2024 OCB Activity Proposal Solicitation
The Ocean Carbon and Biogeochemistry (OCB) Program is soliciting proposals for OCB activities that will take place or begin during the 2024 calendar year. We seek proposals for OCB-relevant workshops and activities as follows:
- Topical workshops (50-70 people) that bring together expertise across disciplines to foster discussions and build momentum in new OCB-relevant research areas (previous OCB scoping workshops)
- Working groups (8-12 members) to address targeted science goals and develop products that benefit and engage the broader OCB community
- Training activities (Up to 40 participants, incl. instructors) to build capacity in different areas of OCB research
To get familiar with OCB’s current and previous activities, PIs should view the OCB website before preparing and submitting a proposal. If you have questions about the relevance, timeliness, appropriate format, etc. of a proposed activity, please contact the OCB Project Office for guidance. Proposals should have a minimum of one US-based PI and all activities must take place in the US. Since community engagement and diversity, equity, inclusion and justice (DEIJ) are key criteria in the proposal evaluation process, please be mindful and explicit about how you will foster inclusivity in your proposed activity. To guide proposal preparation, we strongly encourage PIs to read OCB’s Code of Conduct and OCB Planning Guidelines before getting started!
EVALUATION CRITERIA
The OCB Scientific Steering Committee (SSC) will discuss and score all proposals based on the following criteria:
- Scientific merit and relevance to OCB (40%)
- Description of activity, including goals, interactions, and community engagement strategy (20%)
- Meaningful effort(s) to promote DEIJ in the proposed activity (20%)
- Timeliness and clearly described outcomes that benefit the broader community (20%)
SCIENTIFIC SCOPE
OCB’s overarching goal is to explore the ocean’s role in the global carbon cycle and the response of marine ecosystems to environmental changes of the past, present, and future. In addition, proposed activities should address one or more of the following OCB-relevant topics:
- Climate- and human-driven changes in ocean biogeochemistry (e.g., acidification, deoxygenation, nutrient loading, etc.) and associated impacts on marine ecosystems
- Ocean carbon uptake and storage, including processes from the air-sea interface to the deep ocean
- Marine organism-mediated carbon cycling and export via the biological pump
- Benthic-pelagic coupling and sedimentary feedbacks on marine biogeochemistry and food webs
- Carbon cycling and associated biogeochemical fluxes and exchanges along the aquatic continuum
- Marine organism response to environmental change, including molecular, physiological, ecological, and evolutionary processes
OCB especially encourages activities that:
- Address data science, assimilation, and synthesis challenges in any OCB topical area
- Integrate mainstream knowledge with indigenous knowledge and historical observations
- Complement ongoing OCB-relevant community-based science programs and initiatives
- Strengthen collaborations with partner program communities such as SOLAS, IMBeR, US CLIVAR, NACP, IOCCP, and GEOTRACES
PROPOSAL GUIDELINES & REQUIREMENTS
Proposals should be a maximum of 5 pages in length (incl. figures, references, budget, etc.) and must include:
- BACKGROUND & RATIONALE - Why should this be an OCB activity (relevance, timeliness, links to previous OCB activities/investments)? How does this activity support and advance OCB’s mission and scientific priorities?
- PROPOSED OCB ACTIVITY - Detailed description of the activity, prospective participants and community engagement strategy. How will organizers determine who participates in the activity (open vs. by-invitation, criteria for decision making)? How will they engage historically underrepresented and marginalized communities (e.g., convening activities at minority-serving institutions, partnering with initiatives like Black in Marine Science, Rising Voices, Unlearning Racism in Geoscience (URGE), etc.)?
- PLANNED OUTCOMES & BENEFITS TO BROADER COMMUNITY - What are the anticipated outcomes and products of this activity, and how will they benefit the broader OCB and ocean science communities?
- BUDGET - In your budget, please assess potential venues and include itemized travel support (typically for organizers, invited speakers, early career stipends), catering, hotel, meeting room, meeting transportation if needed (OCB does not reimburse rental cars unless absolutely necessary), publications, and A/V costs (including those associated with hybrid meeting support - offering virtual participation options and meeting recordings for OCB YouTube Channel are strongly encouraged). No salary support or analytical costs/supplies may be included in the budget. Budget should explicitly note and account for the anticipated number of participants in the proposed activity (for workshops, a good first estimate is $1,000/participant). International participation and collaboration are encouraged, but substantial (>20% of the travel support budget) non-US participation requires a funding contribution from a non-US partner program or entity. If you are receiving support from another program or organization, please include a letter of support indicating their commitment and note the details in the budget.
Topical Workshops and Training Activities
The maximum budget for scoping workshops and training activities is $70,000-75,000 (depending on # participants and duration). These proposals should include preliminary logistical information concerning time frame and venue, as well as anticipated outcomes (reports, special journal volumes, etc.) and their benefits to the broader OCB community. View previously funded proposals: Daily to Decadal Ecological Forecasting along North American Coastlines (2022); What’s behind the curtain of the NASA Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission? (2022); Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal: Essential Science and Problem Solving for Measurement, Reporting, and Verification Workshop (2022); C-saw Time domain controls on carbon storage, release, and transformation in coastal and estuarine waters following extreme events (2022); Building a Cost-effective Coastal Biogeochemical Observing Network in Collaboration with the Commercial Fishing Community (2023).
Working Groups
Other proposed activities should be ~2-3 years in duration, with a maximum budget of $20,000-$30,000 (depending on # participants and duration) to cover travel and logistics costs. If the activity is a follow-on from a previous OCB activity, this connection should be explicitly noted, and PIs should address how this activity will further advance the outcomes of the initial activity. Proposals should also include a draft timeline for the activity with target dates for products and outcomes, as well as anticipated OCB Project Office scientific and/or logistical support needs. View previously funded OCB small group activity proposals: Benthic Ecosystem and Carbon Synthesis (BECS) Working Group (2023- ); Operational Phytoplankton Observations (OPO) Working Group (2023-); Mixotrophs and Mixotrophy Working Group (2021- ).
PROPOSAL GUIDANCE & SUBMISSION
To vet an idea for an OCB activity prior to developing a proposal, contact Heather Benway (hbenway@whoi.edu) in the OCB Project Office to arrange a call before Sept. 22.
To receive an initial round of feedback on your proposal (incl. budgetary guidance), submit a near-final draft of your proposal to the OCB Project Office (hbenway@whoi.edu) by October 13. Heather and 1-2 OCB SSC members will look it over and provide initial feedback within 5-7 days of the final deadline.
Submit FINAL proposals electronically to the OCB Project Office (hbenway@whoi.edu) by October 27, 2023 at midnight (ET) for consideration by the OCB SSC.
Decisions will be announced by the end of the 2023 calendar year.
