Saltonstall-Kennedy Grant Program - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the S-K Program?
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The
S-K Program is a competitive grant program administered by the
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), U.S. Department of
Commerce. The purpose of the program is to provide financial
assistance for research and development activities that benefit
U.S. marine and Great Lakes fisheries. NMFS seeks applications
that demonstrate direct benefits to U.S. fishing communities
and encourages proposals that involve fishing community participation.
NMFS solicits proposals through a notice published in the Federal
Register once during each year for which grant funds have been
allocated. A PDF version
of the most recent notice can be viewed by clicking the appropriate
link. Please note that the deadline for applications listed
in the notice may have already passed.
What types of research and development proposals are being sought under
this program?
The Full Funding Opportunity (FFO) notice identifies specific funding priorities. Applications
must address one of these priorities. (A PDF version
of the most recent FFO notice, which lists and describes these priorities, can
be viewed by clicking the this link.)
Successful applications will be those aimed at helping fishing
communities to resolve issues that affect their ability to fish;
make full use of those species that are currently under Federal
or state fishery management plans and cultured species; and address
the socioeconomic impacts of overfishing and overcapacity.
What is the deadline for submitting an application?
The deadline for applications is 60 days after the date that the solicitation
notice is published in the Federal Register. All applications must be received
by close of business on this date in one of the designated offices listed under
Application Addresses in the solicitation notice. Click here (PDF)
to view the most recently published solicitation notice. Please note that the
deadline for this solicitation may have already passed.
Is cost-sharing required?
In recent years, NMFS has required applicants to provide a minimum cost-share
of 10% of total project costs. This requirement may change from year to year.
You must comply with the cost-share requirement in the solicitation notice
when preparing an application. Applications that do not include at least the
minimum cost-share requirement will not be considered for funding and will
be returned to the applicant. By statute, applicants are limited to a maximum
cost-share of 50% of the total project costs. The funds you provide as cost
sharing may include funds from private sources or from state or local governments,
or the value of in-kind contributions. You may not use Federal funds to meet
the cost sharing requirement except as provided by Federal statute. In-kind
contributions are non-cash contributions provided by you as the applicant or
by non-Federal third parties. In-kind contributions may include but are not
limited to, personal services volunteered to perform tasks in the project,
and permission to use, at no cost, real or personal property owned by others.
What is the normal project period for an S-K award?
The maximum funding period for awards is 24 months. Applications to continue
ongoing projects must be submitted to the competitive process annually, and
will not receive preferential consideration.
If my application is recommended for funding, when could I expect funding
to be made available?
In recent years, the NMFS budget has not been made available until late in
the first quarter of the fiscal year, which begins on October 1. Therefore,
grants are usually awarded during the second quarter of the fiscal year (January
through March). The solicitation is generally published in the fiscal year
before the fiscal year in which the awards are made. For example, the notice
to solicit proposals for funding in FY 2008 was published in July of 2008
(FY 2007), with grant awards made in the second quarter of FY 2008.
How many applications are received/funded in a given year?
The S-K Program typically receives 25 to 50 applications in response to the
solicitation. Because the amount of funds allocated for the program varies
from year to year, the number of awards also varies. Click here to
view the latest S-K funding recommendations.
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