Ocean Exploration Fiscal Year 2023 Funding Opportunity | NOAA OAR OER 2023 2007237

Opportunity Information: Apply for NOAA OAR OER 2023 2007237

The Ocean Exploration Fiscal Year 2023 Funding Opportunity is a NOAA Ocean Exploration (formally, the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research within the Department of Commerce) solicitation aimed at expanding what the United States knows about its deep ocean and seafloor, especially in places that are still poorly understood. The core idea is straightforward: fund projects that go into underexplored regions of U.S. waters, collect high-value observations and data, and turn those results into broadly useful knowledge that supports national needs. NOAA Ocean Exploration positions this work as the only federal program specifically dedicated to deep-ocean exploration, with an emphasis on closing major gaps in baseline understanding of waters deeper than 200 meters.

The opportunity focuses on “exploration” in the true sense of disciplined discovery, meaning proposals should be built around purposeful observation and characterization of unknown or little-known areas rather than narrow, single-question research alone. NOAA is looking for interdisciplinary efforts that can generate scientific, economic, and cultural value. The solicitation highlights how the resulting information feeds into practical outcomes: maintaining a healthy ocean, supporting sustainable management of marine resources, improving decision-making, strengthening economic development, and increasing public appreciation of the ocean’s importance in everyday life.

A major geographic and strategic emphasis is on waters under U.S. jurisdiction, including the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). NOAA underscores that the EEZ likely contains significant underutilized and potentially undiscovered resources, such as critical minerals, marine-derived pharmaceuticals, and energy sources, alongside ecosystems and areas with high ecological and conservation value. Proposals are expected to align with national and NOAA priorities for mapping, exploring, and characterizing the EEZ, including the broader federal push described in the National Strategy for Mapping, Exploring, and Characterizing the United States Exclusive Economic Zone and related strategic priorities documents.

On the technology and methods side, NOAA explicitly encourages the use of newer tools and approaches that match its science and technology focus areas. Examples called out in the opportunity include uncrewed systems, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, “omics data (large-scale biological and genetic data approaches), and citizen science. The intent is not just to collect data, but to do it in ways that expand capability, speed up discovery, improve data access and processing, and help integrate diverse observations into usable ocean information products.

Administratively, this is a discretionary funding opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number: NOAA OAR OER 2023 2007237; CFDA: 11.011) offering funding through grants and cooperative agreements. The posted award ceiling is $750,000 per award, with an expectation of around 10 awards. The opportunity was created March 25, 2022, with an original closing date of September 29, 2022. Eligibility is listed broadly as “Others,” with the expectation that applicants consult the notice’s additional eligibility language for specifics. Overall, NOAA is signaling that it wants strong, well-integrated exploration proposals that directly advance foundational knowledge of deep U.S. waters while also supporting national priorities in technology, stewardship, and economic and societal benefit.

• 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 "Ocean Exploration Fiscal Year 2023 Funding Opportunity" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 11.011.
• This funding opportunity was created on Mar 25, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 29, 2022. (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 $750,000.00 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 OER 2023 2007237

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