Sea Turtle Conservation Fund

Spring 2010 Request for Proposals

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation is soliciting conservation grant proposals in the following sea turtle research and conservation priority areas:

1. Research and conservation activities to stabilize and increase Eastern Pacific and Caribbean hawksbill populations.
2. Assessment and mitigation of gillnet bycatch in the waters off Ecuador, Peru, and Chile.
3. Increasing compliance and implementation of TEDs and other bycatch reduction methods in areas of high bycatch in the Western Hemisphere.

Applicants are encouraged to select one topic for each proposal.  Applications outside of these three   priority areas will be considered for funding provided they support the goals and objectives outlined under the NFWF Sea Turtle Conservation Business Plan, but will be a lesser priority for funding.

Eligibility

All persons, organizations, and agencies (excluding U.S. Federal Government) working on projects to increase the populations of North Atlantic leatherbacks and loggerheads, Caribbean hawksbills, Kemps ridley, East Pacific leatherbacks, hawksbills, greens and loggerheads.  Applications for funding for land or easement acquisition, political advocacy, lobbying, or litigation will not be considered.

Proposal Topics

The most competitive projects under the Spring 2010 cycle of the Sea Turtle Conservation Fund will directly implement projects under the following three priority topic areas.  Projects outside of these priority areas or that indirectly influence these topics are still eligible for funding provided they support the goals and objectives as outlined in the Sea Turtle Conservation Business Plan.

1. Research and conservation activities to stabilize/increase Eastern Pacific hawksbills

Projects under this priority will continue efforts to identify priority habitats, increase understanding of threat levels and movement patterns of the population and directly mitigate threats of egg collection, poaching and bycatch.  Geographies under this priority will include but are not limited to work in Mexico, El Salvador, Ecuador and Nicaragua.

2. Assessment and mitigation of gillnet bycatch in the waters off Ecuador -- Chile

Projects under this priority will address two aspects of the bycatch problem, the assessment of turtle bycatch for this region and the implementation of mitigation efforts.  Assessment projects should identify priority ports or fishing grounds that overlay with priority turtle habitat in areas where there is limited information available with the outcome of characterizing ‘Index Ports’ for conservation focus or conservation measures for specific fisheries.  For areas where a high level of turtle bycatch is known or suspected to occur, projects should focus on efforts to reduce bycatch while quantifying the level of the threat.   Competitive projects will combine mitigation efforts with research and assessment efforts to avoid delays in addressing the problem while research is conducted.

3. Increasing TED and other bycatch reduction methods use in areas of high bycatch in the Western Hemisphere

Projects under this priority may work to increase the implementation,   compliance and proper configuration of TEDs in fisheries known to have   little to no compliance. Implementation of other bycatch reduction measures for non-trawl fisheries   are also encouraged under this priority.  Geographies of interest for this priority include the Gulf of Mexico, the Eastern Tropical Pacific and the Southern Caribbean.

Grant Size

The majority of awards under this program will fall in the range of $25,000 to $150,000. However upper or lower limits to award size are not specified.

Grant Period

Projects may extend from one to three years. Additional year funds are not guaranteed to be available in future years to supplement awards made as a result of this review.

Application Guidelines

The following guidelines will be used by an advisory team of experts to evaluate applications requesting support from the Sea Turtle Conservation Fund.

Pre-proposal

All applicants are required to submit an on-line Pre-proposal application form for review.   As part of your on-line application you will be asked to submit a Project Location Characterization Form and a Pre-proposal Narrative in addition to general applicant information.  No additional supporting materials will be accepted during this phase of the review. Failure to follow the length and formatting guidelines will result in disqualification of the pre-proposal.

Project Location Characterization Form

Applicants will be asked to submit information about their project site including relevant information on the location of work, the methods in relation to the scope of the location, the history of work at the location, biological information on the target species, and site specific barriers to conservation. The document should not exceed 2 pages in length, single-spaced with 12-point type. –  Downloadable template will be provided.

Pre-Proposal Narrative

Applicants will be asked to submit a brief proposal narrative that describes the outcomes, activities and monitoring plan of the proposed project. The document should not exceed 2 pages in length, single-spaced with 12-point type. – Downloadable template will be provided.

For additional information fields required in the Pre-proposal please go to: http://www.nfwf.org/applicantinfo.

Full Proposal (by invitation only)

A limited number of pre-proposal applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal to elaborate on their work for a second stage of review. The following information will be required at that time.

Expanded Proposal Narrative – Full Proposal Only

Applicants will be asked to submit an expanded proposal narrative that provides all relevant detail on background, objectives, methodology, results, etc. The document should not exceed 6 pages in length, single-spaced with 12-point type. – Template will be provided.

Budget and Timeline – Full Proposal Only

A budget form will be provided to help the applicant outline in sufficient detail the costs by general category, including salaries, travel, vessel charters, major equipment and supplies, publication costs, and sub-contracts.

For multi-year or multi-stage projects, include a timetable for completion of each phase as a means of gauging progress toward completion of the full proposed effort in the “other” category of the “Uploads” section of the online application.

Short Biography, Research Team Qualifications – Full Proposal Only

Applications should also include a short biography of no more than one paragraph for each key member of the proposal team. Key members are those individuals whose unique background and experience are essential to completion of the project.

Supporting Materials and Letters of Support – Full Proposal Only

If the applicant is invited to submit a full proposal, additional supporting materials such as maps can be included in the “uploads” section of the submission. Applicants also can attach letters of support to their full proposal. These can be particularly relevant in cases of multi-jurisdictional, political, or institutional projects when the proposed work will rely on the data or actions of a third party. However, supplemental materials should be limited to information absolutely essential to understanding the significance, approach, and context of the proposed work.

If relevant, applicants asked to submit full proposals will be required to provide proof of all necessary permits and clearances to comply with the U.S. National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, and any international permits (e.g., CITES) or relevant non-U.S. national, state, or local ordinances.

For additional information fields required in the Full Proposal please go to: http://www.nfwf.org/applicantinfo

Application Process

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation launched an on-line application program in March of 2008. Applicants can find information about the grant applications, including templates and orientation webinars if needed, at http://www.nfwf.org/applicantinfo.

Organizations interested in applying should submit a pre-proposal using NFWF’s online Easygrants system:

1. Applicants should visit http://www.nfwf.org/easygrants and register as a new user (unless you have previously applied to NFWF in the Easygrants system under a different funding opportunity) and then follow the instructions below.
2. Under “Apply for a New Grant”, click the “Start a New Application” link. Select the 'Keystone - Sea Turtle Conservation Spring 2010' funding opportunity.
3. Follow the instructions to complete an eligibility quiz and, if deemed eligible, a pre-proposal.

Pre-proposals must be submitted via the Foundation's online system, in English, and received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on April 1, 2010 (no exceptions). Upon receipt and competitive evaluation of the pre-proposal, the Foundation will invite successful applicants to submit a full proposal. Applicants will be notified by November 30, 2010, as to the status of their preliminary applications and whether they are invited to submit a full proposal. Awards for this program are scheduled to be announced in early April 2010.

For further information on the program or completing the application, please contact Michelle Pico (at 262-567-0601 or pico@nfwf.org).