Funding Research Guidance - Great Lakes Coastal Resilience

Region 3 Coastal Program Guidance: Funding Research
Background and Purpose: The Coastal Program’s core purpose is on on-the-ground protection
and restoration of coastal resources. Although the Coastal Program is considered a conservation
delivery program and not a research oriented program, there is key research that may be critical
to strategically deploying restoration efforts in the Great Lakes. The purpose of this guidance is
to assist biologists, leadership, and other staff engaged in Coastal Program activities when
developing or considering research projects for funding.
Research Project Expectations:

Supported by and relevant to other FWS programs
o Relevant FWS program or office is aware of, was engaged in developing
and recommends funding the project. For example, a bird related project
is coordinated with Ecological Services or Migratory Birds, a fish related
project is coordinated with relevant Fisheries offices, etc.
o Matching funds from other FWS programs is desirable and would indicate
support.
o Documents direct utility and application in the near term to on-the-ground
conservation actions.

Match is at least 1:1
o This demonstrates that partners expect the project will yield valuable
results and demonstrates commitment to the project.

Provide strong catalyst for future on-the-ground restoration
o Results from research must have direct application to our core purpose.

Funding amount should not exceed 20% of total 1124 project budget
o This ensures we continue to focus our finite resources on our core purpose
of habitat restoration.
o If project is part of a larger multi-year effort, research should be scale-able
or completed in phases. Scaled down projects must still provide
meaningful information.

High likelihood of success with one Coastal Program funding award
o Coastal Program cannot make commitments for funding in future years.

Justifies why Coastal Program funding is necessary
o Funding should be sought from other internal FWS and external sources
that are dedicated to research. For example, LCCs, USGS, Great Lakes
Fisheries Trust, or others.