Coming Soon: Long-Term Trends Funding Opportunity

The NOAA RESTORE Science Program plans to release its next funding opportunity in March or April 2024 to support projects that will contribute to our knowledge of long-term trends in the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem. 

This funding announcement will invite proposals that plan to identify, track, understand, or predict trends and variability in the Gulf of Mexico’s natural resources and the abiotic and biotic factors driving those trends. Applicants are required to form a team of researchers, resource managers, and other relevant stakeholders focused on the selected natural resources they intend to investigate. 

The Science Program plans to make approximately $17.5 million available for this competition to fund approximately six projects that will run for five years with the option for a five-year, non-competitive renewal award for high-performing projects. 

A letter of intent (3-page maximum) is required for each proposal. It will be due about eight weeks after the full announcement for the competition is publicly released. A full proposal will be due about nine weeks after the Science Program provides feedback on the letter of intent.

After the competition is announced, the Science Program will hold a series of webinars to clarify the application process and answer questions. Please email noaarestorescience@noaa.gov with any questions that arise before then. 

Keep an eye out for more updates and information in the coming months!

Amount	~ $17.5 million
Number of Awards	~ 6 The maximum individual award amount is approximately $4 million.
Length of Awards	Proposals must be for 5 years. High performing project teams may  be invited to submit a non-competitive proposal for an additional five-years of funding.
Priority	This announcement invites proposals that will contribute to our knowledge of the trends and variability in the Gulf of Mexico’s natural resources, and the associated dynamics of abiotic and biotic factors driving those trends.
Deadlines	A letter of intent (3-page maximum) is required for each proposal. It will be due about eight weeks after the full announcement for the competition is publicly released. A full proposal will be due about nine weeks after the Science Program provides feedback on the letter of intent.
Eligible Applicants	Institutions of higher education; non-profit institutions; local, state, and tribal governments; for-profit organizations; and U.S. territories and federal agencies that possess the statutory authority to accept funding for this type of work. The lead applicant must be from a U.S.-based entity. At least one natural resource manager must either lead or be on the project team. A letter of participation from the resource management agency is required.  Science Program funding opportunities may not be used to hire and fund the salaries of permanent federal employees. Federal award recipients may use their funding to cover travel, equipment, supplies, and contractual personnel costs associated with the proposed work. Investigators are not required to be employed by an eligible entity that is based in one of the five Gulf of Mexico States (Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas). However, investigators that are not employed by or associated with Gulf of Mexico-based eligible entities are strongly encouraged to collaborate with partners from Gulf of Mexico-based eligible entities.
Points of Contact	Caitlin Young, Science Coordinator caitlin.young@noaa.gov  631-415-7095 Hannah Brown, Communications & Engagement Specialist hannah.brown@noaa.gov 904-415-2105 Julien Lartigue, Director julien.lartigue@noaa.gov 240-429-5966