Under sponsorship from the National Science Foundation, the Unidata Program Center (UPC) announces the 2006 Unidata Community Equipment Awards solicitation, described below, along with the proposal submission requirements. The deadline date for submitting proposals is March 24, 2006. Notification of award status will be made by early May, 2006. A total of $100,000, including UCAR overhead, is available for awards this year. Proposals for amounts up to $20,000 will be considered.
The primary purpose of the Unidata Community Equipment Awards is to encourage
new members from diverse disciplinary backgrounds in the geosciences to join
the Unidata community, and for existing members to continue their active participation
so as to enhance the community process. We will accept equipment proposals for
the deployment of Unidata-supported systems from academic institutions engaged
in teaching and research in the geosciences. Applicants are encouraged to get
assistance with hardware requirements for their proposed activity by contacting
the UPC at support-egrants@unidata.ucar.edu.
It is the intent of this award program to assist institutions wishing to participate
actively in the Unidata community; to assist those who have participated actively
in the past but need system upgrades to meet the standards currently recommended
for deploying Unidata systems; and to assist organizations from disciplines
outside of the atmospheric community who can provide important and relevant
datasets and tools to the Unidata community at no cost.
Small institutions, institutions that have not previously submitted proposals to this program, and institutions outside Unidata's traditional atmospheric sciences community are encouraged to apply.
It is important to emphasize that the overall quality of the proposal, including professional presentation of the narrative detailing how the proposal addresses the following criteria, will be an important factor in the evaluation by the review panel.
Special Consideration for 2006 Awards:
This year special consideration will be given to proposals submitted
by investigators in new disciplines and departments outside of those traditionally
active in the Unidata community (e.g., meteorology). The primary purpose of
this focus is to give the broader Unidata community access to new tools and
datasets that could be relevant to their teaching and research. Proposals submitted
in this area of special consideration must show evidence of meeting criteria
2 and 3.
As always, the special emphasis does not preclude proposals from the traditional
Unidata community.
Unidata will accept proposals that include funds for hardware, software, and associated indirect costs. This program does not provide funds for staff time, travel, or other costs not outlined here. Proposals must demonstrate that the equipment request is technically sound with respect to hardware and software selection and integration with existing local systems. Faculty and staff involved in managing the hardware and Unidata systems must be committed to obtaining, managing, and maintaining the proposed equipment and Unidata-supported tools as described in the proposal.
Including all of the sections below, Community Equipment Award proposals are typically 5-10 pages. Proposals must contain all components listed below and be assembled in the order listed:
A. Cover Page: Signed by the appropriate university official, for example, the Dean or the contracts officer.
B. Project Summary: A brief summary of the project and how the proposer intends to use equipment funded through this award program.
C. Project Description:
D. Budget:
E. Project Milestones:
Provide information about how soon equipment will be purchased after receipt of the award, and when it will be deployed as part of the broader project objective.
Submission, Notification and Accountability
Please submit one paper copy and one electronic copy on CD in either PDF or Microsoft Word Format along with the signed cover sheet. Please note that we do business in English only. All proposals and contractual activities must take place in English. Proposals must be received at the UPC no later than March 24, 2006. To ensure fairness, proposals arriving after the deadline will be returned without review. Please ensure that proposals are mailed on time to be received by this date. Also, please ensure that all materials are included in your submission.
Proposals will be reviewed by a panel consisting of community members and Unidata staff. Selection of successful proposals will be made by community members serving on the panel. Once decisions are made, the Unidata Director will notify the outcome of the review to all applicants. Reviewers' comments will be distributed to successful and unsuccessful proposals alike. Funds will be distributed to successful applicants by a sub-contract award process, and recipients will be responsible for purchasing the equipment.
Within a year of receiving equipment funds, recipients will be required to submit a brief report in the form of a short article to the UPC. The intent of the article is to encourage others to participate in the Unidata community and the Equipment Awards program by showing the benefits of participation, as well as ensuring compliance with the original intent of the awards. Recipients should address how the funding was used to strengthen their program and/or the Unidata community. The article should also describe how the equipment has been used, the impact on education and research, lessons learned, etc. Articles will be used for publication either in the Unidata newsletter or on the Unidata website (at our discretion). Failure to submit the requested article will result in ineligibility for future funding.
Please send one paper copy and an electronic copy on CD (as described above) of your proposal to:
Unidata Program Center
ATTN: Community Equipment Awards
P.O. Box 3000
Boulder, CO 80307
Overnight Mail Address:
Unidata Program Center
C/O: Sandra Petrie
1850 Table Mesa Drive
Boulder, CO 80305
Resources:
Please see our FAQ section to find answers to specific questions you might have about the Unidata Community Equipment Awards. If you have still have questions, email us: support-egrants@unidata.ucar.edu
Links to examples of previously successful proposals: