OVERVIEW OF FY06-08 SEA GRANT REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

The South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium (Consortium), moving into its twenty-seventh year of administering the National Sea Grant College Program (NSGCP) for the state, is now soliciting proposals for consideration and possible inclusion in the Consortium’s Biennial Program Plan for fiscal years 2006-2007 and 2007-2008.

The Consortium is requesting Sea Grant Concept Letters on innovative research, education, and extension activities which seek to address major issues, problems, and opportunities, or increase the knowledge and understanding of marine and coastal resources of the state, region, and nation.

Consortium program priorities fall within the context of the NOAA National Sea Grant College Program Strategic Plan, with a focus on the marine and coastal resource needs and opportunities of South Carolina and the region. Included herein is a listing of priority proposal topics (see Section II). The listing is not inclusive; other topics proposed which meet Sea Grant interests and standards will also be considered; however, proposals that address stated priorities are preferred.

Interdisciplinary projects involving the professional and natural, physical, and social sciences are appropriate and strongly encouraged. Multi-institutional and regional proposals are also encouraged, as are collaborations with colleagues in business, industry, and government agencies. Consortium and S.C. Sea Grant Extension Program (SGEP) staff are available to assist prospective submitters in suggesting potential linkages with cooperators in the public and private sectors.

Available Funding

The Consortium anticipates having about $500,000 for new project starts in FY06. Because our program proposal will cover two years, new projects may be scheduled to begin March 1 in either 2006 or 2007. Prospective investigators should carefully consider possible 2007 start-ups, since additional funds may be available that year for meritorious projects that cannot be funded in 2006. A separate invitation for proposals for 2007 starts will not be issued next year, since this invitation covers the years 2006-2008.

Proposal Guidelines

Included in the main section of this document are eight sections: (1) important notices, (2) program priority needs, (3) instructions for preparing and submitting Sea Grant concept letters, (4) instructions for preparing and submitting Sea Grant full proposals, (5) proposal content and submission requirements, (6) information on necessary forms and formatting instructions (see also www.scseagrant.org/funding_rfp_forms.htm), (7) proposal review criteria, and (8) grant responsibilities and reporting requirements for funded proposals.

The appendices contain an overview of the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium, a listing of Consortium contact persons and phone numbers in case you have any questions, and a listing of the names and addresses of the Consortium’s institutional liaison officers located at the Consortium’s member institutions.

Concept Letters

The first step in the proposal process is the submission of a concept letter for all new projects (see Section III); investigators with continuing projects need NOT submit a concept letter for the continuation of their previously approved efforts. However, investigators with continuing projects must submit continuing full proposals according to the schedule and format described in Section IV.

All concept letters must be submitted as follows:

1. An electronic file attached to an e-mail, in Microsoft Word, sent to conceptletters@scseagrant.org, and

2. The original and ten (10) hard copies of each concept letter mailed to the Consortium address.

All concept letters are due at the Consortium by COB on May 16, 2005.

Concept Letter Review

Concept letters will be reviewed and evaluated by an external advisory panel, the Consortium management team, and Sea Grant Extension specialists. This process will result in the selection of concept letters which merit development into full proposals. Prospective investigators with successful concept letters will be notified on or before June 6, 2005 and invited to submit full proposals according to guidelines provided in Section IV.

 

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