Opportunity Information: Apply for M21AS00569
This grant opportunity, titled "Continuing Mississippi Offshore Sediment Resources Inventory: Linking Late Quaternary Stratigraphic Evolution of the Mid Shelf" (Funding Opportunity Number M21AS00569), is a Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) initiative focused on improving the understanding and mapping of offshore sand and gravel resources near Mississippi. It sits under the broader National Offshore Sand Inventory, a federal effort aimed at identifying and evaluating seabed sediment resources that can be used to reduce storm risk and support coastal resilience projects across multiple states.
The core purpose of the project is to combine newly collected data with existing geological and geophysical information from the Outer Continental Shelf to produce better assessments of sand and gravel availability. These materials are especially important for coastal restoration and beach nourishment, where compatible sediment is needed to rebuild eroding shorelines, restore barrier islands, and strengthen natural buffers that protect communities and critical infrastructure from hurricanes and other major coastal storms. A major emphasis is filling key data gaps offshore of Mississippi, particularly across inner- and mid-shelf settings, by collecting additional geophysical and geotechnical measurements. In practical terms, that means expanding offshore surveys to better characterize where sediment bodies are, how thick they are, what they are made of, and how they relate to the region's geological history.
Scientifically, the project is framed around linking sediment resources to the Late Quaternary stratigraphic evolution of the mid-shelf. This matters because the distribution and quality of sand deposits offshore are strongly controlled by past sea-level changes, shifting shorelines, river inputs, and the way sediment layers were built and reworked over thousands of years. By improving the stratigraphic and evolutionary understanding of these shelf environments, the resulting products can make nourishment planning more reliable. In other words, the work is not just about finding sand; it is about understanding the geologic context well enough to predict where suitable deposits occur, how they formed, and how confidently they can be developed for restoration without unintended impacts.
A key deliverable is data management and sharing. The datasets generated and compiled through the project will be housed in an authoritative Marine Minerals Information System and distributed to a range of end users. These include state resource agencies and federal partners such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The intent is to ensure the information supports coordinated decision-making for coastal restoration, sediment management, and storm risk reduction, and that it is accessible to stakeholders who plan and permit projects or conduct related research.
In terms of funding structure, this is a discretionary opportunity using a cooperative agreement, meaning BOEM expects substantial collaboration with the recipient rather than a hands-off grant. The opportunity lists an award ceiling of $500,000. Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education (and others), but this announcement is explicitly not an open call for proposals. Instead, it is a program announcement stating BOEM's intent to pursue a specific cooperative agreement project, described as being between the University of Southern Mississippi and BOEM, contingent on BOEM receiving an acceptable proposal. The original closing date shown is 2021-08-10, with a creation date of 2021-07-07, and the program is associated with CFDA 15.424 under an environmental activity category.Apply for M21AS00569
- The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Continuing Mississippi Offshore Sediment Resources Inventory: Linking Late Quaternary Stratigraphic Evolution of the Mid Shelf" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.424.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2021-07-07.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-08-10. (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 $500,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Others.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the title of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "Continuing Mississippi Offshore Sediment Resources Inventory: Linking Late Quaternary Stratigraphic Evolution of the Mid Shelf."
What is the Funding Opportunity Number?
The Funding Opportunity Number (FON) is M21AS00569.
Which federal agency is offering this opportunity?
This opportunity is offered by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM).
What larger program does this project support?
It sits under the National Offshore Sand Inventory, a federal effort to identify and evaluate seabed sediment resources that can be used to reduce storm risk and support coastal resilience projects across multiple states.
What is the main goal of the project?
The core goal is to improve understanding and mapping of offshore sand and gravel resources near Mississippi by combining newly collected data with existing geological and geophysical information from the Outer Continental Shelf.
Why are offshore sand and gravel resources important in this project?
Sand and gravel are critical inputs for coastal restoration and beach nourishment, where compatible sediment is needed to rebuild eroding shorelines, restore barrier islands, and strengthen natural buffers that protect communities and infrastructure from hurricanes and other major coastal storms.
What geographic area is the work focused on?
The focus is offshore of Mississippi, with particular emphasis on inner- and mid-shelf settings on the Outer Continental Shelf.
What types of activities are expected to fill data gaps?
The project emphasizes collecting additional geophysical and geotechnical measurements and expanding offshore surveys to better characterize sediment bodies (including their location, thickness, material characteristics, and geologic relationships).
What does "linking Late Quaternary stratigraphic evolution of the mid-shelf" mean in this context?
It refers to connecting present-day sediment resources to the Late Quaternary geologic history of the mid-shelf, including how sea-level changes, shifting shorelines, river inputs, and sediment layering over thousands of years control where sand deposits occur and what their quality is.
Is the project only about locating sand deposits?
No. The project is also about understanding the geologic context well enough to predict where suitable deposits occur, how they formed, and how confidently they can be developed for restoration without unintended impacts.
How will the results help coastal restoration and nourishment planning?
By improving stratigraphic and evolutionary understanding of shelf environments, the project aims to make assessments of sand and gravel availability more reliable for restoration and nourishment planning.
What are the expected data and information products?
Based on the description, key outputs include newly collected and compiled geological, geophysical, geotechnical, and related offshore survey datasets that improve assessments of offshore sand and gravel availability, along with improved mapping/characterization of sediment bodies.
How will data from the project be managed and shared?
Datasets generated and compiled through the project will be housed in an authoritative Marine Minerals Information System and distributed to a range of end users.
Who are the intended end users of the datasets?
End users include state resource agencies and federal partners such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
What is the intended benefit of distributing data to multiple agencies?
The intent is to support coordinated decision-making for coastal restoration, sediment management, and storm risk reduction, and to make information accessible to stakeholders who plan and permit projects or conduct related research.
What type of funding instrument is used?
This is a discretionary opportunity using a cooperative agreement.
What does a cooperative agreement imply for this opportunity?
It means BOEM expects substantial collaboration with the recipient, rather than a hands-off relationship.
What is the maximum (ceiling) award amount listed?
The award ceiling listed is $500,000.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education (and others), as stated in the opportunity description.
Is this an open call for proposals?
No. The announcement explicitly states it is not an open call for proposals.
If it is not an open call, what does the announcement indicate?
It is described as a program announcement stating BOEM's intent to pursue a specific cooperative agreement project, described as being between the University of Southern Mississippi and BOEM, contingent on BOEM receiving an acceptable proposal.
Which institution is named in connection with the intended cooperative agreement?
The opportunity describes the intended project as being between the University of Southern Mississippi and BOEM.
What does "contingent on BOEM receiving an acceptable proposal" mean here?
It indicates BOEM's intent depends on receiving a proposal that BOEM finds acceptable for the described cooperative agreement project.
What are the listed key dates for the opportunity?
The creation date shown is 2021-07-07, and the original closing date shown is 2021-08-10.
What is the CFDA number associated with this program?
The program is associated with CFDA 15.424.
What activity category is this opportunity associated with?
It is associated with an environmental activity category.
What is the overall problem this project is trying to address?
The project targets key information gaps about offshore sediment resources near Mississippi so that sand and gravel resources can be more confidently assessed and used to support coastal resilience, restoration, and storm risk reduction efforts.
How does the Outer Continental Shelf factor into the project?
The work relies on combining newly collected data with existing geological and geophysical information from the Outer Continental Shelf to improve assessments of sand and gravel availability.
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