Focus Areas
This RFA is aimed at the following primary and secondary focus areas:
Primary:
- Use existing and emerging understanding and data to improve skill of sustained continuous operational forecasts of ocean dynamics for the reduction of risks in offshore energy exploration and production in the regions of the GoM where deep-water drilling and production occur and/ or are anticipated. Forecasts should be aimed at meeting the offshore operators and regulators lead-time requirements for near-surface and deep-water currents and transport. (Download PDF)
- Design and implement cost effective ocean observations, data assimilation techniques, and improvements to forecast models that will contribute to improving the skill of sustained continuous operational forecasting of the LC and LCEs throughout the full water column with forecast times of benefit to the offshore energy exploration and production. The design could entail traditional and innovative technologies and approaches, including adaptive sampling during LC expansion and eddy shedding or reattachment.
Secondary:
Project Guidelines
To be considered responsive to this RFA, projects must involve the following:
Required:
- The proposed project must take a multi-investigator consortium approach to address at least one primary AND at least one secondary focus area described in the Focus Areas tab.
- A consortium must involve at least one research organization and one entity that performs operational forecasting or uses forecasts of the GoM dynamics for decision-making (end-user), and may also include other university, governmental, non-governmental, community-based, and private collaborators. Federal agencies may be included as non-funded collaborators. All partners within the consortium must provide substantial intellectual contributions towards the overall project goal and agree to work together seamlessly as one integrated team.
- Projects must contribute to improving the skill of sustained continuous operational forecasts of GoM ocean dynamics that support end-users. The GRP will not fund data collection solely for observations and monitoring or projects that seek to prolong time series without a significant contribution to improving forecasting of the GoM dynamics.
- Projects must result in actionable outcomes and benefits to end-users:
1. Projects must strive for quality and specificity over quantity and breadth in selecting applications and end-users. One to two explicit primary applications and end-users are expected rather than an extensive list of hypothetical applications and end-users. End-users are expected to be partners in co-design and co-production of project and results.
2. Projects must demonstrate a plan for how their outputs could be incorporated into operational forecasting currently performed by the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and/or industry within the timeframe of their projects. For the final project year, proposals must include plans for transition of developed tools or products to the end-user organization(s) for deployment and long-term sustained use. As appropriate, projects should plan and budget for research transition activities.
- Projects must be collaborative and integrative:
1. Projects supported under this solicitation must collaborate, share data, software, code, and other information with the national and international scientific community, including other UGOS funded projects, UGOS partners, and end-users identified by the GRP. Project Directors should plan and budget to actively participate in cross-project collaboration among other UGOS funded projects with a common goal to improve skill of sustained continuous operational forecasts of GoM dynamics for the reduction of risks in offshore energy exploration and production.
2. Project Directors are expected to engage with the GRP to meet UGOS goals. This will minimally include working with the GRP Program Officer(s), participation in at least one meeting annually and quarterly teleconferences with all UGOS project teams. The travel expenses for the UGOS annual meeting will be reimbursed by the GRP.
- Projects with observational components must:
1. Demonstrate a plan for how they will collaborate with existing operational forecasting systems so that new observational data would be incorporated into forecasting systems within the timeframe of the projects;
2. Provide justification that the proposed observations are relevant to improving forecasting capabilities and are relevant to and can be incorporated into modeling efforts; and
3. Consider the advantages and disadvantages of their observational system, for example, breadth of coverage versus cost and utility, continuous versus targeted observations during times of ocean complexity, and observing system technologies.
- Projects with modeling components must:
1. Produce insights that help guide ongoing or future data collection, including temporal and spatial scales, location, frequency, and key variables; and
2. Demonstrate a plan for how the proposed work will incorporate new observations being collected within the timeframe of the projects.
- Proposals must include an explicit data management component that, at minimum, meets requirements of the GRP's data management policy. In addition to GRP’s standard data management requirements and reporting, proposals must show how data will be shared broadly and in a timely manner with the scientific community, federal agencies, and the interested public. It is expected that, wherever possible, there be rapid sharing of provisional, interim data in real (or near-real) time. Applicants must include a plan for data dissemination.
