piccc-picsc-fy12-funding-guidance.doc

The Pacific Islands Climate Change Cooperative and

The Pacific Islands Climate Science Center FY 2012 Funding Guidance

Contents

2Overview

3I. Funding Opportunity Description.

7II. Award Information

7III. Eligibility and Matching

8IV. Application and Submission

8V. Review Criteria.

11VI. Proposal and Award Administration

12VII. Agency Contact(s)

13VIII. Templates

Overview Federal Agency Names: US Fish and Wildlife Service in support of the Pacific Islands Climate Change Cooperative (PICCC), and the US Geological Survey in support of the Pacific Islands Climate Science Center (PICSC).

Funding Opportunity Title: PICCC/PICSC FY12 Funding Guidance

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: US Fish and Wildlife Service, Cooperative Landscape Conservation, No. 15.669.

Dates: The deadline for submissions is April 2, 2012 by 5pm HST. If you do not have the capability to submit electronically, please contact PICCC Science Manager, Jeff Burgett (Jeff_Burgett@fws.gov, (808) 687-6149) for information on how you may apply under this announcement.

Funding Opportunity Description: A total estimated amount of up to $1,900,000 for 7-15 science, data, and information-oriented projects that support priorities of the PICCC and PICSC may be awarded. Maximum award amount is $500,000. Projects must address one or more of the Science Priorities identified for FY12: Geophysical Drivers of Change, Effects of Geophysical Drivers on Biological and Cultural Resources, Models of Resource Response to Change, and Tools for Visualization and Decision Support (see Section I for description of topics). Proposals may be solicited from a specific agency or organization with proprietary or jurisdictional rights or unique expertise, or a Request for Proposals for a specific type of work may be released with this announcement. Unsolicited proposals will be reviewed through the criteria included in this guidance.

How to submit: See Section IV for information on how to apply.

I. Funding Opportunity Description.

Under this FY12 PICCC/PICSC Funding Guidance, the US Fish and Wildlife Service Pacific Region (FWS R1), and the US Geological Survey Pacific Islands Climate Science Center (PICSC) are requesting project proposals for science and information that address one or more of the following four Science Priorities identified by the PICCC: Geophysical Drivers of Change, Effects of Geophysical Drivers on Biological and Cultural Resources, Models of Resource Response to Change, and Tools for Visualization and Decision Support (descriptions of these Science Priorities and high priority examples appear below).

The Pacific Islands Climate Change Cooperative (PICCC) is a self-directed, non-regulatory conservation alliance whose purpose is to assist those who manage native species, island ecosystems and key cultural resources in adapting their management to climate change for the continuing benefit of the people of the Pacific Islands. As a member of a nation-wide network of Landscape Conservation Cooperatives, the PICCC supports projects that provide critical scientific information needed by its members. Funding for science projects is provided through the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Pacific Region. See http://hawaiiconservation.org/activities/pacific_island_climate_change_cooperative for a map of the PICCC/PICSC geographic area and a description of the PICCC and its research and management goals.

The Pacific Islands Climate Science Center (PICSC) is part of a network of eight regional centers established by the US Geological Survey, National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center. It serves to provide scientific information, tools, and techniques that managers and other parties interested in land, water, wildlife and cultural resources can use to anticipate, monitor, and adapt to climate change. The PICSC is hosted by a consortium of the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, the University of Hawai’i at Hilo, and the University of Guam, with additional institutional partners. The scientific priorities and agenda of the PICSC will be decided in consultation with the PICCC as well as with other scientists and land managers. The FY12 PICSC science agenda will support the PICCC research and project needs identified in this RFP. The geographic area of the PICSC is identical to that of the PICCC. See http://www.doi.gov/csc/pacific/index.cfm for a further description of the PICSC.

In November 2011, the PICCC adopted an Integrated Science Framework (ISF) to guide its science efforts for the next several years. Guided by the goals of its member organizations, the PICCC identified three Focus Areas that funded science projects should address:

· Maintain or Improve Ecosystem Function

· Maintain or Improve Status of At-Risk Species

· Preserve Key Cultural and Natural Resources and their Uses The ISF also identified the geophysical drivers of change, or Climate Factors, that most concerned the PICCC member organizations:

· Precipitation Change and Storm Frequency/Intensity

· Sea Level Rise

· Ocean Chemistry and Sea Surface Temperature FWS R1 and PICSC reserve the right to make no awards under this announcement. Division of available funds among Science Priorities is not explicit; the final amount awarded within each Science Priority is at the discretion of FWS R1 and PICSC.

Proposals will be evaluated using criteria as described in Section V, and reflecting the PICCC Integrated Science Framework (a synopsis of the ISF is available at http://www.piccc.net).

