MARYLAND SEA GRANT COLLEGE PROGRAM

Two-Year Funding Period

Preproposals due
Full Proposals due

The Maryland Sea Grant College (MDSG) seeks proposals for its next funding cycle, This solicitation focuses on research in support of coastal conservation and restoration. Additional funding opportunities exist for regional research that addresses specific joint priorities for Maryland, Virginia and Delaware Sea Grant. This Request for Proposals (RFP) contains a listing of relevant research questions, a description of regional Sea Grant research opportunities and information about the format and timetable for submitting preproposals and proposals. Maryland Sea Grant support is offered on an open, competitive basis. Principal Investigators (PIs) must be affiliated with an academic institution or research laboratory in Maryland or the District of Columbia. Co-Principal Investigators (Co-PIs) on projects can be from institutions outside of Maryland. Single investigators and multiple investigator research teams from different institutions are encouraged to apply; both small-scale pilot studies and large interdisciplinary research projects will be considered. Maryland Sea Grant encourages participation from the broad research community within Maryland and the District of Columbia and welcomes participation by investigators new to the Maryland Sea Grant RFP process.

This RFP is for Maryland Sea Grant's biennial research funding cycle with funding anticipated to start

Maryland Sea Grant solicits proposals of two-year duration. Contingent upon available funds, Maryland Sea Grant expects to support approximately 7 - 8 awards, averaging $70,000 per year for two years. Preliminary proposals (preproposals) and full proposals will be subject to mail and panel reviews. In general, 30 percent of investigators submitting a preproposal are invited to submit a full proposal and about 20 percent of full proposals are funded. Approximately half of the funded projects may receive a Maryland Sea Grant Research Fellowship to support one student for each selected project. Successful full proposals are forwarded to the National Sea Grant Office (NSGO) for final funding approval. Inclusion of a proposal in the Maryland Sea Grant proposal package to the NSGO does not guarantee final approval or funding.

Mandatory Early Registration with Maryland Sea Grant
To submit a preproposal you must contact Maryland Sea Grant (research@mdsg.umd.edu; 301-405-7500) to obtain an account to use our online preproposal submission process. This must be done well in advance of the date for preproposal submission to ensure you have time to complete the entire application package. More details are available in the "Preproposal Preparation Instruction" section below.

All applications for funding through Maryland Sea Grant are initiated with the submission of a preproposal due no later than Extension for submitting Regional research proposals:

Maryland Sea Grant encourages Principal Investigators (PIs) to read this document carefully and direct any questions concerning the RFP to the Maryland Sea Grant Office (301-405-7500 or email research@mdsg.umd.edu) early in the development of their preproposals.

Introduction

Coastal Conservation and Restoration Research Description

Ecosystem Processes

Coastal Resources

Coastal Communities and Economic Opportunities

Regional Sea Grant Research

Regional Research Priorities

Process and Review

Overview of Maryland Sea Grant

Schedule and Deliverables

Preliminary and Full Proposal Timetable

Deliverables

Project Duration

Preproposal Preparation Instructions

Formatting

Explanation of Preproposal Components

Preproposal and Proposal Review Process

Note on Full Proposal Formatting

Contacts for Additional Information

Attachments

Preproposal Cover Sheet

Project Summary Form (90-2)

Institution (ICode) and Affiliation Codes

Sea Grant Strategic Plan Classification Codes

NOAA Budget Form (90-4)

Scientific and policy discussions regarding the restoration of coastal areas and the Chesapeake Bay — including its tributaries and watershed — emphasize the need for strong research input to help determine what effective conservation entails and what a restored coastal ecosystem should and/or could be. Recent observations of the interaction between cycles of drought and flood and anthropogenic changes across Maryland have sharpened debates about coastal conditions. These debates have centered on uncertain progress made in conserving and restoring Maryland's coastal region and the need to return Chesapeake Bay to a healthier status that supports diverse and balanced ecosystem function, as well as a variety of resource uses and human communities — from rural to suburban and urban.

In this request for proposals (RFP) Maryland Sea Grant seeks research that provides a foundation for deciding what realistically can be conserved and restored in coastal systems and communities in Maryland over the coming years. Projects should apply research tools designed to improve understanding of coastal systems, help define what constitutes a healthy ecosystem, and predict what types of functioning ecosystems may be attainable. New technologies that support conservation and restoration efforts in Maryland's coastal areas and watersheds are strongly encouraged.

