Observations and Sampling Grants for Gulf of Mexico
The RFP-III addresses the urgent need to provide stop-gap or emergency funding to continue observations and sampling and/or to initiate new observations and sampling during the summer months when GRI Year 1 funds would be depleted and before funds from RFP-I and RFP-II could be distributed. Sustainability of time series observations is critical to enhance understanding of the Gulf of Mexico system.
"The Research Board recognises the importance of ensuring acquisition of samples and observations throughout the summer. Therefore grants will be made ranging in size from USD50,000 to USD300,000. Our intent is to make these awards by the end of June. The grants will allow scientists to continue important observations and sampling in the Gulf of Mexico while the Research Board receives and reviews RFP-I and RFP-II longer-term grant applications for research under the five major research themes of the GRI, which are described below," said Dr. Rita R. Colwell, Chairman of the GRI Research Board.
The GRI Research Board is an independent body established by BP and the Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA) to oversee BP's USD500 million commitment to fund independent research on the effects of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The GRI research programme is separate from, and in addition to, BP's commitments under the Natural Resources Damages Assessment process.
The GRI will develop improved spill mitigation and oil and gas detection, characterization, and remediation technologies. The ultimate goal of the GRI is to improve society's ability to understand and respond to the impacts of petroleum pollution and related stressors of the marine and coastal ecosystems, with emphasis on conditions in the Gulf of Mexico. Knowledge gained will be applied to restoration and to improvement of the long-term environmental health of the Gulf of Mexico.
The GRI emphasizes interdisciplinary science and technology and will fund experts in physical, chemical, geological, and biological oceanography; marine biology; coastal and reef ecosystems, fisheries and wildlife ecology; public health; and associated development of physical, chemical, and biological instrumentation, advanced modeling, and informatics.
Accelerated proposal submission, review, and grant allocation will be employed for RFP-III. No letter of intent is required from potential grant applicants for RFP-III.
