Marine Debris Challenge Competition

Marine Debris Challenge Competition is sponsored by National Sea Grant College Program (NOAA Sea Grant). The Marine Debris Challenge Competition is a grant from the National Sea Grant College Program (NOAA), funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, that supports innovative research-to-application projects addressing the prevention and removal of marine debris.

Marine Debris Challenge Competition - USC Sea Grant Marine Debris Challenge Competition USC Sea Grant is currently accepting requests for proposals through the National Sea Grant Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) Marine Debris Challenge Competition, which focuses on addressing the prevention and/or removal of marine debris and providing the potential for transformational behavior change.

If interested in applying for the funding, please fill out our Partnership Form by Thursday, July 21st, 2022 at 12:00 pm PT. See more details below on the funding announcement and how to apply. For complete information please review the Notice of Federal Funding Opportunity (NOFO): NOAA-OAR-SG-2022-2007452 July 21, 2022, 12:00 PM PT: Completed Partnership Form due to USC Sea Grant by emailing Amalia Almada (amaliaal@usc.

edu) and Karina Alvarez (karinaa9@usc. edu) August 9, 2022, 8:59 PM PT: Letters of Intent due to oar. sg.

marine-debris@noaa. gov September 16, 2022, 5:00 PM PT: Full Proposals due to USC Sea Grant September 30, 2022, 8:59 PM PT: Full Proposals submitted by USC Sea Grant to grants.

gov Funding Opportunity Information: Subject to the availability of funding in fiscal years 2022 and 2023, Sea Grant anticipates approximately $16,000,000 will be available to support innovative, transformational research to application (R2A) projects that will address the prevention and/or removal of marine debris, with award periods of three years.

“Research to application” or R2A refers to research and development projects that transition into tangible outcomes and outputs. Examples include (but are not limited to) new prototypes, products, processes, or tools. Proposals may address (but are not limited to) innovative interception and/or removal technologies, reusable systems, microplastics, and/or nanoplastics.

Proposals are sought that will build upon and extend existing knowledge and efforts related to marine debris; support broad, non-proprietary, and innovative research to address critical gaps with respect to marine debris; make that information available to communities and stakeholders; include Sea Grant education and extension professionals, community representatives, government, academic, non-governmental, and industry partners, as appropriate.

Proposals must include funding for Sea Grant education and/or extension personnel as collaborators. Community, government, academic, non-government, and industry stakeholder participation/involvement in projects is strongly encouraged. Fully integrated teams of collaborators noted above must submit proposals with and through a Sea Grant program (Sea Grant Colleges, Institutions, or Coherent Area Programs).

A Sea Grant program may submit or participate in more than one proposal. Collaborations among Sea Grant programs are encouraged, as appropriate. Please note that it is not a requirement that investigators, including the PI, are part of a Sea Grant program.

Contact information for each program can be found at https://seagrant. noaa. gov/About .

All 34 Sea Grant programs are eligible to serve as partners and to submit applications. If you need further assistance in identifying a program to partner with please contact the National Sea Grant Office via email at oar. sg.

marine-debris@noaa. gov. Full details on the requirements for submitting to this funding opportunity are detailed in the NOFO announcement here. Additional guidance and tips on how best to prepare an application are provided in the Sea Grant General Application Guide available.

As mentioned above, proposals must include funding for Sea Grant education, communication, and/or extension personnel as collaborators (as funded partners). Fully integrated teams of collaborators must submit proposals with and through a Sea Grant program (Sea Grant Colleges, Institutions, or Coherent Area Programs).

To help USC Sea Grant facilitate collaboration and coordinate its efforts in response to this NOFO, those interested in applying through our program need to complete and return this brief partnership form to Amalia Almada (amaliaal@usc. edu) and Karina Alvarez (karinaa9@usc. edu) as soon as possible, but no later than 12:00 PM PT on Thursday, July 21st, 2022.

You can submit this form multiple times for separate proposal ideas. After you submit the form, our team will follow up with you directly. Due to the short timeline and high interest, USC Sea Grant cannot consider requests for a partnership outside of submissions via the partnership form by the specified deadline.

In order to develop meaningful collaboration and proposals, USC Sea Grant anticipates that only a small number of proposed ideas will move forward to the letter of intent and full proposal stage. Sea Grant anticipates having approximately $16,000,000 to fund approximately 5-12 projects of up to three years’ duration.

We expect the average project size will be between $1,000,000 and $2,000,000; however, applications may request up to $3,000,000 in federal funds addressing the program priorities. The anticipated start date is January 1, 2023, with projects to be completed by December 31, 2025.

The following entities are eligible to submit to this opportunity: Sea Grant College Programs, Sea Grant Institutional Programs, and Sea Grant Coherent Area Programs. A Sea Grant program may submit or participate in more than one proposal. Other interested entities must submit proposals in partnership with and through a relevant Sea Grant program.

Please note that it is not a requirement that investigators, including the PI, are part of a Sea Grant program; however, proposals must be submitted with and through a Sea Grant program. Federal agencies and their personnel are not permitted to receive federal funding under this competition; however, federal scientists and other employees can serve as uncompensated partners or co-Principal Investigators on applications.

Federal labs and offices can also make available specialized expertise, facilities, or equipment to applicants but cannot be compensated under this competition for their use. Sea Grant is committed to building inclusive research, extension, communication, and education programs that serve people with unique backgrounds, circumstances, needs, perspectives, and ways of thinking.

We encourage applicants of all ages, races, ethnicities, national origins, gender identities, sexual orientations, disabilities, cultures, religions, citizenship types, marital statuses, education levels, job classifications, veteran status types, income, and socioeconomic status types to apply for this opportunity.

Cost-Sharing or Matching Requirement: Applications DO NOT require the standard 50% non-federal match for Sea Grant projects. However, cost-sharing, leveraged funds, and in-kind support will make projects more competitive. Applicants are strongly encouraged to combine NOAA federal funding with formal matching contributions and informal leverage from a broad range of sources in the public and private sectors.

Community, government, academic, non-government, and industry stakeholder participation/involvement in projects is strongly encouraged through cost-sharing, leveraged funds, and/or in-kind match. To this end, applicants should note that cost-sharing and leverage of other funds is an element considered in the evaluation criteria.

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