Funding | Manage Your Award

ASAP.gov Application Instructions and Resources

NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program Step-by-Step Guidance

Helpful hints and time estimates for competitive applications and generally applicable for non-competitive applications. Note that eRA Commons has replaced Grants Online as the Department of Commerce grant management system since this document was last updated.

NOAA Office for Coastal Management Grant Proposal Development Resources

Quick references to government and public information sites available to assist grant applicants with finding, preparing, and submitting a competitive grant proposal.

Grants.gov

Visit the federal government's sole access point for finding and applying for grants.

electronic Research Administration (eRA) Commons

Electronic Research Administration (eRA) is the platform the Department of Commerce uses to administer grants. Applications are submitted through grants.gov but a one-time eRA registration is required to be in place before submission or the application will be rejected.

New Award Resources

Accepting your award

Guidance and instructions to accept an award. An award isn’t active until it’s officially “accepted” by an authorized Signing Official in eRA Commons. Recipients have 30 days from the date of award notification to accept the terms and conditions or the award may be rescinded.

ASAP.gov

The Automated Standard Application for Payment (ASAP) system is the preferred method for grantees with U.S. Bank accounts to draw down funds.

Manage Award Users (eRA Commons Resources for Account Management)

eRA Commons Roles and Privileges Matrix
eRA account management creation guidance
eRA account management information sheet
Account management for administrative users
Complete description of all eRA Commons roles

Post-Award Management

Revision Request Guidance

Changes to the budget and scope of the project activities, and requests for extensions to the period of performance or the closeout period generally require prior approval through a revision request submission in eRA Commons.

Federal Financial Reports

Guidance and instructions to submit your semi-annual or final financial reports. Semi-annual financial reports are due April 30 and October 30.

Performance Progress Reports

Guidance and instructions to submit your semi-annual or final progress report.

Project Close-out

Guidance and information on steps and tasks to end an award. Apply for an extension to close out if you need additional time for the final report(s) and the project has ended.

Other

Department of Commerce Policies

Department of Commerce policy documents tied to the use of federal grant funds. Your award documents in eRA Commons will specify exactly which versions of these are applicable.

Federal Cost Principles

Guidance and information on items that are allowable to purchase under a federal grant or cooperative agreement, as outlined in the regulations at 2 CFR Part 200.

Acknowledgement of CRCP funding

This memo outlines how to appropriately acknowledge the Coral Reef Conservation Program (the Coral Program) in your work.

Section 508 Compliance

All products and website resources submitted to CRCP must comply with the Disabilities Act, commonly known as “Section 508.”

Audits

A non-Federal entity that expends $1,000,000 or more in Federal awards during its fiscal year must have a single or program-specific audit conducted for that year. This audit, along with the data collection form, must be submitted electronically to the Federal Audit Clearinghouse (FAC) within 30 calendar days after receipt of the report(s) or nine months after the end of the audit period, whichever is earlier.

Monitoring and Site Visits

Guidance and information on what to expect if NOAA requests a site visit.

Additional Resources

NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management maintains a comprehensive list of relevant external and internal resources for grant administration, required federal regulations and systems, and other frequently asked questions.

Important Dates

2026

April

4/30 - Semiannual programmatic reports due

External Links

eRA Commons (NEW Grant Management System)
Grants.gov
NOAA Acquisition and Grants
NFWF Coral Reef Stewardship Fund

Environmental Compliance

508 Compliance