FY23 Bluefin Tuna Research Program | NOAA NMFS SE 2023 2007495

Opportunity Information: Apply for NOAA NMFS SE 2023 2007495

The FY23 Bluefin Tuna Research Program is a NOAA/NMFS discretionary funding opportunity designed to strengthen science-based management of Atlantic bluefin tuna by filling key gaps in what managers and scientists know about the species and the fisheries that harvest it. The central aim is to improve the scientific foundation used to make management decisions, with a strong emphasis on understanding how bluefin tuna move and mix between the eastern and western Atlantic populations. That movement and mixing is a major source of uncertainty for stock assessment and international management, so projects that clarify when, where, and how fish from different population components overlap can directly improve the quality of advice provided to decision-makers.

This program is positioned as part of a larger international effort coordinated through the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). Because the United States is a Contracting Party to ICCAT, NOAA is using this competition to support research that contributes to a multi-year, collaborative Atlantic bluefin tuna research agenda shared among ICCAT members and partners. The opportunity explicitly encourages proposals that connect with the ICCAT Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Research Program and that demonstrate active collaboration with other ICCAT partners, signaling that competitive applications will likely be those that integrate well with ongoing international research priorities, data streams, or coordinated field efforts.

Funding is offered through a cooperative agreement, which typically means the agency expects substantial involvement beyond simply issuing a check, such as coordination on project goals, methods, reporting, or integration of results into broader program objectives. The opportunity falls under CFDA 11.472 and sits in the Environment, Natural Resources, Science and Technology, and other Research and Development activity category. The awarding agency is the Department of Commerce, via NOAA Fisheries (NMFS), and the specific opportunity number is NOAA NMFS SE 2023 2007495.

In terms of scale, the program lists an award ceiling of $300,000 and anticipates making around five awards. That implies a relatively targeted set of projects rather than a large portfolio, and it suggests applicants should propose focused, high-impact work products that can credibly advance understanding of bluefin tuna biology and fishery dynamics within the project period and budget. The announcement was created July 22, 2022, with an original closing date of October 28, 2022.

Eligibility is broad and includes state, county, and local governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments; nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)); individuals; for-profit organizations (including small businesses and other for-profits). This wide eligibility pool indicates NOAA is open to proposals from academic researchers, governmental science programs, NGOs, industry-affiliated research groups, and independent investigators, as long as the proposed work aligns with the program objective and can contribute meaningfully to ICCAT-relevant science needs.

Overall, the opportunity is best understood as a mechanism for funding research that reduces uncertainty in Atlantic bluefin tuna management, particularly uncertainty tied to stock structure, population mixing, and movements across the Atlantic. Applications that are clearly connected to ICCAT priorities, demonstrate real collaboration (not just informal coordination), and produce outputs that can be used in assessments and management discussions are strongly aligned with what the program description signals it is trying to accomplish.

• 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 "FY23 Bluefin Tuna Research Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 11.472.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jul 22, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Oct 28, 2022. (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 $300,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Individuals, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses.

Apply for NOAA NMFS SE 2023 2007495

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