Encouraged:
- Coordination with projects funded under UGOS Grants 1 and 2 or other relevant ongoing or planned Gulf-focused activities is strongly encouraged.
- Projects with observational components should incorporate the results of the Observing System Simulation Experiments (OSSEs) in the design of their observational system. More details on the OSSEs can be found here.
- Leveraging private and public resources in the form of direct or in-kind support is permitted. Though not required, applicants are encouraged to leverage available resources, such as talent, equipment, ship time, computational resources, data management, and/or funding from public or private partners where possible.
Letter of Intent
Applications for this funding opportunity have two stages with different required components: 1) a Letter of Intent (LOI) and 2) a Full Proposal. Project Directors are advised to review the application preparation and submission instructions carefully and submit any questions to gulfgrants@nas.edu in advance of the submission deadlines. Although the GRP strives to respond to applicants’ questions within two business days, the response time depends on the volume of questions received and the complexity of the question asked. The GRP does not guarantee that applicants’ questions will be answered before submission deadlines. Applicants are advised to submit LOIs and Full Proposals well in advance of the submission deadlines as a precaution against unanticipated delays. The GRP expects applicants to review the Grant Agreement (see “Grant Terms and Conditions”) prior to submitting an Application to ensure that the Applicant is aware of the applicable terms under which the award is offered. It is the policy of the National Academies to entertain potential modifications to the Grant Agreement only under the most exceptional circumstances. Successful applicants are strongly encouraged to sign the Grant Agreement as presented.
A Letter of Intent (LOI) is required for this funding opportunity and must be submitted via the online application system by March 30, 2021. LOIs submitted by other means (including mail, fax, or e-mail) will not be considered. The LOI application materials must be submitted in English, other languages will not be considered.
The LOI must include the following elements:
1. Required Information:
- Applicant
- Project Director ORCID—Open Researcher and Contributor ID
- Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR)
- Grant Administrator (if different from AOR)
2. Optional Information:
- Suggestions for reviewers: The suggestions may be considered for the peer review of Full Proposals, but the selection of reviewers is the responsibility of the GRP.
- How did you hear about this funding opportunity?
- Demographic Information
1. Project Personnel:
- Project Director
- Key Personnel
- Involvement of Project Director or Key Personnel in other applications
2. Project Details:
- Project Title (maximum 15 words)
- Project Acronym (if applicable)
- Project Key Words (maximum 5 key words)
- The Problem: The research question, issue, and/or gap being addressed (maximum 100 words)
- Goal and Objectives: The overall project goal and its SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-oriented) objectives (maximum 150 words)
- Approach: How the goal and objectives will be achieved (maximum 500 words)
- Application: How the results from this project will be used and by whom (maximum 200 words)
- Consortium: How the project team is organized to ensure integration and the role and responsibilities of the different consortium members (maximum 500 words)
- Anticipated Budget: The anticipated total funding request for the proposed consortium and by consortia members
- Resumes: A resume is required for the Project Director and every individual identified as Key Personnel. Resumes may not exceed two pages per person. See resume specifications for additional guidance. All resumes should be combined and uploaded as a single PDF document. Resumes for Individuals not named as a Project Director or Key Personnel in the “Project Personnel” section should not be included. It is the responsibility of the Project Director to ensure that the Key Personnel listed in the “Project Personnel” section are correct and match the resumes submitted.
3. Research Involving Human Subjects (if applicable)
Full Proposal
Full Proposals must be submitted via the online application system by August 3, 2021. Proposals submitted by other means (including mail, fax, or e-mail) will not be considered. Full Proposal application materials submitted in any language other than English will not be considered. Conformance of proposals to instructions provided is required and will be strictly enforced. The GRP may reject, without review, any applications with required attachments that are missing requested information or that are not consistent with the instructions outlined. The GRP may reject inclusion of any optional attachments in the review process if the attachments are not consistent with the instructions outlined. Although the information provided in the LOI is considered to be non-binding, it is expected that Full Proposals will reflect the goals, objectives, and general approach laid out in the LOI, that the applying organization remains the same, and that the end-users include those initially proposed. The Full Proposal must include the following elements:
I. Project Personnel:
- Project Director
- ORCID (Open Research and Contributor ID)
- Key Personnel
- Involvement of Project Director or Key Personnel in other applications
II. Project Details:
1. Project Title (maximum 15 words). The title should clearly represent the project and help articulate the importance and goals of the project to a non-technical reader. Titles are a primary referent for projects. The titles of awarded projects will be announced publicly and should not sacrifice clarity for novelty.
