Tracks 1 and 2: Tornado Ready Research

Submission Guidelines

For those interested in collecting original data as part of a Track 1 or Track 2 proposal, the following information and associated documents should be submitted through our online proposal submission form below

• Project Title: Limit 12 words (please use APA title case).

• Investigator Name(s) and Affiliation(s).

• Full Abstract: Limit 250 words.

  • The abstract should include an overview of the project, clearly stated research questions, the proposed research design, the gap this research intends to fill, and the expected implications of the proposed work.
    
    

• Brief Abstract: Limit 100 words. To be posted on the Natural Hazards Center website. See examples of this brief format here.

• Three to Five Keywords.

• Submission Type: You may select from one of the following options for each unique proposal submission.

  • Track 1: Provides up to $15,000 for research that focuses on activities, perceptions, or decisions made before a tornado occurs (e.g., forecasting, risk perception, institutional decision making, preparedness, mitigation).
  • Track 2: Provides up to $15,000 for research that focuses on a specific tornado event (e.g., how forecasts and warnings were received and understood, sheltering or evacuation behavior, tornado impacts, displacement, rebuilding, or recovery). For this track, the tornado event to be studied must have occurred on or after January 1, 2023.
  • Track 3: Please see Track 3 Proposal Submission Guidelines for this option.
    
    

• Tornado Event Name(s) and Date(s), if applicable.

• Topic Area: Clearly describe the topic areas this proposal will focus on, as listed on the main call web page.

• Geographic Focus: Proposals must focus on locations within the United States, including U.S. territories or tribal nations, where a tornado has occurred or is expected to occur.

• Disciplinary Focus: All proposals, regardless of the track or the funding range, must be led by a researcher in the social, behavioral, or economic sciences. Collaborators from other disciplines are welcome. Applicants will identify the primary discipline of each collaborator via a close ended form at the time of submission.

• Proposal Narrative and Appendices: The proposal narrative should be a maximum of 5 single-spaced pages, written in Calibri 12 pt. font, with additional pages allowed for budget, references, and appendices. Please download the Proposal Narrative Template and follow the instructions. Once completed, please save the document as a single PDF, no larger than 4MB and upload using the online submission form.

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Proposals are due by 5:00 p.m. MDT on Friday, August 9, 2024

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Post-Award Deliverables

If your proposal is funded, the following deliverables are required as part of your award agreement:

• Review and download the Natural Hazards Center report template and style guide.
• Submit a final report of up to 20 double-spaced pages that summarize project activities and results from this funding call. The final report is due within six months of award activation. The Natural Hazards Center will provide a substantive review and professionally edit each report. If successfully reviewed, revised, and accepted, the report will be included in a compilation of Weather Ready Research Reports to be published on the Natural Hazards Website.

In addition to the above proposal requirements, it is recommended that all award recipients—including the lead investigator and any collaborators—do the following:

• Complete all available CONVERGE Training Modules and review the CONVERGE Extreme Events Research Check Sheets.
• Review data and instrument publication options through CONVERGE and DesignSafe and consider publishing additional research instruments, protocols, and/or data via the DesignSafe Cyberinfrastructure.
• Participate in the Annual Natural Hazards Workshop and the Researchers Meeting in Broomfield, Colorado to share key research findings and lessons learned. Registration and travel to these meetings—or other professional conferences—can be included in the award budget. Our intent is to feature awardees during a session at the 2025 Natural Hazards Workshop or Researchers Meeting.

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Submit a Track 1 or Track 2 Proposal

I have read and understand the call criteria for Tornado Ready Research Tracks 1 and 2.
I confirm that the lead investigator for this proposal is a researcher in the social, behavioral, or economic sciences.
I understand that all funding will be paid directly to award recipients and not their universities.
I agree to fulfill all requirements outlined in this call for proposals if chosen for this research award.

Submit a Proposal

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Questions?

Please contact the Natural Hazards Center at haz.research.awards@colorado.edu.

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Acknowledgements

The Weather Ready Research Award program is based on work supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Severe Storms Laboratory through supplemental funding to the National Science Foundation (NSF Award #1635593). Opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations produced by this program are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of NOAA, NSF, or the Natural Hazards Center.