Sea Grant Fellowship Application

Notice of Federal Funding

Page 1 of 19

Fiscal Year 2022 National Sea Grant College Program Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy
Fellowship
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. Funding Opportunity Description
A. Program Objective
B. Program Priorities
C. Program Authority
II. Award Information
A. Funding Availability
B. Project/Award Period
C. Type of Funding Instrument
III. Eligibility Information
A. Eligible Applicants
B. Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement
C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility
IV. Application and Submission Information
A. Address to Request Application Package
B. Content and Form of Application
C. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)
D. Submission Dates and Times
E. Intergovernmental Review
F. Funding Restrictions
G. Other Submission Requirements
V. Application Review Information
A. Evaluation Criteria
B. Review and Selection Process
C. Selection Factors
D. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates
VI. Award Administration Information
A. Award Notices
B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
C. Reporting
VII. Agency Contacts
VIII. Other Information

4
4
4
4
4
4
5
5
5
5
6
6
7
7
7
10
11
11
11
12
12
12
13
14
15
15
15
15
17
18
18

Notice of Federal Funding

Page 2 of 19
NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Federal Agency Name(s): Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce
Funding Opportunity Title: Fiscal Year 2022 National Sea Grant College Program Dean John A.
Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship
Announcement Type: Initial
Funding Opportunity Number: NOAA-OAR-SG-2022-2006631
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.417, Sea Grant Support
Dates: Eligible applicants must submit application materials by 5:00 p.m. local time on February
19, 2021 to eligible Sea Grant Programs. Applicants enrolled towards a degree in a graduate or
professional program in a state or territory served by a Sea Grant Program must submit to that
program. Other applicants must submit their applications to the Sea Grant program to which they
were referred to by the Knauss Fellowship Program Manager as listed in Section VII. Selected
applications from the eligible Sea Grant program are to be received and validated by grants.gov
by the deadline of 11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on April 02, 2021. (Note that
National Sea Grant Office staff will only be available to answer questions until 5:00 p.m. EDT.)
Other than attaching the signed letter of recommendation from the eligible Sea Grant Director,
the application submitted to the eligible Sea Grant program by the applicant must be submitted to
grants.gov unchanged.
Funding Opportunity Description: The National Sea Grant College Program was enacted by
U.S. Congress in 1966 (amended in 2008, Public Law 110-394) to support federal and state
partnerships that harness the intellectual capacity of the nation’s universities and research
institutions to solve problems and generate opportunities in coastal communities.
This notice announces that applications may be submitted for the 2022 National Sea Grant
College Program Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship (Sea Grant Knauss Fellowship
Program). The National Sea Grant College Program (Sea Grant) anticipates funding not less than
35 applicants, of which approximately 17 will be assigned to the Legislative branch. Application
packages will each propose a total of $84,000 in funding. Detailed breakout of this funding is
described in Section II.A and Section III.F of this announcement.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to reach out to the Sea Grant Program in their state/territory
at least one to two months prior to the state application deadline to receive application support

Notice of Federal Funding

Page 3 of 19

and provide notification of intent to apply. The applicant should allow sufficient time to schedule
an interview with the eligible Sea Grant program at the program’s request.
This document describes requirements for submitting to NOAA-OAR-SG-2022-2006631.
Additional guidance and tips on how best to prepare an application are provided in the Sea Grant
General Application Guide available at:
https://seagrant.noaa.gov/Portals/1/Guidance/SeaGrantGeneralApplicationGuide.pdf

Notice of Federal Funding

Page 4 of 19
FULL ANNOUNCEMENT TEXT

I. Funding Opportunity Description
A. Program Objective
NOAA provides funding to Sea Grant institutions to increase the understanding,
assessment, development, management, utilization, and conservation of the Nation’s ocean,
coastal, and Great Lakes resources by providing assistance to promote a strong educational
base, responsive research and training activities, broad and prompt dissemination of
knowledge and techniques, and multidisciplinary approaches to environmental problems, in
accordance with 33 USC 1121(b).
B. Program Priorities
The Sea Grant Act includes a legislative mandate to provide an educational experience
in the policies and processes of the Legislative and Executive Branches of the Federal
Government for students enrolled in graduate or professional programs that have an interest
in ocean, coastal and Great Lakes resources and in the national policy decisions affecting
those resources. In 1979, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA's)
National Sea Grant College Program (Sea Grant) initiated the Sea Grant Knauss Fellowship
Program to help fulfill its broad educational responsibilities and meet this legislative
mandate. The Sea Grant Knauss Fellowship Program meets NOAA's Mission of “Science,
service and stewardship.”
The National Sea Grant College program values diversity, equity, and inclusion in both our
organization and the communities we serve. Through the Sea Grant Knauss Marine Policy
Fellowship we strive to provide an educational and employment opportunity for current and
recent graduate students interested in ocean, coastal and Great Lakes resources and the
national policy decisions affecting those resources, regardless of race, color, religion, place
of origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, socio-economic status, disability or veteran status.
C. Program Authority
Statutory authority for this program is provided under the National Sea Grant College
Program Act of 1966, as amended (33 USC 1121 et seq.).
II. Award Information
A. Funding Availability
Subject to the availability of funding, this announcement describes how eligible

Notice of Federal Funding

Page 5 of 19

applicants should apply for the Sea Grant Knauss Fellowship Program. Sea Grant anticipates
funding not less than 35 applicants, of which those assigned to the Legislative branch will be
approximately 17. Application packages will each propose a total of $84,000 in funding.
This includes base funding for each award at $66,500, of which $61,500 is to be used by the
eligible Sea Grant program to cover the fellow’s salary/stipend for the twelve months of the
fellowship and $5,000 can be used to cover allowable expenses. Allowable expenses could
include, but are not limited to, relocation prior to the fellowship, academic tuition, journal
publication fees, academic- and fellowship-related travel, conferences fees, online trainings,
and workshops. Applications should also include travel costs totaling $17,500, of which
$15,000 will be budgeted for optional host office related travel and training and $2,500 will
be budgeted for optional placement week expenses, which would be provided at the
discretion of the National Sea Grant Office.
There is no guarantee that funds will be available to make awards, or that any application
will be selected for funding. If an applicant incurs any costs prior to receiving an award
agreement signed by an authorized NOAA official, they do so at their own risk of not being
selected or of these costs not being included in a subsequent award. NOAA and DOC will
not be responsible for any incurred project costs if this program fails to receive full funding.
B. Project/Award Period
The anticipated start date is February 1, 2022 for the 12-month fellowship. Projects
should have an end date of February 28, 2023 to accommodate relocation expenses (of
greater than 100 miles) following the completion of the fellowship. These awards cannot be
renewed or deferred. Pre-award spending may be authorized 120 days prior to the start date
of the award.
C. Type of Funding Instrument
The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement to an eligible institution, which will
receive and administer the overall cooperative agreement on behalf of each fellow selected
from their program. A cooperative agreement is used when substantial involvement of the
federal government during the performance of the proposed work is anticipated. The nature
of the substantial involvement includes mentoring and hosting applicants by Sea Grant
Knauss Fellowship Program Manager(s) and host offices.
III. Eligibility Information
A. Eligible Applicants
Any student, regardless of citizenship, is eligible to submit to this opportunity if:

