Lake Champlain Sea Grant

Request for Proposals for Research 2014 - 2016

 

The Lake Champlain Sea Grant (LCSG) requests proposals for applied research to improve understanding, use, and management of Lake Champlain and Lake George, the basin’s inland waters and the Great Lakes in general. 

 

Deadline for Full Proposal: Friday, June 28, 2013, 5pm

 

Submit by email to Elissa Schuett at elissa.schuett@uvm.edu

 

Proposals will be evaluated and Principal Investigators (PIs) informed of being recommended for funding on Friday, August 23, 2013

 

2014-2016 RESEARCH PRIORITIES

 

The focus areas of the National Sea Grant College Program are:

·       Healthy Coastal Ecosystems

·       Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture

·       Resilient Communities and Economies

·       Environmental Literacy and Workforce Development

 

For additional information about these national focus areas please consult the National Sea Grant 2014-2017 Network Plan.

 

The specific goals for the LCSG Comprehensive Area Program  (CAP) are:

·       To promote ecosystem-based approaches that foster a healthy and diverse ecosystem and provide for sustainable human use and enjoyment of Lake Champlain, the basin, and surrounding waters;

·       To restore terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in the Lake Champlain Basin and surroundings

·       To strengthen the economic base of local communities through sustainable development, particularly of lake-dependent businesses and those industries offering tourism and recreation opportunities; and

·       To provide scientifically sound information about regional climate change and its potential impacts on local communities, and to help communities plan for and implement practices that mitigate these impacts.

 

We solicit proposals that will improve understanding by decision-makers, planners, and managers about basin ecosystem processes and the relationships between environmental stressors and long-term human and ecosystem health. We seek proposals that will provide knowledge to support ecosystem-based management, strategic planning, and decision-making, to reduce the effects of environmental stressors and promote restoration of degraded ecosystems. Stressors of particular concern in the basin include stormwater management, shoreline development, and aquatic invasive species.  In this call we are particularly interested in projects that address social science and socio-economic challenges in the basin.

 

The proposed research must be based upon clearly identified needs and the results must directly contribute to the resolution of important lake and watershed management issues. The expected significance and application of the research, as well as the target audience(s) (beyond other academics) must be identified. Proposals that identify bi-state, multi-disciplinary, business, municipalities, or inter-institutional collaborations among researchers and educators will also receive priority consideration. Research that substantially involves both New York and Vermont institutions will be given top priority.

 

Outreach is integral to the Sea Grant model.  Each funded project will be required to have a well-designed and clearly articulated outreach plan.  Investigators are strongly encouraged to contact LCSG Extension staff for additional resources and to discuss potential approaches, audiences, and intended outcomes.

 

Extension staff contacts and areas of responsibilities are:

Jurij.Homziak@uvm.edu-coastal development, water quality, land use and watershed management issues

Erin.Devries@uvm.edu- aquatic science literacy education and UVM Watershed Alliance

Mark.malchoff@plattsburgh.edu– fisheries, aquatic invasive species, sustainable tourism

Laura.Killian@uvm.edu- urban NPS pollution and stormwater education, Vermont Non-point source Education for Municipal Officials (NEMO) 

 

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

 

Who is Eligible to Submit?

·       Investigators from universities, colleges, and other nonprofit institutions in Vermont and New York State are eligible to apply for funding through LCSG.

·       Investigators at institutions not located in New York or Vermont may participate in a Sea Grant project provided they are part of a team led by an eligible Vermont or New York based investigator. 

·       Investigators from Quebéc institutions may submit a proposal through a US institution or a joint US-Canadian agency that are eligible to receive US government funds. 

 

Duration of Proposed Work

Proposals of 1-2 years duration will be accepted.  This RFP will cover 24 months of research, anticipated to run from 2/1/2014 through 1/31/2016.  While LCSG is accepting proposals for the entire period, only one year of support will be awarded at a time. Continued support of a project will be contingent on demonstrated progress during the 2014-15 project year and availability of funds.  In their proposals, investigators must clearly define the anticipated benefits of each year’s efforts. 

