NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), in coordination with the New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils (Councils), is soliciting monkfish research proposals to utilize 500 Monkfish Days-at-Sea (DAS) per year that have been set-aside by the Councils to fund monkfish research through the 2016 Monkfish Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program. No Federal funds are provided for research under this notification. Rather, proceeds generated from the sale of monkfish harvested during a set-aside DAS will be used to fund research activities and compensate vessels that participate in research activities and/or harvest monkfish while fishing under an RSA DAS. Projects funded under the Monkfish RSA Program must enhance the knowledge of the monkfish fishery resource or contribute to the body of information on which monkfish management decisions are made. Priority will be given to monkfish research proposals that investigate research priorities identified by the Councils and detailed under the Program Priorities section of this announcement.