Research Grant Opportunity

Hughes Center Seeks Research Pre-Proposals: Due Oct. 11

September 16,  2024

The Harry R. Hughes Center for Agro-Ecology is a 501(c)(3) corporation affiliated with the University of Maryland College Park and the University System of Maryland. The mission of the Harry R. Hughes Center for Agro-Ecology is to provide leadership to promote environmentally sound and economically viable agriculture and forestry as Maryland’s preferred land use through research, outreach, and collaboration. We deliver science-based, applied, and unbiased information that fosters collaborative solutions. Our work is grounded in the values of equity and environmental justice. More about our Center is available at go.umd.edu/HughesCenter.

Pre-Proposal Overview

The Harry R. Hughes Center for Agro-Ecology calls for research pre-proposals to address the following topic areas (see below). The Hughes Center anticipates awarding up to $400,000 total for three to five proposals. The Hughes Center does not fund overhead costs. Projects must have a start date on or before June 30, 2025. The duration of a proposal may be one or two years. 

Summary: The research proposed should have a meaningful impact on the region, both short and long-term. The Hughes Center encourages pre-proposal submissions on Maryland’s food system, land use, forest health, agricultural best management practices (BMPs), and water quality. We also welcome proposals that address other areas of agriculture and the environment in Maryland. 

Agriculture and Food System: The Center is seeking pre-proposals on technologies and farming systems that will help enable small to large farms and beginning farmer operations to sustainably intensify production, adapt and improve resilience, and deliver ecosystem services through improved BMP implementation. The Center is also interested in supporting proposals that look at how Maryland’s food production (agriculture and shellfish aquaculture) benefits local food access or security, the economy, environment, or social structure, as well as the lost opportunity costs of taking land out of production.

Land Use: Pre-proposals are encouraged that address the impact of Maryland’s land use goals, policies, and differences in local jurisdictional zoning on agriculture. How are the co-benefits of agricultural and forested lands (carbon sequestration, biodiversity, etc.) being considered in state policy development? Additional areas of interest include how climate change will affect the implementation or effectiveness of BMPs. The Center is also interested in research that explores the co-existence of solar and agricultural production. Key questions include how clean energy and infrastructure siting may impact the state’s environmental and economic goals, or if there are potential solar siting incentives or innovative approaches to decommissioning solar installations so that the cost to decommissioning is not borne by the landowners and the land returns to agriculture.

Forests: The Hughes Center welcomes pre-proposals that address forest health, invasive species, emerging threats to forest health, and climate change's impacts on Maryland’s forests. Additional areas of interest are how woody biomass could play a role in the state’s clean energy goals and forest conservation or if Maryland could better manage the state’s forests to sequester more carbon.

Best Management Practices: Since its founding, the Hughes Center has supported research on agricultural BMPs and water quality. The Center encourages pre-proposals that address issues identified in the CESR report. Examples include 1) increasing the understanding of the role of water quality in living resource response; 2) increasing accountability for observed outcomes such as measured pollutant loads and watershed indicators, rather than just BMPs installed; and 3) increasing experimentation and innovation with new pollutant control technologies, programs, and behavior change approaches. Additional areas of interest include evaluating the effectiveness of stream restoration in pollution reduction and providing ecosystem benefits. This could include investigations into methods to improve decisions about what locations and practices to support as Maryland implements the Whole Watershed Act of 2024.

The Submission Process

• Pre-proposal submission is required.
• Pre-proposals must communicate the importance of the research in improving the farms, forests, or waters of Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay.
• No more than one pre-proposal may be submitted per researcher.
• Completed pre-proposals (one-page narrative) must be received by 5:00 p.m. EST, Friday, Oct 11, 2024, to hughescenter@umd.edu with the words “Grant Proposal” in the subject line. No late submissions will be accepted.
• Final proposals will be invited on or around Oct. 30, 2024.  Requests for full proposals are upon invitation only, based on the evaluation of the pre-proposal.
• Invited full proposals must be received by 5:00 p.m., Nov. 25, 2024, and submitted to hughescenter@umd.edu with the words “Grant Proposal” in the subject line. No late submissions will be accepted.
• Selected projects will be asked to be presented at a board meeting estimated for the second week in January 2025. 
• Proposal review and announcement of final project selection will be no later than January 31, 2025.
• Who Can Apply: Professionals and academics at Colleges, Universities, nonprofits, and 501(c)(3) organizations with credentials supporting their ability to complete this project. The Center encourages collaborative proposals across disciplines and among organizations, agencies, and institutions. Researchers with outstanding reports due to the Hughes Center are ineligible.

Pre-proposal Format:

• One (1) page maximum should be dedicated to the narrative, including:
  • Title of project
  • Overview of Project 
    • should focus on high-level information with an emphasis on the importance of the project to Maryland or the region
    • do not include references in the pre-proposal
  • Impact
    • on Maryland’s agriculture or forestry industries
    • on environmental or ecosystem indicators, such as nutrient reductions, carbon sequestration, Bay health, etc.
    • (if any) on underserved communities or populations or an aspect of the proposal that addresses equity
  • Outreach: How the project information will be disseminated to stakeholders
  • Note: Please use 1-inch margins and single-spaced 11-point Times New Roman font.
     
• One (1) page maximum should contain the following:
  • Principal investigator title and contact information
  • Co-PI or project partners, titles, and contact information
  • Anticipated budget request (The Hughes Center does not support indirect costs.)

Review Process

Hughes Center Board members, staff, and Ad hoc reviewers with expertise in the subject area evaluate pre-proposals and select submissions to invite for the full proposal process. For the full proposal outline, see below. 

All inquiries regarding the RFP should be directed to Dr. Kate Everts, Executive Director of the Harry R. Hughes Center for Agro-Ecology, Keverts@umd.edu and 410-827-6202. Your pre-proposal and full proposal submissions should be emailed to hughescenter@umd.edu with the words “Grant Proposal” in the subject line.

Invited full proposals should include the following:

Full proposal Format (only upon invitation)

• Cover Sheet: Maximum of 1 page
  • Proposal Title
  • Names and Contact Information of the Principal Investigator and all participants
  • Date of Submittal
  • Start and end dates of the project (start date must be on or before June 30, 2025).
  • Topic area addressed 
  • Budget total
• Proposal: Maximum of 4 pages
  • A clear statement of the need for the project
  • A methods section including experimental or project design and how data will be collected, analyzed, and interpreted
  • Brief description of the role of each participant
  • Potential limitations in completing the project
  • An outreach plan including the methods and tools that will be used to share the findings with stakeholders
  • Timeline of the Project
    • Provide specific dates when deliverables will be available to the Center 
    • Include information regarding the outreach efforts to stakeholders, which may extend beyond the grant time period
  • Note: Please use 1-inch margins and single-spaced 11-point Times New Roman font.
• Budget: Include a chart and description of each category in the chart, Maximum of 1 page
  • The budget should include the following categories:
    • Salaries  
    • Fringe benefits
    • Subcontractors’ salaries/fringe benefits
    • Equipment/materials/supplies
    • Travel
    • Outreach expenses 
    • The total amount of the project and the total amount requested from the Hughes Center 

Matching funds are not required. If your organization is providing resources or has conducted significant work that contributes to the proposed project, these are best described in the proposal text. For projects with additional funders, if possible, please provide further information on the likelihood of being awarded and the amount requested from each potential funder.

• Qualifications of the Participants: Maximum of 2 pages per person
  • Brief bio of the project participants with highlights of their skills and expertise that will bring value to this project
  • Current and Pending Support information on other grant-funded projects that are related to this proposal should include
    • PI and co-PI names and project title
    • Supporting Agency
    • Amount of Award
    • Beginning and ending dates of the grant award 

The following are the evaluation criteria for invited full proposals:

• How well does the proposal meet the mission and goals of the Hughes Center?
• Does the proposal help further the knowledge base in the agricultural, forestry, natural resource, or policy arenas so that something significant and beneficial to working lands and the Chesapeake Bay and its resources can be derived from the work?
• Does the project display scientific merit in theory, methods, and design?
• Has a realistic and achievable public education/awareness/outreach component been included?
• Do the Investigator(s) appear qualified to perform the work as outlined?
• Is the budget feasible for the scope and time frame of the project?
• Is the time frame adequate for the work proposed?
• Is this work original and not duplicated elsewhere?
• Has the proposal identified key collaborators who can assist in achieving project outcomes and goals?
• Rate the project’s impact, if any, on underserved communities or populations or its ability to address equity.

Download the RFP in PDF format here.