This RFP views coastal ecosystems comprehensively, reaching from tributary and upper watershed land use interactions to urban influences on coastal waters. This solicitation invites proposals that address questions outlined below and are specifically relevant to linking Maryland Sea Grant's Strategic and Implementation Plans (http://www.mdsg.umd.edu/about/strategic/strategicplan/index.html).

There exist significant gaps in the scientific information necessary for making sound conservation and restoration policy decisions for the coast and for Chesapeake Bay and its watershed. Effective conservation and restoration require a broad understanding of many complex issues including coastal ecosystem function, watershed processes, and economic opportunities in coastal communities (rural or urban). With these issues in mind, Maryland Sea Grant seeks proposals that address questions fundamental to understanding coastal system science and to informing conservation and restoration efforts. Projects must demonstrate a direct link between the questions, the approaches used (technologies and tools), the projected outcomes and an integrated outreach plan. We encourage projects that are crosscutting and integrative in scope.

Maryland Sea Grant frames the research questions in support of realistic restoration goals over the next 2 - 6 years in 3 areas:

• Ecosystem Processes
• Coastal Resources
• Coastal Communities and Economic Opportunities

Effective conservation and restoration of coastal ecosystems and their watersheds require a broad understanding of complex ecosystem processes. Maryland Sea Grant seeks proposals that can reduce uncertainties in our understanding of key aspects of ecosystem function by addressing critical issues and knowledge gaps. Sea Grant is interested in ecological studies (laboratory and field; terrestrial and aquatic) as well as data synthesis and forecasting. Research questions may address a range of spatial and temporal scales, though the proposal focus must link to coastal processes.

• What ecosystem processes are either poorly understood or have not been incorporated into existing or proposed models significant to restoration and conservation?
• What factors and key elements influence ecosystem structure and function and how might they change under different restoration and conservation scenarios?
• How do obligate ecological functions determine success in conservation, management and restoration?
• How have anthropogenic inputs modified ecosystem processes and how will these effects influence progress toward restoration?
• How can an improved understanding of non-linear ecosystem processes (e.g. hysteresis) and non-linear responses of ecosystems to external drivers guide our approaches to restoration and conservation?
• How can synthesis and forecasting help us understand episodic events (e.g., severe storms, inundation) and how do these events alter coastal processes and affect ecosystem function?
• How can forecasts or predictions be coupled with field observations to inform future trajectories for restoration and conservation particularly in the context of climate variability at different scales?

During the 20^th century, the Chesapeake Bay crossed an ecological threshold, moving from a benthic system to a eutrophic pelagic system, a transition that has affected the Bay's coastal resources. A move toward a more balanced benthic-pelagic system defines a goal for the Bay's restoration. Navigating a management course for conservation and restoration requires a process-driven approach that spans the temporal and spatial scales relevant to living resources from the coastal bays, to the main stem of the Bay and its tributaries.

Maryland Sea Grant seeks research proposals that provide scientific insight into coastal resource processes especially those that we should conserve, enhance, or restore in order to move the Bay towards a more balanced benthic-pelagic system:

• How do anthropogenic (e.g. contaminants) or natural forces (e.g. recruitment, emerging diseases) affect reproduction, growth, or development of key species?
• How can the use of novel tools, such as modeling, molecular and genetic approaches improve restoration and conservation of living resources?
• How can new approaches in aquaculture benefit restoration and conservation of living resources?
• What intensity of resource use (fishing, recreation, and coastline development) can be supported while pursuing a more balanced benthic-pelagic system?
• What affects does recreational fishing have on key species?
• How do species assemblages affect processes (e.g. biogeochemical, physical, biological) important to water quality, conservation, or restoration?
• How can marine protected areas (e.g. reserves, sanctuaries) help preserve population sources and sinks for different species?
• How can synthesis and forecasting show how external inputs (human, episodic, climate) have altered coastal resources and how these forces shape conservation and restoration efforts?

Restoration of large systems like the Chesapeake Bay will require not only an improved understanding of ecosystem processes but also the application of that understanding at the level of human communities. Defining sustainable connections between ecosystems and human systems can prove especially challenging where growing population and increased development are rapidly altering traditional communities and landscapes.

Maryland Sea Grant seeks the advancement of tools and insights that can assist decision makers, business operators, conservationists and other stakeholders in the Chesapeake watershed.

• What critical decision points in community and land use planning will determine significant large-scale impacts on the watershed?
• What spatial and geographic tools and risk assessment models can be developed and made available to help community leaders make informed choices about often difficult coastal sustainability issues?
• What new technologies, practices and discoveries can be applied to realize sustainable contributions to Maryland's economy?
• How can a better understanding of sociocultural concepts and implications of conservation and restoration improve stewardship of communities, landscapes and coastlines?
• In a region experiencing rapid population growth, how do large-scale policies and regulations, meant to shape land use patterns, affect the relationship between livable communities and healthy aquatic ecosystems/watersheds?

The Delaware, Maryland and Virginia Sea Grant Programs are jointly interested in coordinated research efforts that bring together researchers in all three states to address specific issues of regional priority. Research teams are required to contact their respective Sea Grant Program directors to discuss ideas and linkages prior to submitting a preproposal. Because funding is limited, we anticipate being able to fund only one regional effort for the 2009-2011 biennium.

The DELMARVA Coastal Bays are a diverse and rapidly changing ecosystem shared by our respective states. Expanding pressures from population growth, changing land use and large-scale environmental shifts are impacting the natural resources and biogeochemical processes that sustain this fragile coastal ecosystem. The Delaware, Maryland and Virginia Sea Grant Programs are interested in regional proposals that address the following issues in the Coastal Bays:

• Land Use Decisions and Water Quality Impacts. The programs encourage proposals that investigate how local to regional land use patterns and the decisions that led to them result in changes in nutrient, sediment or contaminant loads to the Coastal Bays and the impacts (positive or negative) thereof.
• Socioeconomic Processes and Impacts. The programs encourage proposals that examine patterns and processes that underlie the changing demographics and economies of the Coastal Bays with a particular emphasis on how these shifts impact coastal dependent businesses.
• Changing Shorelines: The programs encourage proposals that examine how changing shoreline use driven by population growth impacts ecosystem function and adaptation.
• Climate Change: The programs encourage proposals that examine short to long-term changes in the Coastal Bays caused by climate driven factors including severe storms and episodic events, coastal inundation, sea level rise and biological impacts of temperature change.

Information about additional funding opportunities is available on the Maryland Sea Grant web site (http://www.mdsg.umd.edu) and directly from our office in College Park. To learn more about Maryland Sea Grant's mission and previously funded research, visit the web site at http://www.mdsg.umd.edu. For more details on the NOAA Sea Grant National plan and priorities, please refer to the Sea Grant's Network Plan, 1995-2005 (http://www.nsgo.seagrant.org/Plan/index.html). The overall goals of the National Sea Grant College Program should be taken into consideration in the design of projects.

Please submit one original, signed hard copy and 3 copies of the complete preproposal to the Maryland Sea Grant Director, Dr. Jonathan Kramer. In addition, please submit one electronic version of the complete preproposal online at http://www.mdsg.umd.edu/programs/research/rfp/submit (pdf format only), or in pdf format (or MS Word) on a disk to the Maryland Sea Grant Office. Researchers should conform to the submission policies of their host institutions particularly with regard to obtaining institutional endorsements and requirements for original signed signature pages.

Proposed projects should be for a 24-month duration. Regardless of project length, funds are awarded on an annual basis. Maryland Sea Grant and NOAA require a mandatory yearly progress report to evaluate the project and assess whether sufficient progress has been made to warrant renewal of funding. All PIs must submit a final report at the completion of the project.

PIs must follow the instructions about preproposal format as explained in this document or risk preproposal rejection.

PIs are required to use the Maryland Sea Grant online project summary form, budget form and budget justification form. To do so you must request an account from research@mdsg.umd.edu or call 301-405-7500 and speak with either Fredrika Moser or Annette Meredith. Please provide us with your full name, as it will appear in your preproposal, for your account log in name. Please register for your account well before the preproposal submission date. The URL for accessing the online proposal worksheets is http://www.mdsg.umd.edu/programs/research/worksheets.

