The Competitive Research Program (CRP), part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), supports development of actionable information, tools and products enabling implementation of management and policy strategies for protection of public health, ecosystems, and the economic vitality of communities.
Donor Name: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
State: All States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 04/14/2026
Size of the Grant: $500,000 to $1 million
Grant Duration: 3 Years
Details:
The purpose of this document is to advise the public that NOAA/NOS/National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) Competitive Research Program (NCCOS/CRP) [formerly Center for Sponsored Coastal Ocean Research (CSCOR)/Coastal Ocean Program (COP)] is soliciting proposals for the Prevention, Control and Mitigation of Harmful Algal Bloom (PCMHAB) program. The PCMHAB program seeks to develop and transition technologies and strategies for preventing, controlling, or mitigating harmful algal blooms and their impacts. For this announcement, PCMHAB will prioritize proposals focused on the comprehensive testing of harmful algal bloom control technologies that fit one of the two following focal areas: (1) promising control technologies that are in need of further testing to prove feasibility; and (2) proven control technologies that are still in need of large-scale field testing or that are already approved related control technologies (e.g., freshwater harmful algal blooms, oil spills, etc.) that could be transferable to harmful algal blooms in the marine environment. Funding is contingent upon availability of Federal appropriations. It is anticipated that approximately $2,500,000 may be available to support the first year of three to five projects.
Priorities
With this understanding, PCMHAB is prioritizing funding for projects focused on comprehensive testing of control technologies in two focal areas:
- Promising technologies that have a demonstrated ability to target HAB cells and toxins but have not yet been fully tested at the laboratory and mesocosm level, such as those that have been assessed through the HCTI process and have been deemed suitable for further testing under PCMHAB; and
- Proven technologies that have been demonstrated to be able to control HAB cells and toxins but are still in need of large-scale field testing or that have been approved for other situations (e.g., freshwater HABs, oil spills, etc.) and could be transferred to control HABs in the marine environment.
- Within the two focal areas, NCCOS/CRP will further prioritize support for projects that have identified a pathway scenario for their technology to transition to commercial application. Some control technologies may be easy to apply but will have a high cost per unit, and are likely to only be commercially successful if applied as an aggregate of multiple small-scale applications. Other technologies may be harder to apply and require specialized equipment, such as barge-mounted sprayers, but will have a low cost per unit. The latter type of technology may be best suited for large-scale offshore applications covering several square miles. All applicants to this announcement are expected to identify in their required letters of intent (LOIs) and full proposals the type of application scenario they believe will better suit their proposed technology in order to assess commercial viability.
- The ultimate goal of PCMHAB is to increase the number of technologies and approaches that are commercially available to control HABs in the Nation’s coastal waters, estuaries, and the Great Lakes. All projects addressing focal area 2 must include in their proposal a description of how they expect to commercialize their technology. The project narrative should clearly describe the manner and estimated cost and benefits of potential full application.
- Most HAB control technologies fall under federal and state regulatory frameworks, so to conduct testing in the field, applicants will have to apply for experimental use permits or exemptions to the permits. Applicants are encouraged to incorporate any action required to obtain relevant permits in their proposal submission
NCCOS/CRP coordinates with other NOAA, federal, and state research programs to leverage their research investments and avoid duplication of effort. NCCOS/CRP will not fund research in the following areas:
- Research on inland or freshwater HABs except in the Great Lakes and coastal waters, which, as defined in the Coastal Zone Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1453(3)), contain a measurable quantity or percentage of seawater. Research on freshwater HABs and their toxins that are transported into the coastal zone is, however, permitted.
- Direct human health impacts of HABs, such as disease surveillance, clinical characterization, and therapeutic guidance in humans, which are the purview of other agencies, such as the National Science Foundation and National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences funded Centers for Oceans and Human Health, Centers for Disease Control, and U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
- Routine monitoring for HAB cells, HAB toxins, and water quality.
- Operational HAB forecasting and observation systems.
Funding Information
Proposals may request up to $500,000 per year for up to 3 years (focal area 1) or up to $1,000,000 per year for up to 5 years. NCCOS/CRP may reject any PCMHAB proposals submitted with an annual budget for any year that is greater than $500,000 for focal area 1 projects or $1,000,000 for focal area 2 projects.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligible applicants for Federal financial assistance in this competition are U.S. institutions of higher education, non-profits, state and local governments, tribal government entities, U.S. Territories, U.S. Affiliated Pacific Islands institutions, and for-profit organizations. Federal applicants (including NOAA) are eligible provided legal authority exists for the Federal applicant to receive funds from another agency.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
