FY2025 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) - NOAA Fisheries Citizen Science Funding Opportunity | NOAA NMFS FHQ 2025 26515

FAQs: FY2025 IRA - NOAA Fisheries Citizen Science Funding Opportunity (NMFS)

What is this funding opportunity?

This is a NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) discretionary funding program that supports well-designed citizen science projects intended to strengthen fisheries science. The practical aim is to generate credible, usable information that improves federal fisheries stock assessments and supports climate-ready fisheries management.

What does NOAA mean by "citizen science" for this opportunity?

For this program, "citizen science" refers to members of the public, fishing communities, or organizations voluntarily participating in one or more parts of the scientific process. Examples include collecting observations, documenting catches, reporting environmental conditions, helping validate datasets, and contributing local knowledge in a structured way.

What types of project outcomes does NOAA prioritize?

NOAA prioritizes projects that produce data or insights that directly supplement and/or inform federal fisheries stock assessments, and/or that improve understanding of how climate change is affecting fish stocks and fishing communities now and in the future.

Are there limits on which fisheries species or stocks can be studied?

Yes. The fishery species and stocks targeted by the project must be within a federal Fishery Management Plan (FMP). This is a key boundary condition for eligibility of the work.

How can applicants confirm whether a stock is eligible under this program?

NOAA points applicants to the Fishery Stock Status Updates, specifically the stock status tables A-G (updated quarterly), as the reference for eligible stocks and how they are tracked.

How much total funding is expected to be available for FY2025?

Total funding across all selected projects is expected to be about $600,000 for FY2025.

What is the maximum award amount per project?

The award ceiling is $200,000 per individual award, so proposals should be sized to fit within that cap.

Will NOAA likely fund more than one project?

Because the overall expected funding is about $600,000 and individual awards may be up to $200,000, multiple projects may be supported (depending on award sizes and selections).

What type of funding instrument will be used?

Funding will be provided through a cooperative agreement.

What does a cooperative agreement imply about NOAA's role during the project?

A cooperative agreement generally indicates NOAA expects substantial involvement during the project period. Examples mentioned include coordination on methods, data standards, integration with assessment needs, and/or dissemination.

What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?

The opportunity is listed under CFDA 11.472.

What broad activity areas does this opportunity fall under?

It falls under environment, natural resources, science and technology, and other research and development activity categories.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is broad and includes: individuals; public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)); for-profit organizations (including small businesses); and state, local, territorial, and federally recognized tribal governments (as well as certain tribal organizations). Foreign public entities and foreign organizations are also named as eligible in the narrative description.

Who is not eligible to apply?

Federal agencies and federal instrumentalities are explicitly not eligible to receive funding under this notice.

Does NOAA emphasize equity and inclusion for this opportunity?

Yes. NOAA highlights a strong commitment to broadening participation from historically Black colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, tribal colleges and universities, institutions working in underserved areas, and Indigenous communities more broadly.

What is the application deadline?

The listed application deadline is November 4, 2024.

Will late submissions be accepted?

No. NOAA states that late submissions will not be accepted, including cases where delays are caused by registration issues.

Why does NOAA recommend starting preparations early?

NOAA emphasizes early preparation because required registrations can take six weeks or longer.

Which systems must applicants register in before submitting?

Applicants must register in SAM.gov (to obtain a Unique Entity Identifier, or UEI), eRA Commons, and Grants.gov before submitting through Grants.gov.

What registration order does NOAA recommend?

NOAA recommends starting with SAM.gov first. After the UEI is issued, NOAA recommends completing the Grants.gov and eRA Commons registrations in parallel.

How are applications submitted?

Applications are submitted through Grants.gov, after completing the required registrations.

What if an applicant does not have reliable internet access to apply through Grants.gov?

Applicants without reliable internet access are directed to contact the agency points of contact in the NOFO for alternative submission instructions.

What makes a project "competitive" under this opportunity, based on the notice summary?

Competitive projects are likely to clearly connect volunteer-driven data collection or community participation to specific stock assessment or climate-readiness needs. They also typically show how resulting data will be credible and usable (for example, standardized protocols, training, quality assurance/quality control, and data management plans) and demonstrate a realistic pathway for NOAA and partners to integrate the information into assessment and management processes for FMP-managed stocks.

What kinds of citizen science activities are implied as a fit for this program?

Activities implied as a fit include structured collection of observations, catch documentation, environmental condition reporting, dataset validation support, and structured incorporation of local knowledge from fishing communities or the public, as long as the work supports stock assessments and/or climate-ready fisheries management for FMP-managed stocks.

How should applicants think about aligning their project with NOAA assessment needs?

The program description indicates applicants should align citizen science outputs with federal stock assessment and climate-readiness needs, and plan for data standards, quality practices, and data management approaches that make the information credible and usable for integration into NOAA processes.