Instructions for Completing Grant Application Form
Attention! Please note that the 2008 period for acceptance of grant applications has now closed. Unless special arrangements have been made for late submission of a specific application, it is very unlikely that any new application can be considered before late 2009. Proposals will be accepted again between August and October 2009, for projects to begin in 2010.
These instructions give advice on how to complete the on-line grant application form. Please read them in conjunction with the Guidelines for Applicants which provided separately. In the event that there is difficulty completing the form on line, SaveourSeas will consider applications sent in by e-mail (in Word or pdf format), or by post, so long as the application follows the same structure.
Applicants are requested to observe, so far as practicable, the word limits indicated for the various text sections.
Project Title
If you do not have a formal title for the project, please give an informative working title.
Name of Applicant
Give the name of the project leader or principal investigator, or the person originating the application, who will also act as a contact point. Where other individuals will be actively involved, their names may be mentioned in the section asking for general background information on the project, and their details given in the section asking for the details of collaborators.
Organisation
This is the name of the organisation, if any, that will involved in the project. Normally it will be the organisation for which the project leader works, but this is not necessarily the case.
Project Summary (200 words)
Please summarised the project and the activities that you propose, in not more than 200 words.
Project Period / Duration
This is the period over which the funding is required, rather than the total duration of any longer project within which the funding period is to be set; however it may be helpful if the intended duration of a longer project can be indicated in brackets. Nevertheless, note that funding can only be awarded for one year at a time. Funding normally becomes available to successful applicants in March of the year following submission if the application, and should normally be expended within a further 18 months.
Budget
The total amount requested from SaveourSeas in one financial year. Note that the amount of the award can only be specified in US dollars. As explained in the Guidelines for Applicants, grants are only awarded for a single financial year. This does not preclude grant-holders for applying for and being awarded grants in successive years, and successful projects are not infrequently supported for up to three years. Thus it may be helpful, where a year’s work is to be set within a longer period, if indicative budgets for any subsequent years However, projects should not be constructed so that they rely on, or their success depends on, receiving follow up funding for a further year or years, and key outputs must be produced with funding from the single financial year.
What are the Origins of, and the General Background to, the Project? (500 words)
Explain briefly how the project proposal came about, and how the need for the project was identified. Do not explain the scientific background which should be described in the next section.
What is the Scientific Background to the Project, or to the Species or Habitats involved? (500 words)
Summarise the key known scientific knowledge of the species or habitats with which your proposed project is concerned, focussing on the information most relevant to their conservation and to the project. Do not repeat material that you have included in the previous section. For public awareness or environmental education projects this section may be briefer or more general.
What are the Aims and Objectives of the Project? (500 words)
State clearly the broad aim(s) and list in more detail the specific objectives of the work which you intend to undertake. If the planned work will be part of a larger project, please describe all the relevant aims and objectives, highlighting (e.g. with an asterisk) those objectives which it is hoped to achieve with funding from SoSF. Consequential conservation benefits may be referred to here, but are more conveniently listed in the next but one section “What are the Particular Conservation Objectives?”
How will Each Aim and Objective be Achieved? (500 words)
Describe the methods which you intend to use, or the precise activities which will be involved, in achieving the above objectives.
What are the Particular Conservation Objectives? (200 words)
SaveourSeas Foundation funded projects are expected to include or be directed at action that will clearly help, directly or indirectly, to secure the protection of threatened marine species or resources or environments. Specify those aims which are expected to lead to conservation benefits. So far as practicable try not to repeat objectives described in the previous sections.
How will these Conservation Objective(s) be Achieved? (300 words)
Explain in more detail how the activities you plan will result in, or assist with, the achievement of your conservation objectives, or lead to conservation benefits, such as enhancing or securing the protection of a marine species, habitat, or resource.
List the Planned Activities and Timings (500 words)
Give a reasonably detailed timetable for the activities required for the work, showing how the project will be phased. Demonstrate how sufficient time will be allocated for each element of the work, including both initial planning and preparation, and final reporting or product production.
What are the likely Administrative, Logistical or Technical Problems? (200 words)
Many of the projects funded by SoSF involve work (e.g. underwater or in remote areas) that sounds difficult to organise or accomplish. The grant-awarding panel is naturally concerned to assess whether the major or obvious difficulties have been considered. In this section list what you expect to be, or what other might imagine to be, the most significant problems involved in undertaking the work of the project?
