NOAA Office of Acquisitions and Grants Management

NOAA Office of Acquisitions and Grants Management
Name	NOAA Office of Acquisitions and Grants Management
Type	Federal office
Formed	20th century
Jurisdiction	United States
Headquarters	Silver Spring, Maryland
Parent organization	National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Contents

NOAA Office of Acquisitions and Grants Management is the centralized acquisition and grants component of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, responsible for procurement, financial assistance, and oversight of contracts and grants supporting National Weather Service, National Marine Fisheries Service, and National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service. It administers complex acquisition strategies and grant programs that enable operations of facilities and programs connected with National Aeronautics and Space Administration, United States Department of Commerce, United States Congress, Government Accountability Office, and other federal entities. The office operates at the interface of federal acquisition regulations, interagency agreements, and partnerships with academic institutions such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, and Stanford University.

History

The office traces roots to procurement activities within the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey and the United States Weather Bureau that preceded consolidation into National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration during the Nixon administration, with later evolution under legislation including the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 and the Competition in Contracting Act of 1984. Throughout the late 20th century the office adapted to reforms prompted by reports from the Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan, audit findings from the Government Accountability Office, and directives from the Office of Management and Budget. Its practices were shaped by landmark events such as responses to Hurricane Katrina, collaborations following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the expansion of satellite procurements influenced by Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 and interagency cooperation with National Aeronautics and Space Administration programs like Jason-3 and GOES-R.

The mission centers on acquisition lifecycle management, grant administration, and stewardship aligned with statutes such as the Federal Grant and Cooperative Agreement Act of 1977 and the Clinger–Cohen Act. Organizationally the office integrates divisions focused on acquisitions, grants, legal review, and financial management, interfacing with operational NOAA line offices including Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, Office of Marine and Aviation Operations, and NOAA Fisheries; it coordinates with oversight bodies like the Department of Commerce Office of Inspector General and Office of Personnel Management. Leadership typically includes a Director and Deputy Director who liaise with senior officials from the Department of Commerce, program managers associated with projects such as Argo, and counsel versed in statutes like the Federal Acquisition Regulation.

Procurement responsibilities encompass competitive contracting, negotiated procurements, small business set-asides in accordance with the Small Business Act, and large-scale acquisitions for platforms including research vessels, satellites, and aircraft. Major procurement modalities used are task-order contracts under multiple-award contracts, other transaction authorities similar to those used by Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and negotiated procurements for unique assets like the NOAA Ship Ronald H. Brown and aircraft operated by NOAA Aircraft Operations Center. Contracting liaison extends to contractors such as prominent aerospace firms engaged in programs with Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and partnerships that mirror procurement patterns seen in United States Department of Defense acquisitions and National Aeronautics and Space Administration procurements.

The office administers financial assistance instruments including grants, cooperative agreements, and interagency agreements supporting research at institutions like Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and Columbia University. Grant program areas align with priorities in oceanographic research, climate science, and fisheries management tied to initiatives including National Climate Assessment, Magnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, and marine conservation efforts undertaken with partners such as The Nature Conservancy and Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. Financial stewardship follows standards promulgated by the Office of Management and Budget circulars and reflects audit practices seen in oversight by the Government Accountability Office.

Policy development is informed by federal statutes and guidance from entities such as the General Services Administration, Department of Commerce, and Office of Management and Budget; compliance activities address audit findings from the Government Accountability Office and investigations by the Department of Commerce Office of Inspector General. The office enforces regulations including the Federal Acquisition Regulation and grant uniform guidance while implementing access and transparency practices consistent with Freedom of Information Act procedures and records requirements akin to those overseen by the National Archives and Records Administration. It also contributes to interagency working groups with Environmental Protection Agency, United States Army Corps of Engineers, and international collaborations tied to organizations like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Notable contracts managed include satellite procurements associated with the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite program, ocean observing system contracts supporting Argo (oceanography), and vessel construction projects such as the commissioning of modern research vessels comparable to NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer. The office has overseen grants funding major initiatives like the Integrated Ocean Observing System, fisheries stock assessment contracts tied to Magnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act mandates, and interagency agreements supporting programs parallel to Joint Polar Satellite System. Partnerships for technology acquisitions have involved commercial aerospace firms and research institutions including Raytheon Technologies, Ball Aerospace, and University of Washington.