Research projects selected in this competition will be funded for a period of two years. The following are key dates associated with the project cycle. Florida Sea Grant is coordinating the review process for this competition, in coordination with the Sea Grant programs of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Puerto Rico. Funding for this project is provided by the National Sea Grant Office of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, US Department of Commerce.

2012
June 1	Call for Proposals is released
July 16	Full proposals are due online to Florida Sea Grant
August	Technical panel meets for rating of proposals
August	Faculty are notified of the outcome of review process
September 3	Letter response to peer reviews is provided by PI to Florida Sea Grant
September 10	Highest-rated proposal(s) are submitted to National Sea Grant Office for concurrence
October 1	Research project(s) start [this is an anticipated date]

Annual reports are due 90 days following the first anniversary of the actual start date, and a final report is due 90 days following the second anniversary of the actual project start date.

Priority Topic

The research proposal must explicitly address one or more of the priorities listed in section B of this document. Researchers selected for funding must work with our regional outreach team (comprised of Extension Agents from the Sea Grant programs of the four states and commonwealth) throughout the project in order to develop education and outreach materials related to the outcomes of the project. Projects must be directed at identifying and testing methods to help eradicate or reduce the spread of lionfish in the South Atlantic and/or Caribbean Regions. Projects that simply provide information about lionfish biology, ecology or their impacts will not be sent out for review.

Description of Sea Grant in the Southeast Atlantic and Caribbean Regions

The five Sea Grant programs of the southeast Atlantic and Caribbean Regions are part of the National Sea Grant College Program (NSG). Our mission is to provide integrated research, education, communications and extension to enhance the responsible use and conservation of coastal and marine resources to create a sustainable economy and environment. NSG is authorized by federal legislation and is a part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Department of Commerce. The state/commonwealth programs receive their federal funds, including funds for this regional competition, from NSG. Sea Grant programs function as a partnership of universities, marine industries, citizens and government. The research skills of university scientists from all disciplines related to ocean and coastal topics are combined with a strong commitment to make research findings available to a wide audience through a network of extension and education specialists.

Review Criteria for this Call for Proposals

A rigorous, transparent and objective peer review process is the responsibility of the Directors of the five Sea Grant programs coordinating this competition. Oversight of the peer review process is the responsibility of a program monitor assigned by the National Sea Grant Office. For this regional competition, Florida Sea Grant will collect confidential online reviews from disciplinary experts, and will coordinate the work of a panel of scientists recognized for their expertise related to lionfish and fisheries research. The panel will consider the independent online reviews, their own reviews, and input from the five Sea Grant Directors in recommending a proposal or multiple proposals for funding that best address the priorities in Section B with rigorous cutting-edge science. Three criteria will be used by reviewers, panel members and the Directors to evaluate your proposal:

1. Scientific or Professional Merit -- the degree to which the proposed project addresses one or more of the priority issues in section B through the use of rigorous cutting edge science.
2. Expected Results, Applications and Benefits -- the degree to which the completed project is likely to contribute to development of methods that can be used to reduce or eradicate populations of lionfish and/or reduce their ecological impacts in the southeast Atlantic and Caribbean regions.
3. Investigator Qualifications -- the degree to which principal investigators are qualified by their education, training, and/or experience to execute the proposed activity. This will be judged on the basis of peer-reviewed journal articles written by the principals in the subject area of the proposal and their track records regarding outcomes from previous federal funding.

Size of Grant Award and Special Award Conditions

The maximum award, including federal overhead, will be $75,000 per year ($150,000 total) for no more than one project per region (total two projects), that each focuses on either the southeast Atlantic (offshore NC, SC, GA and FL) or the Caribbean (Puerto Rico and larger Caribbean region) OR $150,000 per year ($300,000 total) for one project that comprehensively addresses the entire geographic region encompassed by the five Sea Grant programs.

For each federal dollar, a 50% matching fund commitment is required (i.e., every two federal dollars must be matched by one dollar from non-federal sources). The total amount of funds available in this competition is $150,000 per year for two years ($300,000).

Principal investigators must have expertise in the subject area of one or more of the research priorities, as documented by peer-reviewed journal articles in their biographical sketch, and they must mentor and financially support (all or in part) at least one student with funds from the award. For proposals that address the entire geographic region, there must be at least one lead PI from the NOAA US Caribbean Region (Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands) and one lead PI from the NOAA Southeastern Atlantic Region (NC, SC, GA or FL). For proposals that address only one region, the lead PI must be from that particular NOAA Region.

It is critical to the success of this project that research be integrated effectively with outreach. We have assembled a team of Sea Grant outreach experts who will work closely with the selected PI(s) to ensure that this integration occurs. The PI will be expected to have regular meetings, in person or by teleconference, with the outreach team to develop the details of the approach to be taken once their project is selected for funding. Funding for the outreach team is provided outside of the research component of this regional project, so it is not necessary to budget for outreach work.

Eligibility

Applicants must meet the expertise and student mentorship requirements in paragraph above. Note that funds are provided on a reimbursable basis. Federal agencies and their personnel are not permitted to receive federal funding under this competition; however, federal scientists can serve as uncompensated partners or co-Principal Investigators on research proposals.