The FY 2025 Marine Fisheries Initiative (MARFIN) program, administered by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Southeast Region, is seeking proposals for research and development projects aimed at optimizing the use of marine fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the South Atlantic states. This program is part of NOAA’s mission to support "Healthy Oceans" and is particularly focused on addressing fishery-related needs in these areas, with an emphasis on sustaining fisheries, improving management, and integrating the conservation of protected species.

Eligible applicants include institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, individuals, and state, local, and Indian tribal governments. For-profit organizations and federal agencies are not eligible. Projects submitted under MARFIN must address one or more program priorities, which include economic assessments, ecosystem impacts, fishery management, and the development of new methods to improve the sustainability of fisheries. These priorities were selected in part to align with NOAA’s strategic plan, particularly in the areas of rebuilding overfished fisheries and maintaining currently productive ones.

Some specific priorities include developing economic models to estimate changes in fish prices due to regulations, studying the impacts of ecosystem changes like habitat loss on fish stocks, and improving data collection for better fisheries management. There is also a focus on evaluating alternative management strategies such as catch shares and investigating the impacts of environmental changes like climate shifts on species distributions.

MARFIN supports projects with awards ranging from one to three years, with a maximum funding amount of $175,000 per year and up to $525,000 for a three-year project. The start date for projects will be no earlier than September 1, 2025, depending on the availability of federal funding. NOAA emphasizes that projects must clearly describe their relevance to the identified program priorities and contribute to the understanding and management of the fishery resource. Proposals must also provide a plan for data management and sharing, detailing how data will be made publicly accessible, in line with NOAA’s requirements.

Applications must be submitted by December 31, 2024, through Grants.gov. Applicants are required to complete several registrations, including SAM.gov and eRA Commons, which can take several weeks. Late submissions will not be accepted. The application package must include federal forms, a project synopsis, a detailed project narrative (up to 15 pages), a budget narrative (up to 10 pages), and supporting documentation. Proposals are evaluated based on their relevance to NOAA's mission, technical merit, qualifications of the applicant, cost-effectiveness, and data management plans.

Selected proposals will undergo technical and panel reviews, and awards will be based on both the quality of the proposals and funding availability. NOAA aims to announce the awards within a year of the submission deadline, with the earliest start date set for September 1, 2025.