FY2024 Ruth D. Gates Restoration Innovation Grants | NOAA NMFS HCPO 2024 2008273

Opportunity Information: Apply for NOAA NMFS HCPO 2024 2008273

The FY2024 Ruth D. Gates Restoration Innovation Grants are a NOAA-led funding opportunity that honors the legacy of Dr. Ruth Gates by supporting ambitious, practical research aimed at slowing and reversing coral reef decline under climate change. The central idea is to push coral intervention and restoration science out of the lab and into real-world restoration work, with an emphasis on approaches that can scale up and measurably improve coral survival over time. NOAA is looking for projects that help create coral populations that are not only able to survive warming and other stressors, but are also genetically diverse and capable of reproducing, so restoration efforts result in lasting, self-sustaining reef communities rather than short-lived plantings.

Projects are expected to have a clear, overarching goal that connects innovation to on-the-ground restoration. NOAA highlights two broad project types that fit the program: first, research and development of coral interventions that increase resilience to environmental stressors (for example, methods that improve tolerance to heat or disease, or strategies that help corals persist under changing conditions); and second, innovations that improve restoration practice itself, including better methods, higher survivorship for post-larval settlers, and improved growth and survival for mid-sized corals that are commonly used in outplanting and reef rebuilding. In practical terms, the strongest proposals are likely to show a direct pathway from the research or technique to field deployment, with outcomes that can be adopted by restoration practitioners and that improve survivorship and scalability.

Funding will be provided through cooperative agreements, meaning NOAA expects to have substantial involvement during the project period rather than taking a hands-off role. Applicants may propose one-, two-, or three-year projects. If requesting multiple years, the application submitted in 2024 must include estimated funding needs for years two and three (FY2025 and FY2026), broken out by year in the budget narrative. Final amounts for later years are not guaranteed; they depend on future federal appropriations and whether the project is meeting milestones and demonstrating progress.

In terms of dollars, NOAA anticipates typical awards in the range of $100,000 to $250,000 per year, for total project amounts commonly falling between $100,000 and $750,000 over one to three years. Proposals are not allowed to request less than $100,000 in total federal funding, and cannot exceed an overall ceiling of $1,000,000 across three years. NOAA expects about $1,000,000 to be available for FY2024 under this announcement and anticipates that an additional $2,000,000 may be available across FY2025 and FY2026 to support selected multi-year awards, again contingent on congressional appropriations. NOAA expects to make roughly six awards. Funds are administered by NOAA's Office of Habitat Conservation in coordination with the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program, and NOAA notes that funding may be allocated across U.S. Pacific and Atlantic regions to maintain geographic balance, consistent with the Coral Reef Conservation Act.

Eligibility is broad across governmental, nonprofit, academic, and private-sector entities, but the work must be U.S.-based and tied to U.S. coral reef jurisdictions. Eligible applicants include state, territorial, and local governments; Native American tribal governments and tribal organizations; nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status); private institutions of higher education; for-profit organizations (including small businesses); and other qualified entities. At the same time, federal agencies and federal employees cannot apply, and NOAA employees are explicitly prohibited from helping prepare applications. A key constraint is that any NOAA-funded in-water work must take place within U.S. jurisdictions, specifically including American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Florida, Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In short, the program is designed for experienced coral reef conservation and restoration players who can pair scientific innovation with practical restoration implementation in U.S. reef areas.

Administrative details: this is a discretionary funding opportunity from the Department of Commerce (NOAA), using cooperative agreements as the funding instrument. The opportunity number is NOAA NMFS HCPO 2024 2008273, associated with CFDA 11.482. The original closing date listed for applications was February 14, 2024.

• 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 "FY2024 Ruth D. Gates Restoration Innovation Grants" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 11.482.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-12-05.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-02-14. (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 $1,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 6 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.

Apply for NOAA NMFS HCPO 2024 2008273

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