OAR 141-141-0130: Competitive Grants Process

(1) The OOST shall oversee a competitive grants process that will carry out funding priorities established by the OOST. (2) The OOST, or a third-party administrator selected by the OOST, shall solicit and review proposals to address the funding priorities. (3) The OOST may use a portion of funds available to support the administrative costs of the OOST or the costs of a third-party administrator selected by the OOST. (4) The competitive grants process shall consist of the following: (a) Development of a request for proposals (RFP). (A) The OOST shall develop an RFP for each grant cycle. (B) Pre-proposals may be requested depending on the scope of the RFP. Requirements of any pre-proposals will be described in the RFP. (b) Issuance and notification of the RFP. (A) Any person may submit a proposal to the competitive grant program in accordance with the eligibility requirements outlined in the RFP. (B) Details of proposal length and scope will be specified in the RFP and shall include information necessary for objective evaluation of the submission such as but not limited to: (i) Qualifications of investigators to complete the work; (ii) Alignment of proposed activities with OOST funding priorities; (iii) Potential partners and their anticipated involvement; (iv) Identification of a fiscal agent; (v) Planned outcomes; (vi) Realistic project timeline; (vii) Budget and budget justification, including sources and amount of cash and in-kind matching funds; (viii) Peer review process; and (ix) Data management plan. (c) Peer review of all proposals received in response to the RFP. (A) Written evaluation of each project based on established criteria shall be provided by peer reviewers to the OOST along with funding recommendations. Review criteria may include but are not limited to: (i) Projects that are cost-effective, innovative, collaborative and multi-institutional; and (ii) Include involvement by, or address issues relevant to, community stakeholders with interests in Oregon’s ocean and coastal resources. (B) Actual and perceived conflicts of interest shall be avoided in the review process. (d) Selection of proposals to be funded, contingent upon availability of funds. (A) In the event a third-party administrator is selected by the OOST to manage the competitive grants process, the third party shall provide recommendations to the OOST based on the peer review process. The OOST is the final decision authority in selection of proposals to be funded, unless such authority is inconsistent with the terms of any agreement reached under OAR 141-141-0180. (B) The OOST’s funding decision shall take into account overall programmatic considerations such as but not limited to: (i) The balance of priorities addressed; (ii) Geographic regions and communities represented; and (iii) The diversity of participants within the portfolio of proposals being considered. (C) Notification of supported projects shall be publicly disseminated. (e) Development and execution of grant agreements with selected proposals and their applicants. (A) Each successful applicant shall enter into a grant agreement with the OOST or its administrator. (B) All grant agreements will be on a form provided by the OOST that has been approved by the Oregon Department of Justice. (C) No grant expenditures may be incurred outside of the period of performance. (D) The grant agreement describes requirements as determined by the OOST, which may include but are not limited to those related to: (i) Schedule and submission of deliverables; (ii) Project management; (iii) Allowable administrative costs; (iv) Insurance requirements; (v) Schedule for the release of grant payments; (vi) Requirements for release of funds; (vii) Data accessibility; (viii) Compliance with local, state, federal and other applicable regulations; and (ix) Programmatic and financial reporting. (f) Engagement and management of interactions with applicants during proposal development and review, and project and grant execution including but not limited to technical and fiscal oversight. (A) The OOST, or third-party administrator, will serve as the point-of-contact for management and questions regarding all aspects of the grant program. (B) The OOST reserves the right to negotiate and/or adjust the final grant amount and work plan prior to the award as appropriate and consistent with OOST policy and fund availability. (g) Management of grant reporting requirements. (A) Programmatic and financial reporting requirements will be outlined in the grant agreement. (B) Continued support of grants is subject to compliance with grant agreements and approval of required reports. (C) Future funding is contingent on successful completion and reporting of existing grants.