Science Priorities:

A. Geophysical Drivers of Change This Science Priority refers to projects that investigate trends or variability, on an island or archipelago scale, in geophysical variables that are expected to respond to global-scale forcing, especially precipitation, storm frequency/intensity, sea level rise, ocean chemistry, and sea-surface temperature. The Pacific Island region is large, complex, and under-studied, and models of island-scale processes must be developed and based on sound data. Studies under this Science Priority would aim to develop or consolidate foundational data, to document past changes and trends observed historically or revealed by proxy variables, or to model such changes in the future under several climate change scenarios. Projects and products that rank highly under this Science Priority will identify a clear link between the information and management decision making, will use state-of-the-art models and/or analytical methods (e.g., ensemble projections), will use multiple emissions scenarios and time points, will be as fine-scale as possible, and will link with long-term monitoring systems.

Potential studies that have been identified as being of high interest are:

· Downscaled (dynamical or statistical) climate models for the Pacific, especially for the Mariana Islands, Samoa Islands, and Hawaiian Islands (of special interest to PICSC).

· Data needed to support projections of local impacts of sea level rise and transient sea level extremes on coasts and small islands, such as accurate datums for remote islands, accurate LiDAR of coastal topography, and shallow-water bathymetry.

· Data and model projections of coastal trends and variability in temperature, pH and carbonate chemistry.

· Development of a monitoring strategy for the Hawaiian or other island groups that assesses the current status of biological monitoring and climate monitoring, identifies gaps in current monitoring efforts, and proposes an integrated biological-climate monitoring system to support ecological response modeling and the validation of both future climate projections and biological response projections (of special interest to PICSC).

B. Effects of Geophysical Drivers on Biological and Cultural Resources This Science Priority refers to projects that investigate how the geophysical variables that are expected to respond to global-scale forcing, especially precipitation, storm frequency/intensity, sea level rise, ocean chemistry, and sea-surface temperature, affect species, ecosystems, and cultural resources. Field data and experimental tests of responses and interactions will be indispensable to develop and refine models of resource change and to track actual responses to future conditions. Because of the large number of resources of interest, and the multiple climate and non-climate factors interacting on and around the Pacific Islands, developing the most broadly relevant and fundamental information is important. Projects and products that rank highly under this Science Priority will create or use data from social or ecological field studies, experimental studies, or records of past change; involve widely distributed or fundamental species, subsistence gathering and/or traditional cultural activities, or ecosystem processes; link with ongoing monitoring, studies of indigenous or traditional ecological knowledge, and/or model development; and be clearly relevant to management decisions and adaptation planning.

Potential studies that have been identified as being of high interest are:

· Indigenous community responses to actual or projected sea level rise/coastal inundation, precipitation variability, and/or storm intensity and frequency and their impact on archaeological sites and features, and cultural landscapes and practices.

· Species and ecosystem responses to precipitation variability and drought, including competitive interactions, island systems other than Hawai’i, invasive species, and freshwater/coastal systems.

· Species and ecosystem responses to storms, such as recovery rates, and changes in community composition.

· Responses of marine species and processes to ocean acidification, such as effects on competition, reproduction, settlement, and planktonic survival.

· Site- or context-specific impacts of sea level rise/extremes on species or ecosystem processes.

· Responses of traditional communities to gradual or abrupt coral reef degradation

· Effects of high sea surface temperatures on organisms other than corals.

· Biological data consolidation for the Hawaiian or other island groups to assist with the development of ecological response models and vulnerability assessments related to climate change (of special interest to PICSC). For the Hawaiian Islands, this would entail, as a minimum, integrating the Hawaii Forest Bird Database, Seabird Database, Waterbird Database, Hawaii Biodiversity and Mapping Database, Plant Extinction Prevention Program Database, and the Hawaii Biological Survey Database (Bishop Museum).

C. Models of Resource Response to Change This Science Priority refers to projects that provide estimates of future states of target resources (with or without management interventions) under conditions of changing precipitation, storm frequency/intensity, sea level, ocean chemistry, sea-surface temperature, or other large-scale driver. For utility in climate change adaptation and adaptive management, new model development or extensions of existing models should ideally be focused on processes or resources that are fundamental to island ecosystems and cultures, and are amenable to management. Projects and products that rank highly under this Science Priority will estimate responses to multiple future climate states, consider interactions with non-climate stressors, involve widely distributed or fundamental species, activities or ecosystem processes, and facilitate future, more focused studies. Analytical tools should provide robust assessments of climate vulnerability and risk, and support implementable decisions and multiple options under a variety of conditions.

Potential studies that have been identified as being of high interest are:

· Models of ecosystem responses to ocean acidification.

· Models of species distributions on islands with respect to precipitation, especially invasive species, invertebrates, mesic/dry forest, and on archipelagoes other than Hawai’i.

· Models of shoreline change at sites of high conservation value and where supporting data exist.

· An integrated demonstration model of the distributional and demographic response of one or more key island species to future scenarios involving changes in multiple drivers and non-climate stressors (of special interest to PICSC).

· Models of effects of sea level rise on coastal water quality.

· Updates or extensions of current models of coral reef response temperature and acidification, based upon improved data.

