Or. Admin. Code § 141-141-0130

Current through Register Vol. 63, No. 12, December 1, 2024

Section 141-141-0130 - Competitive Grants Process

(1) The OST shall oversee a competitive grants process that will carry out funding priorities established by the OST.

(2) The OST, or a third party administrator selected by the OST, shall solicit and review proposals to address the funding priorities.

(3) The OST may use a portion of funds available to support the administrative costs of the OST or the costs of a third party administrator selected by the OST.

(4) The competitive grants process shall consist of the following:

(a) Development of a request for proposals (RFP).

(A) The OST 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 OST 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) Technical review of all proposals received in response to the RFP.

(A) Written evaluation of each project based on established criteria shall be provided by technical reviewers to the OST 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 OST to manage the competitive grants process, the third party shall provide recommendations to the OST based on the technical review process. The OST 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 141-141-0170.

(B) The OST'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 OST or its administrator.

(B) All grant agreements will be on a form provided by the OST 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 OST, 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 OST, or third party administrator, will serve as the point-of-contact for management and questions regarding all aspects of the grant program.

(B) The OST reserves the right to negotiate and/or adjust the final grant amount and work plan prior to the award as appropriate and consistent with OST policy and funds available.

(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.

Or. Admin. Code § 141-141-0130

DSL 4-2017, f. 6-15-17, cert. ef. 7/1/2017; DSL 1-2020, temporary amend filed 02/13/2020, effective 3/1/2020 through 8/27/2020; DSL 9-2020, amend filed 07/28/2020, effective 8/15/2020

Statutory/Other Authority: ORS 196.565(6)

Statutes/Other Implemented: ORS 196.565-196.569