Program particpants' pre- or post-evaluations

ANNOUNCEMENT OF FEDERAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITY
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Federal Agency Name(s): National Ocean Service (NOS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce
Funding Opportunity Title: FY14 Nancy Foster Scholarship Program
Announcement Type: Initial
Funding Opportunity Number: NOAA-NOS-NMS-2014-2003873
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.429, Marine Sanctuary
Program
Dates: Completed applications must be received by Grants.gov by December 12, 2013 at
5:00 p.m. Eastern Time or postmarked by December 12, 2013 and sent to the Office of
National Marine Sanctuaries. Applications received after the due date will not be
reviewed or considered and will be disqualified.
PLEASE NOTE: All applicants should be aware that adequate time must be factored into
applicant schedules for delivery of the application. It may take Grants.gov up to two (2)
business days to validate or reject the application. Please keep this in mind in developing
your submission timeline. Electronic applicants are advised that volume on Grants.gov
can be extremely heavy resulting in further delays. If Grants.gov is unable to accept
applications electronically in a timely fashion, applicants are encouraged to exercise their
option to submit their application in paper format by the due date outlined in this Full
Funding Opportunity.
Funding Opportunity Description: The Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program provides
support for independent graduate-level studies in oceanography, marine biology, or
maritime archaeology (including all science, engineering, social science and resource
management of ocean and coastal areas), and particularly encourages women and
minorities to apply. Individuals who are U.S. citizens and are applying to or have been
accepted to a graduate program at a U.S. accredited institution may apply. Prospective
scholars do not need to be enrolled in a graduate program at the time of application, but
must be admitted to a graduate level program in order to be awarded this scholarship.
Scholarship selections are based on academic excellence, letters of recommendations,
research and career goals, and financial need. Applicants must have a cumulative 3.3
grade point average to be eligible to apply and maintain a minimum cumulative and term
grade point average of 3.3 for every term and for the duration of their award. Dr. Nancy
Foster Scholarships may provide, subject to appropriations, yearly support of up to
$42,000 per student (a 12-month stipend of $30,000 in addition to an education
allowance of up to $12,000), and up to $10,000 of support for a four to six week program
collaboration at a NOAA facility. Completion of one (1) program collaboration is
required for every Doctoral scholarship award, with a second recommended, but not
required. For Master's degree level scholars, completion of a program collaboration is
strongly recommended, but is not required.

Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program recipients will be required to participate in a
NOAA Orientation Training to meet with Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS)
staff at a date and location to be determined during the month of either July or August,
2014. If scholarships have not been awarded before this training, recipients may be
required to incur pre-award costs that will be reimbursed after award funds have been
issued.
The program collaboration opportunity is designed to allow scholars to participate in
research or other activities for four to six weeks at a field office of the Office of National
Marine Sanctuaries, or other NOAA program offices.
Federal support for the program collaboration may be used toward allowable costs such
as: travel to and from the NOAA facility, housing, per diem, laboratory costs, research
vessel support, and consumables while conducting research at the NOAA facility.
Scholars are required to provide their own health insurance coverage during the program
collaboration.
Master's degree level scholars must identify their program collaboration in the first year,
and Doctoral scholars must identify their program collaboration within the first two
years. Approval from NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries is required prior to
embarking on the program collaboration.
Additional information about the scholarship can be obtained in the full announcement
text of the Federal Funding Opportunity.

FULL ANNOUNCEMENT TEXT
I. Funding Opportunity Description
A. Program Objective
The Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program is authorized at 16 U.S.C. 1445c-1
and 16 U.S.C. 1445c to recognize outstanding achievement in oceanography, marine
biology or maritime archaeology (including all science, engineering, and resource
management of ocean and coastal areas) and particularly encourages applications by
women and minorities. The scholarship supports independent graduate level research
through financial support of graduate studies in such fields. Gender and minority
status are not considered when selecting award recipients. However, special outreach
efforts are employed to solicit applications from women and minorities. Scholarships
are distributed by disciplines, institutions, and geography, and by degree sought, with
selections within distributions based on financial need, the potential for success in a
graduate level studies program (academic achievement), and the potential for
achieving research and career goals. The program is administered through NOAA's
Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and is funded annually with 1% of the amount
appropriated each fiscal year to carry out the National Marine Sanctuaries Act.
B. Program Priorities
NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries is seeking applications for the
Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program from individuals, particularly women and
minorities, who, due to financial constraints, may otherwise not be able to pursue an
advanced degree in oceanography, marine biology, or maritime archaeology
(including all science, engineering, social science, and resource management of
ocean and coastal areas). The program seeks to increase the number of women and
minorities in these scientific disciplines, particularly as they relate to the mission of
the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS).
The Office of National Marine Sanctuaries conducts, sponsors, and facilitates
research to better understand ecosystems and cultural resources in marine
sanctuaries, their changing condition, and the significance of threats. ONMS uses
conservation science to support policy decisions, develop effective response
capabilities, evaluate management practices, and support broader, NOAA-wide
responsibilities for marine conservation and management. Science priorities are
identified within national sanctuary management plans and are necessary to protect
and conserve sanctuary resources, manage risks, reduce threats, and respond to
unexpected events. Strong partnerships, expert scientific content and judgment, and
peer review enhance the accuracy and credibility of monitoring and research. In
addition, science, education, outreach, and policy development work together to raise
awareness and prompt effective action that will address ocean problems. More
information on the ONMS can be found at http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov.
NOAA recognizes the student's need to ensure that scholarly research, which is
often hypothesis based, addresses critical gaps in knowledge about ecological

processes, physiological mechanisms, evolutionary underpinnings, human behaviors,
preferences and values, and related areas. The nature of ONMS research, as well as
interactions with ONMS staff and partners with similar goals, can help students
fulfill their degree requirements through work benefiting not only national marine
sanctuaries, but marine conservation more broadly, and ecosystem science as a
whole. In addition to natural resource studies, scholars may investigate
socioeconomic, maritime archaeological and cultural resource studies in national
marine sanctuaries.
General science priorities for ONMS are stated below. Site specific needs are
identified in the ONMS Science Needs Assessment available at:
http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/science/assessment. Contact information for Conservation
Science Program staff is available at the Science Needs Assessment website.
¿
Integrated approaches to assess and monitor the condition and trends of
natural and cultural resources using ecological, archaeological and socioeconomic
indicators. Results support development of sanctuary conditions reports, in which
site-specific, regional, and national needs can also be found:
(http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/science/condition/) and help sanctuary management
evaluate the condition of sanctuary resources.
¿
Characterization of habitats, communities, and ecological processes within
sanctuaries. Many sanctuaries need to establish baseline knowledge of protected
resources such as deep sea communities, estuarine habitat, or coral reefs to be able to
implement effective management actions.
¿
Climate change research and monitoring as it relates to sanctuary resources
(e.g., ocean acidification, temperature change, sea level change, species range shifts
and phenology, and changes in physical processes).
¿
Socioeconomic and ecological effects of marine zoning such as no-take
reserves, recreational fishing areas, research areas, and zones designated for specific
uses such as shipping lanes. The findings will support decisions about locating and
sizing zones, and modifying existing zones to better protect and restore ecosystems.
¿
Research on protected species such as seabirds and marine mammals to
inform policy and support protection and recovery efforts.
¿ Assessments of how human activities such as fishing, land use runoff, and
marine debris affect sanctuary qualities such as biodiversity, biomass, water quality,
and health of sanctuary ecosystems.
¿
Historical ecology studies to evaluate changes over the past centuries,
including social dynamics that drove changes.
¿
Documentation and assessment of sanctuary submerged archaeological
resources to assess their national significance according to criteria of the National
Register of Historic Places.

¿
Comprehensive surveys for historic shipwreck sites, particularly those in
deeper waters, where sites may have better chances for good preservation in
sanctuaries.
¿
Economic value of ecosystem services of natural and/or cultural resources.
This could include use and non-use values.
¿
Knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of sanctuary management strategies
and regulations for different stakeholders/user groups.
¿
Native and Indigenous peoples’ perceptions of cultural landscapes of
sanctuaries and other protected areas located within their traditional coastal lands and
waters, and how these differing cultural perceptions can be effectively integrated into
place-based management of protected areas.

C. Program Authority
16 USC 1445c-1 and 16 USC 1445c.
II. Award Information
A. Funding Availability
Subject to appropriations, approximately $500,000 will be available for FY 2014.
The Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program anticipates that each year approximately
2-4 scholarships will be awarded. The Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program
provides yearly support of up to $42,000 per student (a 12-month stipend of $30,000
in addition to a tuition allowance of up to $12,000) and up to $10,000 support for a
four to six week program collaboration at a field office of the Office of National
Marine Sanctuaries or other NOAA facility. Completion of one (1) program
collaboration is required for every Doctoral Scholarship Award, with a second
recommended, but not required. For Master's degree level scholars, completion of a
program collaboration is strongly recommended, but is not required. Based on
available funding, an orientation retreat will be held for incoming and current
scholars. Travel support (logistics and funding, not to exceed $2,000 per year) will
be provided to Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program recipients where Foster
Scholars will also meet with Office of National Marine Sanctuaries leadership and
staff. A maximum of $98,000 may be provided to Master's degree level students (up
to two years of support, one program collaboration opportunity and travel support for
the orientation meeting) and up to $196,000 may be provided to Doctoral level
students (up to four years of support, two program collaboration opportunities and
travel support for the orientation meeting).
B. Project/Award Period
The award periods are up to two years for a student in a Master's level program
and up to four years for a Doctoral level candidate. The anticipated start date is July

