*Now Accepting Proposals*
STREAM Spotlight: Island Creek Oysters
STREAM Awards support short, innovative projects up to $9,999, including:
- Educational initiatives that connect classrooms and communities with coastal/marine science
- Small research projects aligned with MIT Sea Grant’s coastal and marine focus areas
- Seed funding for exploratory or innovative efforts in art, education, industry, outreach, or research
- Rapid response projects that advance areas of emerging interest or address a current challenge
- Student support to expand an independent or class project
STREAM Award projects should align with MIT Sea Grant’s coastal and marine focus areas and principles:
- Support one or more MIT Sea Grant goals/objectives outlined in the 2024-2027 Strategic Plan.
- Align with Focus Area(s): Healthy Coastal Ecosystems; Environmental Literacy + Workforce Development; Resilient Communities + Economies; Sustainable Fisheries + Aquaculture
- Cultivate partnerships by collaborating with or engaging a diversity of partners/communities
1. Project Narrative (2-5 pages)
Eligible projects will show innovation and relevance to the 2024-2027 MIT Sea Grant Strategic Plan. Include a 2-5 page Project Narrative (12-pt Times New Roman or equivalent, single-spaced, 1-inch margins) with the sections below. Any text over the 5-page limit will be removed and will not be shared with the reviewing STREAM Committee. Please refer to the full RFP for complete instructions.
2. Personnel and CVs/Resumes
Include project personnel and CVs/resumes of the Principle Investigator/Student/Educator. Each resume/CV should be no more than two pages.
3. Budget and Justification
Applicants must budget for all costs of the project, including research, education, communications, and outreach activities, and include a written justification for each budget item. The budget must include all costs of the project, including matching funds. Please note:
- Matching Funds: Matching funds are funds and non-cash contributions provided by the applicant that support the funds being requested. STREAM funds may not be used for salary, but non-federal salaries may be used for matching funds. Please contact MIT Sea Grant’s Assistant Director, Administration Mary Newton Lima at
seagrantinfo@mit.edu for any questions you may have regarding the budget or matching funds. - Indirect Costs (IDC): IDC are costs that are not easily attributable to individual awards such as utilities (light, heat/cooling, power), internet, and data transmission and storage. You may apply for IDC as part of your budget, but your proposal may not be only IDC. If you wish to waive your organization’s IDC, verify that you have permission to do this with your organization, and include that in writing. If you do wish to include IDC in your proposal and your organization has a negotiated IDC rate to use in the budget, please include that rate and a copy of the agreement identifying the rate. If you do not have a negotiated rate then you can use the up to 15% standard rate that the federal government allows. Upload IDC-related documents on the narrative page of eSeagrant.
- Download required budget template.
*Please review the full RFP for additional information and more detailed descriptions.
4. Data Management Plan
- Data Management Plan (DMP): If your project does not include data collection, enter a simple statement such as, “This proposal will not generate environmental data. Therefore, a Data Management Plan is not required as part of the proposal.”
- If your proposal does include data collection, you will need to create a DMP. The plan must conform to NOAA’s Data Sharing Directive for Grants, Cooperative Agreements, and Contracts. If you are unsure what is needed for a DMP please contact MIT Sea Grant’s Assistant Director, Administration Mary Newton Lima at seagrantinfo@mit.edu, and she will be glad to help support you in preparing a DMP.
eSeaGrant Portal
Proposals will be submitted to MIT Sea Grant through our online portal, eSeaGrant. Please contact seagrantinfo@mit.edu to receive your password at least one business day prior to the submission deadline. We are happy to provide eSeaGrant tours and other assistance to applicants upon request.
Post-Award + Reporting
Award Type: STREAM Grants under this RFP will be cost-reimbursable (i.e. the awardee will receive payment after submitting receipts and invoices for approved, allowable cost items). If you have any questions or concerns about this process, please contact us (seagrantinfo@mit.edu) so that we can provide guidance and discuss workable methods to assist your organization.
Reporting: At the end of the project period, STREAM Grant recipients will be expected to participate in MIT Sea Grant’s annual reporting, including submitting a final report and identifying impacts and accomplishments. Details on report formats, impact statements, and metrics will be provided upon funding.
Here is an at-a-glance list of metrics MIT Sea Grant tracks and reports to the National Sea Grant Office. While your project does not have to incorporate all of these metrics, we encourage you to identify at least one metric associated with your project outcomes.
*Please review the full RFP for additional information and more detailed descriptions.
Informational Webinar
Friday, October 11, 2024 from 10-11am ET
Pre-Submittal Interest Form (Optional)
Dates
Deadline to request eSeagrant access: Monday, December 16, 2024 by 5pm ET
Deadline to submit full proposal: Tuesday, December 17, 2024 by 5pm ET
Funding
Grants up to $9,999 (50% match required)
Please contact us if you’d like to discuss in-kind/match options.
Eligibility
Open to a diversity of Massachusetts applicants, including P-12 educators, faculty and students from Massachusetts universities, individuals and artists working with museums/nonprofits. Students must apply with an eligible faculty member or educator but are encouraged to lead the proposal.
Contact
Email Lily Keyes (Communications Specialist) and Robert Vincent (Assistant Director, Advisory Services) at seagrantinfo@mit.edu