Application Deadlines

• Letter of Intent (LOI) are required and will be accepted through February 5, 2024 (11:59PM EDT) via email ushabcti@umces.edu
• Full proposals must be submitted by April 15, 2024 (11:59PM EDT).

Full 2024 Notice of Funding and Review Process details can be found here

Letter of Intent (LOI) Requirements

LOI's will be accepted through February 5, 2024 (11:59PM EDT). Please submit LOIs via email to ushabcti@umces.edu.

The purpose of the LOI process is to provide information to potential applicants on the relevance of their proposed project and the likelihood of it being competitive in advance of preparing a full application. Full applications will be encouraged only for LOIs deemed relevant; however, the final decision to submit a full proposal is made by the applicant. The LOI should provide a concise description of the proposed work and its relevance to the US HAB-CTI Program.

The LOI document should be no more than two pages (front only) in length, single spaced in 12-point font with 1-inch margins and should include in order the components listed below:

• Project Title 
• Principal Investigator(s) Name(s), Title(s), Affiliation(s), and Contact Information
• Statement of Work Narrative: The control technology should be in the initial stages of research (Tier 1 or 2) but have potential to be a scalable, environmentally acceptable, and cost-effective control strategy to address the HAB problem. The emphasis of the narrative should be to introduce the HAB control technology and demonstrate that the applicants have the capability to implement the project. This capability must be demonstrated by a clear, concise, description of PI expertise (internal or collaborative) and plans for access to lab/facilities/infrastructure to conduct the research. Web links to additional information are allowable.
• Estimated Budget

Proposal Requirements

In order to be considered, all proposals will need to meet the following requirements:

• The proposal needs to be submitted by April 15, 2024 – 11:59pm.
• The duration of the program is 12 months with start date September 1, 2024
• Project Narrative: 5-page maximum and must include:
  • Project Title
  • Principal Investigator(s) Name(s), Title(s), Affiliation(s), and Contact Information
  • Scope of Work
    • Brief Project Abstract
    • Project Significance
    • Objectives
    • Scientific Testing/Methodologies
    • Timeline
    • Roles and qualification of all team members
    • Facilities being used
    • History of the mitigation tool/technology including previous/existing uses, research, and regulatory approvals, if any.
  • References cited - will not count towards page limit
• Resume/CVs- 3-page maximum. Please use the NSF format found: https://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/biosketch.jsp
• Budget - SF424A: Budget can’t exceed a total $200,000 which includes direct and indirect costs. Applicant institutions do not have to be members of an eligible NOAA approved CESU, but they must adhere to the relevant CESU guidelines and use the established CESU indirect cost rate: 17.5% applied to Modified Total Direct Costs. A 10% de minimis indirect cost rate may be used by any non-federal entity that has never received a negotiated indirect cost rate agreement. This rate would be charged against modified total direct costs. The budget needs to be submitted in SF424A format: https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/forms/readonly/SF424A-V1.0.pdf. Cost share is not allowed under this program. Funding is not intended for large capital infrastructure/lab items rather for salaries, travel, facility use, specific project related equipment, and supplies.
• Budget Narrative: Guidance for formatting the budget narrative can be found here. (no page limitation)
• Letters of Support or Collaboration (optional-no limitation)
• Please use the NSF guidelines for this:
  • Arial6 (not Arial Narrow), Courier New, or Palatino Linotype at a font size of 10 points or larger;
  • Times New Roman at a font size of 11 points or larger; or
  • Computer Modern family of fonts at a font size of 11 points or larger.
• A font size of less than 10 points may be used for mathematical formulas or equations, figures, tables, or diagram captions and when using a Symbol font to insert Greek letters or special characters. Other fonts not specified above, such as Cambria Math, may be used for mathematical formulas, equations, or when inserting Greek letters or special characters. PIs are cautioned, however, that the text must still be readable.
  • No more than six lines of text within a vertical space of one inch.
  • Margins, in all directions, must be at least an inch. No proposer-supplied information may appear in the margins.
  • Paper size must be no larger than standard letter paper size (8 ½ by 11”).

Application Link

https://smr.to/p94009 - Will Open on February 5th, 2024

Frequently Asked Questions

• Did I need to submit an LOI to submit a full proposal? Yes, LOI were mandatory.
• How many projects will be funded? Estimated at 3-5, depends on award amounts.
• May I include using the IMET or Mote facilities in the RFP application? Yes, please contact IMET or Mote PI’s or scientists for detailed questions on facility capabilities and HAB culturing.
• Does the US HAB CTI include projects for HABs in the Great Lakes? Yes
• How is Intellectual Property handled for US HAB CTI projects and findings? The rights to any invention made by a University employee or other nonprofit research organization at an Institute under the cooperative agreement with NOAA are determined by the Bayh‐Dole Act, Pub. L. 96‐517, as amended, and codified in 35 U.S.C. 200 et seq. The specific rights and responsibilities are described in more detail in 37 CFR Part 401 and in particular, in the standard patent rights clause in 37 CFR 401.14.
• Reference the NOAA Cooperative Institute Handbook and there will be Special Award Conditions in the Sub-award for Data and Information
• Will there be another LOI/RFP application opportunity occur in 2025? Yes
• For questions please email ushabcti@umces.edu

Resources

2024 Informational Webinar Recording

2024 Informational Webinar Slides