Opportunity Information: Apply for NOAA OAR SG 2019 2005960
Exploring New Aquaculture Opportunities - 2019 is a competitive federal funding opportunity run through the National Sea Grant College Program (Sea Grant) within the U.S. Department of Commerce. Sea Grant, originally established by Congress in 1966 and later amended in 2008 (Public Law 110-394), is built around the idea of strong federal and state partnerships that use the expertise of universities and research institutions to tackle real-world challenges and create economic and environmental opportunities for coastal communities. In this particular competition, Sea Grant set out to spark early-stage, developmental aquaculture work in places or topic areas where there is not yet a strong existing base of research, industry activity, or coordinated planning.
The program anticipated making about $1,500,000 available in total to support Sea Grant-led aquaculture projects, with an expected 16 awards and a maximum award size (ceiling) of $100,000 per project. Awards were to be made as cooperative agreements, meaning the funder typically expects active involvement during the project period rather than a hands-off grant relationship. The opportunity was categorized as discretionary funding, tied to CFDA 11.417, and aligned with broader federal priorities in environment, natural resources, science and technology, and other research and development activities. The funding opportunity number is NOAA-OAR-SG-2019-2005960, it was posted (creation date) February 25, 2019, and it originally closed April 24, 2019.
The central purpose of the competition was to encourage innovative, sometimes higher-risk projects that “envision, explore, and advance” aquaculture opportunities that are underdeveloped or under-explored. Rather than focusing only on well-established aquaculture sectors, this program explicitly welcomed work where only a minimal foundation exists today, as long as the project could help define what should come next. Proposed projects could be organized around specific topics, specific regions, or both, and were encouraged to push into areas that would benefit from a concentrated, developmental effort to identify constraints, opportunities, and practical next steps.
Topic areas were intentionally broad. Examples highlighted in the notice included adapting aquaculture to environmental change, developing or assessing innovative species, testing new technologies, exploring new or unconventional locations for aquaculture development, and strengthening community engagement approaches, including traditional and Indigenous practices. Geographic scope was also meant to be flexible and creative, ranging from particular regions of the country to comparisons between state versus federal waters, and spanning varied environments such as tropical areas, the Great Lakes, and cold-water settings. The common thread across these examples is that the work should help open new pathways for sustainable aquaculture, especially in settings where the field is not yet mature.
Another core expectation was that proposals would bring the right experts and stakeholders together to clarify needs and gaps in the chosen target area. In practice, this meant projects could be less about producing a single narrow research result and more about building the groundwork for future progress. The opportunity explicitly allowed (and encouraged) activities like tool development, convening workshops, delivering education and outreach, doing business planning, and creating or providing trainings that address specific aquaculture issues, whether those issues are topical (like species or technology challenges) or geographic (like region-specific constraints, permitting realities, or environmental conditions).
Strategically, the competition was tied to Sea Grant’s broader national direction, particularly its Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture (SFA) focus area and the Sea Grant Network 10-year Aquaculture Vision. It also aimed to support wider NOAA and Department of Commerce aquaculture goals, signaling that strong proposals should be able to explain how a developmental project fits into longer-term national objectives, even if the project itself is exploratory. Applicants were directed to follow the formal submission requirements laid out for the specific NOAA opportunity number and were pointed to the Sea Grant General Application Guide for practical guidance on preparing a strong application package.
In short, this opportunity was designed to function like seed funding for aquaculture innovation: relatively modest awards, spread across multiple projects, targeted at early-stage work that can reduce uncertainty, organize stakeholders, identify key gaps, and lay the groundwork for sustainable aquaculture growth in new topics, new waters, or new communities.Apply for NOAA OAR SG 2019 2005960
- 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 "Exploring New Aquaculture Opportunities - 2019" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 11.417.
- This funding opportunity was created on Feb 25, 2019.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 24, 2019. (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 $100,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 16 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Exploring New Aquaculture Opportunities - 2019
What is the "Exploring New Aquaculture Opportunities - 2019" funding opportunity?
Exploring New Aquaculture Opportunities - 2019 is a competitive federal funding opportunity administered through the National Sea Grant College Program (Sea Grant) within the U.S. Department of Commerce. It was designed to fund early-stage, developmental work that helps identify and advance new or underdeveloped aquaculture opportunities.
Which agency runs this opportunity?
The opportunity is run through Sea Grant, a program within the U.S. Department of Commerce, and associated with NOAA via the listed NOAA funding opportunity number.
What is Sea Grant?
Sea Grant is a federally supported program established by Congress in 1966 and later amended in 2008 (Public Law 110-394). It is built on federal-state partnerships that leverage universities and research institutions to address real-world challenges and create economic and environmental opportunities for coastal communities.
What was the main purpose of this competition?
The central purpose was to spark innovative, sometimes higher-risk, early-stage aquaculture projects in topic areas or places where aquaculture is not yet well developed. The emphasis was on projects that "envision, explore, and advance" new pathways and help define practical next steps where only a minimal foundation currently exists.
Is this opportunity meant for established aquaculture sectors?
Not primarily. The competition explicitly welcomed work in underdeveloped or under-explored areas rather than focusing only on well-established aquaculture sectors. Proposals were expected to push into areas lacking a strong existing base of research, industry activity, or coordinated planning.
How much funding was expected to be available?
Sea Grant anticipated making about $1,500,000 available in total for this competition.
How many awards were expected?
The program anticipated approximately 16 awards.
What was the maximum funding per award?
The maximum award size (ceiling) was $100,000 per project.
What type of award was used (grant vs. cooperative agreement)?
Awards were to be made as cooperative agreements. This generally indicates the funder expects active involvement during the project period rather than a hands-off relationship.
Is this considered discretionary funding?
Yes. The opportunity was categorized as discretionary funding.
What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?
The opportunity is tied to CFDA 11.417.
What broader federal priority areas did this opportunity align with?
It aligned with broader federal priorities in environment, natural resources, science and technology, and other research and development activities.
What is the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity number is NOAA-OAR-SG-2019-2005960.
When was the opportunity posted?
The creation (posting) date was February 25, 2019.
When did the application period close?
The opportunity originally closed on April 24, 2019.
What kinds of projects were encouraged?
Projects were encouraged to be innovative and developmental, including efforts that identify constraints, clarify opportunities, and establish practical next steps for aquaculture in areas where the field is not yet mature. The program welcomed proposals organized around specific topics, specific regions, or both.
What topic areas were considered a fit?
Topic areas were intentionally broad. Examples included adapting aquaculture to environmental change, developing or assessing innovative species, testing new technologies, exploring new or unconventional locations for aquaculture development, and strengthening community engagement approaches (including traditional and Indigenous practices).
Did the opportunity allow projects focused on geography rather than only a technical topic?
Yes. Projects could be organized around regions, topic areas, or both. The geographic scope was described as flexible and creative.
What kinds of geographic scopes were envisioned?
The notice suggested a wide range of geographic possibilities, including specific regions of the country, comparisons between state versus federal waters, and different environments such as tropical areas, the Great Lakes, and cold-water settings.
Does a project need to focus on both a region and a topic?
No. Proposed projects could be organized around a specific topic, a specific region, or a combination of both.
What was the common thread across acceptable topics and locations?
The common thread was that the work should open new pathways for sustainable aquaculture in areas where aquaculture is underdeveloped and would benefit from a concentrated, developmental effort.
Were higher-risk or exploratory ideas acceptable?
Yes. The competition was intended to encourage innovative and sometimes higher-risk projects, particularly where the work could reduce uncertainty and help define what should come next.
Was the program only about producing new research results?
Not necessarily. The opportunity emphasized groundwork-building and bringing the right experts and stakeholders together to clarify needs and gaps. Projects could be less about a single narrow research result and more about building a foundation for future progress.
What kinds of activities were explicitly allowed or encouraged?
The opportunity explicitly allowed and encouraged activities such as tool development, convening workshops, delivering education and outreach, doing business planning, and creating or providing trainings that address specific aquaculture issues (whether topical or region-specific).
Was stakeholder engagement expected?
Yes. A core expectation was that proposals would bring appropriate experts and stakeholders together to clarify needs and gaps in the chosen topic area or region.
Did the opportunity mention community engagement approaches?
Yes. The examples included strengthening community engagement approaches, specifically noting traditional and Indigenous practices.
How does this opportunity connect to Sea Grant's national strategy?
The competition was tied to Sea Grant's national direction, including its Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture (SFA) focus area and the Sea Grant Network 10-year Aquaculture Vision.
How does this opportunity connect to NOAA or Department of Commerce goals?
It aimed to support wider NOAA and Department of Commerce aquaculture goals. Proposals were expected to explain how an exploratory or developmental project fits into longer-term national objectives.
What kind of role did Sea Grant intend the funding to play in aquaculture development?
The opportunity was designed to function like seed funding: modest awards spread across multiple projects to reduce uncertainty, organize stakeholders, identify key gaps, and lay the groundwork for sustainable aquaculture growth in new topics, new waters, or new communities.
Where were applicants directed for application guidance?
Applicants were directed to follow the formal submission requirements for NOAA opportunity number NOAA-OAR-SG-2019-2005960 and were pointed to the Sea Grant General Application Guide for practical guidance on preparing an application package.
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