Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Requests Research Funding Pre-Proposals

The Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium is accepting pre-proposals for one- or two-year innovative research projects that address coastal issues. Photo: MASGC

by Ed Lallo/Gulf Seafood News Editor

The Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium (MASGC) is accepting pre-proposals for one- or two-year innovative research projects that address coastal issues.

Pre-proposals should conduct economic analyses of various sectors of the seafood industry like cage grown oysters. Photo: MASGC

A pre-proposal is the submission of a one or two page statement of the project’s goal, rational and qualifications. The form also contains contact information and other details useful in evaluating the idea. Funding requests of no more than $75,000 per year are recommended. A 50-percent non-federal match is required for all projects.

Pre-proposals for the 2016-17 Sea Grant research funding competition must apply to one of these MASGC focus areas: Healthy Coastal Ecosystems, Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture or Resilient Communities and Economies.

“Our program’s strategic plan lays out a 5 year strategy in four focus areas including sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, healthy coastal ecosystems, resilient communities and economies, environmental literacy and workforce development,” explained Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium director LaDon Swann.

Swann said that the Consortium is seeking high quality science-based proposals. Research priorities include development through broad-based stakeholder input that support research needs for a fisheries sector. An example of sustainable fisheries and aquaculture needs include:

• Develop new or expand the capabilities of existing predictive models including relevant biological, chemical, physical, social and economic parameters that account for a changing climate and increased water demand within the Mobile Bay and Mississippi Sound watersheds and apply this information to better predict priority locations for siting oyster reefs in open and closed areas.
• Develop and test management practices that improve the return on investment for the for charter-for-hire and commercial fishing industries.
• Conduct economic analyses of various sectors of the seafood industry for the purposes of improving product availability, safety and profitability.

“Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant welcomes pre-proposals from principal investigators who are affiliated with an academic or research laboratory institution of higher education in Alabama or Mississippi,” said Melissa Schneider, the a communications coordinator for the organization. “Co-principal investigators on projects can be from nonprofit organizations, commercial organizations, individuals, tribal, state and local governments located in the two states.”

A conference call with WebEx capabilities has been scheduled for January 16^th at 1 p.m. Central time to provide an overview of the request for proposals for those seeking additional information.

Deadline for pre-proposals is February 20^th. For more information about submission guidelines and focus areas contact LaDon Swann at 251-648-5877 or swanndl@auburn.edu, or visit http://masgc.org/funding/rfp2016.

Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Conference Call Information:

Time: 1 p.m. Central

Link to WebEx: https://masgc.webex.com/masgc/j.php?MTID=m4045f5c173fcfb49f83f35531a8c1daf

WebEx password: 1234 (if needed)

Dial-in Number: 1-888-848-0190

Participant PIN: 2833702# 

Tags: coastal issues, Featured, Gulf of Mexico, Gulf Seafood, Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium, Research Funding Pre-Proposals