Letters of recommendation

Federal Funding Opportunity

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FY17 Nancy Foster Scholarship Program
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. Funding Opportunity Description
A. Program Objective
B. Program Priorities
C. Program Authority
II. Award Information
A. Funding Availability
B. Project/Award Period
C. Type of Funding Instrument
III. Eligibility Information
A. Eligible Applicants
B. Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement
C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility
IV. Application and Submission Information
A. Address to Request Application Package
B. Content and Form of Application
C. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)
D. Submission Dates and Times
E. Intergovernmental Review
F. Funding Restrictions
G. Other Submission Requirements
V. Application Review Information
A. Evaluation Criteria
B. Review and Selection Process
C. Selection Factors
D. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates
VI. Award Administration Information
A. Award Notices
B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
C. Reporting
VII. Agency Contacts
VIII. Other Information

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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: FY17 Nancy Foster Scholarship Program
Announcement Type: Initial
Funding Opportunity Number: NOAA-NOS-ONMS-2017-2005070
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.429, Marine Sanctuary Program
Dates: Completed applications must be received by Grants.gov by December 9, 2016 at
5:00p.m. Eastern Time or postmarked no later than December 9, 2016 and sent to the NOAA
Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. Applications received after the due date will not be
reviewed or considered and will be disqualified.
PLEASE NOTE: We encourage all Grants.gov applicants to begin the application process at
least several days before the December 9, 2016 deadline. 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 Federal
Funding Opportunity (FFO).
Funding Opportunity Description: The Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program provides support
for master’s and doctoral studies in oceanography, marine biology, maritime archaeology, and all
other science, engineering, social science, and resource management disciplines involving ocean
and coastal areas, and particularly encourages women and members of minority groups to apply.
Individuals who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents, or citizens of U.S. territories, 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

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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 4-6 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. The Dr. Nancy Foster
Scholarship funds cannot be used toward research costs.
Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program recipients will be required to participate in a
mandatory NOAA Orientation Training to meet with the NOAA Office of National Marine
Sanctuaries staff at a date and location to be determined in the summer of 2017. 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.
As a recipient of the Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program, you become a recognized
member of the NOAA community. NOAA provides significant financial resources to help you
pursue your independent graduate studies, as well as the staff expertise to assist you with your
research along the way. All Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program recipients must put together
an outreach product (e.g., video, infographic) that communicates their scientific research in a
way that the average viewer can understand it and its importance. Appropriate training in the
creation of outreach products will be provided to all scholarship recipients.
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 National Marine Sanctuary System, 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. More details on allowable costs can be found in 2 CFR part 200, Subpart E – Cost
Principles. If scholars choose to participate in a program collaboration during a specific year,
they must notify the Program Officer by December of the academic year in which they intend to
participate in the collaboration. Approval from the NOAA 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.

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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 master’s and doctoral studies in
oceanography, marine biology, maritime archaeology, and all other science, engineering,
social science, and resource management disciplines involving ocean and coastal areas, and
particularly encourages women and members of minority groups to apply. 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
members of minority groups. 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 the NOAA 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
The NOAA 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, maritime archaeology, and all other science, engineering,
social science, and resource management disciplines involving 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 NOAA Office of National Marine
Sanctuaries.
The NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries conducts, sponsors, and facilitates
research to better understand ecosystems and cultural resources in national marine
sanctuaries, their changing condition, and the significance of threats. The National Marine
Sanctuary System 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 marine 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

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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 NOAA Office of National
Marine Sanctuaries 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 the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries’
research, as well as interactions with sanctuary 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 the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries are stated
below. Site-specific needs are identified in the 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.
•
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).
•
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.
•
Socioeconomic valuation and impact research regarding ONMS resource protection
and management efforts, including regulatory impact and effectiveness, education programs,
or user (types and levels of use) assessments and characterizations.
•
Economic value of ecosystem services of natural and/or cultural resources and

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assessment of related indicators for those services. 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 2017. 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 4-6 week program collaboration
at a field office of the National Marine Sanctuary System 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, a mandatory orientation will be held for incoming and current
scholars. Scholars must participate in this orientation to ensure knowledge base of the
scholarship program. If scholars cannot participate, the program manager has the discretion
to revoke the scholarship. 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 the NOAA 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 (2) years of support, one (1) 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 (4) years of support, two (2) program collaboration opportunities and travel support
for the orientation meeting). The Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship funds cannot be used toward
research costs.
B. Project/Award Period

