Environmental Science Program: Academic Minigrants

Posted: 20-Mar-2003; Updated: 21-Mar-2003

Environmental Defense, a national nonprofit environmental organization, requests letters of inquiry from academic scientists that describe research projects that may facilitate the development and/or implementation of sound environmental policy.

Environmental Defense's Environmental Science Program (ESP), funded by the Packard Foundation, is designed to enhance scientific input to nonprofit environmental organizations and to policymakers. The program is aimed at scientists in colleges and universities. The ESP includes not only the Academic Minigrants discussed in this notice, but also NGO (Non-Governmental Organizations) Minigrants, Environmental Defense science internships and fellowships, and collaborative projects with Environmental Defense staff. Through these activities, we are seeking to provide academic scientists with opportunities to apply their expertise in a policy context. We encourage innovative proposals with the potential to leverage significant improvements in environmental protection.

GUIDELINES AND CRITERIA
Letters of Inquiry
*No longer than one page
*Hard copies only; no e-mail submissions
*Maximum request allowed is $15,000
*Letters are due no later than March 29, 2002 (no extensions possible)
*Describe the research project and its relevance to environmental policy (please see topics listed below)
*Include amount of funding requested, and major expenditure items (please see allowable expenses listed below)
*Principal investigator must hold the equivalent of a faculty position at a public or private college or university
*Include your e-mail address

SEND LETTERS TO:
Jenny Chu
Environmental Defense
5655 College Avenue
Oakland, CA 94618
No phone calls please.

Timeline
*Letters of inquiry due Friday, March 29
*Requests for proposals will be sent out Friday, April 26
*Proposals due Friday, May 24
*Award decisions made Friday, June 21

Topics
For this round, Environmental Defense is interested in funding projects concerning the following topics:
*Marine Reserves
*Aquaculture and Terrestrial Animal Feeding Operations
*Ecosystem Restoration
*Endangered Species Conservation
*Invasive Species
*Climate Change

Inquiries will be entertained for work on these topics anywhere in the United States. In addition, special consideration will be given to inquiries for work concerning the Pacific coasts and Pacific territorial waters of the United States (including Hawaii), Mexico, and Canada. Inquiries for funding of work in other countries are discouraged.

Allowable Expenses
*Personnel costs such as graduate students and summer salaries
*Interns
*Related travel
*Related publication costs
*Library or database expenses for research

Costs Not Covered by an Academic Minigrant
*Equipment
*Overhead
*Indirect costs

CRITERIA SPECIFIC TO PROPOSALS

Proposal Guidelines
*Five-page maximum (exclusive of c.v.'s and budget)
*Must include a description of deliverable products such as reports, briefing papers, etc.
*Must include a schedule of activities with a completion date
*Must include information on the principal investigator and any other significant personnel
*Must identify Environmental Defense staff person who has agreed to serve as a contact (not necessary for the letter of inquiry stage
*One copy is sufficient

Proposal Format
*Problem statement
*Methodology or approach
*Relevance to environmental policy
*Description of deliverables
*Personnel
*Schedule of activities with a completion date
*Attachments -- C.V.'s of all personnel and budget with narrative to justify budget categories


Problem Statement -- Briefly describe the scientific question and give some historical context, e.g., if this is an emerging issue or a long-standing and heretofore intractable one. It is important to describe the significance of the problem as well as the manner in which the proposed work will make a contribution to solving or understanding of the problem. If the proposed research will clarify or expand the understanding of the problem, the proposal must explain the need for further problem definition. The problem statement should describe how this research may affect the development or implementation of environmental policy.

Methodology or Approach -- Describe the approach, methodology, and procedures used in the proposed project. If this is a literature review, indicate the topics and means of searching, whether electronic or other. Indicate what sources of information will be accessed -- libraries or other repositories, etc. If the proposed work relies on the collection and analysis of new data, the proposal should describe experimental design, laboratory or field methods, databases, models, software and hardware for analysis, and other relevant details.

Relevance To Environmental Policy -- Describe how this research may inform or encourage environmental policy development or implementation. The product(s) of the research must have some application to policy or public education about environmental issues. This section need not be exhaustive but it must explain the practical application of the research or product of the research. Applicants are reminded that this program is aimed at research efforts that could support environmental policy development.

