Call for Proposals
2015-‐16
Call for Proposals 2015-‐16
A. Aims
In this Call for Proposals, MEOPAR, in partnership with Irving Shipbuilding Inc., encourages project proposals to develop and/or apply new technologies or approaches to advance environmental observation, safe operations and/or emergency response on Canada’s coasts. This includes, but is not limited to, technologies and strategies for the use of “non-‐specialized assets”1 for marine environmental observation, rapid environmental assessment and emergency response.
B. About MEOPAR
Established in 2012, the Marine Environmental Observation Prediction and Response Network of Centres of Excellence (MEOPAR) is building partnerships and a team of Canadian researchers to address critical issues related to human activity in the marine environment, and the impact of marine hazards on human activities in coastal regions.
MEOPAR’s vision is to inspire and enable Canadian leadership in marine environmental observation, prediction and response. MEOPAR delivers knowledge, technology, and people to enable Canada’s communities and industry to enhance resilience and economic opportunity through an informed relationship with the changing marine environment. Information on MEOPAR’s strategic goals are appended to this document and are available online at www.meopar.ca.
C. About Irving Shipbuilding Inc. (ISI)
Located on the east coast of Canada, Irving Shipbuilding Inc. (ISI) provides world-‐class shipbuilding and repair, drill rig construction and conversion, offshore fabrication, industrial manufacturing, engineering, supply chain management and quality and technical services.
ISI has its primary office at the Halifax Shipyard with other locations in the Maritime Provinces. The Company has been building, repairing and refitting quality vessels and fabricated modules for over 50 years. Integrating the strengths and expertise of each of its four facilities, ISI provides its customers with one of the most exceptional combinations of shipbuilding, offshore fabrication, ship repair and engineering services in North America.
1 For the purposes of this proposal, “non-‐specialized assets” refers to physical and/or human
infrastructure that has a primary purpose other than research, environmental monitoring or emergency
As part of its Value Proposition under Canada’s National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy (NSPS), ISI is pleased to support MEOPAR in this Call for Proposals.
D. Project Duration and Funding Levels
For the Call for Proposals 2015-‐16, MEOPAR envisions a potential allocation of up to
$1,500,000 to support projects over the period Fall 2015 through to March 2017 and potentially beyond, using a 2+1 model. Given this funding allocation, the network expects to fund 5-‐10 proposals under this competition. Projects will initially be funded for one and a half years, and will have an opportunity to propose at least one year of follow-‐up activities, based on successful progress and project review by MEOPAR. The longer timeline is contingent upon the successful renewal of funding for the MEOPAR network beyond its initial 2017 end date. Note that all MEOPAR projects are subject to yearly reporting and review requirements.
E. Project Areas and Topics
MEOPAR is seeking research proposals to develop and/or apply practical new technologies or strategies to reduce risk and guide response to existing or anticipated marine hazards through advancement of environmental observation and/or safe operations along Canada’s coasts.
Proposals should acknowledge unique aspects of Canada’s vast coastline, which include a small coastal population and limited availability of specialized resources (e.g. research vessels, dedicated meteorological buoys, and associated technical personnel) for the collection of the atmospheric and oceanographic data required for environmental assessment, forecasting, and guidance of emergency response. This can be, especially, a problem in areas of active exploration for deepwater oil and gas, such as Atlantic Canada, for understanding ongoing changes in our valuable marine ecosystems, and for providing information and forecasts required by the increased levels of shipping and development in Canada’s north.
Suggested topics for proposals include, but are not limited to:
(1) Developing and testing new technologies and strategies to advance environmental observation, safe operations and/or emergency response on Canada’s coasts;
(2) Examining how non-‐specialized assets can be used in flexible observing technologies, installations, and marine emergency response;
(3) incorporation of nonspecialist knowledge (e.g. fishers’ and mariners’
knowledge or knowledge of others) to guide response to existing and anticipated marine hazards.
F. Structure of Project Teams and Eligibility
In keeping with the nature of the Network of Centres of Excellence program, MEOPAR seeks to build new multisectoral and interdisciplinary partnerships. Therefore proposals should, when possible, integrate researchers from more than one discipline, as defined by their applicable granting council (NSERC, SSHRC and CIHR). Projects should also ideally involve multiple sectors (i.e. academia, private sector, government, NGOs) working together. MEOPAR expects true interdisciplinary participation and this implies that ANY PROPOSED integration of researchers from diverse disciplines should be convincing to reviewers and tied clearly to the overall objectives of the proposal.
Applicants are encouraged to build on existing initiatives and projects, including current MEOPAR projects and Core activities, where appropriate, and links to international activities when relevant.
All researchers and organizations which intend to receive MEOPAR funding must meet the general eligibility conditions of at least one of the three federal granting councils:
NSERC, SSHRC and CIHR.
Proposals should have practical goals with clear evidence of end-‐user involvement in the identification of the research topic to be addressed and the formulation, support and conduct of the research itself. Possible “end-‐users” could include, but are not limited to: offshore oil and gas operators and associated service companies, the marine transportation and shipbuilding industry, professional fish harvesters, , coastal communities, First Nations, environmental organizations, government departments and agencies with an ocean-‐focused mandate, ocean technology companies, and others.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to seek support from and integrate external partners (in-‐kind and/or cash support) for their projects. Proposals should clearly explain the nature of the participation and any commitments.
