Call for Proposals 2020

Funding Category
Grants and Funding
Application Deadline
Proposal Budget Help: sgbudget@ucsd.edu
Proposal Contact: sgproposal@ucsd.edu

Deadlines
Letters of Intent: June 21, 2019 - 5 PM PT
Full Proposals: August 8, 2019 – 5 PM PT

The California Sea Grant College Program is now soliciting proposals for projects to begin on/after February 1, 2020. Faculty and academic staff from universities and scientists from research institutions throughout California are invited to apply.  California Sea Grant is accepting letters of intent until 5:00 p.m. PT on June 21, 2019. Full proposals will be due 5:00 p.m. PT on August 8, 2019 via eSeaGrant. Only applicants who have submitted a letter of intent may submit a full proposal.

We anticipate funding 11~ 14 projects contingent upon receipt of anticipated funds from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Project budgets should range from $25,000 to $80,000.  Applicants may propose an additional $20,000 dedicated to a specific outreach or communication project component. The goal of this component should be communicating research results to or working with a specific group of stakeholders or the general public.

The duration of a project request is typically two years, though requests for a 1-year award will also be considered. Successful Sea Grant projects involve both a substantial intellectual question and the promise of useful application to a real-world problem. California Sea Grant encourages projects that are likely to yield measurable impacts to the local economy, community, and environment.

For those seeking funds for graduate students, please encourage your students to apply for a Graduate Research Fellowship.  Graduate traineeships are not available.

INFORMATIONAL WEBINAR

California Sea Grant held an optional informational webinar to review the request for proposals and application logistics on June 4, 2019.

Access the slideshow here. 

CALIFORNIA SEA GRANT

California Sea Grant’s mission is to provide integrated research, extension, outreach, and education to help Californians balance diverse interests that intersect with the coastal and marine environments, and adapt to changing conditions and needs. We accomplish this by collaborating with a range of local, state, regional, national, and international partners to further the acquisition and application of relevant scientific knowledge.

The National Sea Grant College Program is a partnership between the nation’s universities and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce, and is authorized by the United States Congress. California Sea Grant is part of a national network of 33 university-based programs, the National Sea Grant Law Center and the National Sea Grant Library. The network, in cooperation with federal and state agencies, and/or marine industries, involves some 300 universities and colleges.

PRIORITY TOPICS

Applicants must propose to conduct research that addresses the following Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture Focus Area strategies:

Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture (SFA)

SFA Goal 2: Provide science-based information to support and grow a sustainable California aquaculture industry to help meet the growing demand for seafood, and minimize negative socio-economic and environmental impacts of aquaculture.

  • Strategy 2–1: Study interactions between cultured and wild species and ecosystems, including implications for disease transmission, genetic diversity, and water quality.
  • Strategy 2–2: Improve the economic and environmental viability of aquaculture operations and animal health through research on the performance of culturing systems and cultured species.
  • Strategy 2–3: Identify new species potentially suitable for culture.
  • Strategy 2–4: Apply culturing technologies to further conservation goals, including the recovery of rare species and restocking.
  • Strategy 2–5: Identify the ecological and socioeconomic synergies and conflicts between capture and culture fisheries as they affect coastal communities and working waterfronts.

The California Sea Grant College Program emphasizes innovative applied research on ocean and coastal resources and processes. In particular, priority will be given to projects that emphasize or include the following:

1. The creation or support of jobs or businesses1, where:

  • A job or business created is defined as a new position or firm created and filled as a result of Sea Grant activities, and
  • A job or business supported is defined as an existing, filled position or firm that is supported as a direct result of Sea Grant activities.

1 Note: This does not include those hired on a project as volunteers, directly-supported staff, Sea Grant trainees, or fellows and should not include employment funded directly from the Sea Grant award (including match)

2. Work done with a resource economist to quantify the economic impact or benefit of the proposed research project and its societal implications, where:

  • Economic impact is defined as the net change to the economic base of a region that either creates or keeps revenue in a given economy that would not exist or leave the region otherwise (e.g. creating jobs, saving an entity money, helping to drive up revenue in a region)

  • Economic benefit is defined as the net increase in social welfare through market or non-market forces (e.g. enhanced recreation, value of increased knowledge or skills, value associated with improved water quality)

Applicants are encouraged to review  the strategic plans and visioning documents linked for more information on California Sea Grant, National Sea Grant, and the Sea Grant Network 10-year Aquaculture Vision research priorities, and then focus on the specific issue(s) of interest to them.

Applicants are also encouraged to evaluate whether the project will benefit a disadvantaged community. The Disadvantaged Communities Mapping Tool shows the location of disadvantaged communities in the state.