D. Tools for Visualization and Decision Support This Science Priority refers to projects that provide the ability to visualize potential future states of resources, landscapes, or ecosystem processes, and to make informed, optimal conservation management decisions. However, planning tools are only as good as the underlying data and models that drive them, which are often limited for island systems. With appropriate caveats, such decision support tools can inform many stages of adaptation planning, action, monitoring, and community engagement. Projects and products that rank highly under this Science Priority will be based on robust data and state-of-the-art models, easy to use and interpret by the end user or intended audience, relevant to multiple audiences involved in management decisions at multiple locations and time points, easy to update with new data and model refinements, and allow users to appropriately interpret uncertainties in underlying models of geophysical drivers and system responses.

Potential studies that have been identified as being of high interest are:

· Visualizations of updated precipitation projections at the scale of island landscapes, and of changes in ecological patterns in response to precipitation, including explicit depiction of uncertainties.

· Visualizations of sea level rise and of geomorphic, hydrological, ecological responses to sea level rise, including explicit depiction of uncertainties.

II. Award Information

A total estimated amount of up to $1,900,000, divided among approximately 7-15 projects may be awarded under this announcement. Maximum award amount is $500,000. The assistance instrument will be a grant, cooperative agreement, or interagency agreement.

Anticipated Start and End Dates. Most projects selected for funding will begin in calendar year 2012. Applicants should plan for projects to be completed within 3 years of their start dates, or provide a compelling reason why a longer period of time is necessary to complete the work. Maximum duration of projects is 5 years.

Partial Funding. FWS R1 and PICSC reserve the right to offer partial funding to projects by funding discrete activities, portions, or phases of the proposed project. If a decision is made to partially fund the proposed project, it will be done in a manner that does not prejudice any applicants or affect the basis upon which the proposed project, or portion thereof, was evaluated and selected, and that maintains the integrity of the competition and the selection/evaluation process.

III. Eligibility and Matching

Applicant Eligibility. There are no restrictions on applicants for this announcement. The PICSC is restricted to funding projects submitted by members of the PICSC consortium (i.e., University of Hawaii at Manoa, University of Hawaii at Hilo, University of Guam), designated consortium partners (Stanford University, Carnegie Institute for Science, University of California – Santa Barbara, Yale University, the Pacific RISA, and the USDA Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry), and USGS research entities. Non-consortium members can have significant involvement in a PICSC project, but the lead Principle Investigator must be from a consortium institution or USGS.

Eligible Activities. Assistance is available for science and information projects informing or directly affecting conservation delivery in the Pacific Islands region served by the PICCC and PICSC.

The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance identifies this assistance as: US Fish and Wildlife Service, Project Grants, No. 15.669.

Ineligible Activities. Under this announcement, the following will not be funded: "construction grant" projects; land acquisition; or projects the principal purpose for which is general operating support.

Match. A match is not required, but may increase the cost-effectiveness of projects, which is one of the criteria in Section V which will be considered by reviewers during evaluations. Applicants may use their own funds, in-kind or other resources for a voluntary match or cost share. Only eligible and allowable costs may be used for matches or cost shares.

IV. Application and Submission

Getting Started.

1. Read and follow instructions (Sections IV through VI).

2. Develop and edit your project proposal using the templates provided in Section VIII, in light of the criteria.

3. Complete and submit your proposal by the deadline.

Format. Use the cover page, proposal, budget, and data management plan templates below (Section VIII) and complete the templates with the appropriate information requested. Your proposal should be no more than 5 pages long, including citations, but not including cover sheet, curricula vitae (CVs) or other documentation of expertise, budget, data management plan, and letters of support. Please use a non-serif font such as Arial or Helvetica, 11 point, single line spacing, with ¾ inch minimum margins. Submissions that do not conform to this format will be not be accepted or considered for funding.

Submission. Electronic submissions are preferable. You may submit directly to Jeff_Burgett@fws.gov. If you do not have the capability to submit electronically, please contact Jeff Burgett (Ph: 808-687-6149, FAX: 808-664-8937 / Jeff_Burgett@fws.gov).

Deadline. Submissions are due by April 2rd, 2012 by 5pm HST. The PICCC Science Manager will determine timeliness by reviewing the date and time of receipt. Absent compelling circumstances which justify the acceptance of a late submission and that do not affect the integrity of the competition, late submissions will not be reviewed or considered.

Funding Restrictions: See Eligibility - Ineligible Activities.

Confidentiality. Applicants may claim all or a portion of their project submission as confidential business information. Applicants must clearly mark submissions or portions thereof which they claim as confidential. If no claim of confidentiality is made, FWS R1 and PICSC are not responsible to maintain confidentiality. Note that data produced under a Federal award is subject to the Freedom of Information Act.

Multiple Project Submissions. If your organization submits more than one project and chooses to prioritize them, please identify an overall contact (including phone, e-mail, and address) and send a single, coordinated submittal. Prioritization suggestions can also be sent directly to Jeff_Burgett@fws.gov.

V. Review Criteria.

Recommendations for funding will be based on an evaluation of projects against the following four criteria. Proposals may earn a maximum of 100 points.

· Alignment with the PICCC’s and PICSC’s core principles (20%)

· Climate Change Adaptation and Adaptive Management. Projects that provide information required to adaptively manage a conservation project, refocus ongoing conservation programs toward climate change adaptation, or quantify the potential benefits of adaptation will score higher on this criterion.

· Biocultural Approach. Projects that are co-led by academic researchers and cultural practitioners, that include the use of traditional ecological knowledge, that involve community members in implementation and monitoring, or that focus on species, ecosystem elements, or cultural resources of high cultural significance will score higher on this criterion.

· Integration of Research and Management. Projects that directly involve resource managers in research design, tool development, and dissemination of results will score higher on this criterion. Such involvement should be documented in a support letter.

· Shared Learning and Cooperation. Projects that are designed and executed among multiple PICCC and PICSC members, that have funding support from other climate-focused research entities, or that support collaborative management actions will score higher on this criterion.

· Relevance and Ability to Resolve Needs (30%)

· Clear statement of project objectives, explanation of what the project will accomplish and why it is important.

· Ability of project outputs to fully resolve the issue or need, as articulated by a manager or end user.

· Application to one or more of the Science Priorities described in Section I.

· Direct application to one or more of the high interest studies identified in Section I, or documentation of a compelling need for the project by a member of the PICCC.

· Scientific/Professional Merit (30%):

· Soundness of the proposal’s technical approach, experimental design, and methods.

· Responsiveness to the ranking factors described in each Science Priority.

· Demonstration of a clear understanding of the problem being addressed, the present state of knowledge in the field, and the project’s relation to other work.

· The PI’s and/or team’s ability to execute the work based on demonstrated experience in the proposed field of study, evident in available or included products that indicate expertise within the field and prior success.

· Assessment of project uncertainties and how they could impact the success of the project.

· Soundness of the proposal data management plan.

· A well-articulated plan for dissemination of project results.

· Cost effectiveness (20%)

· Adequacy of proposed resources and reasonableness of the proposed budget for the level of work proposed and with the expected benefits to be achieved.

· Connection and collaboration with projects supported by other Federal and/or non-Federal sources of funds to leverage resources to carry out the proposed project.

· Effectiveness and sufficiency of the applicant’s plan for tracking and measuring progress toward achieving stated outputs and outcomes.

Review and Selection Process.

Project proposals will be evaluated through the following review process. The selection process will not penalize applicants for submitting more than one proposal.

1. Submissions will be screened by the PICCC Science Manager upon receipt for eligibility, for conformance to the announcement provisions, and for a focus on at least one of the four identified Science Priorities. Ineligible, non-conforming, or non-focused projects will not be considered further.

2. Screened proposals will be distributed to the PICCC Steering Committee, the PICSC Interim Director, and the PICCC/PICSC Science Working Group which will conduct the scoring. Confidential information will be restricted to the Working Group, who will be bound by confidentiality assurances.

3. The Working Group members will independently evaluate each project against the criteria. Any Working Group member associated with a proposal will be excused from ranking that proposal.

4. The Working Group will present a list of projects recommended for funding and the compiled list of individual evaluations to the Selecting Officials at FWS R1 and PICSC. The list will include rankings and Working Group funding recommendation up to the amount available.

5. The final funding recommendations may take account of other factors in addition to the criteria used by the Working Group. These factors may include, for example, selecting technically sound projects across the PICCC/PICSC area at both a geographic and institutional level to achieve a reasonable balance of funding by cost, applicant type, and/or project location or impact.

6. After the Selecting Officials select projects for funding consideration, all applicants will be notified of the projects that have been selected.

7. Applicants for the projects that have been selected will be asked to submit final proposals along with the documentation for required for Federal assistance (Section VI. Application Packages).

8. Final funding decisions will be based upon the completed final proposals and Application Packages.

Schedule.

Conference Call(s) for Public Questions* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . March 12/13 Deadline for Submissions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . April 2 Reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . April 3-24 Applicants Notified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 17 Application Packages due . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 30 Final Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . June 17

* PICCC and PICSC propose to host 2 public conference calls during which applicants can ask any questions about the Funding Guidance. You will need the following information to participate in the call:

Date & Time

Conference Call for Central Pacific and Mainland U.S. Participants:

March 12

9 am Hawai‘i, 12 noon PDT

Conference Call for Central Pacific and Western Pacific Participants:

March 12, 2012 / March 13, 2012

3 pm Hawai‘i, 4 pm American Samoa, 11 am (3/13) Guam Call Leader:

PICCC Science Manager US/Canada Dial-In Number:

866-721-8579 Conference Code:

7172615# VI. Proposal and Award Administration

Award Notices: Applicants with projects selected for funding will be notified by email or telephone, and asked to complete the application process by providing completed documentation for Federal assistance (Application Packages).