2. Project Acronym (if available).
3. Project Key Words (maximum 5 words).
4. Project Summary (maximum 300 words). The project summary should be an overview of the proposed project written in the third person, informative to other persons working in the same or related fields, and, insofar as possible, understandable to a scientifically or technically literate lay reader. The project abstract should clearly and succinctly address:
- What the project aims to achieve (i.e., the problem, proposed outcomes);
- The general approach to address the problem; and
- How the project results and/or outputs can be used to improve skill of sustained continuous operational forecasts of ocean dynamics for the reduction of risks in offshore energy exploration and production in the regions of the GoM where deep-water drilling and production occur and/or are anticipated (i.e., application of results).
5. Project Description (maximum 7,500 words). Provide a clear statement of the work to be undertaken and a plan for implementation. It should address the following:
- The Problem: The context for the research question, issue, and/or gap to be addressed and the current state of knowledge on the issue.
- Goal and Objectives: The overall goal of the project and its SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-oriented) objectives.
- Project approach, methodology, and implementation: Details about the proposed activities to be undertaken and methods, tools, and analyses that will be employed to carry out the project, along with an explanation of how these are appropriate for accomplishing the specific aims of the project.
- A clear description/plan for implementation that demonstrates the feasibility of the activities to be undertaken, including explanations of the feasibility of access to specific data sets, people, or settings required to successfully implement the project and the mechanism to assess success.
- A clear description/plan for transition of developed tools or products to the end-user organization(s) for deployment and long-term sustained use.
- A description of each Key Personnel role.
6. Application and Outputs Utilization (maximum 1,000 words). Describe how the research addresses operational forecasting needs and how end-users will use the outputs of the project.
7. Engagement, Communication, and Outreach Strategy (maximum 500 words). Strong interaction and engagement with end-users and other stakeholders and audiences is expected of all proposals. Dissemination of results and their utility to stakeholders and educators must be clearly defined.
8. Consortium Structure (maximum 1,000 words). How the project team is organized to ensure integration, and the role of the different consortium members. Describe how the experience of the Project Director and other team members relates to the successful completion of the project. Explain the coordination and collaboration plan for multiple institutions, organizations or entities, and with other ongoing or submitted consortia or projects.
9. Success Metrics (use this template). This template should be used to concisely outline major goals, objectives, approach, success metrics, anticipated deliverables, outcomes, and project risks. It should be limited to five-pages and uploaded as a PDF as a separate document.
10. Timeline (use this template). A timeline, as a Gantt chart, showing key project activities or events, including tasks, milestones, outputs, or deliverables is required. The timeline will be used by reviewers to assess project feasibility. For funded projects, the timeline allows Project Directors to track progress and allows GRP staff to monitor the project schedule. Project activities or events listed in the timeline should serve as unambiguous indicators and measures of progress. The timeline should include sufficient key activities or events so that the portrayed, overall progress of the project can be reasonably tracked over distinct time periods. The timeline Gantt charts should be uploaded as a PDF as a separate document.
11. Facilities, Equipment, and Other Resources (maximum 500 words). This section of the proposal will be used to assess the adequacy of the resources available to perform the proposed project. Include an aggregated description of the internal and external resources (both physical and personnel) that all the partners of the consortium will provide to the project, should it be funded. The description should be narrative in nature and must not include any quantifiable financial information. Although these resources are not considered cost sharing, the GRP expects that the resources identified in the Facilities, Equipment, and Other Resources section will be provided, or made available, should the proposal be funded.
