Sea Grant and the U.S. Coastal Research Program (USCRP) announce a new funding opportunity for collaborative projects to integrate research, its application, and community engagement in thematic areas of long-term coastal evolution, extreme storms, and human and ecosystem health.
The National Institutes of Water Resources (NIWR) has released their annual request for proposals (RFPs) under their National Competitive Grants Program. In cooperation with USGS, these RFPs, submitted through each state’s Water Resources Research Institute (WRRI), have historically funded only four applicants throughout the nation. In the last few years, however, Congress has recognized the unique capabilities of this program and additional funds have been allocated around specific focus areas. In addition to a general water-related focus of the annual RFP(104G), an RFP focusing on PFAs and an RFP focusing on Aquatic Invasive Species in the Upper Mississippi River Basin have been added. All three RFPs require similar preparation and encourage regional WRRI/Water Science Center collaborations. Any investigator at an institution of higher learning is eligible to apply for these grants with research that focuses on water issues of regional and national importance.
Given the potential benefit of these opportunities to the Great Lakes Region, the WRRIs in this region (IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI) are organizing a joint informational webinar focusing on RFP preparation and regional collaborative opportunities. We discuss the full proposal process, funding priorities and give researchers a chance to ask questions.
Feel free to share this message with others who may benefit from these opportunities!
Webinar recording link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5p80TrsFN0
For more information about the funding opportunities see our Funding Opportunities page, https://water.usgs.gov/wrri/how-to-apply-for-grants-internships.php or contact the Illinois Water Resources Center (iwrc@illinois.edu).
One of Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant’s (IISG) long-term goals is to help build a community of researchers and outreach professionals focused on critically important Lake Michigan issues. The IISG Scholars programs are designed to help build this community by introducing researchers to the issues and the stakeholders affected by them. In addition, the programs are intended to help graduate student scholars further the impact of their research, and faculty scholars develop innovative, fundable proposals for future work in the region. Past scholar projects can be reviewed at https://iiseagrant.org/category/iisg-scholars/.
Awards are issued for one year and activities should be completed during that year. IISG expects to support 5–7 Graduate Student Scholars and 3–4 Faculty Scholars in 2022. The full Request for Applications, including award amounts and application requirements, can be found at https://iiseagrant.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/2022-IISG-Scholars-RFA.pdf.
Applicants for both opportunities (graduate students or faculty) should submit materials via https://esg.iiseagrant.org/ by 5:00 p.m. Central time on March 18, 2022. Applications should be submitted to the “IL-IN SG 2022 Scholars Competition”. Late applications will not be accepted unless the applicant has contacted IISG staff before the deadline to make them aware of potential issues, (e.g., computer, power, or internet issues).
Office hours, where potential applicants can ask questions about the technical aspects of their applications, will be held Tuesdays 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. and Fridays from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m., both Eastern time, throughout the month of February. Connection information can be requested by emailing Research Coordinator Carolyn Foley at cfoley@purdue.edu. In addition, recordings outlining the technical aspects of applications, e.g., budget and forms preparation, will be posted to https://iiseagrant.org/research/funding-opportunities/ by February 16, 2022.
