Fiscal Year 2017 Chesapeake Bay Fisheries Research Program | NOAA NMFS NCBO 2017 2005086

Opportunity Information: Apply for NOAA NMFS NCBO 2017 2005086

The Fiscal Year 2017 Chesapeake Bay Fisheries Research Program is a discretionary funding opportunity run by the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office (NCBO) within the U.S. Department of Commerce. The program is grounded in a congressional mandate that directs NCBO to provide technical assistance that helps restore and protect Chesapeake Bay living resources and the habitats they rely on. In practical terms, the program is looking to fund applied research and assessment work that strengthens decision-making around fisheries and habitat management in the Bay and its tributaries, with an emphasis on producing results that managers can use.

The opportunity is built around three core purposes. First, it supports efforts to identify science-based management options for restoring and protecting living resources and their habitats, meaning projects should generate information that helps agencies and partners choose effective actions. Second, it funds monitoring and assessment of the status of living resources and their habitats, which can include field surveys, indicators, or other approaches that track conditions over time. Third, it supports evaluation of how well management plan implementation is working, encouraging work that can measure outcomes, test whether actions are effective, and refine strategies based on evidence.

For FY 2017, NOAA anticipated making up to about $500,000 available in total for projects aligned with the program priorities referenced in the announcement (Program Priority Section I.B.1 through I.B.2). Awards are made through cooperative agreements, which typically implies substantial NOAA involvement during the project period (for example, coordination, technical input, or shared planning), rather than a hands-off grant structure. The award ceiling listed is $125,000, which suggests individual projects were expected to fit at or under that amount, and that multiple awards could be made depending on the final budget and selections.

NCBO signaled a strong preference for proposals that are collaborative and interdisciplinary, and that leverage other resources. That can mean partnerships across universities, nonprofits, industry, and government, and it can also mean combining multiple disciplines such as fisheries science, habitat ecology, environmental monitoring, modeling, and social or management dimensions where relevant. The announcement also notes that preference will be given to projects with a clear management application, so proposals were expected to connect the research directly to decisions, management questions, or on-the-ground restoration and protection needs. Another emphasized preference is for work targeted to specific tributaries or watersheds, with the goal of improving understanding of local ecosystem dynamics rather than staying only at a broad Bay-wide scale.

Eligibility is relatively broad across organizations but excludes individuals and federal entities as applicants. Eligible applicants include institutions of higher education; nonprofit or for-profit organizations; U.S. territories; and state, local, and Native American tribal governments. Applications from individuals, federal agencies, or federal employees are not considered. At the same time, the program explicitly encourages individuals and federal agencies to participate as partners by collaborating with eligible applicants such as states, NGOs, municipal and county governments, or universities, which is a common structure for federally informed but non-federally led research efforts.

The key dates included an informational webinar held on November 4, 2016 at 1:00 PM Eastern, intended to walk potential applicants through the funding announcement and likely expectations. The application deadline (original closing date) was January 19, 2017. The opportunity is identified as Funding Opportunity Number NOAA-NMFS-NCBO-2017-2005086, with CFDA number 11.457, and it sits within the environment, natural resources, science and technology, and other research and development category.

• 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 "Fiscal Year 2017 Chesapeake Bay Fisheries Research Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 11.457.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2016-10-21.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-01-19. (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 $125,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for NOAA NMFS NCBO 2017 2005086

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