2020 BREP | NOAA NMFS FHQ 2020 2006346

Opportunity Information: Apply for NOAA NMFS FHQ 2020 2006346

The 2020 BREP grant opportunity is a discretionary funding program run by the U.S. Department of Commerce through NOAA Fisheries (National Marine Fisheries Service). It is offered under the National Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program (BREP), which focuses on practical, field-relevant research and engineering aimed at reducing bycatch in U.S. fisheries. Bycatch generally refers to fish and other animals that are caught unintentionally during fishing operations, including species that may be regulated, vulnerable, or legally protected. The program emphasizes solutions that can be adopted by fisheries and that can inform or support federal fisheries management decisions.

The core purpose of BREP is to fund the development and testing of technologies and fishing practice changes that reduce unintended capture and harm. This includes minimizing bycatch of fish as well as protected species such as ESA-listed fish, marine mammals, seabirds, and sea turtles. The program also explicitly includes work to reduce impacts to sensitive invertebrates and habitat-forming organisms like sponges, deep-sea corals, and shallow tropical corals. In practical terms, projects might involve designing or modifying fishing gear to avoid certain species, improving escape features, changing how gear is deployed or retrieved, or testing operational changes that reduce interactions with non-target species.

In addition to preventing bycatch in the first place, the program may fund projects that measure what happens after an animal is released. A key area is quantifying post-release mortality and identifying ways to reduce injuries and deaths that occur after a bycaught species is returned to the water. This reflects the reality that even when regulations require release, survival can vary depending on handling methods, gear type, and environmental conditions. BREP therefore supports work that helps determine survival rates, pinpoints the causes of injury or mortality, and tests improved release and handling practices that increase survival.

A defining feature of this opportunity is its expectation of management-relevant outcomes. Funded projects are expected to produce results that can directly influence management needs for federally managed living marine resources. That typically means the project should lead to actionable recommendations, validated prototypes, demonstrable gear or practice improvements, measurable reductions in bycatch or impact, or clear data that managers can use when evaluating regulations, conservation measures, or fishery performance.

Administratively, this opportunity was offered as a cooperative agreement, which commonly indicates that NOAA expects to have substantial involvement during the project period (for example, coordination, technical input, or collaboration). The funding opportunity number is NOAA NMFS FHQ 2020 2006346, and it is associated with CFDA 11.472. The opportunity falls under environment, natural resources, and science and technology/research and development. The posting date is listed as December 12, 2019, with an original closing date of April 2, 2020. The maximum award amount (award ceiling) is $200,000, and NOAA anticipated making about 13 awards under this competition. Eligibility is broadly described as "Others" with additional clarification referenced in the full notice, meaning prospective applicants would need to consult the eligibility section of the official announcement for specific applicant types and conditions.

• 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 "2020 BREP" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 11.472.
• This funding opportunity was created on Dec 12, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 02, 2020. (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 $200,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 13 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for NOAA NMFS FHQ 2020 2006346

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