[Coral-List] Last Call for ISRS-TOC Coral Reef Fellowship Applications

[Jack Sobel]

The application/proposal deadline for the International Society for Reef Studies (ISRS) and The Ocean Conservancy (TOC) Coral Reef Graduate Fellowship for Coral Reef Studies, February 29th, is rapidly approaching.  The announcement was previously posted and is again posted below and as an attachment for graduate students interested in applying.  

Jack A. Sobel
Director, Strategic Conservation Science and Policy
The Ocean Conservancy
1725 DeSales St. NW, #600
Washington, DC  20036
Phone: (202)429-5609/857-3270
Fax:  (202)872-0619
Email:  jsobel at oceanconservancy.org

		FELLOWSHIP ANNOUNCEMENT FOR CORAL REEF STUDIES 
		 
		DEADLINE - 29 FEBRUARY 2004 
		 
		International Society for Reef Studies and The Ocean Conservancy  
		Graduate Fellowship for Coral Reef Research 
		 
		The 2004 Guidelines are organized by: 
		 
		Background and Fellowship Goals  
		Who Can Apply?  
		Application Materials  
		 
		Background and Fellowship Goals  
		 
		Coral reefs are among the most diverse ecosystems on the planet, they are globally distributed, and they support various aspects of coastal economies. Yet coral reefs are widely recognized to be in decline and studies are needed to provide information to manage and understand processes that cause coral reef change. Funds up to US$10,000 per award are available to support up to four Ph.D. students in the general area of coral reef ecosystem research. The focus of the Fellowship is to understand and predict coral reef response to management or disturbance-caused change (human-caused or natural). Research supported by the Fellowship should emphasize an ecosystem approach. Projects that focus on factors that control productivity, nutrient dynamics, carbonate accretion or erosion, fisheries, or the effects of exploitation of coral reef resources are examples of suitable topics. Projects that address such issues within the context of marine reserves are especially suitable for Fellowship support. Projects are not limited to these topics, but research should increase understanding of reef function that is relevant to management at local, regional, or global scales.  As a condition of the Fellowship, recipients are required to prepare an article describing their use of the funding, together with an outline of the findings, for the ISRS newsletter Reef Encounter.   
		 

		Who Can Apply? 
		 
		The Fellowship is available to students, worldwide, who are already admitted to a graduate program at an accredited university. The intent of the fellowship is to help Ph.D. students develop skills and to address problems related to relevant applications of coral reef ecosystem research and management. The Fellowship can be used to support salary, travel, fieldwork, or laboratory analyses. The student can work entirely at the host university, or can split time between developed and developing country universities. 
		 
		Application Materials 
 
		A three page proposal, using 12 font or larger, double spaced, in English, is required from prospective fellowship candidates: proposals that do not meet these criteria may be returned. The proposal should include the following sections: 
		 
		1.	Overview: The overview starts with the Proposal Title, Author Name,
			Author Address, Major Professor Name, Major Professor's Address (if different than the Author's), and total amount in the budget request. The overview places the proposed research in context with existing literature and local needs.    
		 
		2.	Methods: The methods section includes hypotheses, methods, and
			experimental design - including details about how data will be analyzed. 
		 
		3.	Results: The results section discusses how the work is relevant to host
			country management and science issues. This section also includes evidence of host country coordination (e.g., identification of individuals or programs that will benefit from your results); 
		 
		The following three sections are required but do not count against the
		three page limit: 
		 
		4.	Detailed Budget: The budget must not exceed $10,000.  Evidence of cost sharing is desirable but not essential for the application.  Cost sharing might include, for example, additional funding, accommodation, the loan of equipment, or access to analytical facilities. 
		 
		5.	Literature Cited: Use a bibliographic format that includes full titles in the citations. 
		 
		6.	Applicant CV: 2 pages maximum 
		 
		Letter of Support: The student's major professor must submit a support letter for the project based on their knowledge of the project, and familiarity with the student's background and abilities. If work will be conducted at a second university, a support letter is required from the sponsoring professor. 
 
		Submitting Your Application 
		 
		ALL APPLICATION MATERIALS MUST BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY as follows: 
		 
		a) All materials must be sent to Dr. Peter Edmunds at: 
		 
		peter.edmunds at csun.edu <mailto:peter.edmunds at csun.edu> 
		 
		b) The completed proposal (items 1 - 6 above) must be combined into a
		single document and sent as an attachment in either pdf or MS Word format.  Please enter the subject line of your message as your last name followed by "ISRS/OC Proposal" (e.g., "EDMUNDS-ISRS/OC Proposal") 
		 
		c) The letter of support must come directly from the major professor as an e-mail attachment in either pdf or MS Word format. Please enter the subject line of the message as the last name of the applicant followed by "ISRS/OC Support" (e.g., "EDMUNDS-ISRS/OC Support").  
		 
		Applications will be considered complete only after all the supporting letter(s) has/have arrived.  You will receive a confirmation by e-mail when your application is complete. You should ensure that your sponsors are aware of the deadline, and can get their letters submitted in a timely manner.  Only completed electronic applications will be reviewed, and this will be accomplished by a panel with ISRS and Ocean Conservancy participants.  
		 
		EVALUATION CRITERIA INCLUDE: scientific merit, feasibility, support letter from major professor, host country coordination, and relevancy to the Fellowship guidelines.  
		 
		DEADLINE: 29 February 2004 
		 
		Administration of the Fellowship 
		 
		The International Society for Reef Studies (ISRS) and the Ocean Conservancy (OC) support the Fellowship through professional and administrative contributions. The mission of the ISRS is to promote for the benefit of the public, the production and dissemination of scientific knowledge and understanding concerning coral reefs, both living and fossil. The OC is committed to protecting ocean environments and conserving the global abundance and diversity of marine life. Through science-based advocacy, research, and public education, OC promotes informed citizen participation to reverse the degradation of our oceans. 
 


 <<ISRS TOC fellowship CRTF Announcement.doc>>