The Northeast Consortium

Guidelines for Proposal Preparation

Proposal Due Date: April 21, 2000

The Northeast Consortium (University of New Hampshire, University of Maine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution) intends to provide funding for cooperative research projects involving commercial fishermen and commercial fishing vessels in oceanographic research, projects relevant to fisheries management in the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank, and research leading to the development of selective fishing gear. Funding of approved projects would commence on June 1, 2000. Funding is contingent on timely release of funds to the Northeast Consortium from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association ( NOAA ).

These Guidelines for Proposal Preparation contain information on the background, goals, and objectives of the Northeast Consortium; detailed instructions for preparing and submitting proposals; contact information for questions regarding project development. Proposals must be submitted by the deadline of April 21, 2000. This document and additional information are available from the web site: http :// www.NortheastConsortium.org .

Background

The Northeast Consortium was created to encourage and fund effective, co-equal partnerships among fishermen, researchers, and other stakeholders to become active participants in collaborative research and monitoring projects in the coastal ocean, including the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank. Commercial fishermen and commercial fishing vessels from New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts are encouraged to participate in cooperative research using these funds. We anticipate that commercial fishing vessels may be outfitted for specialized use for collaborative research. A general aim of the Consortium is that these activities may eventually provide ancillary employment, on a semi-permanent basis, for commercial fishermen and their vessels in the three states.

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 will serve as a representative to the Consortium. The representatives will administer the Northeast Consortium funds, will interface with all stakeholders, and will be responsible for funding decisions. A ~30-member Advisory Committee will provide programmatic advice and guidance to representatives of the Consortium and will assist in the selection of projects to be funded.

The Northeast Consortium received nearly $2M for FY2000 to fund cooperative research projects. The funding was appropriated to the National Marine Fisheries Service and is being administered by the University of New Hampshire on behalf of the Northeast Consortium. Northeast Consortium funds will be distributed via an open competition. The balance of funding across the entire program will be 25% to research and 75% to industry; funding will be balanced across the entire amount, not project-by-project, to allow flexibility in the design of any particular project.

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 research.

- To outfit participating commercial fishing vessels with equipment allowing their use as research and monitoring platforms.

Priority areas for research and monitoring

The Northeast Consortium will consider proposals for cooperative research projects involving commercial fishermen and commercial fishing vessels in oceanographic research, in research relevant to fisheries management in the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank, and in the development of selective fishing gear. Proposal ideas may originate from the commercial fishing community, the oceanographic and fisheries research communities, or any other interested party. Proposals must identify both the researchers and the commercial fishermen who will participate in order to be considered for funding.

The Northeast Consortium has not identified particular topics as high priority for funding. Individuals seeking information about possible topics and proposal ideas are encouraged to consult documents available from the National Marine Fisheries Service, New England Fisheries Management Council, Massachusetts Marine Fisheries Recovery Commission, and Gulf of Maine Aquarium, among other groups. Copies of these summary documents may be requested from the contact people listed below and via the Northeast Consortium web site.

To encourage potential proposers, but not to restrict the range of topics proposed, we provide here several examples of possible topics for consideration for Northeast Consortium funding:

•	Oceanographic and meteorological monitoring. There is a need for better information on weather, sea-state, and oceanographic conditions, commercial harvest data, and fishing conditions in the coastal waters of the US. This information is required by the fishermen themselves, resource managers and regulators, and the oceanographic research community. Currently, these data are collected during oceanographic research efforts, National Marine Fisheries Service ( NMFS ) assessment surveys, NOAA National Data Buoy Center ( NDBC ) buoys, National Weather Service coverage, and operational Navy activities. These types of activities cannot provide synoptic coverage of large regions and rarely employ near-real-time telemetry. The widespread temporal / spatial distribution of commercial fishing vessels makes them ideal platforms from which to gather basic information for coastal monitoring, modeling, and prediction.

•	Selective gear research and development. Cooperative research is needed leading to the development of selective fishing gear to reduce or eliminate technical barriers to trade, minimize harvest losses, reduce by-catch, and improve fishing practices.

•	Monitoring of closed areas. Regular and long-term assessment of environmental condition, bio-diversity, oceanographic processes, and fisheries recruitment is required in areas closed to fishing in the coastal waters off the Northeast. Commercial fishermen should participate in these studies, in order to ensure that their extensive knowledge of the historical character of these regions is used to design hypotheses, collect data and samples, and analyze the impacts of area closures. Direct participation by commercial fishermen will also inform them about the changes to the landscape and the biota.

•	Fish habitat studies. Commercial fishermen should take advantage of and participate in the growing focus on fish habitat. As the definition of Essential Fish Habitat is refined and habitat-oriented management is fully implemented, the participation of commercial fishermen will improve the accuracy and reliability of the underlying information and increase the effectiveness of new management strategies.

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This document and additional information are also available from the web site: http :// www.NortheastConsortium.org .

Guidelines for preparation of Proposals

Proposals for consideration for Northeast Consortium 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.

Project duration and award levels

A mix of one, two, and three year projects is desired. Currently, only FY2000 funds are anticipated to be available through UNH/ NOAA to support Northeast Consortium projects. Projects recommended for funding may be funded for multiple years using FY2000 funds. Projects should be designed to meet the overall target distribution for funding: 25% to researchers and 75% to fishermen. Funds may be requested for participants' salary and wages, vessel use, equipment (for the fishing vessel or the laboratory), and supplies. Lead institutions may not request indirect costs or fees on sub-awards to individuals working with the lead P.I. or organization on a Northeast Consortium activity.

Proposal evaluation criteria

Proposals will be judged based on the following criteria: technical merit; scientific and project relevance; 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.

Proposal content, format, and organization

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.

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 . Discussion of relevant oceanographic, fisheries management, or selective fishing gear development issues/events having a bearing on your proposal is appropriate here. A convincing argument why it is important to carry out the project should be included. Also, any anticipated collaborations between this project and other cooperative research efforts, including those funded by other sources, should be identified here.

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.

A clear statement of the project objectives and goals. If appropriate, clearly construct and state a defensible scientific hypothesis.

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.

: Briefly describe personnel qualifications or special resources, equipment or facilities which demonstrate either your ability or special opportunity to successfully pursue the proposed project.

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: Annual and summary budgets must be provided with separate categories for salaries, wages, and benefits; supplies and materials, permanent equipment, travel, communications, vessel use, etc. Sub-award budgets must show similar detail. The budget must indicate how the funding will be divided between commercial fishing industry and research participants.

- Budget Justification: Provide brief explanations of the major budgetary items for the proposed work and explain the division of funds between commercial fishing industry and research representatives.

Complete bibliographic citations including titles of all papers, books, and reports to which reference is made.

: 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.

- Current and Pending Support: List all current sources of funding and all outstanding proposals at time of submission. In particular, note other programs and agencies to whom this proposal has been or will be submitted.