Frequent Questions About the Saltonstall-Kennedy Grant Program

What is new for the FY25 Saltonstall-Kennedy Grant Program?

Most notably, the program has been divided into two separate competitions. The FY25 Saltonstall-Kennedy Pre-Proposal Competition will be posted on May 24, 2024 in grants.gov. All eligible applicants must submit an accepted pre-proposal to this competition in order to be eligible to submit a full proposal under a separate full proposal competition. See sections below for more details on required registrations and system checks that could prevent an application from being successfully received by the agency.

Who should I contact if I have a question about the Saltonstall-Kennedy Program?

Contact the program officers in your region:

Headquarters

Jennifer Foss | Jennifer.Foss@noaa.gov | (202) 657-3389

Alaska Region

Kristin Cieciel | Kristin.Cieciel@noaa.gov | (907) 586-7273 

West Coast Region

Katie Glick | Katherine.A.Glick@noaa.gov | (301) 427-7843 

Pacific Islands Region

Scott Bloom | Scott.Bloom@noaa.gov | (808) 725-5055

Greater Atlantic Region

Nicole MacDonald | Nicole.Macdonald@noaa.gov | (978) 281-9299

Southeast Region

Kim Raneses | Kim.Raneses@noaa.gov | (206) 669-4151 

What is a pre-proposal?

A pre-proposal is a two-page, single spaced document that clearly conveys the management impact and applicability of the proposed research for the priority area that you are applying to.

Do I have to submit a pre-proposal?

Yes. Any applicant that wishes to apply to the full proposal Notice of Funding Opportunity in September 2024 must submit a pre-proposal and the pre-proposal must be accepted, which means it submitted prior to the deadline and met all the minimum submission requirements. NOAA will inform the authorized representatives if the Saltonstall-Kennedy (S-K) Program encourages or does not encourage submission of a full proposal by September 25, 2024.

What is the format for a pre-proposal?

The pre-proposal package includes an SF-424 form and the two-page narrative only. The SF- 424 form will serve as a cover page to the pre-proposal. Although the SF-424 form allows for additional attachments, this function should not be used. Each pre-proposal may not exceed two pages, single-spaced, and must provide:

• Name of organization, Title of project, and Project Leader(s), with email contact(s). 
• Identify how you are part of the Fishing Community as defined in the Executive Summary (Applicants that are not part of the fishing community should provide the name for a member or entity of the fishing community who can verify the project’s fishing community’s support, cooperation and/or collaboration.)
• Priority: Applicants should identify the single priority that is most addressed by the preproposal.
• Background section that sets the stage for the work and identifies which one of the priorities in Section I.B the pre-proposal addresses directly.
• Clear statement of why the work would benefit the fishing community 
• Clear statement of objectives and a brief description of how objectives will be accomplished.
• Identification of required permits (i.e. ESA, MMPA) and permit numbers, if applicable.
• Estimated budget amount (a detailed budget narrative is not required).

What happens to my pre-proposal after I submit it?

Reviewers will assign scores to pre-proposals ranging from 0–100 points based on the four evaluation criteria below, which needs to be addressed in the pre-proposal. Scoring will be determined by subject matter experts. The maximum score for each criterion is indicated in the parentheses below:  

• Need and Relevance (0-30 points)—Does the pre-proposal:
  • Define the need of a fishing community?
  • Address the identified need?
  • Describe its relevance to the S-K priority described in Section B?
• Objectives and approach (0-25 points)—Does the pre-proposal:
  • Clearly identify the objective(s)?
  • Provide a clear description of the approach to be used?
• Connection to the fishing community (0-30 points)—Does the pre-proposal:
  • Clearly demonstrate involvement/collaboration with the fishing community?
  • Meaningfully incorporate participation of the fishing community into the project design?
  • Clearly demonstrate a commitment from the collaborators?
• Benefit of project (0-15 points)—Does the pre-proposal:
  • Demonstrate direct benefits to U.S. fisheries?
  • Demonstrate return on investment (cultural, economic, or other)?

The S-K Competitive Grant Program will review the complete set of pre-proposals and consider the merit ranking and relevance to determine whether to "encourage" or "not encourage" full proposals.

When will I hear back from NOAA Fisheries about my pre-proposal?

NOAA will inform the authorized representative identified on the SF-424 if the Saltonstall-Kennedy Program encourages or does not encourage submission of a full proposal by September 25, 2024. Regardless of whether you are encouraged or not encouraged, all those who submit accepted pre-proposals and meet all requirements are eligible to submit a subsequent full proposal. 

What is a Notice of Funding Opportunity?

NOAA Fisheries announces funding opportunities by publishing grant Notices of Funding Opportunities. These opportunities provide potential applicants with detailed information about particular funding announcements (including purpose, eligibility, restrictions, focus areas, evaluation criteria) and instructions on how to apply.

Where can I get a copy of the Notice of Funding Opportunity and the application forms necessary to apply for a funding opportunity?

Only the FY25 Saltonstall-Kennedy Pre-Proposal NOFO is published and available for download. You can access and download the Saltonstall-Kennedy Funding Opportunity and grant application forms directly from Grants.gov. Search for the Opportunity number NOAA-NMFS-FHQ-2025-26840.

What systems do I need to register in before submitting an application through Grants.gov?

All applicants and organizations must complete and maintain three registrations to be eligible to apply for or receive an award. Registration can take between 4-6 weeks, so REGISTER NOW. Registrations include the following:

Sam.gov

• Prior to registering with eRA Commons, applicant organizations must first register in SAM.gov to obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). The username and password for SAM.gov are managed by Login.gov. Registration can take 2+ weeks and requires renewal annually.

Grants.gov

• In order to submit an application, applicant organizations must be registered in Grants.gov. Organizations must register after receiving the UEI from SAM.gov, but can register before or after registering in eRA Commons. Registration can take 2-4 weeks.

eRA Commons

• Prior to submitting in Grants.gov, applicant organizations must first register in eRA Commons. The eRA registration can start while an organization is waiting for their final SAM.gov approval of their UEI. However, the organization must have a complete SAM.gov registration in order to submit the final application. Registration can take up to 4 weeks.

How long does the registration process take?

All applicants and organizations must complete and maintain three registrations (Sam.gov, Grants.gov, and eRA Commons) to be eligible to apply for or receive an award. Registration can take between 4-6 weeks, so REGISTER NOW. 

What is involved in the Sam.gov registration process?

SAM.gov registration is required to do business with the U.S. government. After registering with SAM.gov, you will receive a 12-character Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) that you will use throughout the application process.

We recommend allowing at least three weeks for initial SAM.gov registrations and at least two weeks for SAM.gov registration renewals. Additional information on SAM.gov registration is available here: https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration

You must update your SAM.gov registration any time your entity’s information changes. You must also renew and revalidate your entity’s SAM.gov registration at least every 12 months from the date you last certified to and submitted the registration. The renewal process may take up to two weeks. Your SAM.gov account’s primary point of contact will receive an email message alerting them to the renewal requirement at 60 days, 30 days, and 15 days prior to expiration. If you do not renew your registration by the deadline, it will expire.

What is involved in the eRA Commons registration process?

After completing your SAM.gov registration and receiving your Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), you must register with eRA Commons and create several required user accounts. NOAA uses eRA Commons to process grant applications and manage grant awards. 

NOTE: eRA Commons requires applicants to create one ORGANIZATIONAL PROFILE and two USER ACCOUNTS before submitting an application. These requirements are described in detail below. 

We recommend allowing at least three weeks for eRA Commons registration. This process can be completed concurrently with your Grants.gov registration. Additional information on the eRA Commons registration process is available on the Department of Commerce website.     

After creating an overall account for your “institution”, which may be for your organization or yourself as an individual, eRA Commons requires you to set up at least two user accounts: one Signing Official (SO) account and one Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) account. 

• The Signing Official (SO) user account must be assigned to an individual with signature authority to legally bind the organization in grants administration matters. The SO will receive 4-5 emails throughout the registration process.
• The Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) account must be assigned to an individual with primary responsibility for the project(s) described in the grant application. The eRA Commons User ID (Username) for the PD/PI must also be listed on the SF-424 form for item 4 (Applicant Identifier).

