The RESTORE Act Center of Excellence for Louisiana (LA-COE) has released a third Request for Proposals (RFP3) and is encouraging coastal researchers, both student and professional, to submit proposals for funding. There is up to $4.2 million in competitive grant money available under this opportunity.
Projects submitted for these two-year awards must support research that is directly related to the implementation of Louisiana’s Coastal Master Plan, which guides the state’s coastal restoration and protection work.
The funding comes from settlements of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Funding for the LA-COE flows through the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority.
A webinar to outline the request for proposals was held on Feb. 1, 2024. Visit the FAQs page to view the webinar.
Deadlines for Submission
The deadline to submit a required Letter of Intent was Friday, March 1, 2024, at 5 p.m. CST.
The deadline for submission of full proposals is Monday, April 22, 2024, at 5 p.m. CST.
Eligibility
The funding will be awarded in two categories:
Graduate Assistantships: These awards will only be made available to support full-time graduate students conducting relevant research at Louisiana colleges or universities.
Research Awards: Any Louisiana organization or institution may be the lead on a proposal and participate in the proposed research. In the case of proposals involving multiple organizations, a single Louisiana-based organization must be identified as the lead.
Academic institutions, private firms, non-governmental organizations, non-profit organizations, and governmental agencies are all eligible for various categories of awards. Staff from CPRA and the Water Institute may not participate in Letters of Intent, be part of research teams, or participate in proposal development in any way, including the submission of Letters of Support. There is no limit on the number of organizational partners that can be included in a single proposal. An individual investigator may only lead one proposal submission but may participate in others.
Standard Terms and Conditions
The U.S. Department of the Treasury administers the Centers of Excellence Research Grants Program. The Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana is the designated entity for Louisiana and The Water Institute of the Gulf is the named Center of Excellence. The program is funded through the RESTORE Act’s Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund and is governed by the RESTORE Act final rule at 31 C.F.R. Part 34. Further, grant recipients under the RESTORE Act must comply with the guidance issued by the Office of Management and Budget entitled, “Part 200 – Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards” as well as Treasury-specific guidance and CPRA Policies.
LA-COE will enter into a cost-reimbursable subaward agreement with the lead organization. The lead organization is responsible for executing all lower-tier agreements and incorporating all applicable terms and conditions. Terms and conditions applicable to LA-COE's awards are made available below for reference. A subaward template is also made available for review by potential proposers; this is a draft and is subject to change. Final subaward terms and conditions will be included in the executed subaward agreement.