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The award periods are up to two (2) years for a student in a master's level program and
up to four (4) years for a doctoral level candidate. The anticipated start date is June 1, 2017.
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 program collaboration, a
component where the scholar is required to spend time utilizing a NOAA facility to
contribute to their education and training. The NOAA Office of National Marine
Sanctuaries’ staff intends to work with each scholar to facilitate placement at a NOAA
facility and to help the scholar refine the scope of their program collaboration, if necessary.
Scholars will also be required to participate in a weeklong orientation each year and develop
a multimedia outreach product by the end of their scholarship.
III. Eligibility Information
A. Eligible Applicants
Only individuals who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents, or citizens of U.S.
territories, 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, to be eligible to apply, applicants must have a cumulative 3.3 grade point average.
Scholars must 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, they will be placed on probation after the first term. 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

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There are no other criteria that affect eligibility.
IV. Application and Submission Information
A. Address to Request Application Package
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. The NOAA Office
of National Marine Sanctuaries will not accept applications that are submitted late due to an
applicant’s error during the time of submission to Grants.gov. The NOAA Office of National
Marine Sanctuaries may allow more time for application submission due to a “systems
issue” with Grants.gov that takes place at the time of application submission and is 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 the NOAA Office of National Marine
Sanctuaries immediately upon discovering the issues and must still submit the required
application documents 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.
Additional guidance on the application package, instructions, submission procedures, and
an application checklist can be located on the Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program
website: http://fosterscholars.noaa.gov. Further information about the scholarship and the
NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries research priorities can be found at the web
sites: http://fosterscholars.noaa.gov, http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/science/assessment,
respectively.
Information in hard copy may be requested from:
Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program
NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
1305 East-West Highway,
11th Floor Rm 11423

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Silver Spring, MD 20910
Information contact: Send requests for information to the NOAA Office of National
Marine Sanctuaries at the address shown above, by telephone (831) 647-4204, or via email
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. The NOAA Office
of National Marine Sanctuaries will not accept applications that are submitted late due to an
applicant’s error during the time of submission to Grants.gov. The NOAA Office of National
Marine Sanctuaries may allow more time for application submission due to a “systems
issue” with Grants.gov that takes place at the time of application submission and is 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 the NOAA Office of National Marine
Sanctuaries immediately upon discovering the issues and must still submit the required
application documents 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. Please provide a title of the item (for example, General Information Sheet,
Statement of Intent, etc.) on each page in a Header Section.
1. Standard Form 424 (SF-424), Application for Federal Assistance is located on the

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Grants.gov portal and must be completed with information pertinent to the applicant.
Detailed guidance on how to complete the SF-424 form can be found at
http://fosterscholars.noaa.gov/pdfs/sf-424_guidance.pdf. Item number 21 on the SF-424
cannot be used as a replacement for the declaration statement required in Item 10 below. The
SF-424 must be uploaded to Grants.gov separately than the items outlined below. If
submitting paper applications, the application packet must also include a completed SF-424.
Numbers 2-10: 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. If submitting paper applications, the full application must be
in the order outlined below. Submitting a paper is acceptable but only if the applicant does
not have access to the internet.
2. Table of Contents: On a single page, please list the items and page numbers of the
following required information.
3. General Information Sheet: Provide the information outlined below, but do not exceed
two (2) typewritten single-spaced pages, font size 12 in Times New Roman, with a 1”
margin. General Information Sheets that are longer than two (2) pages in length and/or do
not follow the formatting requirements listed above 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, home, work, 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. If already enrolled in a graduate program, 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 institution, date of receipt, and
your cumulative GPA. If enrolled in graduate school, provide your graduate advisor's name,
address, telephone number, 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.

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g. Knowledge of Scholarship: In a few words, please describe how you initially heard
about the Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program (e.g. word of mouth, current scholar,
school/institution, online database, etc.).
Failure to include the General Information Sheet, as outlined above, will result in the
application being disqualified.
4. 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 (1) 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
(1) page and/or that do not follow the formatting requirements listed above 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. Academic, Research, Career Goals and Aspirations: 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. Communicating the Importance of your Research: 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 Dr. Nancy Foster Scholar, you are asked to become a
“National Marine 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 the National Marine
Sanctuary System. In this section, please outline your ideas for a focused and effective
education and outreach strategy regarding your research as it relates specifically to the
National Marine Sanctuary System, as well as the global ocean. This should include
anticipated locations and audiences for education and outreach events, potential partners in
the community, and any potential outputs or outcomes from your activities.
To strengthen this section of your application, please provide one letter of support from a
community organization or group with which you would partner or collaborate to
communicate your research. Please make sure it is on official letterhead, signed and inserted
after the statement of intent. The letter should outline your strategy for the outreach and

