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NOAA's Office of Ocean Exploration & Research (OER) is soliciting pre-proposals followed by full proposals for bold, innovative, multi-partner, interdisciplinary ocean exploration projects in the following areas of interest: 1) physical, chemical and biological characterizations of unknown or poorly known regions of the deep ocean, especially areas deeper than 500 m. 2) baseline characterization of marine archaeological resources at any depth; and 3) technology that advances ocean exploration and has application to NOAA related missions. 

This solicitation seeks the services of a qualified organization to manage and operate an Ocean Bottom Seismometer Instrument Center established and sponsored by Marine Geology and Geophysics research programs within NSF's Division of Ocean Sciences. Research activities requiring the use of the existing pool of instruments supported by NSF are expected to continue well beyond the period of performance for the existing Ocean Bottom Seismometer Instrument Pool Management Office award, scheduled to expire in early 2018. The award resulting from this solicitation will be administered as a Cooperative Agreement with a single Lead Institution that will perform the OBSIC activities described herein.

More than nine million tons of plastic waste end up in the planet's oceans each year, with alarming implications for the health of people, wildlife, and ecosystems. Eighty percent of this plastic is believed to be derived from land-based sources, and much of it enters the ocean via major rivers in Asia and Africa. Through this RFP, National Geographic aims to support projects dedicated to reducing plastic pollution at the source, both by reducing per capita plastic consumption and by reducing the flow of plastics into watersheds.

Division of Ocean Sciences (OCE) is potentially interested in projects that integrate with the NASA field program intellectually and provide substantive advances in the basic scientific understandings of the "biological pump" or any associated biological, chemical, physical, or geological processes. NSF supported a workshop in February 2016 on the "Biology of the Biological Pump" at which basic research topics that could complement EXPORTS science were identified. OCE will consider additional aspects of the export system as well.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Wind and Water Power Technologies Office, a Funding Opportunity Announcement- FOA- entitled Marine and Hydrokinetic Energy Conversion and Environmental Monitoring Technology Advancement. This FOA is soliciting applications that propose projects supporting the marine and hydrokinetic MHK industry in two Topic Areas. Topic Area 1 will help advance wave and current energy- ocean, tidal, river- technologies by supporting projects that integrate advanced MHK components into system designs and then demonstrate the improved systems in full-scale open-water tests. Topic Area 2 will support the innovation, testing and validation of instrumentation for monitoring potential environmental impacts of MHK devices. The complete Notice of Intent can be viewed on the EERE Exchange website - https://eere-exchange.energy.gov This is a Notice of Intent only. EERE may issue a FOA as described herein, may issue a FOA that is significantly different from the FOA described herein, or EERE may not issue a FOA at all. NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED THROUGH THIS NOI. Please do not submit questions or respond to this NOI. Prospective applicants to the FOA should begin developing partnerships, formulating ideas, and gathering data in anticipation of the issuance of this FOA. It is anticipated that this FOA will be posted to the EERE Exchange website in the near term.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Wind and Water Power Technologies Office, a Funding Opportunity Announcement- FOA- entitled Marine and Hydrokinetic Energy Conversion and Environmental Monitoring Technology Advancement. This FOA is soliciting applications that propose projects supporting the marine and hydrokinetic MHK industry in two Topic Areas. Topic Area 1 will help advance wave and current energy- ocean, tidal, river- technologies by supporting projects that integrate advanced MHK components into system designs and then demonstrate the improved systems in full-scale open-water tests. Topic Area 2 will support the innovation, testing and validation of instrumentation for monitoring potential environmental impacts of MHK devices. The complete Notice of Intent can be viewed on the EERE Exchange website - https://eere-exchange.energy.gov This is a Notice of Intent only. EERE may issue a FOA as described herein, may issue a FOA that is significantly different from the FOA described herein, or EERE may not issue a FOA at all. NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED THROUGH THIS NOI. Please do not submit questions or respond to this NOI. Prospective applicants to the FOA should begin developing partnerships, formulating ideas, and gathering data in anticipation of the issuance of this FOA. It is anticipated that this FOA will be posted to the EERE Exchange website in the near term.

Hazards SEES seeks research projects that will productively cross the boundaries of the atmospheric and geospace, earth, and ocean sciences; computer and information science; cyberinfrastructure; engineering; mathematics and statistics; and social, economic, and behavioral sciences. Successful proposals will integrate across these multiple disciplines to promote research that advances new paradigms that contribute to creating a society resilient to hazards. Hazards SEES intends to transform hazards and disaster research by fostering the development of interdisciplinary research that allows for appropriately targeted data collection, integration, and management; modeling (including predictive models for real-time decision making); visualization and simulation; data analytics and data-driven discovery; real-time sensing; cross-cutting knowledge development; and synthesis of applicable models and theory. 

Hazards SEES seeks research projects that will productively cross the boundaries of the atmospheric and geospace, earth, and ocean sciences; computer and information science (including cyberinfrastructure); engineering; mathematics and statistics; and social, economic, and behavioral sciences. Successful proposals will integrate across multiple disciplines to promote research that advances new paradigms that contribute to creating a society resilient to hazards.

The U. S. Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) plans to seek proposals from small business firms for participation in Phase I of the Fiscal Year 2015 NOAA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program. Phase I of the SBIR program implements the SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act of 2011, contained in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 (P.L. 112-81), which reauthorizes the SBIR/STTR programs for six years. Small businesses are invited to submit research proposals in response to the Request for Proposals.

The Energy, Power, and Adaptive Systems (EPAS) program invests in the design and analysis of intelligent and adaptive engineering networks, including sensing, imaging, controls, and computational technologies for a variety of application domains. EPAS places emphasis on electric power networks and grids, including generation, transmission and integration of renewable, sustainable and distributed energy systems; high power electronics and drives; and understanding of associated regulatory and economic structures. Topics of interest include alternate energy sources, the Smart Grid, and interdependencies of critical infrastructure in power and communications. The program also places emphasis on energy scavenging and alternative energy technologies, including solar cells, ocean waves, wind, and low-head hydro. In addition, the program supports innovative test beds, and laboratory and curriculum development to integrate research and education.  EPAS invests in adaptive dynamic programming, brain-like networked architectures performing real-time learning, neuromorphic engineering, telerobotics, and systems theory. The program supports distributed control of multi-agent systems with embedded computation for sensor and adaptive networks. EPAS provides additional emphasis on emerging areas, such as quantum systems engineering, quantum and molecular modeling and simulation of devices and systems.

The purpose of the NOAA Research to Operations (R2O) Initiative is to expand and accelerate critical weather forecasting research to operations to address growing service demands and increase the accuracy of weather forecasts. This will be achieved through: (1) accelerated development and implementation of improved global weather prediction models, and inclusion of the coupling of atmosphere, ocean, wave, land surface and ice system components; (2) improved data assimilation techniques; (3) nested regional prediction capabilities; (4) improved hurricane and tropical cyclone modeling techniques; (5) improved ensemble techniques; (6) post-processing forecast tools and techniques; and (7) improved software architecture and system engineering.

The Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program is authorized at 16 U.S.C. 1445c-1 and 16 U.S.C. 1445c to recognize outstanding achievement in master's and doctoral studies in oceanography, marine biology, maritime archaeology and all other science, engineering, social science and resource management disciplines involving ocean and coastal areas, and particularly encourages women and members of minority groups to apply. 

In 2016, the National Science Foundation (NSF) unveiled a set of "Big Ideas", 10 bold, long-term research and process ideas that identify areas for future investment at the frontiers of science and engineering. The Big Ideas represent unique opportunities to position our Nation at the cutting edge of global science and engineering leadership by bringing together diverse disciplinary perspectives to support convergence research. As such, when responding to this solicitation, even though proposals must be submitted to the Directorate for Geosciences, once received, the proposals will be managed by a cross-disciplinary team of NSF Program Directors. Arctic temperatures are warming faster than nearly everywhere else on Earth, with some models predicting that continued warming could produce an ice-free Arctic Ocean by mid-century. The rapid and wide-scale changes occurring in response to this warming portend new opportunities and unprecedented risks to natural systems; social and cultural systems; economic, political and legal systems; and built environments of the Arctic and across the globe. The lack of scientific observations and the prevalence of interdependent social, natural, and built systems in the Arctic make it challenging to predict the region's future. Understanding and adapting to a changing Arctic will require creative new directions for Arctic-specific research, education, workforce development, and leveraging of science, engineering, and technology advances from outside the Arctic.

The Division of Ocean Sciences (OCE) Integrative Programs Section (IPS) is soliciting proposals from eligible organizations to serve as the Operating Institution (OI) for the third ship in the Regional Class Research Vessels (RCRV #3). Planning for construction of new RCRVs for the U.S. Academic Research Fleet (ARF) has been ongoing at the National Science Foundation for more than a decade. In early 2012 a Solicitation (NSF-12-558) was issued for the design and construction of up to three RCRVs. The solicitation provided that the Awardee would serve as Lead Institution (LI) for the Design and Construction of all vessels in the Class with the option to serve as Operator of the Lead Ship. The solicitation further indicated that selection of OIs for any additional vessels would be conducted by means of a separate competition that would be completed prior to delivery of the first RCRV.