Your SO and PD/PI user accounts must be active before you submit an application. Both accounts can be assigned to the same individual if appropriate.

What is involved in the Grants.gov registration process?

After completing your SAM.gov registration and receiving your Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), you must complete a one-time registration process with Grants.gov, the government-wide portal used to solicit and accept grant applications. 

We recommend allowing at least two weeks for Grants.gov registration. This process can be completed concurrently with your eRA Commons registration. Additional information on the Grants.gov registration process is available online.

What type of notification will I receive after submitting an electronic application via Grants.gov?

The Grants.gov and eRA Commons validation processes for a submitted application can take up to two business days after submission. Only validated applications are sent to NOAA to review. To ensure successful submission of an application, we strongly recommend that you submit a final and complete application at least two business days prior to the submission deadline.

After you submit your application, you will receive an automatic acknowledgment of receipt that contains a Grants.gov tracking number. This notification indicates receipt by Grants.gov only, not receipt by NOAA. Applications submitted through Grants.gov will be accompanied by FOUR automated responses from the website:

1. Submission Receipt
2. Submission Validation Receipt for Application
3. Grantor Agency Retrieval Receipt for Application
4. Agency Tracking Number Assignment for Application

In addition to the Grants.gov automated notification messages, you may receive automated email notifications of any errors or warnings identified by eRA Commons. You must resolve all eRA Commons errors prior to the application due date in order for the application to be processed.

Once an electronic application is accepted in eRA Commons, you will receive an additional automated notification that the completed application was received and that an application number will be assigned. 

You should save and print the proof of submission messages from both Grants.gov and eRA Commons. If you do not receive an acceptance message from both Grants.gov and eRA Commons, you should follow up with the agency contact listed in VII to confirm NOAA’s receipt of the complete submission.

What kind of submission checks are involved now that NOAA uses a new grants management system, eRA Commons?

When an application is submitted in Grants.gov, it will undergo two layers of checks. This is a new process with the transition to eRA Commons.

First, Grants.gov will check for an on-time submission and attachments uploaded for each required form in the application package. If your application is successfully submitted in Grants.gov you will receive a Grants.gov tracking number.

Next, eRA Commons will check for ERRORS and WARNINGS: elements of the application that need to be resolved and resubmitted - such as file formatting or role information. ERRORS will prevent the application from being received by the agency. Therefore, a Grants.gov tracking number alone does not verify a successful submission.

If the application includes ERRORS or WARNINGS, you may receive an email from eRA. You must resolve any ERRORS listed and resubmit in Grants.gov prior to the due date in order for NOAA to receive your application for processing.

Applicants cannot consider their application fully received by the agency until they receive an email from eRA indicating the application was received.

What types of errors will prevent successful application submission and receipt in eRA?

Although Grants.gov may allow you to submit an application, eRA will not accept it if it includes errors, and therefore NOAA will not receive it. Please see the following submission checklist to help ensure all eRA Commons system requirements are met:

• SAM.gov Registration and approved UEI

• eRA Commons Registration

• Grants.gov Registration

• PD/PI Account Created

• PD/PI Commons ID entered exactly on Box 4 on the SF-424

• UEI entered exactly on Box 8c. of the SF-424

• Congressional District formatted correctly (ex. VA-001)

• All PDFs flattened

• File sizes are less than 100 MB

• File page sizes are 8 1⁄2” x 11”

• File names are shorter than 50 characters (including spaces)

• File names do not include invalid characters (&, diacritical marks) 

Learn more about NOAA Fisheries' new grant application process 

I will be the Principal Investigator on the proposal. Do I need to register with eRA Commons?

eRA Commons registration must be completed by the Signing Official. An SO is someone in the organization with signatory authority such as a President, Executive Director, Owner, etc. The SO will receive 4-5 emails throughout the registration process. In addition, a Project Director/Principal Investigator account must be created and linked on the SF-424 for a successful submission. 

What if Grants.gov or my organization’s internet connection is unavailable at the submission deadline?

Avoid this problem by submitting early. If you choose to submit at the last minute, you do so at your own risk.  If an applicant has problems with Grants.gov, contact the Grants.gov Customer Support at 1- 800-518-4726 or support@Grants.gov. 

If you do not have internet access, a pre-proposal application package may be received by contacting Jennifer Foss, S-K Program Manager, NOAA/UNH Joint Hydrographic Center, Chase Ocean Engineering Bldg, 24 Colovos Road, Durham, NH 03824, or email: Jennifer.foss@noaa.gov. 

If Grants.gov cannot reasonably be used, use of U.S. mail or another delivery service must be documented with a receipt; private metered postmarks are not acceptable. Postmarked applications received more than 10 business days following the closing date will not be accepted.

Can I request an extension of time to submit an application?

No.

How early can I submit my Saltonstall-Kennedy pre- proposal and full proposal?

You can submit your Saltonstall-Kennedy pre-proposal at any time up until 11:59 p.m. ET, on July 23, 2024, via grants.gov. You may submit a full proposal to the FY25 Saltonstall-Kennedy Full Proposal Competition only if you submitted an accepted pre-proposal under the pre-proposal competition, and only after the full proposal competition opens on September 26, 2024, and up to 11:59 p.m. ET on November 25, 2024. For both competitions, we highly advise submitting earlier than the last day, and at least two days in advance to ensure you submission is validated by Grants.gov and eRA Commons.

 If I submit my pre-proposal early, can it be reviewed (i.e., “pre-screened”) to ensure that I have provided all the information required?

If a pre-proposal is submitted early it is more likely to be pre-screened by the agency, however pre-screening is not guaranteed and is dependent on available resources at the agency. 

How do I know my application was received by the deadline date and time?

The Grants.gov and eRA Commons validation processes for a submitted application can take up to two business days after submission. Only validated applications are sent to NOAA to review. To ensure successful submission of an application, we strongly recommend that you submit a final and complete application at least two business days prior to the submission deadline.

After you submit your application, you will receive an automatic acknowledgment of receipt that contains a Grants.gov tracking number. This notification indicates receipt by Grants.gov only, not receipt by NOAA. Applications submitted through Grants.gov will be accompanied by FOUR automated responses (1-Grants.gov Submission Receipt; 2-Grants.gov Submission Validation Receipt for Application; 3-Grants.gov Grantor Agency Retrieval Receipt for Application; 4-Grants.gov Agency Tracking Number Assignment for Application). 

In addition to the Grants.gov automated notification messages, you may receive automated email notifications of any errors or warnings identified by eRA Commons. You must resolve all eRA Commons errors prior to the application due date in order for the application to be processed. 

Once an electronic application is accepted in eRA Commons, you will receive an additional automated notification that the completed application was received and that an application number will be assigned. 

You should save and print the proof of submission messages from both Grants.gov and eRA Commons. If you do not receive an acceptance message from both Grants.gov and eRA Commons, you should follow up with the agency contact listed in VII to confirm NOAA’s receipt of the complete submission.

What type of applicants are eligible to apply for Saltonstall- Kennedy funding?

You are eligible to apply for a grant or a cooperative agreement under the Saltonstall- Kennedy Grant Program if:

• You are a citizen or national of the United States.
• You represent an entity that is a corporation, partnership, association, or other non- federal entity, non-profit or otherwise (including Indian tribes), if such entity is a citizen of the United States within the meaning ofSection 2 of the Shipping Act, 1916, as amended (46 U.S.C. app. 802).
• You are a citizen of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Republic of Palau, or the Federated States of Micronesia.

We encourage applications from members of fishing communities (including the Great Lakes) and applications that involve fishing community cooperation and participation. We will consider the extent of fishing community involvement when evaluating the potential benefit of funding a proposal. 

We recognize the interest of the Secretaries of Commerce and Interior in defining appropriate fisheries policies and programs that meet the needs of the U.S. insular areas, so we encourage applications from individuals, government entities, and businesses in U.S. insular areas. 

Who is prohibited from applying for Saltonstall- Kennedy funding?

You are not eligible to submit an application under this program if you are an employee of any Federal agency; a member of the American Fisheries Advisory Committee; a regional fishery management council; or an employee of a Council. However, Council members who are not Federal employees can submit an application to the S-K Grant Competition. 

May a federal employee serve as a Principal Investigator or Co-PI?

No. Federal employees may not serve as Principal Investigators or Co-Principal Investigators on any application. However, they may be included as an unfunded project partner.

May NOAA personnel (federal employees) serve as Co-PIs?

No. NOAA personnel (federal employees) cannot serve as Co-PIs, but they can be listed as unfunded project partners.

How many pre-proposal’s can an individual and/or organization submit?

Multiple pre-proposal submissions from the same entity or applicant are limited to three.

What type of projects can be submitted for funding consideration under the Saltonstall-Kennedy Program?

Proposals submitted to the FY2025 competition must address at least one of the following priorities:

• Promotion and Marketing
• Development, Infrastructure, and Capacity Building
• Science or Technology that Enhances Sustainable U.S. Fisheries

See the Funding Opportunity for detailed descriptions of these priorities.

I want to submit an application that does not address an identified priority. How will this affect my chances of success?

Chances of success will be low because evaluation criterion #1, Need and Relevance (Section V.A. under the Pre-Proposal Evaluation Criteria) assesses how well the pre-proposal describes its relevance to an S-K Priority described in Section B. Applications that best address the evaluation criteria will be most competitive.

Are there changes in submission requirements for the FY25 S-K NOFO compared to previous years?

Submission requirements in this NOFO may change from previous year's announcements. We recommended reading the pre-proposal announcement carefully, paying close attention to section IV Application and Submission Information, for changes to pre-proposal submission requirements. The full proposal announcement will be posted on September 26, 2024, which will outline all submission requirements for the full proposal application under the same sections (IV). Most notably, the full proposal application will require a complete grant application package (SF424, SF424A, SF424B, CD-511, project summary, project narrative, data sharing plan, and budget narrative), and will be due November 25, 2024. Only those applicants who submit an accepted pre-proposal will be eligible to submit a full proposal. 

Can I submit a full proposal without having submitted a pre-proposal?

No. Full proposals will not be reviewed or evaluated if a pre-proposal was not received on time and accepted.

Can I submit letters of support?

Letters of support or collaboration are allowable only from individuals or entities with direct involvement in the project and should outline the specifics of the collaborative effort. Letters of support from individuals or entities that do not have direct involvement in the project will not be accepted during the review process.

What is the difference between a Project Summary and Project Narrative?

A Project Summary is a short concise description of the proposed project. It is critical that the Project Summary accurately describe the project being proposed and convey all essential elements of the project for public dissemination. See full proposal NOFO once published on grants.gov on September 26, 2024 for more information. 

The Project Narrative comprises the plan for the project. The narrative must be detailed enough for reviewers to make a clear connection between the proposed activities and the proposed benefit to the fishing community. The major part of the narrative should be devoted to a description and justification for the proposed project, including details of the method to be used. It should include a timeline for major activities of the proposed project, and should indicate who will be responsible for which activities. There should be no ambiguity about who will perform particular parts of the project or the time at which these activities will take place. The Project Narrative may not exceed 15 pages. 

Do I need to indicate whether my application is a cooperative agreement or grant?

No. If the application is recommended for funding, NOAA will determine if the proposed activities constitute “substantial federal involvement” of a NOAA entity. “Substantial federal involvement” is the criterion which distinguishes a cooperative agreement from a grant. Substantial involvement means that, after award, NOAA staff will assist, guide, coordinate, or participate in project activities in a partnership role; it is not to assume direction, prime responsibility, or a dominant role in the activities.  The applicant should describe in detail in the detailed Project Narrative (also known as the “Statement of Work”) the nature and degree of participation of any NOAA entity in the project.

What is a data sharing plan, and how much detail is required in the Saltonstall-Kennedy application?

Environmental data and information collected or created under NOAA grants or cooperative agreements must be made discoverable by and accessible to the general public, in a timely fashion (typically within two years), free of charge or at no more than the cost of reproduction, unless an exemption is granted by the NOAA Program. A typical plan should include descriptions of the types of environmental data and information expected to be created during the course of the project; the tentative date by which data will be shared; the standards to be used for data/metadata format and content; methods for providing data access; approximate total volume of data to be collected; and prior experience in making such data accessible. The costs of data preparation, accessibility, or archiving may be included in the proposal budget. If the proposed activities will not generate any environmental data, you are still required to have a data sharing plan. Such a data sharing plan could include the statement “this project will not generate any environmental data.”

Do I need to provide additional information on potential environmental effects?

Yes. You are recommended to provide detailed information on your program activities to help proposal reviewers understand the potential environmental effects of your project. NOAA must analyze the potential environmental impacts, as required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), for applicant projects or proposals which are seeking NOAA federal funding opportunities. This information includes detailed project activities, locations, sites, species and habitat to be affected, possible construction activities, and any environmental concerns that may exist (e.g., the use and disposal of hazardous or toxic chemicals, introduction of non- indigenous species, interactions with endangered and threatened species, aquaculture projects, and impacts to coral reef systems). Your application should, to the best extent, provide what you know about your project when you submit your application.

NOAA has developed an environmental compliance questionnaire to assist in the evaluation of the possible environmental impact of your application. As part of this application process, you are asked to fill out this questionnaire. You will need to answer all relevant questions. Please be as specific and comprehensive as possible when answering the questionnaire to facilitate the timely review of your proposal.

What are the cost sharing requirements?

Cost-sharing (also known as match) is not required. Cost sharing is voluntary and will not increase your chances of your project being selected. If you elect to cost-share, and if your application is selected for funding, you will be obligated to account for the amount of match noted in the approved/accepted award documents, signed by the NOAA Grants Officer. If project costs are shared, NOAA Fisheries must provide at least 50 percent of total project costs.

What is the total amount of funding for which I can apply?

The total Federal amount requested can be no less than $25,000 and no greater than $500,000, for up to a two-year period (24 months), including direct and indirect costs. Project applications that request funding outside of this range will not be accepted or reviewed.

How will funds be disbursed across the three different priorities?

For the FY25 competition, the anticipated distribution of available funds is as follows:

• Priority 1: Approximately 50%
• Priority 2: Approximately 25%
• Priority 3: Approximately 25%

Across the three priorities, around 10% of available funding may be awarded to projects requesting $100,000 or less.

What categories should be included in the Budget Narrative?

Categories should match those line items identified in the SF-424A and should appear in the same order in the budget narrative.

Is there a cap on the amount I can allot for any particular budget category?

As long as the costs are justified in the Project Narrative description and Budget Narrative, there is no cap on any budget category.

What can’t Saltonstall-Kennedy monies be used for?

Projects that mainly involve infrastructure (to include personnel, buildings or equipment) development that are for the primary benefit of the applicant are not eligible for funding under the S-K Program.

Are there any other Saltonstall-Kennedy funding restrictions?

The Saltonstall-Kennedy Program will not consider expenses associated with fees, fund-raising activities, travel for activities not directly related to project implementation, travel or salaries for federal employees, or profit as allowable costs in the proposed budget. The total costs of a project consist of all allowable costs incurred in accomplishing project activities during the project period. Project costs can only include support for activities conducted between the effective start date and end date of the award, and cannot include activities undertaken either before or after the agreed upon dates. Applicants will not be reimbursed for time expended or costs incurred in developing a project or in preparing an application, or in any discussions or negotiations with the agency prior to the award.

May equipment be included in the budget?

Yes. Equipment necessary to carry out the proposed project may be requested and should be justified in the Budget Narrative.

Provide justification for the use of each item and relate them to specific program objectives. Equipment is defined as an article of tangible personal property (including information technology systems) that has a useful life of more than one year and a per- unit acquisition cost which equals or exceeds the lesser of the capitalization level established by the non-federal entity for financial statement purposes, or $5,000. A recipient organization may classify equipment at a lower dollar value but cannot classify it higher than $5,000. For example, a recipient may classify their equipment at $1,000 with a useful life of a year if that is within their internal policies.

It is recommended that any internal policies for equipment are provided in the application to clarify the classification of equipment by an applicant.

A lease versus purchase analysis must accompany every equipment request over $5,000. If a lease versus purchase analysis cannot be completed, a statement is required to that effect.

May I include indirect costs in my Saltonstall-Kennedy application budget?

The budget may include an amount for indirect costs if the applicant has an approved indirect cost rate agreement with the federal government. Indirect costs are essentially overhead costs for basic operational functions (e.g., lights, rent, water, and insurance) that are incurred for common or joint objectives and therefore cannot be identified specifically within a particular project. A copy of the current, approved negotiated indirect costs agreement with the federal government must be included with the application.

What if I don’t have a Federal Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate agreement?

If an applicant has not previously established an indirect cost rate with a federal agency they may choose to negotiate a rate with the Department of Commerce or use the de minimis indirect cost rate of 10% of Modified Total Direct Cost (as allowable under 2 C.F.R. §200.414). The negotiation and approval of a rate is subject to the procedures required by NOAA and the Department of Commerce Standard Terms and Conditions Section B.06

What process is used to evaluate full proposals submitted to the Saltonstall-Kennedy Program?

Administrative Review

An initial administrative review will be conducted on each application when they are received. Applications will be screened to determine compliance with application requirements and completeness of application materials, ensure a pre-proposal was submitted and accepted by the agency (see Section IV. D. Submission Dates and Times ); the proposed project addresses one of the funding priorities; and includes a project summary with an abstract and summary of potential benefits, project description, budget, and supporting documentation as outlined in Section IV. B. Content and Form of Application (see Full Proposal announcement once posted).

Proposal Evaluation

Reviewers will assign scores to applications ranging from 0-100 points based on the following six evaluation criteria.

1. Importance to the fishing community and ability to address a specific need or needs as identified by the fishing community (0 points–20 points). 

• This criterion assesses how well the proposal addresses the needs of the fishing community and describes its relevance to an S-K Program Priority in Section B. 
• Does the project provide a clear definition of the problem, issue or need to be addressed?  Is it clear why it is important to the fishing community that this need is addressed?  Are the needs of the fishing community meaningfully addressed by the project? Is it clear how the project fits within the identified S-K Program Priority?

2. Connection to fishing community (0 points–20 points).   

• This criterion assesses how well  the proposal demonstrates participation and/or collaboration with the fishing community?
• Was the fishing community involved in developing the proposal?  Is the fishing community involved in project implementation?

3. Objectives, Approach, Materials, and Methods (0 points–20 points).  

• This criterion assesses whether the project goal and objective(s) are clear and whether the approach and proposed activities are appropriate to accomplish those objectives.
• Are the project goal and objective(s) clearly defined, focused, and realistic?  Can the objectives be achieved within the proposed project period?  Does the application identify appropriate milestones for monitoring and evaluating the success of the project, and are they appropriate?  Does the application describe what activities will be carried out to accomplish project objectives?  Does the application identify likely obstacles along with appropriate strategies to overcome those obstacles?  Is there sufficient description of the project’s environmental impact, if necessary?  Have permits been applied for or acquired, if necessary? Are the costs for the project clearly defined?

4. Anticipated impacts of results (0 points–15 points).

• This criterion evaluates what the potential impact and/or benefit will be to the fishing community. 
• Does the proposal adequately describe the potential quantitative and/or qualitative impacts and/or benefit(s) to be achieved? How is this benefit and/or impact determined and measured? How much of an impact and/or benefit is expected to be achieved by the project? Will the project yield socioeconomic benefits, such as increased business and/or recreational opportunities?

5. Applicant capacity and qualifications (0 points–10 points).

• This criterion assesses organizational capacity to effectively manage a federal financial assistance award, and whether the applicant and/or team members possess the necessary expertise and qualifications to effectively implement the project.
• Does the applicant demonstrate adequate administrative capability and experience to successfully manage and implement this project.  Are the available organizational support, equipment and other physical resources adequate for the proposed project?
• Does the applicant and/or team have the necessary relationships and capacity/knowledge to conduct the scope and scale of the proposed work?  Does the application detail qualifications and experience of the Project Leaders and/or partners (e.g., include brief resumes)?  Does the application demonstrate  that fishing community collaborators have the relevant expertise and experience to effectively support the project?  In cases where sub-contracts/sub-awards are proposed for carrying out specific tasks, are the quality/appropriateness of the personnel, facilities, and procedures (laboratory methods, work plan and or quality oversight procedures) adequate? 

