BOEM FY 2017 Environmental Studies Program | M17AS00007

Opportunity Information: Apply for M17AS00007

The BOEM FY 2017 Environmental Studies Program opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number M17AS00007) is a Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) cooperative agreement intended to support applied environmental research that advances the public interest in safe, responsible, and environmentally sound energy and mineral development on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf. The work described is framed as part of BOEMs Environmental Studies Program (ESP), which funds studies that help regulators and stakeholders understand ocean conditions, potential impacts of offshore activities, and long-term environmental change in areas where offshore energy and mineral activities occur.

This specific announcement focuses on a targeted research effort related to the long-term effects of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, with a particular emphasis on shipwreck sites. Prior BOEM research has shown that deepwater shipwrecks often function as artificial reefs, providing habitat for a range of organisms. Because these wrecks can host diverse biological communities, including microorganisms that influence corrosion and broader ecosystem processes, BOEM is interested in whether hydrocarbons and spill-related conditions have lingering impacts on shipwreck-associated microbiomes and on the physical integrity of the wrecks themselves. In other words, the study is not only about chemical contamination, but also about how exposure to oil and related compounds may shift microbial communities and potentially affect corrosion rates, archaeological preservation, and the broader reef-like ecological value of these sites.

The project named in the announcement is Gulf of Mexico Shipwreck Corrosion, Hydrocarbon Exposure, Microbiology and Archaeology Project II (GOM-SCHEMA II), specifically the Project Management and Microbial Ecology component. The planned work would examine and analyze prospective lasting impacts from the spill on shipwreck microbiology, including the relationship between hydrocarbon exposure, microbial community changes, and corrosion processes. The overall goal is to generate scientific information that can inform BOEMs environmental stewardship and decision-making, including understanding risks to cultural resources (shipwrecks as archaeological sites) and to marine habitats that have developed around these structures.

Eligibility is narrowly defined. Although the opportunity is categorized as discretionary and uses a cooperative agreement instrument, it is not a broadly competed call for proposals. It is explicitly open to the Gulf Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, with the University of Southern Mississippi identified as the participating public university in an affected state working with the State of Mississippi. The announcement states that no other proposals are requested at the time, while noting that BOEM may announce additional opportunities in the future. Because it is a cooperative agreement, BOEM anticipates having substantial involvement in the project, which is typical when an agency expects to collaborate closely on study design, coordination, data needs, or integration of findings into agency programs. Tasks performed by federal partners are carved out as an exception under the stated structure.

Funding details indicate that BOEM anticipated approximately $265,000 available in FY 2017 for this effort, with the possibility of additional funds in later fiscal years depending on appropriations and availability. The source data also lists an award ceiling of $1,650,000 and an expected number of awards of 1, which aligns with the intent to make a single, directed award rather than multiple competitive awards. The opportunity is associated with CFDA 15.423 and is listed under the environment activity category. The posting was created February 2, 2017, with an original closing date of March 20, 2017, reflecting the administrative window for completing the planned cooperative agreement action.

Overall, this grant notice is best understood as a BOEM-led, science-driven collaboration meant to improve understanding of how a major offshore oil spill may continue to influence deepwater shipwreck sites in the Gulf of Mexico, especially through microbial ecology and corrosion dynamics. The expected outcome is actionable scientific data that supports BOEMs responsibilities for managing offshore resources while protecting marine ecosystems and culturally significant underwater archaeological resources.

• The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BOEM FY 2017 Environmental Studies Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.423.
• This funding opportunity was created on Feb 02, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 20, 2017. (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 $1,650,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.

Apply for M17AS00007

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