Funding Opportunities

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Sea Grant Funding Opportunities

Sea Grant provides a variety of funding opportunities based on its work in four focus areas: Healthy Coastal Ecosystems, Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture, Resilient Coastal Communities and Economies, and Environmental Literacy and Workforce Development. Funding opportunities include National Strategic Investments, Special Projects, focused opportunities through each of the 33 Sea Grant programs, and more. See below for more information on current and previous funding opportunities. Most funding opportunities require applying through or to one of the 33 Sea Grant programs.

See Inside Sea Grant for forms and additional guidance where applicable. Questions about funding opportunities should be directed to oar.hq.sg.competitions@noaa.gov.

Current National Funding Opportunities

National Sea Grant Aquaculture Program

Advanced Aquaculture Collaborative Programs - 2019, NOAA-OAR-SG-2019-2005963
Sea Grant anticipates at least $9,000,000 will be available to support the establishment of collaborative programs to build the capacity of Sea Grant and its partners to advance aquaculture in areas where a foundation of knowledge and activity currently exists but where significant barriers to sustainable domestic marine and Great Lakes aquaculture remain. These collaborative programs will serve as geographic or topic-based hubs for fully integrated, transdisciplinary research, outreach, and education that will provide broad, non-proprietary support and investment for building and/or enhancing an aquaculture industry.

Letters of Intent are due April 15, 2019 (see formal announcement for details).
Full proposals are due May 15, 2019 (see formal announcement for details).

Exploring New Aquaculture Opportunities - 2019, NOAA-OAR-SG-2019-2005960
Sea Grant anticipates $1,500,000 will be available to support Sea Grant-led aquaculture projects to catalyze work in a range of topics or geographies. This competition will fund diverse, and at times, high-risk, developmental projects that will envision, explore and advance aquaculture opportunities where a minimal foundation currently exists.

Letters of intent are due March 26, 2019 (see formal announcement for details).
Full proposals are due April 24, 2019 (see formal announcement for details).

Social, Behavioral, and Economic Research Needs in Aquaculture - 2019, NOAA-OAR-SG-2019-2005953
The National Sea Grant Office anticipates around $3,000,000 will be available to support research to address critical gaps in social, behavioral, and economic knowledge as it relates to U.S. aquaculture and the communities impacted and served by it. The initiative is informed by the National Strategic Plan for Federal Aquaculture Research; the Sea Grant 10-Year NOAA Sea Grant Aquaculture Vision; and previous research from federal, state, and university scientists.

Letters of intent are due April 2, 2019 (see formal announcement for details).
Full proposals are due May 1, 2019 (see formal announcement for details).

Informational Webinar: The National Sea Grant Office hosted an informational webinar about the three aquaculture-related funding opportunities on Monday, March 4 at 3 pm Eastern. View presentation slides (pdf) View questions and answers log from webinar (pdf)

National Sea Grant American Lobster Research Program

Sea Grant is currently seeking research proposals to address critical gaps in knowledge about how the American Lobster and its fishery is being impacted by environmental change. It is informed by listening sessions with regional fishing industry stakeholders, state and federal fisheries managers, and university, state and federal fisheries researchers. Pending appropriation of funds, Sea Grant anticipates awarding between 5-10 research projects totaling between $1 million and $2 million in FY2019. Projects must have a maximum duration of two years. Proposals are due to grants.gov by April 11, 2019.

An informational webinar will take place on February 14, 2019 from 2:00-3:00 PM ET. Please register and/or join at the link provided below: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6161045633189367043

Webinar slides (pdf), Q and A record from webinar (pdf)

John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship Program

Applications must be submitted to the state Sea Grant program by February 22, 2019. Applicants are strongly encouraged to reach out to the Sea Grant Program in their state one to two months prior to the state application deadline to receive application support and provide notification of an intent to apply. The applicant should allow sufficient time to schedule an interview with the eligible Sea Grant program at the program’s request. Grant announcement: NOAA-OAR-SG-2020-2005911

National Marine Fisheries Service-Sea Grant Joint Fellowship Program

DEADLINE EXTENDED - Students should submit applications to a Sea Grant Program and not submit information directly into grants.gov. Only U.S. citizens are eligible to apply. Foreign Nationals are not eligible. Student applications are due to Sea Grant Programs by 5:00 pm local time on February 28, 2019. Sea Grant Programs must transmit the application via Grants.gov by 5:00 pm, Eastern Time March 28, 2019. There are two separate funding numbers for the two portions of this competition.

Population and Ecosystem Dynamics Federal Funding Opportunity - NOAA-OAR-SG-2019-2005907
The NMFS-Sea Grant Fellowship Program in Population and Ecosystem Dynamics expects to award at least three new Ph.D. Fellowships in 2019 to students who are interested in careers related to marine ecosystem and population dynamics, with a focus on modeling and managing systems of living marine resources. These fellowships can provide support for up to three years. The emphasis will be on the development and implementation of quantitative methods for assessing marine ecosystems, for assessing the status of fish, invertebrate, and other targeted species stocks and for assessing the status of marine mammals, seabirds, and other protected species.

Marine Resource Economics Federal Funding Opportunity - NOAA-OAR-SG-2019-2005909
The 2019 NMFS-Sea Grant Fellowship Program in Marine Resource Economics expects to award one new Ph.D. Fellowship 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. This fellowship can provide support for up to three years.

Special Projects - Open only to Sea Grant programs

The Special Projects portal is a placeholder for projects during FY 2018 and FY 2019. Only Sea Grant programs are eligible for Special Projects; more information about the special projects listed below is available on Inside Sea Grant.

Special Projects Announcement: Sea Grant Northeast Regional Lobster Extension Program

The National Sea Grant Office (NSGO) anticipates that approximately $600,000.00 will be available over the next four years to support a cooperative agreement to develop, staff, and implement a Sea Grant Northeast Regional Lobster Extension Program.

Due Date: February 5, 2019
Read the full announcement (PDF download)

Special Projects Announcement: Undergraduate Population and Ecosystem Dynamics Workshop

The National Sea Grant Office (NSGO), the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), and the NOAA Office of Education (OEd) anticipate that up to $140,000 will be available to fund a cooperative agreement to develop, conduct, and evaluate one to several Undergraduate Population and Ecosystem Dynamics Workshops, to be held between October 1, 2019 and September 30, 2020.

Due date: January 23, 2019
Informational webinar: Tuesday, December 18, 2018 at 3 pm Eastern (Registration link)
Read the full announcement (PDF download)
Frequently Asked Questions, update November 19, 2018 (PDF download)

Current State/Local Funding Opportunities

See details on the State Sea Grant Program Funding Opportunities page

Current Regional Funding Opportunities

No opportunities at this time.

Current Student Opportunities

See our pages on student opportunities.

Closed Opportunities

John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship program - CLOSED

Ocean Acidification Graduate Research Fellowship - CLOSED

Undergraduate Population and Ecosystem Dynamics Workshop - CLOSED

Eligibility: all Sea Grant programs
Funding source: NOAA National Sea Grant Office (NSGO), NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and NOAA Office of Education (OEd)
Deadline: May 22, 2018
Download announcement (PDF)

Wild Rice (Manoomin) Education and Outreach Toolkit for Lake Superior Audiences - CLOSED

Eligibility: Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin Sea Grant programs
Funding source: NOAA Office for Coastal Management
Questions: oar.hq.sg.competitions@noaa.gov
Deadline for applications to be submitted by Sea Grant programs to Grants.gov: March 25, 2018

2018 Ocean, Coastal and Great Lakes National Aquaculture Initiative - CLOSED

Funding opportunity number NOAA-OAR-SG-2018-2005489 (FFO and application package available via grants.gov)

Proposal FAQ (PDF download) *UPDATED MARCH 14, 2018

Sea Grant Forms

Proposals are due to Sea Grant programs by March 2, 2018; Sea Grant programs must then submit proposals to grants.gov by March 30, 2018.

