2007 Request for Applications - Science Fellows Program

CALFED Science Fellows Program

CALFED Science Program and Calfornia Sea Grant College Program

Contents

OVERVIEW
FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
FELLOWSHIP SELECTION AND APPLICATION PROCESS
APPENDICES
CALFED FORMS

OVERVIEW

CALFED Bay-Delta Program (CALFED) (top)

CALFED Program is a collaborative effort of more than 20 State and federal agencies (Appendix A) with management and regulatory responsibilities for the Bay-Delta system (Appendix B) and has four main objectives:

  • Improve Ecosystem Quality
  • Improve Water Supply Reliability
  • Improve Water Quality
  • Improve Levee System Integrity

The mission of the CALFED Program is to develop and implement a long-term comprehensive plan that will restore ecological health and improve water management for beneficial uses of the Bay Delta System.

The California Bay-Delta Authority (CBDA or Authority) was created by the California State Legislature in 2002 to oversee and coordinate implementation of CALFED Program. The Authority is specifically charged with providing accountability, ensuring balanced implementation of CALFED objectives, tracking and assessing CALFED progress, using sound science, ensuring public involvement and outreach, and coordinating and integrating related government programs. There are 11 separate program elements (Appendix C) under CALFED, each of which is implemented by a unique set of State and federal agencies (Appendix D). The Authority is authorized to implement the CALFED Science Program, and to disburse funds in the form of grants. [See Water Code, §§ 79420(a)(6); 79421(j).]

CALFED Science Program (top)

Within CALFED, a Science Program has been established to bring high quality peer reviewed science to all of the program elements to help achieve the overall goals of ecosystem restoration, water supply reliability, water quality, and levee system integrity. The long-term goal of the Science Program is to establish a body of knowledge relevant to CALFED actions and their implications. That body of knowledge must be unbiased, relevant, authoritative, integrated across program elements, and communicated to the scientific and CALFED management communities, stakeholders, and public. The Science Program is charged with leading and overseeing the integration of science across all CALFED activities. This role includes developing the best scientific information possible to guide decisions and to evaluate scientific aspects of actions that are critical to the success of CALFED’s objectives.

The key Science Program tasks to support the decision-making process within the CALFED Program are:

  • supporting new scientific studies,
  • establishing and maintaining a conduit between experts and the CALFED management community to ensure that the most current knowledge relevant to a problem can be directly communicated, and
  • clearly articulating the state of knowledge through unbiased scientific review.

The Science Program is emphasizing partnerships among existing institutions as a strategy for bringing highly qualified scientific expertise into all CALFED Programs. The Science Program currently has a close working relationship with a number of universities and nonprofit organizations in addition to scientists working in the CALFED member agencies.

CALFED Science Fellows Program (top)

In collaboration with the California Sea Grant College Program, the CALFED Science Program has initiated a fellows program for doctoral graduate students and postdoctoral researchers. The aim of the program is to bring together these junior scientists with CALFED Program agency scientists and senior research mentors in collaborative data analysis and research projects relevant to ecosystem management and water supply reliability questions, including analyses of the immense monitoring data collected and maintained by the implementing agencies. The Science Program is seeking applications from qualified individuals to compete for fellowship opportunities in 2007. California Sea Grant will administer and manage the fellowship program on behalf of the  Science Program. Fellowships will be awarded this year addressing the 2007 priority topics (See Appendix E and F.)

Goals

The goals of the CALFED Science Fellows Program are to:

  1. bring highly qualified scientific talent to help advance the state of scientific knowledge on ecosystems and river systems in the Sacramento and San Joaquin watersheds, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, and San Francisco Bay;
  2. provide long-term support for the training and development of scientists able to work in multidisciplinary, field-oriented research intended to support resource management; and
  3. promote scientific partnerships across agencies, research institutions, and non-profit organizations.

The approved research teams will ideally include an agency scientist who has direct experience in the collection of data to be analyzed. During the fellowships, the fellow, agency scientist, and research mentor will collaborate on the approved project; provide updated information, progress information, and any drafts or published material. The research mentor will be in charge of the project, providing broad oversight, first level peer review.

