The purpose of this notice is to solicit grant proposals from eligible organizations to educate the public about the issue of marine debris through dedicated activities to prevent the introduction of marine debris including, but not limited to: 1) encouraging changes in behavior to reduce and address marine debris; 2) developing and implementing activities to reduce and prevent marine debris working with students, teachers, industries, and the public; and 3) engaging the public in active, personal participation (e.g. a small-scale shoreline cleanup with students or other hands-on activities, etc.). This document describes the types of marine debris projects that NOAA envisions and explains the criteria used to evaluate applications for funding consideration. Selected proposals will be funded through cooperative agreements. There is a one-to-one match requirement for all proposals. Typical project awards will range from $30,000 - $75,000. NOAA will NOT accept proposals with a budget less than $15,000 or more than $100,000 under this solicitation. The anticipated number of awards ranges from five to twelve. Applications shall cover a performance period between one and two years. The selection process is anticipated to be highly competitive with limited funding available compared to the amount requested. Total funding of up to $750,000 is expected to be available to fund marine debris prevention through education and outreach projects in FY 2015. Funding is contingent upon the availability of FY 2015 appropriations. This call is focused on efforts to prevent marine debris from entering the environment through education and outreach, as described above. It is not intended for project proposals centered on large-scale debris removal, mechanisms to reduce debris (e.g. catchment basins), or scientific research. For more information about the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) go to: http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/