OARS funding Conservation

This program seeks to enhance and expand the national resource of digital data documenting existing vouchered biological and paleontological collections and to advance scientific knowledge by improving access to digitized information (including images) residing in vouchered scientific collections across the United States. The information associated with various collections of organisms, such as geographic, paleogeographic and stratigraphic distribution, environmental habitat data, phenology, information about associated organisms, collector field notes, and tissues and molecular data extracted from the specimens, is a rich resource providing the baseline from which to further biodiversity research and provide critical information about existing gaps in our knowledge of life on earth. The national resource is structured at three levels: a central coordinating organization, a series of thematic networks based on an important research theme, and the physical collections. The national resource builds upon a sizable existing national investment in curation of the physical objects in scientific collections and contributes vitally to scientific research and technology interests in the United States. It will become an invaluable tool in understanding contemporary biological issues and challenges.

OER is seeking pre-proposals and, ultimately, full proposals to support its mission, consistent with NOAA's Next Generation Strategic Plan (http://www.ppi.noaa.gov/wp-acontent/uploads/noaa), to search, investigate, and document poorly-known and unknown ocean areas through interdisciplinary exploration, and to advance and disseminate knowledge of the ocean environment and its physical, chemical, archaeological, and biological resources. The office priorities for this opportunity support NOAA's mission goals of: Healthy Oceans, Climate Adaptation and Mitigation, and Resilient Coastal Communities and Economies, as well as many of the elements of the President's National Ocean Policy. Competitive ocean exploration proposals will be bold, innovative and interdisciplinary in their approach. NOAA OER anticipates a total of approximately $3,000,000 including costs for ship and submersible assets will be available through this announcement. Only exploration proposals will be considered for funding, any other type of proposed project will not be reviewed. 

The goal of research funded under the interdisciplinary P2C2 solicitation is to utilize key geological, chemical, atmospheric (gas in ice cores), and biological records of climate system variability to provide insights into the mechanisms and rate of change that characterized Earth's past climate variability, the sensitivity of Earth's climate system to changes in forcing, and the response of key components of the Earth system to these changes.  Important scientific objectives of P2C2 are to: 1) provide comprehensive paleoclimate data sets that can serve as model test data sets analogous to instrumental observations; and 2) enable transformative syntheses of paleoclimate data and modeling outcomes to understand the response of the longer-term and higher magnitude variability of the climate system that is observed in the geological and cryospheric records. 

The Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Fund is soliciting proposals for the conservation of rhinoceroses and/or tigers throughout their ranges. The Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act was passed in 1994 to provide financial resources for the conservation programs of nations whose activities directly or indirectly affect rhinoceros and tiger populations. The Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Fund supports projects that promote conservation through: * Enhanced protection of at-risk rhinoceros and tiger populations; * Reducing demand in consumer countries and trafficking for illegal rhino and tiger parts, products and live animals; * Protected area/reserve management in important rhinoceros and tiger range; * Veterinary care for wild populations; * Habitat conservation and management; * Reintroduction to former range; * Restoration of habitat; * Wildlife inspection, law enforcement, and forensics skills; * Conservation education and community outreach; * Efforts to decrease human-rhinoceros and human-tiger conflicts; * Strengthening local capacity to implement conservation programs; * Transfrontier rhinoceros and tiger conservation; * Applied research on rhinoceros and tiger populations and their habitats, including surveys and monitoring; * Development and execution of rhinoceros and tiger conservation management plans; and * Compliance with applicable treaties and laws that prohibit or regulate the taking or trade of rhinoceros and tigers or regulate the use and management of their habitat. 

Coral reefs and associated seagrass and mangrove communities are among the most complex and diverse ecosystems on earth. They support important fishing and tourism industries, protect coasts from wave and storm damage, build tropical islands, contain an array of potential pharmaceuticals, and provide essential services like food security, livelihood, and culture, among other benefits.As shallow-water, near shore communities, coral reef ecosystems are ecologically closely linked to adjacent watersheds and are highly vulnerable to human activity. Stresses in the coral reef environment include poor water quality from runoff and inadequate sewage treatment, destructive fishing practices, sedimentation, recreational overuse and misuse, and impacts from climate change and ocean acidification.To address these threats, Congress passed the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 (Act), which established the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) and provided guidance for allocation of Federal funding toward efforts to conserve coral reef ecosystems in the U.S. and Internationally. As required in the Act, one of the primary functions of the CRCP is to provide matching grants of financial assistance to external partners for coral reef conservation projects consistent with the Act and CRCP priorities. 

