FY 2025 NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program - Ruth D. Gates: Supporting Hawaii’s Sustainable Coral Reef Fisheries Management Plans | NOAA NOS OCM 2025 30196

Opportunity Information: Apply for NOAA NOS OCM 2025 30196

This FY 2025 funding opportunity from NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP), under the Ruth D. Gates initiative, is designed to help Hawaii move forward with island-specific Sustainable Coral Reef Fisheries Management Plans (CR-FMPs). The core goal is to support both state and national coral reef management objectives by building practical, locally driven fisheries management plans that can guide decision-making across the Hawaiian Islands. The work is tightly aligned with the State of Hawaii's Holomua Initiative, with the State leading the overall planning effort and local, island-based Navigator Teams driving community-informed priorities. The selected applicant(s) will not be leading the state process, but instead will provide targeted support that helps the State and its partners produce high-quality plans and the tools needed to implement them effectively.

A major emphasis of the grant is technical support: developing decision-making tools, providing technical writing capacity, and filling priority science gaps that will directly inform management choices. The notice specifically calls out support for technical writing needs tied to CR-FMP development for Lanai, Hawaii Island, Kauai, and Oahu, in close coordination with the Hawaii Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR). In practice, this means helping turn planning discussions, local priorities, and scientific inputs into formal, usable management plan documents. The CR-FMPs are expected to spell out concrete management actions that advance island-identified sustainable fisheries targets, and they also must include monitoring and evaluation approaches to track outcomes once plans are completed. In addition to planning and writing support, funds can be used for management-driven scientific research, but the intent is applied science that directly advises the CR-FMPs rather than stand-alone academic research.

The award is offered as a cooperative agreement, which generally signals substantial involvement by the federal agency during the project, and it sits within CFDA/Assistance Listing 11.482. Projects must be scoped to a period of performance of no more than 36 months (3 years). Budget-wise, applications should not request more than $400,000 per priority area, and the maximum request per application is capped at $600,000 in federal funds. NOAA anticipates roughly $600,000 total being available in FY 2025 to make awards to two organizations, contingent on federal appropriations. The posted award ceiling is $600,000, with an expected two awards.

A key compliance feature is the matching requirement. As required by the governing Act, recipients must provide non-federal matching contributions at a minimum 1:1 ratio relative to NOAA's federal share, unless NOAA grants a waiver. This means applicants should be prepared to document match sources (cash and/or eligible in-kind, depending on program rules) and build a realistic match plan into the proposal budget and narrative.

Eligibility is geared toward organizations with credible coral reef conservation or restoration expertise and the ability to operate effectively in Hawaii's partner-rich management environment. The competition is open to nongovernmental organizations and research institutions with demonstrated coral reef conservation/restoration experience (either through practice or significant scientific contributions), NOAA-designated coral reef research centers under 16 U.S.C. 6411, and regional fishery management councils established under the Magnuson-Stevens Act. NOAA also makes clear that strong Hawaii-based capacity matters: applications are expected from entities with a physical presence and long-term partnerships in Hawaii, and a track record working across government, nonprofit, and university partners, including Hawaiian organizations. The intent is to fund groups that can navigate local context and collaborate effectively with DAR, NOAA's Pacific Islands Regional Office (PIRO), and island Navigator Teams.

State support is not optional. Every project must have evidence of support from appropriate State representatives in the jurisdiction where the work occurs, typically in the form of a letter of support or another clear indicator of collaboration. NOAA encourages applicants to submit this evidence with the application and requires that support be confirmed prior to final selection. Proposals will also be shared with coral reef management representatives from the relevant jurisdiction(s) during review, and that feedback will factor into selection decisions. If a proposal does not obtain the required support, it cannot be funded, regardless of technical merit.

From an application logistics standpoint, NOAA highlights registration requirements that often trip applicants up. Applicant organizations must complete and maintain active registrations in SAM.gov, Grants.gov, and eRA Commons, and all registrations must be in place before submitting the application. NOAA warns that completing these registrations can take 4 to 6 weeks, so applicants need to start early. Organizations may need to obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) through SAM.gov before completing eRA Commons registration. eRA Commons also requires setting up at least one Signing Official (SO) account and at least one Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) account to submit. NOAA points applicants to Department of Commerce applicant/grantee training modules for avoiding common submission errors, and notes that those without internet access should contact the agency contacts listed in the notice for submission instructions.

In short, this opportunity is focused on helping Hawaii finish and strengthen island-based coral reef fisheries management plans by supplying the technical writing horsepower, decision-support tools, and tightly targeted applied science that state managers and community-based planning teams need. The funding is modest but strategically placed: it is meant to accelerate completion of CR-FMPs for specific islands, ensure the plans include implementable actions and measurable monitoring frameworks, and keep the work anchored in active partnership with DAR, PIRO, and local Navigator Teams. The application deadline listed is June 13, 2025, under Funding Opportunity Number NOAA NOS OCM 2025 30196.

• The DOC NOAA - ERA Production in the environment, natural resources, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2025 NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program - Ruth D. Gates: Supporting Hawaii’s Sustainable Coral Reef Fisheries Management Plans" 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 2025-04-11.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-06-13. (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 $600,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 2 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for NOAA NOS OCM 2025 30196

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