GrantExec

Sea Grant Programs Only - FY2025 Aquaculture Legal, Regulatory, and Policy Grants

This funding opportunity supports U.S. aquaculture programs in improving legal, regulatory, and policy frameworks to promote sustainable development and resilience in coastal and marine communities.

$250,000
Closed
Nationwide
Grant Description

The NOAA Sea Grant FY2025 Aquaculture Legal, Regulatory, and Policy Grants program supports research aimed at improving U.S. aquaculture's legal, regulatory, and policy landscape. With funding of up to $500,000 for FY2025, individual projects can request between $100,000 and $250,000 in federal funds and must include at least a 50% non-federal match. The projects are to address critical issues affecting coastal, marine, and Great Lakes aquaculture communities and must align with priorities such as regulatory modernization, comparative state policy studies, and disaster resilience efforts. The primary purpose of the program is to enhance U.S. aquaculture's understanding and management within a regulatory context, promoting sustainable fisheries and aquaculture development. Projects should include collaboration with Sea Grant extension personnel, state regulators, and other stakeholders and are encouraged to engage underserved and underrepresented communities. Participants will also be required to share their findings at a National Sea Grant Aquaculture Symposium. Eligibility is limited to Sea Grant College Programs, Institutional Programs, and Coherent Area Programs, which may partner with various stakeholders, including minority-serving institutions, non-governmental organizations, and aquaculture industry members. Federal agencies cannot receive funding but can participate as non-compensated collaborators. All projects must occur within the U.S. or its territories, and applicants must register with SAM.gov, Grants.gov, and eRA Commons prior to applying. The application process requires a detailed project narrative, a budget justification, and compliance with NOAAโ€™s environmental and data-sharing policies. The narrative must include project objectives, methodologies, expected outcomes, and an outreach plan. Proposals must be submitted via Grants.gov and accepted by eRA Commons no later than February 26, 2025. Key forms such as the SF-424 R&R and NEPA Questionnaire must also be completed. Submissions will be evaluated based on relevance to program goals, technical merit, anticipated outcomes, and outreach efforts, with additional points for inclusivity and stakeholder collaboration. Successful applicants will be notified by March 2025, with project periods starting on September 1, 2025, and ending no later than August 31, 2028. Performance reports will be required semi-annually. Applicants must adhere to federal policies regarding indirect costs, scientific integrity, and harassment prevention. NOAA strongly encourages proposals that prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion and anticipates funding projects that demonstrate a clear impact on the aquaculture community's ability to navigate regulatory and policy challenges effectively.

Funding Details

Award Range

$100,000 - $250,000

Total Program Funding

Not specified

Number of Awards

Not specified

Matching Requirement

Yes - Non-federal matching funds equal to at least 50 percent of the federal funding request must be provided unless a waiver justified by statute is granted, such as the waiver for insular areas granted by the Department of Commerce pursuant to 48 U.S.C. 1469a. If you believe your application may qualify for a waiver, please contact the National Sea Grant Office before submission to discuss it. The cumulative match at the end of each year of the grant must not fall below 50 percent of the cumulative federal request up to that point. In-kind contributions directly supporting this application may count towards this matching requirement.

Eligibility

Eligible Applicants

Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
Private institutions of higher education

Additional Requirements

The following entities are eligible to submit to this opportunity: Sea Grant College Programs, Sea Grant Institutional Programs, and Sea Grant Coherent Area Programs. For the remainder of this document, these entities are collectively referred to as Sea Grant Programs. Programs are encouraged to partner with other Sea Grant Programs and/or other entities such as individuals, State and Tribal Agencies/Organizations, MSIs, NGOs, aquaculture industry members and associations, high schools, universities, and colleges, including community colleges. Federal agencies and their personnel are not permitted to receive federal funding under this competition; however, federal scientists and other employees can serve as uncompensated partners or co-Principal Investigators on applications. Federal labs and offices can also make available specialized expertise, facilities or equipment to applicants but cannot be compensated under this competition for their use, nor can the value of such assets be used as match. To be eligible to apply or receive an award, applicants must complete and maintain three registrations;SAM.gov,Grants.gov, andeRA Commons.For each,the complete registration process can take 4 to 6 weeks, so applicants should begin this activity as soon as possible and well before the proposal due date. For more information on how to meet these registration and application submission requirements without errors, we advise all to carefully review relevant Applicant and Grantee Training modules:https://www.commerce.gov/ocio/programs/gems/applicant-and-grantee-training. Additionally, we advise that all carefully read Additional Application Package Forms within the Full Proposal Required Elements section below. The National Sea Grant College Program champions diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) by recruiting, retaining, and preparing a diverse workforce, and proactively engaging and serving the diverse populations of coastal communities. Sea Grant is committed to building inclusive research, extension, communication, and education programs that serve people with unique backgrounds, circumstances, needs, perspectives, and ways of thinking. We encourage Sea Grant program applications to reflect diverse participation with regards to age, race, ethnicities, national origins, gender identities, sexual orientations, disabilities, cultures, religions, citizenship types, marital statuses, education levels, job classifications, veteran status types, income, and socioeconomic status.

Geographic Eligibility

All

Key Dates

Application Opens

November 21, 2024

Application Closes

February 26, 2025

Contact Information

Grantor

U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC NOAA - ERA Production)

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