Each preproposal must include, in this sequence, the following:

• Signed cover sheet;
• Project summary form (90-2);
• NOAA budget form 90-4 (note: Sea Grant Research Fellow and Matching Funds) and budget justification;
• Body of the preproposal (major headings):
  • Problem statement;
  • Objectives;
  • Methods;
  • Anticipated benefits;
  • Performance measures
  • Outreach plan;
  • Facilities and equipment; and
  • Personnel description;
• References;
• Summary of accomplishments of previously funded Sea Grant projects;
• Curriculum vitae, with updated publication list; and
• List of current and pending support.

Use Helvetica (or Arial if Helvetica is not available) font type, size 11-point or greater. Use double spacing, left justified only, and one carriage return between paragraphs. All margins should be 1 inch. The body of the preproposal should be typed continuously (that is, do not start a new page for each new section). The end matter, including the Summary of Accomplishments of Previously Funded Sea Grant Projects, References, Curricula Vitae, and List of Current or Pending Research Support should each start on new pages and are not included in the 4 page limit required for the body of the preproposal. The first page of the body of the preproposal should be numbered 1 and numbering should continue through the Curricula Vitae section. Please print your preproposal on a laser printer.

Preproposals should present a succinct but sufficiently detailed synopsis of the project in order to evaluate its relevance and the PI's. Preproposals are not letters of intent and are evaluated rigorously in a highly competitive process. Preproposals should include a description of:

• Problem (question(s) to be addressed)
• Rationale for the research
• Methodologies and tools to be used in the effort
• Benefits likely to be derived from the anticipated results
• Performance measures
• Outreach plan

Download preproposal form templates for the signature page and the outreach plan from http://www.mdsg.umd.edu/programs/research/forms.

• Signature Cover Sheet

  Principal Investigators are responsible for routing the proposal through their campus' research administration and for obtaining all required institutional endorsements prior to submitting the preproposal. A signature template is available from http://www.mdsg.umd.edu/programs/research/forms.

• Project Summary Form (90-2)

  Use the project summary form located online at the Maryland Sea Grant Proposal Worksheets (http://www.mdsg.umd.edu/programs/research/worksheets) site. You must contact Maryland Sea Grant to set up your account to use this online system.

  Be sure to summarize project objectives and anticipated benefits clearly and concisely. Please limit the information under each heading to one short paragraph.

  Please include ICode, which corresponds to the grantee institution, and Affiliation Code, which is associated with each PI, Co-PI, and Associate Investigator (see table in attachment). Project Number should be left blank.

  Project Status is either "New" or "Continuing." Related and Parent Projects are NOAA funded projects and should be noted by grant number. Project Number is to be left blank. One to three Sea Grant Strategic Plan Classification Codes for the proposal topic may be used (see list in attachment or on the web). Key Words should not exceed five.

  Objectives

  This should summarize the objectives stated in the preproposal.

  Methodology

  Highlight methods necessary for conducting the research, such as standard models or techniques to be followed, specialized equipment needed, new or previously designed techniques resulting from other Sea Grant projects or related research.

  Rationale

  This must include statements describing the particular issue addressed by this project and how the project results will further the understanding of the issue and its relevance to problems in Maryland's coastal and estuarine systems.

• NOAA Budget Form 90-4 and Budget Justification

  These forms are completed as a continuation of the Project Summary Form (90-2) on your web accessed "Proposal Worksheets" at http://www.mdsg.umd.edu/programs/research/worksheets. You must contact Maryland Sea Grant to set up your account to use this online system.

  Sea Grant Research Fellow

  Under a separately funded program, Maryland Sea Grant offers through a competitive process support for graduate students working on Sea Grant funded projects. Students awarded a Maryland Sea Grant Research Fellowship are fully supported to work on a Sea Grant-funded research project as part of their work towards a graduate degree. Fellowships provide a stipend, tuition remission, and other benefits. Fellows are required to participate in several Maryland Sea Grant sponsored activities designed to help develop an understanding of the link between science and outreach. These activities will not deflect from the primary research focus of the fellowship; rather, they are designed to enhance it in a meaningful way. Funds for these students are limited, and not every Sea Grant supported effort can be awarded a Fellow. PIs also have the option of including student support as a line item in their budgets and must include all associated costs incurred. If you would like to request a Sea Grant Research Fellow, please check the box at the end of the electronic NOAA Form 90-4. Do not include the cost of a fellow in the estimated budget for your project.

  Matching Funds

  A 50 percent match (e.g., a $100K budget must have a match of $50K) is sought on all Sea Grant proposals. Please contact the Maryland Sea Grant office if any questions arise about the eligibility of matching funds.

  Note that it is important to specify match contributions carefully to be able to demonstrate sources and amounts. Any match contributions identified by investigators are subject to federal audit that may result in additional costs to the institution. Match may be in the form of selected "in-kind" services or additional funds from a specified institution, agency, industry, or nonfederal program. No funds from federal agencies can be used as match.

• Body of the Preproposal
  The body of the preproposal (excluding references) is limited to four pages of double-spaced text. Write your proposal using the headings in the sequence listed previously in this document and following the formatting instructions above.
  Problem Statement
  Indicate the specific problem addressed by the proposed effort and provide sufficient background information to allow a preliminary assessment of the relationship of the problem to the research questions posed in this RFP.
  Objectives
  State the objectives of the research effort as they would appear in a full proposal. If a multi-year effort is proposed, state the objectives for each year. Research hypotheses should be clearly stated.
  Methods
  You need not explain methods in detail. However, readers should be able to make a preliminary determination of the appropriateness of the proposed approach, including statistical analyses, for achieving the stated objectives.
  Anticipated Benefits
  Briefly explain the anticipated results and potential implications of those results in relation to Sea Grant program objectives.
  Performance Measures
  Explain briefly or in bullet form how your project may be measured against the most appropriate of the NOAA Performance Measures used to evaluate Sea Grant's accomplishments
  Measure 1: Return on investment from the discovery and application of new sustainable coastal, ocean and Great Lakes products
  Measure 2: Cumulative number of coastal, marine and Great Lakes issue-based forecast capabilities developed and used for management.
  Measure 3: Percentage/number of tools, technologies and information services that are used by NOAA partners/customers to improve ecosystem-based management.
  Outreach Plan
  We request a short paragraph outlining an outreach plan for your project. Please follow the guidance provided in our outreach form on the web (http://www.mdsg.umd.edu/programs/research/forms). You are requested to briefly describe how the results of the study will be translated for end-users outside of direct scientific peers. Investigators are strongly encouraged to contact the Maryland Sea Grant office to discuss potential outreach approach and audiences (including industry, policy-makers, the broad researcher community and the public). Discussions with Sea Grant Extension Program faculty are encouraged in the early stages of preproposal development. A list of Sea Grant Extension personnel can be found at: http://www.mdsg.umd.edu/programs/about.
  Facilities and Equipment
  List any facilities or equipment currently available and/or necessary for conducting the project. Give a justification for any equipment requested.
  Personnel Description
  List names of PI(s), senior technical staff, and students (if appropriate) and briefly outline their roles in the project.
• References

  List references on a separate page. Reference pages are not included in the four-page maximum for the project description.

• Summary of Accomplishments of Previously Funded Sea Grant Projects

  Principle investigators who have been funded by Maryland Sea Grant since 2002 are requested to submit a one-page summary of the accomplishments of their previous Maryland Sea Grant funded research. Information on research findings and publications, outreach efforts and students supported as part of the research, should be highlighted in the one page summary. The summary will not be considered as part of the preproposal page limit.

• Curriculum Vitae

  Provide a 2-page (maximum) curriculum vita for each of the professional personnel. Include all applicable sections (Education, Experience, Research Interests, Professional Activities) and recent (post 2002) publications.

• List of Current and Pending Support

  This list specifies projects in which PIs are currently involved that are funded by Maryland Sea Grant and other agencies, or are under consideration for such funding. Please provide a brief explanation of any overlap between this proposal and any of those mentioned here.

Maryland Sea Grant will select projects for inclusion in the 2008 Maryland Sea Grant College funding request based on the following criteria:

• Scientific and technical merit of the proposed study based on external mail reviews
• Consensus of Maryland Sea Grant's Academic Advisory Committee
• Relevance within the context of restoration as articulated in this RFP as well as the goals and objectives of Maryland Sea Grant
• Review by Maryland Sea Grant Extension agents and specialists
• Planning and/or potential for significant outreach activities over the course of the project. All preproposals are evaluated by a separate outreach panel
• Potential for successful completion of the work within the proposed budget and timeframe
• Principal investigator's expertise and publication record
• Use of collaborative or multidisciplinary teams where appropriate
• Leveraging of Sea Grant resources through coordination and collaboration with other programs and funding sources
• Other factors important to funding decisions include the appropriateness of Sea Grant support relative to support from other sources and the funding level anticipated from the National Sea Grant College Program.

After the review process is completed, Maryland Sea Grant will contact all PIs who have submitted preproposals. Those PIs whose preproposals pass the initial review will be encouraged to submit full proposals. At that time Maryland Sea Grant will discuss in detail with each PI what will be required to complete in their full proposal so as to comply with federal grant application requirements in "Grants.Gov" and "Grants Online."

After full proposals are received, they will be sent out for external mail review. In addition, an external review panel will be convened consisting of researchers with expertise in those disciplines represented by proposals under consideration. Based on its own review and the external written reviews, this panel will recommend a set of proposals for Sea Grant support in 2009. Depending on funding constraints and reviewers' comments, Maryland Sea Grant may ask PIs to revise their budgets and scope of work.

In the interest of developing the best possible program, Maryland Sea Grant may ask a researcher to consider various modifications of a proposed study or to consider ways in which one effort might better complement other proposed efforts. Collaborations, either within or among campuses or institutional programs, are encouraged. Investigators will be expected to discuss the implications of the anticipated results of their research with the Maryland coastal and marine community. For example, researchers should consider potential outcomes of their research beyond the scientific benefits.

The leveraging of funds is also encouraged through the development of joint initiatives with industry via other funding sources such as Small Business Innovation Research (see information at http://www.ago.noaa.gov/ad/solindex.shtml for the NOAA SBIR program) or the Maryland Industrial Partnership (http://www.mips.umd.edu/) program.

PIs invited to submit a full proposal will receive "Guidelines for Preparing the Full Proposal," which contains information on content, format, and necessary forms for full proposals. In the early spring the Guidelines will be available for you to download from our web site at: http://www.mdsg.umd.edu/programs/research/rfp/guidelines/. These guidelines will provide instructions for complying with federal government requirements.

If you would like further information about this Request for Proposals, please contact either Fredrika Moser (moser@mdsg.umd.edu or research@mdsg.umd.edu) or Jonathan Kramer (kramer@mdsg.umd.edu) at the Maryland Sea Grant Office. The office is located in College Park, Maryland. The mailing address is:

Maryland Sea Grant College
University System of Maryland
4321 Hartwick Road, Suite 300
College Park, Maryland 20740
301-405-7500 phone (301-405-6373 for Fredrika Moser)
301-314-5780 fax

If you would like to learn more about Maryland Sea Grant, you are invited to visit our website at http://www.mdsg.umd.edu.

Information about projects previously funded by Maryland Sea Grant can be found at the following website: http://www.research.mdsg.umd.edu/.

A list of Maryland Sea Grant Extension agents and specialists can be found at the following website: http://www.mdsg.umd.edu/programs/about/staff.

All attachments may be downloaded from our web site at:
http://www.mdsg.umd.edu/programs/research/forms/

To Save To Disk:

Macintosh - left click & hold
Windows - right click & hold

Complete Packages (all forms)

forms.sit, a stuffit file (~540K)

forms.zip, a zip file (~540K)

Preproposal Cover Sheet

cover.doc, MS Word file (~20K)

cover.rtf, rich text format file (~20K)

cover.pdf, Adobe Acrobat pdf file (~20K)

Project Summary (90-2)
(Includes Icodes and Sea Grant Strategic Plan Classification Codes)

summary.doc, MS Word file (~60K)

summary.rtf, rich text format file (~40K)

summary.pdf, Adobe Acrobat pdf file (~20K)

Institution (ICode) and Affiliation Codes

Sea Grant Strategic Plan Classification Codes

NOAA Budget Form (90-4)

90-4.xls, MS Excel workbook (~160K)

90-4.pdf, Adobe Acrobat pdf file (~40K)