12. Data Management Plan (maximum 1,500 words). Applications should include an explicit data management component that meets the requirements of the GRP’s data management policy. All observational and modeled data shall be made available with minimal delay to be negotiated with the GRP for each dataset, through submission at least to the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative Information and Data Cooperative (GRIIDC, link) and national archives for use by intermediate and end-users.
13. References Cited
14. Research Involving Human Subjects (if applicable)
III. Project Budget:
- Total budget requested
- Budget justification (maximum 2,000 words). View a sample budget justification.
- Budget Form (use this template). Complete this form to provide information on the proposed budget. Budget requests should be developed commensurate with the support needed to achieve the project goals.
- Sub-award to FFRDCs or UARCs (if applicable). The FFRDC(s) and/or UARC(s) named as sub-awardees in the Full Proposal must have the authority to obtain funding for work outside of the relevant federal sponsor contract and not be proposing to do work that is otherwise being done under the federal sponsor contact.
IV. Resumes: A resume is required for the Project Director and every individual identified as Key Personnel. Resumes may not exceed two pages per person. See resume specifications for additional guidance. All resumes should be combined and uploaded as a single PDF document. Resumes for Individuals not named as a Project Director or Key Personnel in the “Project Personnel” section should not be included. It is the responsibility of the Project Director to ensure that the Key Personnel listed in the “Project Personnel” section are correct and match the resumes submitted.
V. Letter of Commitments: Applicants may upload a PDF with letters of commitment from collaborators or organizations/individuals anticipated to inform or participate in the project in a substantial way. Each letter of commitment should be brief and no longer than one page. Letters of commitment must not include itemized budgets or other information that is required in other sections of the application. All letters of support should be combined into a single PDF before uploading as an attachment.
VI. Current and Pending Support Form (use this template): Complete this form to provide information on support from projects or activities currently underway and pending support for future projects or activities of the Project Director and all Key Personnel named in the “Project Personnel” section. All current or pending support from whatever source (e.g., federal, state, local or foreign government agencies, public or private foundations, industrial or other commercial organizations) must be listed for every member of the project team. The project proposed in this application and all other projects or activities requiring a portion of time of the Project Director or Key Personnel must be included, even if an individual receives no salary support from the projects or activities. If an individual does not have any other current or pending support or is unable to document that information for whatever reason, that must be indicated within the section of the form for that individual. The total award amount for the entire award period covered (including indirect costs) must be shown as well as the number of person-months per year to be devoted to the project, regardless of source of support. It is the responsibility of the Project Director to ensure that the Key Personnel listed in the “Project Personnel” section are correct and match those listed in the Current and Pending Support Form.
VII. Collaborators and Other Affiliations Form (use this template): The purpose of this form is to help us eliminate potential conflicts of interest during our reviewer recruitment. Complete this form to provide information on the following for the Project Director and all Key Personnel named in the “Project Personnel” section:
- All persons (including their current organizational affiliations) who are currently or who have been collaborators (i.e., an individual with whom you work closely to co-design or conduct a project) or co-authors with the individual on a project, book, article, report, abstract, or paper during the 48 months preceding the submission of the application.
- The individual’s own graduate and postdoctoral advisor(s) and their current organizational affiliations.
- All persons (including their current organizational affiliations) with whom the individual has had an association as a graduate or postdoctoral advisor.
If an individual does not have any collaborators or other affiliations pertaining to the above situations, that must be indicated within the section of the form for that individual. It is the responsibility of the Project Director to ensure that the Key Personnel listed in the “Project Personnel” section are correct and match those listed in the Collaborators and Other Affiliations Form.
VIII. Optional Attachment:
- Equations and visual elements: The text box for the “Project Description” does not support equations or visual elements (e.g., figures, tables, images, maps). Applicants may upload a single PDF document with 1) a one-page list of equations and 2) up to eight visual elements, each on one page, to support the information included in the project description. Visual elements must be labeled sequentially (e.g., Figure 1, Table 1). The total number of pages of visual elements in the PDF may not exceed eight pages. Only equations and visual elements can be included in this attachment and only information that is directly relevant to the equations or visual elements included (e.g., figure legends) is acceptable. Attempts to use this attachment to provide any information beyond this stated purpose may result in removal of the attachment from the review process.
