NJSGC Resilience Research RFP 2014

August 18th, 2014

The New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium (NJSGC) Resilience Research RFP is now available and can be viewed or downloaded by clicking here.  The NJSGC is one of 34 state Sea Grant Programs within the National Sea Grant College Program. The National Program is housed within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce. Sea Grant addresses marine issues and coastal sustainability in the context of wise resource use and management. In New Jersey, we are interested in balancing economic growth with resource stewardship to sustain the state’s $80+ billion coastal economy. NJSGC fulfills its mission to promote the sustainable use of New Jersey’s coastal and marine resources through relevant research and student training, educational excellence, and rapid dissemination of acquired knowledge. NJSGC is a statewide program bringing together the best talent within the region’s member colleges and universities without regard to academic affiliation.

Resilient Communities
Community and hazard resilience is a topic that has received an extraordinary amount of well-deserved attention in the past decade. The devastation experienced in faraway places, like Japan, Indonesia and Haiti, as well as events closer to home such as the landfall of Hurricanes Katrina and Ike along the Gulf Coast, and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill have ushered in a new era in American history in which the term “resilience,” has become an important part of the American conversation. Recent devastating events, such as the November 2009 “Friday the 13th” Nor’easter, Hurricane Irene in 2011, and, of course, Superstorm Sandy in October 2012 as well as more day-to-day phenomena such as increased local tidal flooding, have highlighted the relevance of coastal hazards and coastal hazard resiliency to the State of New Jersey.

Call for Proposals
For this rapid response funding opportunity, NJSGC seeks to support one two-year social science research project in the area of coastal resiliency. Award level is for $50,000 Sea Grant funding ($25,000 per year) with requisite 50% nonfederal match totaling at least $25,000. Approved institutional indirect costs are allowed as part of the $50,000 request. Funding for the new project may begin as early as 1 October 2014. Resource allocation decisions are made annually, dependent on the availability of federal funds.

Through this RFP, NJSGC will fund research to support the development of resilient coastal communities that sustain diverse and vibrant economies, effectively respond to and mitigate natural and technological hazards and function within the limits of their ecosystem. Please see NJSGC’s Strategic Plan for 2014-17 and the National Program’s Strategic Plan which concentrates its research priorities in three (3) Focus Areas: Healthy Coastal Ecosystems, Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture, and Resilient Communities and Economies for more details on resiliency. Also, please see NJSGC 2014-16 Omnibus RFP for research relevancy criteria, in particular those criteria under Resilient Communities and Economies that may apply to resilient coastal communities. Read or download the RFP here.