Depending on appropriations, NOAA National Sea Grant College Program (NOAA Sea Grant) expects to have available a total of $7,000,000 to $11,500,000 across fiscal years 2018, 2019 and 2020 as part of the Sea Grant National Aquaculture Initiative (NAI). As part of the NAI, this competition is designed to foster the expansion of a sustainable U.S. ocean, coastal and Great Lakes aquaculture sector by addressing one or more of the following priorities:

(a) supporting the development of emerging systems or technologies that will advance aquaculture in the U.S., including projects that will help stimulate aquaculture production by nascent industries;
(b) developing and implementing actionable methods of communicating accurate, science based messages and information about the benefits and risks of U.S. marine aquaculture to the public; and
(c) increasing the resiliency of aquaculture systems to natural hazards and changing conditions.

Eligibility: The following entities are eligible and encouraged to participate in this funding opportunity, in conjunction with a Sea Grant program: any individual; any public or private corporation, partnership, or other association or entity (including any Sea Grant College, Sea Grant Institute or other institution); or any State, political subdivision of a State, Tribal government or agency or officer thereof. 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.

Questions about the aquaculture funding opportunity may be directed to oar.hq.sg.aquaculture@noaa.gov.

More information on Sea Grant's work on and support of aquaculture

Network Visioning (2017) - CLOSED

In order to increase the capacity of Sea Grant Programs to work and plan together to address resilience topics of national interest, the National Sea Grant Office (NSGO) is providing a one-time $30,000 award in FY 2017 funds to each interested Sea Grant Program. Awarded projects will become part of the Program's 2014 Omnibus grant.

The goals of the funding are to:

1. Enhance resilience visioning and activities consistent with state and national strategic plans across the network,

2. Increase the capacity of Sea Grant Programs to work and plan together to address resilience topics of national interest, and to collaboratively develop visions for Sea Grant on these topics. It is hoped that these groups that develop these visions may continue to be a network intellectual or action resource on the topic even after this project is over, and

3. Create vision documents on these national topics by the end of this effort that are in close enough to completion to serve as a starting draft for a Sea Grant network-wide conversation on that topic, leading, if appropriate, to national Sea Grant vision documents.

More details on Inside Sea Grant.

Aquaculture Integration (2017) - CLOSED

Depending on appropriations, NOAA Sea Grant expects to have available a total of $10,000,000-$12,000,000 between fiscal years 2017, 2018, and 2019 for a national initiative to increase aquaculture production in the short-term (2-4 years). This competition is designed to foster the expansion of sustainable U.S. marine, coastal, and Great Lakes aquaculture. Successful applications must outline integrated projects that clearly address major constraints, barriers, or hurdles limiting United States aquaculture production.

Letters of Intent are due from Sea Grant Programs via email to oar.hq.sg.aquaculture@noaa.gov by 5:00 pm Eastern, March 28th, 2017.

Applications are due from Sea Grant Programs to Grants.gov no later than 5:00 pm. Eastern Time, May 9th, 2017.

See Grants.gov for the full announcement. (NOAA-OAR-SG-2017 –2005176)

Addressing Impediments to Aquaculture Production (2017) -CLOSED

Depending on appropriations, NOAA Sea Grant expects to have available a total of $3,000,000 between fiscal years 2017 and 2018 for a national initiative focused on answering key questions impeding the development and expansion of sustainable United States marine, coastal, and Great Lakes aquaculture. Successful applications must outline small scale projects, business plans, workshops, etc. that seek to address key questions, barriers, or hurdles impeding the advancement of new or developing aquaculture initiatives that will contribute to the continuing growth of United States aquaculture production.

Applications are due from Sea Grant Programs to Grants.gov no later than 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, April 18th, 2017.

See Grants.gov for the full announcement. (NOAA-OAR-SG-2017 –2005177)

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