Date

For more background information on NOAA's Human Dimensions of Global
Change Research Program, see their Information Sheet for FY 2002 at:

http://www.ogp.noaa.gov/c&gc/ao/2002/econhdinfo02.htm

or contact:

Claudia Nierenberg
1100 Wayne Avenue, Suite 1225
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Phone: 301/427-2089 ext 151
E-mail: claudia.nierenberg [at] noaa.gov

Abstracts from awards of projects in previous years and project
summaries from a principal investigators meeting are available on the
NOAA Human Dimensions' web site:

http://www.ogp.noaa.gov/mpe/csi/econhd/index.htm


NOAA's Human Dimensions of Global Change Research Program
(excerpts from Information Sheet, FY 2002)

GOAL
The goal of the NOAA Human Dimensions of Global Change Research (HDGCR)
program element is to advance our understanding of human response to and
planning for the effects of climate variability. The Program has a
distinct emphasis on the incorporation of evolving scientific
information into ongoing decision making processes. There is an emerging
emphasis on the consideration of climate variability, and information
about climate variability, in the context of multiple and interacting
social and environmental stressors. The Program supports investigation
into how decision makers perceive the effects of climate and process new
scientific insights and information relevant to climate and its effects.
To ensure that society as a whole gains from the emerging knowledge and
forecasting capabilities of global change science, we also encourage
research directed toward the nature of participation in these decision
processes and which practices, operations, individuals, and/or
organizations, are affected or influenced by changed decisions. This
Program is designed to advance the knowledge necessary to build local,
regional, and national capacity to reduce vulnerability to climate
related effects.

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION
The full guidelines for proposal submission can be found in the NOAA FY
2002 call for proposals for its Climate and Global Change Grants Program
at: http://www.ogp.noaa.gov. However, investigators are advised to
include the following information in their proposals.

Proposals should sufficiently build on what is already known from the
published literature about the proposed topic (e.g., value of climate
information, decision making under uncertainty, use/transfer of new
scientific information, integrated modeling of natural and human
systems, sectoral analyses). Linkages to the use of specific information
derived from climate prediction should be discussed explicitly; however,
physical science components aimed at improving climate forecasts will
not be supported.

Because of the interdisciplinary nature of the program and the proposals
we receive, it is essential that investigators describe in extensive
detail the proposed methodology and how it will be accomplished.
Investigators need to be explicit about hypotheses to be tested, data to
be collected, analyses to be performed, components of any proposed
modeling, and expected output for theoretical advancement of the topic
area. For proposals from a team of researchers, a plan which includes
the roles of the investigators and how the team will interact and
integrate the multiple components must be clearly specified.

Competition for funding in this program continues to be very strong. The
program normally receives about seventy letters of intent for proposed
research projects, and less than half of those are encouraged for
submission of full proposals. Of the full proposals submitted, only
about 10-15% are selected for funding. Program funds are expected to be
extremely limited again. For further information, contact:

Claudia Nierenberg
1100 Wayne Avenue, Suite 1225
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Phone: 301/427-2089 ext 151
E-mail: claudia.nierenberg [at] noaa.gov

FUNDING AVAILABILITY
Contingent on the availability of funds through the FY 2002 budget
process, up to $1 million may be available for new projects. Please note
that the average funding level is about $100K per year, ranging from
$50K - $140K per year. Applicants are encouraged not to exceed requests
of $150K per year for multi-year projects.