Research Programs

About

The Florida RESTORE Act Centers of Excellence Program (FLRACEP) is the Centers of Excellence Research Grant Program (CERGP) for Florida. FLRACEP is hosted at the Florida Institute of Oceanography (FIO), which is an Academic Infrastructure Support Organization of the State of Florida.

The Florida Coastal Mapping Program (FCMaP) is an initiative between Federal and Florida State agencies and institutions to coordinate and facilitate the collection and accessibility of Florida coastal seafloor data to support infrastructure, benthic habitat mapping, restoration projects, resource management, emergency response, and coastal resiliency and hazard studies.

Funding Source

FLRACEP administers awards from the Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund from the Treasury of the United States as part of the civil penalties paid after July 6, 2012, under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act in connection with the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Each of the five components, including the CERGP receive 2.5% of the Trust fund principal, plus 25% of the annual interest accrued, divided equally among the five Gulf coast state entities (0.5% for Florida).

FLRACEP Funds are managed and distributed by the US Department of the Treasury.