PC-24-X04: Battle of the Pacific: Guam – A Multi-Partner Collaboration on Underwater Cultural Heritage, Mapping, and Engagement | M24AS00335

Opportunity Information: Apply for M24AS00335

PC-24-X04: Battle of the Pacific: Guam - A Multi-Partner Collaboration on Underwater Cultural Heritage, Mapping, and Engagement is a Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) discretionary funding opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number M24AS00335) that supports a cooperative agreement focused on identifying, mapping, and better understanding underwater cultural heritage around Guam, with a strong emphasis on World War II-era Pacific Theatre resources. The project is designed as a field-based companion to an existing desktop cultural resources effort that is already building a geospatial database from historical research and establishing protocols for consultation and engagement with indigenous Pacific Islander communities. The core problem BOEM is trying to address is that many WWII-related underwater sites near Guam are poorly documented in the historical record, described only in broad terms, or not yet located at all, which limits the ability of agencies to assess impacts from future offshore activities.

A central component of the proposed work is to conduct baseline environmental and archaeological surveys offshore Guam to generate the on-the-ground (or in-the-water) data that the desktop study cannot provide. This includes collecting mapping and survey information to locate and characterize submerged archaeological sites, and it explicitly recognizes the presence of hazards such as unexploded ordnance that can be associated with WWII battlefields. By generating reliable location data and site condition information, the project aims to move beyond general historical references and into actionable geospatial intelligence that can be used for management and compliance decisions.

The opportunity is structured around multi-agency coordination to prevent duplicating prior work and to avoid re-surveying sites that are already known. BOEM identifies key potential partners that have relevant expertise, authorities, and data holdings, including the Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Navy History and Heritage Command (Underwater Archaeology Branch), and the National Park Service Submerged Resources Center. These partners are expected to align on practical details like search areas, survey standards and methods, and the permissions needed to work in sensitive areas, especially where sites may involve sunken military craft of Allied or Japanese origin or may relate to missing military personnel. This coordination element matters because some shipwrecks and aircraft losses are legally and culturally sensitive, and because different agencies may have responsibilities tied to military graves, sovereign immune vessels, and protected cultural resources.

In terms of project objectives, BOEM lays out four main goals: analyze archival and existing source material on submerged archaeological resources, carry out field investigations to ground-truth and expand what is known, gather mapping and survey data in areas that may overlap with offshore wind interest when feasible, and improve understanding of intangible heritage that could be affected by offshore leasing and development activities. The mention of intangible heritage signals that BOEM is not only concerned with physical wrecks and artifacts but also with culturally significant places, narratives, and connections that may not be obvious from remote sensing alone, and that require meaningful community engagement and consultation to identify and interpret responsibly.

BOEM states that the results will be used directly to delineate battlefield landscapes and to conduct individual site assessments, strengthening BOEM's ability to carry out consultations under the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) Section 106 and environmental review obligations under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in the context of offshore wind development. In plain terms, the deliverables are meant to reduce uncertainty before leasing or construction decisions are made, allowing BOEM and consulting parties to identify what resources exist, where they are, what condition they are in, and how proposed offshore activities might avoid, minimize, or mitigate harm.

Administratively, this is a cooperative agreement (not a standard grant), which typically means BOEM expects substantial involvement in coordinating or guiding elements of the project as it proceeds. The award ceiling listed is $450,000, and the original closing date is July 5, 2024. Eligibility includes public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and other eligible entities, but the description makes clear this is being pursued as a single-source cooperative agreement with the University of California San Diego, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, through the California Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) network. BOEM also specifies the request to apply the 17.5% CESU indirect cost rate, which is a standard feature of CESU-based agreements and affects budgeting and allowable overhead.

• The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "PC-24-X04: Battle of the Pacific: Guam – A Multi-Partner Collaboration on Underwater Cultural Heritage, Mapping, and Engagement" 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 2024-06-10.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-07-05. (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 $450,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Others.

Apply for M24AS00335

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