RESTORE Act Centers of Excellence Research Grants Program | GR RCE 19 001

Opportunity Information: Apply for GR RCE 19 001

The RESTORE Act Centers of Excellence Research Grants Program is a U.S. Department of the Treasury funding opportunity created under the Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act of 2012 (the RESTORE Act). This program draws from the Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund, which was established in the U.S. Treasury to support Gulf Coast recovery and long-term resilience after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. A key feature of the Trust Fund is that 80 percent of certain civil penalties paid under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (linked to the spill and paid after July 6, 2012) are deposited into the fund and invested, then later distributed through several RESTORE Act components. Treasury issues multiple funding notices tied to the different components, and this specific notice is focused only on the Centers of Excellence Research Grants Program.

At its core, this opportunity supports the establishment of one or more Centers of Excellence through a competitive process. Rather than funding general restoration construction or routine operations, the program is explicitly research-focused. Funds are provided via grants (a discretionary grant program) and are intended to flow as competitive subawards to nongovernmental entities, including colleges and universities, that will operate as Centers of Excellence. The research supported must be focused on the Gulf Coast region, reflecting the program's mission to produce usable scientific, technical, and economic knowledge that helps the region recover, manage risk, and build sustainable prosperity.

The eligible research areas cover five major disciplines that mirror the region's most urgent environmental and economic priorities. First is coastal and deltaic sustainability, restoration, and protection, including practical solutions and technologies that allow communities to live safely and sustainably in vulnerable coastal delta environments. Second is coastal fisheries and wildlife ecosystem research and monitoring, emphasizing the health, recovery, and long-term management of living resources and habitats across the Gulf Coast. Third is offshore energy development, supporting research and technology that improves the safety and sustainability of energy production in the Gulf of Mexico. Fourth is sustainable and resilient growth, economic and commercial development, recognizing that restoration is also about jobs, industries, and community stability, not only ecology. Fifth is comprehensive observation, monitoring, and mapping of the Gulf of Mexico, which underpins all the other categories by improving the data, baselines, and tracking systems needed for informed decision-making.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number GR-RCE-19-001) listed under CFDA 21.015, with an activity category that includes environment, natural resources, science and technology, and other research and development. Eligible applicants include state governments, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, and certain nonprofit entities (including nonprofits that may not have 501(c)(3) status, other than institutions of higher education). The issuing agency is the U.S. Department of the Treasury through its RESTORE Act Program. The opportunity record shows a creation date of November 16, 2018, an original closing date of January 31, 2020, and an award ceiling listed at $8,312,327. The notice also indicates that awards were expected, though the exact number is not specified in the provided data.

Overall, the program is designed to turn Deepwater Horizon-related penalty revenue into targeted, Gulf-specific research capacity by creating and supporting Centers of Excellence. The intent is to generate sustained expertise and actionable research outputs across environmental restoration, ecosystem monitoring, offshore energy safety, economic resilience, and large-scale Gulf observation and mapping, all aimed at helping the Gulf Coast region recover and thrive over the long term.

• The U.S. Dept. of Treasury RESTORE Act Program in the environment, natural resources, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "RESTORE Act Centers of Excellence Research Grants Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 21.015.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2018-11-16.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-01-31. (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 $8,312,327.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.

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