Application Packages: Selected applicants will be required to submit the following documents to complete the application for funding:

· SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance – Mandatory)

· SF-424A (Budget information, non-construction programs)

· SF-424B (Assurances, non-construction programs) Deliverables:

All projects are expected to produce interim progress reports every six months and a final report submitted within 90 days of project completion (unless otherwise arranged). Interim reporting will be done using the Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) format which can be found at: http://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/rppr/format_ombostp.pdf.

Annually, the progress reports must include summaries of expenditures, accomplishments, and projected expenditures for the coming year.

The final report must include:

• Executive Summary

• Project explanation or Study Design

• Methods or Application

• Recommendations for use, application or next steps

Notification: We will confirm submission receipt within one week from the application deadline. Shortly after the deadline, we will post project information (including Applicant, Title, and identification number) at http://www.piccc.net Contact Jeff_Burgett@fws.gov if you do not receive a confirmation or if your project is not posted. The PICCC Science Manager will contact all applicants to tell them whether or not they will be asked to submit Application Packages.

VII. Agency Contact(s)

Jeff Burgett, PICCC Science Manager Jeff_Burgett@fws.gov

(808) 687-6149 Loyal Mehrhoff, PICSC Interim Director Loyal_Mehrhoff@fws.gov

(808) 792-9430 VIII. Templates For your application, you must use the attached templates for cover sheet, proposal (5 page maximum), budget, and data management plan. You must also include CVs or other documentation of Principal Investigator expertise, and optionally, up to three support letters.

These templates are also available at http://hawaiiconservation.org/activities/pacific_island_climate_change_cooperative/funding_opportunities Cover page template:

Proposal template:

Budget template:

Data management plan template:

Data management plan guidance and examples:

_1392037301.doc PICCC/PICSC FY12 PROPOSAL TEMPLATE (5 pages max.)

Project Title:

Project Coordinator (with contact information):

Project PI(s) (who is doing the work; contact information):

Partners (name, affiliation, location):

Research Statement/Project Summary (150 words max):

Need:

While it may be useful to include a brief amount of background information in this section, be sure to clearly address the following:

· What is the PICCC Science Priority that this research addresses (see Section I)?

· What need within the Pacific Islands region will be addressed?

· If not an identified high interest study (see Section I), is the need identified in existing conservation, management, or other plans?

· What large-scale conservation problem is this work related to and how (e.g. climate change, habitat fragmentation, invasive species)

· What is the geographic scope?

· Why is it important?

· What is the direct management application, if any?

Objective:

What will you accomplish? What science products will be provided and why are they needed? How will any interim products be made available? How will your project align with PICCC/PICSC’s core principles (Section V)?

Methods:

How will the objectives be attained? What work activities or tasks will be done? Include specific procedures, methodologies, or protocols, including data quality procedures for any field surveys. Will there be any key cooperators, and what will be their role (identify any in-kind support provided)? What permits or other regulatory documents will be required for project initiation, and are they in hand?

Deliverables:

Describe in detail the final product, and any interim products, which will result from this project and projected delivery date(s). Will the product be directly useable by managers or decision-makers, and if not, what additional work would be needed to make it so useable? How will any outreach or community/manager involvement be conducted? How will data generated by the project be archived, maintained, or shared (also complete Data Management Plan template)?

Schedule:

Provide a time line with dates and tasks. Include key project work items and dates for events such as start-up, interim milestones, presentations, deliverables, submittal of final report, and project completion. Identify if project is multi-year, and projected out-year schedule.

Budget:

Provide a narrative summary of costs (salaries, contracts, travel, publication costs, equipment, services, etc.) to complement the required Budget template. Describe in-kind or matching funds for the project if applicable. Describe differences in out-year estimated budget if multi-year project.

References/Citations:

Guidance and Requirements for

PICCC/PICSC Data Management Plans

Prepared by the CSC/NCCWSC Data Management Working Group, by Emily Fort, Data and IT Manager for the National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center

Version 1.0

Contents

Requirements for Data Management Plans

Background

The requirement for data management plans has been divided into two stages: 1) the Proposal Data Management Plan (PDMP), which will be submitted as part of the proposal, and 2) the Research Data Management Plan (RDMP), which includes information provided in the PDMP plus additional information about data handling and management throughout the project’s life cycle. The PDMP requirements are limited to information needed to understand the proposal from a data perspective. The RDMP includes additional details to ensure that data products are consistently formatted and documented during development, and that data deliverables are provided with maximum utility. The RDMP will help the PICCC/PICSC Data Manager assist the researcher with data management activities and make the project’s data and derived products available after project completion. The RDMP should be reviewed and enhanced as the project evolves. The PDMP and RDMP include information about data used in proposed projects including: 1) data inputs – existing data collections, 2) data inputs – collections of new field data or model output, and 3) data products and deliverables.

Why Are Data Management Plans Required?

· Assists with reproducibility of research projects because data are well documented.

· Helps ensure data and data products are accessible and available for the long term.

· Consistent with the best practices from many funding agencies such as the National Science Foundation.

