Competitive Grants Application Guidelines
The Competitive Grants Program will serve as a mechanism to support the development of essential new technologies and tools to advance the science and management of large pelagics. Research priorities will be recommended by the Center Director and NOAA partners with input from the Advisory Board. These initiatives are expected to include integrative research technology and sensor development. Examples of such research might include, for example, development and integration of new remote sensing, mapping, visualization and modeling approaches to improve understanding and inputs to stock assessment; interdisciplinary approaches to integrate science, technology demonstration and evaluation, and applications to management; and the development of new tag technologies and biological sensors necessary to overcome current limitations of size, data density, reliability, and cost for application over a range of large pelagic species.
Once the research priorities are determined, a Request for Pre-Proposals will be announced with a minimum of 20 days for response provided (see detailed proposal review process below). Selected pre-proposals will be provided a minimum of 30 days to prepare and submit full proposals. .
To be eligible for funding research projects should be conducted on large pelagic species in the Atlantic Ocean and or its adjacent seas. Funding will be available for research conducted on the following pelagic species: tunas, sharks, swordfish, billfish,other large teleost fish and sea turtles. The Center does not fund research on marine mammals.
Individual researchers are required to have all the necessary permits and approvals required by state, national and international agencies and institutional animal care departments before the initiation of any field work. Check the following websites to determine if you require certain permits to carry out your research.
Endangered Species Act - http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/permits/
National Environmental Policy Act - http://ceq.eh.doe.gov/nepa/regs/nepa/nepaeqia.htm
Exempted Fishing Permit – http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms
Proposals will be accepted from individuals through US institutions including academic (including UNH), Federal and State Agencies, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s) including, private research laboratories and businesses and not-for-profit organizations. International researchers are welcome to apply for funding however they need to collaborate with a principal investigator at a US institution. Members of the Advisory Board, the Program Manager and UNH Principal Investigator are not eligible to compete for support through the Competitive Grants Program. Certain restrictions resulting from the core federal support of the program may restrict certain elements (e.g., salary support) for federal employees and their agencies.
Questions regarding the grants program, the RFP and the application process should be directed to the Program Manager.
