Marine Sanctuary Program (11.429)

Program

11.429 Marine Sanctuary Program

Federal Agency

Agency: Department of Commerce
Office: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

Authorization

Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act of 1972, Title 3, Public Law 92-532, 16 U.S.C 1431, as amended by Marine Sanctuaries Amendments of 1988, Public Law 100-627, as amended by Marine Sanctuaries Amendments of 1984, Public Law 98-498, as amended by National Marine Sanctuaries Program Amendments Act of 1992, Public Law 102-587; National Marine Sanctuaries Amendments Act of 2000, Public Law 106-513; National Marine Sanctuaries Preservation Act of 1996 , Public Law 104-283.

Program Number

11.429

Last Known Status

Active

Objectives

To identify areas of the marine environment of special national significance due to their resource or human-use values; to provide authority for comprehensive and coordinated conservation and management of these marine areas that will complement existing regulatory authorities; to support, promote, and coordinate scientific research on, and monitoring of, the resources of these marine areas; to enhance public awareness, understanding, appreciation, and wise use of the marine environment; and to facilitate, to the extent compatible with the primary objective of resource protection, all public and private uses of the resources of these marine areas not prohibited pursuant to other authorities; and to support organizations that provide environment-based education to students, teachers and communities.

Types of Assistance

PROJECT GRANTS

Uses and Use Restrictions

Cooperative agreements are entered into for the purpose of conducting research and educational programs; for the solicitation of private donations for the support of such activities in the Marine sanctuary system; to conduct enforcement activities at Marine sanctuary sites; and for other activities to carry out the purposes of the National Marine Sanctuaries Act. Scholarships are provided for masters and doctorate level studies particularly by women and minorities who are pursuing degrees in Marine Biology, Maritime Archaeology and Oceanography.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicant Eligibility

States, local governments, regional agencies, interstate agencies, k-through-12 public and independent schools and school systems, institutions of higher education, commerical and nonprofit organizations, Indian tribal Governments, or other persons. Agreements to solicit private donations may only be made with nonprofit organizations. Scholarships are awarded to individuals who are U.S. citizens and have been admitted to a masters or doctorate program for studies in Marine Biology, Maritime Archaeology, and Oceanography.

Beneficiary Eligibility

Financial assistance is made for a public purpose. The ultimate beneficiary is the public. The scholarship program benefits individuals who do not have the financial means of pursuing graduate level studies and, in turn, ensures that women and minorities are representative in the areas supported by the scholarship program.

Credentials/Documentation

Proposal with statement of work and budget estimate. Costs will be determined in accordance with OMB Circular Nos. A-87 for State and local governments, A-21 for educational institutions and A-122 for nonprofit organizations. OMB Circular No. A-87 applies to this program.

Application and Award Process

Preapplication Coordination

The standard application forms, as furnished by NOAA and required by 15 CFR Part 24, must be used when applying for Federal funding. These forms can be obtained from the NOAA Grants Management Division. Informal preapplication conferences are recommended. Consultation and assistance is available from NOAA in the preparation of an application. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372. For the scholarships to individuals, there is no preapplication requirement. Environmental impact information is not required for this program. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.

Application Procedure

This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-102. OMB Circular No. A-110 applies to this program. Proposals are submitted through Grants.Gov. Applicants will need to enter the Funding Opportunity Number and/or CFDA number to access the application package and instructions. For cooperative agreements and competitive awards, the application package will be submitted directly to the National Marine Sanctuary Program. For scholarships, the application package will be submitted directly to the NOS Office of the assistant Administrator. This program is subject to the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-110, for institutions of higher education and other nonprofit organizations, and with 15 CFR Part 24 for State and local governments. Monterey Bay Watershed Education and Training Program Awards are competitively selected. The application process is described in the annual Federal Register Notice. For the scholarship program, the application process is described in the annual Federal Register Notice.

Award Procedure

The cooperative agreement and competitive grants awards are approved by the National Marine Sanctuary Program. Scholarship awards are approved by NOS Associate Assistant Administrator for Management.

Deadlines

Contact the headquarters or regional office, as appropriate, for application deadlines.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time

From 90 to 120 days. From 90 to 120 days.

Appeals

No formal procedure.

Renewals

The National Marine Sanctuary Program may renew funding for existing grants that were funded in the previous application process. New grants may be awarded pending successful review of a new application package, and adequate progress reports and/or site visits.

Assistance Considerations

Formula and Matching Requirements

This program has no statutory formula.

Matching requirements are not applicable to this program.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this program.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance

Awards are usually made for a 1 year period. Funds are released as required. See the following for information on how assistance is awarded/released: as required.

Post Assistance Requirements

Reports

Program reports are not applicable. Cash reports are not applicable. Progress reports are not applicable. Expenditure reports are not applicable. Financial Status Reports and Performance Reports are required quarterly or semi-annually. For the scholarships, an annual Progress Report is required and a final Progress Report is required at the end of the award. For the competitive awards, Financial and Performance Reports are semi-annually and a comprehensive final Progress Report is required at the end of the award.

