Regional Vulnerability Assessments for Ocean Acidification (RVA-OA20) | NOAA OAR OAP 2020 2006333

Opportunity Information: Apply for NOAA OAR OAP 2020 2006333

The Regional Vulnerability Assessments for Ocean Acidification (RVA-OA20) opportunity is a NOAA Ocean Acidification Program funding announcement focused on helping regions of the United States understand where ocean acidification is already creating, or is likely to create, real-world risks for people, communities, and ocean-dependent economies. The central goal is to fund collaborative projects that pull together and synthesize existing ocean acidification knowledge at a regional scale, then translate that science into practical, decision-ready information for marine resource managers and other decision makers. NOAA is especially interested in work that can help strengthen resilience and reduce risk across the national Blue Economy, meaning the jobs, industries, and community well-being tied to coastal and ocean resources.

Projects are expected to look at ocean acidification through a regional lens such as a Large Marine Ecosystem, a major estuary, a set of smaller estuaries, or a state or group of states in US waters. Rather than generating new laboratory or field measurements of ocean chemistry or ecological responses, the program emphasizes integration and assessment: combining existing datasets, analyses, and prior studies to identify hotspots of vulnerability and emerging threats. A key feature of this opportunity is its focus on societal vulnerability, so proposals should connect biogeochemical and ecological understanding of acidification to human uses and outcomes, such as fisheries, aquaculture, tourism, subsistence and cultural practices, coastal economies, or governance capacity. While new chemical or ecological observation campaigns are not allowed under this funding, NOAA does allow the collection of social science data, which could include interviews, surveys, stakeholder engagement outputs, economic analyses, or other methods used to understand exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity in affected communities or sectors.

Awards are offered through grants and cooperative agreements under NOAA (Department of Commerce), CFDA 11.017, and are categorized as discretionary funding supporting environment, natural resources, and research and development activities. The anticipated project period is up to three years, with NOAA expecting to fund roughly one to six projects. Annual budgets are expected to fall in the approximate range of $100,000 to $350,000 per year per proposal, with an award ceiling of $350,000 per year. For the first year of the program, NOAA anticipated up to about $2 million total available in FY2020, and funding is explicitly contingent on the availability of Fiscal Year 2020 federal appropriations. The agency anticipated a September 1, 2020 start date for funded projects.

Administratively, the opportunity number is NOAA OAR OAP 2020 2006333. The notice was created on November 22, 2019, with an original application deadline of March 27, 2020. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with additional eligibility details provided in the full announcement text. Overall, this opportunity is best understood as a targeted synthesis-and-translation effort: it is designed to convert what is already known about ocean acidification into region-specific vulnerability insights that managers and communities can act on, rather than funding new ocean chemistry or biological response monitoring.

• 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 "Regional Vulnerability Assessments for Ocean Acidification (RVA-OA20)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 11.017.
• This funding opportunity was created on Nov 22, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 27, 2020. (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 $350,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 6 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for NOAA OAR OAP 2020 2006333

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: