Oregon Sea Grant

Oregon Sea Grant is temporarily suspending our Program Development Grants until we have a better handle on our federal budget allocation. In the meantime, please feel free to contact us to discuss your potential project ideas.

Seed money for great and creative ideas

In addition to competitive grants awarded on a two-year cycle, Oregon Sea Grant offers modest grants for project opportunities or special needs that arise between the regular application periods, when resources are available. These funds generally are not intended to supplement an existing project, but rather:

• to start up promising new lines of inquiry
• to provide seed money for exploratory or high risk efforts in an Oregon Sea Grant priority topic
• to catalyze multidisciplinary or regional efforts
• to respond to urgent needs or unforeseen opportunities that require a timely effort

Please contact Sarah Kolesar at Oregon Sea Grant to discuss your proposed project ideas before submitting a Program Development proposal.

We strongly encourage you to familiarize yourself with Oregon Sea Grant’s current research projects and strategic investments, available on our website.

About Program Development Grants

Normally, Program Development grants are modest in size (Direct costs are not to exceed $6800) and should generally be one year or less in duration. In exceptional and rare cases, larger efforts may be considered. Such larger proposals will probably be sent out for external peer review and require National Sea Grant Office approval.

Before submitting a Program Development proposal, it is required that you first contact Oregon Sea Grant by phone or e-mail to discuss your concept.

Program Development proposals may be submitted at any time. Awards are contingent on available funds. We will generally provide you with a decision within 4 weeks, although sometimes the process may take longer.

Your proposal, based on the outline below, should not exceed 3 text pages. We need clear, but brief answers to the questions posed in the outline. If we need additional details, we will contact you. Please submit your request by e-mail as either a Word or PDF document to seagrant.admin@oregonstate.edu.

Proposal Format

1. Title/contact information

List a descriptive title, followed by name of Principal Investigator (PI), institutional affiliation, and contact information (please be sure to include your e-mail address).

2. What problem or opportunity is to be addressed?

A clear and precise statement establishing the significance, relevance, timeliness, generalizability, and benefits of the project is essential. Indicate the current status of knowledge concerning the problem or opportunity to be addressed, including a summary of previous applicable research with relevant citations from the literature.

3. List Objectives.

Provide your specific objectives in a numbered list format. You should ask yourself whether these objectives, as stated, will result in outcomes that will allow you or Oregon Sea Grant to discern that this project has been successful, and not just completed.

4. Describe how you will approach this problem or opportunity.

Concisely present information on the approach to be used and the general methodology that will be employed. Also, how will affected individuals be involved in developing the proposal and carrying out the project?

5. Discuss who will use the findings of the proposed project and who will be affected by or benefit from the findings of this project.

What would be the best way to communicate or demonstrate the project results? Also list any anticipated partners or co-sponsors for this work.

6. Answer the perennial question: "So what?" What will result because you conducted this project?

Describe the kinds of potential outcomes or impacts that might be seen and measured. How soon after project completion might these impacts occur? Will the anticipated benefits of the project have practical applications? Will they lead to new understanding, attitudinal or behavioral changes, economic or legal improvements, etc.?

7. Personnel

Who will be involved in the project? List names and institutional affiliations, and briefly explain specific roles and qualifications (you may submit a one-page biographical sketch for yourself if you wish, but this is not necessary). Please list all formal project partners.

8. Budget and budget justification [on separate pages]

Please use the budget format to show how much, to the nearest dollar, is requested. Direct expenses cannot exceed $6800.

In a narrative budget justification, explain the following: How will the requested funds be used? What non-Sea Grant funds, if any, will be used to complete the project? Please itemize any cost-share. Why are the requested Sea Grant funds and non-Sea Grant funds needed to complete the project? Please detail the need for any supplies and services, travel, subcontracts, tuition, or any other items (Note: any items over $5,000 or international travel require special approval).

Budget Format

A. Personnel Salary or Wages (Name, FTE or man months, and dollars requested for each project member)

B. Personnel Benefits (Name, rate, and dollars requested for each project member)

C. Total Personnel (Total of A. and B.)

D. Supplies and Services (Give a total and explain in general in the Budget Justification; note, items over $5,000 require special approval)

E. Travel (As in D. International travel requires special approval)

F. Other costs (Subcontracts, tuition, or costs not included in any category above. Explain in the Budget Justification)

G. Total Direct costs (Add C. through F).

H. Indirect costs (Current OSU rates and guidelines available from the OSU Sponsored Programs website. Institutions external to Oregon State University may claim up to 15% in indirect costs. OSG Guidance Memo on Indirect Costs Charges on Program Development Awards.  Attach the Federal indirect rate agreement for your institution if you are not affiliated with OSU.

I. Total Requested (Add G and H)

E-mail your proposal, in MS Word or PDF format, to:

seagrant.admin@oregonstate.edu