Sea Grant Spark Award

This award was initiated by generous support from Sara Gottlieb—a Sea Grant alumnus—and supported by other philanthropic gifts to Maryland Sea Grant. These funds help support new and on-going research (e.g., supplies, analytical services), reporting research results (e.g., journal publications), or professional development activities (e.g., conference travel, training) relevant to a graduate student’s career advancement. These funds also may be used to support educational opportunities or outreach activities that connect marine and coastal science to broad audiences and/or expand graduate student skills in marine science policy.

Specifically, graduate students may apply for up to $2000 to advance their research (materials and supplies, analytic services), $1000 to support travel to domestic meetings to present research findings or for professional development activities to build career-relevant skills. Funds must be used within one year.

Student research efforts, conferences attended, and professional development activities must be consistent with the Maryland Sea Grant mission to support Chesapeake and Coastal Bays and their watersheds’ research, education and outreach activities as articulated in the Maryland Sea Grant’s MDSG Strategic Plan. We strongly encourage applications with clear, actionable outcomes (e.g. training, professional networking, applied research).
 

Eligibility and Application Process

Any graduate student currently enrolled at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science or in the USM’s Marine Environmental Estuarine Science graduate program is eligible to apply for this award. We anticipate supporting one to three applications per year. Funds must be spent within one year of the award. Graduate students will be awarded these funds only once during their graduate career. 

Applications should be submitted as a single PDF file as described below to pd@mdsg.umd.edu with the subject line “Sea Grant Spark Award.” Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, so students may apply at any time. 

Research Support: Students applying for research funds must submit the following:

1. A cover page with the student applicant’s name, research project title, laboratory or department, advisor’s information, and total budget request. This header information should be followed by a 2–3 sentence abstract stating the problem and why this research support is being requested. The abstract should be suitable for public dissemination.
2. A 1–3-page, single-spaced research proposal detailing the scientific problem / question, research approach and need, potential outcomes of the work, and what the funds would be used for. Additionally, provide a very brief description of the applicant’s current funding and anticipated graduate completion date. Be sure to address all the evaluation criteria in your proposal.
3. A reasonable project timeline (preferably as a table or figure) covering up to one year of support.
4. A short, NSF-style (max 3-page) CV.
    

Professional Development and Travel Funds: Students applying for conference travel or professional development funds must submit the following:

1. Cover page with the student’s name, event name (i.e., national conference or professional development training), laboratory or department, advisor’s information, and total budget request. It should be followed by 2–3 sentences explaining what the request is for and how this activity will advance the student’s career.
2. A 1–2-page, single-spaced statement describing the request for funds and relevance to Sea Grant’s mission. Travel funds to attend domestic conferences should describe the presentation or other types of participation at the conference. Professional development requests should explain the activity and its expectations. Both requests should include the timeline for the activity and describe how it will advance the student’s career. If this award will only partially support the activity, describe what other funds have been acquired or are being sought, or if you are self-supporting the activity.
3. A short, NSF-style (max 3-page) CV.
    

Evaluation

Research proposals will be subject to review by an expert in the field for technical merit and potential to advance the science and applicant’s professional career. Travel and professional development proposals will be evaluated by Sea Grant staff for relevance to the MDSG Strategic Plan, benefit to the academic career, and student need. Final decisions on funding will be made by the Sea Grant Director based on reviews, relevance to MDSG, funding availability, and programmatic goals.

Processing Funding Support

Awardees will work with Maryland Sea Grant’s business office to process these awards. Additional details will be provided upon awarding.

Reporting on Outcomes

Awardees may report on the outcomes of the award in one of the following ways:

• Give a short virtual presentation to Maryland Sea Grant. Provide the presentation abstract and citation for the funded event, if applicable. This option is required for those who receive funds to present at a domestic meeting.
• Write a blog post about the activities, results, or learnings.
• Submit a short report detailing project outcomes (how did the funds advance the research) and outputs (data, research presentations, publications). These can include activities to reach a broader audience (work with high school students, interns, local organizations, etc.).
   

Contact

Dr. Michael Allen, Associate Director for Research and Administration
Maryland Sea Grant College
(301) 405-7500
pd@mdsg.umd.edu

Photograph, Nicole Lehming, Maryland Sea Grant