Preparing and Submitting a CICOES Proposal

Process overview

CICOES-UAF can only process proposals for NOAA non-competitive funding, which is funding received without having to respond to a request for proposals (RFP). The basic steps to funding include:

Find a NOAA funder

A funder is a NOAA colleague or Program Manager (PM) who agrees to fund the work. For more information on how to connect with a Program Manager, please contact Uma Bhatt.

Choose a funding pathway

Most funded projects result from direct networking with Federal colleagues in regional or national headquarters, understanding NOAA mission/needs, and meeting researchers at the NOAA Laboratories—PMEL, AFSC, NWFSC—that partner with this Cooperative Agreement (CI), via funding pathways:

Establish an agreement

To contribute a proposal, researchers will first establish an agreement with a NOAA PM before a proposal is submitted. This agreement must include:

Submit a proposal by the deadline

First: Contact Uma Bhatt to communicate your plan to submit a proposal via the CICOES Cooperative Institute. Then work with your department-level proposal coordinator to complete the documents needed, using the CICOES templates provided by Uma.

We have very little flexibility on these due dates, as NOAA requires time to review, process, and fund all of these proposals. If you miss the deadline, we will try to submit the proposal, but cannot guarantee success.

If this timeline is too short or you are initiating potential collaborations with NOAA partners, all  is not lost. There will be an opportunity to submit proposals in the fall for the next fiscal year.

Uma Bhatt, Associate Director, CICOES-UAF

Dr. Bhatt provides administrative oversight, connects NOAA scientists with University of Alaska research talent, explores new opportunities for CICOES-UAF, and actively participates in CI meetings.

Contact Uma Bhatt

Cierra Childs, Fiscal Programs Coordinator, CICOES-UAF

Cierra assists with CICOES-UW proposal preparation and submission, as well as post-award administration.

Contact Cierra Childs


Submit a multi-year proposal

You may submit a multi-year proposal, but only the first year may be funded at the full request amount. Award amounts for subsequent years are determined by NOAA.

The CICOES cooperative agreement ends on June 30, 2025; all projects must end by this date.

CICOES will seek a five-year renewal in the last year of this cooperative agreement.

About matching funds

Matching funds are required, but CICOES-UAF is covering the match commitment on your behalf. CICOES-UAF is ‘'matching," or waiving, F&A on all Task I activities.

In addition, CICOES-UAF is providing matching funds in the amount of 20% of the indirect cost recovery to be used for administrative costs, as well as support our graduate and undergraduate research competitions.

Fees, F&A rates, and "discounts"

Proposal fee  /  Task I Recovery Fee: 2.7% of the total project’s request. This fee is set and required by NOAA. It changes annually, though we don’t anticipate significant variations.

F&A rates: The F&A rates for the duration of the 5-year CICOES cooperative agreement are the rates that were in effect during the receipt of the award in FY20:

If renewed for an additional 5-year cooperative agreement, the F&A rates may change to the rates in effect at the time of that award.

"Discounts": Our funding is divided into three categories: