2012 Request for Cooperative Project Proposals on Coastal Storms and their Impacts

Proposal deadline passed.

WEBINARS: 3 FEB, 8 FEB DETAILS HERE

We are seeking project ideas related to Coastal Storms and their Impacts in western Alaska for potential funding in 2012. Total available funding is uncertain at this time, however, the Cooperative may have up to $1 Million dollars to distribute for projects in 2012; project selection will occur in early April. This is the start of a two-year pilot program funding multiple projects on this topic (e.g. in 2013 we will remain focused on coastal storms and their impacts, though the emphasis areas may differ from this year's).

Successful projects will demonstrate how the WALCC adds value to existing efforts in western Alaska and helps partners address shared science needs. Proposals supported by the program are intended to produce both short term results and longer term benefits to an array of stakeholders. To the extent possible, Principal Investigators (PI) of successful proposals will be asked to coordinate activities with other selected projects to provide for the greatest opportunity for integration.

Further Background on the Pilot Program is here.

RFP Topics of Interest

We will consider proposals in four areas of science needs related to Coastal Storms and their Impacts in western Alaska.

  1. Shorefast ice dynamics

    Develop and apply methods to document shorefast ice characteristics and long-term dynamics. Of particular interest are ice timing, residency, extent and characteristics (i.e. from slush to solid). Ultimately, the WALCC is interested in synthesizing long-term shorefast ice dynamics and relating it to existing data on nearshore salinity, biological populations and ecological processes. Proposals that use readily available data (such as the National Ice Center "ice charts") or imagery (such as MODIS) will be preferred.

  2. Local involvement in monitoring coastal dynamics

    Instrumentation to document changes in relative sea level, wave height, storm surge extent, shorefast ice dynamics and coastal erosion in western Alaska are extremely limited. However, residents of coastal communities across western Alaska observe these changes as they occur throughout the year, offering a potential source of baseline information for assessing storm effects. Successful proposals will develop, test, demonstrate, and/or expand approaches that utilize the expertise of local residents to provide data for assessing or strengthening physical models of coastal processes.

  3. Effects of changes in coastal storms on coastal biological resources (including subsistence resources and habitats)

    This is an open category where we are willing to entertain a wide range of ideas on this topic. Keep in mind that our mission focuses this category on the marine-terrestrial linkages rather than purely marine topics. Ultimately, the WALCC is interested in understanding the relationships between storms, habitat change, and biological resources. However, we will also consider proposals predominantly focused on physical processes and system drivers if the linkages to biological resources and habitats are made clear and the final product includes a framework outlining how the results can be used to determine impacts on biological resources.

    We foresee three broad types of proposals in this category:

    • synthesis or integration of existing data;
    • data collection or methods development;
    • physical modeling and vulnerability assessments of biological resources and their habitats.

  4. Opportunities to leverage deployment of instrumentation or data collection

    We will consider proposals for the purchase of instrumentation, or expansion of data collection efforts, for measuring parameters associated with coastal storms or their impacts if the proposal leverages planned deployment/collection activities. For example, through proposing to expand the spatial coverage or increase the spatial density of an instrument deployment already funded by another entity or organization. Parameters of particular interest include relative sea level, wave height, tides, storm surge, nearshore bathymetry and topography, salinity, etc.

To submit a proposal (all relevant documents and links are provided below):

  1. Read the Request for Proposals Guidance document. This provides full details on the request, guidance on the submission and selection processes, and the evaluation criteria.
    WALCC 2012 RCP Guidance (PDF - 214 KB)

  2. Prepare your proposal following the guidance provided and as outlined in the proposal template.
    WALCC 2012 RFP Template (DOC - 42 KB)

  3. Submission:
    Proposals must be submitted by close of business Alaska Standard Time on 1 March 2012.

Proposals submitted by NON-FEDERAL entities must be submitted via www.grants.gov.
Please be sure to file as much of the information via www.grants.gov as possible.

See Announcement #F12AS00052 or search under the keywords 'Western Alaska Landscape Conservation Cooperative (WALCC)' at www.grants.gov. The announcement should be available by COB 1 February 2012.

Further Information

Two webinars will be held to explain the RFP and respond to questions: February 3rd at 11:00am Alaska Standard Time (AST) and February 8th at 1:00pm AST. Details are here.

For additional questions, please contact Joel Reynolds, Western Alaska LCC Science Coordinator, at 907-786-3914 (Joel_Reynolds [at] fws [dot] gov) or Karen Murphy, Western Alaska LCC Coordinator, at 907-786-3501 (Karen_Murphy [at] fws [dot] gov).