To
provide financial assistance for research and development projects
that will provide information for the full and wise use and enhancement
of fishery resources in the Southeast U. S. Gulf of Mexico and the
South Atlantic beginning with the State of North Carolina south
to Florida. In addition, beginning in Fiscal Year 1998 similar assistance
is provided for the coastal New England states.
TYPES
OF ASSISTANCE:
Project Grants. Place Cursor Here for Definition
USES
AND USE RESTRICTIONS:
Funds
can be used to develop harvest methods, economic analyses of fisheries,
processing methods, fish stock assessment and fish stock enhancement.
Projects are restricted to the fisheries in the Southeast Region
including the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and the South Atlantic beginning
with North Carolina, South Carolina to Florida. Funds are not used
for loans. Also, projects in the coastal New England States will
be considered. In the Northeast, project priorities have varied
during the first two years of funding availability. During Fiscal
Year 1999, the area of emphasis was new methods or techniques to
improve the ability of scientists to identify the stock structure
of selected species of fish and shellfish to improve fisheries management.
ELIGIBILITY
REQUIREMENTS:
Applicant
Eligibility: States or local governments, universities,
private enterprise, individuals or any other entity, nonprofit or
otherwise, if such entity is a citizen of the United States within
the meaning of Section 2 of the Shipping Act, 1916, as amended,
46 U.S.C. 802.
Beneficiary
Eligibility: Federal, State and local governments,
universities, private enterprise, nonprofit or profit organizations,
and the general public.
Credentials/Documentation:
Applications must include resumes of qualifications and experience
of the principal investigators. They are expected to demonstrate
expertise in the proposed area of study.
Pre-application
Coordination: This program is covered under
E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant
should consult the office or official designated as the single point
of contact in his or her State for more information on the process
the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if
the State has selected the program for review.
Application
Procedure: A standard application Form (SF-424)
should be submitted to the Southeast Regional Office or the Northeast
Region, as appropriate. It should include a summary sheet, proposed
statement of work, budget estimate on Form 88-205 (10-95), and
detailed budget per line item listed on the Form. The solicitation
published in the Federal Register will provide additional information
and requirements.
Award
Procedure: Proposals will be reviewed, evaluated
and ranked by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). The
ranking is divided into two groups; (a) recommended; and (b) not
recommended. They are then presented to a panel of fishery experts
and to the MARFIN Panel. The Panel will individually submit their
funding recommendations to the Regional Administrator of the appropriate
Region. The Regional Administrator in consultation with the Assistant
Administrator for Fisheries will determine funding availability
and select the projects to be funded. The selected proposals will
be reviewed and negotiated by the appropriate Regional Office
and the assigned Technical Monitor. A complete application will
be forwarded to the NOAA Grants Officer for approval and award.
Deadlines:
Deadlines are published in the annual Federal Register or contact
either the NMFS Southeast Regional Office or the NMFS Northeast
Regional Office.
Range
of Approval/Disapproval Time: Successful applicants
will be selected generally within 180 days. Awards will be made
normally within 240 days after the date of publication of the
Federal Register.
Appeals:
None.
Renewals:
Multi-year awards of up to three years may be approved. Once awarded,
multi-year projects will not compete for funding in subsequent
years. Funding for multi-year projects beyond the first year is
contingent upon the availability of program funds in subsequent
fiscal years, and the extent to which the recipient meets project
objectives and reporting requirements.
ASSISTANCE
CONSIDERATIONS:
Formula
and Matching Requirements: This program has
no statutory formula. Cost-sharing is not required under this program.
However, cost-sharing is encouraged.
Length
and Time Phasing of Assistance: The money
must be spent during the award period and is received on request
from the recipient from NOAA Vendor Express, NOAA Financial Assistance
Disbursement System (FADS).
POST
ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Reports:
Semi-annual progress and financial reports are due six months after
the start date of the award. Progress reports should summarize all
work accomplished during the six months following the start date
of the award and the financial reports should reflect the use of
funds. A final report is due 90 days after completion of the project.
Audits:
In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A- 133 (Revised,
June 24, 1997), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit
Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance
of $300,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a
program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities
that expend less than $300,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt
from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted
in Circular No. A-133.
Records:
All financial and programmatic records, supporting documents,
statistical reports, and other records of grantees or sub grantees
are required to be retained for 3 years from the date of the final
financial status report for each award.
FINANCIAL
INFORMATION:
Account
Identification: 13-1450-0-1-306.
Obligations:
(Cooperative Agreements) FY 01 $1,603,000; FY 02 est $1,000,000;
and FY 03 est $0.
Range
and Average of Financial Assistance:
$21,185 to $374,372. Average: $64,282.
Valuable information has been obtained under this program. The following
are a few of the highlights: During fiscal year 2001, projects funded
were multi-year proposals completing the second or third year of
their research. Projects were designed to collect economic and socio-cultural
information to help evaluate potential impacts of fishery management
regulations on the industry.
EGULATIONS,
GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE:
For cost principles see OMB Circular Nos. A-21, A-87, and A-122.
A description of MARFIN activities is available and published in
an "Annual Report." A copy may be obtained from the Southeast Regional
Office. There is no funding history in the Northeast Region prior
to FY 1998.
INFORMATION
CONTACTS:
Regional
or Local Office: Ellie F. Roche, State/Federal
Liaison Office, National Marine Fisheries Service, 9721 Executive
Center Drive, North, St. Petersburg, FL 33702. Telephone: (727)
570-5324. Use the same number for FTS. Email: Ellie.Roche@noaa.gov.
Kenneth L. Beal, National Marine Fisheries Service, Northeast Regional
Office, One Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930. Telephone: (978)
281-9267. E-mail: Grants.Information@noaa.gov.
Headquarters
Office: Not applicable.
Web
Site Address: http://caldera.sero.nmfs.gov/grants/programs/marfin.htm http://www.nero.nmfs.gov/ro/doc/sk.htm
EXAMPLES
OF FUNDED PROJECTS:
Red drum population assessment; turtle excluder devices (Ted's);
Reef fish age and growth; king and spanish mackerel population assessment;
and bycatch, studies to reduce the catch of non-target species caught
in shrimp trawls; development of fishing community profiles on the
coastal New England states; development of an input- output model
for social economic impact assessment of fisheries regulations in
New England.
CRITERIA
FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS:
Priority in program emphasis will be placed upon funding projects
that have the greatest probability of recovering, maintaining, improving,
or developing fisheries, improving our understanding of factors
affecting recruitment success, generating increased values from
fisheries, and generating increased recreational opportunity and
harvest potential. Projects will be evaluated as to the likelihood
of achieving these benefits through both short-term and long-term
research projects with consideration of the magnitude of the eventual
economic benefit that may be realized.
