Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Science, Observation, Monitoring, and Technology (11.451)
Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Science, Observation, Monitoring, and Technology (Assistance Listing 11.451) is run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, part of the Department of Commerce. It awarded $30.1 million in 42 grants from fiscal 2021 to 2025, about $717,728 per award on average. No funding opportunity is open on Grants.gov right now.
The typical award was $282,967. Half of the 42 awards fell between $116,117 and $1.2 million, and they ranged from $50,000 to $3.2 million.
- Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$30.1 million
- Grant awards42
- Typical award$282,967
- Awarded in FY 2025$9.7 million
- Size rank1181 of 1824
- Type of assistanceProject grants (cooperative agreements)
Key findings
- Annual funding rose from $4.6 million in fiscal 2021 to $9.7 million in fiscal 2025.
- It is the 1181st largest of 1,824 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
- The 20 largest recipients received 98% of the money.
- Awards went to recipients in 8 states and territories.
What the program funds
NOAA’s RESTORE Science Program supports long-term research, observation, and monitoring to sustain Gulf of America ecosystems, fisheries, and fishing industries by funding collaborative, co-produced science projects that inform natural resource management decisions. The program is funded through non-appropriated Deepwater Horizon settlement funds under the RESTORE Act of 2012.
Open opportunities
No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.
Rules from the program listing
Who can apply
Eligible applicants are institutions of higher education; not-for-profit institutions; for-profit organizations; local, state, and tribal government entities; and U.S. territories and federal agencies that possess the statutory authority to accept funding for this type of work. The lead applicant must be from a U.S.-based entity. Science Program funding opportunities may not be used to hire and fund the salaries of any permanent federal employees. Investigators are not required to be employed by an eligible entity that is based in one of the five Gulf States (Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas).
What the money can and cannot pay for
Grants and cooperative agreements may be used to fund research to address the science needs in the Gulf of Mexico related to the objectives outlined in the RESTORE Act legislation The funds provided may not be used: • for any existing or planned research led by NOAA, unless agreed to in writing by the grant recipient; • to implement existing regulations or initiate new regulations promulgated or proposed by NOAA; or • to develop or approve a new limited access privilege program (as that term is used in section 303A of the Magnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1853a)) for any fishery under the jurisdiction of the South Atlantic, Mid-Atlantic, New England, or Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Councils. ;
Matching requirements
This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.
Examples of funded projects
Fiscal Year2016: The RESTORE Act Science Program is currently funding projects in the Gulf of Mexico region that focus on ecological and ecosystem indicators, improvements to observing systems, ecosystem modeling, fish spawning aggregations, and the impacts of the Mississippi River on the Gulf.Fiscal Year2017: The RESTORE Science Program is currently funding 15 teams of researchers and resource managers to support work on living coastal and marine resources and their habitats in the Gulf of Mexico. Six of the teams will be working directly with resource managers to improve the decision support tools available for managing living coastal and marine resources in the Gulf. Nine of the teams will be conducting research on living coastal and marine resources to address questions resource managers need answered about food webs, habitat use, fisheries recruitment, the impact of stressors, and how habitats are connected in the GulfFiscal Year2018: The Restore Science Program will continue to support work on living coastal and marine resources and their habitats in the Gulf of Mexico. Six of the teams will be working directly with resource managers to improve the decision support tools available for managing living coastal and marine resources in the Gulf.
Funding history and past recipients
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Science, Observation, Monitoring, and Technology (11.451) awarded$30.1 million across 42 grant awards, an average of $717,728 per award.
Who usually wins
Colleges and universities received 53% of the money, state and local governments 32% and nonprofits 14%.
| Recipient type | Awards | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colleges and universities | 23 | $15.9 million | 53% |
| State and local governments | 9 | $9.5 million | 32% |
| Nonprofits | 8 | $4.2 million | 14% |
| Businesses | 2 | $516,780 | 1.7% |
By state
6 states have a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards.
| State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | 13 | $12.1 million |
| Texas | 7 | $4.7 million |
| California | 3 | $4.5 million |
| Mississippi | 9 | $4.3 million |
| Alabama | 1 | $1.7 million |
| New York | 2 | $1.3 million |
| North Carolina | 2 | $987,383 |
| Louisiana | 5 | $542,443 |