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Sustainable Marine Bioresources

Joint Announcement of Opportunity

This call is now closed as of 13 June 2007.

Background

Sustainable Marine Bioresources is a collaborative, five-year research programme with a budget of approximately £2·3m.

The major UK funders of marine and fisheries science have joined together to fund this collaborative research programme. These are the:

  • Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)
  • Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) through the Strategic Ocean Funding Initiative
  • Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department's marine laboratory Fisheries Research Services (FRS)
  • Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) in Northern Ireland

This programme is a response to the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit Report 'Net Benefits' (2004) which noted that more should be done to harness the wider marine science capability in addressing the scientific challenges facing fisheries management in the UK.

The programme's high-level aim is to expand the range and quality of scientific evidence relevant to current and future management needs, to be achieved through collaborative research between different science communities.

Scope of the programme

Globally, we face a number of major challenges in sustainably managing living marine resources. There are concerns over widespread changes to marine ecosystems as a result of human activity, especially the impact that fishing has on marine biodiversity loss. There are indications that we are impairing the ocean's capacity to provide food, maintain water quality, and recover from perturbations. If current trends continue, many commercial fish stocks may not recover. Climate change impacts including temperature increases, ocean acidification and shifts in primary production, bring added complexity, challenging the ability of researchers to provide appropriate scientific advice.

All this provides strong confirmation of the need within the UK to strengthen marine research. Defra, NERC, FRS and AFBI agree that this is a key time for an initiative of this nature in terms of both the research area and method of delivering funding.

To explore ways of improving the science that supports the current and future fishery management needs, the three sponsors commissioned a report by Manuel Barange 'Science for Sustainable Marine Bioresources' (May 2005). This report sets out options for broadening and integrating the science on which management is based. For example, by establishing multidisciplinary and multi-funded research teams across diverse science sectors.

The science which the Sustainable Marine Bioresources programme will address, is broadly identified in the Barange report under the headings of:

  • Module 1: Long term variability and change
  • Module 2: Regional ecosystems functioning
  • Module 3: Spatial and temporal dynamics
  • Module 4: Governance and ecosystem management

Assessment of proposals

All proposals meeting basic eligibility criteria will be subject to external peer review, through the NERC peer review system, and assessed in detail by an expert panel.

Selection for funding will be based on two main criteria:

1. Scientific excellence

Proposals are expected to advance understanding; to be of high scientific merit and originality; to be soundly-based and technically feasible; and to result in high quality publications in the open literature.

2. Fit to programme priorities

a) Meeting strategic needs. Proposals should have a strong element of potential application and address priority gaps in our current knowledge of how best to manage fisheries sustainably. The principal focus for research will be the waters, fish stocks, and ecosystems around the UK. Aquaculture is not included in this programme. More supporting information on strategic needs is available through the 'External links' (right).

b) Collaboration. A fundamental aim of the programme is to develop and strengthen links between the three major science communities:

  • Departments' marine laboratories (Cefas, FRS and AFBI);
  • NERC's marine centres and associated bodies in the Oceans 2025 grouping;
  • and universities.

Preferably all three of the above groups should be involved and proposals must demonstrate that they provide genuine collaboration. One of the government marine laboratories, Cefas, FRS or AFBI must be involved. It is likely that the Principal Investigator will probably, but not exclusively, be university-based.

Other factors, such as cost effectiveness and the balance between risk and reward, may also be taken into account, to ensure that value for money is achieved for the research investment.

Award administration and management

Funding for successful proposals will be provided as research grant awards managed by NERC on behalf of the joint SMB programme.

FRS and AFBI will provide research vessel time, staff time and other science resources, as explained in the additional notes at the bottom of this page.

Work undertaken by Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) as part of any joint proposal will either be supported through Defra's intramural funding programme or through a small portion of the Sustainable Marine Bioresources programme budget.

Individuals receiving Oceans 2025 strategic funds who are co-investigators may not receive salary funds for themselves, nor be principal investigators.

The sponsors have formed a Programme Management Group (PMG) which will oversee the running of this programme including selecting proposals, monitoring projects, and evaluating final reports. The PMG will be advised by a Science Advisory Committee (SAC), composed of independent scientists.

Proposal submission

  • Applicants, outside of the Departments' marine laboratories, must be eligible for NERC funding.

  • Each applicant may submit no more than one application as the principal or a co-investigator, and one further application as a co-investigator (i.e. a maximum of two).

  • Proposals, of up to three years duration, should be submitted under a Full Economic Costs (FEC) basis using the FEC Research Grant Application form Je-SRP1 (NERC). This is done through the Research Councils' joint electronic submission system.

  • On the form, the 'scheme' should be completed as 'directed' and the 'proposal call' as 'Sustainable Marine Bioresources'.

  • Each organisation must submit a separate Je-SRP1 form.

  • Applicants should identify a lead organisation for the purposes of submitting joint proposals. The other partners must use the common Je-S reference provided by the lead.

  • Due to the nature of the Research Councils Joint Electronic Submission system, Cefas, FRS and AFBI can not submit their own Je-SRP1 form and should be included in the 'project partner' section of the lead Je-SRP1 form. Evidence of Cefas, FRS and AFBI commitment to the project should also be described in the 'case for support' text. Page limits on the case for support are: two pages for track record, eight pages for description of the proposed work, and a further page for justification of resources requested.

  • Only the lead organisation should submit the common case for support and provide details of project partners.

  • Requests for any associated Tied Studentship should be made using form RS1a available from the NERC website. The RS1a form should be submitted at the same time as the Je-SRP1 form, as part of the Joint Electronic Submission process.

  • Applicants are reminded that, as for all NERC studentship schemes, tied studentship projects should provide strong training elements and scope for innovation. Furthermore, the success of other parts of the grant proposal should not depend on studentship results.

  • Applicants are reminded that they and their institution must be registered with Je-S in order to submit applications. As the registration process can take several weeks, non-registered UK investigators and institutions are advised to register with Je-S as soon as possible.

Programme timetable

The closing date for bids under this Announcement of Opportunity is 13 June 2007 (note 16:00 deadline on this date), with the outcome expected to be known in late September 2007.

Programme budget

The total budget available for this programme is approximately £2·3m - £700k 'cash' from each of NERC and Defra, and in-kind contributions up to £700k from FRS and £200k from AFBI.

The programme aims to support a number of research areas and involve several research consortia. For this reason a budget limit in the region of £250k (where this is 80% of full economic cost) per proposal has been adopted, excluding the in-kind contribution from Cefas, FRS and AFBI.

It is expected that further calls will be announced, depending on the level of funds remaining following the first call.

Additional notes

FRS support

FRS will provide support 'in kind' for collaboration in this programme. Support will be in the form of staff resources and other facilities such as research vessel time. These will be fully funded from FRS sources to match the contribution made by NERC and Defra. These resources should be included in the overall project. It is essential that the project for which FRS makes a contribution, is consistent with the FRS science programme.

AFBI support

AFBI will provide support 'in kind' for collaboration in this programme, by directly supporting work undertaken by AFBI as part of any joint proposal. This will include AFFI staff time, research facilities, travel and subsistence and research vessel costs. These resources should be included in the overall project. It is essential that the project for which AFBI makes a contribution is consistent with the AFBI science programme.

Contacts

The contacts listed below may help you in preparing your proposal. Please also follow the links on the right hand side for further information and resources.

To discuss possible research ideas relating to Defra's fisheries and management priorities and research programme contact Zoe Bond on 020 7270 8517 or Michelle Verrecchia on 020 7270 8066.

To discuss possible research ideas relating to SEERAD's fisheries management plans and the FRS research programme contact Carey Cunningham.

To discuss NERC's interests in this programme and its administration, contact Dr Helen Beadman.

To discuss AFBI's research interests and DARDNI's fisheries management priorities contact Walter Crozier on 028 9025 5236.

You are strongly advised to discuss proposals with Cefas, FRS and AFBI scientists. First point of contact in Cefas is Julian Metcalfe on 01502 562244.

First point of contact in FRS is Carey Cunningham.

First point of contact in AFBI is Walter Crozier on 028 9025 5236.

The Strategic Ocean Funding Initiative

The Strategic Ocean Funding Initiative (SOFI) is a component of Oceans 2025, the new research programme funded by NERC to deliver key strategic goals.

SOFI aims to engage researchers outside the direct funding of Oceans 2025, to address particular issues within the strategic programme by opening up funds for universities and other partners to bid for.

Further information about SOFI is available on their website.

About the programme

 

Related links

 

External links