NSS Cave Preserve Research Grants

    The NSS Board of Governors has approved a substantial commitment of funds to promote targeted research in NSS-owned and managed caves.      

   The goals of this research initiative are to provide matching grants for biological and environmental research in the Society's caves that will provide a baseline for the monitoring of potential degradation and the effective management of these caves.

 The first funding proposal deadline is September 15th 2006.

             Research proposals will be judged on (a) scientific merit, (b) feasibility, and (c) value to the management goals of the relevant NSS preserve(s). 

 Specific areas of interest include:

• Biological inventory and census; including the development of standardized protocols to facilitate future follow-up studies. 

• Paleontological assessment; emphasis on assessment, not major excavation. 

• Assessment and mapping of bio-geological resources, including sediments, guano deposits, and paleontological deposits etc. 

• Water quality assessment; especially where relevant to the status of aquatic cave fauna. 

• Geographic Information System development; in the context of mapping sensitive biological and geobiological resources onto cave maps.

 Rules:

             Focus must be on NSS owned caves, (http://www.caves.org/preserves/) but does not preclude extension to other caves outside but explicitly relevant to NSS sites. 

            Matching funds are required.  Matching funds do not need to be 1:1, but the nature and size of the matching support will be taken into consideration by the RAC.  

            Grant recipients must provide a full accounting of all funds, including matching funds.  

            Two thirds of each grant shall be paid in advance; the remaining third will be paid upon project completion and the receipt of the specified deliverables. 

            All projects must have the approval of the relevant Preserve management Committee(s); data will become the property of the MPC who may, where necessary, restrict distribution of sensitive data. 

            Applicants must provide evidence of all relevant State or Federal permits before receipt of any funding. 

            All projects must conform to the general rules pertaining to research in/on NSS preserves:   http://www.caves.org/nss-business/bog/app-ae.html; variances must be approved by RAC and/or the NSS    Board of Governors.

 Procedure.

       Bids/proposals shall be reviewed by the Research Advisory Committee quarterly. The RAC Chair will consider RAC reviews and input from Preserves managers and make funding             recommendations to the NSS Executive Vice President and President for final signature approval.

                Proposals should be submitted electronically as a single pdf or MS Word file.  Proposals should include (a) a concise summary, (b) specific details of the proposed science, (c) a clear                 statement of relevance to NSS preserve management goals, (d) a statement explaining the relevant background and experience of the senior personnel (e) concise curricula vitae of senior personnel, not to exceed 2 pages each, (f) a timeline, and (g) a detailed budget including a statement addressing the matching funds requirement.

                Submit proposals to Donald A. McFarlane, Chair, NSS Research Advisory Committee:  dmcfarla@jsd.claremont.edu

     Ethical Standards:  Any researcher working on a NSS-funded project assumes the responsibility of complying with all local, state, and federal laws regarding research and collecting permits, anywhere in the world. Researchers will also comply with all ethical standards of their field dealing with issues of academic misconduct. We will also require that researchers adhere to the ethical standards regarding cave conservation as stated in NSS policies.