NIST- Hawaiʻi Partnership in Plastic Pollution Research (HPPR) Program | 2024 NIST HPPR 01

Opportunity Information: Apply for 2024 NIST HPPR 01

The NIST-Hawaii Partnership in Plastic Pollution Research (HPPR) Program is a discretionary federal funding opportunity from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) focused on building a long-term, institution-based partnership to advance priority plastic pollution research with an emphasis on the Hawaiian Island region. The award is structured as a cooperative agreement, which typically means substantial involvement by the federal agency in the work, reflecting that this program is designed around close collaboration with NIST rather than a hands-off grant. The intent is to create an institutional award arrangement consistent with the Department of Commerce Grants and Cooperative Agreements Manual (Chapter 6.A.2, dated April 20, 2021), emphasizing sustained collaboration and shared research goals.

At its core, the program is seeking a host institution on Oahu that can integrate at least three NIST scientists into its environment and day-to-day operations. Applicants are expected to explain, in practical terms, how they will accommodate these NIST researchers with appropriate office space, laboratory access, and other facilities needed to carry out multidisciplinary work on plastic pollution. The proposal should show that the applicant can support high-quality, cross-cutting research activities and enable regular interaction between NIST staff and the recipient organization, with the explicit aim of establishing an enduring partnership rather than a short-term project.

Beyond physical space and lab capabilities, the opportunity places strong emphasis on the support structure that will surround the research. Applications should describe the administrative backbone (for example, project management, grants administration, compliance, reporting, and coordination functions), research support (such as access to equipment, technical staff, analytical capabilities, field support, or data infrastructure), and outreach or educational components that the institution can provide. The overall expectation is that the host will help create conditions for world-class research in plastic pollution, which includes not only producing scientific results but also building an ecosystem that helps sustain collaboration, train participants, and connect the work to relevant communities or stakeholders.

Eligibility is limited to organizations with facilities on the Island of Oahu. Eligible applicant types include accredited institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, for-profit organizations incorporated in the United States, and state and local governments meeting the location requirement. Federal entities are not eligible to receive funding under this notice of funding opportunity (NOFO), but they may participate as unfunded collaborators, allowing federal partners to contribute expertise or coordination without receiving award funds. The program also notes that individuals supported through the partnership may include employees, students, or faculty, depending on what is appropriate for the applicant institution, signaling that workforce development and academic or training engagement may be part of how recipients structure their participation.

Key administrative details from the notice include the funding opportunity number 2024 NIST HPPR 01, the assistance listing (CFDA) number 11.619, and an original application closing date of June 17, 2024. The activity category is classified under science and technology and other research and development, consistent with the research-intensive and collaborative nature of the award. The notice as provided does not specify an award ceiling or the number of expected awards, indicating applicants would need to consult the full NOFO for any budgetary limits, anticipated funding range, performance period, and additional requirements such as cost sharing (if any), evaluation criteria, and reporting expectations.

• The National Institute of Standards and Technology in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NIST- Hawaiʻi Partnership in Plastic Pollution Research (HPPR) Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 11.619.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-04-19.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-06-17. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for 2024 NIST HPPR 01

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