FY18 Deep-Sea Exploration, Characterization, and Education in National Marine Sanctuaries Using Telepresence | NOAA NOS ONMS 2018 2005606

Opportunity Information: Apply for NOAA NOS ONMS 2018 2005606

The FY18 Deep-Sea Exploration, Characterization, and Education in National Marine Sanctuaries Using Telepresence opportunity is a NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) discretionary grant program, offered through the U.S. Department of Commerce, that funds deep-ocean research and public engagement efforts focused on areas in and around the National Marine Sanctuary System. The core purpose is to explore, document, and better understand deep-sea environments and resources associated with national marine sanctuaries, including oceanographic conditions, seafloor geology, marine habitats, biological communities, and cultural resources such as submerged heritage sites. The intent is not only to collect new scientific observations, but to turn those observations into usable products that improve understanding and management of sanctuary waters, especially in deep-water regions that are still poorly mapped and lightly studied.

A defining feature of this opportunity is the required use of modern deep-sea technology paired with telepresence communications. Projects are expected to deploy appropriate deep-ocean tools (for example, remotely operated vehicles and other deep-sea sensing and imaging systems) and to capture high-end visual documentation, specifically emphasizing high-resolution 4K imagery and video. Alongside imagery, projects are expected to gather critical data and information about the deep seafloor and water column, then produce derived outputs from those data. One of the clearly stated desired deliverables is improved mapping of deep-water areas within the National Marine Sanctuary System, suggesting that proposals should include robust plans for geospatial data collection and the creation of map products or related characterization layers that can support science and resource stewardship.

The program also places unusually strong weight on education and public engagement, treating outreach as an integral part of the research design rather than an add-on. ONMS emphasizes increasing environmental literacy in the United States by using the excitement of real-time or near-real-time ocean discovery. To accomplish that, funded projects are expected to use telepresence to transmit high-resolution video and imagery from the research platform to multiple shore-based locations. Those locations may include distributed science teams who can participate remotely (sometimes described as distributed science parties), as well as venues accessible to the general public and to educators in both formal settings (schools, universities) and informal settings (museums, aquariums, science centers, and similar facilities). In practical terms, this means proposals should include credible plans for live-streamed or otherwise rapidly shared expedition content, mechanisms for two-way engagement when possible, and partnerships that can translate the expedition feed into learning experiences for different audiences.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity was issued as a cooperative agreement, which typically indicates that NOAA expects to have substantial involvement during the life of the project (for instance, coordination around sanctuary priorities, outreach alignment, data sharing expectations, or expedition planning). The CFDA number associated with the program is 11.429. The funding opportunity number is NOAA NOS ONMS 2018 2005606. The announcement was created May 29, 2018, with an original application closing date of July 23, 2018. The award ceiling was listed as $2,000,000, and NOAA anticipated making about three awards, indicating a competitive process aimed at a small number of relatively substantial projects.

Eligibility is summarized in the notice as "Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification)," which signals that eligibility may extend beyond a single narrow category but is defined in the full announcement text. In general, opportunities of this type often attract proposals from universities, research institutions, nonprofit organizations, and partnerships that combine deep-sea technical capacity with strong education and outreach infrastructure. Overall, the grant opportunity is designed to produce both high-value deep-sea scientific characterization (including imagery, datasets, and maps) and high-visibility public-facing exploration experiences delivered through telepresence, strengthening both sanctuary resource knowledge and ocean literacy at the same time.

• The Department of Commerce in the environment, natural resources, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY18 Deep-Sea Exploration, Characterization, and Education in National Marine Sanctuaries Using Telepresence" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 11.429.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 29, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 23, 2018. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 3 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for NOAA NOS ONMS 2018 2005606

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