Microfossil Assemblage Analysis in Support of the Mississippi Offshore Sediment Resources Inventory | M20AS00218

Opportunity Information: Apply for M20AS00218

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) grant opportunity titled "Microfossil Assemblage Analysis in Support of the Mississippi Offshore Sediment Resources Inventory" is a targeted, non-competitive funding announcement intended to support scientific analysis that helps Mississippi and the broader Gulf Coast plan coastal restoration projects more effectively. The core idea is to use microfossil assemblage analysis (the study of tiny fossil remains found in sediment, such as foraminifera and other microfossils) to better characterize offshore sediment deposits, particularly sand resources that can serve as construction material for restoration efforts like beach nourishment, barrier island reinforcement, marsh creation, and other coastal resilience projects. By improving understanding of where suitable sands are located and what their geological characteristics indicate, the project strengthens the sediment resource inventory that planners rely on to design practical, sustainable restoration work.

The opportunity emphasizes downstream public benefits rather than basic research for its own sake. The information generated is intended to give Gulf Coast restoration planners clearer insight into what "building material" is available offshore, which indirectly supports infrastructure protection, housing stability, local economic development, and community planning. In practical terms, knowing the location, quality, and depositional history of offshore sands can reduce uncertainty and delays in restoration design, lower project risk, and improve coordination across agencies. BOEM frames the resulting inventory as a long-term planning asset, helping communities and ecosystems by enabling better decisions over time about where and how to source sediment without causing undue environmental harm or running into avoidable permitting and logistics problems.

A key point in the announcement is that this is not an open solicitation. It is a program announcement describing a specific project that BOEM intends to undertake and may award to the University of Alabama, provided an acceptable proposal is received. That structure matters because it signals a pre-identified partner and a defined project scope, rather than a broad competition among applicants. The award instrument is a cooperative agreement, which is used when the federal agency expects substantial involvement in the project. Here, BOEM scientists are expected to participate in various aspects of study development and/or conduct, meaning the work will be more collaborative and guided than a typical grant where the recipient operates largely independently.

Eligibility is limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, and the project requires that a staff member of the applying organization serve as the Principal Investigator. Although the announcement is directed at a specific intended recipient, it also notes that cooperative research partnerships are encouraged, including collaborations with state agencies, public universities, and non-profits in affected states. This reflects how coastal sediment planning usually works in practice: data products are most useful when they align with state coastal programs, federal restoration initiatives, and regional priorities, so cross-institutional coordination is treated as a feature rather than an afterthought.

The funding details provided indicate the opportunity is categorized as discretionary and falls under the environment activity area (CFDA 15.424). The funding opportunity number is M20AS00218, with an original closing date of 2020-09-16. The award ceiling is $50,000. While the announcement does not spell out the exact deliverables in the text provided, the stated purpose makes it clear that the expected output is scientific information products that can be used by state and local resource managers to improve consultations, project planning, and decision-making for both locally and federally funded coastal restoration projects. The intended beneficiaries explicitly include other federal agencies, the State of Mississippi, local governments, and local communities, primarily through better planning, clearer coordination, and improved access to usable sediment resource information.

Cost sharing or matching contributions are described as strongly encouraged, whether provided as cash or in-kind support such as salary, equipment, or a combination. At the same time, the announcement lays out important restrictions that applicants must follow. Matching contributions cannot include the value associated with collection costs for samples that were previously collected, and matching claims for instruments and equipment must be prorated to reflect the period of project use relative to the equipment's full lifecycle. If ship time is part of the match, the documentation must provide a fair assessment of costs relevant to the project. Finally, matching funds cannot come from other federal funding sources, and BOEM points applicants to the federal rules at 2 CFR 200.306 for additional guidance.

Overall, this opportunity is best understood as a small, focused cooperative research award designed to produce applied geoscience data that directly supports Mississippi offshore sediment resource planning. By leveraging microfossil analysis to refine understanding of offshore deposits, BOEM aims to strengthen the evidence base that coastal managers use to select, justify, and implement restoration projects, with broad public benefits tied to resilience, sustainability, and better long-term coastal planning.

• The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Microfossil Assemblage Analysis in Support of the Mississippi Offshore Sediment Resources Inventory" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.424.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2020-09-15.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-09-16. (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 $50,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.

Apply for M20AS00218

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: