This year the YSI Foundation is pleased to seek proposals for research projects that focus on data collection to assess changes in the environment. Research on quantifying change from artificial disasters (i.e. pollution), natural disasters (i.e. oil spills, flooding), or climate change (i.e. water acidification), and the use of environmental data to demonstrate the changes is preferred.

Proposals should focus on analyzing and interpreting high temporal and/or spatial resolution data collected from autonomous platforms to better understand environmental variations, impacts from natural and human-induced disasters, and climate change.  Examples of autonomous platforms include, but are not limited to, fixed continuous monitoring stations, data buoys, vertical profilers, Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs), gliders, etc.

Applications are due by Friday, July 1, 2011 at 5:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time.  Only electronic applications will be accepted.  All applications must be emailed to foundation@ysi.com by no later than this time.  Previous individual recipients are not eligible.

Goals of Grants

This year the YSI Foundation will award two grants – $25,000 to the first recipient selected by an Outside Selection Committee and $15,000 to the second recipient.  The proposals that demonstrate a clearly defined approach to review data sets and model, interpret, or otherwise show environmental changes through data will receive priority.

The YSI Foundation defines such projects as those including the following key components:

1. substantial analysis of time-series data sets
2. effective displays (graphic displays or model output) to illustrate environmental change
3. clearly identify a specific environmental change as the focus for analysis
4. demonstrate how high frequency data provided new or improved understanding of the issue being examined

Examples of the types of projects and programs that are eligible for funding with this grant include, but are not limited to:

• sites where intensive research and monitoring are ongoing, such as the National Estuarine Research Reserve sites
• estuarine and coastal sites where shifts in nutrient or contaminant conditions have occurred; issues of threshold responses in these systems are of particular interest
• community and ecosystem-level responses to changes in sea level and other climate-related issues
• examination of factors influencing temporal and spatial variability of fish and other aquatic organisms

Funding period:

• The grant will be awarded at the 2011 Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation’s (CERF) 21^st Biennial Conference in Daytona Beach, Florida, November 6-11, 2011.
• Grant monies must be spent within three years of receipt. Those monies not spent must be returned to the YSI Foundation.

Eligibility for grant:

• Must be a 501(c)(3) organization, a governmental organization, or an educational institution in the United States.
• Organization must conduct work in area(s) relevant to grant theme.
• Preference will be given to those organizations who will commit to publishing and also presenting their work at the CERF conference in 2013.

Grant timeline:

• Solicit grant applications:  June 1 – July 1, 2011
• Grant applications due:      July 1, 2011
• Selection process:               July 5 – August 5, 2011
• Grant recipient notified:      August 10, 2011
• Grant award announced:   November 6-11, 2011 at CERF conference in Daytona Beach, FL
• The grant award recipients will be notified in August so arrangements can be made for one investigator from each successful proposal to accept the award in person at the CERF Conference.
• The recipient will be announced in the CERF 2011 conference program.
• The YSI Foundation will be responsible for travel-related expenses to the CERF conference for one attendee from each successful proposal.
• Funds will be transferred to the recipients after the Conference.

Application:

There is no official application form.

The grant application should contain no more than five (5) pages of text, written in English, including any figures or tables (but not including the cover page).  Out of respect for our environment, the Foundation requires that proposals be submitted electronically to foundation@ysi.com.

The grant application must include the following information at a minimum:

• Grant cover page (click to download the PDF form).
• Statement of the purpose, mission or charter of the organization.
• Copy of IRS tax-exemption letter (if applicable)
• Brief statement of qualifications of project manager (if applicable).
• Scope of work and project’s impact, goals, and clearly defined objectives, including items such as:
  • the anticipated ecological importance of the work
  • identification of the groups that will be worked with on the project
  • plan for disseminating results of work and recommended protection/restoration action to the appropriate stakeholders, if any
  • Proposed schedule and budget.

Responsibilities of grant recipient:

• A photo from the grant recipient along with a brief quote on how the funds will be used is appreciated for use by the Foundation and YSI for purposes of highlighting projects we have funded.
• Submit annual accounting of grant to YSI Foundation.
• Create a final project report describing the goals of the grant, the activities undertaken to achieve goals and objectives, difficulties encountered, work products, and funds spent. The final project report is to be completed within 90 days of the end of the funding period, or within 3 years of receipt of funding, whichever comes first. Include photo documentation.
• Create a final financial report showing the final balance sheet.
• Recipients agree to be featured in news articles about their projects, written and submitted to the media by YSI.
• Recipients agree to work with YSI to publish their work and present their work at CERF in 2013.  Acceptable forms of publication include peer-reviewed journals, publically available agency/institution reports, or grey literature.
• Recipients agree to provide YSI with a copy of any final publication(s) resulting from this funding.

About the YSI Foundation

Since 1990, YSI has publicly demonstrated commitment to its core values and good corporate citizenship through its 501(c)(3) Foundation. The Foundation grants have funded a variety of projects, including university environmental science scholarships, large scale restoration projects, a wetlands data center, and interactive child focused exhibitions related to protecting our water resources.

Last year’s winner, Friends of the North Fork of the Shenandoah River (Woodstock, VA), gathered data that helped define water quality issues and developed water quality improvement strategies for Lake Laura and upstream and downstream tributaries.

Contact for information and application submittal:

YSI Foundation
Attention: Susan Miller, Foundation President
1725 Brannum Lane
Yellow Springs, OH  45387
937-657-1710 (cell)
email: smiller@ysi.com
submit applications to:  foundation@ysi.com

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