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Research on Polar Marine Invertebrates

Natasha Gray GRAY.NATASHA at nmnh.si.edu
Tue Nov 25 15:43:15 EST 1997


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NMNH Department of Invertebrate Zoology
Request For Proposals for Collections Based Research on Polar Marine
Invertebrates
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November 1, 1997

The National Science Foundation's (NSF) Office of Polar Programs has
identified the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) as a Center for
Excellence for Polar Research. NSF has entered into a cooperative
agreement with the NMNH's Department of Invertebrate Zoology to provide
funding to support the archiving and management of the extensive
collections of marine invertebrates collected during NSF-funded Antarctic
research expeditions. The collections include preserved representatives of
all of the invertebrate groups.  Proposals are invited from scientists 
interested in working on USAP collections. Limited support, through three 
categories of awards, is available through a competitive Research Awards 
Program. Total funding for this program is $30,000 for 1998. We expect to 
fund at least 3 and no more than 5 proposals this funding cycle. The 
actual numbers of awards made will depend on the funding requests in the 
award recipients proposals. The three proposal categories are described 
below. 

Collection Improvement Awards are intended to fund projects that improve
the curation level of the polar collections, and thus the accessibility
of the specimens and/or specimen data. Such awards may be made for
technical/specialized sorting and identification, taxonomic
standardization, data enhancement, collection culling, etc. Expected
results would be a fully identified and curated collection, or a
completed data enhancement project. Also encouraged are site visit
proposals where the recipient would t. Collections-Based Research Awards
are intended to fund original basic research into the systematics,
evolution, and biogeography of polar organisms. Priority wil be given to
research projects that draw heavily on NMNH polar collections.
Applicability of the proposed project to our understanding of the
systematics of the invertebrate fauna collected in the current Palmer LTER
studies may be a selective factor. Awards will be in amounts not to exceed
$10,000. Supported projects should be completed in 12-24 Incidental Awards
will consist of smaller sums (maximum of $ 500) intended to defray costs
associated with the publication of collections-based Antarctic research
(i.e., page charges, illustration expenses, typing expenses).

Depending on the taxonomic group under investigation, scientists may be
expected to spend at least a portion of their research time at the
Smithsonian Institution in order to glean the taxa they are working on
from the collections.  Researchers interested in using these collections,
with or without financial support are requested to submit succinct
proposals following the guidelines listed below: 1. Provide the name,
title, organization, e-mail address and curriculum vitae of the principal
investigator 2. Provide the name(s), titles, and organizations of all
individuals collaborating on the proposed research. 3. Prepare a rigorous
but brief (one- to two- page) proposal stating the proposal category
(Collection Improvement, Collections-based Research or Incidential Award),
describing the research (and, if appropriate, its applicability to current
Antarctic research activities), enumerating the higher taxon or taxa of
interest, listing the expected results (e.g., monograph, revision, species
description, taxonomic key) and a timetable for completion. 4. Proposals
should include dates for the portions of the research to be conducted at
the National Museum of Natural History. Prior arrangements must be made if
research space in the Department of Invertebrate Zoology is required. 5.
Proposals requesting support through the Research Awards Program must
clearly identify the proposal category from which support is requested,
include a detailed budget, and identify the milestones and deliverables
that will be used as the basis for disbursements. Allowable items include:
*	Travel costs to and from National Museum of Natural History, Washington,
DC. *	A modest stipend at a rate equivalent to a Smithsonian
Post-Doctoral Fellowship ($ 2,000 per month for the time spent at NMNH).
*	Research and expendable supplies, including consumable supplies used in
conjunction with histology, photography, etc. Curatorial supplies needed
to prepare the material for cataloging will be provided and need not be
budgeted. Newly identified material will be cataloged by NMNH staff at the
completion of the research project. *	Estimated publication costs,
including page charges, illustration expenses, typing expenses, etc.

Eight copies of proposals should be submitted to:
      USAP Program Manager
      Department of Invertebrate Zoology, MRC-163
       National Museum of Natural History
      Washington, DC 20560, USA

The deadline for receipt of proposals is March 15, 1998. An External
Advisory Committee will review the proposals on the basis of merit and
current Antarctic research needs. Successful applicants will be notified
by July 15, 1998.  Additional information may be obtained through the
USAP Program Manager (gray.natasha at nmnh.si.edu) or the Collections Manager
(bright.cheryl at nmnh.si.edu).

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