commission's definition of the term ``remote'' which means an area 
consisting of a county with a population density of 100 persons per 
square mile or less, based on the most recently available Census data. 
Also, ``commercial mobile service'' means those services that are 
required to provide E911 services in accordance with Section 20.18 of 
the Commission's rules. ``Effectively underserved'' identifies ``remote 
communities'' that do not receive ``commercial mobile service'' as 
demonstrated by coverage maps, technical analysis, field tests, or any 
other reasonable means.
    Funding Availability: The total funding amount available for 
proposals is anticipated to be approximately $2,000,000. We anticipate 
making multiple awards, approximately 20, ranging from $50,000 to 
$250,000.
    Statutory Authority: Authority for the Remote Community Alert 
Systems Program is provided by: 47 U.S.C. 1204.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.468, 
Applied Meteorological Research.

    Application Deadline: Applications must be received on or before 5 
p.m. EST, February 26, 2010. For applications submitted through 
Grants.gov, timeliness will be determined by the time and date 
indicator in the grants.gov submission. Please note: Validation or 
rejection of your application by Grants.gov may take up to 2 business 
days after submission. Please consider this process in developing your 
submission timeline. For applications submitted by hard copy, the 
submission date will be the time stamp on the received documents. 
Applications received after the date and time due will not be reviewed.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: Applications must be submitted 
through www.grants.gov. For those organizations without Internet 
access, applications may be sent to Craig Hodan, NOAA/NWS, 1325 East-
West Highway, Room 3348, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910. E-mail and fax 
submissions will not be accepted.
    Information Contacts: Craig Hodan, NOAA/NWS, 1325 East-West 
Highway, Room 3348, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910, Phone: 301-713-9480 
x 187, e-mail: [email protected].
    Eligibility: Eligible applicants are State Governments, U.S. 
Territories or Possessions and Tribal Communities. This restriction is 
needed to efficiently manage the potential number of applications. 
Private sector, academia, County and Local governments must collaborate 
with their State Government office, U.S. Territory or Possession 
Government office or Tribal Community Government office to have their 
project proposal included in an application from the State Government, 
U.S. Territory or Possession or Tribal Community.
    Cost Sharing Requirements: No cost sharing is required under this 
program.
    Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this program are not 
subject to Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal 
Programs.

Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR)

1. 2010 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 NOAAs 
Mission goal to ``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 34678]]

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 and validated 
by Grants.gov, postmarked, or provided to a delivery service on or 
before 4 p.m. ET, February 12, 2010. Please note: Validation or 
rejection of your application by Grants.gov may take up to 2 business 
days after submission. Please consider this process in developing your 
submission timeline. Applications received after the deadline will be 
rejected/returned to the sender without further consideration. Use of 
U.S. mail or another delivery service must be documented with a 
receipt. No facsimile or electronic mail applications will be accepted.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: Applications must be submitted 
through www.Grants.gov. For those organizations without Internet 
access, applications may be sent to: National Sea Grant College 
Program, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Facsimile 
transmission and electronic mail submission of applications will not be 
accepted.
    Information Contacts: Contact Terry Smith, National Sea Grant 
College Program, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910; 
phone: (301) 734-1084; 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.
2. 2010 NMFS-Sea Grant Fellowships in Population Dynamics
    Summary Description: 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. 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 and validated 
by Grants.gov, postmarked, or provided to a delivery service on or 
before 4 p.m. ET, February 12, 2010. Please note: Validation or 
rejection of your application by Grants.gov may take up to 2 business 
days after submission. Please consider this process in developing your 
submission timeline. Applications received after the deadline will be 
rejected/returned to the sender without further consideration. Use of 
U.S. mail or another delivery service must be documented with a 
receipt. No facsimile or electronic mail applications will be accepted.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: Applications must be submitted 
through www.Grants.gov. For those organizations without Internet 
access, applications may be sent to: National Sea Grant College 
Program, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Facsimile 
transmission and electronic mail submission of applications will not be 
accepted.
    Information Contacts: Contact Terry Smith, National Sea Grant 
College Program, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910; 
phone: (301) 734-1084; 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.
3. 2010 Sea Grant/Regional Team Climate Engagement
    Summary Description: For FY 2010, the NOAA National Sea Grant 
College Program and Office of Program Planning and Integration 
anticipate making available up to $200,000 to support projects that 
advance priority climate engagement strategies throughout NOAA.
    The climate engagement mini-grants will be awarded only to 
proposals endorsed jointly by the NOAA Regional Collaboration Team Lead 
and the Sea

