BOEM FY 2017 Environmental Studies Program | M17AS00004

Opportunity Information: Apply for M17AS00004

The BOEM FY 2017 Environmental Studies Program opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number M17AS00004) is a discretionary cooperative agreement offered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, under CFDA 15.423. It supports applied environmental and cultural-resource research that advances the public interest in safe, environmentally responsible energy and mineral development on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). In practical terms, the project is designed to help BOEM better manage offshore development activities by improving how potential archaeological resources are identified and evaluated before and during regulated work, especially along the Atlantic OCS where offshore wind and other activities can intersect with sensitive seabed areas.

The specific focus of this announcement is on creating and validating standards for the use of vibracores, which are cylindrical sediment samples collected from the seabed, to help detect landscapes that were once dry land but are now submerged. These submerged paleolandscapes can contain prehistoric archaeological sites or evidence of past human habitation. The study aims to determine what "adequate and appropriate" vibracore practices look like in a regulatory and industry setting, including core spacing and sampling density (how far apart cores should be and how many are needed), collection methods (how cores are obtained and documented), and post-collection treatment and final disposition (how cores are handled, analyzed, archived, or otherwise managed after they are pulled from the seabed). The underlying goal is to reduce uncertainty and inconsistency in offshore archaeological identification by defining clearer, testable, and repeatable methods that can be used by developers and accepted by BOEM.

The work described in the opportunity is organized around a set of connected objectives. First, the awardee is expected to build a focused research design grounded in what is already known from prior investigations, and to frame the effort around testable hypotheses and research questions rather than general exploration. Second, the project must guide the development of draft standards for using subsurface sediment samples to identify archaeological resources offshore the Atlantic OCS. A key part of this is defining a standard suite of primary laboratory analyses that should routinely be performed on cores, as well as identifying additional secondary analyses that might be warranted depending on what the primary results show. The announcement emphasizes that the analytical approach should include chemical signatures as possible proxies for human occupation or activity, meaning the study should consider how measurable geochemical indicators in sediments might help flag locations where people may once have lived, cooked, disposed of waste, or otherwise altered the environment.

Third, the draft standards are not meant to remain theoretical. They must be applied to newly collected core samples and tested for real-world usability, specifically within a developer-conducted framework. This is an important feature because BOEM is not only interested in scientific validity; it also needs procedures that can be implemented in the context of offshore development planning, compliance schedules, and contractor-led field programs. Fourth, the results of this testing must be incorporated into a refined, final set of standards. If the standards prove suitable, BOEM may consider integrating them into its existing regulatory guidance, including the "Guidelines for Providing Archaeological Information Pursuant to 30 CFR Part 585" and related guidelines and Notices to Lessees (NTLs) that apply to regulated activities on the Atlantic OCS.

In terms of who can apply and how the award is structured, eligibility is limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, reflecting BOEMs intent to fund academically grounded research capacity through a cooperative agreement mechanism. A cooperative agreement typically implies substantial involvement by the agency during the project, often through collaboration, iterative review of methods, and alignment of deliverables with agency needs. The opportunity had an expected single award, with an award ceiling of $750,000. The posting was created on December 12, 2016, with an original closing date of February 10, 2017. Finally, the announcement makes clear that this is not an open solicitation in the general sense; it is a program announcement describing a specific project that may be awarded to identified universities or eligible groups, and any award depends on BOEM receiving an acceptable proposal aligned to the outlined scope and objectives.

• 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 Dec 12, 2016.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 10, 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 $750,000.00 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 M17AS00004

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