1, 2014. If an applicant is selected for initial funding, NOAA has no obligation to
provide additional funding in connection with that award in subsequent years.
C. Type of Funding Instrument
The funding instrument will be a cooperative agreement to the individual
applicant. The substantial involvement anticipated under this award includes a
research collaboration component where the scholar is required to spend time
utilizing a NOAA facility to contribute to their education and training. NOAA
intends to work with the scholar to facilitate placement at a NOAA facility and to
help the scholar refine the scope of their research collaboration, if necessary.
III. Eligibility Information
A. Eligible Applicants
Only individuals who are U.S. citizens and are applying to or have been accepted
to a U.S. accredited graduate institution to pursue a Master's or Doctoral level degree
in oceanography, marine biology, or maritime archaeology, (including all science,
engineering, social science and resource management of ocean and coastal areas) are
eligible for an award under this scholarship program. In addition, applicants must
have a cumulative 3.3 grade point average to be eligible to apply and maintain a
minimum cumulative and term grade point average of 3.3 for every term and for the
duration of their award. If applicant does not maintain this grade point average, the
first term they will be placed on probation and if the grade point average is not
brought up for that year, their scholarship will be terminated.
Universities or other organizations may not apply on behalf of an individual.
Prospective scholars do not need to be enrolled in a graduate program at the time of
application, but must be admitted to a graduate level program in order to be awarded
this scholarship. Eligibility must be maintained for each succeeding year of support
and annual reporting requirements, to be specified at a later date, will apply.
B. Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement
There are no matching requirements for this award.
C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility
There are no other criteria that affect eligibility.
IV. Application and Submission Information
A. Address to Request Application Package
Detailed information on the application package, instructions, submission
procedures, and an application checklist can be located on the Nancy Foster
Scholarship Program website: http://fosterscholars.noaa.gov. Information to be
included in the application submission is shown below and outlined in detail on the

Nancy Foster Scholarship website however the FFO is the official instructions for the
application. Further information about the scholarship and NOAA's Office of
National Marine Sanctuaries research priorities can be found at the web sites:
http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/science/assessment, http://fosterscholars.noaa.gov,
respectively. Information in hard copy may be requested from: Dr. Nancy Foster
Scholarship Program, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, Attention Seaberry
Nachbar, 99 Pacific Street, Bldg 455 Monterey, CA 93940. Information contact(s):
Send requests for information to the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries at the
address shown above, by telephone (831) 647-4204, or via e-mail to
fosterscholars@noaa.gov. Please allow adequate time for inquiry responses, do not
expect an immediate response to email and voice mail messages.
B. Content and Form of Application
Each application package must include the items listed below unless otherwise
indicated. Failure to submit any items as described in this section will disqualify the
application from consideration.
Application packages are available through Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov).
Grants.gov requires applicants to register with the system prior to submitting an
application. This registration process can take several weeks and involves multiple
steps. In order to allow sufficient time for this process, applicants should register as
soon as they decide they intend to apply, even if they are not yet ready to submit their
applications. ONMS will not accept applications that are submitted late due to an
applicant’s error during the time of submission to Grants.gov. NOAA may allow
more time for application submission due to a “systems issue” at Grants.gov that
takes place at the time of application submission that are beyond the control of the
applicant. In these limited circumstances where there is a systems issue, the
applicant must contact the help desk for the relevant system (e.g. Grants.gov) and
obtain a help desk ticket number. The applicant must contact ONMS immediately
upon discovering the issues and must still submit the required application documents
by the submission deadline in order for their application to be considered for review.
PLEASE NOTE: As of December 2012, applicants using the newest version of
Adobe Reader XI may encounter an error that could prevent them from submitting
their application through Grants.gov. To check whether you have a compatible
version of Adobe Reader installed, visit
http://www.grants.gov/applicants/AdobeVersioningTestOnly.jsp. To download a
version of Adobe Reader that is compatible with Grants.gov, visit
http://www.grants.gov/help/download_software.jsp.
Each application package must be included within the single Adobe PDF
document in the correct order as outlined in Section B of the Application and
Submission Information. Failure to submit any items as described in this section will
disqualify the application from consideration.
1. Standard Form 424 (SF-424), Application for Federal Assistance is located on
the Grants.gov portal and must be completed with information pertinent to the