Investigators are limited to requesting funding in a maximum of two proposals (maximum of one as lead-‐PI) under this Call.
Note: This program is being co-‐funded by an external partner, which may have an impact of Intellectual Property generated as part of the research project. Applicants are requested to contact MEOPAR for further information in the case of proposals that may involve or generate protected Intellectual Property.
G. Procedure
Applicants submitting proposals are reminded to consult MEOPAR’s Strategic Plan and Research Plan, both of which are available online at www.meopar.ca.
The proposal can be a maximum of 12 pages long, excluding CV, single-‐spaced (no more than six lines per inch), regular 12-‐point font, with margins of 0.75”.
The Proposal must use the following format:
1) Cover Page (1 page maximum)
o Title and contact information for Principal Investigator;
2) Summary (on 1 separate page but with 500 word maximum)
o The summary is intended to explain the proposal in language that the public can understand. Using simple terms, briefly describe the nature of the work to be done. Indicate why and to whom the research is important, the anticipated outcomes and how your field, MEOPAR and Canada will benefit. This plain language summary will be available to the public if your proposal is funded;
3) Alignment with MEOPAR Strategic Objectives (1/2 page maximum)
o Specific contributions of your research to MEOPAR’s Vision and connection to MEOPAR’s Strategic Goals & Objectives;
4) Research Plan, Approach & Outcomes (3 pages maximum)
o Problem(s) to be addressed, including overview of the state-‐of-‐the-‐art;
o Objectives and/or outcomes of the research;
o Timeline or Gantt chart;
o Connections and perspectives (i.e. connections to applicant’s other ongoing research activities, proposals, future perspectives beyond lifetime of the award, if any);
o Applicants may provide the names and contact information for up to three referees;
5) Multi-‐sectoral Structure and Support ( 1 page maximum)
o Linkages to other MEOPAR activities and/or other existing projects or an explanation of how the research focus is relevant to, and might be integrated with, other MEOPAR activities;
o End-‐user involvement;
o Partnerships (academic collaborators, business, government, non-‐
governmental organizations);
6) HQP Focus (1/2 page maximum)
o Description of the number of highly-‐qualified people (HQP) to be engaged in the project. MEOPAR defines HQP as those still engaged in their education:
undergraduate students, Masters students, Doctoral candidates and Postdoctoral fellows. Personnel costs for technical staff and research associates are also eligible costs but preference is given to training of HQP;
7) Budget Justification (1 page maximum)
o Detailed budget (by year) according to Table 1 below;
o Budget notes and justification;
8) References (1 page maximum) o Academic citations;
9) Letters of Support (3 pages maximum)
o Maximum of three 1-‐page letters of support from partner companies, agencies or end-‐user groups;
10) Curriculum Vitae
o Provide a copy of your current CV using one of the standard formats used by NSERC, SSHRC, CIHR or the Canadian Common CV tool.
H1. Notes to Procedure
H.1a Budget
A detailed budget with specific breakdowns and justification for each category is required for the proposals. For example, in the “Personnel” section, please be specific about the number of people to be hired and their status (Masters student, PhD candidate, Postdoctoral fellow, research associate, etc.). If listing an “Equipment”
category, please specify the type of equipment, approximate cost and rationale for purchase. If listing a “Travel” category, please include information such as the intended destinations and number of people traveling. Please differentiate between travel required for the research activity and travel related to knowledge mobilization (e.g. travel to conferences).
As stated previously, please indicate whether partner contributions are in the form of cash or in-‐kind. Please note the timing of Year 1 as the funding will not be released until September 2015 and MEOPAR’s fiscal year closes on March 31, 2016. The budget table should follow this format:
Table 1: Project Budget
MEOPAR: Project Budgets and Person-Years for Years 1-3
Project Identifier:
Project Title:
Principal Investigator:
Institution:
1. BUDGET: Funds in $k
YEAR 1 YEAR 2 YEAR 3* TOTAL Sep/15 -
Mar/16 Apr/16 -
Mar/17 Apr/17 – Mar/18 7 months 12 months 12 months CATEGORY
A. PERSONNEL
PhD Students @ $xx k/yr 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Postdocs @ $xx k/yr 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Masters @ $xx k/yr 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Research Associates @ $xx k/yr 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Technicians @ $xx k/yr 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Other (Specify) 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
TOTAL PERSONNEL COSTS 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
B. DIRECT COSTS
Materials & Supplies 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Travel 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Relocation Costs 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Professional Services 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Operations & Subcontracts 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Publication Costs/Dissemination 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Equipment (Specify Items >$10k) 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Other (Specify) 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
TOTAL DIRECT COSTS 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
TOTAL COSTS (A.+B.) 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
2. PERSON-YEARS
YEAR 1 YEAR 2 YEAR 3* TOTAL Sep/15 -
Mar/16 Apr/16 -
Mar/17 Apr/17 – Mar/18 7 months 12 months 12 months CATEGORY
A. PERSONNEL
PhD Students 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Postdocs 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Masters 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Research Associates 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Technicians 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Other (Specify) 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
TOTAL PERSON-YEARS 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
* Pending successful network funding renewal
H.1b HQP
Please note that applicants are also required to include information on their training plans for their highly-‐qualified personnel (HQP) as part of the proposal. As an NCE, MEOPAR in mandated to assist in the training and development of the next generation of Canadian researchers. As such, MEOPAR has initiated a training network for those HQP involved in MEOPAR-‐funded projects to give them professional development opportunities they would not normally receive from their program of study. MEOPAR’s definition of HQP includes Bachelor’s students, Masters students, PhD candidates and postdoctoral fellows. In addition to the training at the network level, each project is expected to provide creative training and professional development opportunities for their HQP.
