Research Funding Opportunities

New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium (NJSGC) in conjunction with The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, has released a Request for Proposals (RFP). This research-grant based RFP, funded through the state’s Offshore Wind Research & Monitoring Initiative (RMI), promotes regional research and monitoring efforts to assess the impacts of offshore wind development on coastal and marine resources during the pre-construction, construction, operation, and decommissioning phases. Please see the full Request for Proposal here.

The goal of this funding is to execute a robust Research and Monitoring Initiative to support the responsible implementation of offshore wind energy in the waters off New Jersey’s coastline. The Initiative employs the best available science and is consistent with mandates to protect and responsibly manage New Jersey’s marine and coastal resources.

With this solicitation, the RMI seeks to award funding for projects in the following focus areas:

• Non-extractive methods for surveying wildlife and habitat ($500,000)
• Technological innovations in data collection, analysis, and management ($500,000)
• Fishery sustainability and socioeconomic impacts of offshore wind activities ($750,000)
• Identifying and reducing offshore wind noise impacts on marine wildlife ($750,000)
• Characterization of benthic ecosystems and primary productivity ($1,000,000)
• Assessing bird and bat abundance, migration patterns, and risk exposure associated with offshore wind ($500,000)
• Proposals that address other high priority research needs identified by the RMI. These high priority research needs include projects on data management, environmental change, benthic systems, birds, bats, fish and invertebrates, sea turtles, marine mammals, and fisheries ($750,000)

Applicants should contact New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium by August 28, 2024 by 5pm EST with their intention to submit a proposal by sending a Letter of Intent to Julie Lang at jlang@njseagrant.org. Please contact Dr. Peter Rowe at prowe@njseagrant.org with any questions or concerns.

The Northeast Sea Grant Consortium, in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center is seeking proposals to improve understanding of fishing community interactions with offshore wind development in the U.S. Northeast from the New York Bight through the Gulf of Maine.