NOAA NMFS BAA

NOAA NMFS BAA

Supports fisheries and marine management research aligned with NOAA mission in the United States.

The NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Broad Agency Announcement for FY2024–2026 (opportunity number NOAA-NMFS-FHQ-2024-27611, posted July 29, 2024) is a multi-year open competition for discretionary financial assistance supporting special projects aligned with NOAA Fisheries' strategic plan. The BAA covers the full breadth of NMFS's mission, including marine fisheries science, protected species and resources, aquaculture, and habitat management. The CFDA code is 11.015 (Highly Migratory Species), and applications are submitted through grants.gov. The announcement is open through September 30, 2026.

Eligible applicants are unusually broad for a federal program: nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)), universities, small businesses, for-profit organizations, tribal organizations, state and local governments, tribal governments, and individuals may all apply. Award amounts are not published in the announcement and are contingent on appropriations — total NMFS funding in any given year reflects congressional action on the NOAA budget. No cost-sharing or match requirement was stated in available source materials. The FY2026 budget context includes a Trump Administration proposal to eliminate some NMFS responsibilities, but Congress retained the core program in P.L. 119-74.

Because the BAA is structured as an open competition rather than a targeted solicitation, competitive applicants should align their proposals directly with specific goals in the current NOAA Fisheries Strategic Plan and the research priorities of relevant NMFS Science Centers. Procurement-like elements (scoring rubric, page limits) were not available in the source materials and should be obtained directly from the current grants.gov posting. Organizations with expertise in fisheries stock assessment, ecosystem-based fisheries management, marine mammal science, aquaculture research, or habitat restoration are the most natural applicants for this mechanism.