THE COOPERATIVE INSTITUTE FOR COASTAL AND ESTUARINE ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY (CICEET)

FY’ 2003 Request for Preliminary Proposals

November 22, 2002
The NOAA/UNH Cooperative Institute for Coastal and Estuarine Environmental Technology (CICEET), located at the University of New Hampshire, is inviting preliminary proposals for project funding consideration. This request for preliminary proposals includes information on the (I) background; (II) mission and goals of CICEET; (III) general guidelines and project requirements; (IV) FY 2002 priority areas for research and development; (V) guidelines for preparing preliminary proposals; (VI) criteria for proposal evaluation (VII), and guidelines for full proposal evaluation. The deadline for receipt of preliminary proposal submissions is 4:00 PM, EST, January 7, 2003.

All preliminary proposal applicants are required to submit a standard title page, standard budget page and to respond in narrative form to Section V. B. - Part 1. Those investigators who are proposing new activities that are a "follow-up" to a current or recently completed CICEET project are required to submit additional information outlined in Section V. B. - Part 2 with their the preliminary proposal submission.

I. Background
The Cooperative Institute for Coastal and Estuarine Environmental Technology (CICEET) was established in 1997 as a national center for the development and application of innovative environmental technologies for monitoring, management, and prevention of contamination in estuaries and coastal waters. The Institute is a unique partnership between the University of New Hampshire (UNH) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and promotes collaboration among academia, government, and the private sector. CICEET is governed by a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between NOAA and the University of New Hampshire and is jointly managed by UNH and NOAA Co-Directors. CICEET uses the capabilities of UNH, the private sector, academic and public research institutions throughout the U.S. as well as the twenty-five reserves in the National Estuarine Research Reserve System to develop and apply new environmental technologies and techniques.

CICEET's unique role is that of developing innovative and transferable technologies and techniques directly applicable to the management of estuarine and coastal systems. Activities of CICEET complement several other programs of the National Ocean Service (NOS), NOAA, and other federal, state, and local agencies. Additionally, CICEET emphasizes collaboration with the private sector to commercialize key environmental technologies. CICEET places significant emphasis on getting information and technology into the hands of end users and decision makers, building the skills necessary to properly use new approaches through training, and ensuring the implementation of technologies.

II. Mission and Goals
CICEET's mission is to understand and reverse the impacts of coastal and estuarine contamination through the development and application of innovative environmental technologies and methods.

Operationally, CICEET is:

• A national center fostering collaboration between academia, government and the private sector
• Committed to interdisciplinary work
• Problem driven and solution oriented
• Focused on estuarine and coastal issues of national concern
• Timely and effective in providing service to users
• Dedicated to improving the capabilities of scientists and managers
• Using the National Estuarine Research Reserve System as platforms for research and technology development

The overarching goal of CICEET is to enhance the capacity of coastal resource managers and local decision-makers to prevent and mitigate anthropogenic contamination and degradation of coastal and estuarine ecosystems through the development, application and distribution of technology and information. We achieve this goal through the development and integration of monitoring, modeling and mitigation strategies and by transferring methods, technology and information to the end users.

Specific goals are to insure that:

1. New and innovative technologies and methods are available to solve anthropogenic contamination problems and to address the need for restoration in the estuarine and coastal environment.
2. New and innovative technologies and methods are effectively applied to coastal resource management through synthesis, integration, training and tool development.
3. NERRS have enhanced capacities to understand and manage estuarine ecosystems.

III. General Guidelines and Project Requirements
This RFP solicits projects that support the mission and goals of the Cooperative Institute, including the use of NERRS as platforms for developing and applying innovative environmental technologies that address anthropogenic contamination and degradation of estuarine and coastal ecosystems. Up to $3 million is available to fund projects under this solicitation. A mix of one and two year projects is strongly desired, and some three-year projects will be considered. CICEET will fund projects for up to two years from FY 2003 funds. Funding for the third year of approved projects may be requested in a future solicitation. In the most recent CICEET competitive funding cycle, project awards averaged approximately $100,000 per year and ranged from $75,000 to $135,000 per year. These figures are to be used as guidelines for preliminary proposals submitted in response to this solicitation. The maximum allowable indirect cost rate is 46%. Private sector applicants may not include fee or profit in their budget requests.

Projects must be conducted in a NERRS site or its watershed and have a demonstrable connection to the NERR. Projects may involve multiple components within a single NERR site, multiple NERR sites or the entire NERR system. Applicants must discuss proposed projects with appropriate NERR and state CZM Managers prior to preliminary proposal submission to ensure the project's relevancy and compatibility with NERRS and CZM program goals. Be advised that letters of support from host NERR sites will be required with full proposal submissions. Investigators from academic, state and local government, non-profit institutions and the private sector are invited to apply. Federal agency personnel may be eligible provided they can document statutory authority to supplement their appropriations with funds from other federal programs and entities. Such documentation must be submitted with the preliminary proposal. Federal applicants may not request salary compensation.

The location of NERRS sites can be found on the CICEET website by selecting the link to "External Links" on the left hand menu bar. Similarly, the contact information for NERRS and CZM Managers can be obtained by going to the CICEET website and selecting the link for "Funding Opportunities" on the left hand menu bar.

Proposal Deadline
The deadline for proposal receipt is 4:00 PM, Friday, January 7, 2003. Applications must be made using the application and budget summary format provided in section V. of this announcement. We are in the process of transitioning to online proposal submission and for FY'03 will be requiring submission of both an electronic version as well as one signed hard copy of all preliminary proposals. The submission requirements are outlined below:

As stated above, you are required to submit two versions of your preliminary proposal.

You must submit:

1. An electronic submission as an e-mail attachment. Electronic submissions must be received no later than 4:00 PM EST, January 7, 2003. After 4 PM EST, you will receive an auto reply stating that we are no longer accepting proposals. Send your preliminary proposal as an e-mail attachment to amy.rowe@unh.edu. There are two acceptable electronic formats. A PDF document is highly preferred, however, you need to have Adobe Acrobat to create a PDF. If you do not have Acrobat, we will also accept the text as a Microsoft Word Document and the budget as an Excel document.
   
   
2. One signed hard copy (for our files). Due no later than Friday, January 17, 2002. Please mail your hard copy to:

   Amy Rowe
   CICEET
   ETB Room 144
   35 Colovos Road
   Durham, NH 03824-3534

Notification and invitations for full proposal submission will occur during the week of January 20, 2003 with a deadline for submission of full proposals of March 20, 2003.

All inquiries shall be directed to:

Richard Langan, Ph.D.
UNH CICEET Co-Director
Environmental Technology Building
University of New Hampshire
35 Colovos Road
Durham, NH 03824
Phone: (603) 862-0190, Fax: (603) 862-2940
rlangan@cisunix.unh.edu

or

Dwight Trueblood, Ph.D.
NOAA CICEET Co-Director
Environmental Technology Building
University of New Hampshire
35 Colovos Road
Durham, NH 03824
Phone: (603) 862-3580, Fax: (603) 862-2940
Dwight.Trueblood@noaa.gov

IV. FY 2002 Priority areas for Research and Development
Projects under this year's request for preliminary proposals must address one of the following coastal management issues and include one or more of the activities listed under each issue. Emphasis should be placed on technology development and/or innovative application of technologies and methods when developing project proposals.

1) Microbial contaminants

• Develop and/or apply novel and cost-effective technologies to eliminate or reduce microbial contaminants from point and nonpoint sources (e.g. wastewater, urban stormwater, agricultural runoff, boats, etc.)
• Develop and/or apply novel and cost-effective technologies and methods to identify sources (including human vs. non-human) of microbial contaminants
• Develop new sensors to detect and quantify microbial contaminants in the environment

2) Toxic contaminants

• Develop and/or apply novel and cost-effective methods for reducing or eliminating toxic contaminants from wastewater and stormwater
• Develop and/or apply novel and cost-effective technologies to remediate contaminated sediments and water
• Develop new sensors to detect and quantify toxic contaminants in the environment

3) Nutrient Enrichment and Eutrophication

• Develop and/or apply novel and cost-effective methods for reducing or eliminating nutrients from wastewater and stormwater
• Develop better waste management technologies and strategies to reduce nutrient impacts from agriculture on coastal and estuarine ecosystems
• Develop methods to evaluate the effectiveness of best management practices for reducing nutrient loading from agricultural, residential and commercial sources
• Develop and/or apply novel techniques to mitigate impacts of nutrient enrichment on estuarine and coastal habitats

4) Habitat degradation/loss and habitat restoration

• Develop innovative and cost effective technologies to restore coastal and estuarine habitat
• Develop novel applications of data acquisition and processing technologies (e.g. satellite and airborne imagery, in-situ sensors, acoustic techniques, GIS, etc) to detect habitat change
• Develop novel applications of technologies (e.g. satellite and airborne imagery, in-situ sensors, GIS, etc) to predict the effects of land use practices on contaminant input to estuarine and coastal ecosystems

5) Synthesis, integration and transfer of environmental data and information pertinent to coastal management issues 1, 2, 3 and 4 above

• Develop innovative methods to disseminate and improve access to environmental data and information
• Develop user-friendly interfaces and easily understandable output products for predictive models
• Develop innovative strategies for providing effective management tools to coastal managers and local decision makers

V. Preliminary Proposal Preparation Guidelines
Please use the following (V. A.) title page format; (V. B.) narrative guidelines; and (V. C.) standard budget page for the preparation of preliminary proposals. A Word version of the standard title page and an Excel version of the standard budget page can be downloaded from the CICEET web site. The proposal narrative must address in order, all ten elements listed using a maximum of three single spaced pages and a minimum of #12 font. Please include a one-page CV for each investigator listed on the title page. The cover page, standard budget page, CVs and literature cited are not included in the three- page limit. Institutional documentation of federally negotiated indirect cost rates and internal grant and contract documentation is not required for preliminary proposals. Please note that while three-year projects may be proposed, only funds for the first two years may be requested.

V. A. Title page format

The Cooperative Institute for Coastal and Estuarine Environmental Technology (CICEET)
FY’2003 Preliminary Proposal Application

Project Title:

Project Duration:

FY 2003 CICEET Funds Requested: Year 1: Year 2: Total:

Project Coordinator: (Lead principal investigator)

Name:

Position and Institutional Affiliation:

Address:

Phone: Fax: e-mail:

Additional Investigator (s): (Provide names and affiliations)

NERR site(s):

Project Coordinator’s Signature:_______________________________Date:_____________

V. B. Preliminary Proposal Narrative:

Each of the following elements must be addressed in order

Part 1 - New project proposals (three page maximum).

1. Describe the coastal/estuarine management problem or issue to be addressed by the project. Include its national/regional/local significance. Provide the names of NERR, CZM, state and local personnel contacted regarding project relevancy.
2. Describe the project objectives and how they relate to specific CICEET goals and objectives.
3. Describe the methodologies that will be used to meet project objectives.
4. Indicate the timeline for meeting project objectives.
5. Describe how the proposed technology, methodology or information transfer technique is innovative or novel.
6. Describe how the proposed technology, methodology, information transfer technique may be applied to other coastal and estuarine locations.
7. Describe the end product (technology, method, information) and its utility to the coastal management community. Please indicate the time frame within which the technology or method can be applied.
8. Describe the roles and responsibilities of the project participants. Attach a separate one page CV for each investigator listed on the title page. (Note: the CVs are not included in the three-page limit).
9. Describe how the project results will be disseminated to the estuarine and coastal management community.
10. Describe the project’s involvement with or relationship to the private sector.

Part 2 - Additional information required for "follow on" proposals to previously funded CICEET projects only (three page maximum)

1. Provide the current or past project title and names of the principal investigators.
2. List the start and end dates of the project.
3. Briefly describe project objectives, related accomplishments and deliverables
4. Describes any problems you encountered and how they were addressed. Were there any changes to the original objectives or methods during the execution of the project?
5. Describe the management utility of the end products of the project. Identify users of the end products.
6. List any presentations, manuscripts, theses and dissertations resulting from the project.
7. List any other efforts for technology transfer and information dissemination (e.g. websites, CD ROMs, stakeholder meetings, training programs, technology tool, products, etc.).
8. Provide information on intellectual property rights, invention disclosures, patents, copyrights, licensing, etc. resulting from the project.
9. Provide information on private sector partnerships and commercial production.
10. Provide information on the use of the technology or method by coastal/estuarine scientists and managers.
11. Provide information of any environmental improvements, either at the project location or at other locations resulting from the technology or method.
12. Provide justification for continued work on the topic. How will the utility of the current or past project results be improved by the proposed new activities? Does the endpoint of the proposed work represent an incremental step or a final product?

VI. Preliminary proposal evaluation
A CICEET review committee composed of personnel from NOAA, UNH and other academic or government institutions will evaluate preliminary proposals. Selections for full proposal submission will be made using the following programmatic evaluative criteria (Note: evaluative criteria are weighted as indicated).

1. Does the proposed project clearly address one or more of the priority coastal management issues listed in Section IV? (15%)
2. Have the appropriate NERR and/or CZM personnel been contacted regarding local research, technology and/or information priorities? (5%)
3. Are project objectives consistent with the mission, goals and objectives of CICEET? (15%)
4. Is the technology or methodology to be developed or applied novel or innovative? (15%)
5. Is the proposed technology/methodology transferable to other estuarine and coastal locations? (15%)
6. Is the proposed project likely to have significant impact of coastal /estuarine science or management? (15%)
7. Will the end product (technology, method, or information) be useful to coastal managers within a reasonable time period? (5%)
8. Does the proposed project include strategies for technology transfer/information dissemination to the estuarine and coastal management community? (10%)
9. Is there private sector involvement or potential for commercialization? (5%)