The National Science Foundation (NSF) invites investigators at U.S. organizations to submit proposals to conduct research about the Arctic. Arctic research includes field and modeling studies, data analysis, and synthesis about the arctic region.The goal of the NSF Section for Arctic Sciences, Division of Polar Programs (PLR),??is to gain a better understanding of the Arctic's physical, biological, geological, chemical, social and cultural processes; the interactions of oceanic, terrestrial, atmospheric, biological, social, cultural, and economic systems; and the connections that define the Arctic. The Arctic Sciences and other NSF programs support projects that contribute to the development of the next generation of researchers and scientific literacy for all ages through education, outreach, and broadening participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Program representatives from polar and other non-polar NSF programs that support arctic research coordinate across NSF, including joint review and funding of arctic proposals and mutual support of special projects with high logistical costs.

The Division of Ocean Sciences (OCE) offers postdoctoral research fellowships to provide opportunities for scientists early in their careers to work within and across traditional disciplinary lines, develop partnerships, and avail themselves of unique resources, sites and facilities. The fellowship program is intended to recognize beginning investigators of significant potential, and provide them with experience that will establish them in positions of leadership in the scientific community. During tenure, fellows will affiliate with an appropriate research institution(s) and conduct research on topics supported by OCE. The OCE fellowship program has two tracks: 1) Traick 1 (Broadening Participation) and 2) Track 2 (International). Fellowships are awards to individuals, not organizations, and are administered by the fellows.

The dwarf bear-claw poppy is a listed endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 and is restricted in distribution to western Washington County, Utah. Studies conducted in recent years have found significants difference in fruits/flower, seeds/fruit and the weight of seeds among the seven poppy populations. To further that work, this project will conduct several studies at each of the seven populations. Pollinator studies would consist of viewing and collecting insects visiting flowers for specific periods of time. Insects would be identified, and counted. Specific flowers would be assayed for pollen grain numbered and tagged to estimated fruit set. A series of experimental hand pollinations would be undertaken. Flowers at different population sized sites would be would be pollinated to determine biologically whether smaller populations are more genetically challenged than larger populations. The number of successful mating types will be estimated and compared among populations by cross-pollinating at least three flowers on each of 15-25 plants with donor pollen from each of three flowers at different distances from the pollen recipient. Comparisons would be made among populations in fruits/flowers, seeds/fruit and fruit weight. Lastly, a series of labeled pollen studies at each of the populations would be undertaken to determine the movement of pollen between populations.

Established in 1995 to honor one of the leaders in the arboriculture industry and a founder of the ISA Research Trust, the Hyland R. Johns Grant Program funds longer term research and technology transfer projects that have the potential of benefiting the everyday work of arborists. Projects are expected to be completed within three to five years. Grant award amounts range from $7,500 to $25,000 and will vary depending upon the adjudged value of the project relative to the needs of the arboriculture community. No project may receive more than one award from this program. Please note that funds cannot be used to pay for overhead expenses or student tuition and fees. Priority Areas: The TREE Fund research priority areas are derived from the Revised National Research and Technology Transfer Agenda for Urban and Community Forestry. Proposals in the following priority areas are more likely to be funded, but all proposals will be considered. Root and soil management Plant health care Risk assessment and worker safety Urban forestry

The goal of the Tree Research & Education Endowment Fund grant programs is to provide support for research and technology transfer projects that are in keeping with the TREE Fund's mission and priorities as well as addressing topics that have the potential of benefiting the everyday work of arborists. Research Fellowship grants are designed to address a specific topic as defined by the TREE Fund Board of Trustees and to provide support to a young scientist who is being mentored by an established and published scientist. Projects are expected to be completed within three to five years. One $100,000 grant will be awarded annually. No project may receive more than one award from this program. Please note that funds cannot be used to pay for overhead expenses or student tuition and fees. Priority Areas: The TREE Fund research priority areas are derived from the Revised National Research and Technology Transfer Agenda for Urban and Community Forestry. Proposals in the following priority areas are more likely to be funded, but all proposals will be considered. Root and soil management Plant health care Risk assessment and worker safety Urban forestry

This program seeks to enhance and expand the national resource of digital data documenting existing vouchered biological and paleontological collections and to advance scientific knowledge by improving access to digitized information (including images) residing in vouchered scientific collections across the United States. The information associated with various collections of organisms, such as geographic, paleogeographic and stratigraphic??distribution, environmental habitat data, phenology, information about associated organisms, collector field notes, and??tissues and molecular data extracted from the specimens, is a rich resource providing the baseline from which to further biodiversity research and provide critical information about existing gaps in our knowledge of life on earth. The national resource is structured at three levels: a central coordinating organization, a series of thematic networks based on an important research theme, and the physical collections. The national resource builds upon a sizable existing national investment in curation of the physical objects in scientific collections and contributes vitally to scientific research and technology interests in the United States. It will become an invaluable tool in understanding contemporary biological issues and challenges.