A potential applicant is welcome to contact California Sea Grant personnel to receive more specific feedback concerning particular research issues.

Research with a strong theoretical basis that encompasses clear, testable hypotheses is desirable. In contrast, low priority is given to survey or inventory studies. Research that has national or international application, or that addresses important regional issues, problems, and opportunities are appropriate.  Potential applicants are encouraged to check the “Research Projects” section of our website for examples of projects currently funded, and the National Sea Grant’s previously funded aquaculture projects.

The California Ocean Protection Council’s Strategic Plan also helps to inform our research program, providing information about California ocean management information needs. We encourage prospective researchers to consult the planning document, which was informed by other state agencies with ocean and coastal jurisdictions, to ensure that research topics respond to state needs.

ELIGIBILITY

Faculty and academic staff from universities and scientists from research institutions throughout California are invited to apply. Applicants may submit more than one letter of intent and full proposal but if selected, only one award will be made to the PI. In addition, PIs may be listed as co-PIs on other projects even if they are lead PI on their own project. Only applicants who have submitted a letter of intent may submit a full proposal. 

Sea Grant champions diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) by recruiting, retaining and preparing a diverse workforce, and proactively engaging and serving the diverse populations of coastal communities. Sea Grant is committed to building inclusive research, extension, communication and education programs that serve people with unique backgrounds, circumstances, needs, perspectives and ways of thinking. We encourage applicants of all ages, races, ethnicities, national origins, gender identities, sexual orientations, disabilities, cultures, religions, citizenship types, marital statuses, job classifications, veteran status types, income, and socioeconomic status types. 

AWARD INFORMATION

We anticipate funding 11 to 14 projects contingent upon receipt of anticipated funds from NOAA. Project budgets will range from $25,000 to $80,000. The duration of a project request is typically two years, though requests for a 1-year award will also be considered. Successful Sea Grant projects involve both a substantial intellectual question and the promise of useful application to real-world problem. California Sea Grant encourages projects with a high return on investment and will consider a range of budgets for funding. 

Applicants may propose an additional $20,000 dedicated to a specific outreach or communication project component. The goal of this component should be communicating research results to or working with a specific group of stakeholders or the general public. Applicants are encouraged to reach out to Extension Specialists early on in the development of the proposal to seek feedback or advice and potentially partner on the project. 

Research projects are required to provide 50% in matching funds from the PI's home institution or primary project partners. Continuation of a project beyond the first year is subject to demonstration of satisfactory progress by the project investigator. 

For those seeking funds for graduate students, please encourage your students to apply for a Graduate Research Fellowship. Graduate traineeships are not available. 

PROPOSAL APPLICATION

LETTERS OF INTENT

Letters of intent are due by 5:00 p.m. PT on June 21, 2019 to sgproposal@ucsd.edu 

Letters of intent (2-page limit) will allow California Sea Grant to gauge interest and topics that may be submitted. 

In the letter of intent, please provide the following basic information: 

  • Name of applicant and contact information 

  • Title of project

  • Brief discussion of the focal topic and approach

  • Approximate funding to be requested

​FULL PROPOSALS - CONTENTS OF A COMPLETE APPLICATION

Listed below are the requirements for a complete application package. Only applicants who have submitted a letter of intent may submit a full proposal.  

1) Title Page 

A signed title page (Download: Title Page 2020-Excel) must be included with the proposal. Please provide all requested information and obtain the required signatures. If you are applying from an academic institution, send your original proposal to your campus research office for local campus approval. The completed and signed title page must be converted to a PDF and uploaded.

2) Project Summary

The project summary is fillable online in eSeaGrant. Proposers will need to prepare separate sections for objectives, methodology and rationale to complete the project summary form.  The project summary presents a concise description of the proposed research in a form useful to a variety of readers not requiring detailed information. Instructions are available in eSeaGrant that should help applicants to accurately complete the form. Please follow them carefully - the project summary is the most widely consulted description of your project.

3) Project Narrative

The project narrative format and contents may vary; however, proposals should include the information listed below. The project narrative MUST NOT exceed 12 pages  (including the introduction, objectives, approach, illustrations, charts, tables, and figures). Proposals exceeding this size limit will not be reviewed.

a. Introduction and Background – Provide the rationale for your project (a well-defined problem or important opportunity). Show a clear relationship between the problem statement and the project objectives. Merit, rationale, innovativeness, and utilization for the research proposed are criteria by which proposals are evaluated. Thus, a clear, concise statement of the “real world” need for your research (rationale) and a description of who might use the results and how they might use them (utilization) should be addressed.

b.  Objectives – In number or “bullet” format, list the objectives or goals of the research program. – In number or “bullet” format, list the objectives or goals of the research program.

c. Approach (Plan of Work) – Present the scientific/technical approach, experiments, procedures, etc. Identify and discuss any new approaches (innovativeness) to solving problems and exploiting opportunities in resource management or development, including public outreach. Please make clear what other sources of support (fiscal, personnel or logistical), if any, will be used to help support the work proposed.

d. Outcomes and Deliverables – Project outcomes should be clearly related to the project objectives and should be briefly described. Any planned interactions with relevant management personnel should be described.

e. References – List all included references alphabetically. (The list of references does NOT count toward the 12-page limit of the narrative, but must be included in the narrative pdf file.)

