Addressing the Impacts of Multiple Stressors on Shellfish Aquaculture through Research/Industry Partnerships | NOAA OAR SG 2021 2006704

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) What is the purpose of this funding opportunity?

This opportunity, offered by the Department of Commerce through NOAA's National Sea Grant Office (NSGO) and the Ocean Acidification Program (OAP), supports projects that connect shellfish aquaculture businesses with researchers to better understand and reduce risks from ocean and coastal acidification when it occurs alongside other environmental stressors. The emphasis is on practical, partnership-driven work shaped by industry needs and on-the-water conditions, with results that lead to usable outcomes for shellfish growers and the broader aquaculture sector.

2) Which NOAA programs are offering this opportunity?

The opportunity is offered through NOAA's National Sea Grant Office (NSGO) and the Ocean Acidification Program (OAP), within the Department of Commerce.

3) What does "multiple stressors" mean in this opportunity?

"Multiple stressors" means proposals are expected to look beyond acidification alone and examine how acidification interacts with other pressures that affect shellfish performance and survival. The opportunity is focused on understanding combined and interacting impacts rather than studying ocean acidification in isolation.

4) What other stressors can be included alongside ocean/coastal acidification?

The announcement notes that additional stressors may include changing temperature, low dissolved oxygen, salinity shifts, harmful algal blooms, disease and pathogens, pollutants, or other local coastal conditions that can compound acidification impacts.

5) What kinds of project approaches are expected?

Projects are expected to do one or more of the following: (a) use observing systems that track multiple physical, chemical, and/or biological parameters in real-world settings; (b) conduct controlled experiments that explicitly test more than one stressor at a time; or (c) combine observing and experimental approaches to strengthen conclusions and improve applicability to farm operations.

6) Is the opportunity focused on applied outcomes for growers, or mainly academic research?

The stated emphasis is applied and partnership-driven. While generating scientific knowledge is a priority, the opportunity also explicitly seeks results that lead to usable outcomes for shellfish growers and the broader aquaculture sector, including deliverables that go beyond publications.

7) What are NOAA's main priorities for proposals under this opportunity?

NSGO and OAP outline three main priorities: (1) build or strengthen durable working relationships between the shellfish aquaculture industry and the aquaculture research community; (2) generate scientific knowledge about how acidification combined with other stressors affects shellfish aquaculture; and (3) produce broadly useful deliverables for the sector (not only journal publications), such as tools, products, guidance, technologies, or data products that help growers respond to stressful conditions.

8) What types of partnerships are encouraged?

The opportunity is designed to support collaborations that can involve universities, shellfish farms and hatcheries, private sector technical experts, tribal scientists and communities, and state or federal researchers. The announcement also expresses an explicit interest in bringing diverse perspectives into the partnership.

9) What kinds of impacts on shellfish aquaculture are projects expected to study?

The opportunity highlights potential impacts such as effects on larval development, growth, calcification, survival, reproduction, and overall farm productivity, specifically in the context of acidification occurring alongside other stressors.

10) What kinds of deliverables are considered valuable under this opportunity?

Beyond publications, the opportunity calls for deliverables that are broadly useful to the sector. Examples listed include decision-support tools, forecasting or monitoring products, practical technologies for hatcheries or farms, improved management practices, operational guidance, or other data products that help growers anticipate and respond to stressful conditions.

11) How much total funding is anticipated, and how many awards are expected?

NOAA anticipated a total pool of about $2,000,000 and expected to support roughly 2 to 6 projects, depending on final availability and proposal quality.

12) What is the expected funding level per project?

Individual projects were expected to receive about $100,000 to $300,000 per year.

13) How long can a project last?

Project periods were expected to range from 1 to 3 years.

14) Is there an award ceiling?

Yes. The award ceiling listed for the opportunity is $400,000.

15) What funding instruments will NOAA use for awards?

The opportunity states that funding instruments include grants and cooperative agreements.

16) What is the difference between a grant and a cooperative agreement in this context?

The listing notes that cooperative agreements typically mean NOAA may have substantial involvement in project coordination, reporting, or alignment with program goals, especially under cooperative agreements.

17) What is the opportunity number and CFDA number?

The opportunity is identified as NOAA-OAR-SG-2021-2006704 and falls under CFDA 11.417.

18) What broad categories does this opportunity fall under?

The listing places the opportunity within the broad categories of environment, natural resources, and research and development.

19) Who is eligible to apply?

The listing notes eligibility as "Others" with clarification provided in the full announcement. This typically signals that a range of applicant types may be allowed, but applicants should confirm the exact eligibility requirements in the official eligibility language of the notice.

20) What are the key dates mentioned for this opportunity?

Key dates included a creation date of October 19, 2020, and an original closing date of March 16, 2021.

21) Where should applicants look for submission and formatting requirements?

Applicants were directed to follow the specific submission requirements in the notice and to use the Sea Grant General Application Guide for detailed preparation tips, formatting expectations, and standard compliance guidance.

22) Is using real-world farm conditions important for this opportunity?

Yes. The opportunity emphasizes "on-the-water realities" and practical work shaped by industry needs. It also encourages observing systems in real-world settings and/or approaches that improve applicability to farm operations.

23) Does NOAA prefer projects that combine monitoring and experiments?

The opportunity states that projects may use observing systems, controlled experiments, or a combination of both. Combining both approaches is specifically mentioned as a way to strengthen conclusions and improve applicability to farm operations.

24) What is the overall intent behind focusing on partnerships?

The first stated priority is to build or strengthen durable working relationships between the shellfish aquaculture industry and the aquaculture research community. The design of the opportunity suggests that industry needs and operational realities should shape the research, with results translated into practical outputs for the sector.