CALL FOR RESEARCH PROPOSALS

Research to Support Development of Regional Monitoring Frameworks to Support Cumulative Effects Assessment

Northumberland Strait–Environmental Monitoring Partnership (NorSt–EMP)

Deadline for Submission: September 15, 2011

The Canadian Water Network is requesting research proposals, to be funded for a maximum of three years (2012–15), that will develop and produce as their project output a recommended sampling strategy to improve cumulative effects assessment in the estuaries of Northumberland Strait region within one or more of the following three categories:

The impact of nutrients, sediments and contaminants from land-based activities on —

1. Fish and fisheries in the estuaries and bays of Northumberland Strait region
2. Invertebrates, and fisheries and aquaculture in the estuaries and bays of Northumberland Strait region
3. Submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), with a specific focus on eelgrass (Zostera marina) and sea lettuce (Ulva lactuca), in the estuaries and bays of Northumberland Strait region.

This specific call for research projects is part of a CWN Canadian Watershed Research Consortium. It forms part of a national research program and represents a call for research within one of five different region-specific consortium nodes, each of which is developing research programs related to improving cumulative effects assessment by establishing regional monitoring frameworks.

Calls for research proposals within three other regional nodes can be found here.

For this call for proposals, the recommended sampling strategy should provide the Northumberland Strait – Environmental Monitoring Partnership (NorSt-EMP) with the minimum essential elements for establishing a regional monitoring framework in support of cumulative effects assessment, with consideration of sample station selection (including reference sites for detecting effects at local and regional scales), indicator selection, sampling methods, and sampling frequency and timing.

The proposed research will supply NorSt-EMP with the collective research outputs necessary to define the core elements of a regional monitoring framework for cumulative effects assessment. Proposal applicants should indicate why their recommended elements are important for inclusion in a regional monitoring framework and how they could be used in decision-making. Ideally, the outputs would also include information needed to identify levels that trigger regulatory responses, such as a probable effects level and, if possible, guidance on developing a potential tiered adaptive monitoring framework.

Through this process, CWN expects to provide support of up to $200,000 a year, for up to three years, across two to four research projects within the Northumberland Strait region.

Important dates

Application process

Note: Applicants who submit a research proposal must be eligible to receive funds from a tricouncil granting agency — i.e., NSERC, SSHRC or CIHR.

• Download the full request for proposals (PDF).
• Background document: Maps and information of existing monitoring programs in the Northumberland Strait (PDF)

Please read this document carefully. It is the full RFP and explains the nature and scope of the research opportunity to which you are responding.

Deadline for submission

Proposals must be submitted by e-mail to Janice Levangie no later than 11:59 p.m. EDT on September 15, 2011.

Confirmation of receipt of proposals will be sent within 72 hours. If confirmation is not received, contact Janice Levangie by e-mail or telephone at (519) 888-4567, ext. 31144.

Documents to download, complete and return to CWN

IMPORTANT: You may experience difficulties downloading these files if you use Microsoft Internet Explorer as your web browser. We suggest that you download these files using Firefox. (If you do not have Firefox installed, you may download a free copy from Mozilla.)

You are also welcome to contact Janice Levangie directly, who will forward the files by e-mail.

• CWN WSNS 2011-1: Proposal Information (MS Word .docx document)
• CWN WSNS 2011-2: Budget (MS Excel .xlsx document)
• CWN WSNS 2011-3: Applicant Signature (MS Word .docx document)
• CWN WSNS 2011-4: Investigator Signature (MS Word .docx document)
• CWN WSNS 2011-5: Environmental Impact Statement (MS Word .docx document)
• CWN WSNS 2011-6: Conflict of Interest (MS Word .docx document)
  Please refer to the NCE Program Guide for the Conflict of Interest Policy
• CWN WSNS 2011-7: Intellectual Property (MS Word .docx document)