The National Science Foundation awards Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grants in selected areas of the biological sciences. Proposals must fall within the scope of any of the clusters in the Division of Environmental Biology (DEB) or the Behavioral Systems Cluster in the Division of Integrative Organismal Systems (IOS). These grants provide partial support of doctoral dissertation research for improvement beyond the already existing project. Allowed are costs for doctoral candidates to participate in scientific meetings, to conduct research in specialized facilities or field settings, and to expand an existing body of dissertation research.

The Division of Integrative Organismal Systems (IOS) supports research aimed at understanding why organisms are structured the way they are and function as they do. Proposals should focus on organisms as a fundamental unit of biological organization. Principal Investigators (PIs) are encouraged to apply systems approaches that will lead to conceptual and theoretical insights and predictions about emergent organismal properties.  Areas of inquiry include, but are not limited to, developmental biology and the evolution of developmental processes, nervous system development, structure, and function, physiological processes, functional morphology, symbioses, interactions of organisms with biotic and abiotic environments, and animal behavior.

The Division of Environmental Biology (DEB) supports fundamental research on populations, species, communities, and ecosystems. Scientific emphases range across many evolutionary and ecological patterns and processes at all spatial and temporal scales. Areas of research include biodiversity, phylogenetic systematics, molecular evolution, life history evolution, natural selection, ecology, biogeography, ecosystem structure, function and services, conservation biology, global change, and biogeochemical cycles. Research on organismal origins, functions, relationships, interactions, and evolutionary history may incorporate field, laboratory, or collection-based approaches; observational or manipulative experiments; synthesis activities; as well as theoretical approaches involving analytical, statistical, or computational modeling.

All four clusters within the Division of Environmental Biology (Population and Community Ecology, Ecosystem Science, Evolutionary Processes and Systematic Biology and Biodiversity Inventories) encourage the submission of proposals aimed at synthesizing a body of related research projects conducted by a single individual or a group of investigators over an extended period. OPUS proposals will often be appropriately submitted in mid-to-late career, but will also be appropriate early enough in a career to produce unique, integrated insight useful both to the scientific community and to the development of the investigator's future work. In cases where multiple scientists have worked collaboratively, an OPUS award will provide support for collaboration on a synthesis.

Research to improve the Service's understanding of golden eagle populations and effective management actions to offset impacts to eagle populations.

The Marine Fisheries Initiative (MARFIN) is a competitive Federal assistance program that funds projects seeking to optimize research and development benefits from U.S. marine fishery resources through cooperative efforts involving the best research and management talents to accomplish priority activities. Projects funded under MARFIN provide answers for fishery needs covered by the NMFS Strategic Plan, available from National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), particularly those goals relating to: rebuilding over-fished marine fisheries, maintaining currently productive fisheries, and integrating conservation of protected species and fisheries management. Funding priorities for MARFIN are formulated from recommendations received from non-scientific and technical experts and from NMFS research and operations officials. With the long-term planning capabilities available through the Southeast Data Assessment and Review (SEDAR) process, the priorities are selected to coordinate assessment needs with this solicitation. There is no preference between short-term and long-term projects.

This agreement is a continuation of Cooperative Agreement F07AC00011 and is being implemented in order to manage efforts for the recovery of Hawaiian birds through the operation, design, and construction of captive propagation facilities in the State of Hawaii and reintroduction of captive-reared birds. This objective is for the continued survival of Hawaiian forest birds including the endangered alala or Hawaiian crow, and reintroduction of Hawaiian forest birds and the alala to the wild as per U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service approved documents.

Implementation of a native plant material program at an ecoregional level provides opportunities for incorporating appropriate species and genetic and phenotypic variation within regional climatic ranges and biotic communities. This scale provides for broad collaboration and subsequent cost reduction. Project Objective: The principle purpose of this project is to: ¿ Make available native plant materials,which are not currently available in commercial quantities. ¿ Reduce native plant material costs by increasing the quantity available and improving recruitment success. ¿ Connect local communities in nature and restoration of lands through public meetings,establishment of pollinator gardens, and workshops on native plant propagation and restoration.