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To: SECOORA Membership
From: Debra Hernandez, Executive Director
Date: February 14, 2011
Subject: Solicitation of Mini Proposals
SECOORA has funds available to support Product Development efforts in the organization. It is critical to have a process by which funds are distributed throughout our network in a fair and transparent manner. The most equitable mechanism to make these decisions is through a proposal process. The following describes the project focus area and proposal process SECOORA will use to distribute the currently available funds.
FOCUS AREAS
- Building strategic partnerships with those identified in SECOORA's Strategic Priorities document.
- Creating and delivering targeted products for a variety of audiences that highlight applications of SECOORA data.
FUNDING CATEGORYThe project should result in a product for a non-education stakeholder group that highlights RCOOS activities and value through development of an application that demonstrates the value of the observing data to an identified partner, such as the Coast Guard, emergency managers, community planners, etc. ($35k) This initial estimate of funding available is presented to provide a guideline and is subject to change during the review and finalization process. At least one partner must be clearly identified for each project through a signed letter of commitment.
PROPOSAL PROCESS
- SECOORA will outline funding available.
February 2011 - Solicitation for mini-proposals will be sent to SECOORA Membership. NOTE: Only current SECOORA members will be considered for funding.
February 2011 - SECOORA staff will serve as the review panel. The review panel will review the proposals and determine how available funding should be distributed among those proposing.
March 2011 - Funding will be allocated to awardees via contracts between SECOORA and the awardee based on percentage of deliverables completed.
March 2011 - Awardees will prepare presentations for the Annual Meeting in May 2011 regarding progress to date and timeline for final deliverables.
May 2011
SUBMISSION OF MINI PROPOSALS
The project summary should be 3 pages of 12-point text and must include the following elements:
Title Key personnel involved Funding category addressed Project Description Overview of thematic areas addressed (including stakeholders engaged) Deliverables and timeline Brief budget summary and justification
You must also demonstrate stakeholder need for all activities and address at least one of SECOORA's theme areas (Ecosystems, Living Marine Resources, and Water Quality; Safe and Efficient Marine Operations; Coastal Hazards; and Climate Change).
CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION
Submissions will be reviewed and ranked based on:
1) Addresses one of SECOORA priority theme areas.
2) Regional focus or contributions to a regional-scale enterprise.
3) Inclusion of tangible stakeholder/end-user engagement in development process through a signed commitment letter.
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