Deadline: 29-Sep-22
The Department of Commerce has announced an open call for the National Sea Grant Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) Marine Debris Challenge Competition to support leveraged 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.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) works through 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).
This competition will fund proposals that invest in transformative marine debris research to application (R2A) projects that will show clear and measurable outcomes and applications for marine debris prevention and removal. Projects should have a clear pathway for research or ideas to transition into application, operation, or commercialization by relevant stakeholders, and have the potential for long-term utilization.
Topics
Proposal topics should support priorities laid out in relevant documents, such as the NAS 2021 report, relevant regional marine debris action plans, strategic plans, and/or other documents, such as:
- Development of innovative removal and/or interception technologies and reusable systems that prevent debris from entering the marine environment.
- Innovative solutions for mitigation and clean-up of derelict fishing gear and ghost gear.
- Microplastics and nanoplastics.
- Mitigation of the effects of microplastics and nanoplastics on human health and marine biota (including residence time, digestive degradation, and ingestion and excretion rates).
- Detection methods for microplastics and nanoplastics in products, organisms, and/or the environment.
- Improvements to wastewater treatment that eliminate microplastics and nanoplastics from effluent and sludge.
- Mitigation of the impacts of plastics in food webs (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 2021. Reckoning with the U.S. Role in Global Ocean Plastic Waste).
Funding Information
- Estimated Total Program Funding: $16,000,000
- Award Ceiling: $3,000,000
- Award Floor: $1,000,000
- The anticipated start date is January 1, 2023, with projects to be completed by December 31, 2025
Eligibility Criteria
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The following entities are eligible to submit to this opportunity:
- Sea Grant College Programs,
- Sea Grant Institutional Programs, and
- Sea Grant Coherent Area Programs.
- 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.
- Please note that it is not a requirement that investigators, including the PI, are part of a Sea Grant program; however proposals must be submitted with and through a Sea Grant program.
- 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.
- The National Sea Grant College Program champions diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and accessibility (DEIJA) by recruiting, retaining, and preparing a diverse workforce, and proactively engaging and serving the diverse populations of coastal communities.
- They 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, income, and socioeconomic status types to apply for this opportunity.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=341548