Notice of Federal Funding

Page 6 of 19

(1) The student is enrolled towards a degree in a graduate program at any point between the
onset of the 2020 Fall Term (quarter, trimester, semester, etc.) and February 19, 2021;
(2) The graduate degree will be awarded through an accredited institution of higher
education in the United States or U.S. Territories, and;
(3) The student has an interest in ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources and in the
national policy decisions affecting those resources.
Application submission is through an application to the Sea Grant program in the state in
which the student is earning their degree. If there is no Sea Grant program, a Sea Grant
program will be assigned (see Section IV.D.)
The National Sea Grant College Program champions diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)
by working to create a marine science workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We
are 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 applicants of all ages, races, ethnicities, national origins, gender identities, sexual
orientations, disabilities, cultures, religions, citizenship types, marital statuses, education
levels, job classifications, veteran status types, and income, and socioeconomic status types
to apply for this opportunity.
B. Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement
No cost share is required.
C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility
-The one year fellowship will take place in the National Capital region. Applicants must
be prepared to relocate to the Washington, D.C. area. Non-U.S. citizens are responsible for
obtaining the appropriate visa to allow them to work in the Washington, D.C. area during the
fellowship period.
-Foreign nationals please note: while this fellowship is open to all eligible students
regardless of nationality, a significant number of participating Federal host offices are unable
to accept foreign nationals as Fellows. This may reduce the number of placement
opportunities available to foreign nationals. Note: Foreign nationals are eligible for both the
Executive and Legislative cohort.
-Applicants must be able to pass a federal background security check.
-Prior contact/arrangements made with possible host offices before the start of the placement
week will be cause for immediate disqualification from the process.
-Applicants that have been accepted as National Finalists and/or become fellows are not

Notice of Federal Funding

Page 7 of 19

eligible to apply again without the written permission of the NSGO Fellowships Manager,
which will only be granted in response to exceptional life events. A National Finalists is
defined as an applicant who goes through the review process and is selected at the national
level for the fellowship program. Applicants are considered finalists until they are placed
into a host office during the placement process.
IV. Application and Submission Information
A. Address to Request Application Package
Application packages are available online and can be downloaded from www.grants.gov
under opportunity NOAA-OAR-SG-2022-2006631. If an eligible applicant does not have
access to the internet, please contact the Agency Contacts listed in Section VII for
submission instructions.
Applicants enrolled towards a degree in a graduate or professional program in a state or
territory not served by a Sea Grant program must first contact the Agency Contact listed in
Section VII to obtain a written referral to an eligible Sea Grant program. This referral must
be included in the application package.
B. Content and Form of Application
This section provides an overview of these required proposal elements (and where to
locate them). Applications must adhere to the provisions under "Required Elements" below.
Failure to adhere to these provisions will result in rejection of the application without further
review.
The submitting Sea Grant program or applicant should redact all Personally Identifiable
Information (PII) in the application materials prior to final submission to grants.gov. PII that
should be redacted from the application includes but is not limited to social security number,
date of birth, student identification number (from transcripts) or other information which if
lost, compromised, or disclosed without authorization, could result in harm, embarrassment,
inconvenience, or unfairness to an individual.
Required Elements:
Project Narrative
The Application must include the following documents:
Project Proposal Narrative

Notice of Federal Funding

Page 8 of 19

The project proposal narrative must contain seven sub-elements. Six sub-elements must be
completed by the student and one sub-element must be attached to the application by the
eligible Sea Grant program.
The following six sub-elements are to be submitted by the student to the eligible Sea Grant
program:
(1)
Curriculum vitae (not to exceed two pages). The student should not include personal
contact information or web links to external resources (e.g., LinkedIn, articles, blogs, etc.). If
included, programs should redact prior to submission.
(2)
Personal education and career goal statement emphasizing the applicant's abilities and
the applicant's expectations of the fellowship experience in terms of their career
development (1,000 words or less). The student should not include personal contact
information or web links to external resources (e.g., LinkedIn, articles, blogs, etc.). If
included, programs should redact prior to submission.
(3)
Two letters of recommendation, including one from a faculty member with knowledge
of the applicant’s academic and research (when applicable) performance. Letters of
endorsement from members of Congress, friends, or relatives will not be accepted. The
letters should not include personal contact information or web links to external resources
(e.g.,x. LinkedIn, articles, blogs, etct.). If included, programs should redact prior to
submission. Any letters beyond the two letters of recommendation and the eligible Sea Grant
Director’s letter will be disregarded by the selection panel.
(4)
Future year activities including a listing of classes and/or plans for spring 2021,
summer 2021, and fall 2021 (not to exceed one page).
(5)
Clear digital or scanned copies of all undergraduate and graduate student transcripts
(unofficial are acceptable).
(6)
For applicants in a state or territory not served by an eligible Sea Grant program, but
applying through an eligible Sea Grant program, a written statement from the Sea Grant
Knauss Fellowship Program Manager referring the applicant to the most appropriate eligible
Sea Grant program must be included as part of that applicant's application package to the Sea
Grant program.
The following sub-element is to be submitted by the program:
(7)
Signed letter of recommendation from the state Sea Grant Director, which documents
an interview with the applicant. If a conflict of interest exists, please contact the agency
contact (Section VII).
Abbreviated Environmental Compliance Questionnaire (OMB Control No. 0648-0538)

