Opportunity Information: Apply for M16AS00002
The BOEM FY 2016 Environmental Studies Program (ESP) grant opportunity is a discretionary cooperative agreement offered by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to support applied research that helps the federal government manage offshore energy and mineral development in a way that is both safe and environmentally responsible. The work is intended to directly inform BOEM decisions for the nations Outer Continental Shelf, with a geographic focus on the Atlantic corridor from Cape Cod to Cape Hatteras. This area is emphasized because offshore renewable energy leasing was already moving forward there at the time, and because an established and robust acoustic telemetry network exists that can be leveraged for fish and habitat research.
A central theme of the opportunity is producing credible, decision-ready environmental information that can be used in environmental reviews and formal consultations required by major federal statutes. BOEM is looking for studies that generate data to support environmental impact assessments and other analyses tied to offshore leasing activities, and that strengthen the evidence base used during consultations under the Endangered Species Act, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, and the Coastal Zone Management Act. In practical terms, this means projects should be designed to answer questions that regulators and resource managers actually face, such as how offshore wind development areas overlap with important habitats, migration corridors, and seasonal distributions of commercially valuable or protected species.
The program strongly encourages, and in effect expects, meaningful involvement from resource users, especially commercial fishermen, in the design and/or execution of the research. BOEM indicates it will evaluate proposals not only for scientific merit and relevance to BOEM information needs, but also for how well they engage stakeholders who work on the water and are directly affected by offshore development decisions. This stakeholder involvement is framed as a way to improve study design, ensure the work reflects real-world conditions, and build trust in the resulting data so that management decisions are more broadly accepted by agencies, academic partners, and fishing communities.
From a technical standpoint, BOEM envisions projects that can characterize both the physical environment and fish use of proposed development sites. On the environmental characterization side, proposals should be able to describe benthic conditions and oceanographic context at the chosen study site. On the fish ecology side, BOEM highlights the use of acoustic telemetry, typically by attaching acoustic transmitters to target species and tracking their presence and movements through receiver arrays. Priority targets include species of high commercial importance and species protected under the Endangered Species Act. The studies may examine patterns at fine spatial scales, such as fish distribution and habitat use around key bottom features within a wind energy area, as well as broader scales, such as how fish occurrence and movement vary across an entire wind energy area or across seasons.
The objectives BOEM lists are broad enough that a single project could address multiple needs, but they generally fall into four categories. First, collecting data that improves consultations and assessments related to potential impacts from Outer Continental Shelf leasing activities while also improving the underlying information used for species management. Second, obtaining information specifically aimed at assessing potential impacts to commercially important and protected fish species in the Mid-Atlantic and New York Bights, where offshore wind projects may be sited. Third, supporting the data management needs of acoustic telemetry networks, which can include handling, standardizing, archiving, and making telemetry detections usable across projects and institutions. Fourth, building on baseline knowledge of how fish use proposed development sites, which is essential for comparing pre-development conditions to conditions during and after construction and operations.
Eligibility for this opportunity is limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, reflecting a focus on research capacity, scientific oversight, and the cooperative nature of the awards. The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, which typically signals more substantial federal involvement during the project than a standard grant, such as collaboration on study design details, data standards, or integration of results into BOEM processes. The opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number M16AS00002; CFDA 15.423) anticipated up to four awards, with an award ceiling of $500,000 per award. The original application closing date was January 30, 2016, and the announcement was created on December 16, 2015.
Overall, the BOEM FY 2016 ESP opportunity is aimed at generating practical, defensible science in a region actively planning for offshore wind, using established telemetry infrastructure and strong stakeholder participation to produce information that can withstand scrutiny in regulatory reviews and improve confidence in offshore resource management decisions.Apply for M16AS00002
- The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BOEM FY 2016 Environmental Studies Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.423.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2015-12-16.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2016-01-30. (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 $500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 4 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.
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FAQs: BOEM FY 2016 Environmental Studies Program (ESP) Cooperative Agreement
What is the BOEM FY 2016 Environmental Studies Program (ESP) grant opportunity?
This opportunity is a discretionary cooperative agreement offered by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to support applied environmental research. The purpose is to generate practical, decision-ready science that helps the federal government manage offshore energy and mineral development in a way that is safe and environmentally responsible.
What is the main purpose of the funded research?
The research is intended to directly inform BOEM decisions for the nations Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). Projects are expected to produce credible environmental information that can be used in environmental reviews and formal consultations tied to offshore leasing activities.
What geographic area does this opportunity focus on?
The geographic focus is the Atlantic corridor from Cape Cod to Cape Hatteras. The Mid-Atlantic and New York Bights are specifically emphasized in relation to offshore wind projects that may be sited there.
Why is the Atlantic corridor from Cape Cod to Cape Hatteras emphasized?
This area is highlighted because offshore renewable energy leasing was already moving forward there at the time of the announcement, and because a robust acoustic telemetry network exists in the region that can be leveraged for fish and habitat research.
What type of funding instrument is being used?
The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement. This typically indicates more substantial federal involvement than a standard grant, such as collaboration on study design details, data standards, or integration of results into BOEM decision processes.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education.
How many awards were anticipated?
BOEM anticipated up to four awards.
What is the maximum funding amount per award?
The award ceiling was $500,000 per award.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number and CFDA number for this opportunity?
The Funding Opportunity Number is M16AS00002 and the CFDA number is 15.423.
When was the opportunity announced and when was the application closing date?
The announcement was created on December 16, 2015. The original application closing date was January 30, 2016.
What kinds of research outcomes is BOEM looking for?
BOEM is looking for applied, defensible science that is "decision-ready" and can stand up to scrutiny in regulatory reviews. The emphasis is on generating data that directly supports environmental impact assessments and formal consultations associated with offshore leasing and development activities.
Which federal environmental and management statutes are specifically referenced?
The opportunity references consultations and analyses under the Endangered Species Act, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, and the Coastal Zone Management Act.
How should projects support environmental reviews and consultations?
Projects should be designed to answer real questions faced by regulators and resource managers, such as how offshore wind development areas overlap with important habitats, migration corridors, and seasonal distributions of commercially valuable or protected species.
Is stakeholder involvement required or encouraged?
Meaningful involvement from resource users, especially commercial fishermen, is strongly encouraged and effectively expected. BOEM indicates it will evaluate proposals partly on how well they engage stakeholders who work on the water and are directly affected by offshore development decisions.
Why does BOEM emphasize involving commercial fishermen and other resource users?
Stakeholder involvement is framed as a way to improve study design, ensure the research reflects real-world conditions, and build trust in the results so management decisions are more broadly accepted by agencies, academic partners, and fishing communities.
What technical approaches are highlighted for fish and habitat research?
BOEM highlights acoustic telemetry as a key tool for fish ecology research. This commonly involves attaching acoustic transmitters to target species and tracking their movements and presence through receiver arrays, including established telemetry networks in the region.
What kinds of species are considered priority targets?
Priority targets include species of high commercial importance and species protected under the Endangered Species Act.
What types of environmental characterization are expected?
On the environmental characterization side, proposals are expected to describe benthic conditions and oceanographic context at the chosen study site.
At what spatial and temporal scales can projects examine fish patterns?
Studies may examine fine-scale patterns, such as fish distribution and habitat use around key bottom features within a wind energy area, and broader-scale patterns, such as how fish occurrence and movement vary across an entire wind energy area or across seasons.
What are the main objective categories described by BOEM?
BOEM describes objectives that generally fall into four categories: (1) collecting data that improves consultations and assessments related to potential impacts from OCS leasing while improving information used for species management, (2) obtaining information aimed at assessing potential impacts to commercially important and protected fish species in the Mid-Atlantic and New York Bights, (3) supporting data management needs of acoustic telemetry networks (including standardizing, archiving, and making detections usable across projects and institutions), and (4) building baseline knowledge of how fish use proposed development sites to enable comparisons across pre-development, construction, and operations phases.
Can a single project address more than one objective?
Yes. The objectives are broad enough that a single project could address multiple needs across the listed categories.
What is meant by "baseline knowledge" in this opportunity?
Baseline knowledge refers to understanding how fish use proposed development sites before construction occurs. This baseline is described as essential for comparing pre-development conditions to conditions during and after construction and operations.
What kinds of data management work is included in scope?
Data management needs for acoustic telemetry networks are explicitly included. This can involve handling, standardizing, archiving, and making telemetry detections usable across projects and institutions.
How will BOEM evaluate proposals according to the description provided?
BOEM indicates it will evaluate proposals for scientific merit and relevance to BOEM information needs, and also for how well they engage stakeholders who are directly affected by offshore development decisions.
What makes this opportunity "applied research" rather than purely academic research?
The work is described as applied because it is intended to directly inform BOEM decisions and produce information that can be used in environmental impact assessments and formal consultations for offshore leasing activities.
How is offshore wind development connected to the research goals?
The opportunity is situated in a region actively planning for offshore wind. Projects are expected to help answer management questions about how proposed wind energy areas overlap with habitats and species distributions, and to strengthen the environmental information used in offshore wind-related reviews and consultations.
What is the intended benefit of using established acoustic telemetry infrastructure?
The established and robust acoustic telemetry network in the region is noted as a resource that can be leveraged for fish and habitat research, supporting tracking and analysis of fish movements and presence across space and time.
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