Fish and Wildlife Service Region 4
FY 2010 Science Support Partnership (SSP) and Quick Response (QRP) Request for Proposals

The Southeast Region Research Committee solicits proposals for the Science Support Partnership (SSP) and Quick Response (QR) programs. These programs are a cooperative effort between USGS and the Service to address key scientific and information needs that will best help the Service make important conservation and management decisions.  We expect USGS will have approximately $170,000 available for new SSP starts in the Service’s Southeast Region for FY10. USGS also usually has $50,000 each year for new QR projects in the Southeast Region. A wide range of research projects, biological studies, and other forms of technical assistance have been funded by these programs in the past, and competition for the funds generally is very high.

Proposals should originate as a result of joint coordination among Service Project Officers and USGS Principal Investigators, with an emphasis on a key Service information need. In selecting proposals for USGS to fund under the SSP program, the Southeast Region targets projects whose scope and significance have broad regional and/or national conservation relevance and that promote an integrated and more institutionalized relationship between our two agencies (i.e., less customer-vendor interaction). Cross-regional projects provide a great approach for expanding the geographic and topical relevance of a particular information need.

SSP projects typically span several years.  Research traditionally addresses one or more regional priorities (https://intranet.fws.gov/region4/shapingfuture/RDpriorities-final2007.pdf), although we recognize that some of these priorities are fairly general. We anticipate meeting with the Regional Directorate to better clarify SSP and QR fund priorities and provide more specific direction in next year’s solicitation. The growing significance of climate change and the Southeast Region's interests in advancing capacities for strategic conservation represent new and important dimensions to regional priorities not discussed in the Director’s 2007 document.

QR projects can be no longer than 18 months nor require more than $25,000. These projects also should address a priority issue, but tend to be smaller in scope and address more local needs than SSP.

The Regional Research Committee will consider the following factors when evaluating SSP and QR proposals:

How well the proposed project addresses RD priorities;

Clarity in expressing -

• information needs and management relevance
• how the needs will be met by the project
• regional or national conservation significance of the project
• value of deliverables
• how information will be applied in decision making/management;

Extent of the partnership represented by the project;

Extent of cross-programmatic relevance and support (mainly applies to SSP).

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:  Roles and responsibilities for the Service Project Officer, USGS Principal Investigator, and others are described in Attachment 1. The Project Officer is responsible for final and annual evaluations for projects (Attachments 2 & 3). Examples of successful proposals from prior years are provided in Attachment 4.

1. Follow the instructions and formats in Attachment 5.
2. Include a budget table with sufficient detail to show how the needs of the project will be met.
3. Clearly identify cross-regional proposals and partition the budget for each region involved.
4. Verify appropriate indirect cost rates of the USGS office with which you are cooperating. USGS science centers are expected to charge their full overhead rates; Co-op Units typically have reduced rates
5. Ensure that proposals accurately describe how gathered information will be applied to Service management needs.
6. Include interim deliverables in multi-year SSP proposals that will be used to assess progress.

Proposals should be submitted  to your respective ARD, Regional Refuge Chief, or ecosystem team leader, with required signatures (last page of Attachment 5) by COB May 15, 2009.  Please submit proposals via email and send a copy to Bill Starkel (bill_starkel@fws.gov).

By June 12, ARDs/Chiefs and ecoteam leaders will rank proposals they have received and send these rankings to Bill Starkel for consideration by the Regional Research Committee. The Committee will have final recommendations for funding to the Regional Directorate before August 15. Our recommendations to USGS are contingent upon continued funding for SSP and QR in the USGS's FY10 budget. Awarded projects typically initiate work no sooner than October (2009).

Please contact Bill (404-679-7127) for more information, or any member of the Regional Research Committee: Walter Boltin, Sue Cielinski, Dean Demarest, Janet Ertel, Robert Ford, Robin Goodloe, Ronnie Haynes, Wilson Laney, and Randy Wilson.

Attachment 1 – Roles and Responsibilities
Attachment 2 – Annual Project Evaluation
Attachment 3 – Final Project Evaluation
Attachment 4 – Successful 09 Proposals
Attachment 5 – SSP and QR Proposal Format
Download this RFP as a .doc file