Audits

In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133. In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133, recipients that are States, Local Governments, Nonprofit Organizations, and Institutions of Higher Learning shall be subject to the audit requirements contained in the Single Audit Act Amendments of 1996 (31 U.S.C. 7501-7507). Commercial organizations shall be subject to the audit requirements as stipulated in the award document.

Records

All financial and programmatic records, supporting documents, statistical reports, and other records of grantees or sub grantees are required to be maintained by the terms of the agreement. The grantee must retain records for three years from the date when the Final expenditure report is submitted.

Program Accomplishments

Fiscal Year 2008: There are currently 13 designated marine sanctuaries, including the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument located in Hawaii. This monument is the single largest conservation area under the U.S. flag, encompassing 139,792 swuare miles of the Pacific Ocean - an area larger than all the country's national parks combined.. Management Plan Reviews are underway at seven sites. In fiscal year 2004, the National Marine Sanctuary Program (NMSP) launched the Sanctuary integrated Monitoring Network (SIMoN) that enables researchers to monitor the sanctuary effectively by integrating existing monitoring programs and identifying gaps in information; ground was broken on a new Maritime Heritage Center at Thunder Bay; working in conjunction with the NMS Foundation, a suite of outreach activities have been conducted to achieve the goals of increasing visibility and/or educational efforts related to the NMSP. National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) has completed and will present three Science Guides (formal education professional development tools) on corals, estuaries, and the effects of the ocean on weather and climate as well as a symposium for 80 middles and high school level educators on coral ecosystems in cooperation with NOAA. In FY 08 The Monterey Bay Watershed Education and Training Program funded 36 competitive; and emergency response tools and capabilities were expanded across the program. Fiscal Year 2009: No Current Data Available Fiscal Year 2010: No Current Data Available

Financial Information

Account Identification

13-1450-0-1-306.

Obligations

(Cooperative Agreements) FY 08 $7,471,346; FY 09 est $8,551,500; FY 10 est $7,185,500

Range and Average of Financial Assistance

No Data Available.

Regulations, Guidelines and Literature

15 CFR Part 922. Allowable cost will be determined in accordance with OMB Circular A-87 for State and local governments and Indian Tribes; OMB Circular A-122 for nonprofit and for-profit organizations; OMB Circular A-21 for institutions of higher education; and 48 CFR Part 31 for commercial organizations. Financial assistance management will be in accordance with 15 CFR Part 14 for institutions of higher education, hospitals, and other non-profit and commercial organizations, and with 15 CFR Part 24 for state and local governments.

Related Programs

11.417 Sea Grant Support; 11.419 Coastal Zone Management Administration Awards; 11.420 Coastal Zone Management Estuarine Research Reserves; 11.457 Chesapeake Bay Studies; 11.473 Coastal Services Center

Information Contacts

Regional or Local Office

None. Regional or Local Office. Local Offices at each sanctuary.

Headquarters Office

Priti Brahma NOAA Office of Education, Route: OED, Bldg SSMC3 Room 10725, 1315 East West Highway, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910 Phone: 3017139437 x118 Fax: priti.brahma@noaa.gov

Web Site Address

http://www.oesd.noaa.gov/scholarships_opps.html

Examples of Funded Projects

Fiscal Year 2008: Long-term management efforts at Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary; Educational programming and interpretation to create greater public awareness of the significance of marine sanctuaries; building the infrastructure to bring live video from a sanctuary site to the American public; Jason Foundation to support an innovative science and technology education program for middle-school students and teachers; Co-sponsor National Geographic Society's Oceans for Life/Field Studies Project for teacher-student pairs at the Florida Keys and Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuaries. The second annual Alligator Symposium was held in Norfolk, VA on October 30-31, 2004. The Monterey Bay Watershed Education and Training Program awarded a grant to allow students to investigate the factors that influence the health of invertebrates by assessing the sand crab population and by measuring the environmental factors that impact the sand crab population at a local beach. Scholarships were awarded to graduate students studying Marine Biology, Oceanography, and Maritime Archeology. Fiscal Year 2009: No Current Data Available Fiscal Year 2010: No Current Data Available

Criteria for Selecting Proposals

A set of ranking criteria was developed to establish the priority of proposed efforts funded through the National Marine Sanctuary Program. The criteria include: (1) importance of the information or transaction for sanctuary management decisions; (2) date of the available information or accomplishment for which funds are expended; (3) status of information or accomplishment; and 4) generic applicability of information or techniques receivable from effort. Criteria for scholarships include financial need, academic record, recommendations, organizational, analytical, and written communications skills based on the statement of intent, and research and career goals and objectives as described in the statement of intent. Criteria for Monterey Bay Watershed Education and Training Program competitive awards include: (1) Importance and/or relevance and applicability of proposal to the program goals; (2) Technical Merit; (3) Overall qualifications for applicants; (4) Project costs, and (5) Financial need of student.