BOEM/Marine Mammals Program/CESU Study | M17AS00014

Opportunity Information: Apply for M17AS00014

This grant opportunity is a targeted cooperative agreement from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), offered through its Marine Minerals Program, to support a specific research effort titled "Ecological Function and Recovery of Biological Communities within Sand Shoal Habitats within the Gulf of Mexico." The central purpose is to generate applied science that helps BOEM and partners make better decisions about offshore sand resources used for coastal restoration and resiliency projects, while also improving understanding of how marine ecosystems respond over the long term after sand is dredged. The work is focused on Ship Shoal in the Gulf of Mexico, an important sand shoal area where dredging can occur to supply sand for shoreline and barrier island restoration.

The study is framed around ecological recovery and function, with particular attention to benthic (seafloor) communities and fish communities associated with sand shoal habitats. In practical terms, the project is meant to evaluate what happens to the biological communities living in and around these offshore sand deposits after dredging, how quickly they return, whether they return to the same composition and function as before, and what long-term changes may persist. The public-interest rationale is explicit: BOEM is balancing the need to access offshore sand for coastal protection and restoration with stewardship responsibilities for marine habitat, fisheries resources, and broader ecosystem health.

Funding is planned across multiple fiscal years with a single expected award. The opportunity provides up to $1.2 million in FY 2017, with an additional $400,000 available in each of FY 2018 and FY 2019, for a total project ceiling of $2.0 million. The planned period of performance is intended to begin in the April to June 2017 window, reflecting an expectation that the project would move quickly from award to field and analytical work. The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, which indicates BOEM anticipates substantial federal involvement during project development and/or execution, including direct participation by BOEM scientists rather than a hands-off, grantee-only approach.

Eligibility is narrow and structured. This is not an open solicitation to the general public or the broader research community. Instead, the award is restricted to qualified recipients within the Gulf Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Network. Eligible applicants are identified as public and state-controlled institutions of higher education within that CESU context, and BOEM notes that certain tasks performed by federal partners would not be included under the cooperative agreement but handled separately via inter-agency agreements. While the lead applicant must come from the Gulf Coast CESU network, BOEM encourages collaboration and teaming with other universities, private companies, and state or federal agencies that bring relevant expertise, which signals that multidisciplinary capacity (for example, benthic ecology, fisheries science, habitat mapping, oceanography, and restoration science) is likely important for successful execution.

Administratively, the announcement functions more as a notice of intent to fund a specific project than as a competitive call for new ideas. Awards are conditioned on submission of an acceptable proposal by an eligible partner, but the agency is clear that it is describing specific projects that may be awarded and that no other proposals are being requested under this announcement. The opportunity is listed as discretionary funding, categorized under science and technology and other research and development, with CFDA number 15.423. The funding opportunity number is M17AS00014, the posting/creation date is July 6, 2017, and the original closing date is September 6, 2017, with BOEM anticipating one award at the $2.0 million ceiling.

• The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BOEM/Marine Mammals Program/CESU Study" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.423.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-07-06.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-09-06. (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 $2,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.

Apply for M17AS00014

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: