Marine Sciences Grant Funding

The Marine Sciences Research Grant Committee is currently soliciting applications for research support for funds beginning January 1, 2016.

The next deadline for submission of applications is October 15, 2015. Applications received after October 15, 2015 will be returned to the applicant without exception.

Application Process

PDF and Word versions of the application are available on this page. Applications must be typewritten and completed in full. Incomplete or undocumented applications will be deferred to the Committee's next regularly scheduled meeting.

To apply, combine your completed application and supporting documents into a single PDF document and return it via email to mnull@ucsd.edu.

Please contact Michelle Null (mnull@ucsd.edu, extension x42130) if you have any questions.

Eligibility Information

Academic Senate members or Research Scientists in all fields are eligible to apply for individual research grants. Project Scientists are eligible for Travel to Scholarly Meetings only, subject to exception of policy.

Guidelines

Grant Amounts

Research proposals submitted to the Marine Sciences Research Grant Committee should not exceed $15,000. Joint proposals should not exceed $15,000 per qualified applicant. Funds are not discretionary; justification of all items requested is essential. Awards which would result in cumulative support beyond $45,000 over a ten year period are unlikely.

Selection Criteria

Priority is generally given to junior and new faculty with no extramural support, and Academic Senate members will be given priority over non-Senate members. Since the Committee is particularly interested in promoting new projects that will lead to extramural support, applicants should indicate when such funding is likely.

Second applications in the same fiscal year will receive low priority. Incremental changes or additions to a currently funded project are unlikely to be considered favorably. All research grants are awarded for a one-year period and expire one year from inception date.

1. Priority will be given to original projects, especially by junior and recently arrived eligible applicants with no extramural support.
2. Consideration will also be given to proposals that fall within the following categories:
1. bridge funding for those eligible applicants who, after extended research productivity, have no current extramural research grants and have new proposals in the review cycle (detailed documentation is required)
2. essential seed money for new projects, especially by junior eligible applicants, that are likely to lead to extramural support
3. novel interdisciplinary research programs for groups of eligible applicants. 
3. Funds may be awarded for supplies, field work, research assistance, general assistance, travel for research purposes (attach quotation from agency), and equipment (attach vendor price quotation). [NOTE: Due to limited funds, salary support for graduate students cannot be provided. "Research assistance" is for work that aids but does not substitute for the scholarly work of the faculty member; support of post-doctoral salary is therefore inappropriate.]
4. Computer equipment and software may be requested; however, due to budget limitations only modest needs can be met and these needs must be well-justified and in line with the goal of providing funding that will lead to extramural support.
5. Limited funds are available to support the final preparation of manuscripts for submission to publishers. Manuscripts must exceed 200 double-spaced, formatted pages and include the title and number of pages. Funds will not be awarded if a publisher's advance has been received.
6. The Committee does not award funds for: Eligible applicant salary; books; curricular, administrative and teaching aid studies; individual subscriptions or professional society dues; publication costs, or open access charges reprints; telephone charges; postage or couriers; office furniture; minor office and computer supplies (paper, pens, pencils); maintenance and repair of equipment.
7. Human and Animal Subjects
   1. Research involving the use of human subjects (including the use of questionnaires, body fluids, and tissues) must be approved by the Human Subjects Committee before being initiated. Protocol number and date of approval should be indicated on the research grant application. Application forms are available in the Human Subjects Committee Office.
   2. Research involving the use of animals must be approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). A copy of the approval or protocol number should be indicated on the application. Animal Use Protocol forms are available from the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee website.

Use of Funds

Expenditures of research grant funds must conform to the Committee allocations by categories and purpose. Savings in any category cannot be redirected and must be returned for redistribution; grantee's 10-year cumulative total will be credited.

The grantee is responsible for the administration of the grant, any overdrafts, and must review the budget and return to the Committee promptly any funds that will not be spent before the grant expires. Funds not expended by the end date will automatically revert to the Committee for redistribution.

Any equipment purchased from an Academic Senate research grant becomes the property of the University upon acquisition and reverts to the University upon completion of the project for which the funds were awarded.

All expenditures are subject to applicable University regulations. Policy and Procedure Manual References:

• General Policy:  150-75 through 150-79
• Human Subjects: 100-5
• Animal Subjects: 100-6
• Accounting: 300-60 & 300-80
• Travel: 365-1 through 365-7

Any unexpended balances returned to the Committee prior to the expiration date of the grant will be credited towards the grantee's ten-year cumulative total.