Personnel -- Indicate who will carry out the research. Include a brief statement of the investigator(s') qualifications and experience with regard to the proposed work. Investigators should expect to interact with Environmental Defense program staff to assure that the final products are user friendly and suitable for the intended purpose, and to facilitate the application of the research to environmental policy development or implementation. Therefore, applicants must identify an Environmental Defense program staff member who has agreed to serve as a contact. Use the Environmental Defense online Expert Guide to help you determine whom to call. You may wish to use the Search feature on the Environmental Defense web site to find additional references to the work of individual staff experts.

Schedule of Activities with Completion Date-- Indicate the schedule and time table for completing drafts of papers or reports, as well a final report on the project to Environmental Defense.

Attachments
c.v.'s of all personnel
budget with narrative to justify categories

If you have further questions, please e-mail them to Jenny Chu, Program Assistant, at
jchu@environmentaldefense.org.

Recipients of Previous Academic Minigrants

2002
*Kathleen Sullivan Sealey, University of Miami
"Coastal Ecology and Development Policy in the Bahamian Archipelago"

*Adrian Treves, University of Wisconsin-Madison
"Control and compensation: strategies for managing wolves on private lands in the Lake Superior Region"

*Sandra J. DeBano, Oregon State University
"Maximizing the success of riparian restoration - examining the importance of scale and isolation"

*Charles H. Peterson, The University of North Carolina
"Assess the ecological impacts of beach nourishment on the sustainability of fisheries, shorebird, and sea turtle habitat provided by the resident invertebrate prey organisms in beach and surf zones"

*Karl Flessa, University of Arizona
"Estimate minimum amount of Colorado River water needed to restore critical parts of the river's estuarine habitat in the northern Gulf of California, Mexico"

*James Herrick, James Madison University
"The impact of agricultural antibiotic use on stream microorganisms: assessing the potential for transfer of multidrug resistance elements from fecal to native stream bacteria"

*Marc Serre/Steve Wing, UNC Chapel Hill
"Use of environmental monitoring and GIS to assess community exposure to air pollutants released from hog CAFOs in Eastern North Carolina"

*Francesco Tubiello, Columbia University
"Increased crop damage in the U.S. from flooding and excess precipitation under climate change:  implications for adaptation and mitigation strategies"

*Ivan Valiela, Boston University
"Advancement of estuarine-load modeling and application"

*John Hoogland, University of Maryland
"Behavioral ecology and conservation of Utah Prairie Dogs"

*Tracy Villareal, University of Texas at Austin
"Toxin-based seafood diseases along the Texas coast:  the threat of ciguatera in relation to habitat modification and range expansions of the causitive organism."

2001
*Dr. Robert K. Cowen, University of Miami
"Modeling the larval dispersal of fishes within the Meso-American Reef system: Towards an optimal marine protected area design"

*Dr. Larry Crowder, Duke University
"To continue the growth, survival, and fecundity monitoring currently underway as well as to study the causes of low reproductive output on the back reef"

*Dr. Fred Cubbage, NC State University
"Assessing the relative impact of property taxes on changes in North Carolina nonindustrial private forests"

*Dr. Sandra Diamond, Texas Tech University
"Locating sites for marine reserves in soft-bottom communities of the Gulf of Mexico"

*Dr. Edward Glenn, University of Arizona
"Finding Land and Water for Ecosystem Restoration in the Delta of the Colorado River"

*Dr. James O. Luken, Northern Kentucky University
"To characterize how the controlled flood regimen has or has not facilitated plant invasions of riparian communities"

*Dr. Tim Magee, University of Colorado at Boulder
"Policy Alternatives for the Lower Colorado River "

*Dr. Charles H. Peterson, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
"To synthesize and interpret information on the biological and economic value of restoring oyster reef habitat and maintaining those reefs as marine reserves to sustain their ecosystem services"

*Dr. Sarah Reichard, University of Washington
"International workshop to address the issue of invasive plants and the role that horticulture plays in their introduction and spread"

*Dr. John M. Rybczyk, Western Washington University
"Determining the effectiveness of the State of Washington's policy for invasive species eradication: Spartina anglica and Spartina alterniflora"

*Dr. James K. Wetterer, Florida Atlantic University
"The distribution, impact, and control of invasive predatory ants in sea turtle nesting areas of Florida"

*Dr. Hal Mooney, Stanford University
"Invasive Alien Species: Horticulture, Trade and Community Awareness"

2000
*Dr. Richard Kosobud, University of Illinois at Chicago
"Will environmental justice concerns slow or halt progress in the further development of emissions tradings programs"

*Dr. Sheldon Krimsky, Tufts University
"Science-based policy in the controversy over genetically modified crops"

*Dr. William Cochlan, San Francisco State University
"The proliferation of fish-killing blooms of Heterosigma akashiwo: Are aquaculture practices a contributing factor?"

