FY19 Coral Reef Conservation Program, Domestic Coral Reef Conservation Grants | NOAA NOS OCM 2019 2005879

Opportunity Information: Apply for NOAA NOS OCM 2019 2005879

The FY19 Coral Reef Conservation Program Domestic Coral Reef Conservation Grants opportunity is a NOAA program under the Department of Commerce that provides competitive, discretionary financial assistance to support on-the-ground coral reef conservation. It is authorized under the Coral Reef Conservation Act (16 USC 6401-6409) and is designed to fund practical management and conservation work in U.S. shallow-water coral reef ecosystems, including mesophotic reefs (deeper light-dependent reefs). Projects are expected to directly advance priority coral reef management needs identified by NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP), rather than purely academic research that is not tied to management outcomes.

Funding is offered through either grants or cooperative agreements (CFDA 11.482), meaning NOAA may have varying levels of involvement in project implementation depending on the award type. The program requires a dollar-for-dollar match (1:1) of non-federal funds, so applicants must be prepared to document eligible matching contributions such as cash, allowable in-kind services, or other non-federal support consistent with federal grant rules. Overall FY2019 funding for the competition is expected to total roughly $800,000 to $1,000,000, subject to congressional appropriations. NOAA anticipates making about 15 awards, with most applicants requesting between $30,000 and $80,000 in federal funds and an average award size around $50,000. The maximum federal request (award ceiling) is $80,000.

Eligible applicants include a broad range of organizations involved in conservation and resource management: institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, for-profit organizations, local governments (including counties, municipalities, and cities as defined in 2 CFR 200.64), and Indian tribal government agencies. The intent is to reach entities that can implement measurable actions in coral reef areas, often in partnership with local management agencies, communities, or other stakeholders.

Geographically, the opportunity prioritizes conservation projects in American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Florida, Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and coral-dominated banks in the U.S. portions of the Gulf of Mexico. Proposals may also be submitted for the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and the U.S. Pacific Remote Island Areas, but those locations are explicitly not treated as geographic priorities under this particular announcement. NOAA also notes that funding will be allocated across U.S. Pacific and Atlantic regions to maintain an overall geographic balance in the CRCP grant portfolio, as required by the Coral Reef Conservation Act.

To be responsive, proposals must address at least one of five program categories. These categories outline the main conservation outcomes NOAA is seeking. The first is improving fisheries sustainability, which can include actions that support sustainable reef fisheries, reduce overfishing impacts, and strengthen fisheries management tied to coral reef health. The second is reducing land-based sources of pollution, which typically focuses on sediment, nutrients, wastewater, stormwater, and other watershed-driven stressors that degrade reef ecosystems. The third category is increasing resilience to climate change, supporting strategies that help coral reefs and associated human communities better withstand and recover from climate-related stress such as warming events and coral bleaching. The fourth is restoring viable coral populations, which can involve active restoration approaches and efforts to rebuild coral cover or enhance recovery where natural regeneration is limited. The fifth category covers local and emerging management issues, providing flexibility to address pressing or newly developing threats or management needs that may not fit neatly into the other categories but are important for effective reef conservation.

Key administrative details from the announcement include an opportunity number of NOAA NOS OCM 2019 2005879, an original application closing date of January 29, 2019, and a posting/creation date of November 19, 2018. Overall, the program is structured as a relatively small-award, action-oriented funding source intended to produce tangible conservation benefits in priority U.S. coral reef jurisdictions, while leveraging equal non-federal cost share and maintaining balanced investment across U.S. reef regions.

• The Department of Commerce in the environment, natural resources, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY19 Coral Reef Conservation Program, Domestic Coral Reef Conservation Grants" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 11.482.
• This funding opportunity was created on Nov 19, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 29, 2019. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $80,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 15 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for NOAA NOS OCM 2019 2005879

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