MM-23-03: Accounting for Scale Bias in Marine Minerals Studies | M23AS00377

Opportunity Information: Apply for M23AS00377

MM-23-03: Accounting for Scale Bias in Marine Minerals Studies is a Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) cooperative agreement opportunity focused on improving how environmental and ecological studies are designed and interpreted in the Marine Minerals Program (MMP). The central problem BOEM is trying to solve is that many past marine minerals field studies were built around relatively small, operational footprints (such as a specific dredge site or lease area) and short study windows (often about 2 to 4 years). Those studies can be very strong at describing site-specific conditions and short-term responses, but their findings can become harder to generalize or compare when decision-makers need to understand impacts at different spatial or temporal scales, or when researchers try to integrate outside datasets like regional species distributions, oceanographic patterns, or long-term monitoring records. BOEM sees this as a good moment to step back because there are now multiple robust pre- and post-activity datasets available, making it more feasible to re-evaluate older work and set clearer standards for future studies.

The purpose of the project is to evaluate prior MMP studies and produce practical guidance for planning research at the right scale, including the use of nested scales (for example, sampling that supports interpretations at the site level, the broader region, and across longer time horizons). BOEM is specifically concerned with "scale bias," meaning the way that choices about study boundaries, sampling strategies, and analytical methods can unintentionally shape results and interpretations. A major deliverable is guidance that helps BOEM maximize the usefulness of environmental studies for assessments and decisions tied to BOEM-authorized marine minerals dredging.

The objectives focus on matching the scale of research designs to the scale of real-world ecological patterns and processes. That includes determining whether the spatial and temporal scale of MMP research and authorized activities aligns with, or misses, the scales at which habitats and organisms are distributed and the scales at which natural phenomena (like storms or other recurring events) influence those distributions. In practice, this means identifying when a study that is tightly bounded around a dredge area might overlook broader patterns, or when a regional analysis might blur important localized effects, and then recommending methods that make those tradeoffs explicit and scientifically defensible.

The specific technical goals described in the notice include defining the spatial and temporal extent of dredge disturbance and potential impacts on habitats and organisms across a wide range of scales, from a single dredge pass all the way up to the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf. The opportunity also calls for placing dredging-related disturbance in context alongside other common ocean uses and disturbances, such as fishing activity or storms, so that effects are interpreted relative to the broader disturbance environment rather than in isolation. Another component is to clearly define supporting concepts such as disturbance, impact, response, and resilience, so that future studies use consistent language and measurable endpoints. The work is also expected to identify habitats, functional guilds, and organism groups that are likely to be affected (or not affected) by dredging and to specify the scales at which those effects are detectable or meaningful.

A key part of the approach is methodological and synthetic rather than purely field-based. The project is expected to produce a methods paper that lays out data requirements and a step-by-step plan for detecting and accounting for scale bias in MMP studies. That paper should also summarize the likely spatial and temporal scales of impacts from BOEM-authorized dredging activities. After that framework is established, the project would involve reviewing existing datasets for "data richness" and suitability for reanalysis. The notice highlights potential sources including prior BOEM fish and habitat studies and partner data from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the National Marine Fisheries Service, state programs, and potentially local communities. Where data are sufficient, the recipient would resample, reanalyze, or synthesize datasets at multiple spatial and temporal resolutions to demonstrate how different analytical scales can change conclusions, and to illustrate best practices for future study design and statistical modeling.

Administratively, this opportunity is a discretionary funding action using a cooperative agreement, indicating BOEM expects to be meaningfully involved during project execution (for example, through technical direction, data coordination, or iterative review of methods and products). Eligible applicants include state governments, public and private institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations (including both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3) entities). The CFDA/assistance listing number provided is 15.423, the agency is BOEM, the original closing date was 2023-08-14, and the award ceiling listed is $400,000. Overall, the expected outcome is a clearer, more defensible playbook for designing and interpreting marine minerals environmental studies so BOEM can better compare results across projects, integrate regional information, and make decisions that reflect the scales at which marine ecosystems actually function.

• The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "MM-23-03: Accounting for Scale Bias in Marine Minerals Studies" 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 2023-06-07.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-08-14. (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 $400,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.

Apply for M23AS00377

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: