The purpose of this document is to advise the public that NOAA/NOS/National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS)/Competitive Research Program (CRP) [formerly Center for Sponsored Coastal Ocean Research (CSCOR)/Coastal Ocean Program (COP)], the NOAA Climate Program Office (CPO), and the NOAA Ocean Acidification Program (OAP), in partnership with the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) and the NOAA Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS), are soliciting proposals to understand the combined impacts of multiple stressors on the function and health of marine ecosystems within the context of climate change. This information will be used to improve place-based management of marine protected areas and enable the proactive protection of these critical ecosystems under future climate scenarios.
Funding is contingent upon the availability of Fiscal Year 2022 Federal appropriations. If funds become available for this program, 1-2 projects are expected to be supported for up to four years in duration, with an approximate annual budget for each project up to $1,000,000, not to exceed $4,000,000 total per project.
NOAA encourages applicants and awardees to support the principles of diversity and inclusion when writing their proposals and performing their work. Diversity is defined as a collection of individual attributes that together help organizations achieve objectives. Inclusion is defined as a culture that connects each employee to the organization. Promoting diversity and inclusion improves creativity, productivity, and the vitality of the research community in which NOAA engages.
Climate change is exacerbating existing environmental stressors (e.g., hypoxia, harmful algal blooms, and ocean acidification) through changes to the fundamental drivers of ecosystems (e.g., temperature, precipitation, seasonal cycles, and biogeochemistry). These changes impact processes such as oxygen, nutrient, and carbon cycling, respiration rates, stratification, ocean circulation, upwelling, and mixing, with implications for the prevalence, severity, and duration of harmful algal blooms, ocean acidification, and hypoxic events. Understanding how these multiple stressors interact and subsequently impact species, habitat assemblages, and ecosystems is critical for place-based management.
The complex and large-scale nature of these environmental stressors requires a coordinated, interdisciplinary ecosystem approach. Past and current research efforts and programs typically have focused on understanding the impact of single stressors on species and ecosystems. However, understanding the impacts and relationships among multiple stressors remains elusive, yet critical, given the potential for unexpected interactions between multiple stressors, the possibility of irreversible ecosystem effects, and the need to manage and anticipate such possibilities.
Deadlines:
Eligible applicants for Federal financial assistance in this competition are U.S. institutions of higher education, other non-profits, state, local, Indian Tribal Governments, U.S. Territories, and for-profit organizations. Federal agencies that possess the statutory authority to receive transfers of funds are eligible to submit applications for intra- or interagency funds transfers through this competition. Department of Commerce (DOC)/NOAA supports cultural and gender diversity and encourages women and minority individuals and groups to submit applications to its programs. In addition, DOC/NOAA is strongly committed to broadening the participation of historically black colleges and universities, Hispanic serving institutions, tribal colleges and universities, and institutions that work in underserved areas. DOC/NOAA encourages applications involving any of the above institutions to apply.
