American Lobster Research Program | NOAA OAR SG 2022 2007241

Opportunity Information: Apply for NOAA OAR SG 2022 2007241

The American Lobster Research Program is a competitive federal funding opportunity run through the National Sea Grant College Program (Sea Grant) within the U.S. Department of Commerce. Sea Grant was created by Congress in 1966 and later updated in 2020 to strengthen federal-state partnerships that tap universities, research institutions, and community expertise to solve real-world problems in coastal areas. In this specific program, Sea Grant is focusing on the American lobster (Homarus americanus), a cornerstone species for Atlantic coast fishing communities and one of the most economically important U.S. fisheries, with commercial landings valued at about $524.5 million in 2020. The opportunity is designed to fund practical, collaborative work that helps the fishery remain viable as both environmental conditions and management requirements evolve.

The need for this program is tied to a rapidly shifting situation in the lobster fishery. According to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's 2020 stock assessment, lobster abundance reached record highs in the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank, while Southern New England showed the opposite trend: record lows and continuing recruitment failures. That split creates a complicated picture where some regions are thriving and others are struggling, which affects fishing businesses, local economies, and management decisions. On top of these biological and ecological contrasts, the industry has faced major regulatory uncertainty following 2021 changes to the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan. Those changes affect where, when, and how lobster gear can be fished, introducing added costs, operational constraints, and planning challenges for working waterfronts.

Sea Grant is using this program to support projects that directly address priority issues facing the lobster fishery, especially applied research and technology-focused questions that can lead to workable solutions. A central theme is resilience: improving the fishery's long-term sustainability by combining economic resilience for fishing communities with stronger ecological understanding of lobster populations and their habitats. The program emphasizes collaborative approaches, encouraging proposals that build bridges among lobster industry participants, state agencies, and academic or research partners. Projects are expected to help lobster fishers and resource managers move from research to real adoption, particularly around gear technology development, testing, implementation, and uptake in the field.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary funding opportunity offered as a cooperative agreement under CFDA 11.417, listed in the broad areas of environment, natural resources, and science and technology research and development. The funding opportunity number is NOAA OAR SG 2022 2007241. The program anticipated making around 10 awards, with a maximum award amount (ceiling) of $750,000 per project. The opportunity was posted March 23, 2022, and the original application deadline was May 24, 2022. Eligibility is listed as "Others" with additional details provided in the full notice, but the program description clearly signals that competitive applications will typically involve multi-party partnerships that include, or are closely connected to, the lobster industry and state and/or academic institutions.

Overall, the grant is aimed at producing practical outcomes for the American lobster fishery during a period of biological uncertainty and regulatory change. It is not just about generating new scientific knowledge in isolation; it is about targeted, cooperative work that can be used by fishers and managers, especially where gear changes, compliance realities, and shifting stock conditions are reshaping the day-to-day economics and future outlook of the fishery.

• The Department of Commerce in the environment, natural resources, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "American Lobster Research Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 11.417.
• This funding opportunity was created on Mar 23, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 24, 2022. (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 $750,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for NOAA OAR SG 2022 2007241

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