Fellowship Opportunities (top)

To achieve these goals, the CALFED Science Program expects to sponsor at least seven fellowships in 2007 for doctoral graduate students (approximately 3-5) and postdoctoral researchers (approximately 4-5) in all disciplines of environmental science addressing the 2007 priority topics (Appendix E) or research needs identified by the implementing CALFED agencies (Appendix F).

FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM (top)

Award (top)

The fellowship will provide one, two, or three years of support based on scope/type of projects and contingent upon the availability of funds, for both postdoctoral and graduate fellows in the form of a grant/award that includes funds for a stipend and for research-related expenses. Once the funds are awarded by California Sea Grant through a cooperative agreement with the CALFED Science Program, the fellow’s stipend and research related expenses will be administered by the university, college or research institution with which the fellow and/or research mentors are affiliated.

Postdoctoral fellows will receive a $45,000 per year stipend and graduate fellows will receive a $25,000 per year stipend, for a maximum duration of three years. In addition, each fellow may request funds (up to $25,000 for postdoctoral fellows and $14,500 for predoctoral fellows) for research supplies/equipment and travel expenses necessary to carry out the proposed research and attend scientific meetings including the annual CALFED Science Conference (see “Communication of Information”).

For predoctoral fellows, the portion of the award provided to each fellow for tuition (unless waived), health insurance and other university fees will be determined by each university in accordance with its guidelines. The portion of the award for living expenses will be distributed as a monthly stipend, not as salaries, wages, and benefits, by the academic or research institution affiliated with the fellow.

The funds for research-related costs and benefits are subject to an indirect cost rate of 25%, in accordance with rates determined/set by the cooperative agreement between the California Bay-Delta Authority and California Sea Grant. The maximum amount requested for the stipend and research and/or education-related expenses (including tuition or health benefits) should not exceed $76,250/yr for postdoctoral fellows and $43,125/yr for pre-doctoral fellows, including indirect costs.

Continued support after the first year will be contingent on satisfactory performance of the fellow and on the availability of funds.

2007 Priority Topic Areas (top)

For 2007, the CALFED Science Fellows Program is encouraging the submission of research project proposals that either 1) address the four priority topics as outlined in the CALFED Science Program 2006 Proposal Solicitation Package (PSP) (Appendix E) or 2) address specific needs identified by CALFED implementing agencies (Appendix F).

1) PSP Priority Areas

  • Environmental Water
  • Aquatic Invasive (Exotic) Species
  • Trends and Patterns of Populations and System Response to a Changing Environment
  • Habitat Availability and Response to Change

2) CALFED Implementing Agency Science Needs

  • Environmental Water Account (EWA)
  • Pelagic Organisms Decline
  • Using a Systems Modeling Approach for Identifying Critical Linkages
  • Developing Indicators and Performance Measures

The priority topics, general description and types of research projects that will be considered are fully described within the “The Science PSP” (See Appendix E) and the specific agency needs are identified in Appendix F.

Research Mentors (top)

Fellowship applicants must include a letter of support from the research mentor they plan to work with on this effort. Research mentors must be scientists actively engaged in environmental science as the primary focus of their position, with a publication record in peer-reviewed journals, and for those working at academic institutions, working at least at the level of an assistant professor.

Scientists currently involved in CALFED are eligible to be research mentors, but university mentors’ eligibility is not limited to scientists presently involved with CALFED. Please visit the CALFED and Science Program home pages to find general information on the CALFED community.

Applicants for the predoctoral fellowship should be working with a research mentor in the academic institution in which they are enrolled. Applicants for the postdoctoral fellowship may work with mentors from any academic or research institution.

CALFED Community Mentors (top)

In addition to working with research mentors, fellows are expected to collaborate with mentors familiar with existing data and resource issues central to the proposed research. These mentors must be people with scientific training. Present involvement with the CALFED program is preferred. Mentors may be agency scientists (who are interested in analyzing, interpreting and/or expanding data not currently published in peer reviewed journals), restoration program managers, and technical staff in environmental organizations or stakeholder associations. In many cases, people involved in generating existing data will be the most appropriate community mentors.

Fellows will work closely with community mentors, sharing ideas and progress throughout the project. If community mentors do not have enough time to work closely with fellows, fellows must develop a plan to communicate their findings and request feedback on a regular basis to the appropriate technical group within the CALFED community.

