Deadline: 15 May 2019
The U.S. Department of Commerce is inviting applications for Advanced Aquaculture Collaborative Programs 2019 to support leveraged federal and state partnership that harness the intellectual capacity of the nation’s universities and research institutions to solve problems and generate opportunities in coastal communities.
Sea Grant anticipates at least $9,000,000 will be available to support the establishment of collaborative programs to build the capacity of Sea Grant and its partners to advance aquaculture in areas where a foundation of knowledge and activity currently exists but where significant barriers to sustainable domestic marine and Great Lakes aquaculture remain.
This competition focuses on creating geographic (e.g. region of the country, state vs. federal waters, tropical, Great Lakes or cold-water) or topical (e.g. shellfish, seaweed, finfish, openocean or recirculating systems) collaborative programs that will significantly advance sustainable domestic marine and Great Lakes aquaculture in areas for which a foundation of knowledge and activity currently exists but where significant barriers remain. Barriers to successful aquaculture initiatives are diverse and specific to the topic and geographies. Barriers may include, for example, technical knowledge, extension capacity, permitting clarity, social concerns, business models and workforce development.
Program Priorities
This competition will support proposals that will create aquaculture-focused geographic or topical collaborative programs that are consistent with with Sea Grant’s focus area of Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture (SFA) and the Sea Grant Network 10-year Aquaculture Vision in support of NOAA and Department of Commerce aquaculture goals.
For this competition, geographic or topical collaborative programs include the advancement of sustainable aquaculture practices that serve to increase the production of protein from marine (ocean, coastal and Great Lakes) systems, including traditional and indigenous practices.
Successful applications will address the following:
- Conduct a comprehensive assessment of existing knowledge for the topic and/or geography of focus;
- Involve diverse partnerships and stakeholders (including across sectors and among Sea Grant Programs) in the collaborative program proposed;
- Support critical extension/technology transfer capacity to enhance the synthesis and transfer of past research as well as inform next generation efforts; and
- Advance the topic or geography of focus to the next appropriate phase of development.
Depending on the current status for a particular topic and/or geography, this may include addressing any one or more of the following activities as well as others not specifically listed here:
- Prioritizing and supporting research to remove production barriers or bottlenecks related to disease, genetics and genomics, hatchery seed stock, feed availability, engineering limitations and/or other topics;
- Addressing social, behavioral, economic and/or policy priorities associated with the establishment of environmentally and economically sustainable domestic aquaculture; and/or
- Implementing existing plans to advance aquaculture, which could support and/or form the basis of out-year demonstration projects within the collaborative.
- It is not a priority to fund individual research projects.
Funding Information
- Estimated Total Program Funding: $9,000,000
- Award Ceiling: $1,200,000
- Award Floor: $100,000
Eligibility Criteria
The following entities are eligible to submit to this opportunity:
- Sea Grant College Programs, Sea Grant Institutional Programs, Sea Grant Coherent Area Programs, and the National Sea Grant Law Center. For the remainder of this document, these entities are collectively referred to as “Sea Grant Programs”.
- Other interested entities including: 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, must work with a relevant Sea Grant Program to establish appropriate collaborations.
- 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.
- Sea Grant champions diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) by 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.
- 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, and income, and socioeconomic status types to work with one or more Sea Grant Programs for this opportunity. A Sea Grant Program may submit or participate in more than one proposal.
How to Apply
Applicants can apply online via given website.
For more information, please visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=313199