Climate Program Office FY 2019 | NOAA OAR CPO 2019 2005530

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) What is the Climate Program Office (CPO) FY 2019 funding opportunity?

The CPO FY 2019 opportunity is a NOAA (Department of Commerce) competitive funding announcement intended to strengthen the science and services that help the United States understand, monitor, and respond to climate variability and long-term change. It supports high-priority climate research and related activities that produce practical, usable information for decision-makers.

2) What is the overall purpose of this NOAA opportunity?

The core purpose is to improve the availability and usefulness of climate information so it can better support real-world decisions. The program emphasizes practical outcomes that can improve safety, economic stability, and resilience for communities, ecosystems, and industries.

3) Which NOAA office is offering this funding?

This opportunity is offered through NOAA's Climate Program Office (CPO), which sits within NOAA's Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR).

4) How does this opportunity align with NOAA's mission?

The opportunity aligns with NOAA's mission of Science, Service, and Stewardship by linking foundational climate science to real-world applications and services that people can use.

5) What types of activities can be supported with this funding?

CPO describes investing across a broad mix of climate-related work, including observations and monitoring, oceanic and atmospheric research, modeling and prediction, data and information management, assessments, interdisciplinary decision-support research, outreach and education, and capacity-building.

6) What does "end-to-end" climate information systems mean in this announcement?

"End-to-end" climate information systems refers to efforts that connect research and observations all the way through to usable tools, products, and guidance. The intent is to ensure that scientific advances can transition into practical decision support and services.

7) What are the major challenge areas targeted by the CPO strategy?

The opportunity targets five major challenge areas: (1) weather and climate extremes, (2) climate impacts on water resources, (3) coasts and climate resilience, (4) sustainability of marine ecosystems, and (5) changing atmospheric composition and its impacts.

8) Are the five challenge areas treated as separate topics?

No. CPO emphasizes integration rather than treating the areas as isolated topics. The announcement highlights the need to integrate research, applications, transitions, and operations across NOAA and its partners.

9) What outcomes is CPO trying to achieve through integration?

The stated goal is to help scientific advances move efficiently into practical services and decision support, responding to increasing demand for timely, trusted, and transparent climate information.

10) What is meant by "climate intelligence" in this opportunity?

Climate intelligence refers to the capabilities that make climate services possible. In this announcement, that includes observations and monitoring, Earth system science and modeling, understanding climate and societal interactions, and effective communication, education, and engagement.

11) What is meant by "climate resilience" in this opportunity?

Climate resilience is presented as the applied outcome of climate intelligence. It focuses on enabling governments, businesses, and communities to prepare for and respond to climate-related risks across the economy and environment.

12) What kind of federal funding opportunity is this?

This is described as a discretionary federal funding opportunity and is competitive in nature.

13) What funding instruments are expected (grant vs. cooperative agreement)?

The announcement indicates awards may be made through grants and cooperative agreements.

14) What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) for this announcement?

The Funding Opportunity Number is NOAA OAR CPO 2019 2005530.

15) What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The CFDA number listed is 11.431.

16) How many awards does NOAA expect to make under this opportunity?

The posting lists an expected number of awards of around 90.

17) What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?

The award ceiling is listed as $300,000.

18) When was this funding opportunity created and when did it close?

The posting was created on August 8, 2018, and the original closing date was November 20, 2018.

19) Where can projects be conducted?

Projects may be conducted in the United States and internationally. The announcement notes the global nature of climate systems and the need for international coordination.

20) What kinds of partners or collaborations does CPO encourage?

Based on the emphasis on end-to-end systems and integration across NOAA and its partners, the opportunity supports work that connects research to applications and transitions scientific advances into usable services, often implying collaboration among research, operational, and user-facing communities.

21) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is described broadly as "Others," with further clarification referenced in the announcement's eligibility section. This suggests multiple applicant types may be eligible, depending on the detailed criteria included in the full announcement.

22) Does the announcement encourage diversity and inclusion in proposals?

Yes. NOAA, OAR, and CPO explicitly encourage proposals and project teams to incorporate diversity and inclusion in both planning and execution.

23) How does the announcement describe "diversity" and "inclusion"?

Diversity is described as the combination of individual attributes that help organizations meet objectives. Inclusion is described as creating a culture that connects individuals to the organization.

24) Why does CPO emphasize diversity and inclusion for this program?

The stated intent is to strengthen the climate research and services community by improving creativity, productivity, and long-term vitality through more inclusive participation.

25) What kinds of benefits does NOAA expect from the work funded under this opportunity?

The announcement emphasizes benefits such as improved safety, economic stability, and resilience, supported by climate information that is timely, trusted, transparent, and usable by decision-makers.