*Dr. Matthias Ruth, Boston University
"Effectiveness and economic benefits of Stellwagen Bank Marine Sanctuary"

*Dr. Richard Ambrose, University of California, Los Angeles
"A test of the spillover effect from no-take reserves using benthic rockfish in central California"

*Dr. Kenneth Geiser, Univ. of Massachusetts Lowell
"A clean production workshop for grassroots and environmental justice advocates in Louisiana"

*Dr. James Cowan, Jr., University of South Alabama
"Growth and Reproductive Biology of Red Snapper Lutjanus campechanus East and West of the Mississippi River: Testing the Unit Stock Hypothesis"

*Dr. Harlyn Halvorson, Univ. of Massachusetts, Boston
"Marine aquaculture and the environment: a meeting for stakeholders in the Northeast"

*Felicia Coleman, Florida State University
"Two new marine fishery reserves on the shelf-edge of west Florida: opportunities to investigate fishing effects on benthic communities, habitat, and the demographics of grouper spawning aggregations"

*J. Hall Cushman, Sonoma State University
"Science-based management of invasive species: exploring the effects of feral pigs on California grasslands"

1999
*Quinn Weninger, Utah State University
"Individual fishing quotas in the Gulf of Mexico red snapper fishery"

*Larry Crowder, Duke University
"The effect of habitat on demographic rates of coral reef fish"

*Graham Forrester, University of California/Santa Barbara
"Can we design marine reserves to export larval fishes to surrounding populations? Defining the transport and success of larval rockfishes using chemical markers"

*Mark Ridgley, University of Hawaii at Manoa
"Collaborative resource monitoring and conservation at Helen Reef Atoll, Republic of Palau, Micronesia"

*Ralph Larson, San Francisco State University
"An evaluation of the prospects for marine reserves off the California Channel Islands"

*Charles Peterson, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
"Laying the technical groundwork for an ecosystem-based management of marine fisheries in the Southeast"

*Dennis Willows, University of Washington
"Are marine areas in the Northwest Straits connected by larval dispersal trajectories?"

*Edward Glenn, The University of Arizona
"Water Balance for the Colorado River Delta: How much water is needed to support ecosystem functions?"

*Patrick Kelly, Endangered Species Recovery Program
"Foxes in Farmland: Recovery of the Endangered San Joquin Kit Fox on private lands in California"

*Livingston Marshall, Morgan State University
"The ecosystem function and value of created tidal wetlands in the Upper Chesapeake Bay"

*Hans Paerl, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
"Quantification of fluxes and sources of atmospherically deposited nitrogen (AD-N) in eastern North Carolina"

*Charles Simenstad, University of Washington
"Essential ecological indicator for marsh health"

*John Harte, University of California/Berkeley
"Effects of climate and species mix on forest soil carbon storage"

*Michael Unsworth, Oregon State University
"Reducing greenhouse gas emissions: The university of a microcosm of society"

*Thomas McKone, University of California/Berkeley
"Measures of potential ecological impact for toxic chemicals released to air, soil, and water."

*John Melack, University of California at Santa Barbara
"Evaluate the potential impact of expanded tourism in the Panatal region and its implications for sustainable development"

*Hans Pearl, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
"Study on nitrogen disposition in Eastern North Carolina"

*Edward Glenn, University of Arizona
"To study (on-site) ways to revive the Colorado River delta"

*Princeton University Scientists
"Produce a study, Geographical Distribution of Endangered Species in the U.S."

*Thomas McKone, University of California at Berkeley
"Combining exposure and toxicity information to establish measures of potential health impacts of industrial releases to air, soil, and water"

1995-1998
*John Melack, University of California at Santa Barbara
"Evaluate the potential impact of expanded tourism in the Panatal region and its implications for sustainable development"

*Hans Pearl, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
"Study on nitrogen disposition in Eastern North Carolina

*Edward Glenn, University of Arizona
"To study (on-site) ways to revive the Colorado River delta"

*Princeton University Scientists
"Produce a study, Geographical Distribution of Endangered Species in the U.S."

*Thomas McKone, University of California at Berkely
"Combinib exposure and toxicity information to establish measures of potential health impacts of industrial releases to air, soil, and water"

*Lindsey Rustad, University of Maine
"To co-sponsor a symposium on Controls on soils respiration: implication for climate change"