Applicants addressing one of the priority topic areas outlined in the PSP must suggest at least one proposed community mentor and a plan for collaborating in their application.

Applicants addressing agency science needs are expected to work with the assigned community mentors (see Appendix F) to develop the proposal for the application and implement the project upon award/selection.

Communication of Information (top)

CALFED SCIENCE CONFERENCE

Fellows will be required to present the results of their research at a CALFED or State of the Estuary/CALFED Science Conference, either as a poster or oral presentation. The conferences are held each year in October in either Sacramento or the San Francisco Bay Area. Fellows should include a travel budget for the conference in their application. Fellows are also encouraged to present their research at other national and international professional meetings.

In addition, fellows may be asked to give a limited number of briefings to CALFED technical groups or agency managers in Sacramento, California. In these cases, the California Sea Grant will fund additional travel costs if needed.

ANNUAL REPORTS

All fellows must prepare annual progress reports to be submitted to the California Sea Grant Office, deliverable to the CALFED Science Program. The progress report will detail the grantee’s research activities, provide retrospective and prospective revision of the research plan, and report their expenditures for the preceding year (using the annual expense report form). Additionally, a copy of any poster/other professional submissions to that year’s science conference or journals will be required at the end of each year.

FINAL COMPLETION REPORT

Each fellow must produce and submit to the California Sea Grant Office a final research report, deliverable to the CALFED Science Program, at the end of the respective fellowship agreement period. The final report will summarize results and accomplishments of the research project, including all publications since the fellowship’s inception.

FELLOWSHIP SELECTION AND APPLICATION PROCESS

Eligibility (top)

PREDOCTORAL (GRADUATE DOCTORAL) FELLOWSHIPS

Prospective Predoctoral Science Fellows, who at the time of application are in or have recently been admitted to a PhD degree program in natural resources, environmental sciences, coastal, aquatic or related studies at any accredited US institution of higher education and are US citizens or residents, are eligible to apply for a fellowship.

POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS

Prospective Postdoctoral Science Fellows must hold a PhD or complete a PhD before the starting date of the fellowship, in a Doctoral degree program in environmental sciences or in a related field appropriate for disciplines identified under “Fellowship Opportunities”. Any postdoctoral researcher may apply who is a U.S. citizen or resident.

The fellowships will be awarded in a competitive process to highly qualified researchers engaged in field-based research. Particularly appropriate are prospective fellows who are interested in a career in multidisciplinary, multi-institutional, field-based research in riverine and estuarine systems.

Selection Criteria (top)

The selection criteria will include:
A. Demonstrated research ability in the discipline and expertise of mentor/qualification of mentor.
B. Strength of academic performance and relevant academic achievement, quality of applicant’s career goal statement and narrative summary of experience .
C. Quality of research proposal including appropriateness of approach to be used.
D. Importance of problem, interaction with CALFED agency scientists and benefits to CALFED priorities and mission.

Selection Procedure (top)

Selection is competitive. Applications must be submitted to the California Sea Grant College Program Office no later than June 1, 2007. A review panel consisting of CALFED scientists, program staff, and community advisors, and California Sea Grant representatives will be convened in July to review and recommend selection of finalists, using the criteria outlined above, to the CALFED Lead Scientist. We anticipate awarding approximately 4-5 postdoctoral fellowships and 3-5 graduate fellowships for 2007. All applicants will be notified of the selection decision by mid August.

Timetable (top)

June 1, 2007 (5 pm) - Applications due at California Sea Grant College Program
August 10, 2007 (approximate) - Applicants notified of selection results
September 1, 2007 (approximate) - Funds awarded for selected CALFED pre-doctoral and postdoctoral fellowships

Application (top)

Application Sections:

1) Signed Cover Page: Please provide all information and obtain the required signatures on the Fellowship Cover Page Form*.

2) Proposed Research (12-page limit, not including literature citations):

  1. Introduction/Question/Objectives: What is the question/problem being addressed? What are the goals and objectives of the proposed research? The objective(s) should be well defined and clearly stated.
  2. Approach/Plan of Work: What is the anticipated approach of the proposed research? The application should present evidence that there has been thoughtful consideration of the approach to the question under study, with a timeline for meeting objectives during the requested period of support.
  3. Output/Anticipated Products and or Benefits: Upon commencement of the fellowship, what are the anticipated benefits to the fellow, the research mentor, community mentor(s), and to the CALFED priorities and mission? What can be expected after year 1, year 2, or year 3? Please describe anticipated per year outcomes.
  4. References and Literature Citations: Should be included but will not be counted in the 12-page limit for the proposed research.

3) Budget and Budget Justification: There should be a separate budget for each year as well as a cumulative budget for the entire period of the proposed fellowship. Applicants are encouraged to use the California Sea Grant Budget Form*, available for download from the California Sea Grant CALFED Science Fellowship web page. Applicants may also use their own form as long as it provides the same information as the California Sea Grant budget form. The budget justification page should itemize all budget items in sufficient detail to enable reviewers to evaluate the appropriateness of the research-related funds being requested.

4) Explanation of how the proposed research links to the CALFED program (1 page limit): A “back of the envelope” conceptual model that shows the links the between the issue(s) being researched and a CALFED action/set of actions.

5) Personal Statement which describes how this research fits into career plans and summarizes experiences that specifically prepared the applicant for this research task (not to exceed two pages).

6) Curriculum vitae of the applicant (doctoral graduate student or postdoctoral researcher).

7) Plan for collaborating with community mentor(s) (1-2 pages): If a community mentor is not identified the appropriate CALFED agency should be identified and plan presented that addresses how the fellow and mentor could work with a third person in that agency. However, it is strongly suggested that a community mentor be identified. Letters of support from the community mentors should be included but are not required if a specific community mentor is not identified. The presence or absence of a community mentor will not be a determining factor for the selection of fellows, but is an important aspect of showing collaboration with CAFLED agencies and stakeholders.

8) Project Summary: The project summary presents a concise description of the proposed research in a form useful to a variety of readers not requiring detailed information. Applicants are encouraged to use the Project Summary Form,* but if using your own, it should be completed within the two-page limit providing the same information requested in the form.

9) Letter of commitment from prospective research mentor, indicating a willingness to be a mentor for the applicant, and expressing support of the proposed research project (not to exceed two pages).

10) Curriculum vitae of the prospective research mentor.

11) Copies of graduate and undergraduate transcripts (undergraduate transcripts are required from predoctoral fellowship applicants only).

12) Three signed letters of academic recommendation.

* The required forms (in items 1, 3, and 8) are available for download in the links at the top of this page.

The narratives in the application should be in at least a 10-point font, single-spaced. Any tables, figures, and illustrations must be submitted in camera-ready condition on separate pages and will be counted in the 12-page proposed research limit (and saved as a tiff or pdf for the electronic copy). Do not incorporate them into the body of the proposal.

How to Submit (top)

Please submit a signed hard copy original of the complete application. Applicants are strongly urged to submit the original of the entire application as a single package (including letters and official transcripts in envelopes that may or may not be sealed). If this is not possible, please have letters of recommendation and transcripts sent directly to the California Sea Grant Program Office at the address provided above.

Additionally, please send an electronic copy of the application from items 1 through 11, minus the signatures. The electronic version of your application can be submitted on a CD formatted as standard (HFS+/ISO9660) or sent as an email attachment to CALFEDfellow@seamail.ucsd.edu. The electronic file of your application saved as a single portable document format (PDF) is preferred. Otherwise, please make sure to include your last name in the file names for each section of the proposal (e.g., Smith_budget.pdf or Smith_cv.doc).

The hard copy and CD should be addressed to: (top)

California Sea Grant College Program
University of California, San Diego
9500 Gilman Drive Dept. 0232
La Jolla, CA 92093-0232

For express mailing (Fed-Ex, UPS, DHL, etc), please use the following street address and telephone number:

California Sea Grant College Program
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
8602 La Jolla Shores Drive, Building T-16
La Jolla, CA 92037
(858) 534-4440

For Further Information Contact Information about the Science Fellows Program may be obtained from:

Shauna Oh
Program Manager, Research & Education
(858) 534-4440
e-mail: CALFEDfellow@seamail.ucsd.edu

California Sea Grant Program Website