AK-22-04; Cook Inlet Physical Oceanography: Synthesis and Modeling | M22AS00312

Opportunity Information: Apply for M22AS00312

The AK-22-04 Cook Inlet Physical Oceanography: Synthesis and Modeling opportunity is a Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) discretionary funding solicitation (Funding Opportunity Number M22AS00312) that supports an environmental research project focused on improving the physical oceanography knowledge base for Cook Inlet and Shelikof Strait in Alaska. The core aim is not to launch an entirely new observing campaign from scratch, but to pull together what has already been measured and learned since 2000, organize it into a coherent regional picture, and then use that synthesis to guide what should be sampled next and how future modeling efforts can be strengthened.

The work centers on collating and integrating physical oceanographic datasets collected since 2000 across Cook Inlet and Shelikof Strait. That includes assembling available measurements and observations into a shared framework so researchers and managers can more easily understand how circulation, water properties, and related physical processes vary across space and time. A key deliverable implied by the description is a clear synthesis product that turns scattered or project-specific datasets into a usable regional reference, rather than leaving information locked in isolated reports, legacy formats, or disconnected data holdings.

A major emphasis is gap analysis: the project is expected to compare different sub-areas within Cook Inlet and Shelikof Strait to pinpoint where information is thin, low resolution, outdated, or otherwise insufficient. By identifying places and parameters with limited or older sampling, the study is meant to help prioritize future data collection efforts, especially those needed to detect and interpret trends associated with a changing climate. In practical terms, the project should help answer questions like where existing observations are robust enough to support trend analysis and modeling, where coverage is too sparse to draw reliable conclusions, and what new measurements would most efficiently improve confidence in understanding and projections.

In parallel with the data synthesis and gap assessment, the opportunity calls for a review of ocean modeling approaches that have been used in Cook Inlet as well as in other comparable regions. The intent is to evaluate which modeling algorithms, configurations, and input datasets are most suitable for future Cook Inlet simulations. This suggests the project should not only inventory models that have been applied, but also assess their strengths, limitations, and data requirements in the context of Cook Inlet conditions, and then recommend pathways for improved future modeling supported by better data tools and targeted sampling.

From an administrative and partnership standpoint, the award is structured as a cooperative agreement, indicating active involvement and coordination with the federal agency during the project rather than a more hands-off grant. The solicitation encourages cooperative, team-based research arrangements and allows applicants to build proposals that include subcontracts to a range of partners, including non-profit organizations, private institutions of higher education, private companies, and public or state-controlled institutions of higher education. The project must have a Principal Investigator who is a staff member of the applying organization, reinforcing that the lead applicant is expected to directly manage and execute the work rather than serving only as a pass-through entity.

Eligibility is aimed at state governments, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, and other eligible applicant types as listed in the notice. Federal entities may participate as partners, but their tasks and associated budgets must be presented separately by the federal partner, while other non-federal partners should be integrated into the applicant's proposal with their tasks and budgets included there. The notice also emphasizes that questions about eligibility and other requirements should be directed to the specific point of contact listed in Section G under "Program Announcement and Cooperative Agreement Questions," signaling that BOEM wants communications channeled through the designated official contact.

Key opportunity details include an original closing date of July 5, 2022, an award ceiling of $500,000, and a CFDA listing under 15.423. Overall, the project is designed to create a stronger foundation for future Cook Inlet oceanographic modeling by organizing existing data, identifying the most important monitoring and data-tool needs, and evaluating which modeling approaches are best positioned to work in this region given the realities of available observations and the need to track climate-driven change.

• The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "AK-22-04; Cook Inlet Physical Oceanography: Synthesis and Modeling" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.423.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2022-05-05.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-07-05. (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: State governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Others.

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