Notice of Federal Funding

Page 9 of 19

This announcement is not seeking proposals that will have an environmental impact.
Therefore, an abbreviated environmental compliance questionnaire is not required as part of
the proposal.
Data Management Plan
This announcement is not seeking proposals that generate environmental data. Therefore, a
Data Management Plan is not required as part of the Proposal.
Budget Narrative (to be submitted by the Program)
Each individual project included within the application must also include the following
budget documents (Sea Grant 90-4 Forms and Budget Justification Narratives) in the
following format:
Sea Grant 90-4 Form (OMB Control No. 0648-0362)
A required form used to provide budget breakdowns and budget justifications by year and
object class for the overall proposal and each project in this application. Please submit one
90-4 form covering the full 13-month period of the award. Additional guidance on filling out
the form is located in the Sea Grant General Application Guidance Document.
Budget Justification
A budget justification explains budget items in sufficient detail to enable review of the
appropriateness of the funding requested. This document should be attached as a PDF to
each Sea Grant 90-4 Form, as appropriate. Guidance on completing the justifications is
located in the Sea Grant General Application Guidance Document
(https://seagrant.noaa.gov/Portals/1/Guidance/SeaGrantGeneralApplicationGuide.pdf).
Overall Application
In addition to the forms required above, standard Federal Forms and Assurances are required
for the overall application and can be found with the Application package on Grants.gov or
on the Sea Grant website (links found below). These include:
SF-424 Form (Grants.gov, OMB Control No. 4040-0004)
This form, titled “Application for Federal Assistance,” must identify the entire funding

Notice of Federal Funding

Page 10 of 19

period (February 1, 2022 to February 28, 2023), as well as the federal funding amount being
requested by the applicant. The form must be completed with the institution’s accurate EIN
and DUNS and Point of Contact, and signed by the institution’s authorized representative or
designee. Note: for the Knauss Fellowship, no match is required.
SF-424A Form (Grants.gov, OMB Control No. 4040-0006)
This form, titled “Budget Information - Non-Construction Programs,” must describe the
entire funding period in federal and non-federal dollars, for the entire application. Fill out
Section B of this SF-424A form to show the overall budget breakdown by object class by
year. Federal and match years should each have their own column. If there is insufficient
space, an additional SF-424A Form, Extra Section B should be used (see below). Note: for
the Knauss Fellowship, no match is required.
SF-424B Assurances (Grants.gov, OMB Control No. 4040-0007)
The form, titled “Assurances – Non-Construction Programs,” must be completed and signed
by the institution's authorized representative or designee.
CD-511 (Grants.gov, US Department of Commerce)
The form, titled “Certification Regarding Lobbying,” must be completed and signed by the
institution’s authorized representative or designee. In some instances, the SF-LLL Disclosure
of Lobbying Activities form may also be required. See the instructions on the CD-511 for
further information.
SF-LLL (Grants.gov, OMB Control No. 0348-0046)
The form, titled “Disclosure of Lobbying Activities,” must be completed and signed by the
institution’s authorized representative or designee, if appropriate.
C. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)
To enable the use of a universal identifier and to enhance the quality of information
available to the public as required by the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency
Act, 31 U.S.C. 6101 note, to the extent applicable, any proposal awarded in response to this
announcement will be required to use the System for Award Management (SAM), which
may be accessed online at https://www.sam.gov/SAM/. Universities submitting applications
are also required to use the Dun and Bradstreet Universal Numbering System, as identified
in OMB guidance published at 2 CFR Parts 25, which may be accessed at

Notice of Federal Funding

Page 11 of 19

https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title02/2cfr25_main_02.tpl.
D. Submission Dates and Times
Eligible applicants must submit application materials by 5:00 p.m. local time on
February 19, 2021 to the appropriate Sea Grant program. Students enrolled towards a degree
in a graduate or professional program in a state or territory served by a Sea Grant Program
must submit to that program. Other students must submit their applications to the Sea Grant
program to which they were referred to by the Knauss Fellowship Program Manager as listed
in Section VII.
Selected applications from the eligible Sea Grant program are to be received and validated
by grants.gov by the deadline of 11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on April 02, 2021.
(Note that National Sea Grant Office staff will only be available to answer questions until
5:00 p.m. EDT.) Other than attaching the signed letter of recommendation from the eligible
Sea Grant Director or appropriate redactions the sub-elements submitted to the eligible Sea
Grant program by the applicant must be submitted to grants.gov unchanged.
Please note: validation or rejection of an application by Grants.gov may take up to two
business days after submission. Eligible Sea Grant programs should consider this process in
developing their submission timeline. For eligible Sea Grant program applications submitted
through grants.gov, a date and time receipt indication is included and will be the basis of
determining timeliness.
E. Intergovernmental Review
Applications under the National Sea Grant College Program are not subject to Executive
Order 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs."
F. Funding Restrictions
Indirect costs are not allowable for either the Fellowship or for any costs associated with
the Fellowship (15 CFR 917.11(e), "Guidelines for Sea Grant Fellowships").
The eligible Sea Grant program receives and administers the overall cooperative agreement.
Application packages will each propose a total of $84,000 in funding. This includes base
funding for each award at $66,500, of which $61,500 is to be used by the eligible Sea Grant
program to cover the fellow’s salary/stipend for the twelve months of the fellowship and
$5,000 can be used to cover allowable expenses. Allowable expenses could include, but is
not limited to, relocation prior to the fellowship, academic tuition, journal publication fees,
academic- and fellowship-related travel, conferences fees, online trainings, and workshops.

Notice of Federal Funding

Page 12 of 19

Applications should also include travel costs totaling $17,500, of which $15,000 will be
budgeted for optional host office related travel and training and $2,500 will be budgeted for
optional placement week expenses, which would be provided at the discretion of the
National Sea Grant Office.
G. Other Submission Requirements
Selected applications from the eligible Sea Grant Program must be submitted
electronically to www.grants.gov by the application deadline.
Proposals must be submitted through Grants.gov. If an eligible applicant does not have
access to the internet, please contact the Agency Contacts listed in Section VII for
submission instructions.
V. Application Review Information
A. Evaluation Criteria
(1) Statement of career goals of the student (45 points or percent). For the Knauss
Fellowship program, the career goal statement, curriculum vitae, and future year activities is
reviewed on the extent to which:
-The goal statement is specific, direct, and concise while discussing what the applicant
would bring to and gain from the Knauss fellowship;
-The goal statement clearly articulates the applicant’s career or life goal;
-The future year activities support the career goals of the applicant;
-The goal statement demonstrates the applicant’s diverse personal and professional
background;
-The goal statement provides evidence of creative thinking, analytical skill, and/or indicates
the applicant’s capacity and willingness to make connections between science and broader
economic, social, and political issues;
-The goal statement demonstrates the applicant’s ability to convey scientific knowledge in
broader, non-scientific contexts;
-The goal statement includes clear objectives which align with the broader mission of the
Sea Grant program and NOAA.
(2) Additional relevant experience related to diversity of education; extra-curricular
activities; honors and awards; work and life experience; and interpersonal, written and oral
communication skills (40 points or percent). For the Sea Grant Knauss Fellowship Program,
relevant experience would be in marine or aquatic-related fields. The curriculum vitae,
career goal statement, and future year activities are reviewed on the extent to which:
-The applicant has employment, volunteer, or extracurricular activities in academic, applied,

Notice of Federal Funding

Page 13 of 19

research, administration, outreach, or policy positions;
-The experience in the applicant’s area of expertise is appropriate to the career stage;
-The applicant has received honors, and awards, and other recognition;
-The applicant has shown interest in working with diverse stakeholders;
-The applicant’s experience demonstrates a commitment to apply scientific expertise to serve
society;
-The applicant demonstrates work/life experiences that are relevant and applicable to serving
the American people;
-The applicant’s experiences show prior leadership roles relevant to career stage (e.g.,
student government, faculty committees, advisory committees, professional societies,
community initiatives, etc.).
(3) Academic record (5 points or percent). For the Knauss Fellowship program, the graduate
and undergraduate transcripts, as well as the curriculum vitae, are reviewed on the extent to
which:
-The education and experience in the applicant’s area of expertise are appropriate to the
career stage;
-The applicant displays strength in academic performance and competitive course grades;
-Records of publications and/or presentations (academic or non-academic) are appropriate to
the career stage, field, and institutional settings.
(4) Recommendations and/or endorsements of student (10 points or percent). For the Knauss
Fellowship program the endorsements and content of the letter from the applicant's academic
reference, and the second letter of recommendation are reviewed on the extent to which the
letters:
-Demonstrate knowledge of the applicant and their abilities;
-Speak to the leadership potential, confidence, maturity, and self-direction of the applicant;
-Provide evidence of the applicant’s willingness and flexibility to tackle issues beyond their
area of expertise and an openness and capacity to expand experiences;
-Provide evidence of the applicant’s ability to convey scientific knowledge in broader, nonscientific contexts.
At the national review, evaluation criteria are identical to that at the eligible Sea Grant
program level, except that in criteria (4), the letter of endorsement from the eligible Sea
Grant program director will also be considered.
B. Review and Selection Process
State Level/individual Sea Grant Program Review:

Notice of Federal Funding

Page 14 of 19

An initial administrative review is conducted to determine compliance with requirements
and completeness of the Application.
After submission to the eligible Sea Grant program, and if the application meets the
minimum requirements (sub-elements 1-6, Section IV.B.1.a), the application will be
reviewed at the eligible Sea Grant program level. A panel composed of a minimum of three
members will individually discuss each application based on the evaluation criteria listed in
Section V.A..
Based on the panel discussion, each eligible Sea Grant program may select and forward to
the National Sea Grant College Program up to six applications from that program’s
state/territory based on the evaluation criteria. In addition, up to six additional applications
from each non-Sea Grant state/territory may be submitted by the eligible Sea Grant program
handling those applications.
National Level Review:
An initial administrative review is conducted to determine compliance with requirements
and completeness of the application.
For applications that meet minimum requirements, the application will be individually
ranked based on the evaluation criteria listed in Section V.A. by individual reviewers.
The selecting official shall award in the rank order unless the application is justified to be
selected out of rank order based upon any of the selection factors provided below. The
selecting official shall make final recommendations for award to the grants officer who is
authorized to obligate the funds and execute the award.
C. Selection Factors
The Selecting Official shall award in the rank order unless the proposal is justified to be
selected out of rank order based on one or more of the following factors:
-Balance/distribution of funds:
-across academic disciplines
-by type of institution
-geographically
-Availability of funding.
-Program-specific objectives.
-Degree in scientific area and type of degree sought.

Notice of Federal Funding

Page 15 of 19

D. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates
Subject to the availability of funds, the eligible Sea Grant Programs will be notified of the
competitive selection results in June 2021 and awards are expected to start February 01,
2022.
After final selection and announcement of Knauss Finalists, the Selecting Official will place
applicants into either the legislative or executive cohort. Selection of executive and
legislative cohorts will be informed by finalists’ stated preference (solicited after the
announcement of the finalist class), recommendations from the eligible Sea Grant program
Director and independent reviewers, as well as the selection factors.
VI. Award Administration Information
A. Award Notices
The notice of award is signed by the NOAA Grants Officer and is the authorizing
document. The National Sea Grant Office (NSGO) will notify each unsuccessful applicant
by informing the eligible Sea Grant Program Director through which the application was
submitted in writing via e-mail. The state Sea Grant Programs will, in turn, formally notify
each unsuccessful applicant and forward the summary comments provided by the NSGO.
B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
(1) Department of Commerce Pre-Award Notification Requirements For Grants And
Cooperative Agreements - The Department of Commerce Pre-Award Notification
Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements contained in the Federal Register
notice of December 30, 2014 (79 FR 78390) are applicable to this solicitation and may be
accessed online at https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2014-12-30/pdf/2014-30297.pdf.
(2) Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements Through 2 C.F.R. § 1327.101, the Department of Commerce adopted Uniform
Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards
at 2 C.F.R. Part 200, which apply to awards in this program. Refer to http://go.usa.gov/SBYh
and http://go.usa.gov/SBg4.
(3) Department of Commerce Terms and Conditions - Successful applicants who accept a
NOAA award under this solicitation will be bound by Department of Commerce Financial
Assistance Standard Terms and Conditions. This document will be provided in the award
package in NOAA’s Grants Online system at
https://grantsonline.rdc.noaa.gov/flows/home/Login/LoginController.jpf and is also available

