NOAA RESTORE Act Science Program Funding Opportunity

NOAA has issued a call for proposals under the first federal funding opportunity issued by the NOAA RESTORE Act Science Program, which supports research in the Gulf of Mexico on long-term sustainability of the ecosystem and its fisheries.

The competition seeks proposals for timely and high-quality scientific results that may be used to inform science-based and system-wide strategies supporting the sustainability of the Gulf of Mexico, including its fisheries.

NOAA invites the research and management community to apply for funding, up to $2.5 million in total, for one- to two-year projects to conduct the following types of work:

• Comprehensive assessment of current ecosystem computer modeling;
• Comparison and analysis of indicators for the health of the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem including people and fisheries; and
• Assessment of monitoring and observing capabilities.
• These proposals should address at least one of three areas:
• Ecosystem and living resources management, including fisheries;
• Climate change and extreme weather impacts on sustainability of restoration; and
• Integration of social, behavioral and economic science into restoration and management.

This federal funding opportunity is in response to the RESTORE Act, also known as the Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act, that authorized NOAA to establish and administer a “Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Science, Observation, Monitoring, and Technology Program.”

Details of the funding opportunity can be found on the NOAA RESTORE Act Science Program website. The deadline for submissions of letters of intent is January 30, 2015 and the deadline for final proposals is March 17, 2015

NOAA is currently in the process of finalizing the overall NOAA RESTORE Act Science Program science plan which outlines 10 long-term research priorities to guide how the program will invest its funds and explains how these priorities were determined. The program anticipates releasing a final version of the science plan early next year.

Source: NOAA