Grants / Department of Commerce / DOC NOAA - ERA Production

NOAA-OAR-CIPO-2025-31269: Cooperative Institute Fostering Aquaculture Research and Marketing (CIFARM)

Closed Closed September 5, 2025 Opportunity NOAA-OAR-CIPO-2025-31269 ☆ Save

This grant is closed. Who won this program's grants before is below, and similar open grants are at the end of the page. It is in our archive of DOC NOAA - ERA Production notices from 2025.

• Award ceiling$300 million
• Total funding$300 million
• Expected awards1
• Cost sharingNot required
• Funding typeCooperative Agreement

Key dates

Who can apply

This opportunity was open to the applicants described in the notice.

• Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)

The following entities are eligible to submit to this opportunity: Eligibility is limited to non-Federal public and private non-profit universities, colleges and research institutions that offer accredited graduate-level degree-granting programs in NOAA-related sciences. Federal agencies and their personnel are not permitted to receive federal funding under this competition; however, federal scientists and other employees can serve as uncompensated partners or co-Principal Investigators on applications. Federal labs and offices can also make available specialized expertise, facilities or equipment to applicants but cannot be compensated under this competition for their use. To be eligible to apply or receive an award, applicants must complete and maintain three registrations; SAM.gov, Grants.gov, and eRA Commons. For each, the complete registration process can take 4 to 6 weeks, so applicants must begin this activity as soon as possible and well before the proposal due date. For more information on how to meet these registration and application submission requirements without errors, we advise all to carefully review relevant Applicant and Grantee Training modules: https://www.commerce.gov/ocio/programs/gems/applicant-and-grantee-training. Additionally, we advise that all carefully read ‘Additional Application Package Forms’ within the ‘Full Proposal Required Elements’ section below.

Is this a realistic fit?

• Past National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Cooperative Institutes awards averaged $44.0 million; this notice allows up to $300 million per award.
• Most of the program's money (95% over five years) went to colleges and universities.
• No cost sharing or match is required.

What the grant funds

The NOAA Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) in collaboration with the National Marine Fisheries Service invites applications for the establishment of a Cooperative Institute Fostering Aquaculture Research and Marketing (CIFARM) that will: directly support NOAA’s Research and Development Vision Areas by advancing key goals in aquaculture, fostering innovation, promoting environmental stewardship, and building strong coastal economies; support the robust development of aquaculture in the United States to address the seafood import deficit and benefit the economy; and help the agency fulfill the tenets of the NOAA Aquaculture Strategic Plan. This Cooperative Institute (CI) will facilitate a long-term collaborative relationship between NOAA and the recipient within which broad-based research, technology innovation, and education and outreach capabilities that focus on NOAA's priorities for the US aquaculture sector can be developed and sustained. The CI may consist of one or more research institutions with expertise and capabilities in the NOAA priority areas that contribute to the areas of research described as research themes later in this announcement. Applicants to this Notice of Funding Opportunity will submit one overarching application that seeks to establish the CIFARM at an eligible institution or group of institutions. This application should speak to high level research themes (See I.B.) that future projects could fall under, but should not include detailed projects at this time. This overarching application will be identified as a T1 award. Following the selection of the CI host institution, the awardee will then be requested to submit an additional application for approximately $9,000,000 detailing the proposed projects that fall under the research themes. Not every applicant will be asked to submit this second application, only the institution recommended for funding. Once awarded, this second application will be identified as a T3. The host institution will continue to submit T3 detailed project applications at various funding levels throughout the life of the five year award. All projects must take place within the United States or territories or their respective waterways. Applicants must complete and maintain three registrations to be eligible to apply for or receive an award. These registrations include SAM.gov, Grants.gov, and eRA Commons. All registrations must be completed prior to the application being submitted.

Category: Natural Resources, Science and Technology and other Research and Development.

Applying now

This notice no longer takes applications. Agencies often post the same opportunity again under a new number, so check the program's notices on Grants.gov and the similar open grants below.

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