[[Page 34679]]

Grant Liaison to the NOAA Regional Collaboration Team (selected among 
the Sea Grant Directors programs in the region). Awards will be made as 
interoffice transfers to NOAA entities and cooperative agreements to 
non-Federal entities, or a combination of interoffice transfers and 
cooperative agreements for projects that support both NOAA and non-
Federal entities. Although other federal, state, tribal, Native 
Hawaiian, other native cultures, academic and non-profit or non-
governmental organizations can act as partners, the Project Principal 
Investigator of the grant must be a NOAA Federal employee or a Sea 
Grant employee. Requests for individual projects may not exceed 
$25,000. Up to eight mini-grants of up to $25,000 are expected to be 
awarded through a competitive process, subject to the availability of 
funds. This competition supports four NOAA Program Goals: ``Protect, 
Restore and Manage the Use of Coastal and Ocean Resources Through 
Ecosystem-Based Management''; ``Understand Climate Variability and 
Change To Enhance Society's Ability To Plan and Respond''; Serve 
Society's Needs for Weather and Water Information''; and ``Support the 
Nation's Commerce With Information for Safe, Efficient, and 
Environmentally Sound Transportation''.
    Funding Availability: For FY 2010, the NOAA National Sea Grant 
College Program and Office of Program Planning and Integration 
anticipate making available up to $200,000 to support projects that 
advance priority climate engagement strategies throughout NOAA.
    The climate engagement mini-grants will be awarded only to 
proposals endorsed jointly by the NOAA Regional Collaboration Team Lead 
and the Sea Grant Liaison in the region. Awards will be made as 
interoffice transfers to NOAA entities and cooperative agreements to 
non-Federal entities, or through a combination of interoffice transfers 
and cooperative agreements for projects that support both NOAA and non-
Federal entities. Although other Federal, Sea Grant, state, tribal, 
Native Hawaiian, other native cultures, academic and non-profit or non-
governmental organizations can act as partners, the Project PI of the 
grant must be either a NOAA Regional Collaboration Team member or a Sea 
Grant employee, and the Co-PI must be the opposite, e. g., if a Sea 
Grant employee is the PI, then the NOAA Regional Collaboration Team 
member must be the Co-PI and vice versa. A maximum of one cooperative 
agreement award will be made per region. All other participating Sea 
Grant Programs and institutions must be handled through subawards. It 
is expected that in each NOAA Region, the Sea Grant Programs and NOAA 
Regional Collaboration Team, working through their Team Lead and Sea 
Grant Liaison, will identify and submit only one application for that 
Region.
    Statutory Authority: Authority for the Climate Extension 
Partnership mini-grants is provided by 33 U.S.C. 1121 et seq., as 
amended.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s): 11.417, Sea 
Grant Support.

