OCB Activity Proposal Solicitations

2021 OCB Activity Solicitation

The Ocean Carbon and Biogeochemistry (OCB) Program is soliciting proposals for OCB activities that will take place or begin during the 2021 calendar year. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, activities that can be conducted remotely (at least for the first half of 2021) are encouraged. Any proposed in-person activities should include contingency plans in case delays or cancellations are necessary. We seek proposals for OCB-relevant workshops and activities as follows:

  • Scoping workshops (~50-70 people) that bring together an appropriate body of expertise to foster discussions and build momentum within a specific OCB research area (previous OCB scoping workshops)   
  • Working groups (~8-12 members) to address targeted science goals/questions and develop products that benefit and engage the broader OCB community  
  • Synthesis activities to bring together existing data sets, model outputs, etc. to support and inform future research efforts
  • Intercomparison activities to assess and build consensus on best practices (methodological, modeling, data analysis, etc.) for advancing OCB-relevant research
  • Training activities (~30-50 participants plus instructors as needed) to build capacity in different areas of OCB research 

To get familiar with OCB’s current slate of activities, PIs are strongly encouraged to view the OCB website before preparing and submitting a proposal. If you have questions about the relevance, timeliness, appropriate format, etc. of a proposed activity, please contact the OCB Project Office for guidance, especially PIs who are less familiar with and/or haven’t been involved with OCB and its activities in the past.

We strongly encourage PIs to read OCB’s Code of Conduct and Pledge to Implement Antiracism in OCB activities and decision-making. Be mindful and explicit about how you will foster inclusivity in your proposed activity.

 

Scientific Scope

OCB’s overarching goal is to explore the ocean’s role in the global carbon cycle and the response of marine ecosystems to environmental changes of the past (paleo), present, and future (prediction). Proposed activities should address one or more of OCB’s current research priorities:

  • Climate- and human-driven changes in ocean chemistry (e.g., acidification, deoxygenation, nutrient loading, etc.) and associated impacts on marine ecosystems 
  • Ocean carbon uptake and storage, including processes from the air-sea interface to the deep ocean
  • Marine organism-mediated carbon cycling and export via the biological pump
  • Benthic carbon cycle feedbacks, from shallow to deep-sea marine habitats
  • Carbon cycling and associated biogeochemical fluxes and exchanges along the aquatic continuum, from rivers to the coastal ocean
  • Marine organism response to environmental change, including molecular, physiological, ecological, and evolutionary processes

OCB especially encourages proposals that:

 

Proposal Guidelines

Proposals should be a maximum of 5 pages in length and must explicitly address:

  • How the workshop supports and advances OCB research and observational priorities
  • How participants for the proposed activity will be recruited and associated efforts to enhance representation of underrepresented groups
  • Activity products and outcomes that will benefit the broader OCB community

All proposals should include the rationale for and detailed description of the activity, a budget, and a budget justification. An OCB activity budget can include travel support and meeting costs, publication costs, and even a small amount for miscellaneous supplies and shipping (e.g., intercomparison activity). Budgets MAY NOT include salary support or laboratory services (instruments, sample run costs). Budget should explicitly note and account for the anticipated number of participants in the proposed activity. Please note that due to US federal funding sources, the OCB Project Office must prioritize support for US-based activities and participants. Please carefully consider and provide reasonable cost estimates for travel, catering/per diem, housing, meeting room and A/V costs, transportation, publications, etc. A good first estimate that takes all of these costs into account is ~$1,000 per person. If you are receiving support from another program or organization, please include a letter of support indicating their commitment and note the details in the budget.

Scoping Workshops and Training Activities

The target budget for scoping workshops and training activities is $60,000-70,000. These proposals should include preliminary logistical information concerning time frame and venue, as well as anticipated outcomes (reports, special journal volumes, etc.) and their benefits to the broader OCB community. View previously funded OCB scoping workshop proposals: US BioGeoSCAPES community workshop (dates TBD), Air-Sea Scoping Workshop (2019), Oceanic Methane and Nitrous Oxide: The present situation and future scenarios (2018)

 Other Activities

Other proposed activities should be 2-3 years in duration, with a total target budget of $20,000-$30,000 to cover travel, analytical costs, shipping and publication costs, etc. We will consider larger budget requests if adequately justified. If the activity is a follow-on from a previous OCB activity, this connection should be explicitly made and PIs should address how this activity will serve the OCB community and further advance the scientific ideas put forth in the initial activity. Proposals should also include a draft timeline for the activity with target dates for products and outcomes, as well as anticipated OCB Project Office scientific and/or logistical support needs. View previously funded OCB small group activity proposals: Phytoplankton Taxonomy Working Group (2017-2020), Fish Carbon Flux Working Group (2018-2020), Ocean Carbonate System Intercomparison Forum (2019-present), Ocean Metaproteomics Intercomparison Activity (2018-present)

Please submit workshop proposals electronically to the OCB Project Office (hbenway@whoi.edu) by October 16, 2020 at midnight (EST) for consideration by the OCB Scientific Steering Committee (SSC). The OCB SSC will discuss and rank all proposals based on the following criteria: 1) Scientific merit (40%); 2) relevance to OCB (20%); 3) timeliness and potential community impact (20%); and 4) community engagement strategy and effort(s) to promote diversity (20%). Decisions will be announced by the end of the 2020 calendar year.

We release OCB solicitations in the fall every 1-2 years, depending on availability of funds.

 

2020-2021 Funded OCB Activities

2019-2020 Funded OCB Activities  

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Funding for the Ocean Carbon & Biogeochemistry Project Office is provided by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The OCB Project Office is housed at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.