2020/2021 Monkfish Research Set-Aside | NOAA NMFS NEFSC 2020 2006149

Opportunity Information: Apply for NOAA NMFS NEFSC 2020 2006149

The 2020/2021 Monkfish Research Set-Aside (RSA) opportunity is a NOAA/NMFS program run through the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC), developed in coordination with the New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils. It invites research proposals that directly use monkfish RSA Days At Sea (DAS) that the Councils have reserved specifically to support research. The central idea is that research is not paid for with traditional federal grant dollars under this notice. Instead, the research budget is generated from the proceeds of selling or otherwise monetizing the allocated RSA DAS, and those proceeds are then used to cover research costs and to compensate fishing vessels that participate in the research and/or operate using the RSA DAS. In practice, applicants are proposing both a research plan and a practical approach for using the set-aside DAS in a way that creates the revenue needed to execute that plan.

The program is meant to produce information that strengthens monkfish science and management. Funded projects must either improve knowledge of the monkfish resource and fishery (for example, biological, ecological, fishery-dependent, or operational insights) or add meaningfully to the evidence base used for monkfish management decisions. Proposals that align with the Councils identified research priorities receive preference, and applicants are expected to design their work around those priorities as described in the announcement's Program Priorities section. While the notice does not list the specific priorities in the excerpt provided, the intent is clear: the Councils want RSA-supported research to answer high-utility questions that directly inform management, monitoring, and assessment needs for monkfish in the region.

Administratively, the opportunity is offered as a discretionary award and may be made as either a grant or a cooperative agreement, depending on the level of anticipated federal involvement in the project. The funding activity areas are broadly categorized under environment, natural resources, and science and technology research and development. The CFDA listing is 11.454, and the sponsoring agency is the Department of Commerce (NOAA/NMFS). The opportunity information indicates an expected total of about three awards, and the listed award ceiling is 1 (as shown in the source data), which likely reflects how the opportunity was entered in the system rather than the true potential project budget, since project funding is tied to RSA DAS value rather than an appropriated federal amount.

Several compliance and reporting requirements are highlighted as especially important for this cycle. A data sharing plan is mandatory and must be submitted with the proposal, reflecting NOAA and Department of Commerce expectations that project data be managed and shared in an organized, timely, and accessible way. Applicants also need to include or complete the NOAA NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) questionnaire form, which helps NOAA evaluate whether the proposed field activities could have environmental impacts that require analysis or documentation under NEPA. In addition, recipients must use the Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) format for performance reporting, completing RPPR submissions directly in Grants Online; this aligns with government-wide reporting standards for federally supported research and is treated as a formal award administration requirement.

Key timeline details from the opportunity record show it was created on July 31, 2019, with an original application closing date of September 29, 2019. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with additional clarification referenced in the full announcement, suggesting that a range of entities (such as academic institutions, nonprofits, commercial fishing industry partners, and other research organizations) may be able to apply as long as they meet the program's specific eligibility and capability requirements. Overall, the opportunity is best understood as a research-and-operations partnership mechanism: investigators propose management-relevant monkfish research and simultaneously leverage RSA DAS as the engine that generates the funding to pay for the work and fairly compensate participating vessels.

• 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 "2020/2021 Monkfish Research Set-Aside" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 11.454.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jul 31, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 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 $1.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 3 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for NOAA NMFS NEFSC 2020 2006149

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