6. Outreach and education (0 points–15 points). 

• This criterion assesses whether the project provides a focused and effective education and/or outreach strategy. 
• Is an effective method proposed for dissemination of project results given the nature of the work?  Depending upon the project, outreach and education may include peer reviewed publications, presentations at professional meetings, brochure development, public meetings, or distribution of project results to appropriate managers or management agencies.  Are the various target audiences, such as the fishing community or the general public, identified?  Will the outreach methods acknowledge NOAA Fisheries' support of the project? Does the Data Sharing Plan (when applicable) include a description of the types of data and information created during the course of the project; the tentative date by which data will be shared; the standards to be used for data/metadata format and content; policies addressing data stewardship and preservation; procedures for providing access, sharing and security? 

Independent Technical Review

After the initial screening, independent written technical evaluations from three or more appropriate Federal, private or public sector experts (e.g. industry, academia, or governmental experts) with subject matter expertise will be obtained to determine the technical merit of the proposal. Their evaluation will be based solely on the information included in the application, and the criteria described in Section V. A, Evaluation Criteria (see full proposal announcement once posted). Each reviewer will independently evaluate each project and provide an individual score. No consensus advice will be given. These reviewers will be required to certify they do not have a conflict of interest concerning the application(s) they are reviewing. Following completion of the technical review, the individual technical review scores will be averaged to determine the final technical score for each application. Applications will be ranked in descending order by their final technical scores. A “cutoff" score will be established. Applications that scored below the cutoff will be eliminated from further consideration. Applications above the cutoff score will move to panel in rank order unless a proposal is justified to be forwarded to panel out of rank order based on published selection factors in the full proposal NOFO.

Constituent Panel Review

NOAA Fisheries may solicit individual comments and evaluations from a panel or panels of three or more representatives selected by NOAA. Panel members will be chosen from the fishing industry, state government, non-government organizations, and others, as appropriate. The role of the panelist is to enhance the Agency's understanding of this select group of proposals received under the competition prior to recommendations for selections being made. During the Panel meeting, each Panelist will score the proposal in whole numbers (no decimals) between 1 and 10 (poor to excellent) for each application according to the scale in the paragraph below, and provide comments to support their score. Using the scale below panelists will evaluate each proposal using the following criteria:

• the significance of the need (problem or opportunity) being addressed and relevance of the proposal to the fishing community, 
• the degree to which the project involves support from, cooperation and/or collaboration with the fishing community,
• the proposed plan to disseminate project results and;
• benefits (fishing community, resource, economic) derived from investment in the project.

American Fisheries Advisory Committee (AFAC) Review

All proposals that were reviewed by the Constituent Panel(s) were scored during that Panel review which equates to a qualitative rank using the following scale: Poor; Fair; Good; Very Good; Excellent.

In S-K Competition years where funding allows, all proposals with a rank of Excellent will be recommended for funding. In years where funding limits will allow only a portion of proposals with a rank of Excellent to be funded, AFAC, will review those proposals ranked Excellent, in a group setting, and will make a recommendation for funding based on a final review of the relevance and need of the proposal to the fishing Industry. Committee members will vote “fund” or “do not fund” for each application in the Excellent rank.  Final funding recommendations will be for those applications with the greatest number of “fund” votes, up to the amount of funding available.

Should available funds allow additional applications to be funded beyond the Excellent rank, the Committee review process will follow the steps outlined above. The Committee may only vote on the qualitative rank category that can only be partially funded. The committee must fund all applications in fully funded ranks.

Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates 

The competitive selection process and subsequent notification of applications being considered for funding are expected to be complete by mid-May of 2025. The earliest start date for projects will be September 1, 2025, dependent upon availability of Federal funding, acceptable completion of all NOAA/applicant negotiations including NEPA analysis and permit requirements, and the provision of other supporting documentation as requested.