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

Opportunity Information: Apply for NOAA OAR SG 2021 2006704

This funding 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 where industry needs and on-the-water realities shape the research, and where the results lead to usable outcomes for shellfish growers and the broader aquaculture sector.

The core focus is "multiple stressors," meaning applicants are expected to look beyond acidification alone and examine how it interacts with additional pressures that affect shellfish performance and survival. These other 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. Projects are expected to either use observing systems that track multiple physical, chemical, and/or biological parameters in real-world settings, conduct controlled experiments that explicitly test more than one stressor at a time, or combine both approaches to strengthen conclusions and improve applicability to farm operations.

NSGO and OAP outline three main priorities. First, they want to build or strengthen durable working relationships between the shellfish aquaculture industry and the aquaculture research community. 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, with an explicit interest in bringing diverse perspectives into the partnership. Second, they want projects that generate scientific knowledge about how acidification combined with other stressors affects shellfish aquaculture, such as impacts on larval development, growth, calcification, survival, reproduction, and overall farm productivity. Third, they are looking for deliverables that go beyond publications and are broadly useful to the sector, such as 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.

Funding is expected to be competitive and limited. NOAA anticipated a total pool of about $2,000,000, supporting roughly 2 to 6 projects, depending on final availability and proposal quality. Individual projects were expected to receive about $100,000 to $300,000 per year for project periods ranging from 1 to 3 years, with an award ceiling listed at $400,000. The funding instruments include grants and cooperative agreements, which typically means NOAA may have substantial involvement in project coordination, reporting, or alignment with program goals, especially under cooperative agreements.

The opportunity is identified as NOAA-OAR-SG-2021-2006704 and falls under CFDA 11.417, within the broad categories of environment, natural resources, and research and development. The listing notes eligibility as "Others" with clarification provided in the full announcement, which usually signals that a range of applicant types may be allowed but that applicants should confirm details in the official eligibility language. Key dates included a creation date of October 19, 2020, and an original closing date of March 16, 2021. 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.

• The Department of Commerce in the environment, natural resources, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Addressing the Impacts of Multiple Stressors on Shellfish Aquaculture through Research/Industry Partnerships" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 11.417.
• This funding opportunity was created on Oct 19, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 16, 2021. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $400,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for NOAA OAR SG 2021 2006704

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