The NOAA Broad Agency Announcement for Fiscal Years 2024-2026 (NOAA-OAR-OER-2024-27749) invites proposals for research, education, outreach, innovative projects, and sponsorships that align with NOAA's strategic goals and priorities. This announcement is issued by NOAA’s Office of Ocean Exploration and Research to support projects that address gaps in environmental understanding, promote sustainable management of ocean resources, and advance technological capabilities. Applicants must demonstrate alignment with NOAA’s strategic mission goals, including ocean exploration, climate adaptation, healthy oceans, weather readiness, and coastal community resilience.

Proposals must focus on one or more priorities within NOAA’s mission goals. Key areas include ocean exploration of poorly understood marine environments deeper than 200 meters, maritime heritage projects that improve understanding of historical marine resources, and the application of innovative technologies or methods to enhance ocean data acquisition and accessibility. Proposals are also encouraged to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion within ocean science education and outreach programs. All projects must align with NOAA’s Ocean Exploration Strategic Plan and provide clear benefits to the nation, even if conducted in non-U.S. waters.

The funding opportunity allows for rolling submissions of proposals until September 30, 2026. There is no specific funding allocation as funds are contingent upon annual Congressional appropriations and NOAA’s budget. Award periods generally range from one year but can be negotiated depending on project scope. Selected applicants will enter into either a grant or cooperative agreement, depending on NOAA’s level of involvement in the project.

Eligible applicants include institutions of higher education, nonprofits, commercial organizations, state, local, and tribal governments, as well as international and foreign organizations. Federal entities are not eligible. Cost sharing or matching funds are not required unless specified by a specific statutory authority. Proposals must include a signed SF-424 form, project synopsis, detailed project narrative, budget justification, resumes for key personnel, and a data management plan. The project narrative, limited to 15 pages, must address the significance of the proposed activities, technical soundness, methods, and expected outcomes.

Proposals are evaluated based on five main criteria: relevance to NOAA’s mission goals, technical and scientific merit, qualifications of applicants, project cost realism, and the extent of outreach and education components. Applications will undergo an initial administrative review followed by a merit review process, which includes both mail and peer panel evaluations. Final funding decisions will consider reviewer scores, NOAA program priorities, and availability of funds. NOAA may also request additional clarifications or adjustments before finalizing awards.

Applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov and comply with formatting guidelines, including 11-point font, single-spacing, and one-inch margins. Proposals received after the deadline or deemed incomplete will not be considered. Applicants must maintain an active SAM.gov registration and provide a valid unique entity identifier. NOAA anticipates funding decisions within three to six months of application submission, with awards contingent on funding availability. Award recipients will be required to submit semi-annual financial and performance reports to NOAA through the eRA system.