Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS)

 

To support projects aimed at the development and sustainability of a national and international integrated ocean observing system designed to collect, monitor and disseminate marine environment data in an interoperable, reliable, timely and user-specified manner by leveraging federal, regional and private-sector partnerships.

General information about this opportunity
Last Known Status
Active
Program Number
11.012
Federal Agency/Office
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce
Type(s) of Assistance Offered
B - Project Grants
Program Accomplishments
Fiscal Year 2016 IOOS completed a programmatic environmental assessment (PEA) of the observing activities regularly occurring in the environment as a direct result of cooperative agreements funded by this program. The PEA demonstrates the program’s commitment to fully consider the impacts of NOAA’s proposed actions on the quality of the human environment. The PEA resulted in a Finding of No Significant Impact. IOOS also successfully completed a competition to fund the regional observing systems and sensor evaluation programs. Eleven cooperative agreements were awarded to manage and operate the regional observing systems and one cooperative agreement was awarded to manage and operate the national sensor evaluation program. IOOS released The Ocean Enterprise: A study of U.S. business activity in ocean measurement, observation and forecasting. This study is the first national-level assessment of private sector activity in this critical component of the blue economy, which helps deliver critical safety, economic, and environmental benefits across the board, advancing maritime commerce. Commercial and non-profit activity in this sector has not previously been examined as a stand-alone sector as it is scattered among numerous economic activities. By collecting this information into a single analysis, NOAA and other entities are better able to see opportunities for partnerships and innovation, as well as identifying information gaps.
Fiscal Year 2017 IOOS, along with its federal partners, intends to fund cooperative agreements that continue the development and operation of the regional component of U.S. IOOS, a national sensor and evaluation program, a coastal ocean modeling testbed, marine biodiversity and animal telemetry networks, ocean technology transition and total water efforts.
Fiscal Year 2018 IOOS intends to competitively fund projects for the Coastal Ocean Modeling Testbed, subject to the availability of funds, which advance new or existing solutions that address long standing and emerging coastal modeling, forecast product development, and data management challenges. IOOS will seek to fund projects ÂŹsufficiently mature for evaluation and transition to long term operations, focused on models, tools or products for which there are demonstrated operators and end users.
Fiscal Year 2020 National Oceanographic Partnership Program (NOPP) awarded three new three-year US MBON projects covering the Arctic, northern and southern California Current, Pacific Northwest, Gulf of Maine, and South Florida. These three projects are now addressing specific needs of their collaborating federal, state and foundation partners
Fiscal Year 2021 $520,270 – Funded 2 new awards (Oregon State University and the Gulf of Maine Foundation, Inc.) $1,903,757 – Funded 5 existing project. Univ. of S. MS - Integral Consulting developed some of the cloud-based data processing and transfer to GCOOS, which is a YR2, Q4 milestone in the milestone schedule. Univ. of WA. (PI: Carter) – ASVCO2 build documentation and assembly instructions were finalized and shared with partners through GitHub. WHOI - finalized data collection at the 13 MHz GAIL site in southern RI in view of the BI wind farm.
Fiscal Year 2022 $2,818,861 – Funded 7 existing projects. Univ. of DE - obtained the first prototype CTD tag. SECOORA - Operationalize the WebCAT system to a national webcam data management network.
Fiscal Year 2023 $10,394,500 – Funded 14 BIL Provisions 3, 11 & 12 projects. $2,872,238 – Funded 7 IRA awards. $9,322,000 – Funded 5 Congressional-mandated earmarks
Fiscal Year 2024 FY24 - $72,000,000 for 41 new COMT, Marine Life, IRA, BIL, DMAC, OTT, DRA projects will be available from the U.S. IOOS Office. Multiple awards are anticipated, subject to availability of funds
Authorization
Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System Act of 2009, 33 U.S.C 3601-3610., 33 U.S.C. 3601-3610
This bill reauthorizes through FY2025 and revises the Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System (IOOS), which is a network of federal and regional entities that provide information about the nation's coasts, oceans, and Great Lakes, as well as new tools and forecasts to improve safety, enhance the economy, and protect the environment. The bill revises the authority of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to conduct scientific assessments related to storms, including to (1) direct NOAA to seek public input before the Named Storm Event Model (the official meteorological and oceanographic computerized model which utilizes data to replicate the magnitude, timing, and spatial variations of winds, rainfall, and storm surges associated with named storms for which post-storm assessments are conducted) takes effect, and (2) allow NOAA to deploy sensors to areas in coastal states that are at the highest risk of experiencing geophysical events that would cause indeterminate losses. The bill provides statutory authority for NOAA's National Water Center. (The center currently exists at NOAA as the research and operational center of excellence for hydrologic analyses, forecasting, and related decision support services.)
Who is eligible to apply/benefit from this assistance?
Applicant Eligibility
Organizations and individuals with professional expertise in the sciences, engineering and economics that demonstrate how participation in the IOOS effort builds on and furthers the progress of observing system development funded by this agency.
Beneficiary Eligibility
Organizations and individuals with professional expertise in the sciences, engineering and economics that demonstrate how participation in the IOOS effort builds on and furthers the progress of observing system development funded by this agency.
Credentials/Documentation
Proposals with statements of work and estimated budgets. Costs will be determined in accordance with 2 CFR 200, Subpart E - Cost Principles
What is the process for applying and being award this assistance?
Pre-Application Procedure
Preapplication coordination is required. An environmental impact statement is required for this listing. This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review. This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs."An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review." If 'No' is selected: "This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372
Application Procedure
2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. Full proposals must be received no later than 11:59 PM Eastern on Tuesday, January 17, 2023. Applications received after this deadline will not be considered for funding. For applications submitted through www.Grants.gov a date and time receipt indication is included and will be the basis of determining timeliness. Hard copy submissions will not be accepted. Faxed or emailed copies of applications will not be accepted. Letters of Intent (LOI) are highly recommended but not required. The requested letters of intent (LOI) should be submitted via this Google Form. The form and must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, October 21, 2022. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/ e/1FAIpQLSe28vkcZBwmndTsNxofgTCpbNmPmhiagDAWqnbyoNPRLEj7bg/viewform(Copy and paste this link into your web browser.)
Award Procedure
The Selecting Official(s) will consider the rank order of proposals against the selection factors. The Selecting Official shall award in the rank order unless the proposal is justified to be selected out of rank order based upon one or more of the selection factors. The Selecting Official or designee may negotiate the funding level of the proposal.
Deadlines
Contact the headquarters or regional location, as appropriate for application deadlines
Approval/Disapproval Decision Time
Approximately 210 to 240 days after the proposal submission deadline.
Appeals
Not applicable.
Renewals
Extension requests will be considered by the federal program office only if the recipient has submitted all required performance reports. At least sixty days prior to the end of the award, recipients must discuss with their federal program officer expected reprogramming and extensions requests. After preliminary negotiation on proposed projects and extensions, formal written reprogramming and extension requests should be received by the federal program office 45 days prior to the end date of the award. The federal program office will not recommend approval for any retroactive extension request (received after the end date of the award). Recipients should make every effort to submit one extension request for all projects needing an extension (when possible, multiple extension requests should be avoided). With sufficient justification, the federal program office will recommend approval of a six-month extension for the first extension request. First time or cumulative extension requests for more than six months but less than 12 months, will need more compelling justification as to why the project was not completed on time or could not be completed within the first six-month extension. Although the federal program office discourages extensions of more than 12 months, the federal program office will recommend approval in cases where the funds are already obligated. Renewal of an award to increase funding or extend the period of performance is at the total discretion of the Department.
How are proposals selected?
An initial administrative screening is conducted to determine compliance with requirements and completeness. The merit review process will then be conducted by the National Oceanographic Partnership Program (NOPP) sponsors and support team with input from the funding agencies and other interested NOPP agencies. All proposals will be evaluated and individually scored in accordance with the assigned weights of the above evaluation criteria by at least three independent peer evaluations. The merit review ratings are used to produce a rank order of the proposals.
How may assistance be used?
IOOS is working to link national and regional observations, data management and modeling to provide required data and information on local to global scales. Assistance will be used to deliver the data and information needed to increase understanding of our oceans, coasts and great lakes, so decision makers can take action to improve safety, enhance the economy, and protect the environment. Uses will be in the following areas (1) Observations; (2) Data Management; (3) Modeling; (4) Research and Development; and (5) Education and Outreach.
What are the requirements after being awarded this opportunity?
Reporting
Not applicable.
Auditing
In accordance with the provisions of 2 CFR 200, Subpart F - Audit Requirements," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $750,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program- specific audit conducted for that year. Non-Federal entities that expend less than $750,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in 2 CFR 200.503.
Records
Records will be retained in accordance with 2 CFR 200
Other Assistance Considerations
Formula and Matching Requirements
Statutory formula is not applicable to this assistance listing.

Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
Support for projects may be provided for periods up to 5 years in annual increments. See the following for information on how assistance is awarded/released: Funds are released as required and agreed to in the Standard Terms and Conditions document applicable to each grant.
Who do I contact about this opportunity?
Regional or Local Office
Carl Gouldman, Deputy Director, NOAA Integrated Ocean Observing System Program, 1315 East West Highway, 2nd Floor, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Telephone: (240) 533-9456 Debra Esty, Federal Program Officer, NOAA Integrated Ocean Observing System Program, 1315 East West Highway, 2nd Floor, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Telephone: (240) 533-9468 Main Line and General Inquiries, NOAA Integrated Ocean Observing System Program, 1315 East West Highway, 2nd Floor, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Telephone: (240) 533-9444
Headquarters Office
Carl Gouldman
1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910
Silver Spring, MD 20910 US
carl.gouldman@noaa.gov
Phone: (240) 533-9454
Website Address
http://www.ioos.noaa.gov/
Financial Information
Account Identification
13-1450-0-1-306
Obligations
(Project Grants) FY 22$2,818,861.00; FY 23 est $22,588,738.00; FY 24 est $72,000,000.00; FY 21$5,061,614.00; FY 20$280,033.00; FY 18 est $30,394,973.00; FY 17 est $30,394,973.00; FY 16$29,177,929.00; -
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
Estimate not available
Regulations, Guidelines and Literature
Allowable costs will be determined in accordance with 2 CFR 200. Further guidelines are outlined in Department Administrative Order 203-36, dated May 15, 1985 (Department of Commerce Grants Administration) and also the NOAA Grants and Cooperative Agreement Policy Manual.
Examples of Funded Projects
Fiscal Year 2016 Fiscal Year 2016: IOOS awarded eleven competitively selected awards to continue the implementation and development of regional coastal ocean observing systems. IOOS expects successful awardees to serve as a Regional Association responsible for operating the Regional Coastal Observing System. IOOS awarded one competitively selected award to continue progress in the area of verification and validation of observing technologies for studying and monitoring coastal and ocean environments.
Fiscal Year 2017 Fiscal Year 2017: IOOS intends to continue funding the implementation and development of regional coastal ocean observing systems, national sensor and evaluation efforts, coastal ocean modeling testbeds, marine biodiversity and animal telemetry networks and ocean technology transition projects.
Fiscal Year 2022 FY 2022 - $2,818,861 for 7 existing projects.
Fiscal Year 2023 During FY 2023 – 2023 $26,028,437 was awarded to 31 projects.
Fiscal Year 2024 FY24 - $72,000,000 for 41 new COMT, Marine Life, IRA, BIL, DMAC, OTT, DRA projects will be available from the U.S. IOOS Office. Multiple awards are anticipated, subject to availability of funds