Northeast Consortium recommendations

for cooperative research, outreach/education, and right whale research

Lots of good ideas from industry!

The Northeast Consortium received a total of 76 proposals by the April 27^th deadline in response to our FY2001 calls for proposals. These included 49 proposals (totaling more then $11.52M in requests) for Cooperative Research and 27 proposals (totaling more than $7M) for Right Whale Research. The requests far exceeded the funding available for new starts: $3.78M for Cooperative Research and $1.73M for Right Whale research. As a result of the review process described below, 18 cooperative research projects, 4 outreach and education efforts in support of cooperative research, and new10 right whale research projects will be recommended for funding by the Northeast Consortium. A “fast-track” review of ongoing right whale research projects in February resulted in recommendation of continued funding for another 6 projects.

The targeted “success rate” for proposals submitted to the Northeast Consortium is 50%: i.e., the competition is designed to result in recommendations to fund half of the proposals. The Planning Letter stage is used to discourage proposals that are deemed to be unlikely of success and to help keep proposal numbers to desired levels. This year, with 22 out of 49 proposals funded, we were close to our target for cooperative research and outreach/education proposals.

We are now waiting for NOAA Fisheries to release funding for the Northeast Consortium, in order to allow the University of New Hampshire to finalize the awards and to get these new projects in the water.

The Northeast Consortium Review Process

Proposals submitted to the Northeast Consortium were evaluated and rated by five review panels which consisted largely but not exclusively of Northeast Consortium Advisory Panel members. Each review panel was balanced, as is the Advisory Committee, across Northeast Consortium constituent groups, including the commercial fishing industry, academic and government research communities, environmental organizations, etc.

The proposals were initially rated by at least three members of each panel; low ratings by all three panel members resulted in decline of the proposal for funding without further discussion. Proposals with favorable ratings by at least one primary reviewer were discussed further. Each panel’s recommendations were then discussed in an open session including members of all five panels. The end result of these deliberations is a recommendation to the Northeast Consortium representatives to either fund the project as proposed, fund with modifications (i.e., budget reductions), or to decline funding.

Proposals are judged on the basis of the following criteria:

- technical merit, approach, feasibility, and innovativeness;

- potential for genuine science - industry partnership;

- scientific and project relevance;

- qualifications of investigators, including researchers and fishermen;

- facilities, equipment and other resources available;

- plans and prospects for dissemination of results; and

- budget and cost-effectiveness

Project Development Funds Will Help Get Good New Ideas Started

The Northeast Consortium received a number of proposals that described a really good idea or an innovative new approach to an important problem that were not recommended for funding. The reasons were usually poor project design, poor proposal preparation, or no evidence that the project could work. In some cases, there was no (or not sufficient) science - industry partnership - an important criterion for the Northeast Consortium. In order to encourage these good ideas, the Advisory Committee recommended that a new type of Northeast Consortium funding be made available to support pilot projects and/or to evaluate new gear designs. Accordingly, the Northeast Consortium has reserved $200,000 in Cooperative Research and $200,000 in Right Whale Research funds for these types of efforts. These Project Development Funds will provide up to $25,000 to start-up a new project, to test the feasibility of an idea, or to try out new gear. These funds will be awarded based on letter proposals, which can be submitted at any time after August 1, 2001. In mid-July, the application procedures and criteria for evaluation will be posted on the Northeast Consortium website, www.NortheastConsortium.org.

Whale-friendly fishing gear designs needed

The Northeast Consortium received an unexpectedly small number of proposals in the area of whale-friendly fishing gear and only 2 new projects in this area are recommended. These are dire straits for both the fishing community and the whale. The lack of good new ideas and technical approaches is very concerning. The Advisory Committee discussed the situation at length, and recommended that some means should be made available for fishermen and/or researchers to try new ideas, without the need for preliminary data. Thus, the Northeast Consortium will use the Project Development Funds to encourage fishermen in particular to try out a new idea, a new gear design, or a new approach to the problem of right whale entanglement.

The FY2001 spending plan

In addition to the funds for new Cooperative Research projects ($2,540,421) and new Outreach and Education projects ($429,138), the Northeast Consortium funds will be used for UNH Administration ($343,129) and UNH Outreach ($340,895). Two core Northeast Consortium projects will be based at UNH: design of an industry-based ecosystem monitoring program in the Gulf of Maine ($400,000 over 2 years) and socio-economic analysis of cooperative research ($179,010 over 2 years). Additional items include Project Development ($200,000); UNH indirect charges (totaling $110,500); NOAA Administration ($100,000); and a NOAA budget cut ($11,000).

Right Whale Research funds are kept separate from the Cooperative Research funds, and will be used for 10 new projects ($1,383,008) and 6 continuing projects ($1,170,000), as well as Project Development ($200,000); UNH indirect costs ($93,000), and a NOAA budget cut ($6,000).

Once all of these line item totals are finalized, any remaining funds will be dispersed among ongoing projects and/or added to Project Development funds.

Where’s the Money?

All recommended projects will be funded as grants to the identified lead organization and will be administered as sub-awards from the University of New Hampshire. Mechanisms are in place to allow advance funding for cooperative research activities for fishermen who request it. The award start date is expected to be July 1, 2001, but arrival of funds from NOAA can be long-delayed. All the Northeast Consortium needs now is the go-ahead from NOAA Fisheries to get the new season underway!