Opportunity Information: Apply for NOAA NMFS SE 2015 2004136
Apply for NOAA NMFS SE 2015 2004136
- The Department of Commerce in the environment science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cooperative Research Program (CRP)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 11.454 Unallied Management Projects.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jun 22, 2014 and posted on Jun 22, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 2, 2014. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $2,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $300,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 8 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- Eligible applicants may be institutions of higher education, nonprofits, commercial organizations, individuals, and state, local, and Indian tribal governments. Federal agencies or institutions are not eligible. Foreign governments, organizations under the jurisdiction of foreign governments, and international organizations are excluded for purposes of this solicitation since the objective of the CRP is to optimize research and development benefits from U.S. marine fishery resources. Applicants who are not commercial or recreational fisherman must have commercial or recreational fishermen participating in their project. There must be a written agreement with a fisherman describing the involvement in the project activity and the estimated dollar amount to be provided to that fisherman in compensation for his involvement.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Cooperative Research Program (CRP) is a competitive federal funding opportunity run by the Department of Commerce through NOAA and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). Its core purpose is to strengthen real, working partnerships between fisheries scientists and the people who are on the water every day. In practical terms, CRP funds projects that bring together NMFS researchers, state fishery agencies, universities, and the U.S. fishing industry (both commercial and recreational) to collect and improve the kinds of baseline fisheries data that are used to shape management decisions and regulatory options. The program is explicitly framed around NOAA's broader mission to protect, restore, and manage coastal and ocean resources using an ecosystem approach to management, meaning it is not just about single-species questions but also about improving the overall knowledge needed for responsible, science-based fisheries governance.
Geographically, the CRP is focused on three major regions: the Gulf of Mexico (Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas), the South Atlantic (Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia), and the U.S. Caribbean (U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico). Projects are expected to be relevant to fisheries in these areas and to meaningfully integrate fishermen into the research process. A defining feature of this opportunity is that it treats fishermen as active partners in gathering fundamental information, rather than as passive stakeholders who are consulted after the fact. That emphasis usually translates into research designs where fishermen help with sampling, data collection at sea, gear or methods testing, observational data gathering, or other field activities that directly feed into stock assessments, monitoring programs, or evaluations of management measures.
This opportunity was offered as a discretionary grant competition, with awards made using a cooperative agreement mechanism. Cooperative agreements generally indicate a more hands-on federal role compared with standard grants, often involving ongoing collaboration, substantial involvement, or coordinated activities with the agency during the project period. The funding activity category is Environment, Science and Technology, and other Research and Development, reflecting its applied research focus. NOAA anticipated making about eight awards under this announcement, with an estimated total funding amount of $2,000,000. Individual project budgets could range from a floor of $25,000 up to a ceiling of $300,000. There was no cost sharing or matching requirement, which lowers the barrier for applicants who may not have separate funds to contribute.
Eligibility was intentionally broad but came with specific conditions tied to the program's cooperative intent. Eligible applicants could include institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, commercial organizations, individuals, and state, local, and federally recognized tribal governments. Federal agencies and federal institutions were not eligible to apply, and foreign governments, foreign-government-controlled organizations, and international organizations were excluded because the solicitation is aimed at maximizing research and development benefits from U.S. marine fishery resources. A key requirement is that if the applicant is not a commercial or recreational fisherman, then commercial or recreational fishermen must still be active participants in the proposed project. This is not meant to be a symbolic role; the solicitation requires a written agreement with a fisherman that describes how the fisherman will be involved and specifies the estimated dollar amount that will be paid to the fisherman as compensation for that involvement. That condition signals that the program expects applicants to budget appropriately for fishermen's time, vessel use, labor, and operational costs, and to define roles clearly enough that the collaboration is real and auditable.
From a timeline and administrative standpoint, the funding opportunity number is NOAA NMFS SE 2015 2004136, and the title is Cooperative Research Program (CRP). It was posted and created on June 22, 2014, with an original and current closing date of September 2, 2014, and an archive date of October 2, 2014. The CFDA number listed is 11.454, identified as Unallied Management Projects. For applicants who needed help accessing the full announcement, the contact listed was Dax Ruiz in the State/Federal Liaison Branch, reachable by phone at 727-824-5324.
Overall, CRP is designed to fund applied fisheries research that is both scientifically useful and operationally grounded, with a clear expectation that fishermen are not just beneficiaries but direct contributors to the work. The strongest projects under a program like this tend to be those that pair credible research leadership (for example, a university lab or state agency science team) with well-defined at-sea participation by fishermen, producing data products that managers can actually use when evaluating stock status, monitoring trends, or considering changes to regulations.
Cooperative Research Program (CRP) Grant - FAQs
What is the Cooperative Research Program (CRP)?
The Cooperative Research Program (CRP) is a competitive federal funding opportunity run by the U.S. Department of Commerce through NOAA and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). It supports applied fisheries research projects that improve baseline fisheries data used in management decisions and regulatory options, with a clear emphasis on real collaboration between fisheries scientists and fishermen.
What is the main goal of CRP funding?
CRP funding is intended to strengthen working partnerships among NMFS researchers, state fishery agencies, universities, and the U.S. fishing industry (commercial and recreational) to collect and improve baseline fisheries data that inform fisheries management.
What kinds of projects does CRP support?
CRP supports applied research and data-collection projects that are operationally grounded and directly useful for fisheries governance. Examples of activities described in the opportunity include sampling and data collection at sea, gear or methods testing, observational data gathering, and other field work that feeds into stock assessments, monitoring programs, or evaluations of management measures.
How does CRP expect fishermen to be involved?
A defining expectation is that fishermen are active partners in the research process rather than being consulted only after decisions are made. This typically means fishermen participate directly in field activities such as at-sea sampling, collecting observational data, testing gear or methods, or otherwise contributing to data products used for management.
Is fishermen participation required even if the applicant is not a fisherman?
Yes. If the applicant is not a commercial or recreational fisherman, commercial or recreational fishermen must still be active participants in the proposed project.
Is a written agreement with a fisherman required?
Yes. The solicitation requires a written agreement with a fisherman that describes how the fisherman will be involved and specifies the estimated dollar amount that will be paid to the fisherman as compensation for that involvement.
Does CRP require applicants to compensate fishermen?
Yes. The written agreement must specify the estimated dollar amount to be paid to the fisherman, signaling that applicants are expected to budget for fishermen involvement (such as time, vessel use, labor, and operational costs) and define roles clearly.
What regions are eligible or targeted by this program?
CRP is focused on three regions: the Gulf of Mexico (Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas), the South Atlantic (Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia), and the U.S. Caribbean (U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico). Projects are expected to be relevant to fisheries in these areas.
Which states and territories are included in the Gulf of Mexico focus area?
The Gulf of Mexico focus area includes Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas.
Which states are included in the South Atlantic focus area?
The South Atlantic focus area includes Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.
Which jurisdictions are included in the U.S. Caribbean focus area?
The U.S. Caribbean focus area includes the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
What is meant by NOAA's "ecosystem approach to management" in this opportunity?
The opportunity is framed around NOAA's broader mission to protect, restore, and manage coastal and ocean resources using an ecosystem approach to management. In this context, that means the program is not limited to single-species questions and is also focused on improving overall knowledge needed for responsible, science-based fisheries governance.
What agency is offering and administering the program?
The program is run by the Department of Commerce through NOAA and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS).
What type of funding mechanism is used (grant vs. cooperative agreement)?
Awards were made using a cooperative agreement mechanism. Cooperative agreements generally indicate a more hands-on federal role than a standard grant, often involving ongoing collaboration, substantial involvement, or coordinated activities with the agency during the project period.
What is the funding activity category for this opportunity?
The funding activity category is Environment, Science and Technology, and other Research and Development, reflecting the applied research focus of CRP.
How many awards did NOAA anticipate making?
NOAA anticipated making about eight awards under this announcement.
What was the estimated total funding available?
The estimated total funding amount was $2,000,000.
What is the minimum and maximum project budget allowed?
Individual project budgets could range from $25,000 (minimum) to $300,000 (maximum).
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. There was no cost sharing or matching requirement.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants could include institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, commercial organizations, individuals, and state, local, and federally recognized tribal governments (with additional participation requirements related to fishermen involvement as described in the solicitation).
Who was not eligible to apply?
Federal agencies and federal institutions were not eligible to apply. Foreign governments, foreign-government-controlled organizations, and international organizations were also excluded, since the solicitation is aimed at maximizing research and development benefits from U.S. marine fishery resources.
Are federal agencies allowed to apply for CRP?
No. Federal agencies and federal institutions were not eligible to apply.
Are foreign or international organizations eligible?
No. Foreign governments, foreign-government-controlled organizations, and international organizations were excluded under this solicitation.
Why does the program exclude foreign governments and international organizations?
Based on the solicitation description, the program is aimed at maximizing research and development benefits from U.S. marine fishery resources, which is why those categories of applicants were excluded.
What is the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity number is NOAA NMFS SE 2015 2004136.
What is the official title of the opportunity?
The title is Cooperative Research Program (CRP).
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA number listed is 11.454, identified as Unallied Management Projects.
When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?
It was posted and created on June 22, 2014. The original and current closing date was September 2, 2014.
When was the opportunity archived?
The archive date was October 2, 2014.
Who was the listed point of contact for applicants needing help accessing the full announcement?
The contact listed was Dax Ruiz in the State/Federal Liaison Branch.
What is the contact phone number provided in the opportunity?
The phone number provided for Dax Ruiz was 727-824-5324.
What makes a CRP project "strong" based on the opportunity description?
The description indicates that stronger projects tend to pair credible research leadership (for example, a university lab or a state agency science team) with well-defined at-sea participation by fishermen, producing data products that managers can use when evaluating stock status, monitoring trends, or considering changes to regulations.
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