The RESTORE Act Center of Excellence for Louisiana is requesting proposals for research to support implementation of Louisiana's Coastal Master Plan.

On May 2020, the U.S. Department of the Treasury awarded CPRA a grant to continue its research program. Approximately $2.3 million is available for research in this second funding cycle and it is estimated that up to 10 awards will be given.

Academic institutions, private firms, non-governmental organizations, non-profit organizations, and governmental agencies are all eligible for various categories of awards


Deadlines for Submission

The deadline for submission of full proposals is Friday, April 30, 2021 at 5:00 p.m. CST. (note: this deadline has been extended and is only applicable to those who have been invited to submit a full proposal)


Eligibility

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.

Graduate Studentships: These awards will only be made available to support full-time graduate students conducting relevant research at Louisiana college/universities. The Principal Investigator (PI) on the proposal must be a full-time employee of a Louisiana college/university.

Research Awards: Any organization/institution may be the lead on a proposal and participate in the proposed research. In the case of proposals involving multiple organizations, a single organization must be identified as the lead. The PI on the proposal must be a full-time employee of a Louisiana organization/institution. Other participants may be from any organization or institution within or outside Louisiana.


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.