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Commission plans FY2025 RFP to fund low‑cost stock‑assessment methods, capacity building and DEI
Summary
Staff outlined the Marine Mammal Commission's small grants program and solicited topics for FY2025. Advisers favored a pre‑proposal stage and proposals focused on rapid, low‑cost methods to estimate Nmin/MSI, capacity building (including tribally led assessments), and continued DEI efforts and mentorship for grantees.
Commission staff reviewed the commission's small grants program and sought input on priorities for the FY2025 funding opportunity.
D. Allen, the commission's scientific program officer, described a program that uses modest seed funding to catalyze projects. "With small investments and sometimes as little as $10,000 to $20,000 we've provided seed money for new initiatives or innovative ideas," Allen said, noting the program's emphasis on filling important research gaps and leveraging larger funding sources.
Participants broadly supported using a pre‑proposal stage to reduce workload for applicants and reviewers. Suggested FY2025 priorities included rapid, low‑cost methods for estimating minimum population (Nmin) and mortality/serious injury (MSI); capacity building and mentorship to support tribal and underfunded regional partners; and maintaining targeted DEI funding streams. Several advisers suggested combining these under an umbrella theme—improving data quality for bycatch and import‑rule comparability—while listing specific subtopics such as acoustics, electronic monitoring, carcass detection, and mentorship programs.
Speakers also proposed better post‑award engagement: midway or final webinars so grantees share lessons learned, and retrospective evaluation of project outcomes to inform future solicitation criteria. The group emphasized pairing workshop or methodological development grants with assured implementation funds where feasible to avoid producing methods without resources to apply them.
Next steps: staff will design an FY2025 RFP with a pre‑proposal phase, include priorities developed during the meeting (rapid methods, capacity building, DEI/tribal engagements), and prepare guidance for applicants and reviewers.
