The U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS®) is a national and regional partnership working to provide ocean, coastal and Great Lakes observations, data, tools, and forecasts to improve safety, enhance the economy, and protect our environment. To increase observational and technical capabilities we need smart investments to innovate sensors, data management, decision support products, and other technical capabilities that will improve our ability to monitor and forecast environmental conditions with greater efficiency. The primary objective of IOOS’ Ocean Technology Transition Project (OTT) is to reduce the Research to Operations transition period for ocean observing, product development, and data management technologies for the ocean, coastal and Great Lakes. The term ‘Technologies’ includes: ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes sensors, information technology (data management, data visualization), platform enhancement, and technology modernization efforts. This objective is accomplished by investing in the transition of emerging and promising marine and Great Lakes observing technological capabilities from the mid to latter phases of research into operational status.
The U.S. IOOS Office is seeking to fund projects, subject to the availability of funds, which advance new or existing technology-based solutions that address long standing and emerging coastal observing, product development, and data management challenges. The projects will be focused on those technologies for which there are demonstrated operators who commit to integrated, long term use of those technologies and open data sharing. A Transition Manager for the project should be identified and a Transition Plan will be a Year One deliverable.
Funding will be targeted to technologies that are sufficiently mature for long term operations. This announcement specifically funds activities needed to progress these technologies through the transitional stages between research and full operations such as system integration, testing, validation, and verification. Funding will not be awarded to continue projects previously funded through the Ocean Technology Transition Project.
Deadlines:
In FY 2023, the U.S. IOOS Office will accept applications to accelerate the transition of advanced coastal, ocean, and Great Lakes observing technologies to operations mode. Technologies which support developing and improving observation, sensors, and information capabilities for chemical, biological, and physical parameters at multiple spatial and temporal scales to monitor changing conditions in the oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes will be considered.
Specific areas of interest under this funding opportunity include, but are not limited to:
1. sensors for physical, biological, or chemical parameters
2. use of cloud-based technologies and platforms
3. novel autonomous vehicles/platforms
4. HAB sensors and sensor platforms including deployment of sensors on new platforms
5. novel data management, analytics, and integration to improve service delivery to customers
6. sensors for ocean acidification related measurements
7. high frequency radar use impact and metrics, development, and improvement
Eligible funding applicants for this competition are institutions of higher education, nonprofit and for-profit organizations, and State, local and tribal governments. Federal agencies or institutions and foreign governments may not be the primary recipient of awards under this announcement, but they are encouraged to partner with applicants when appropriate.
n FY 2023-2024, it is estimated that up to $7.5 million will be available from the U.S. IOOS Office. Multiple awards are anticipated, subject to availability of funds, in amounts up to $400,000 per year for up to three years, with some exceptions for highly ranked proposals. Proposals not funded in the current fiscal period (Fiscal Year 2023) may be considered for funding in the next fiscal period (Fiscal Year 2024) without NOAA repeating the competitive process outlined in this announcement.
