The next STREAM RFP will open in 2024. Check back soon!
STREAM Spotlight: Island Creek Oysters
STREAM Grants support short, innovative projects up to $9,999, including:
- Educational initiatives that connect classrooms and communities with coastal/marine science
- Small research projects aligned with MIT Sea Grant’s coastal and marine focus areas
- Seed funding for exploratory or innovative efforts in art, education, industry, outreach, or research
- Rapid response projects that advance areas of emerging interest or address a current challenge
- Student support to expand an independent or class project
STREAM Grant projects should align with MIT Sea Grant’s coastal and marine focus areas and principles:
- Support one or more MIT Sea Grant goals/objectives outlined in the 2018-2023 Strategic Plan
- Align with Focus Area(s): Healthy Coastal Ecosystems; Environmental Literacy + Workforce Development; Resilient Communities + Economies; Sustainable Fisheries + Aquaculture
- Incorporate DEIJA principles (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, and Accessibility)
- Cultivate partnerships by collaborating with or engaging a diversity of partners/communities
1. Project Narrative (2-5 pages)
Eligible projects will reflect goals/objectives outlined in the 2018-2023 MIT Sea Grant Strategic Plan and align with one or more program focus areas. Include a 2-5 page Project Narrative (12-pt Times New Roman or equivalent, single-spaced, 1-inch margins) with the sections below. Please refer to the full RFP for complete instructions:
- Title and Contact Information: Proposal title and the name, affiliation, email address, and phone number of the project lead. Please provide your organization’s Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number, and indicate if your organization has received federal funding in the past 5 years. You must have a full SAM registration and UEI number (or have an application pending) at the time of submission.
- Project Start and End Dates: Project start and end dates for the September 2023 RFP must fall between November 1, 2023 and July 31, 2024. Please note the actual start and end dates may vary depending upon funding and processing timelines. (Note: The 2024 RFP will return to a 1-year project period.)
- Coastal- or Marine-Related Issue to be Addressed: Identify the coastal or marine-related problem, issue, or hypothesis requiring this work, and outline the project’s relevance to one or more MIT Sea Grant focus areas as detailed in the MIT Sea Grant Strategic Plan.
- Objectives: List specific project objectives in a numbered list format.
- Methods/Approach: Include a description of how you will achieve your objectives, and the approximate amount of time needed for these activities. If your proposal involves fieldwork, copies of all permits will be required prior to the start of the project.
- Outcomes/Benefits to MA Communities/Stakeholders: Describe the anticipated outcomes or impacts, and whether the work will have practical applications or lead to new understanding, attitudinal or behavioral changes, economic benefits, increased policy understanding, etc.
- Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, and Accessibility: Describe how the proposed work will engage and reflect the diversity of Massachusetts’ communities and broaden participation with individuals from underrepresented groups in marine science/STEM.
- Engagement and Outreach: Proposals must include a plan for meaningful engagement with the identified communities or partners. Outline the project’s outreach goals, methods, and how the work will impact or serve specific stakeholders.
*Please review the full RFP for additional information and more detailed descriptions.
2. Personnel and CVs/Resumes
Include project personnel and CVs/resumes of the Principle Investigator/Student/Educator. Each resume/CV should be no more than two pages.
3. Budget and Justification
Budgets must include match and all project costs, including research, education, and outreach activities, equipment and materials, with a written justification for each budget item.
- Matching Funds: Matching funds are funds and non-cash/in-kind contributions provided by the applicant that support the funds being requested. STREAM Grants may not be used for salary, but salaries may be used for matching funds.
- Indirect Costs (IDC): IDC represent costs that are not easily attributable to individual grants, such as utilities and data storage. You may apply for IDC as part of your budget. If your organization has a negotiated IDC rate, please include that rate and a copy of the agreement identifying the rate. If you do not have a negotiated rate, please use the 10% standard rate that the federal government allows. If you wish to waive your organization’s IDC, please verify that you have permission to do this with your organization, and include that in writing as part of your budget justification.
*Please review the full RFP for additional information and more detailed descriptions.
4. Data Management Plan
- If your project does not include data collection, please include the statement, “This proposal will not generate environmental data. Therefore, a Data Management Plan is not required as part of the Proposal.”
- If your proposal does include data collection, you will need to create a Data Management Plan (DMP) that conforms to NOAA’s Data Sharing Directive for Grants, Cooperative Agreements, and Contracts. We are happy to provide guidance in preparing a DMP for your proposal. Please contact MIT Sea Grant Research Coordinator Mary Newton Lima (seagrantinfo@mit.edu).
eSeaGrant Portal
Proposals will be submitted to MIT Sea Grant through our online portal, eSeaGrant. Please contact seagrantinfo@mit.edu to receive your password at least one business day prior to the submission deadline. We are happy to provide eSeaGrant tours and other assistance to applicants upon request.
Post-Award + Reporting
Award Type: STREAM Grants under this RFP will be cost-reimbursable (i.e. the awardee will receive payment after submitting receipts and invoices for approved, allowable cost items). If you have any questions or concerns about this process, please contact us (seagrantinfo@mit.edu) so that we can provide guidance and discuss workable methods to assist your organization.
Reporting: At the end of the project period, STREAM Grant recipients will be expected to participate in MIT Sea Grant’s annual reporting, including submitting a final report and identifying impacts and accomplishments. Details on report formats, impact statements, and metrics will be provided upon funding. Here is an at-a-glance list of metrics MIT Sea Grant tracks and reports to the National Sea Grant Office. While your project does not have to incorporate all of these metrics, we encourage you to identify at least one metric associated with your project outcomes.
*Please review the full RFP for additional information and more detailed descriptions.
Funding
Grants up to $9,999 (50% match required)
Please contact us if you’d like to discuss in-kind/match options.
Eligibility
Open to a diversity of Massachusetts applicants, including P-12 educators, faculty and students from Massachusetts universities, individuals and artists working with museums/nonprofits.
Students are encouraged to lead the proposal development, but must apply with an eligible faculty member or educator.
Contact
Email Mary Newton Lima (Research Coordinator) and Lily Keyes (Communications Specilaist) at seagrantinfo@mit.edu
VISIT & CONTACT
12 Emily Street, NW98
Cambridge, MA 02139
seagrantinfo@mit.edu
(617) 253-7041
Accessibility
12 Emily Street, NW98
Cambridge, MA 02139
seagrantinfo@mit.edu
(617) 253-7041
Accessibility
MAILING ADDRESS
MIT Sea Grant College Program
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
77 Massachusetts Avenue, NW98-151
Cambridge, MA 02139
MIT Sea Grant College Program
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
77 Massachusetts Avenue, NW98-151
Cambridge, MA 02139
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Northeast MA Coastal Outreach (NEMCO)
Southeast MA Coastal Outreach (SEMCO)
