The Northeast Consortium
FY2001 Request for Planning Letters
and Full Proposals
[Released December 1, 2000]
Planning Letters Due: February 13, 2001
Full Proposals Due: April 27, 2001
The Northeast Consortium (University of New Hampshire, University of
Maine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Woods Hole
Oceanographic Institution) invites Planning Letters for cooperative
research and selective fishing gear development. Proposed projects
should involve commercial fishermen and/or commercial fishing
vessels; should address issues in fisheries and fisheries
management, fishing gear technologies, and/or coastal ocean
processes; and should be focused on the Gulf of Maine and Georges
Bank. In addition, the Northeast Consortium invites Planning
Letters for right whale research, including whale-friendly fishing
gear and operations, and other research aimed at reducing mortality
of right whales and aiding in recovery of the population.
Northeast Consortium Planning Letters will be used to select
projects for further development via a Full Proposal. The deadline
for receipt of Planning Letters is February 13, 2001. Full
proposals may be submitted without prior submission of a Planning
Letter, but must be submitted by the deadline of April 27, 2001.
Funding decisions will be sent by mail to proposers on or before May
25, 2001. June 1, 2001 is the target date to begin the funded
projects. Funding is contingent on congressional appropriation of
funds and on timely release of funds to the Northeast Consortium
from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA).
This request for Planning Letters contains information on the
background, goals, and objectives of the Northeast Consortium,
guidelines for preparing Planning Letters, contact information for
questions regarding proposal ideas, and submission of Full
Proposals. This RFP and additional information, including
descriptions of previously funded projects, is available from the
web site, http://www.NortheastConsortium.org.
Background
The Northeast Consortium was created to encourage and fund
effective, co-equal partnerships among commercial fishermen,
researchers, and other stakeholders to become active participants in
cooperative research and development of selective fishing gear
technology. As part of this effort, commercial fishing vessels will
be equipped and utilized as research platforms. Commercial
fishermen and commercial fishing vessels from New Hampshire, Maine,
and Massachusetts are particularly encouraged to participate in
cooperative research using these funds; the expected focus of the
activities includes the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank.
The Northeast Consortium consists of four research institutions
(University of New Hampshire, University of Maine, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)
which are working together to foster this initiative. Each
institution has designated an individual who serves as a
representative to the Consortium. The representatives administer
the Northeast Consortium funds, interface with all stakeholders, and
are responsible for funding decisions. A ~30-member Advisory
Committee provides programmatic advice and guidance and makes
recommendations regarding the selection of projects to the
representatives of the Northeast Consortium.
The Northeast Consortium expects to receive $5M for FY2001 to fund
cooperative research projects and $2.9M to fund right whale
research. The funding is anticipated to be appropriated to the
National Marine Fisheries Service and to be administered by the
University of New Hampshire on behalf of the Northeast Consortium.
Northeast Consortium funds are distributed via an open competition,
which is announced via this Request for Proposals (RFP). The
initial step in application for the funds is a Planning Letter,
which will be evaluated for technical merit, relevance, likelihood
of success, and suitability for funding under this competition. The
balance of funding for cooperative research activities will 25% to
research and 75% to industry (across all awards). For right whale
research projects, industry participation is encouraged, but not
required.
Goals of the Northeast Consortium
- To develop partnerships between commercial fishermen and
researchers, educators, and coastal managers.
- To enable commercial fishermen and commercial fishing vessels to
participate in cooperative research and development of selective
gear technologies.
- To help bring fishermens information, experience, and expertise
into the scientific framework needed for fisheries management.
- To equip and utilize commercial fishing vessels as research and
monitoring platforms.
Priority areas for Northeast Consortium funding
Cooperative Research Projects
The Northeast Consortium will consider Planning Letters for
cooperative research and development of selective gear technologies.
The intent of the Northeast Consortium is to provide funding for
projects that address fisheries and ocean management issues in the
Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank. Planning Letter ideas may originate
from the commercial fishing community, fisheries managers,
oceanographers, or any other interested person. Planning Letters
need not identify both the researchers and the commercial fishermen
who will participate. To be considered for funding, Full Proposals
must involve both researchers and commercial fishermen, who must be
identified by name.
The Northeast Consortium does not identify particular topics as high
priority for funding. To encourage potential proposers, but not to
restrict the range of topics proposed, we provide here brief
summaries of topic areas and issues that are appropriate for
Northeast Consortium cooperative research funding. Descriptions of
cooperative research projects funded by the Northeast Consortium
last year are available at http://www.NortheastConsortium.org.
- Selective gear research and development. Cooperative research
leading to the development of selective fishing gear to reduce or
eliminate technical barriers to trade, minimize harvest losses,
reduce bycatch, and improve fishing practices.
- Monitoring of closed areas. Regular and long-term assessment of
environmental condition, bio-diversity, oceanographic processes, and
fisheries recruitment in areas closed to fishing. Consideration of
the historical character of these regions (based on knowledge of
commercial fishermen) in formulating hypotheses, designing and
implementing the field studies. Analysis of the impacts of area
closures. Changes to the landscape and the biota.