Data Management Plan Description and Guidance

For both the PDMP and the RDMP, descriptions of the data are divided into the following four categories:

1. Data Inputs – Existing Collections;

2. Data Inputs – New Collections (e.g., data collected from the field, new model output);

3. Data Inputs – Software or Other Needs (RDMP Only); and

4. Data Outputs – Expected deliverables, datasets, and products.

Information should be provided for each element as appropriate. If a section is not appropriate (i.e., no new data are being collected), that should be noted and no additional information is necessary. If information is not known at the level of detail requested, as much information as possible should be provided. For multiple inputs and outputs, the data description table should be copied as many times as needed so that each table represents one input or one output.

The information provided in the PDMP will be reviewed as part of the proposal process. When proposals are funded, information in the proposal and PDMP will be used to create initial records for the project in our tracking tool. Additionally, the PICCC/PICSC data manager will contact the principal investigator of each funded project to assist with the development of the RDMP.

Template for Proposal Data Management Plan Requirements

Project Title: [Insert Project Title]

Data Inputs – Existing Data Collections

[Name of Collection]

Description:

Describe the existing data, model, etc. that will be used. If not known, please provide as much information as possible (e.g., remote sensing, global climate models, etc.).

Restrictions:

Identify any limitations on access or reuse (e.g., sensitive data, restricted data, software with license restrictions, etc.).

Data Inputs – New Data Collection

[Provide a brief name to describe new data collection]

Description:

Describe the information to be gathered and the scale (e.g., national, regional, landscape, etc.) of the data.

Data Management Budget:

Describe the proposal budget portion allocated for data management activities for the new data collected.

Protocols:

Identify any standard protocols or methodologies that will be used to collect the data, if available.

Quality Checks:

Specify the procedures for ensuring data quality.

Exclusive Use:

Project data and associated products should be available publically at the end of the project. If a request to limit access for a period of time after project completion is needed, identify the length of time and the reason for the extension. (Request cannot be more than two years.)

Restrictions:

Identify any limitations on access or reuse (e.g., sensitive data, restricted data, software with license restrictions, etc.).

Contact:

Provide a point(s) of contact if questions arise related to the data and associated products (name, email, and phone number).

Data Outputs – Deliverables, Datasets and Products

Name of Output

Description:

Describe the deliverable/product.

Data Management Budget:

Describe the proposal budget allocated for data management activities for the new data collected.

Format:

Identify the likely format for the deliverable/product.

Quality Checks:

Specify the procedures for ensuring data quality.

Exclusive Use:

Project data and associated products should be available publically at the end of the project. If a request to limit access for a period of time after project completion is needed, identify the length of time and the reason for the extension. (Requests of more than two years will not be granted.)

Restrictions:

Identify any limitations on access or reuse (e.g., sensitive data, restricted data, software with license restrictions, etc.).

Contact:

Provide a point(s) of contact if questions arise related to the data and associated products (name, email, and phone number).

Template for Research Data Management Plan Requirements (RDMP)

Data Inputs – Existing Collections

[Name of Collection]

Description:*

Describe the information that will be used and the nature and scale (e.g., national, regional, landscape, etc.) of the data.

Format:

Identify the formats in which the data are maintained and made available.

Source:

Identify the source for the data.

Data Processing & Scientific Workflows:

Describe any data processing steps or provide a scientific workflow you plan to use to manipulate the data, as appropriate.

Backup & Storage:

Describe the approach for backup and storage of the information associated with the research project.

Volume Estimate:

Estimate the volume of information that will be generated: megabyte (MB), GB, TB, or PB.

Access & Sharing:

Prior to the completion of the project, specify who should have access to project information/products and what type of access (Public, Read, Write, No Access).

Restrictions:*

Identify any limitations on access or reuse (e.g., sensitive data, restricted data, software with license restrictions, etc.). Provide citation or documentation describing limitations if due to policies or legal reasons.

Fees:

Identify any fees associated with acquiring the data.

Citation:

Provide citation for data product.

*Indicates that this information is also collected for the PDMP.

Data Inputs – New Collections

[Provide a brief name to describe new data collection]

Description:*

Describe the information that will be used and the nature and scale (e.g., national, regional, landscape, etc.) of the data that will be collected.

Data Management Budget:*

Describe the proposal budget portion allocated for data management activities for the new data collected.

Format:

Identify the formats in which the data will be generated, maintained, and made available.

Data Processing & Scientific Workflows:

Describe data processing steps or provide a scientific workflow you plan to use to manipulate the data, as appropriate.

Protocols:*

Identify any standard protocols or methodologies that will be used to collect the data, if available.

Quality Checks:*

Specify the procedures for ensuring data quality.

Backup & Storage:

Describe the approach for backup and storage of the information associated with the research project.

Metadata:

Identify the metadata standard that will be used to describe the document (FGDC, ISO, EML, etc.)

Volume Estimate:

Estimate the volume of information generated: megabyte (MB), GB, TB, or PB.

Archive Organizations:

Identify the organization that will be responsible for the long-term archive and preservation of the data collected.

Access & Sharing:

Prior to the completion of the project, specify who should have access to project information/products and what type of access (Public, Read, Write, No Access).

Exclusive Use:*

Project data and associated products should be available publically at the end of the project. If a request to limit access for a period of time after project completion is needed, please identify the length of time and the reason for the extension. (Request cannot be more than two years.)

Restrictions:*

Identify any limitations on access or reuse (e.g., sensitive data, restricted data, software with license restrictions, etc.). Provide citation or documentation describing limitations if due to policies or legal reasons.

Citation:

Specify how the project’s data should be cited.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)/Link:

Provide a digital object identifier (DOI)/link to the project when availably publically.

Contact:*

Provide a point(s) of contact if questions arise related to the data and associated products (name, email, and phone number).

Software and Other Needs

[Name of Software or Other Need]

Description:*

Describe any software or other needs that are required for the project.

Restrictions:*

Identify any limitations on access or reuse that accompany the software or other needed items.

Fees:*

Identify any fees or other costs associated with acquiring the software or other items.

Source/Link:

Provide a link or a source for the need if available.

Data Outputs (e.g., Project Deliverables or Products)

[Name of Output]

Description:*

Describe the data output.

Data Management Budget:*

Describe the proposal budget portion allocated for data management activities for the data output.

Format:*

Identify the formats in which the data will be generated, maintained, and made available.

Data Processing & Scientific Workflows:

Describe data processing steps or provide a scientific workflow you plan to use to manipulate the data, as appropriate.

Quality Checks:*

Specify the procedures for ensuring data quality during the project.

Backup & Storage:

Describe the approach for backup and storage of the information associated with the research project.

Metadata:

Identify the metadata standard that will be used to describe the data and products (FGDC, ISO, EML, etc.)

Volume Estimate:

Estimate the volume of information generated: megabyte (MB), GB, TB, or PB.

Access & Sharing:

Prior to the completion of the project, specify who should have access to project information/products and what type of access (Public, Read, Write, No Access).

Exclusive Use:*

Project data and associated products should be available publically at the end of the project. If a request to limit access for a period of time after project completion is needed, please identify the length of time and the reason for the extension. (Request cannot be more than two years.)

Archive Organizations:

Identify the organization that will be responsible for the long-term archive and preservation of the data collected.

Restrictions:*

Identify any limitations on access or reuse (e.g., sensitive data, restricted data, software with license restrictions, etc.). Provide citation or documentation describing limitations if due to policies or legal reasons.

Citation:

Specify how the project’s data should be cited.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)/Link:

Provide a digital object identifier (DOI)/link to the project when availably publically.

Contact:*

Provide a point(s) of contact if questions arise related to the data and associated products (name, email, and phone number).

Appendix A – Proposal Data Management Plan Examples

A-1: North Central Climate Science Center Pilot Project

Daymet2 Climate Dataset

Description:

Daily climate metrics for North America (US, Canada, Mexico)

Restrictions:

None. Distributed by Oak Ridge National Lab.

No new collections will be developed.

Data Outputs – Deliverables, Datasets and Products

Century model outputs

Description:

Century model ouputs

Data Management Budget:

20% of overall project budget, includes data storage, data organization support, integration, use of ScienceBase project space, backup, replication, and archive

Format:

Csv

Quality Checks:

Validation done via python scripts and VisTrails workflow tool

Exclusive Use:

No exclusions

Restrictions:

No restrictions

Contact:

John Doe, john.doe@university.edu, Dynamic Custom Visualization

Description:

Dynamic charting, graphing, mapping, and reporting on Century model outputs

Data Management Budget:

20% of overall project budget, includes data storage, data organization support, integration, use of ScienceBase subversion repository, backup, replication, and archive

Format:

Java application (.java files)

Quality Checks:

Code review and regression testing

Exclusive Use:

No exclusions

Restrictions:

No restrictions

Contact:

John Doe, john.doe@university.edu, VisTrails Workflow

Description:

Workflow replication and description

Data Management Budget:

20% of overall project budget, includes data storage, data organization support, integration, use of ScienceBase subversion repository, backup, replication, and archive

Format:

.vt files

Quality Checks:

Code review

Exclusive Use:

No exclusions

Restrictions:

No restrictions

Contact:

John Doe, john.doe@university.edu, A-2: Streamflow Simulations for Hydrological Modeling of Lake Michigan Streams and Impacts on Trout

Daily precipitation and temperature data

Description:

Daily precipitation and temperature data from NCDC (http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/research/cag3/cag3.html)

Restrictions:

None known

NLCD

Description:

Land cover (forest, wetlands, impervious): http://www.mrlc.gov/finddata.php

Restrictions:

None known

Water withdrawals and discharges dataset (PCS database)

Description:

Withdrawals and discharges

Restrictions:

None known

Streamflow Estimates

Description:

Streamflow estimates from gauges (http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/rt)

Restrictions:

None known

Downscaled Climate Model

Description:

Need downscaled climate model data for lake area (http://cida.usgs.gov/climate/gdp/)

Restrictions:

None known

Fish Habitat and Population

Description:

Determine population of trout by sampling the lake.

Data Management Budget:

20% of overall project budget, includes data storage, data organization support, integration, data visualization, backup, replication, and archive

Protocols:

Based on the California sport fishing protocol: http://oehha.ca.gov/fish/pdf/fishsampling121406.pdf

Quality Checks:

Comparison of results to previous studies. Spot checks against field manuals. Review of outliers.

Exclusive Use:

None

Restrictions:

None

Contact:

Jane Doe, jdoe@agency.gov

Streamflow Estimates

Description:

Streamflow estimates for lake for the time period 2000-2010 and forward (using downscaled climate data)

Data Management Budget:

20% of overall project budget, includes data storage, data organization support, integration, data visualization, backup, replication, and archive

Format:

Csv

Quality Checks:

Scripts to review estimates and comparison to literature

Exclusive Use:

None

Restrictions:

None

Contact:

Jane Doe, jdoe@agency.gov

Trout Population Estimate

Description:

Estimates for trout population changes in the future based on streamflow, climate, and population changes.

Data Management Budget:

20% of overall project budget, includes data storage, data organization support, integration, data visualization, backup, replication, and archive

Format:

Shapefile (vector) and geotiff (raster)

Quality Checks:

Scripts to review estimates and comparison to literature

Exclusive Use:

None

Restrictions:

None

Contact:

Jane Doe, jdoe@agency.gov

A-3: Great Northern Landscape Conservation Cooperative Phenology Services

NASA Goddard Phenology

Description:

Sets of HDF files, 250m grids

Restrictions:

Distributed by NASA Goddard

No new collections will be developed.

Data Outputs – Deliverables, Datasets and Products

Phenology Geotiffs

Description:

Combined phenology geotiffs

Data Management Budget:

20% of overall project budget, includes data storage, data organization support, integration, data visualization, backup, replication, and archive

Format:

Geotiffs

Quality Checks:

Validation done via python scripts

Exclusive Use:

No exclusions

Restrictions:

No restrictions

Contact:

Robert Doe, rdoe@agency.gov

Dynamic Custom Visualization

Description:

Dynamic subsetting, charting, graphing, mapping, and reporting of phenology data

Data Management Budget:

Use 20% of overall project budget, includes data storage, data organization support, integration, data visualization, backup, replication, and archive

Format:

Java application (.java files)

Quality Checks:

Code review and regression testing

Exclusive Use:

No exclusions

Restrictions:

No restrictions

Contact:

Robert Doe, rdoe@agency.gov

Appendix B – Research Data Management Plan Example

Project Title: Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative Integrated Assessment

Data Inputs – Existing Collections

Wyoming Geographic Information Center

Description:*

This is a collection of over 100 natural resource geospatial datasets

Format:

Shapefile (vector) and geotiff (raster)

Source:

Various data contributors including: land management agencies (e.g., BLM), University of Wyoming, and local state agencies.

Data Processing & Scientific Workflows:

Data download and rasterizing

Backup & Storage:

Handled by Wyoming Geographic Information Science Center

Volume Estimate:

200 GB

Access & Sharing:

Data distributed by the Wyoming Geographic Information Science Center

Restrictions:*

Data are publically available with no restrictions.

Fees:

No fees

Citation:

Wyoming GISC Data Server http://wygl.wygisc.org/DataServer/

Bureau of Land Management Disturbance Tracking System

Description:*

Disturbance and reclamation areas associated with energy development on Bureau of Land Management areas

Format:

Shapefiles

Source:

Wyoming BLM State Office

Data Processing & Scientific Workflows:

Data download and rasterizing

Backup & Storage:

Handled by BLM

Volume Estimate:

10 GB

Access & Sharing:

Data distributed by BLM

Restrictions:*

No restrictions

Fees:

No fees

Citation:

Not known

Data Inputs – New Collections

No new data will be collected.

Software and Other Needs

ArcGIS

Description:*

Geographic Information Software for data processing

Restrictions:*

Proprietary/license software

Fees:*

USGS provides ArcGIS to USGS staff under an enterprise license agreement. All spatial processing can be effected using open source geospatial tools.

Source/Link:

http://www.esri.com

Python

Description:*

Scripting language

Restrictions:*

Open source software

Fees:*

No fees

Source/Link:

http://www.python.org

Data Outputs (e.g., Project Deliverables or Products)

WLCI Integrated Assessment

Description:*

The Integrated Assessment will result in a set of ESRI grids, shapefiles, and geodatabases that will allow land managers to assess the resource value associated with a cell or polygon. These assessments will cover the WLCI area, the southwest portion of the state of Wyoming.

Data Management Budget:*

The project will provide a total of $100K for data management for FY 11/12. This includes data storage, data organization support, integration, and custom presentation utilities along with data protection,…