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

FY’ 2003 Request for Technology Transfer Proposals

November 26, 2002 The NOAA/UNH Cooperative Institute for Coastal and Estuarine Environmental Technology (CICEET), located at the University of New Hampshire, is inviting proposals to develop and implement technology transfer activities for technologies developed with prior CICEET funding. This request for full proposals includes information on the (I) CICEET program overview; (II) mission and goals of CICEET; (III) rational and intent of this solicitation; (IV) general guidelines and project requirements; (V) guidelines for preparing proposals; (VI) criteria for proposal evaluation; and (VII) a timeline for submission, review, notification and project start date. The deadline for receipt of proposal submissions is 4:00 PM, January 22, 2003.

All proposal applicants are required to submit a standard title page, standard budget page and to respond in narrative form to Section VI-B-Part 1.

Proposals must be received by CICEET on or before January 22, 2003.

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. The Institute 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 the UNH, private sector, and academic and public research institutions throughout the U.S. as well as the twenty-five reserves in the National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) 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:

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. Rationale and Intent of this Solicitation
CICEET considers goals 1 and 2 as essentially a two-stage process for technology implementation, with the initial stage being technology development. CICEET addresses goal 1 through competitively awarded project funding and since 1998, has supported nearly 100 research and development projects through its annual competitive grants program. While technology development is clearly a core function of the Institute, ensuring that CICEET technologies are effectively used for managing coastal ecosystems is equally important. Therefore we consider the process to be completed only if and when the end users of the technology are aware of its utility, and if the technology is readily available and in use for coastal management and decision making. We recognize that while technology developers may be highly successful in the initial or development stage of the process, additional skills and personnel may be required to successfully transfer technologies to the end users. The purpose of the request for proposals is to provide an opportunity to complete the technology implementation process through the development of strategies and actions that will effectively transfer a technology developed through prior CICEET funding.

We envision several different scenarios under which this can be accomplished. The principal or associate scientist/engineer may take the initiative and recruit professionals with appropriate skills from academia or the private sector to accomplish technology transfer. Conversely, technology transfer professionals are encouraged to contact project investigators (from the list of completed projects) and take on the lead role for transfer activities with the participation of one or more project investigators. Either way, we envision the team to be somewhat different than the original group of investigators, and to include skill and experience in the second phase of the technology implementation process.

IV. General Guidelines and Project Requirements
This RFP solicits projects that address goal 2. listed in Section II of this announcement. Up to $500,000 is available to fund projects under this solicitation. Projects eligible for technology transfer funds include all CICEET-funded projects completed by January 1, 2003. A list of eligible projects and contact information for principal investigators is located on the CICEET website (http://ciceet.unh.edu). Select the link for "Funding Opportunities" then the link for "Technology Transfer Proposals". Technology transfer professionals responding to this solicitation are encouraged to review project-specific information on CICEET’s online database. The database can be accessed on CICEET’s website by selecting "Projects" from the tabs at the top of the homepage and typing in either the project title or the principle investigator’s last name.

Projects of one-year duration are strongly encouraged though some two-year projects may be considered. 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 proposal. Federal applicants may not request salary compensation.

Proposal Deadline
The deadline for proposal receipt is 4:00 PM, Wednesday, January 22, 2003. Applications must be made using the application and budget summary format provided in section V of this announcement. An original plus nine copies of each proposal must be received by CICEET at the University of New Hampshire on or before 4:00 PM, Wednesday, January 22, 2003. Handwritten, facsimile transmissions, or late proposals will not be accepted. Proposals that do not follow the guidelines will not be considered. Please attach contact information for your institution’s sponsored research office and a copy of the most recently negotiated indirect cost agreement between your institution and the federal government. CICEET places a non-negotiable 46% cap on indirect costs.

Please submit one original and nine copies to:

Richard Langan, Ph.D.
UNH CICEET Co-Director
Environmental Technology Building
University of New Hampshire
35 Colovos Road
University of New Hampshire
Durham, NH 03824

Please direct all inquiries 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

V. 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 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 15 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 15-page limit.

V. A. Title page format

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

Project Title:

Project Duration:

FY 2001 CICEET Funds Requested:

Project Coordinator: (Lead principal investigator)

Name:

Position and Institutional Affiliation:

Address:

Phone:    Fax:     e-mail:

Additional Investigator(s):
(provide name, address and affiliations)

Project Coordinator’s Signature:________________________________Date:_____________

V. B. Proposal Narrative: Each of the following elements must be addressed in order.

  1. Identify the CICEET-funded project and the specific technology to be transferred. How successful was this project in meeting its original objectives?
  2. Identify the coastal contamination or habitat degradation problem for which this technology provides a viable solution. Please be sure to justify the need and utility of the technology for coastal management and environmental improvement.
  3. Clearly identify the end users of the technology.
  4. Clearly state your objectives. Please be specific with regard to expected outcomes (e.g., we expect to identify and get commitment from a commercial partner; we expect that "x" number of people will be using this technology, etc.)
  5. Describe the technology transfer strategy that will be used (e.g., how will you contact and communicate with the end users? What methods will be used to make them aware of the technology and its utility? How will you determine their level of interest in manufacturing, selling, purchasing, or using the technology?)
  6. Describe the methods you will use to evaluate the success of technology transfer (e.g., how will you determine whether and how many people will purchase/adopt the technology?)
  7. Indicate the timeline for completing the project.
  8. Describe the roles and responsibilities of the project participants. Be sure to provide sufficient documentation of experience and success in technology transfer. Remember to attach a separate one page CV for each investigator listed on the title page. (Note: the CVs are not included in the page limit).
  9. Describe how the project results will be disseminated.
  10. Please provide a detailed budget justification

VI. Proposal evaluation
Proposals will be evaluated by written peer review followed by a technical review panel. The criteria by which they will be evaluated and the are:

  1. Did the original CICEET project result in transferable technology that has the potential to benefit coastal management? (15%)
  2. Is the coastal pollution or habitat degradation problem that the technology was developed to address a priority issue for coastal managers? (10%)
  3. Does the technology have the potential to substantially improve the way this problem is currently addressed? (10%)
  4. Have the applicants clearly and correctly identified the target audience or end users? (10%)
  5. Are the objectives clear and are they appropriate? (10%)
  6. Is the proposed strategy for technology transfer likely to be effective? (15%)
  7. Are the methods for evaluating success quantifiable? (10%)
  8. Is the timeline for project completion realistic and appropriate? (5%)
  9. Are the investigators qualified to successfully complete the project? (10%)
  10. Is the budget appropriate for the proposed activities? (5%)

VII. Timeline
Request for Proposals announced November 26, 2002

Proposal Due Date January 22, 2003

Written peer review February-March, 2003

Technical Panel review Week of April 7, 2003

Proposal selected for funding April 11, 2003

Decision letters mailed to applicants April 18, 2003

Funds available to projects September 1, 2003