- Fish habitat studies. Inclusion of industry-based information for
Essential Fish Habitat designations. Improved accuracy and
reliability of the underlying information. Design of new and more
effective management strategies.
- Oceanographic and meteorological monitoring. Better information
on weather, sea-state, and oceanographic conditions, commercial
harvest data, and fishing conditions in the coastal waters of the
US. Synoptic coverage of large regions, use of satellite telemetry.
Use of commercial fishing vessels as platforms for coastal
monitoring, modeling, and prediction.
Right whale research
The Northeast Consortium encourages Planning Letters for research on
right whales that will have the greatest impact for reducing
mortality of right whales and aiding the recovery of the population.
Involvement of commercial fishermen and commercial fishing vessels
in these projects is encouraged, but not required. Full Proposals
that include industry participation should identify the commercial
fishermen and commercial fishing vessels by name.
Priority areas in right whale research for funding by the Northeast
Consortium include, but are not restricted to:
- Gear research and operations - Development and testing of fixed gear
(including that for lobster and gillnet fisheries) to reduce right
whale entanglement and/or minimize its effects.
- Disentanglement - Development of gear and methods to improve
disentanglement and survival of entangled right whales.
Entanglement response training for commercial fishermen.
- Acoustics - Characterization of the acoustic environment and
right whale perception aimed at reducing ship strikes.
- Predictive modeling - Understanding and predicting right whale
distribution and life history in relation to biotic and abiotic
environmental conditions.
- Reproduction and genetics - Causes of low reproductive
performance (e.g., calving rates), including health and condition
assessment, diet and habitat quality. Genetic analysis of
inbreeding as it impacts survival, reproduction, conservation, and
recovery of the species.
- Remote sensing - Development of tools and methods to remotely
detect and/or identify right whales, in order to understand
behavior, migratory movement, and/or habitat use.
Additional information on Planning Letter and Full Proposal
preparation is available by contacting the representatives of the
Northeast Consortium:
Ann Bucklin, Professor and Director
New Hampshire Sea Grant Program
142 Morse Hall
Durham, NH 03824
Tel: (603) 862-0122; Fax: (603) 862-0243; email: acb@christa.unh.edu
Peter H. Wiebe, Senior Scientist
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Woods Hole, MA 02543
Tel: (508) 289-2313; Fax: (508) 457-2169; email: pwiebe@whoi.edu
Chrys Chryssostomidis, Professor and Director
MIT Sea Grant Program
292 Main Street
Cambridge, MA 02139
Tel. (617) 253-7131; FAX: (617) 258-5730; email chrys@deslab.mit.edu
Ian Davison, Professor and Director
Maine Sea Grant College Program
14 Coburn Hall
Orono, ME 04469
Tel: (207) 581-1435; Fax (207) 581-1426; email: davison@maine.maine.edu
And from the Northeast Consortium outreach coordinator:
Rollie Barnaby, Extension Educator
New Hampshire Sea Grant Extension
113 North Road
Brentwood, NH 03833
Tel: (603) 679-5616; Fax: (603) 679-8070; email: rollie.barnaby@unh.edu
Procedures for distribution of funds
The distribution ofNortheast Consortium funds will be via an
open competition to be administered by the University of New
Hampshire on behalf of the Consortium. Funding recommendations and
decisions will be made by the Northeast Consortium
representatives.
The Request for Proposals (RFP) process and funding decisions are
guided by a ~30-member Advisory Committee, whose roles also include
helping to announce this funding opportunity to their communities,
evaluating Planning Letters, assisting in project development and
preparation of Full Proposals, and evaluating Full Proposals.
Advisory Committee members are encouraged to help match-make between
fishermen and researchers. Advisory Committee members may submit
Planning Letters, but they may not participate in discussions of any
Planning Letter on topics related to their submission. Advisory
Committee members will be asked to resign prior to submission of a
Full Proposal. Neither Consortium representatives nor Advisory
Committee members may submit Full Proposals to the Northeast
Consortium.
Funding decisions for cooperative research projects will be
determined by criteria regarding quality of the proposed work and
its relevance for fisheries and ocean management for Maine, New
Hampshire, and Massachusetts. An essential requirement for
cooperative research projects is the potential for partnership
between fishermen and researchers, including NMFS researchers.
Funding decisions for right whale research projects will be
determined by criteria regarding quality of the proposed work and
impact on reducing mortality and aiding the recovery of the right
whale species. Guidelines for preparation of Planning Letters
Anyone may submit a Planning Letter to the Northeast
Consortium. The use of Planning Letters is intended to expand
access to these funds to people who are not accustomed to writing
proposals. The Planning Letter should explain the idea or concept
in enough detail to be understandable to a reader knowledgeable
about fisheries research and management and regional oceanography.
Planning Letters should be as short as possible, and should be no
more than 5 pages in length. For Planning Letters selected for
further development, the proposers may request assistance in
team-building, project development, and preparation of a Full
Proposal.
Project duration and award levels
A mix of one, two, and three year projects is desired. Projects
recommended for funding may be funded for multiple years using
FY2001 funds.
Cooperative research funding will be divided in the following
proportion: 25% to researchers and 75% to fishermen. Cooperative
research projects should be designed to meet this target. Funds may
be requested for participants salary and wages, vessel use,
equipment (for the fishing vessel or the laboratory), and supplies.
Right whale research projects are encouraged, but are not required,
to include industry participation.
Permits
It is the responsibility of the principal investigators for
anyNortheast Consortium award to obtain appropriate, proper,
and necessary permits for the proposed activities. When necessary,
experimental fishing permits must be obtained from the National
Marine Fisheries Service prior to beginning field work.
Furthermore, intentional approaches of right whales to within 500
yds or activities which may take right whales will require the
issuance of permits under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and
Endangered Species Act. Information on these permits is available
on the NMFS Office of Protected Species website,
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/prot_res/overview/permits.html. The
Northeast Consortium will assist investigators as desired in
obtaining permits.
Full Proposal evaluation criteria
Proposals will be judged based on the following criteria: technical
merit; scientific and project relevance for fisheries and ocean
management; technical approach, feasibility, and innovativeness;
qualifications of investigators (including researchers and
fishermen); facilities, equipment, and other resources available to
accomplish the proposed work; plans and prospects for dissemination
of results; and budget and cost-effectiveness.
Guidelines for preparation of Full Proposals
Full Proposals may be submitted to the Northeast Consortium
without prior submission of a Planning Letter. Full Proposals for
consideration for cooperative research funding must include as
co-principal investigators both one or more researchers (faculty or
staff members at institutions of higher learning or accredited
research facilities, or employees of state or federal programs or
agencies) and one or more commercial fishermen. All parties must be
specifically identified by name and position.
Full Proposals must originate from one and only one organization
authorized to receive federal research funding, which will then
accept responsibility for administration of the Northeast
Consortium award. The activities and budgets for all project
participants must be included in this proposal, with industry
participants identified as sub-contractors, service providers, or
other designation, with provisions in place to allow payment of all
participants.
The Northeast Consortium encourages institutions to fund
commercial fishermen participating in cooperative research efforts
via monitored fixed-price agreements, based on a set cost for each
fishing vessel trip or other event. Per-trip costs should be set
using established daily rates for the identified fishing vessels
(based upon actual costs and subject to review by the Northeast
Consortium).
All Full Proposals submitted in this competition should contain the
following sections and elements. Note: There is a 15 single-spaced
page limit on proposals, excluding Literature Cited, Budget,
Resumes, and subsequent sections. Please use 1 inch margins and 12
point font. Please send 15 copies of the proposal, to allow for
distribution to reviewers. Copies of the proposals cannot be
returned to the proposers.
- Abstract: The abstract is intended to present a concise summary
of the funded activity in a form useful to a variety of readers not
necessarily requiring detailed information. They are not
substitutes for proposals but should permit judgments as to whether
such proposals merit reading for a particular purpose.
- Rationale: This section should thoroughly develop the
justification/need for your proposed work and how it relates to the
goals of the Northeast Consortium set forth in this RFP. Any
anticipated collaborations between this project and other
cooperative research efforts, including those funded by other
sources, should be identified here.
- Review of Previous Work: A description both of the previous work
done in the area of the project you are proposing and a review of
your experience working in this area.
- Project Objectives and Scientific Hypothesis: A clear statement
of the project objectives and goals. If appropriate, clearly
construct and state a defensible scientific hypothesis.
- Project Plan/Methodology: Carefully explain the conceptual
approach to the project with the methodology to be used. Feel free
to use language and terminology appropriate to your discipline. The
plan should include a discussion of the timeline for the proposed
work. The need for experimental fishing permits, access to closed
areas, and other special requirements should be explained here.
- Available Resources: Briefly describe personnel qualifications or
special resources, equipment or facilities which demonstrates either
your ability or special opportunity to successfully pursue the
proposed project.
- Dissemination of Results: Provide specific information about
plans and prospects for dissemination of the results of the proposed
work, including publication, workshops, inclusion in databases, and
integration into stock assessment or management processes.
- Budget and Budget Justification: Provide brief explanations of
the major budgetary items for the proposed work. Include detailed
budgets from all sub-contractors or service providers. Budgets for
commercial fishing industry activities should be based on fixed
costs per trip or event; daily charges for vessel use should be
justified based on actual costs (salaries and wages of captain and
crew, fuel and supplies, depreciation and insurance, etc.). Budgets
should show allocation of funding between research and fishing
industry efforts.
- Literature Cited: Complete bibliographic citations including
titles of all papers, books, and reports to which reference is made.
- Resumes of Principle Investigators and Key Associate
Investigators: Include resumes on all those individuals (two page
maximum for each) who will play a major role in the project. As a
part of your resume please include your complete address and current
telephone number.
Planning Letter and Full Proposal Submission
Planning Letters and Full Proposals should be sent to:
Ann Bucklin
New Hampshire Sea Grant
University of New Hampshire
142 Morse Hall, 39 College Road
Durham, NH 03824
Planning Letters must be received by 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 13, 2001
Full Proposals must be received by 4:30 p.m. on Friday, April 27, 2001
Last modified: November 30, 2000