 

Budget

Expected Funding– Projects of up to $60,000/year each will be considered.  A total of up to $250,000 will be available for the two-year period. We anticipate that 2 – 4 projects will be funded.    

 

Budget Justification– All budgets must be accompanied by a detailed and complete justification of all costs, the basis for the costs or cost estimate, up to and including specific items of equipment with estimated price (and source of price information), basis for vehicular travel costs, air travel based on actual cost quotes, and so on.  Proposals with inadequate justifications will be rejected.  

Match Requirement– It is required that investigators identify and document $.50 in non-federal matching support for every $1.00 of federal Sea Grant funding requested.  The matching support may be in the form of direct financial support of the project but may also be any other form of documentable, in-kind support (e.g., value of services provided or equipment donated).  It is up to each iinvestigator to identify and provide the necessary documentation of the matching resources. Proposals without appropriateor sufficientmatch and documentation will be rejected. 

Salary Requests– All salaries requests must be fully justified. LCSG encourages projects that include substantial graduate student support rather than substantial investigator support.

Proposal Specifications

Proposals must include the following sections:   

 

·       Title pagewith names, addresses (including email), telephone numbers, and signatures

of Principal Investigators as well as the signature of the appropriate institutional representative.  The proposal title should be concise and descriptive.  Specify which of the four focus areas is the primary focus of the proposal.

  • Bodyof the proposal should have 1” margins, font size no smaller than Times Roman 11-point or Arial 10-point, be no more than 10 pages single-sided (excluding works cited and illustrations) and should consist of:

 

o   Introduction and rationale

o   Relevance to management concerns in the basin and relation to LCSGpriorities and focus areas

o   Objectives

o   Methods describing design and proposed analysis

o   Expected results and significance

o   Outreach plan

 

  • Budget justificationthat explains the basis for all major expenditures with written agreements that fully document the required matching funds or services and amounts

 

  • Letters of support from collaborating institutions or those benefiting from research results

 

  • Timeline for implementation

 

  • Literature cited

 

  • Curriculum vitaeof listed investigators (maximum of 2 pages each)

 

  • Reviewer names(3) with home institution, mailing address, email, and phone number for each.  Please list reviewers who are competent in your field of study, but with whom you do not work directly.

 

Proposals lacking any of these components will not be accepted.  No late submissions will be accepted.  If a proposal is selected for funding, original hard copies with the appropriate signatures will be required by September 30, 2013.

Proposal Evaluation and Rating Criteria

Proposals will be subject to peer review. The National Sea Grant Office (NSGO) Program Officer will be included as an ex officio member of the review panel. The specific projects LCSG includes in its proposal to the NSGO will be rated primarily on the basis of:

  1. Rationale,
  2. Scientific or professional merit,
  3. Innovativeness,
  4. Professional qualifications of investigators,
  5. User relationship and usefulness of results,
  6. Responsiveness to Sea Grant priorities, and
  7. Programmatic value.

 

Factors that contribute to programmatic value are described under the Sea Grant Focus Areas above. There will be no separate proposal review process at the National Sea Grant Office level. 

Duplicate Submissions

LCSG should be immediately informed by the PI if a proposal submitted under this call will also be considered by any other funding agency or source.  In addition, please note that it is LCSG’s policy to consider only full proposals that are submitted specifically in response to, and within the due dates for, this call. Even if submitted to other Sea Grant RFPs, proposals will not be considered unless they were in this call’s pool from the date of proposal submission. 

Contacts

For general questions about the RFP, contact Elissa Schuett at elissa.schuett@uvm.edu

 

Full proposals are due June 28, 2013 by 5:00 p.m.

 

Submit full proposals as a single PDF by email to:

Elissa Schuett

elissa.schuett@uvm.edu