Cooperative Institute in the Northern Gulf of America (CINGA)
Posted by DOC NOAA - ERA Production
Opportunity snapshot. This Grants.gov announcement — Cooperative Institute in the Northern Gulf of America (CINGA) — is cataloged under number NOAA-OAR-CIAO-2026-32786 and tied to CFDA assistance listing 11.432, posted by DOC NOAA - ERA Production. Grants.gov currently shows the opportunity as open, first posted on April 2, 2026. The funding category is Discretionary, delivered as a cooperative agreement.
Award economics. The award range on file is $1 -- $100,000,000. The agency has projected $100.0 million in total estimated funding for this announcement. It expects to issue 1 award. If the agency funds the expected 1 award from the $100.0 million estimated pool, the average award works out to roughly $100.0 million. Cost sharing or matching funds are required, meaning applicants must contribute a portion of the project budget from non-federal sources — factor this into your financial plan before drafting the proposal. Federal award ranges are often upper bounds; actual allocations reflect program appropriations, the strength of the applicant pool, and the evaluation committee's scoring.
Deadline and action path. Applications close on May 18, 2026. Every Grants.gov submission requires an active SAM.gov registration and a Unique Entity ID. Review the Eligibility section below carefully — federal eligibility categories (nonprofit, state or local government, tribal, individual, educational institution, small business) have distinct registration and reporting requirements. Pre-application outreach to the listed agency contact is permitted and often welcomed — it helps clarify scope and scoring priorities.
Award Range
$1 -- $100,000,000
Close Date
May 18, 2026
Posted
April 2, 2026
Est. Total Funding
$100,000,000
Expected Awards
1
Instrument
Cooperative Agreement
Cost Sharing
Required
Description
The NOAA Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) invites applications for the establishment of the Cooperative Institute in the Northern Gulf of America (CINGA). This CI may consist of a group of academic institutions (a consortium), at times working in conjunction with supporting research affiliates, with expertise and capabilities in the NOAA priority areas that contribute to the areas of research described in the Funding Opportunity Description of this announcement.Applicants to this Notice of Funding Opportunity will submit only one overarching application that seeks to establish the CINGA at an eligible group of institutions (a consortium). This application should be submitted by the lead institution of the eligible group. This application should address high level research themes (See Section I.B. of this Announcement) that could encompass future projects and should not include detailed projects at this time.Following the selection of the CI host institution, the awardee will be requested to submit additional subsequent non-competitive projects proposals that fall under the research themes for review and potential funding. The host institution will continue to submit detailed project applications at various funding levels and periods of performances throughout the life of the five-year award. Applicants must complete and maintain three registrations to be eligible to apply for or receive an award. These registrations include SAM.gov, Grants.gov, and eRA Commons. All registrations must be completed prior to the application being submitted. The complete registration process for all three systems can take 4 to 6 weeks, so applicants should begin this activity as soon as possible. NOAA has created a website to aid applicants in understanding Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs), the application process, and how to properly format application packages to eRA, linked here.Prior to registering with eRA Commons, applicant organizations must first obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) from SAM.gov, if needed (refer to Section IV. Applications and Submission Information, Section C). Organizations can register with eRA Commons in tandem with completing their full SAM and Grants.gov registrations; however, all registrations must be in place by time of application submission. eRA Commons requires organizations to identify at least one Signing Official (SO) and at least one Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) account in order to submit an application.This document sets out requirements for submitting to NOAA-OAR-CIAO-2026-32786
Eligibility
25
Official Listing on Grants.gov
View full details, application forms, and submission instructions.
Agency Contact
For questions regarding this announcement contact the Cooperative Institutes Administration Office (CIAO), OAR, NOAA at cipo.oar@noaa.gov.
Key Dates
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this grant opportunity?
Is this opportunity still open?
How much funding is available?
How do I apply?
More from DOC NOAA - ERA Production
2026 Marine Mammal Co-Management Grant Program
Ocean and Coastal Mapping Center 2026
Prevention, Control, and Mitigation of Harmful Algal Blooms Program
Harmful Algal Bloom Innovation Challenge: Toxin Detection in Seafood
FY 2026 Ocean Technology Transition Program
Disclaimer: This information is sourced from Grants.gov and SAM.gov and is for informational purposes only. Opportunity details, deadlines, and eligibility requirements change frequently. Always verify current information directly on Grants.gov before applying. PlainGrants is not affiliated with any federal agency.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
| Publisher | Kiznis Studio |
| Sources | Public official public datasets |