Notice of Federal Funding

Page 16 of 19

at https://www.osec.doc.gov/oam/grants_management/policy/default.htm.
(4) Limitation of Liability - Funding for programs listed in this notice is contingent upon the
availability of appropriations. Applicants are hereby given notice that funds may not have
been appropriated yet for the programs listed in this notice. In no event will NOAA or the
Department of Commerce be responsible for proposal preparation costs. Publication of this
announcement does not oblige NOAA to award any specific project or to obligate any
available funds.
(5) Unpaid or Delinquent Tax Liability - In accordance with Section 523 of Division B and
Sections 744 and 745 of Division E of the Consolidated and Further Continuing
Appropriations Act, 2015 (Pub. L. 113-235) or a future public law, an authorized
representative of the selected applicant(s) will be required to provide certain pre-award
representations regarding federal felony and federal criminal tax convictions, unpaid federal
tax assessments, and delinquent federal tax returns. The form must be completed and
submitted with grant applications for: (a) all for-profit and non-profit organization applicants
(Part I, and if required, Part II); and (b) all non-Federal entity applicants anticipating receipt
of $5 million or more in the current Federal Fiscal Year appropriated funding (Part II only).
The form can be found at
https://www.osec.doc.gov/oam/grants_management/policy/documents/FAM%20201501.pdf.
(6) Review of Risk - After Applications are proposed for funding by the Selecting Official,
the Grants Office will perform administrative reviews, including an assessment of risk posed
by the applicant under 2 C.F.R. 200.205. These may include assessments of the financial
stability of an applicant and the quality of the applicant’s management systems, history of
performance, and the applicant’s ability to effectively implement statutory, regulatory, or
other requirements imposed on non-Federal entities. Special conditions that address any risks
determined to exist may be applied. Applicants may submit comments to the Federal
Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS) about any information
included in the system about their organization for consideration by the awarding agency.
(7) Minority Serving Institutions - The Department of Commerce National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (DOC NOAA) is strongly committed to increasing the
participation of Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), i.e., Historically Black Colleges and
Universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribal colleges and universities, Alaskan Native
and Native Hawaiian institutions, and institutions that work in underserved communities.
(8) Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) - In the event that an Application contains