4) Data Management/Sharing Plan

Because funds for our core research program are provided by NOAA, all new Sea Grant awards that generate environmental data (see below) will have to conform to NOAA’s Data Sharing Directive, available at https://nosc.noaa.gov/EDMC/PD.DSP.php.

5) Environmental Compliance Questionnaire

An Abbreviated Environmental Questionnaire is required with each application. (Download: Abbreviated Environmental Questionnaire-Word). Only one questionnaire is to be submitted per project/proposal, even if there are to be sub-awards issued to multiple institutions. For questions not applicable to the proposed research, please note N/A on the form. Leave blank the question about Grant/Project Number. 

6) Budget and Budget Justification

The duration of a project request is typically two years, though requests for a 1-year award will be considered. Project budgets will range from $25,000 to $80,000.

Applicants may propose an additional $20,000 dedicated to a specific outreach or communication project component. The goal of this component should be communicating research results to or working with a specific group of stakeholders or the general public.

Budget worksheets will need to be created in eSeaGrant. Be prepared to enter any salaries, wages, and fringe benefits for all personnel associated with the project. Also, if applicable, indicate expected costs for expendable supplies, publication costs, and travel. Matching funds will also be itemized on this budget worksheet. Matching funds must total at least 50% of TOTAL funds requested. (i.e., application budgets must show $1 of match for every $2 of Sea Grant funding requested). Only non-Federal funds may be committed as matching contribution.

All budget sections will require justification. Review the online help section to see what is expected as justification for each section.

A budget workbook (Download: Multiyear Budget Workbook: Excel)  may help in planning your budget. However, please remember that your budget submission and justification must be completed using the online form in eSeaGrant. Do not submit the Excel file as your final budget. Additional information about budget justifications can be found at https://caseagrant.ucsd.edu/sites/default/files/90-4_Sample-NOAAGuidance.pdf

7) CVs

CVs (maximum 2 pages for each person) of all key personnel (PIs, co-PIs, Associate PIs) must be included in the submission. Please upload 2-page CVs through the investigator’s form.

Note: Several reviewers have complained about PIs and co-PIs providing excessively long CVs, and we are sympathetic to their complaints. If you have uploaded a longer CV, please replace it with one that is no more than 2 pages. Sea Grant will provide reviewers with only the first 2 pages of longer CVs.

8) Current and Pending Support

Using the section online in eSeaGrant, please list other current and pending projects associated with investigators. You may also upload the form provided (Download: Current and Pending Support – Excel).

9) Proposed Sources of Matching Funds

Please list the proposed source(s) of institutional and other non-federal matching funds associated with your proposal on the form provided (Download: Proposed Sources of Matching Funds – Excel). The completed matching funds form must be converted to a pdf and uploaded into eSeaGrant.

10) Support Letters (optional)

Support letters are optional. However, if they are to be included in the application, please consolidate all letters into one PDF for uploading to eSeaGrant.

ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION

 Letters of Intent should be submitted to sgproposal@ucsd.edu by June 21, 2019, 5:00PM PT.

 Full proposals are required to be submitted using eSeaGrant by August 8, 2019, 5:00PM PT: 

eSeaGrant 

 **Applicants will receive access to the eSeaGrant’s request for applications a few days after the Letter of Intent submission deadline.

SUPPORTING COASTAL DATA AND MANAGEMENT

Proposers whose projects could benefit from access to coastal oceanographic data should be aware that a wide variety of data on the physical, biological, and chemical properties of California coastal waters are collected by and made available by the two integrated ocean observing systems that cover the entire California coast: the Southern California Coastal Ocean Observing System (SCCOOS -www.sccoos.org ) and the Central and Northern California Ocean Observing System (CeNCOOS - ). These two programs also are potential recipients and managers of environmental data that might be collected by researchers, and this could aid researchers in fulfilling data accessibility requirements (see section labeled NOAA Data Sharing Requirement , below). Proposers are encouraged to contact staff at SCCOOS or CeNCOOS, as appropriate, to discuss availability and access to data, and data management, that might bear on the proposed research program.

