Fiscal Year 2018 Chesapeake Bay Fisheries Research Program | NOAA NMFS NCBO 2018 2005524

Opportunity Information: Apply for NOAA NMFS NCBO 2018 2005524

The Fiscal Year 2018 Chesapeake Bay Fisheries Research Program is a competitive NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office (NCBO) funding opportunity designed to support applied research and technical work that can directly inform management decisions for Chesapeake Bay living resources and their habitats. The program centers on three connected needs: developing science-based management options to restore and protect fisheries and habitat, monitoring and assessing the condition and trends of those living resources and habitats, and evaluating whether existing management plans are actually working as intended. In practical terms, the program is looking for projects that produce usable information for managers, not just academic results, with a clear emphasis on real-world application to Chesapeake Bay fisheries restoration and protection.

For FY 2018, NOAA anticipated making roughly $500,000 available in total across selected projects, with an award ceiling of $125,000 per award. The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, which typically means NOAA expects to have substantial involvement during the project period (for example, coordination, technical input, or shared planning), rather than operating as a fully hands-off grant. The opportunity is listed as discretionary funding and falls under research and development categories tied to environment, natural resources, and science and technology. The CFDA number associated with the program is 11.457, and the funding opportunity number is NOAA NMFS NCBO 2018 2005524.

NCBO explicitly encourages proposals that are collaborative and interdisciplinary and that leverage other resources, such as matching support, in-kind contributions, existing datasets, partner expertise, or complementary funding. While the notice references detailed funding priorities in a Program Priority section, the overarching direction is clear: projects should align with Chesapeake Bay fisheries and habitat management needs and demonstrate how the work will be used by decision-makers. Proposals with a strong line of sight from research activities to management outcomes are preferred, meaning applicants should be able to explain who will use the results, how those results will be translated into action, and what specific decisions or management questions the work supports.

Eligibility is broad but does exclude certain groups. Eligible applicants include institutions of higher education, nonprofit and for-profit organizations, U.S. territories, and state, local, and Native American tribal governments. Applications from individuals are not accepted, and federal agencies or federal employees cannot apply directly. However, NOAA encourages individuals and federal partners to collaborate with eligible entities such as states, NGOs, municipal and county governments, universities, and other qualified organizations, which can serve as the official applicant and lead recipient.

The program also highlights NOAA and Department of Commerce priorities around expanding participation by institutions that have historically been underrepresented in federal research funding. Specifically, NOAA states a strong commitment to broadening participation by historically black colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, tribal colleges and universities, and institutions working in underserved areas. NCBO encourages proposals that involve these institutions, signaling that partnerships and engagement in these communities are viewed as an important program value alongside the technical merits of the work.

Key dates included an application deadline of April 26, 2018, with the opportunity originally created on February 20, 2018. NOAA also offered an informational webinar on March 2, 2018 at 1:00 PM Eastern to walk applicants through the announcement and answer questions, with registration routed through a "Hot Topic" post on the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office website.

• 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 2018 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 2018-02-20.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-04-26. (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 2018 2005524

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