2019 Alaska Pinniped Research Program | NOAA NMFS AK 2019 2005923

Opportunity Information: Apply for NOAA NMFS AK 2019 2005923

The 2019 Alaska Pinniped Research Program is a competitive, merit-based federal funding opportunity run by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) within the U.S. Department of Commerce. Its purpose is to support targeted research that improves the stewardship, conservation, and management of pinniped species in Alaska. The program is focused on generating scientific information that NMFS needs to carry out its legal responsibilities under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), and to strengthen co-management efforts with Alaska Native partners where pinnipeds are also important subsistence resources.

This opportunity specifically supports research on Alaska pinnipeds managed by NMFS, including Steller sea lions, northern fur seals, ringed seals, bearded seals, spotted seals, ribbon seals, and harbor seals. A key driver of the program is the need to support recovery-related science for ESA-listed populations: the endangered western Distinct Population Segment (DPS) of Steller sea lions, the threatened Arctic subspecies of ringed seals, and the threatened Beringia DPS of bearded seals. Because NMFS must foster recovery of these listed species, the grant program emphasizes research that can directly inform recovery planning, status assessments, management decisions, and conservation measures.

The program also reflects NMFS responsibilities under the MMPA, where some Alaska pinniped stocks are considered strategic stocks, meaning they require heightened attention due to conservation concern or management complexity. In addition, many of these species intersect with Alaska Native subsistence use and formal co-management arrangements, so the grant program recognizes that effective management is not only a biological question but also a practical one requiring collaborative research, monitoring, and shared data needs.

Funding is offered through grants and cooperative agreements (the latter generally implying more substantial federal involvement during the project). The opportunity falls within federal activity areas tied to environment, natural resources, and research and development, and is associated with CFDA number 11.439. For this cycle, NMFS anticipated making around 10 awards, with an award ceiling of $500,000 per project. The application window opened with a posting date of December 16, 2018, and had an original closing date of March 8, 2019. The announcement describes funding intended to span fiscal years 2019 through 2021, indicating that selected projects could be supported across that multi-year period depending on proposal scope, budgeting, and NMFS priorities.

Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with further clarification typically provided in the full announcement under an additional eligibility section. In practice for programs like this, that category often accommodates a mix of applicants such as universities, nonprofit organizations, Alaska Native organizations, research institutions, and potentially state, local, or tribal entities, as long as the applicant can meet federal award requirements and the project aligns with NMFS priorities. The core limitation is jurisdictional: proposals must address marine mammals for which NMFS has responsibility. Projects focused on species under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are explicitly not eligible for funding through this particular program.

Overall, the 2019 Alaska Pinniped Research Program is designed to fund high-priority, Alaska-focused pinniped research that fills management-critical information gaps. By concentrating resources through a competitive process that has been used since FY 2015, NMFS aims to ensure the funded work is both scientifically strong and directly useful for real-world decisions, including ESA recovery actions, MMPA stock assessment needs, and co-management and subsistence-related priorities in Alaska.

• 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 "2019 Alaska Pinniped Research Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 11.439.
• This funding opportunity was created on Dec 16, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 08, 2019. (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 $500,000.00 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 NMFS AK 2019 2005923

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