To: LDEO Scientific Research Community

From: Steering Committee, Observatory Technical & Innovation Center

Date: 30 January 2012

Subject: Request for Proposals

The Paros-PGI Observatory Technical & Innovation Center [OTIC] Steering Committee is requesting proposals for the development of innovative instruments to be used in making laboratory and/or field observations. More than one proposal may be selected for funding.

Some additional funds may be made available that can be used to buy equipment, design software or some piece of test gear to help enable your OTIC project. To be considered for additional funding, such additional items must be of general use to the Lamont community and would revert to the Technical and Innovation Center at the conclusion of your project for future shared use by the Lamont community.

  The deadline for proposals is 1 April 2012.

Rules:

1)    Projects should be innovative (e.g., while purchase of off-the-shelf equipment is not considered innovative, innovation may be brought out through significant modification or integration of such equipment). Use of these OTIC funds as leverage to acquire external funds will be considered positively.

2)    The total budget should be in the $15-25k range (though grants requesting less have been awarded), and should be used for dedicated equipment, materials, software and engineering/technical salaries. We will not provide funding for purchase of non-specific equipment (e.g. general-purpose computers), scientist/administrative salaries or travel.  

If your project would require an item of general use to the Lamont community, identify it as such on a separate line in your budget for consideration for separate funding (see above).

The budget should not include ICR, but must include a 3% administrative fee applied to non-equipment items.

3)    Proposals can be made by anyone on the LDEO scientific and engineering staff (including graduate students and post docs). 

A proposal from a graduate student must have the approval of the student’s advisor of record, either implicitly by serving as co-PI, or by providing an email expressing approval to the committee.

4)    Proposals are recommended to be less than 4 pages and should not exceed 5 pages in length (with 1" margins, 1.5 line spacing, 12 pt fonts), including text, itemized budget, figures, and tables; proposals must be submitted by email as a PDF to the OTIC co-chairs Spahr Webb scw@ldeo.columbia.edu and Bruce Huber bhuber@ldeo.columbia.edu

5)    The OTIC Steering Committee will serve as the Selection Committee. The Committee may select multiple proposals for funding subject to the availability of funds (however, there may be no awards made in a given cycle). Members of the steering committee who are associated with any of the proposals will be excluded from the entire selection process, thus the committee may temporarily replace committee appointees when considering proposals.

6)    The OTIC funds for selected projects will be transferred to a new non-government account. Cost overruns are the responsibility of the PI.

7)    Project duration is not to exceed 12 months. Requests for a one-time no-cost extension for a second 12 months will be considered.

In view of the potential for unforeseen issues arising in high-risk endeavors, the steering committee will consider requests for supplemental funds up to $10k to help bring a particularly promising project to fruition.

8) A brief progress report will be requested approximately 9 months from the start date of the project.   A brief final report (2 pages) describing the outcome of the project is due within three months of the termination of the project.  This report should include references to any publications or externally supported grants that have resulted (or been proposed) from this work.

If you need further assistance or have additional questions, please contact Bruce Huber (bhuber@ldeo.columbia.edu, 845-365-8329)

Thank you, OTIC Steering Committee,

Spahr Webb, Bruce Huber Co-chairs

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