Guidelines for the Preparation of Preliminary Proposals for Submission to N.H. Sea Grant
Funding Period: Feb. 1, 2010-Jan. 31, 2012
I. Background
II. Preliminary Proposal Review Process
III. Writing and Organizing the Preliminary Proposal
Preliminary Proposal Requirements:
- A concise description
- Bottom-line budget estimation and brief budget explanation
- Resumes of PIs
- Results of prior Sea Grant support
IV. Submission to NH Sea Grant
Preliminary proposals must be submitted electronically and they must be received by 4:30 p.m. on March 2, 2009. Late proposals will not be accepted.
Background
N.H. Sea Grant invites preliminary project proposals to be considered for funding starting in February 2010. Proposals for one or two years of funding are encouraged. Operating under the guidelines of, and in partnership with, the National Sea Grant College Program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, N.H. Sea Grant is a federally funded program of marine-related research, education, and extension. These efforts are designed to further the Sea Grant mission of the wise use, development, and conservation of the marine and coastal resources of New Hampshire, northern New England and the nation.
Participation in this RFP is open to faculty at any institution of higher education and research in New Hampshire. Sea Grant programs nationwide will consider multi-program support for collaborative projects. Thus, multi-investigator and multi-institution proposals or regionally coordinated efforts involving industry, state and regional organizations, private laboratories and/or other academic institutions are encouraged where the research problem and needed expertise warrant such an approach.
Proposals should address one or more of the marine/coastal-related issues identified in the N.H. Sea Grant Strategic Plan (8.5MBpdf), which is available in printed form from NH Sea Grant or can be downloaded from this site as a pdf. The Strategic Plan was developed in cooperation with the Program's Policy Advisory Committee and is the result of an extensive planning process that involved key marine industry leaders, government officials, and university faculty from New Hampshire and northern New England. It is our best attempt to identify the complex issues that will affect marine resource use and development throughout New Hampshire, northern New England and the nation over the next five to 10 years. In addition, because Sea Grant seeks to foster the highest quality marine research, education and extension efforts, creative and rigorously conceived proposals in areas not mentioned in the Strategic Plan are also welcomed. All proposals must contribute to the improved understanding, utilization and/or management of coastal and marine resources.
New project proposals submitted in response to this invitation can be initiated from Feb. 1, 2010, to Jan. 31, 2012. Sea Grant projects are usually 12 to 24 months in duration, although other periods of time can be requested. Continuing support after the first year for multi-year projects is based upon periodic review and progress reports.
The amount of research funding available may vary with Sea Grant appropriations and support levels for the non-research components of our program. We estimate that about $_______ will be available to support new research projects in 2010-2011.
Preliminary Proposal Review Process
NH Sea Grant conducts a comprehensive review process that seeks to:
- Ensure a process that is open to all New Hampshire marine researchers from any discipline,
- Provide objective expert reviews of all proposal ideas from any topic area, and
- Provide decisions and useful feedback to researchers.
The development and review of Sea Grant project proposals is a three-step process:
1. Short preliminary project proposals are to be submitted electronically by March 2, 2009.
2. For the most promising preliminary proposals, the principal investigator(s) will be encouraged to submit full project proposals by June 1.
3. After a comprehensive merit review by mail and a technical advisory panel, the most promising proposals will be submitted to the National Sea Grant Office with a recommendation for funding.
Several criteria will be considered in our review of preliminary proposals. The two most important questions are:
(1) Is the proposal consistent with the overall mission of N.H. Sea Grant?
(2) Does the proposal represent high-quality research by competent investigators?
Priority will be given to proposals that appear to have the greatest potential impact on priority needs in the northern New England region, either as articulated in the N.H. Sea Grant Strategic Plan or in response to new issues that developed after the Strategic Plan was written. Within these guidelines, we will select the proposals with the strongest scientific/professional merit and that appear to have the greatest likelihood for successful completion.
Secondary criteria to be used in the review process are:
(a) the balance of disciplines and project areas within the N.H. Sea Grant Program,
(b) the level of available funding, and
(c) the proposal's appropriateness as a university-sponsored activity.
We intend to use the preproposal process and the review panel to provide principal investigators with feedback and advice that will strengthen their full proposals.
All of the above criteria will be applied in the evaluation of the preliminary proposals. These proposals will be reviewed by a preliminary proposal review panel composed of knowledgeable researchers from institutions outside New Hampshire. Decisions will be made by the Sea Grant Executive Committee, which is comprised of the N.H. Sea Grant director, associate director/program leader, assistant director for research and communications coordinator.
All PIs submitting preliminary proposals will receive feedback on their submission(s), including our recommendation on whether or not they should submit a full proposal. The final decision to submit a full proposal rests with the principal investigator; all full proposals that are submitted will receive fair consideration.
Writing and Organizing the Preliminary Proposal
Preliminary Proposal Requirements
1. A concise (three-page limit) description of the project, including the programmatic relevance for Sea Grant funding (based on the N.H. Sea Grant Strategic Plan), experimental design and technical approach, and expected outcomes, products and impacts of the effort. As part of the description, the end users of any results, new information and/or deliverables should be clearly and specifically identified. N.H. Sea Grant encourages the inclusion of end users as project participants.
The title of the project should be descriptive and useful for categorizing the disciplinary area of the preliminary proposal. Principal investigators, collaborators and senior staff should be identified by affiliation and contact information.
2. Bottom-line budget estimation and brief budget explanation. Please estimate approximate overall cost of the project. Detailed budget and institutional signatures are not required.
3. Resumes of the Principal Investigators. One-page resumes for each investigator and senior staff member.
4. Results of prior Sea Grant support: No more than one page per project; include all projects receiving funds from any Sea Grant program during the previous five years.
Submission to N.H. Sea Grant
Preliminary proposals must be submitted electronically and they must be received by 4:30 p.m. on March 2, 2009. Late proposals will not be accepted. . To submit a preproposal, go to the NHSG electronic proposal submittal portal.
Contact:
Steve Jones
Assistant Director for Research
Jackson Estuarine Lab/UNH
Durham, NH 03824
Tel. 603.862.5124
Fax. 603.862.1101
For questions about proposal submission, please call Linda Wade at 603.862.7007.
Note: These guidelines are intended to answer most of your questions regarding preparation of a preliminary proposal for submission to N.H. Sea Grant. Additional guidance can be obtained by talking with New Hampshire marine researchers currently funded by N.H. Sea Grant and by talking with N.H. Sea Grant staff. If you have questions that are not answered by these guidelines and/or if we can assist you in any way, please contact us.
General Assistance:
Steve Jones, Assistant Director for Research - 603.862.5124
Jonathan Pennock, Director
- 603.862.7007
Budget Information:
Lisa Scigliano, Fiscal Administrator - 603.862.0529
Publications and Information Coordination:
Steve Adams, Communications Coordinator - 603.749.1565
Office contact:
Linda Wade, Program Support Assistant - 603.862.7007
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