    Application Deadline: Applications must be received and validated 
by Grants.gov, postmarked, or provided to a delivery service on or 
before 11:59 p.m. EDT, September 1, 2009. Please note: Validation or 
rejection of your application by Grants.gov may take up to 2 business 
days after submission. Please consider this process in developing your 
submission timeline. Applications received after the deadline will be 
rejected/returned to the sender without further consideration. Use of 
U.S. mail or another delivery service must be documented with a 
receipt. No facsimile or electronic mail applications will be accepted.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: Applications must be submitted 
through grants.gov by the Sea Grant entity of the collaboration, unless 
the applicant does not have Internet access. Applicants without 
Internet access must submit the proposal in hardcopy (one unbound 
original and one copy) to Gina Barerra, National Sea Grant College 
Program, R/SG, Attn: Climate Extension Partnership Minigrants, Room 
11841, NOAA, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
    If the application does not request any funding for non-Federal 
investigators (that is, the Sea Grant co-principal investigator is not 
requesting any funding), then contact Jim Murray listed in Information 
Contacts, below, for instructions on submitting the application.
    Information Contacts: Jim Murray in NOAA's National Sea Grant 
Office [email protected], or phone 301-734-1070 or Lisa Iwahara in 
NOAA's Program Planning and Integration Office [email protected], 
or phone 301-713-1622 x 181.
    Eligibility: Only NOAA entities or Sea Grant institutions are 
eligible to apply. Only applications that include a co-signed letter of 
endorsement from the Regional Collaboration Team Lead and the Sea Grant 
Liaison are eligible. Information on the Regional Collaboration Teams 
is available at http://www.ppi.noaa.gov/PPI_Capabilities/regional_collaboration.html.
    Cost Sharing Requirements: None required (per 33 U.S.C 1124(b), 
special grants).
    Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this Program are not 
subject to Executive Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal 
Programs.''
4. 2011 National Sea Grant College Program Dean John A. Knauss Marine 
Policy Fellowship
    Summary Description: This notice announces that applications may be 
submitted for the Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship (Knauss 
Sea Grant Fellowship Program). The Knauss Sea Grant Fellowship Program 
is a program initiated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration (NOAA) National Sea Grant College Program, 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 Sea Grant Fellowship Program meets NOAA's Mission goal of 
Protect, Restore and Manage the Use of Coastal and Ocean Resources 
Through Ecosystem-Based Management.
    Funding Availability: The state SGCP receives and administers the 
overall cooperative agreement of $46,000 per student on behalf of each 
Fellow selected from their program. Of this amount, the state SGCP 
provides $35,000 to each Fellow for stipend and living expenses (per 
diem). Of the total cooperative agreement amount, the state SGCP 
provides $9,000 to cover mandatory health insurance for the Fellow and 
moving expenses.
    Any remaining funds of the $9,000 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 $46,000 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. During the 
Fellowship, the host may provide supplemental funds for work-related 
travel by the Fellow. Not less than 30 applicants will be selected, of 
which the selected applicants assigned to the Legislative branch may be 
limited to 10.

[[Page 34680]]

    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 by 5 p.m. February 19, 
2010. Contact your state SGCP (see IV.A. of the Federal Funding 
Opportunity for program contact information) for information on 
application submission deadlines. Selected applications from the 
sponsoring state SGCP must be received and validated by Grants.gov, 
postmarked, or provided to a delivery service on or before 5 p.m. April 
2, 2010. Please note: Validation or rejection of your application by 
Grants.gov may take up to 2 business days after submission. Please 
consider this process in developing your submission timeline. 
Applications received after the deadline will be rejected/returned to 
the sender without further consideration. Use of U.S. mail or another 
delivery service must be documented with a receipt. No facsimile or 
electronic mail applications will be accepted. For state SGCP 
applications submitted through Grants.gov, a date and time receipt 
indication is included and will be the basis of determining timeliness. 
Hard copy applications will only be accepted if a state SGCP can 
justify in writing that Internet access is not available to them at the 
time of submission. Hard copy applications will be date and time 
stamped when they are received.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: Eligible graduate students must 
submit applications to the state SGCP. The addresses and contact 
information for each state SGCP can be found at http://www.seagrant.noaa.gov/other/programsdirectors.html. The addresses can 
also be received from Miguel Lugo, Knauss Sea Grant Fellowship Program 
Manager, National Sea Grant College Program, 1315 East-West Highway, R/
SG, Rm 11828, Silver Spring, MD 20910. After completion of the state 
SGCP review, selected applications will be submitted through 
www.grants.gov to the National Sea Grant College Program. State 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 11828, Silver Spring, MD 20910; phone: (301) 734-1077 
x 1075.
    Eligibility: Any student, regardless of citizenship, who, on 
February 19, 2010, 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 to 
the state SGCP. Only state SGCP are eligible to submit applications to 
the National Sea Grant College Program.
    Cost Sharing Requirements: None required.
    Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this program are not 
subject to Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal 
Programs.
5. Climate Program Office for FY 2010
    Summary Description: NOAA's Climate Mission 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. The Program partners 
with Federal, academic, private, and international research 
institutions; the Program is also a key contributing element of the 
U.S. Climate Change Science Program (CCSP).
    Funding Availability: In FY 2008, approximately $14M in first-year 
funding was available for 102 new awards. While similar funds and 
number of awards are anticipated in FY 2010, the number of new awards 
and funding levels depends upon the final FY 2010 budget 
appropriations. It is anticipated that awards will depend upon the 
program, but for the office as a whole be up to three years in length 
and cost between $50,000 and $200,000 per year (e.g., awards from the 
Sector Applications Research Program are limited to $150,000 per year). 
Federal funding for FY 2011 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 other 
than U.S. CLIVAR Climate Process Teams must be received and validated 
by Grants.gov, postmarked, or provided to a delivery service by 5 p.m. 
ET, August 31, 2009. Applications received after that time will not be 
considered for funding. For applications submitted through grants.gov a 
date and time receipt indication is included and will be the basis of 
determining timeliness. Hard copy submissions will be date and time 
stamped when they are received in the Climate Program Office. Faxed or 
e-mailed copies of applications will not be accepted.
    Full applications for U.S. CLIVAR Climate Process Teams must be 
received and validated by Grants.gov, postmarked, or provided to a 
delivery service by 5 p.m. ET, September 15, 2009. Applications 
received after that time will not be considered for funding. For 
applications submitted through grants.gov a date and time receipt 
indication is included and will be the basis of determining timeliness. 
Hard copy submissions will be date and time stamped when they are 
received in the Climate Program Office. Faxed or e-mailed copies of 
applications will not be accepted.
    Important: All applicants, both electronic and paper, should be 
aware that adequate time must be factored into applicant schedules for 
delivery of the application. Electronic applicants are advised that the 
volume on Grants.gov is currently extremely heavy, and if Grants.gov is 
unable to accept applications electronically in a timely fashion, 
applicants are encouraged to exercise their option to submit 
applications in paper format. You should contact the Grants.Gov office 
in the event you are having difficulty submitting an application 
electronically. Paper applicants should allow adequate time to ensure a 
paper application will be received on time, taking into account that 
guaranteed overnight carriers are not always able to fulfill their 
guarantees.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: Applications are submitted 
through Grants.Gov ``Apply for Grants''. 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.

[[Page 34681]]

    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 required.
    Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this program are not 
subject to Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental Review of federal 
programs.
6. FY 2010 Ocean Exploration and Research Appropriation--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 
potential archaeological significance of their site(s), and their 
importance to American or world 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. NOAA's 
Office of Ocean Exploration and Research (OER) 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. OER 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 OER 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 up to 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 Web site http://www.oceanexplorer.noaa.gov to familiarize themselves with past and 
present OER-funded marine archaeological activities. Background on how 
to apply and the required proposal cover sheets are accessible through 
the OER Office Web site at http://www.explore.noaa.gov/opportunity/welcome.html. The program priorities for this opportunity support 
NOAA's mission support goal to ``Protect, Restore, and Manage Use of 
Coastal and Ocean Resources through Ecosystem-Based Management.''
    Funding Availability: In anticipation of the FY 2010 President's 
Budget, OER anticipates up to $400,000 will be available through this 
announcement for Marine Archaeology. OER anticipates supporting 
approximately three to four awards through this solicitation, averaging 
$100,000 each. The OER Director may hold over select proposals 
submitted for FY 2010 funding for consideration in FY 2011. The amount 
of funding available through this announcement is subject to the final 
FY 2010 appropriation for Ocean Exploration and Research. 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 OER. 
The exact amount of funds that OER 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 OER funding levels.
    Statutory Authority: 33 U.S.C. 3403(a)(4).

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. EST August 17, 2009. A 
complete pre-proposal is a prerequisite for submission of a full 
proposal.
    Full proposals must be received and validated by Grants.gov, 
postmarked, or provided to a delivery service on or before 5 p.m. EST, 
October 13, 2009. Please note: Validation or rejection of your 
application by Grants.gov may take up to 2 business days after 
submission. Please consider this process in developing your submission 
timeline. Applications received after the deadline will be rejected/
returned to the sender without further consideration. Use of U.S. mail 
or another delivery service must be documented with a receipt. No 
facsimile or electronic mail full proposals will be accepted from non-
Federal applicants.
    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 are ineligible to submit via grants.gov 
and may submit their submissions by e-mail (preferred, send to 
[email protected]) or by hard-copy (send three copies to the mailing 
address below). Non-Federal applicants without Internet access may 
submit hard-copies to: Attn: Dr. Nicolas Alvarado, Ocean Exploration 
Proposal Manager, NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration & Research, SSMC 
III, 10th Floor, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910. 
No e-mail from non-Federal applicants or facsimile full proposal 
submissions from Federal and non-Federal applicants 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 (Ocean Exploration Proposal Manager) NOAA Office of Ocean 
Exploration and Research 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-

[[Page 34682]]

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.

National Environmental Satellite Data and Information Service (NESDIS)

1. Research in Satellite Data Assimilation for Numerical Weather, 
Climate and Environmental Forecast Systems
    Summary Description: The NOAA/NASA/DOD Joint Center for Satellite 
Data Assimilation (JCSDA) is a distributed center that engages units of 
NASA: Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Earth-Sun Exploration 
Division; NOAA: NESDIS Center for Satellite Applications and Research 
(STAR), National Weather Service (NWS), National Centers for 
Environmental Prediction (NCEP)/Environmental Modeling Center (EMC), 
and Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR); US Navy: 
Oceanographer of the Navy and the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL); and 
U.S. Air Force Air Weather Agency. The Joint Center's goal is to 
accelerate the abilities of NOAA, DOD, and NASA to ingest and 
effectively use the large volumes of data from current satellite-based 
instruments and planned satellite missions over the next 10 years. 
JCSDA activities are divided into infrastructure development and 
proposal-driven scientific projects. Infrastructure activities will 
focus initially on the development and maintenance of a scientific 
backbone for the JCSDA, including a community-based radiative transfer 
model, a community-based surface emissivity model, and numerical 
prediction systems for performing assimilation experiments with real 
and simulated observations from new and future satellite instruments. 
The proposal-driven scientific projects are the primary mechanism for 
accelerating the transition of research and technological advances in 
remote sensing and data assimilation into the operational and product 
driven weather, ocean, climate, and environmental prediction systems. 
This mechanism also aims at improving community radiative transfer 
models and surface emissivity models, and characterizing the error 
covariances related to forecast models, radiative transfer models and 
satellite observations.
    This research is directed toward acceleration of the science of 
satellite data assimilation in numerical weather forecast models and in 
ocean and land surface models used for climate prediction and 
operational ocean applications. A primary measure of potential impact 
in this solicitation will be the acceleration of satellite data usage 
into NOAA, and DoD forecast systems, and the improvement of forecasts 
from those systems. This opportunity supports the JCSDA short-term goal 
to ``contribute to making the forecast skill of the operational NWP 
systems of the JCSDA partners internationally competitive by 
assimilating the largest possible number of satellite observations in 
the most effective way.'' It also supports the JCSDA partners 
individual missions, including NOAA's mission goal of Weather and 
Water--Serve Society's Needs for Weather and Water Information, as well 
as NASA's mission to understand and protect our home planet and DoD's 
Air Force and Navy respective missions.
    Research supporting development of the radiative transfer models 
used in assimilation applications should be in fast radiative transfer 
codes such as those used in real-time Numerical Weather Prediction 
(NWP). Broader research topics in data assimilation, data impact, and 
improvement of radiative schemes for data assimilation applications 
that do not have the potential for direct application to real-time NWP 
or other operational environmental prediction systems are of less 
interest for this announcement.
    Funding Availability: Total funding available for this program is 
anticipated to be approximately $600,000. Individual annual awards in 
the form of grants or cooperative agreements are expected to range from 
$50,000 to $150,000, although larger amounts may be awarded. It is 
anticipated that 4-6 awards will be made.
    Statutory Authority: Authority for this program are provided under 
15 U.S.C. 313, 49 U.S.C. 44720(b); 15 U.S.C. 2901.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.440, 
Environmental Sciences, Applications, Data, and Education.

    Application Deadline: Letters of Intent must be received by NOAA/
NESDIS no later than 5 p.m. EDT Time August 24, 2009. For Letters of 
Intent received after that date, a timely response from the JCSDA may 
not be possible.
    Full proposals must be received and validated by Grants.gov, 
postmarked, or provided to a delivery service on or before 5 p.m. EDT 
on October 13, 2009. Please note: Validation or rejection of your 
application by Grants.gov may take up to 2 business days after 
submission. Please consider this process in developing your submission 
timeline.
    For LOIs sent by e-mail or fax, the date and time indicator on the 
e-mail or fax will be used. LOIs sent by hard copy will be date and 
time stamped when they are received. For full proposals sent through 
Grants.gov, the Grants.gov date and time indicator will be used. Full 
proposals sent by hard copy will be date and time stamped when they are 
received. All proposals must be submitted in accordance with the 
guidelines below. Failure to follow these guidelines will result in 
proposals being returned to the submitter.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: Letters of Intent (LOIs) may be 
e-mailed to [email protected]. Hard copies may be sent to Dr. Sid 
Boukabara, JCSDA, NOAA/NESDIS, 5200 Auth Rd., Rm 808, Camp Springs, MD 
20746. LOIs may be faxed to 301-763-8149 and directed to Dr. Sid 
Boukabara. Full proposals from non-Federal organizations must be 
submitted through www.grants.gov, unless the organization is without 
Internet access. In that case, hard copy proposals may be sent to Dr. 
Sid Boukabara, JCSDA, NOAA/NESDIS, 5200 Auth Rd., Rm 808, Camp Springs, 
MD 20746. Full proposals from federal agencies must be submitted by e-
mail to [email protected] or sent by hard copy to Dr. Sid 
Boukabara, Deputy Director, JCSDA, NOAA/NESDIS, 5200 Auth Rd., Rm 808, 
Camp Springs, MD 20746.
    Information Contacts: Administrative questions: Ms. Patty Mayo, by 
phone (301) 763-8127, x107, fax: 301-763-8108, or e-mail: 
[email protected]. Technical questions: Dr. Sid Boukabara, (NOAA 
Program Officer), by phone 301-763-8136, fax: 301-763-8149 or via e-
mail: [email protected].
    Eligibility: Eligible applicants are institutions of higher 
education; other nonprofit; for profits; international organizations; 
state, local and Indian

[[Page 34683]]

tribal governments; and Federal agencies. Applications from non-Federal 
and Federal applicants will be competed against each other. Proposals 
selected for funding from non-Federal applicants will be funded through 
a grant or cooperative agreement as described in this notice. Proposals 
selected for funding from NOAA scientists shall be effected by an 
intra-agency fund transfer. Proposals select for funding from non-NOAA 
Federal agency will be funded through an inter-agency transfer. 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. The only 
exception to this is governmental research facilities for awards issued 
under the authority of 49 U.S.C. 44720(b). 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: No cost sharing nor matching is required 
under this program.
    Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this program are not 
subject to Executive Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal 
Programs.''
7. Student Opportunity for Learning
    Summary Description: The National Environmental Satellite, Data, 
and Information Service (NESDIS), Office of Research and Applications 
(ORA), announces the availability of Federal assistance for an 
educational institution to provide a summer enrichment program for 
middle school student in the area Mathematics, Science, Engineering, 
and Technology (MSET) for minority and economically disadvantaged 
students. This program responds to a need for these targeted students 
to receive instruction and activities that will encourage them to 
pursue careers in (MSET) fields.
    Funding Availability: NOAA believes its Science and Technology 
related fields as a whole will benefit significantly from encouraging 
students to pursue Mathematics, Science, Engineering and Technology 
Degrees. Current program plans assume the total resources provided 
through this announcement will support the two-week enrichment program. 
The total amount available for proposals is anticipated to be 
approximately $126,000. It is anticipated that three, one-year awards 
will be made from this budget. Funding is available to make the award 
for the first of these three planned awards, however, there is no 
guarantee that sufficient funds will be available to make all awards.
    Publication of this notice does not oblige NOAA to award any 
specific project or to obligate any available funds. If one incurs 
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.
    Statutory Authority: Statutory authority for this program is 
provided under 15 U.S.C. 1540.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.440, 
Environmental Sciences, Applications, Data, and Education.

    Application Deadline: Applications must be received and validated 
by Grants.gov, postmarked, or provided to a delivery service on or 
before 4 p.m. EDT, October 19, 2009. Please note: Validation or 
rejection of your application by Grants.gov may take up to 2 business 
days after submission. Please consider this process in developing your 
submission timeline. Applications received after the deadline will be 
rejected/returned to the sender without further consideration. Use of 
U.S. mail or another delivery service must be documented with a 
receipt. No facsimile or electronic mail applications will be accepted. 
Hard copy proposals will be date and time stamped when they are 
received in the program office. Proposals received after the deadline 
will not be considered for award.
    Address for Submitting Proposals: Proposals must be submitted 
electronically via http://www.grants.gov. For applicants without 
Internet access, hard copies (by postal mail, commercial delivery 
service, or hand delivery) may be sent to the Wallops CDA Station, 
Attn: Van Crawford, NOAA/NESDIS/WCDAS; 35663 Chincoteague Road, 
Wallops, Virginia 23337.
    Information Contacts: Administrative or technical questions: Van D. 
Crawford, NOAA/NESDIS/WCDAS; 35663 Chincoteague Road, Wallops, Virginia 
23337. Phone: 757-824-7375. E-mail [email protected].
    Eligibility: Eligible applications can be from any institution of 
higher education in the United States.
    Cost Sharing Requirements: None required.
    Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this program are not 
subject to Executive Order 12372: Intergovernmental Review of Federal 
Programs.

V. Non-Competitive Financial Assistance Project Announcement

    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. Coral reef research priorities 
supported through these programs will focus efforts on strategic 
management needs and understanding and addressing the following three 
key priority threats: impacts of fishing, impacts of land-based sources 
of pollution, and impacts of climate change. 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 Availability: Approximately $600,000 may be available in FY 
2010 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: John Tomczuk, 301-734-1009 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.

[[Page 34684]]

    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 2010 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 
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 at 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-use 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 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 and 424A, 424B, 424C, 424D, and SF-LLL has been

[[Page 34685]]

approved by OMB under the respective control numbers 4040-0004, 4040-
0006, 4040-0007, 4040-0008, 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 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.

Mitchell J. Ross,
Director, Acquisition and Grants Office, National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
[FR Doc. E9-16810 Filed 7-15-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-12-P