Notice of Federal Funding

Page 17 of 19

information or data that you do not want disclosed prior to award for purposes other than the
evaluation of the Application, mark each page containing such information or data with the
words "Privileged, Confidential, Commercial, or Financial Information - Limited Use" at the
top of the page to assist NOAA in making disclosure determinations. DOC regulations
implementing the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C 552, are found at 15 C.F.R.
Part 4, which sets forth rules for DOC to make requested materials, information, and records
publicly available under FOIA. The contents of funded Applications may be subject to
requests for release under the FOIA. Based on the information provided by the applicant, the
confidentiality of the content of funded Applications will be maintained to the maximum
extent permitted by law.
(9) NOAA Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Prevention and Response Policy - If
NOAA-operated, leased, or owned facilities are involved in any awards funded under this
announcement, such awards are subject to the NOAA Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment
Prevention and Response Policy Applicable to Financial Assistance Awards Involving
NOAA-Operated Facilities (May 2018) found at:
https://www.noaa.gov/organization/acquisition-grants/noaa-workplace-harassment-trainingfor-contractors-and-financial
C. Reporting
Project progress reports are due on a semi-annual basis. Sea Grant programs must submit
all reports to the NOAA Grants Office via Grants Online. Fellows must submit via email a
mid-year and a final performance report (summary of accomplishments and activities) to
their Sea Grant program. Fellows must submit their mid-year report to their home Sea Grant
program no later than six months from the start of the fellowship. Fellows must submit their
final report to their home Sea Grant program by the last day of the fellowship. The Sea Grant
program must then submit the mid-year progress to the NOAA Grants Office no later than
30 days following the end of the first six month period from the start date of the original
award. The Sea Grant program must submit a comprehensive final project progress report to
the NOAA Grants Office within 90 days after the award expiration date. The final project
progress report will include the last interim reporting period. All performance reports must
use the Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) format.
The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (31 U.S.C. 6101 note) includes a
requirement for awardees of applicable Federal grants to report information about first-tier
subawards and executive compensation under Federal assistance awards. All awardees of
applicable grants and cooperative agreements are required to report to the Federal Sub-award
Reporting System (FSRS) available at https://www.fsrs.gov/ on all sub-awards over $25,000.
Refer to 2 CFR Parts 170.

Notice of Federal Funding

Page 18 of 19

VII. Agency Contacts
Contact the Sea Grant Knauss Fellowship Program Manager, National Sea Grant
College Program, 1315 East-West Highway, R/SG, Room 11861, Silver Spring, MD 20910;
Tel: (240) 507-3712; E-mail: [email protected]
VIII. Other Information
Recipients are required to use the National Sea Grant Planning Implementation and
Evaluation Reporting (PIER) project database to communicate with the National Sea Grant
Office on activities relating to this award. This includes tracking progress and impacts, in
addition to performance metrics.
Once the applicants have been selected, Programs will need to provide the information
requested in the Sea Grant 90-2 into the PIER project database. Once the project is approved
and funded, that information will be publicly available and searchable on the National Sea
Grant College Program public website (http://seagrant.noaa.gov).
The grant Application and final report of all funded grants are public documents, except for
privileged information or material that is personal, proprietary or otherwise exempt from
disclosure under law. Appropriate labeling in the application will aid identification of what
may be specifically exempt.
The applicant acknowledges and understands that information and data contained in
applications for financial assistance, as well as information and data contained in financial,
performance and other reports submitted by applicants, may be used by the Department of
Commerce in conducting reviews and evaluations of its financial assistance programs. For
this purpose, applicant information and data may be accessed, reviewed and evaluated by
Department of Commerce employees, other Federal employees, and also by Federal agents
and contractors, and/or by non-Federal personnel, all of whom enter into appropriate conflict
of interest and confidentiality agreements covering the use of such information. As may be
provided in the terms and conditions of a specific financial assistance award, applicants are
expected to support program reviews and evaluations by submitting required financial and
performance information and data in an accurate and timely manner, and by cooperating
with Department of Commerce and external program evaluators. In accordance with 2
C.F.R. § 200.303(e), applicants are reminded that they must take reasonable measures to
safeguard protected personally identifiable information and other confidential or sensitive
personal or business information created or obtained in connection with a Department of
Commerce financial assistance award.

Notice of Federal Funding

Page 19 of 19

In addition, Department of Commerce regulations implementing the Freedom of Information
Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. Sec. 552, are found at 15 C.F.R. Part 4, Public Information. These
regulations set forth rules for the Department regarding making requested materials,
information, and records publicly available under the FOIA. Applications submitted in
response to this Notice of Funding Opportunity may be subject to requests for release under
the Act. In the event that an application contains information or data that the applicant deems
to be confidential commercial information that should be exempt from disclosure under
FOIA, that information should be identified, bracketed, and marked as Privileged,
Confidential, Commercial or Financial Information. In accordance with 15 CFR § 4.9, the
Department of Commerce will protect from disclosure confidential business information
contained in financial assistance applications and other documentation provided by
applicants to the extent permitted by law.