Synopsis
Anticipating continued support from the State of Rhode Island in fiscal year 2010 (FY10), beginning July 1, 2009, the Rhode Island Endeavor Program (RIEP), managed by the University of Rhode Island's Graduate School of Oceanography (GSO) issues this request for proposals for FY10 projects (1) to be conducted on board the research vessel R/V Endeavor, OR (2) to enhance Endeavor's capabilities to conduct oceanographic research. RIEP provides Rhode Islanders with direct access to the scientific research and educational capabilities of an ocean-going research vessel, and serves as a vital expression of Rhode Island's support for marine research operations at GSO. Information on the proposal process, the RIEP, and the Endeavor is available from the following webpage http://www.gso.uri.edu/riep, which is part of the GSO website.

Proponent conference
On Feb 20, 2009, URI/GSO will host a 1-hour conference for prospective proposers beginning at 10 am in the Challenger room of the GSO Pell Library on the URI Narragansett Bay Campus. Anyone interested in submitting a proposal is invited to participate. Directions are available at: www.gso.uri.edu/aboutGSO/directions.html. Those intending to participate should contact Jeffrey Callahan, Director NBC Facilities by email or phone at callahan@gso.uri.edu, 401-874-6584. Questions regarding RIEP, vessel capabilities, and associated matters will be addressed. All questions and answers will subsequently be posted electronically.


Vessel and its capabilities
A description of Endeavor and its capabilities is available at http://techserv.gso.uri.edu/. Prospective proposers may contact Jeffrey Callahan, as per above, for more information. Endeavor will be at the GSO pier during late February and early March. Visits to the vessel can be arranged by contacting Sam De Bow, the Marine Superintendent, at marsup@gso.uri.edu or 401-874-6554.

Vessel schedule and availability
Endeavor's current schedule for calendar 2009 can be viewed at: http://www.unols.org/info/. This schedule is subject to change, and first priority for scheduling is given to federal sponsors, which typically use the ship for 190 to 210 days per year. The best opportunity for calendar 2009 is mid October through mid December. Additional time will be available during 2010. For planning purposes, please note that Endeavor departs and arrives GSO between 8 and 9 am on the first and last day of an expedition.

Note: There is a special ship-time opportunity in early to mid-April 2009. During this period Endeavor will be in Florida, between UNOLS-scheduled cruises: one ending in Panama City on April 5 and another departing from Port Everglades on April 19. RIEP is able to fund a four or five day cruise in Florida waters during that period. Depending on the project, the cruise could start in Panama City and end in Port Everglades, or (preferably) begin and end in Port Everglades. Anyone who has a project that fits within these time and geographic limitations and is otherwise eligible for RIEP funding should contact Jeff Callahan (Callahan@gso.uri.edu) immediately.


Proposal submission
The proposal submission deadline is 5:00 pm on March 10, 2009. Proposals must be submitted electronically (as PDF or Microsoft Word documents) to Jeffrey Callahan, Director NBC Facilities at callahan@gso.uri.edu. Paper submissions will not be accepted.

Proposal format
Proposals should be no longer than seven pages, including figures, tables, and a brief CV of the lead proposer. The following information must be provided:

a. Principal Investigator name, affiliation, address, phone, email
b. Title of project
c. Description of project, including scientific, technical, and outreach/educational objectives and commercial benefits
d. Relationship of proposed effort to other funded research
e. Proposed project schedule and acceptable timeframe(s) for at-sea work. (Note: days at sea may have to be adjusted to accommodate Endeavor's UNOLS commitments.
f. Expected benefit/results of project to the State of Rhode Island; explain how this project will lead to future work or activities relating to the Endeavor and/or additional funds (private or governmental). Collaborative projects across institutional boundaries (private/public, etc.) are encouraged.
g. If sea time is involved, the names and affiliations of all persons who will ride the ship (to the extent possible); geographic coordinates of area(s) where at-sea work will be done; special equipment, if any, needed to perform work at sea.
h. The people of Rhode Island must derive benefit from and understand the significance of your project. As such, you will be expected to work closely with the GSO Office of Marine Programs (Sara Hickox is Director) to develop and execute outreach activities/products. These may include providing pre- and/or post-cruise background materials about the nature of the research (images, text, video clips, etc.); having a teacher participate at sea, assisting with press releases and media contact; ship-to-shore educational communications; and shore-based educational activities with RI schools, etc. See contact info below.
i. Biographical information. The lead proposer must provide a brief resume or curriculum vitae summarizing his/her qualifications and experience necessary to conduct the project. For scientific research proposals, the CV should include recent and relevant publications.
j. Budget: The attached budget template must be used, and the following categories of expenditures may be included in RIEP proposals (Budget Templates, PDF format, MS-Word/Excel format):

• Endeavor's days at sea or in port preparing for periods at sea; the cost of one day of Endeavor's time, including scientific technical support staff is $19,000 per day. For expeditions to be conducted in calendar 2010, please use a day rate of $20,000.
• Instrumentation or equipment, if any, to be installed on Endeavor that will become part of the ship's equipment suite.
• Design, procurement, and construction of shore-based equipment, infrastructure or facilities that directly support Endeavor's mission.