This notice is not a mechanism to fund existing NOAA awards. The purpose of this notice is to request applications for special projects and programs associated with NOAA's strategic plan and mission goals, as well as to provide the general public with information and guidelines on how NOAA will select applications and administer discretionary Federal assistance under this Broad Agency Announcement (BAA). This Broad Agency Announcement is a mechanism to encourage research, education and outreach, innovative projects, or sponsorships that are not addressed through NOAA's competitive discretionary programs. This announcement is not soliciting goods or services for the direct benefit of NOAA. Funding for activities described in this notice is contingent upon the availability of Fiscal Year 2018, Fiscal Year 2019, and Fiscal Year 2020 appropriations. Applicants are hereby given notice that funds have not yet been appropriated for any activities described in this notice. Publication of this announcement does not oblige NOAA to review an application beyond an initial administrative review, or to award any specific project, or to obligate any available funds. In furtherance of this objective, NOAA issues this BAA for extramural research, innovative projects, and sponsorships (e.g., conferences, newsletters, etc.) that address one or more of the following four mission goal descriptions contained in the NOAA Strategic Plan: 1. Long-term mission goal: Climate Adaptation and Mitigation 2. Long-term mission goal: Weather-Ready Nation 3. Long-term mission goal: Healthy Oceans 4. Long-term mission goal: Resilient Coastal Communities and Economies

The Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program provides support for master's and doctoral degrees in oceanography, marine biology, maritime archaeology, and all other science, engineering, social science, and resource management disciplines involving ocean and coastal areas, and particularly encourages women and members of minority groups to apply. Individuals who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents, or citizens of U.S. territories, and are applying to or have been accepted to a graduate program at a U.S. accredited institution, may apply. Prospective scholars do not need to be enrolled in a graduate program at the time of application, but must be admitted to a graduate level program in order to be awarded this scholarship. Scholarship selections are based on academic excellence, letters of recommendations, research and career goals, and financial need. Applicants must have a cumulative 3.30 grade point average to be eligible to apply and maintain a minimum cumulative and term grade point average of 3.30 for every term and for the duration of their award. Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarships may provide, subject to appropriations, yearly support of up to $42,000 per student (a 12-month stipend of $30,000 in addition to an education allowance of up to $12,000) and up to $10,000 of support for a 4-6 week program collaboration at a NOAA facility. Based on available funding, completion of one (1) program collaboration may be required for every doctoral scholarship award, with a second recommended, but not required. For master's degree level scholars, completion of a program collaboration is strongly recommended but is not required. The Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship funds cannot be used toward research costs.

The Fellowship Program expects to award two new Ph.D. Fellowships each year to students who are interested in careers related to the development and implementation of quantitative methods for assessing the economics of the conservation and management of living marine resources. Fellows will work on thesis problems of public interest and relevance to National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) under the guidance of NMFS mentors at participating NMFS Science Centers or Offices. The NMFS-Sea Grant Fellowship in Marine Resource Economics meets NOAA's Healthy Oceans goal of "Marine fisheries, habitats, biodiversity sustained with healthy and productive ecosystems." The expected annual award per Fellow will be $46,000 (Federal plus matching funds), which is funded jointly by NOAA Fisheries and Sea Grant.

The Division of Ocean Sciences (OCE) Integrative Programs Section (IPS) is soliciting proposals from eligible organizations to serve as Operating Institutions (OIs) for two (2) Regional Class Research Vessels (RCRVs). Planning for construction of new RCRVs for the U.S. Academic Research Fleet (ARF) has been ongoing at the National Science Foundation for more than a decade.

This program element solicits scientific investigations that require the accurate and extensive vector wind and backscatter measurements provided by QuikSCAT, RapidScat, COWVR, and other international scatterometers, such as ASCAT (from the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites; EUMETSAT) and OSCAT (from the Indian Space Research Organization; ISRO).

Our goal is to bend the Keeling Curve. To that end, our team is looking for projects with a proven track record of taking greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere. We've developed five categories, each one addressing a specific sector of climate innovation. We award $25,000 to two projects in each category annually. Capture & Utilization -- Projects in this category are advancing technological and nature-based strategies for capturing and/or utilizing heat-trapping gases from the air or oceans. Energy -- Projects in this category decarbonize energy, support zero-carbon energy innovations, and lead the way in improving the supply, distribution, and access of low or zero-emissions energy systems worldwide. Finance -- Projects in this category are making financial mechanisms and economics work for greenhouse gas reduction and/or reversal ventures. Social & Cultural Pathways -- Projects in this category are changing the way people consider, understand, and act concerning human impacts on planet Earth. They are trying to answer the question: what does it take, socially and culturally, to develop beyond fossil fuels? Transport & Mobility -- Projects that apply in this category are reimagining and reinventing all types of vehicles, fuels, and mobility options for both people and products. These projects will confront the carbon footprint of the vehicles themselves and the routes traveled.

CCOM's Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program is designed to create research experiences for undergraduate students who are interested in pursuing graduate work. SURF is aimed primarily at students who are working toward a degree in science, engineering, or math and are completing their junior year.