applicant. Detailed instructions on how to complete the SF-424 form can be found
on the Nancy Foster Scholarship Program website: http://fosterscholars.noaa.gov.
Item number 21 on the SF-424 cannot be used as a replacement for the declaration
statement required in Item 9 below. The SF-424 must be uploaded to Grants.gov
separately than the items outlined below.
Numbers 2-9: The following items of the application listed below shall be
uploaded into Grants.gov in a single Adobe PDF file, in the order outlined below.
Failure to provide a single Adobe PDF file with all of the components in the order
listed below will result in the application being disqualified.
2. General Information Sheet- Provide the information outlined below, but do not
exceed 2 typewritten single-spaced pages, font size 12 in Times New Roman, with a
1” margin. General Information Sheets that are longer than 2 pages in length will not
be accepted and will result in the application being disqualified. The General
Information Sheet must be included within the single Adobe PDF document in the
correct order as outlined in Section B of the Application and Submission Information.
a. Personal Data: Provide your full name (including all aliases and
maiden/married names), country of citizenship, current address, permanent address,
and home, work, fax, and cellular telephone numbers, and email address.
b. Optional Personal Data: For statistical collection purposes only you may
indicate your gender, and race or ethnicity (this information is voluntary).
c. Degree Sought: State your proposed field of study oceanography, marine
biology or maritime archaeology (including all science, engineering, and resource
management of ocean and coastal areas) and the degree being sought (e.g. M.S.,
M.A., Ph.D.). Include the month and year the degree is expected. State the name and
location of your institution and your academic department for your graduate study.
d. Education: List the academic degrees received, or expect to receive by the
start of your proposed graduate studies for this program, including the date of receipt
and institution and your current GPA. Provide your graduate advisor's name, address,
telephone, fax number, and e-mail address.
e. Academic Honors. List any academic honors received.
f. Relevant Work Experience: List work experience related to your field of
study. You may include research and teaching assistantships and any other paid or
unpaid work.
Failure to include the General Information Sheet, as outlined above, will result in
the application being disqualified.
3. Statement of Intent - Provide the following components outlined below in two
separate sections. The Statement of Intent should be typewritten, single-spaced, font
size 12 Times New Roman, with a 1” margin and should not exceed one page in
length including sections (a) and (b). Both sections (a) and (b) will be weighted

equally; therefore your descriptions must provide enough detail to review
accordingly. Statements longer than one page will not be accepted and will result in
the application being disqualified. The Statement of Intent must be included within
the single Adobe PDF document in the correct order as outlined in Section B of the
Application and Submission Information.
This statement should not be a research proposal or scientific abstract. This
statement will be used to evaluate you as an individual, not necessarily as a scientist,
your motivation for applying for this scholarship, and your reflection on how to
communicate and educate the public about your research. This statement should
demonstrate your organizational and written communication skills.
a. A self-description of your academic, research, career goals, and how your
proposed course of study or research will help you achieve these goals. This is your
opportunity to present yourself, your aspirations, and your career goals. Include any
background information that is pertinent, and provide insight into why you choose to
pursue these goals.
b. A description of how you envision sharing your research and your results to
the broader community and how the benefits of your research will impact society. As
a Nancy Foster Scholar, you are asked to become a “Sanctuary Ambassador” which
emphasizes the opportunity to conduct education and outreach to the public (i.e. your
college or university, community groups/organizations, or schools) about current
research issues in our sanctuary system. In this section please outline your ideas on a
focused and effective education and outreach strategy regarding your research as it
relates to the sanctuary system and the ocean.
Failure to submit a Statement of Intent as indicated above will result in the
application being disqualified.
4. Research Proposal
The Research Proposal should be typewritten, single-spaced, font size 12 Times
New Roman with a 1” margin and should not exceed 3 pages in length. Page limits
are inclusive of figures, and other visual materials, but are exclusive of references.
Proposals longer than three pages will not be accepted and will result in the
application being disqualified. The Research Proposal must be included within the
single Adobe PDF document in the correct order as outlined in Section B of the
Application and Submission Information.
The Nancy Foster Scholarship Program is designed to support students interested
in NOAA mission related sciences of oceanography, marine biology or maritime
archaeology (including all science, engineering, and resource management of ocean
and coastal areas).
In your Research Proposal, please include the following information:
Discuss the research area you plan to pursue in graduate school and its
relationship to sciences in the aforementioned research priorities, and how your

research activities support NOAA's mission, particularly the mission of the Office of
National Marine Sanctuaries. Information about NOAA is available at www.noaa.gov
and in particular, the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries at
http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov, and the ONMS Science Needs Assessment at
http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/science/assessment.
Please make sure that your research goals and path are clearly defined and can be
completed within the period of the scholarship and that the proposal is constructed
well and you clearly demonstrate your technical knowledge of the research area.
Failure to submit a Research Proposal as indicated above will result in the application
being disqualified.
5. Statement of Financial Need
To evaluate financial need, NOAA will use the Department of Education's
Expected Family Contribution (EFC) determination. To receive an EFC
determination, applicants must submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid
(FAFSA) to the Department of Education. See http://www.fafsa.ed.gov. In response
to the FAFSA, the Department of Education will provide the applicant with a Student
Aid Report (SAR), which will contain the EFC determination. The previous year's
SAR is acceptable for this requirement. A copy of the first page of the SAR which
includes the EFC and the applicants name must be submitted. In addition a 1 page,
single spaced essay describing your financial need must be submitted with the
application. Statements longer than one page, font size 12 Times New Roman with 1”
margins, will not be accepted and will result in the application being disqualified.
The Statement of Financial Need must be included within the single Adobe PDF
document in the correct order as outlined in Section B of the Application and
Submission Information.
In your essay describing your financial need, discuss how you plan to fund your
graduate level education and what the impact will be if you do not receive this
scholarship. Also, list the following in the order stated:
•

Estimated amount needed for tuition and fees;

• All resources currently available to you to cover your graduate studies (e.g.,
grants, student loans, scholarships, research or teaching assistant positions, personal
funds);
• The length of time these resources will be available and if they include work
requirements
•
Other resources for which you have applied and have received, as well as
those for which you have not received a response.
Failure to submit a Statement of Financial Need will result in the application
being disqualified.
6. Enrollment Verification or List of Graduate Schools Applied

For current graduate students, transcripts showing courses in which you are
currently enrolled can be used as enrollment verification. If an applicant is not
currently enrolled but are applying to graduate schools they must submit a "List of
Graduate Schools applied to" including the month and year graduate studies will
begin, and any acceptance letters received at the time of application, with their
application. Individuals selected to receive the Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship award
must provide proof of acceptance into a graduate program at a U.S. accredited
institution at the time of notification or the individual will be ineligible to receive the
award.
The Enrollment Verification or "List of Graduate Schools applied to" must be
included within the single Adobe PDF document in the correct order as outlined in
Section B of the Application and Submission Information.
Failure to include the Enrollment Verification or "List of Graduate Schools
applied to" as applicable, specifically as indicated above will result in the application
being disqualified. Applicants selected to receive the Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship
will be required to submit a certification of enrollment at the start of each academic
term.
7. Transcripts
Unofficial transcripts submitted by the applicant are acceptable and must be
included within the single Adobe PDF document in the correct order as outlined in
Section B of the Application and Submission Information. Applicants must submit
transcripts for all complete years of academic training (both undergraduate and
graduate), including courses in which you are currently enrolled in. Transcripts from
an institution or university that are only for one semester are not required (excluding
work in progress) but may be included in the single Adobe PDF document if needed
to support evidence of research experience.
Failure to submit the transcripts as indicated above will result in the application
being disqualified. Official transcripts will be required prior to making an award.
8. Two Letters of Recommendation
Each application must include only two letters of recommendation with written
signatures on the actual letter (additional letters will not be considered) from
individuals who have knowledge of your academic record, research effort, work
and/or life experience. One of these letters must be from someone in your current
academic career. If you are currently not enrolled, one letter should be from a
professor who can provide knowledge of your academic career. Relevant paid work,
such as internships and volunteer efforts, are applicable. Letters of recommendation
should include:
Statements of the applicant's ability to succeed in the program proposal;
Familiarity with the applicants work;

