DOC Ocean Exploration FY25 – Pre-Application Due 05/30; Full Application Due 10/03

Opportunity Title:

Ocean Exploration Fiscal Year 2025 Funding Opportunity

Funder/Agency:

Department of Commerce (DOC), NOAA - ERA Production

Opportunity Number:

NOAA-OAR-OER-2025-25557

Description:

NOAA Ocean Exploration is soliciting proposals for ocean exploration-related projects under two themes: Ocean Exploration and Maritime Heritage. By supporting exploration (i.e., examining unknown or poorly understood areas of the seafloor, sub-bottom, or water column through initial assessments of the physical, chemical, geological, biological, archaeological, or other characteristics), NOAA Ocean Exploration seeks to advance our

basic understanding of the unknown ocean.

OCEAN EXPLORATION: Ocean Exploration proposals should support exploration of unknown or poorly known ocean areas, processes, or resources in waters deeper than 200 meters or in tropical mesophotic environments. Projects can entail conducting ocean exploration (e.g., mapping and characterizing ocean habitats, combining seismic and acoustic methods), advancing ocean exploration through the use or development of novel technologies (e.g., autonomous systems, nondestructive sensors, artificial intelligence/machine learning), and/or analysis of ocean exploration datasets or samples that already exist and are publicly accessible.

MARITIME HERITAGE: Maritime Heritage proposals should address the exploration for significant maritime heritage resources that improve our understanding of the past and inform decisions about management and preservation. Maritime heritage projects can be conducted at any water depth. NOAA Ocean Exploration is particularly interested in proposals that target conflict archaeology, incorporate Indigenous knowledge, or perform wide-area searches in areas poorly mapped for maritime heritage.

The world’s ocean remains largely unexplored, leaving significant gaps in the basic environmental intelligence needed to manage and protect ocean resources, forecast future environmental changes, and facilitate sustainable economic development of the ocean.

Through this program, NOAA Ocean Exploration seeks to fund interdisciplinary and innovative ocean exploration-related projects that support its priorities. NOAA Ocean Exploration is dedicated to exploring the unknown ocean and the Great Lakes, unlocking its potential through scientific discovery, technological advancements, and data delivery.

Eligibility:

• U.S.-based institutions of higher education

• Nonprofit organizations

• U.S. state, tribal, territory and local governments

• For-profit organizations

• Federal agencies

Award Details:

Total Amount Available:

$3,000,000

Maximum Award:

$1,000,000

Minimum Award:

$50,000

Deadline:

Pre-Applications Due May 30, 2024

Applications Due October 03, 2024

Opportunity Link

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