H.1c Letters of Support
Separate letters of support from external partners, specifically those offering cash and/or in-‐kind contributions are encouraged and should be appended to the proposal.
A maximum number of 3 letters of support, with each letter being 1-‐page in length, will be accepted.
I. Submission
The application deadline for this CALL is 9:00 pm Atlantic Daylight Savings Time, August 23, 2015. Proposals received after this deadline will not be accepted.
Applications must be submitted electronically in PDF format to Neil Gall, Executive Director at [email protected].
The Corporate Centre of MEOPAR will receive proposals and provide an initial compliance screening. Proposals that do not follow these requirements explicitly will be returned to the applicant(s) and given one 24-‐hour period to comply and re-‐submit.
Proposals that still do not comply with these criteria will be removed from the competition and will not be considered.
J. Evaluation
Proposals will be reviewed and assessed by MEOPAR’s Research Management Committee (RMC) and additional outside expert reviewers as required. The RMC’s recommendations on the Proposals will be forwarded to MEOPAR’s Board of Directors and financial awards will be in place by September of 2015, contingent on signing of Network Agreements.
The criteria for the review of the Proposals will be:
1 Alignment with MEOPAR Objectives 1.1 MEOPAR Strategic Goals
The proposed project research activity must demonstrate linkages to MEOPAR's goals and objectives as listed in Appendix A.
1.2 End-‐User Involvement
End-‐user involvement in the proposed research and in the formulation of research questions/topics is encouraged very strongly. End-‐users can be defined as government, industry or other stakeholders external to academia.
2 Researcher Excellence 2.1 Excellence of the Researcher
The accomplishments and potential of the applicant must be of high quality, impact and relevance.
2.2 Interdisciplinary and Collaborative Capacity
Proposals from applicants with previous experience of interdisciplinary research and/or multisectoral collaborations are encouraged.
2.3 Experience Engaging End Users
Proposals from applicants with demonstrated experience with end-‐
user engagement are encouraged.
3 External Linkages and Support
3.1 Linkages to Existing MEOPAR Initiatives
The proposal should demonstrate linkages to other MEOPAR activities and/or other existing projects or an explanation of how the research focus is relevant to, and might be integrated with, other MEOPAR activities;
3.2 Builds on Other Relevant Initiatives
Applicants are encouraged to demonstrate convincing integration with, and/or extension of, other existing national or international initiatives.
3.3 Leverage
Proposals should demonstrate quantifiable cash and/or in-‐kind contributions from external sources. NSERC guidelines should be followed for the valuation of in-‐kind contributions.
4 Merit of the Proposal 4.1 Innovation / Originality
The proposed project must be innovative and have the potential to produce significant advances and results for marine industries and other end user groups.
4.2 Interdisciplinary Research Focus
Convincing integration of research activities from at least two of: natural sciences, social sciences and health research is encouraged.
4.3 Project Feasibility
The proposed objectives, milestones, research methodology and budget must be clear and realistic.
5 Training of Highly Qualified People (HQP) 5.1 Participation of HQP
The proposed project should have a clear plan for the involvement of, and well-‐defined responsibilities and opportunities for, the integration of HQP.
Questions about MEOPAR’s Call for Proposals can be referred to:
Mr. Neil Gall
Executive Director, MEOPAR (t) 902.494.4386
Appendix A –
MEOPAR Strategic Objectives
MEOPAR STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES
NEW OCEAN SCIENCE
• Establish the first nodes of a new pan-‐Canadian network of integrated observing and prediction systems for strategically important locations.
• Develop new tools and technologies for rapid environmental assessment and forecasting during marine environmental emergencies.
• Link projection of future changes in storms, coastal flooding, waves on local scales with consideration of economic impacts, safety, planning, and policy.
•
Assess the impact of long term, oceanic change on Canadian coastal
communities, ecosystems and economic interests, including implications for resource management, regulation and policy.
NEW APPROACHES TO OCEAN SCIENCE
• Introduce new approaches for training of highly qualified personnel with skills in the natural and social sciences and their use in solving problems related to marine risk.
• Implement new approaches for sharing natural and social science expertise, data and infrastructure in order to respond more effectively to marine emergencies.
•