How will these Problems be Overcome? (300 words)
Describe how these problems have or will be overcome.
How will the Project and the SaveourSeas Foundation Sponsorship be Publicised? (300 words)
SoSF regards promotion of public awareness concerning marine environmental activities and issues as critically important if progress is to be made in the task of protecting the marine environment and species. Applicants are asked to incorporate a public awareness element into their projects; they are also requested to publicise the support from and work of SoSF, which will help strengthen SoSF’s conservation role. This may involve regular news releases to the media, the distribution of publicity material or holding community meetings. In addition SoSF grant holders are encouraged to contribute blogs to the SaveourSeas web site. Projects that are principally public awareness or environmental education projects (for example the making of a film) need not repeat the information already given, but consideration should be given as to how the product(s) of the project will be distributed or made available to the public.
What will be the Environmental Education Component of the Project? (300 words)
The founder of the SaveourSeas Foundation regards education of young people regarding the importance of and threats to the marine environment as especially important. Thus all applicants are encouraged to incorporate some more formal environmental education elements into their project, though care should be taken that this does not jeopardise other project aims. Such elements might include talks to schools, a display in a local museum, or the erection of one or more interpretive information boards.
Give Details of any Proposed Collaborators, Advisors or Employees
This is where you may give details of other collaborators or members of the team, and of any external experts or specialists from whom you have sought advice.
Give the Names and Contact Details of up to 3 Key Supporter of the Project
Here you may list knowledgeable or influential individuals who are prepared to indicate their support for the project. These might include such people as senior researchers willing to act as scientific referees, government staff able to indicate the acceptability to the local authorities of proposed activities, or experienced producers or educationalists willing to back proposals for a book or film. SoSF may approach one or more of these individuals to invite their views on the proposal.
Budget Details
Please give a reasonable breakdown of the budget for the project. This should be organised under such standard headings as: staff costs, travel, field costs, capital equipment (items costing more than $500) listing the items concerned, consumables, administrative costs (insurance, phones, permits etc.), and specialist services (e.g. film editing, laboratory testing, library facilities). If you intend that the project is jointly funded, please indicate how much is requested from SoSF, and if funds from SoSF are to be used for specific budget lines or parts of the project, please indicate which these are.
Amounts Requested from SaveourSeas with Payment Schedule.
Funds are normally paid in two instalments, in advance, with payment of the second instalment being dependent on reasonable progress during the first part of the project. Usually these instalments would be paid 6 months apart in April and October of the year following the application, but modifications to this arrangement can usually be accommodated.
Signature of the Applicant(s) and Date
If submitting via the web-site please or via e-mail then please type in the normal form of your signature, and add the date. The names of collaborators may be included if so desired. If submitting by post, a normal signature may be included.
Curriculum Vitae of Project Leader(s)
Please upload (or if submitting by e-mail append) a medium length c.v. of the project leader or principal investigator, and if so desired of other principal collaborators. Normally a c.v. of up to 3 – 5 pages should be sufficient.
Recent Passport Photograph
Please upload a recent passport style or head and shoulders photograph of the project leader. Please insure that the size and resolution of the image is reduced to ensure that the file is not too large.
We will endeavour to acknowledge all applications within 10 days of their receipt by SaveourSeas.
In the event that SoSF believes that further explanation or information is required, the applicant may be contacted by SoSF staff, who may also be approached for general advice in respect of a proposed application. SoSF may also approach applicants in order to suggest or recommend amendments to the project proposal, which might make it more acceptable or effective.
Each application will be reviewed by at least two referees before being considered by the Foundation’s advisory committee. Those that fail to make a particular grade will be rejected at that stage, and the applicants informed during December or January. A final decision on the grants to be awarded is normally made by the Foundation’s Board before the end of February, and subsequently remaining applicants will be informed whether or not their applications have been successful, normally before the end of February.
Urgency Procedure: On rare occasions small awards may be made as a matter of urgency outside this timetable. This might be for example where individuals of a rare species are under imminent threat, or critical conservation equipment such as a boat requires repair, or an unexpected opportunity arises from which a critical conservation cause might greatly benefit. Individuals or organisations who believe they might have such a case may contact the chief scientist for further advice.
September 2008
These instructions give advice on how to complete the on-line grant application form. Please read them in conjunction with the Guidelines for Applicants which provided separately. In the event that there is difficulty completing the form on line, SaveourSeas will consider applications sent in by e-mail (in Word or pdf format), or by post, so long as the application follows the same structure.
Applicants are requested to observe, so far as practicable, the word limits indicated for the various text sections.
Project Title
If you do not have a formal title for the project, please give an informative working title.
Name of Applicant
Give the name of the project leader or principal investigator, or the person originating the application, who will also act as a contact point. Where other individuals will be actively involved, their names may be mentioned in the section asking for general background information on the project, and their details given in the section asking for the details of collaborators.
Organisation
This is the name of the organisation, if any, that will involved in the project. Normally it will be the organisation for which the project leader works, but this is not necessarily the case.
Project Summary (200 words)
Please summarised the project and the activities that you propose, in not more than 200 words.
Project Period / Duration
This is the period over which the funding is required, rather than the total duration of any longer project within which the funding period is to be set; however it may be helpful if the intended duration of a longer project can be indicated in brackets. Nevertheless, note that funding can only be awarded for one year at a time. Funding normally becomes available to successful applicants in March of the year following submission if the application, and should normally be expended within a further 18 months.
Budget
The total amount requested from SaveourSeas in one financial year. Note that the amount of the award can only be specified in US dollars. As explained in the Guidelines for Applicants, grants are only awarded for a single financial year. This does not preclude grant-holders for applying for and being awarded grants in successive years, and successful projects are not infrequently supported for up to three years. Thus it may be helpful, where a year’s work is to be set within a longer period, if indicative budgets for any subsequent years However, projects should not be constructed so that they rely on, or their success depends on, receiving follow up funding for a further year or years, and key outputs must be produced with funding from the single financial year.
What are the Origins of, and the General Background to, the Project? (500 words)
Explain briefly how the project proposal came about, and how the need for the project was identified. Do not explain the scientific background which should be described in the next section.
What is the Scientific Background to the Project, or to the Species or Habitats involved? (500 words)
Summarise the key known scientific knowledge of the species or habitats with which your proposed project is concerned, focussing on the information most relevant to their conservation and to the project. Do not repeat material that you have included in the previous section. For public awareness or environmental education projects this section may be briefer or more general.
What are the Aims and Objectives of the Project? (500 words)
State clearly the broad aim(s) and list in more detail the specific objectives of the work which you intend to undertake. If the planned work will be part of a larger project, please describe all the relevant aims and objectives, highlighting (e.g. with an asterisk) those objectives which it is hoped to achieve with funding from SoSF. Consequential conservation benefits may be referred to here, but are more conveniently listed in the next but one section “What are the Particular Conservation Objectives?”
How will Each Aim and Objective be Achieved? (500 words)
Describe the methods which you intend to use, or the precise activities which will be involved, in achieving the above objectives.
What are the Particular Conservation Objectives? (200 words)
SaveourSeas Foundation funded projects are expected to include or be directed at action that will clearly help, directly or indirectly, to secure the protection of threatened marine species or resources or environments. Specify those aims which are expected to lead to conservation benefits. So far as practicable try not to repeat objectives described in the previous sections.
How will these Conservation Objective(s) be Achieved? (300 words)
Explain in more detail how the activities you plan will result in, or assist with, the achievement of your conservation objectives, or lead to conservation benefits, such as enhancing or securing the protection of a marine species, habitat, or resource.
List the Planned Activities and Timings (500 words)
Give a reasonably detailed timetable for the activities required for the work, showing how the project will be phased. Demonstrate how sufficient time will be allocated for each element of the work, including both initial planning and preparation, and final reporting or product production.
What are the likely Administrative, Logistical or Technical Problems? (200 words)
Many of the projects funded by SoSF involve work (e.g. underwater or in remote areas) that sounds difficult to organise or accomplish. The grant-awarding panel is naturally concerned to assess whether the major or obvious difficulties have been considered. In this section list what you expect to be, or what other might imagine to be, the most significant problems involved in undertaking the work of the project?
How will these Problems be Overcome? (300 words)
Describe how these problems have or will be overcome.
How will the Project and the SaveourSeas Foundation Sponsorship be Publicised? (300 words)
SoSF regards promotion of public awareness concerning marine environmental activities and issues as critically important if progress is to be made in the task of protecting the marine environment and species. Applicants are asked to incorporate a public awareness element into their projects; they are also requested to publicise the support from and work of SoSF, which will help strengthen SoSF’s conservation role. This may involve regular news releases to the media, the distribution of publicity material or holding community meetings. In addition SoSF grant holders are encouraged to contribute blogs to the SaveourSeas web site. Projects that are principally public awareness or environmental education projects (for example the making of a film) need not repeat the information already given, but consideration should be given as to how the product(s) of the project will be distributed or made available to the public.
What will be the Environmental Education Component of the Project? (300 words)
The founder of the SaveourSeas Foundation regards education of young people regarding the importance of and threats to the marine environment as especially important. Thus all applicants are encouraged to incorporate some more formal environmental education elements into their project, though care should be taken that this does not jeopardise other project aims. Such elements might include talks to schools, a display in a local museum, or the erection of one or more interpretive information boards.
Give Details of any Proposed Collaborators, Advisors or Employees
This is where you may give details of other collaborators or members of the team, and of any external experts or specialists from whom you have sought advice.
Give the Names and Contact Details of up to 3 Key Supporter of the Project
Here you may list knowledgeable or influential individuals who are prepared to indicate their support for the project. These might include such people as senior researchers willing to act as scientific referees, government staff able to indicate the acceptability to the local authorities of proposed activities, or experienced producers or educationalists willing to back proposals for a book or film. SoSF may approach one or more of these individuals to invite their views on the proposal.
Budget Details
Please give a reasonable breakdown of the budget for the project. This should be organised under such standard headings as: staff costs, travel, field costs, capital equipment (items costing more than $500) listing the items concerned, consumables, administrative costs (insurance, phones, permits etc.), and specialist services (e.g. film editing, laboratory testing, library facilities). If you intend that the project is jointly funded, please indicate how much is requested from SoSF, and if funds from SoSF are to be used for specific budget lines or parts of the project, please indicate which these are.
Amounts Requested from SaveourSeas with Payment Schedule.
Funds are normally paid in two instalments, in advance, with payment of the second instalment being dependent on reasonable progress during the first part of the project. Usually these instalments would be paid 6 months apart in April and October of the year following the application, but modifications to this arrangement can usually be accommodated.
Signature of the Applicant(s) and Date
If submitting via the web-site please or via e-mail then please type in the normal form of your signature, and add the date. The names of collaborators may be included if so desired. If submitting by post, a normal signature may be included.
Curriculum Vitae of Project Leader(s)
Please upload (or if submitting by e-mail append) a medium length c.v. of the project leader or principal investigator, and if so desired of other principal collaborators. Normally a c.v. of up to 3 – 5 pages should be sufficient.
Recent Passport Photograph
Please upload a recent passport style or head and shoulders photograph of the project leader. Please insure that the size and resolution of the image is reduced to ensure that the file is not too large.
We will endeavour to acknowledge all applications within 10 days of their receipt by SaveourSeas.
In the event that SoSF believes that further explanation or information is required, the applicant may be contacted by SoSF staff, who may also be approached for general advice in respect of a proposed application. SoSF may also approach applicants in order to suggest or recommend amendments to the project proposal, which might make it more acceptable or effective.
Each application will be reviewed by at least two referees before being considered by the Foundation’s advisory committee. Those that fail to make a particular grade will be rejected at that stage, and the applicants informed during December or January. A final decision on the grants to be awarded is normally made by the Foundation’s Board before the end of February, and subsequently remaining applicants will be informed whether or not their applications have been successful, normally before the end of February.
Urgency Procedure: On rare occasions small awards may be made as a matter of urgency outside this timetable. This might be for example where individuals of a rare species are under imminent threat, or critical conservation equipment such as a boat requires repair, or an unexpected opportunity arises from which a critical conservation cause might greatly benefit. Individuals or organisations who believe they might have such a case may contact the chief scientist for further advice.
September 2008