Statement that the individual writing the letter has a clear understanding of the
goals and aspirations of the applicant on a personal and professional level;
Clear support for the applicant.
If an applicant plans to have a NOAA employee submit a letter of reference as
one of the letters or recommendation required in this section, please note that the
letter is limited to factual information and the NOAA employee’s knowledge of the
applicant’s ability or character based on the employee’s Government interactions
with the applicant. The letter may not endorse one applicant over other applicants.
Subject to restrictions and management approval, a NOAA employee may submit a
letter of reference to NOAA for the agency’s use in evaluating the application. The
supervisor must make a decision regarding whether it is in the agency’s interest to
write such a letter. If the supervisor approves the letter, it should be written on
agency letterhead and the employee should use his or her NOAA title. The employee
may not send the letter in his or her personal capacity.
Letters of recommendation must be scanned PDFs with a handwritten signature
on official letterhead of the person recommending the candidate included in the
single Adobe PDF document.
Applications without two, signed letters on official letterhead of recommendation
will result in the application being disqualified.
9. Declaration
Applicants must certify that all statements and information in their application
are true and correct by copying the following statement on a separate sheet of paper,
providing a handwritten signature on the same paper, and including it in the single
Adobe PDF document:
I, the undersigned, declare, under penalty of perjury, that:
I understand and agree to the limitations of the allowable costs for the
scholarship funds as defined in this FFO and that I am aware of the data sharing
stipulation policy applicable to all NOAA Federal Funding Opportunities. This
statement serves as my "Data/Information Sharing Plan" insofar as it expressly states
that no funds associated with this award will be used for the collection or creation of
any environmental information or data.
All statements and information in my application are true and correct at the time
of this application.
Executed on [insert date]: _____________________________
Print or type Name: __________________________________
Signature: _______________________________________________________
Failure to include the exact statement above, signed by the applicant, will result

in the application being disqualified.
Assistance on the application and submission process can be found under the
"How to Apply" section at the website: http://fosterscholars.noaa.gov however the
FFO contains the official instructions for applying to the scholarship.
Answers to frequently asked questions on the application process are available
at: fosterscholars.noaa.gov.
Questions from the NOAA NEPA questionnaire are not required to be answered
since the program has been determined to be exempt from NEPA review.
Each application package must include the items listed in the Application and
Submission Information section. Failure to submit all items, excluding the SF 424
which can be uploaded individually, in a single Adobe PDF document as described in
the Application and Submission Information section and in the above outlined order
or if any item is omitted will disqualify the application from consideration.
Individual documents uploaded to Grants.gov will not be accepted and the applicant
will be disqualified.
If the applicant has difficulty obtaining any of the above components of the
application in electronic copy form, the applicant may submit a single hard copy
application. The hard copy submission must be postmarked by the due date as
outlined in the FFO.

C. Submission Dates and Times
Completed applications must be received by Grants.gov by December 12, 2013
at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time or postmarked by December 12, 2013 and sent to the
Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. The Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
mailing address is located in section IV.F., “Other Submission Requirements,” below.
Applications received after the due date will not be reviewed or considered and will
be disqualified. Applicants may submit applications via Grants.gov or in paper hard
copies. Date and time of receipt of each application sent via Grants.gov is
electronically recorded. For hard copy submission, each envelope is time and date
stamped when received. In order for an application to be considered "Complete" all
items required in subsection IV.B. "Content and Form of Application" must be
received by Grants.gov or postmarked by the submission date. If you choose to mail
your full application we suggest using a service that can guarantee confirmation of
delivery.
PLEASE NOTE: For detailed information about registering as an individual and
applying in the Grants.gov system, please review the following document:
http://www/grants.gov/assets/IndvUserGuide.pdf. All applicants, both those using
electronic and paper, should be aware that adequate time must be factored into

applicant submission timelines for delivery of the application. It may take Grants.gov
up to two (2) business days to validate or reject the application. You will receive an
official notice from Grants.gov if you have uploaded your application correctly. It is
not the responsibility of the Program Office to verify receipt of any application.

D. Intergovernmental Review
Applications under this program are not subject to Executive Order 12372,
Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.
E. Funding Restrictions
No special restrictions apply.
F. Other Submission Requirements
Please refer to important information in submission dates and times above to help
ensure your application is received on time.

If an applicant does not have internet access to complete the application through
Grants.gov or prefers to apply using a hard copy, hard copy applications may be
submitted in one envelope to:
Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program NOAA Office of National Marine
Sanctuaries 1305 East West Highway SSMC4 11th Floor, Room 11146 Silver Spring,
MD 20910.
For paper submissions failure to submit all application items in one envelope will
result in disqualification of the application.

V. Application Review Information
A. Evaluation Criteria
The evaluation criteria and weighting of the criteria are as follows:
1. Statement of Intent and Academic Record (20%)

a. Statement of Intent - 15%
b. Coursework - 5%
2. Research Proposal (35%)
a. Alignment with NOAA and ONMS Priorities - 10%
b.

Feasibility - 10%

c. Technical Understanding and Clarity of Proposal - 15%
3. Recommendations (15%)
a. Familiarity of Applicant - 7%
b. Strength of Support - 8%
4. Experience and Communication (20%)
a. Experience - 10%
b. Communication Skills - 10%
5. Financial Need (10%)
a. Estimated Financial Need - 5%
b.

Statement of Financial Need - 5%

B. Review and Selection Process
Once NOAA receives an application, an initial administrative review is
conducted to determine compliance with the minimum requirements, including
completeness of the application and inclusion of all elements required in each of the
FFO sections.
Maters and Doctoral applications will be evaluated based on the same criteria;
however, Maters and Doctoral scores will be ranked and considered separately.
All applications that pass the administrative review will be evaluated and scored
individually in accordance with the assigned weights of the above evaluation criteria
by an independent review panel. The panel will be comprised of three or more
individuals, having expertise in NOAA-related science and knowledge of the
program priorities of the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. The panel will rate
the proposals using the evaluation criteria and weighting provided above. The
individual panelist scores will be averaged for each application and placed in a
ranking order of all applications. No consensus advice will be provided by the
independent review panel. The ranking order will be presented to the Program
Officer who will neither vote nor score proposals as part of the independent review

panel nor participate in discussion of the merits of the application. The Program
Officer will transmit the review information to the Selection Official and may make a
recommendation to the Selection Official about applying the selection factors below.
The Selection Official will award in rank order unless an application is justified to be
selected out of rank order based on one or more of the selection factors below.

C. Selection Factors
The merit review ratings shall provide a rank order to the Selecting Official for
final funding recommendation. The Selecting Official shall award in rank order
unless the proposal is justified to be selected out of rank order based upon one or
more of the following factors:
1. Balance/Distribution of Funds
a. Across academic disciplines
b. By types of institution
c. Geographic area
2. Availability of funds
3. ONMS-specific priorities
4. Degree in scientific area and type of degree sought- Selecting Official may
contact high ranking applicants for further clarification of information in scholarship
application.

D. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates
Subject to the availability of funds, review of applications and subsequent
notification to applicants will be completed by May 30, 2014. Funds are expected to
be awarded by July 1, 2014, which is the start date that should be used on the
Application for Federal Assistance (Form 424) for successful applications.
VI. Award Administration Information
A. Award Notices
Successful applicants will receive electronic notification that the application has
been funded from the NOAA Grants Management Division. Electronic notification
will be issued to each successful applicant with instructions on how to access the
Grants.gov system and view the terms of the award. The annual reporting
requirements are also included in the award package.
The names, academic institutions, degrees being sought, research plans,

photographs and biographical information of the scholarship award recipients will be
posted on the Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program website:
http://www.fosterscholars.noaa.gov after selections have been confirmed and
accepted. The information posted on the web site may also be published in marketing
materials developed to advertise the Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program and
further the mission of the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries.
Unsuccessful applicants will be notified that their proposal was not
recommended for funding (declined) by May 30, 2014.

B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
1. Administrative and national policy requirements for all DOC awards apply to
this competition. These requirements may be found in the Department of Commerce
Pre-Award Notification Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements,
published in the Federal Register on December 17, 2012 (77 FR 74634). This notice
may be accessed at the Government Printing Office (GPO) website at
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/browse/collection.action?collectionCode=FR. You may
locate the notice by clicking on the radial buttons until you reach the Federal Register
published on December 17, 2012 and then clicking on “Commerce Department.”
2. Limitation of Liability- In no event will NOAA or the Department of
Commerce be responsible for proposal preparation costs. Publication of this
announcement does not oblige NOAA to award any specific project or to obligate
any available funds.
3. It has been determined that the Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarships are categorically
excluded from the requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA).

To enable the use of a universal identifier and to enhance the quality of
information available to the public as required by the Federal Funding Accountability
and Transparency Act of 2006, to the extent applicable, any proposal awarded in
response to this announcement will be required to use the Central Contractor
Registration and Dun and Bradstreet Universal Numbering System and be subject to
reporting requirements, as identified in OMB guidance published at 2 CFR Parts 25,
170 (2010), http://ectr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?
c=ecfr&tpi=/ecfrbrowsw/Title02/2cfr25_main_02.tpl and
http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?
c=ecfr&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title02/2cfr170_main_02.tpl.

C. Reporting
Scholarship recipients are required to provide annual reports documenting the
scholar's activities, accomplishments, academic progress, research progress, and
education and outreach progress. The report must include copies of receipts
indicating disbursement of the education allowance and copies of receipts for
allowable expenses under the program collaboration. The report must include a
certification from the scholar's academic advisor indicating that the student's work is
on track and a copy of the official transcript indicating the scholar has a minimum
term and cumulative GPA of 3.3. These reports must be submitted through the
Grants.gov system.
At the conclusion of the program collaboration, recipients are required to submit
a trip report documenting their accomplishments and including a summary
testimonial of their experience. In addition, recipients will be required to participate
in an evaluation survey.
At the conclusion of the award, recipients are required to submit a final report
encompassing their accomplishments during the award period and their post
scholarship plans, especially regarding NOAA interactions and the "Sanctuary
Ambassador" requirement. The final report should include a copy of the final
transcript indicating degree earned, if applicable. All scholars are required to submit a
copy of their Master's thesis or Doctoral Dissertation upon completion of their
degree.
Data Sharing Plan. Environmental data and information, collected and/or
created under NOAA grants/cooperative agreements must be made visible,
accessible, and independently understandable to general users, free of charge or at
minimal cost, in a timely manner (typically no later than two (2) years after the data
are collected or created), except where limited by law, regulation, policy or by
security requirements.
1. Unless otherwise noted in this federal funding announcement, a
Data/Information Sharing Plan of no more than two pages shall be required as an
appendix. A typical plan may include the types of environmental data and
information 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;
policies addressing data stewardship and preservation; procedures for providing
access, data, and security; and prior experience in publishing such data. The
Data/Information Sharing Plan will be reviewed as part of the NOAA Standard
Evaluation Criteria, Item 1 -- Importance and/or Relevance and Applicability of
Proposed Project to the Mission Goals.
2. The Data/Information Sharing Plan (and any subsequent revisions or

updates) will be made publicly available at time of award and, thereafter, will be
posted with the published data.
3. Failing to share environmental data and information in accordance with the
submitted Data/Information Sharing Plan may lead to disallowed costs and be
considered by NOAA when making future award decisions.
Information on NOAA's Environmental Data Management Policy is available
under:
http://www.corporateservices.noaa.gov/ames/administrative_orders/chapter_212/21215.pdf

The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 includes a
requirement for awardees of applicable Federal grants to report information about
first-tier sub-awards and executive compensation under Federal assistance awards
issued in FY 2011 or later. All awardees of applicable grants and cooperative
agreements are required to report to the Federal Sub-award Reporting System (FSRS)
available at www.FSRS.gov on all sub-awards over $25,000.
VII. Agency Contacts
Send requests for information to fosterscholars@noaa.gov or mail requests to:
Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program, NOAA Office of National Marine
Sanctuaries, Attention Seaberry Nachbar 99 Pacific Street, Bldg 455, Monterey, CA
93940. Or contact Seaberry Nachbar via phone at (831) 647-4204 or Kate Thompson
at (301) 713-7245.

VIII. Other Information
A. The Stipend and Education Allowance
The annual stipend (which consists of the full scholarship award) will be paid
directly to the scholar. Tuition (including fall, winter, spring and summer) and
academic fees may be negotiated between the academic institution and the Dr. Nancy
Foster Scholarship program officer at NOAA prior to the receipt of funds. This
negotiation is intended to leverage scholarship funds and enhance opportunities for
scholarship recipients. In those instances in which tuition and academic fees are not
totally waived by the academic institution, the education allowance in an amount
equal to the tuition and fee not waived (but not to exceed $12,000) will be paid

directly to the scholar for remittance to the academic institution. If tuition and fees
are reduced or waived by the academic institution, then that portion of the education
allowance not needed (i.e., up to $12,000 in the case of a total waiver) will be
retained by NOAA for future scholarships. No money will be paid directly to the
student from the education allowance for purposes other than the payment of tuition,
fees, and education costs including but not limited to books required for courses.
Health insurance is an allowable education cost if it is directly billed on the tuition
statement. You may work and receive loans if you receive this scholarship.
B. General Scholarship Information
Specific instructions regarding the disbursement, management, and reporting
requirements for all stipend and tuition allowance payments will be provided to the
scholarship recipients upon selection for the award. The awarding of funds beyond
the first year will be based on availability of funds, continued eligibility of the
student, semi-annual certification by the academic institution that adequate academic
progress is being made, and in compliance with applicable reporting requirements. At
its discretion, each academic institution may supplement a scholar's stipend from
institutional funds in accordance with the supplementation policy of the institution.