All researchers funded by a DOI Climate Science Center (CSC) and/or the USGS National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center (NCCWSC) must follow the following project tracking policies:
Project Reporting
All funded projects are required to submit Annual Progress Reports and a Final Project Report according to the formats provided below (in addition to the Federal Financial Report required for external agreement administration, Form SF-425).
| Report Type | Due Date | Template & Instructions |
| Annual Progress Report | 60 days prior to the end of the project's budget year1,2 | Annual Progress Report Instructions (PDF, Word) |
| Final Project Report | 90 days after the project completion date2 |
Final Report Instructions (PDF, Word) NOTE: Final Reports authored by USGS researchers must go through the USGS Fundamental Science Practices (FSP) process. |
1The first budget year of your project begins on the official date of funding (i.e. the official start date). For external funding recipients (Grants and Cooperative Agreements), the budget period dates are listed on the official agreement document. For internal funding recipients (USGS), the budget period begins on the Effective Date of the Change of Allocation and annual progress reports are due 60 days prior to the 1 year anniversary.
Example: My official project start date is July 1, 2015. The end of my first budget year will be July 1, 2016. My annual progress report will be due May 1, 2016.
2Additional or more frequent reporting may be required by individual CSCs or NCCWSC.
Manuscripts & Publications
Funded researchers are required to provide advanced notification to the relevant CSC/NCCWSC of all anticipated manuscripts intended for publication that have been produced through their CSC/NCCWSC-funded project (or where staff received funding through a CSC/NCCWSC graduate fellowship).
All manuscripts should also include appropriate funding acknowledgements. Guidelines for funding acknowledgements can be found here.
Photos
Photographs that represent and showcase research projects are a great way to help communicate and feature the important and interesting work of CSC/NCCWSC-funded researchers. Project photos (e.g. of wildlife, landscapes, habitats, or researchers in the field) can be used on our project information web pages, in press releases and announcements, Congressional briefings, social media, and other venues. To submit photos from your project, please email nccwsc@usgs.gov. Non-federal photographers must also sign and submit the USGS photo permission form, which NCCWSC staff will provide.
The entire lifecycle of a project funded by a CSC or NCCWSC is captured and supported by a suite of online tools. These tools help project managers, Principle Investigators (PIs), and others manage and track projects from the initial funding application process, to the development of data and products, to the final project close-out.
ScienceBase: ScienceBase is the central repository for records on CSC and NCCWSC funded projects, data, and products. ScienceBase can be thought of as the "backbone" for our other project lifecycle tools.
Project Dashboard (PDash): PDash is used to track and manage project information, including project metadata, reports, publications, data products, and data management plan status. Project managers can track project deadlines and deliverables and set reminder notifications.
DMP Editor: DMP Editor helps PIs and project managers easily create, edit, and manage Data Management Plans (DMPs), a required component of projects funded by a CSC or NCCWSC. Learn more about our data requirements and policies here
DEPTH: The Data Entry for Project Tracking and Highlighting (DEPTH) web portal allows users to easily query, view, filter, and edit project records. DEPTH provides users with a central location to view science activities from across various organizations in their region.
RFPManager: The Request for Proposal Manager (RFPManager) provides project managers with a simple, configurable tool that gathers information and documents for funding opportunities. Its multi-step process follows a full funding opportunity through the submission, scoring, review, and final selection process.
Online Project Webpages: Our online webpages and search tool allow users to search and discover CSC and NCCWSC funded projects, including data, tools, publications, and other project products.