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education work you plan to undertake with this partner, their role in the collaboration and the
potential of success. Inclusion of this letter will be taken into consideration during the review
process.
Failure to submit a Statement of Intent as indicated above will result in the application being
disqualified.
5. Transcripts: 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 (1) 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. Applicants must have a
cumulative 3.3 grade point average to be eligible to apply. Unofficial transcripts, which
clearly state the name of the student and institution 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. All unofficial transcripts must
list the student’s name and the name of the institution in the upper right hand corner.
Failure to submit the transcripts, as outlined above, will result in the application being
disqualified. Official transcripts will be required prior to making an award.
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. Enrollment verification must include name of school and applicant.
If an applicant is not currently enrolled but is 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. Research Proposal: The Research Proposal should be typewritten,
single-spaced, font size 12 Times New Roman with a 1” margin and should not exceed three
(3) pages in length. Page limits are inclusive of figures, and other visual materials, but are
exclusive of references. Proposals longer than three (3) pages and/or that do not follow the
formatting requirements listed above will not be accepted and will result in the application
being disqualified. The Research Proposal must be included within the single Adobe PDF

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document in the correct order as outlined in Section B of the Application and Submission
Information.
The Dr. 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 NOAA Office of National Marine
Sanctuaries. Information about NOAA is available at http://www.noaa.gov and in particular,
the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries at http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov, and it’s
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. Make sure 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.
8. Two Letters of Recommendation: Each application must include only two (2) 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 applicant’s 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; and
• Clear support for the applicant.
If an applicant plans to have a NOAA employee submit a letter of reference as one of the
letters of 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.
The two letters of recommendation must be included in the single Adobe PDF document.

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Each letter must be a scanned PDF with a handwritten signature on official letterhead of the
person recommending the candidate. If the person providing the letter of recommendation
does not wish for the applicant to see the contents of the letter, the applicant should submit a
paper copy of their full application and include their letters of recommendation in sealed
envelopes. In addition to the recommender’s signature on the letter, they must also sign the
back of the sealed envelope. Failure to provide two (2) signed letters of recommendation on
official letterhead, as outlined above, will result in the application being disqualified. If more
than two (2) letters of recommendation are provided, this will result in the application being
disqualified.
9. Statement of Financial Need: All required components of this section 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 Statement of Financial Need requires the
following documentation:
a. Department of Education's Expected Family Contribution (EFC) determination: 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 or last four digits of
the applicant’s social security number must be submitted. The documentation of EFC must
be from the Department of Education.
b. Yearly Tuition Documentation: Applicants must also provide documentation of
estimated yearly tuition of each school they are applying to. You must provide
documentation of where this estimate comes from, either as a screenshot of a tuition estimate
from the university’s website, or a letter or other documentation from the school, on official
letterhead, showing tuition costs. Only the forms of documentation outlined above will be
accepted.
c. Statement of Need Essay: In addition to the EFC documentation and yearly tuition
documents, a one (1) page, single spaced essay describing your financial need must be
submitted with this section. Statements longer than one (1) page, font size 12 Times New
Roman with 1” margins, will not be accepted and will result in the application being
disqualified. 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, included in the one (1) page limit essay, list the following information in the order
stated:
• Estimated amount needed for tuition and fees per academic year (list each school
estimate if applying to more than one university);

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• All resources currently available to you to cover your graduate studies (e.g., grants,
student loans, scholarships, research or teaching assistant positions, personal funds);
• A declaration stating your ability to complete your MS or PhD studies without this
scholarship. This is a determination allowing the reviewers to identify those that are in
financial hardship and whether funding from this scholarship is allowing the applicant to
pursue their studies.
• 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; and
• An estimate of your Estimated Financial Need, which can be determined by performing
the following calculation:
(Estimated Tuition and Fees per academic year) - (Expected Family Contribution) =
Estimated Financial Need (EFN)
For example:
Estimated Tuition and Fees = $12,000/year (documentation of this estimate is required)
Expected Family Contribution = $8,000 (determined by Student Aid Report)
$12,000-$8,000 = $4,000 (This is your Estimated Financial Need)
Failure to submit all of the components of the Statement of Financial Need (a-c) will result
in the application being disqualified.
10. Declaration: Applicants must certify that all statements and information in their
application are true and correct by either 1) copying the following statement on a separate
sheet of paper or 2) downloading the declaration statement from
http://fosterscholars.noaa.gov/pdfs/declaration_statement.pdf, then 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.
Answers to frequently asked questions on the application process are available at:

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http://fosterscholars.noaa.gov/faqs.html.
Questions from the NOAA National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) questionnaire are
not required to be answered because the scholarship 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. If submitting
paper applications, the full application must be in the order outlined above and must also
include a completed SF-424. The hard copy submission must be postmarked by the due date
as outlined in the FFO.
C. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)
To enable the use of a universal identifier and to build the quality of information
available to the public as required by the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency
Act, 16 U.S.C. 6101 note, to the extent applicable, any applicant awarded in response to this
announcement will be required to use the System for Award Management (SAM), which
may be accessed online at https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/. Each applicant (unless
the applicant is an individual or Federal awarding agency that is excepted from those
requirements under 2 CFR §25.110(b) or (c), or has an exception approved by the Federal
awarding agency under 2 CFR §25.110(d)) is required to: (i) Be registered in SAM before
submitting its application; (ii) provide a valid unique entity identifier in its application; and
(iii) continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times
during which it has an active Federal award or an application or plan under consideration by
a Federal awarding agency. The Federal awarding agency may not make a Federal award to
an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable unique entity identifier and
SAM requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the
time the Federal awarding agency is ready to make a Federal award, the Federal awarding
agency may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a Federal award and use
that determination as a basis for making a Federal award to another applicant. Applicants are
also required to use the Dun and Bradstreet Universal Numbering System and will be subject
to reporting requirements, as identified in OMB guidance published at 2 CFR Part 25 and 2
CFR Part 170. See Section IV.F.3. of this Announcement below for more information.
D. Submission Dates and Times

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Completed applications must be received by Grants.gov by December 9, 2016 at 5:00
p.m. Eastern Time or postmarked by December 9, 2016 and sent to the NOAA Office of
National Marine Sanctuaries. The NOAA 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/web/grants/applicants/individual-registration.html. 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 NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries to verify receipt of any
application.
E. Intergovernmental Review
Applications under this program are not subject to Executive Order 12372,
Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.
F. Funding Restrictions
No special restrictions apply.
G. Other Submission Requirements
Please refer to important information in submission dates and times above to help ensure
your application is received on time. Applications should be submitted via Grants.gov. 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

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NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
1305 East West Highway
11th Floor, Room 11423 Silver Spring, MD 20910
PLEASE NOTE: For paper submissions, failure to submit all application items in one
envelope and in the correct order, including a completed SF-424, 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. Academic Record and Statement of Career Goals of the Students (20%). For this
program, this includes:
a. Statement of Intent - 12%
b. Letter of Support - 3%
c. Coursework - 5%
2. Quality of Project and Applicability to Program Priorities (30%). For this program, this
includes:
a. Alignment with NOAA and National Marine Sanctuaries Priorities - 20%
b. Feasibility - 5%
c. Technical Understanding and Clarity of Proposal - 5%
3. Recommendations and or Endorsements of Students (15%). For this program, this
includes:
a. Familiarity of Applicant - 7%
b. Strength of Support - 8%
4. Additional Relevant Experience (15%). For this program, this includes:
a. Experience - 7%
b. Communication Skills - 8%
5. Financial Need (20%)
a. Estimated Financial Need - 5%
b. Statement of Financial Need - 15%
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.

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Master’s and doctoral applications will be evaluated based on the same criteria; however
masters and doctoral scores will be ranked and considered separately. If an existing Nancy
Foster Scholar who has been selected to receive funding for a Master’s level degree from a
previous year of funding chooses to bypass the Master’s degree and continue directly to a
PhD degree, they may be given priority in the final selection process and selected over
existing applicants.
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 a
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 NOAA Office of
National Marine Sanctuaries. The reviewers will rate the proposals using the evaluation
criteria and weighting provided above. The panel will then meet to discuss proposals. The
review panel will not come to a consensus regarding applicants’ scores. The individual
panelist scores will be averaged for each application and placed in a ranking order of all
applications. 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.
Specific to NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries’ priorities
4.
Degree in scientific area and type of degree sought.
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 27, 2017. Funds are expected to be awarded by June 1,
2017, which is the start date that should be used on the Application for Federal Assistance
(SF-424) for successful applications.

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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 website may also be
published in marketing materials developed to advertise the Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship
Program and further the mission of the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries.
Unsuccessful applicants will be notified that their proposal was not recommended for
funding (declined) by May 27, 2017.
B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
1) UNPAID OF DELINQUENT TAX LIABILITY – In accordance with current Federal
appropriations law, NOAA will provide a successful corporate applicant a form to be
completed by its authorized representatives certifying that the corporation has no Federallyassessed unpaid or delinquent tax liability or recent felony criminal convictions under any
Federal law. If a form is provided, an award may not be issued until it is returned and
accepted by NOAA.
2) REVIEW OF RISK – After applications are proposed for funding by the selecting official,
the Grants Office will perform administration reviews. These may include assessments of the
financial stability of an applicant and the quality of the applicant’s management systems,
history of performance, and the applicant’s ability to effectively implement statutory,
regulatory, or other requirements imposed on non-Federal entities. Special conditions that
address any risks determined to exist may be applied. Applicants may submit comments to
the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS) about any
information included in the system about their organization for consideration by the
awarding agency.
3) DATA SHARING PLAN –This announcement is seeking proposals that do not generate
environmental data therefore no data management plan is required as part of the application.

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4) INDIRECT COST RATE – 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 MTDC (as allowable under 2
C.F.R., section 200.214). The negotiation and approval of a rate is subject to the procedures
required by NOAA and the Department of Commerce Standard Terms and Conditions.
The NOAA contact for indirect or facilities and administrative costs is:
Lamar Revis, Grants Officer
NOAA Grants Management Division
1325 East West Highway, 9th Floor
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Lamar.Revis@noaa.gov
5) PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT – This notification involves collection-of-information
requirements subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act. The use of Standard Forms 424,
424A, 424B, and SF-LLL and CD-346 has been approved by the Office of management and
Budget (OMB) under control numbers 0348-0043, 0348-0044, 0348-0040 and 0348-0046
and 0605-0001. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person is required to
respond to, nor shall any person be subject to a penalty for failure to comply with, a
collection of information subject to the requirements of the PRA unless that collection of
information displays a currently valid OMB control number.
6) Administrative and national policy requirements for all DOC awards apply to this
competition. These requirements may be found in the “Department of Commerce Financial
Assistance Standard Terms and Conditions” (ST&Cs) and are as summarized in the
“Department of Commerce Pre-Award Notification Requirements for Grants and
Cooperative Agreements,” published in the Federal Register on December 30, 2014 (79 FR
78390) This notice may be accessed at the Government Printing Office website a website at
www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2014-12-30/pdf/2014-30297.pdf. The ST&Cs may be accessed
at the following website:
http://www.osec.doc.gov/oam/grants_management/policy/default%20p2.htm.
7) 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.
8) It has been determined that the Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program awards are

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categorically excluded from the requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act.
9) FOIA- In the event that an application contains information or data that you do not want
disclosed prior to award for purposes other than the evaluation of the application, you should
mark each page containing such information or data with the words "Privileged,
Confidential, Commercial, or Financial Information - Limited Use" at the top of the page to
assist NOAA in making disclosure determinations. DOC regulations implementing the
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) are found at 5 U.S.C 552, which sets forth rules for
DOC to make requested materials, information, and records publicly available under FOIA.
The contents of funded applications may be subject to requests for release under the FOIA.
Based on the information provided by you, the confidentiality of the content of funded
applications will be maintained to the maximum extent permitted by law.
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. An outline of the report format can be found on
the Nancy Foster Scholarship webpage: http://fosterscholars.noaa.gov/pdfs/nfs-reporttemplate.pdf.
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.
All Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program recipients must assemble an outreach product
(e.g., video, infographic) that communicates their scientific research in a way that the
average viewer can understand it and its importance.. This final product should be agreed
upon with the Program Officer and submitted as part of the final scholarship report.
Appropriate training in the creation of outreach products will be provided to all scholarship
recipients.
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 "National Marine 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.

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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 http://www.FSRS.gov on all subawards 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
1305 East West Highway
11th Floor, Room 11423 Silver Spring, MD 20910
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

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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.