2018 Request for Proposals

USCRP Technology Challenge Information

Storm Processes and Impacts workshop 

4/13/18

The U.S. Coastal Research Program (https://uscoastalresearch.org/) is providing approximately $550,000 in competitive awards in FY2019 in conjunction with the Storm Processes and Impacts workshop to stimulate research in this area.  This program supports approaches that address either the research needs toward improved prediction or the challenges identified during the workshop. Successful proposals will demonstrate research in coastal science or engineering that support graduate student research and result in improvements to storm predictions for coastal communities. Awards will be made to U.S. institutions of higher education, who have partnered with coastal management stakeholders.

Priority will be given to applicants/applications who/which:

• demonstrate interest in a storm processes & impacts community of practice,
• leverage available coastal management resources (such as existing projects, programs, plans, partnerships, & tools across government, industry, and NGOs),
• result in increased access to and/or understanding of information for coastal managers, and

Challenge information:

• Eligible applicants include institutions of higher education. Partnership with nonprofit organizations, regional organizations, private (for profit) entities, and/or local, state, and tribal governments is encouraged to demonstrate support of and benefits to coastal managers.
• Award amounts will average $70,000 for projects lasting up to 2 years. Cost sharing through cash or in-kind matches is encouraged, but not required.
• Applicants must conduct projects benefiting coastal managers in one or more of the 35 U.S. coastal states or territories.

Dates: Proposal packages must be submitted electronically to info@uscoastalresearch.org by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on May 25, 2018.

Project/Award Period:

• Successful applicants will receive an USCRP letter of recommendation by July 6, 2018.
• Funding will be awarded by October 2018 with an expected project start date early in spring semester 2019.
• Successful applicants will be required to present preliminary findings at ASBPA’s annual meeting during a dedicated session in October 2020, as well as required attendance on IPRs.
• Research findings will be published in a dedicated issue of Shore and Beach.

Format:

Proposals must be no more than 5 pages (single-spaced, 11 or 12 point font and exclusive of appendices). The 5- page limit does not include the proposal title page, executive summary, and any appendices. Appendices (15 pages max) shall be limited to materials that directly support the main body of the proposal (for example, detailed budget information, letters of collaboration, letters of support, CVs).

Reviewers will not review information provided in excess of stated page limits. The total electronic file size of the proposal narrative and appendices combined should not exceed five megabytes in storage space. Files that are larger than five megabytes may not be properly downloaded, uploaded, or received by the agency or the reviewers. Files that cannot be opened or downloaded will not be reviewed.

Application Package Components:

1. Title Page (Proposal Cover Sheet)
   1. Project title
   2. Complete contact information for the Principal Investigator and Financial Representative
   3. Proposed project performance period (start and end dates)
   4. Coastal management partnership organization contact information
   5. Funding request by year (as appropriate)
2. A one-page Executive Summary describing the background, scope of work, deliverables, and total proposed price (no cost breakdown is required in the executive summary). The executive summary shall not contain any sensitive data or proprietary information and is excluded from the page limitation of five pages.
3. Statements describing the objective(s) or goal(s) of the working hypothesis to be proved or disproved, if appropriate.
4. One or more paragraphs describing the technical approach to be taken in the course of the research. If experimental, it should include a description of the scope of the testing program. If analytical, it should include key assumptions to be made, the scientific basis for the analysis, and the numerical procedures to be used.
5. One or more paragraphs describing the research needs toward improved management or the management challenges identified during the workshop that will be investigated; and the timing and mechanism by which the resulting increased access to and/or understanding of information will be communicated to coastal managers.
6. If a cooperative agreement is desired, a description of the substantial involvement by the  government.
7. Appendices may include detailed budget information, letters of collaboration or support, CVs.
8. The code number (CHL-15) for the specific BAA research area: General Coastal Engineering, Coastal Geology, and Dredging Investigations.

Funding will be awarded through the USACE BAA (Broad Agency Announcement: http://www.erdc.usace.army.mil/Portals/55/docs/W912HZ13BAA01.pdf) or the CESU program: http://www.cesu.psu.edu/. 

Contact Information: Nicole Elko, Science Director, ASBPA, info@uscoastalresearch.org, (843) 371- 7082