LOCI Research and Monitoring Grants

AREAS FUNDED

The maximum amount for an individual grant is $10,000. Grants will be in the form of a Research Foundation of SUNY contract. These are New York State-appropriated funds subject to all applicable rules and regulations. No indirect costs are allowed. We expect to fund 3-5 projects through this solicitation. Award decisions and funds are anticipated to be available by 15 April 2006. The small grants program is targeted at research, applied or theoretical, on the coastal zone. Funding for remediation and restoration projects ($260,000 total) will be under the Project Implementation Grant (please hyperlink to the project implementation grant page).

For the purpose of this RFP, coastal zone is defined as the nearshore of Lake Ontario including creeks, rivers, embayments and the immediate watershed of Lake Ontario.

The following are types of projects that are eligible:

• Research identifying contamination and causes of contamination of the coastal zone of Lake Ontario;
• Collection and analysis of historical data not available in the open literature on the coastal zone of Lake Ontario;
• Development of processes/models creating a hierarchical, tier-based or priority based approach to focus restoration and remediation of the coastal zone of Lake Ontario;
• Development of new or improved environmental remediation or restoration technologies applicable to the Lake Ontario coastal zone;
• Field testing of best management plans (BMPs) for restoration and remediation of the coastal zone;
• Research to assess State and Federal legislation and policy that pertain to protecting the coastal zone; and
• Assessment of the health of the Great Lakes fish, wildlife, waterfowl and other organisms associated with the Lake Ontario coastal zone.

The top five priority areas of research identified by a Great Lakes Research Consortium and LOCI workshop on Coastal and Watershed issues are:

1. Long-term monitoring of the coastal zone and embayments.
2. Creating a rank order of watersheds for remediation based on nutrient loading, RAP status, etc.
3. Segment analysis of sub-watersheds to identify location of pollution sources.
4. Development of a central location of literature, especially “grey” literature, pertaining to Lake
5. Ontario coastal zone and embayments.
6. Quantification of natural resources through GIS of the coastal and embayment areas.

The full list of research topics identified at the Workshop may be viewed on page 4 of the LOCI Action Agenda.

The intent of the Lake Ontario Coastal Initiative Small Grant Program is to promote “research” projects that contribute to the understanding of problems or issues associated with coastal Lake Ontario - including bays, rivers and watersheds of Lake Ontario. Projects funded by this small grant program must meet one or more of the priority categories listed above, and must satisfy the following criteria:

Appropriate Project must be consistent with the goals and purposes of LOCI.

Collaborative Project must foster communication and cooperative action between NY’s colleges, universities, state and local governments, business and industry, environmental or conservation organizations.

Effective Proposals must demonstrate how project will lead to measurable progress in achieving the goals and priorities of Lake Ontario Coastal Initiative.

Productive Projects must demonstrate how the award will be used to initiate a new project and how this project will then be able to grow into a larger project consistent with LOCI goals and purposes.

Relevant Projects should describe their relevance to significant Lake Ontario Coastal issues.

• Local Implementation Grants
• RESEARCH AND MONITORING GRANTS
  • About the Grant
  • Areas Funded
  • Eligibility
  • Application and Reporting Process
  • Projects Funded