**All applicants must complete a partnership form before 12:00 PM PST on Tuesday, October 19th, 2021 to help coordinate proposals with California Sea Grant extension personnel. Details are below.
Open to Sea Grant Programs
$4,000,000 total to fund approximately 5-16 projects for up to 3 years
Federal Funding Opportunity: NOAA-OAR-SG-2022-2007053
The National Sea Grant Office anticipates approximately $4,000,000 will be available for research projects and programs that will develop and refine early stage propagation strategies (e.g., reproduction, hatchery, and/or nursery strategies) for aquaculture species (defined below) to supply on-growing operations. Successful proposals will address topical needs (described below) and integrate research and extension. Proposals are sought that will support broad, non-proprietary research to address critical gaps with respect to early stage propagation strategies for aquaculture species; make that information available to U.S. aquaculture businesses; and include Sea Grant aquaculture extension personnel and preferably industry stakeholders. Proposals must include funding (federal or match) for Sea Grant extension personnel as collaborators. Industry stakeholder participation/involvement in projects is strongly encouraged.
Up to $250,000 in federal funds can be requested for individual research projects that address one or more topics relevant to program priorities. Up to $750,000 in federal funds can be requested for projects proposing multi-partner efforts addressing the program priorities. The anticipated start date is July 1, 2022, with projects to be completed no later than June 30, 2025.
This is one of two federal funding opportunities to advance U.S. aquaculture announced by the National Sea Grant College Program.
Webinar
Eligibility
Program Objectives and Priorities
Deadlines
Webinar
The National Sea Grant Office's informational webinar will be on October 15, 2021 at 12:00 PM PST.
Eligibility
Eligible Applicants include: Sea Grant College Programs, Sea Grant Institutional Programs, and Sea Grant Coherent Area Programs.
All applicants must complete a partnership form before 12:00 PM PST on Tuesday, October 19th, 2021 to help coordinate proposals with California Sea Grant extension personnel. Details are below.
- All proposals to this competition must be submitted by a Sea Grant program. A Sea Grant program may submit or participate in more than one proposal. Other interested entities must submit proposals in partnership with and through a relevant Sea Grant Program. This includes: any individual; any public or private corporation, partnership, or other association or entity; or any State, political subdivision of a State, Tribal government or agency or officer thereof.
- Federal agencies and their personnel are not permitted to receive federal funding under this competition; however, federal scientists and other employees can serve as uncompensated partners or co-Principal Investigators on applications. Federal labs and offices can also make available specialized expertise, facilities, or equipment to applicants but cannot be compensated under this competition for their use, nor can the value of such assets be used as match.
All proposals must include adequate funding (Federal or match) for Sea Grant extension personnel (specialists and staff) as collaborators. To help California Sea Grant facilitate collaboration and coordinate its efforts in response to this FFO, those interested in applying with California Sea Grant for this NOFO need to complete the brief partnership form no later than 12:00 PM PST on Tuesday, October 19th, 2021. Due to the short timeline and high interest, our team will not consider requests for partnership outside of submissions via the partnership form by the specified deadline.
After reviewing partnership form submissions, the California Sea Grant (CASG) Aquaculture Team will determine which proposed projects are most appropriate to pursue and follow up with prospective collaborators within a reasonable time before the LOI due date. Priority will be given to proposal ideas which 1) fit with California Sea Grant extension personnel goals and expertise, 2) have a high likelihood of success and contribute to the development of California’s aquaculture industry, 3) have demonstrated expertise, infrastructure, and capacity to study the species of interest, and 4) are aligned with the California Sea Grant Strategic Plan.
In order to develop meaningful collaboration and proposals, the CASG Aquaculture Team anticipates only a small number of proposed ideas will move forward to the LOI and full proposal stage. If you are interested in responding to this funding opportunity with California Sea Grant, please complete the partnership form as soon as possible and at the latest by 12:00 PM PST on Tuesday, October 19th, 2021.
Click to access the form: Partnership Form
Program Objectives and Priorities
Please see the information for this funding opportunity on grants.gov for a full description of the program and evaluation criteria.
Objectives
This competition focuses on research projects and programs that will develop and refine early stage propagation strategies (e.g. reproduction, hatchery, and/or nursery strategies) for aquaculture species, excluding selected marine finfish species (see "Marine Finfish Aquaculture: Juvenile Production Technologies,” NOFO number: NOAA-OAR-SG-2022-2007054), to support on-growing operations.
Strong applications will address program priorities described below and will integrate research and extension. Proposals are sought that support broad, non-proprietary research to develop and refine early stage propagation strategies, such as reproduction, hatchery, and/or nursery strategies, for aquaculture species; make that information available to U.S. coastal and Great Lakes aquaculture businesses; and include Sea Grant aquaculture extension personnel and also preferably industry stakeholders.
Priorities
An essential aspect of production of aquacultured species is a reliable and consistent supply of organisms for on-growing operations. This competition is focused on funding research projects and programs that will advance development and refinement of early stage propagation strategies, such as reproduction, hatchery, and/or nursery strategies, for aquaculture species excluding selected marine finfish species (see above). Aquaculture categories (organisms) eligible for this competition are:
• Microalgae and macroalgae (seaweed)
• Molluscs
• Crustaceans
• Ornamental finfish
• Baitfish
• Finfish species (marine and freshwater) not specified in the concurrent NOFO (NOAAOAR-SG-2022-2007054)
• Misc. invertebrates
The above criteria should lead to the selection of proposals that: 1) address development and refinement of early stage propagation strategies for the production of aquaculture species; 2) demonstrate that the work proposed will meaningfully advance the commercialization of the species being studied; and 3) demonstrate a plan to extend the results of work to industry stakeholders in the U.S. The involvement of industry stakeholders is also strongly encouraged.
See grants.gov for full funding opportunity details.
Deadlines
- October 19th, 2021, 12:00 PM PST - Submit partnership form with proposal idea(s)
- November 16th, 2021, 5:00 PM PST - Notices to submit are due to oar.hq.sg.aquaculture@noaa.gov and copy sgproposal@ucsd.edu
- January 18th, 2022, 5:00 PM PST - Internal deadline for full proposals
- February 3rd, 2022, 8:59 PM PST - Applications are due to Grants.gov
