NOAA Marine Debris Program Grant for Marine Debris Prevention through Education and Behavior Change

This funding opportunity requires a Letter of Intent to be submitted for competitive review before a full proposal can be submitted. LOIs must be received via e-mail as an attachment (to grants.marinedebris@noaa.gov) no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern time, October 29, 2021. If invited per the instructions in this announcement, full proposals must then be submitted through and validated by Grants.gov on or before11:59 p.m. EST, February 11, 2022. Due to limited staffing of federal offices, hardcopy LOIs or full applications will not be accepted. Please follow all LOI submission guidelines and instructions outlined in the notice of funding opportunity.

The NOAA Marine Debris Program, authorized in the Marine Debris Act, codified at 33 U.S.C. § 1951 et seq., supports the development and implementation of locally-driven, marine debris assessment, removal and prevention projects that benefit coastal habitat, waterways, and marine and Great Lake resources. Projects awarded through this grant competition will actively engage and educate a target audience (such as students, teachers, recreational fisher communities, state or local governments, industries, elected officials, etc.) in hands-on programs designed to raise awareness, reduce barriers to marine debris prevention (e.g., lack of access to waste receptacles or alternatives to single-use items), and encourage and support changes in behaviors to ensure long-term prevention of marine debris. Projects awarded through this competition may be implemented throughout all United States coastal, marine, and Great Lakes areas; the coastal and marine areas of United States territories and Freely Associated States, or; within coastal areas of Mexico or Canada as long as benefits to United States resources, navigation, or economy can be clearly demonstrated. Successful proposals through this solicitation will be funded through cooperative agreements (see section II. Award Information (Subsection C “Type of Funding Instrument”) for a definition). Funding of up to $5,000,000 is expected to be available for Marine Debris Prevention grants in Fiscal Year (FY) 2022. The typical funding level for the federal share of project awards ranges from $50,000 – $400,000. Funding for this grant competition is provided through appropriations to the National Ocean Service, Coastal Science, Assessment, Response and Restoration budget line, as well as from the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2019 Pub. L. 116-113, Title IX to carry out Section 3 of the Marine Debris Act (33 U.S.C. § 1952) in the North American region.     

This solicitation is focused on efforts to prevent marine debris from entering the environment through targeted education and outreach efforts, as well as activities that aim to change behaviors related to common marine debris issues. It is not intended for large-scale debris removal projects or scientific research.

Eligible applicants for projects taking place in Mexico or Canada are limited to any institution of higher education, nonprofit organization or commercial (for-profit) organization with expertise in a field related to marine debris. This includes community based organizations, business associations, and non-public foreign organizations. Foreign public entities (see 2 CFR 200.1), from Canada or Mexico are not eligible to receive awards or subawards under the Marine Debris Act and will not be considered. Interested governmental agencies in Canada or Mexico may collaborate with eligible applicants but may not receive funds through this competition.

The NOAA Marine Debris Program, authorized in the Marine Debris Act, codified at 33 U.S.C. § 1951 et seq., supports the development and implementation of locally-driven, marine debris assessment, removal and prevention projects that benefit coastal habitat, waterways, and marine and Great Lake resources. Projects awarded through this grant competition will actively engage and educate a target audience (such as students, teachers, recreational fisher communities, state or local governments, industries, elected officials, etc.) in hands-on programs designed to raise awareness, reduce barriers to marine debris prevention (e.g., lack of access to waste receptacles or alternatives to single-use items), and encourage and support changes in behaviors to ensure long-term prevention of marine debris. Projects awarded through this competition may be implemented throughout all United States coastal, marine, and Great Lakes areas; the coastal and marine areas of United States territories and Freely Associated States, or; within coastal areas of Mexico or Canada as long as benefits to United States resources, navigation, or economy can be clearly demonstrated. Successful proposals through this solicitation will be funded through cooperative agreements (see section II. Award Information (Subsection C “Type of Funding Instrument”) for a definition). Funding of up to $5,000,000 is expected to be available for Marine Debris Prevention grants in Fiscal Year (FY) 2022. The typical funding level for the federal share of project awards ranges from $50,000 – $400,000. Funding for this grant competition is provided through appropriations to the National Ocean Service, Coastal Science, Assessment, Response and Restoration budget line, as well as from the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2019 Pub. L. 116-113, Title IX to carry out Section 3 of the Marine Debris Act (33 U.S.C. § 1952) in the North American region.     

This solicitation is focused on efforts to prevent marine debris from entering the environment through targeted education and outreach efforts, as well as activities that aim to change behaviors related to common marine debris issues. It is not intended for large-scale debris removal projects or scientific research.