Announcement for the Domestic (USA) Coral Reef Conservation Grants Competition for Fiscal Year 2016
Who: This competitive program provides funding to institutions of higher education, non-profit organizations, for-profit organizations, and local and Indian tribal government agencies to support coral reef conservation projects in the United States, as authorized under the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. §§ 6401-6409).
Where: These awards are intended to support coral reef conservation projects in shallow water coral reef ecosystems, including reefs at mesophotic depths, 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 U.S. portions of the Gulf of Mexico. Projects may be proposed in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and the U.S. Pacific Remote Islands, but these locations are not considered geographic priorities under this announcement.
Program Priorities: 1) Fishing Impacts; 2) Land-Based Sources of Pollution; 3) Climate Change; and 4) Local and Emerging Management Issues (coral disease, invasive species, ornamental trade, and endangered species). These categories are described in more detail in the full Federal Funding Opportunity announcement. All proposed work should be consistent with the Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) National Goals and Objectives 2010-2015
(http://coralreef.noaa.gov/aboutcrcp/strategy/currentgoals/resources/3threats_go.pdf; still current) and/or the relevant Jurisdictional Coral Reef Management Priorities.
(http://coralreef.noaa.gov/aboutcrcp/strategy/reprioritization/managementpriorities) developed for each of the seven states and territories.
Funding Amount: Applicants may propose projects that include a Federal funding amount between $30,000 and $80,000; the average Federal funding amount for successful projects will be approximately $50,000. Applicants must provide a 1:1 match of non-Federal funds or must submit a request to NOAA to waive the matching requirement if the applicant can demonstrate 1) no reasonable means are available through which an applicant can meet the matching requirement, and 2) the probable benefit of the project outweighs the public interest in such matching requirement.
How: Applicants should apply through www.grants.gov; however, applicants unable to use www.grants.gov may mail a complete application package including the required Federal forms, which must be signed by hand and dated. All applications should follow the specific application requirements described in the full Federal funding opportunity announcement.
When: Applications must be submitted via www.grants.gov