MATCHING FUNDS

A unique aspect of the Sea Grant Program is the matching funds requirement. According to the 1966 founding legislation, a project leader is required to match each $2 received in NOAA/Sea Grant funds with $1 from non-federal sources.

Examples of allowable items for matching Sea Grant federal funds include existing salaries and benefits of investigators and others paid from non-federal sources, costs of using expendable supplies and equipment already in inventory, costs of boat time supplied by non-federal sources, industry participation, and donated supplies, service, space, or equipment. You may also contact the Sea Grant Assistant Director Rose Madson (rmadson@ucsd.edu ), with questions about various sources and types of match. However, your institution remains the final approver for all match included in the proposal.

NOAA DATA SHARING REQUIREMENT (Effective for all NOAA funded research projects)

Data and information collected and/or created under NOAA grants and cooperative agreements must be made visible, accessible, and independently understandable to general users, free of charge or at minimal cost, in a timely manner (typically no later than two years after the data are collected or created), except where limited by law, regulation, policy or by security requirements. The requirement has two basic parts: (1) environmental data generated by a grant project must be made available after a reasonable period of exclusive use, and (2) the grant application must describe the plan to make the data available (Principal Investigators are expected to execute the plan).

If your project produces environmental data, it must conform to NOAA’s Data Sharing Directive for Grants, Cooperative Agreements, and Contracts. For detailed guidance, you can view the current version of the policy, including a definition of environmental data (which can include socioeconomic and model data), download any updates and access additional implementation resources at the following permanent URL (Appendix B outlines requirements): https://nosc.noaa.gov/EDMC/documents/Data_Sharing_Directive_v3.0.pdf.

If funding is required for data curation and archiving, please make sure that funds are budgeted in the project proposal for data management. All data generated through Sea Grant funded projects are required to be completely QA/QC’ed (Quality Assurance and Quality Control) and made publicly accessible by two years after the end date of the project .

SELECTION PROCESS

The California Sea Grant College Program emphasizes innovative applied research on ocean and coastal resources and processes. Research with a strong theoretical basis that encompasses clear, testable hypotheses is desirable. In contrast, low priority is given to survey or inventory studies. Research that has national or international application, or that addresses important regional issues, problems, and opportunities is appropriate.

Letters of intent will allow the California Sea Grant to gauge interest and topics that may be submitted. A response acknowledging receipt of the letter of intent will be provided.

Full proposals are reviewed by California Sea Grant technical staff and the California Sea Grant Committee (outside panelists selected for disciplinary expertise). Criteria for review include:

  1. rationale;
  2. scientific merit and impact or outreach quality;
  3. innovativeness;
  4. programmatic justification;
  5. practical impact and user relationships; and
  6. relationship to Sea Grant priorities.

Committee reviews, user collaboration, expected impact (scientific and practical), and letters of support from potential users help determine whether these criteria are met.

Each proposal is considered on its own merits without regard to campus or institutional affiliation. In addition, the Resources Agency Sea Grant Advisory Panel (RASGAP, a panel comprised largely of technical experts employed by state resources agencies) also will review proposals. Input from RASGAP is directed toward identifying research priorities based on state needs.

When all the input is received from the California Sea Grant Committee, and RASGAP, the California Sea Grant management team and director of California Sea Grant make the final recommendations regarding approval of proposals for funding. The National Sea Grant Office then reviews and approves those recommendations.

Recommended proposals are compiled by the California Sea Grant College Program into an institutional proposal containing: project and program summaries, budget pages, full proposal narratives, curricula vitae, and letters of support. The institutional proposal, called the California Sea Grant College Program Omnibus, is submitted to the National Sea Grant College Program for funding and implementation starting on or after February 1 of the following year (depending on when federal funds are ultimately received by California Sea Grant).

If you have any questions, or desire more information about this process, please do not hesitate to call the California Sea Grant office at (858) 534-4440.

TIMELINE

June 21, 2019 (5:00 pm PT): Letters of intent due

August 8, 2019 (5:00 pm PT): Proposals due

August – October 2019: Review of proposals

October 2019 (approximate) – Proposal applicants notified of recommendations

On/after February 1, 2020 – Projects begin

WHO TO CONTACT

Proposal Content Questions:
Shauna Oh, Director – sgproposal@ucsd.edu
(858) 534 - 4440

Proposal Format & eSeaGrant Questions:
Miho Ligare, Research & Fellowship Coordinator – sgproposal@ucsd.edu
(858) 534-1160

Carol Bailey-Sumber, Grants Specialist - sgproposal@ucsd.edu
(858) 534-7855

Budget Questions/Matching Funds Questions:
Rose Madson, Assistant Director - sgbudget@ucsd.edu
(858) 534-4601

Application Resources