Track 1 & 2 Submission Guidelines and Post-Award Deliverables

Wildfire Ready Quick Response Research

For those interested in collecting original, perishable 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 500 words.
    • Abstract should include an overview of the project, clear 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.
  • 3-5 Keywords
  • Track Submission Type: You may select from one of the following options for each unique proposal submission.
    • Track 1: $1,000 to $7,500 for individual researchers or teams studying pre-wildfire activities (e.g., forecasting, risk perception, preparedness, mitigation).
    • Track 2: $1,000 to $7,500 for individual researchers or teams studying during and post-wildfire activities (e.g., alert and warning receipt and processing, evacuation decision-making and behavior, wildfire impacts, displacement, rebuilding, recovery).
    • Track 3: $1,250 to $2,500 for wildfire instrument and data publication on DesignSafe. (Research Protocol / Instrument Proposals Only—$1,250 award; Data Publication and Protocol / Instrument Proposals—$2,500 award) Please see Track 3 Proposal Submission Guidelines for this option.
  • Wildfire Event Name(s) and Date(s), if applicable
  • Topical Area: Proposals must clearly describe the area of research this proposal is focused on.
  • Geographic Focus: Proposals must focus on locations within the United States, including U.S. territories or tribal areas, where wildfires have occurred or are expected to occur. If there is an international event that offers significant opportunity to help improve NOAA products and services, these proposals may be considered on a case by case basis.
  • Disciplinary Focus: Applicants must include a 250-word statement indicating whether the proposal involves a single discipline or is multi- or interdisciplinary in nature. Single discipline Track 1 and Track 2 proposals are eligible for awards in the $1,000 to $2,500 range, while researchers seeking higher funding amounts up to $7,500 must demonstrate how the project is advancing convergence research that is interdisciplinary in scope, problem-focused, and solutions-based. 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.

Proposal Requirements

  • Track 1 and Track 2 Proposals: Proposals in either of these tracks should be uploaded as a PDF and use the headings for each applicable section listed below. The proposal should be a maximum of 5 single-spaced pages and include the following content:
    • A brief statement on Intellectual Merit—describing the potential of the proposed activity to advance knowledge—and Broader Impacts—describing the potential of the proposed activity to benefit society and/or weather forecasting and communication practices.
    • Research Question(s): Research questions should be clear, concise, specific, and answerable.
    • Literature Review: This should demonstrate the authors’ knowledge of the area of research being proposed as well as state the gaps that this study will fill.
    • Research Study Design: This should include the research access and data collection (pre-event, during, and/or post-event) plan; study location(s); sample overview including participant demographic information, sampling strategy, and expected number of participants; plan for partnering with local agencies or organizations; procedures, measures, data analysis plan; and whether in addition to the collection of perishable data, the project involves the analysis of primary or secondary data and/or the evaluation of existing tools or other resources. All applicants are strongly encouraged to complete the CONVERGE Collecting and Sharing Perishable Data Training Module.
    • Study Timeline: This section should include a clear description of the anticipated timeline for IRB approval, data collection or publication, including data analysis and report writing.
    • Ethics Statement: This should describe how the investigator(s) will ensure the ethical conduct of research for the benefit of the place or places where they work. All applicants are strongly encouraged to complete the CONVERGE Broader Ethical Considerations Training Module in preparation for writing this statement.
    • Data Management and Publication Plan: A brief plan for managing data as well as publishing data on DesignSafe (if applicable) prior to submitting the final report.
    • Dissemination Plan: A plan for returning data and/or results to NOAA officials, locally-affected people, stakeholders, and/or communities no later than the project end date.
  • References: The list of references should be complete and consistently formatted in APA 7th edition style. The reference list is not included in the 5-page limit for the proposal and there is no page limit for the reference list.
  • Budget and Budget Justification: Proposals must include a separate budget and budget justification (no longer than 500 words in length). These materials do not count toward the 5-page limit for the proposal. The budget and budget justification should provide a clear breakdown of anticipated expenditures within the predetermined budget range for the appropriate research track (in this case, $1,000 to $7,500 for Track 1 and Track 2 proposals). Applicants should note that:
    • Proposals over the outlined award amounts will be returned without review.
    • Funding should be used for expenses associated with the proposed project. Funds may be dedicated to such items as fieldwork expenses; the purchase of research equipment or datasets (please consider exploring equipment options available through the NSF-supported RAPID facility before making requests); payments to data collectors, methodologists, statisticians, or other collaborators; payments for translators or other team members; participant compensation; and/or dissemination activities including for conference travel or registration expenses.
    • Please carefully read the “How the Funding Will Be Issued” statement, as it provides details for how many investigators can be included in the budget and clarifies how and when the award funds will be issued.
    • Overhead and indirect costs are not allowed.
    • Award recipients are responsible for all personal tax-related expenses associated with accepting award payments. These potential tax obligations cannot be included in the project budget.
  • Supporting Documents for Students: Master’s and PhD students are welcome and encouraged to apply for this Call for Proposals. If a student is listed as the lead investigator they will need to submit:
    • A statement explaining qualifications and ability to implement the proposed methods, a plan for managing a project team (if applicable), and a timeline for completing the proposed work during their degree program.
    • A letter of support from an academic advisor or committee member.
  • Human Subjects Approval Letter: An official letter from the applicant’s human subjects committee approving the research, or waiving the need for approval, will be required before an award is activated and funds are released. The proposal may be submitted before human subjects committee approval is obtained, but we recommend that human subjects approval be sought as early as possible. Please see the following article for additional guidance on receiving Institutional Review Board pre-approval for disaster research. If a human subjects committee approval letter is not sent with your proposal, please include a short statement about your plans for meeting this requirement. Data collection may not begin until a letter of approval or waiver from a university is submitted to the Natural Hazards Center.

The above information and associated documents must be submitted through the Natural Hazards Center online proposal submission form. Emailed proposals will be returned without review.


Post-Award Project Deliverables and Recommendations

Thank you for reading the full Call for Proposals for this award. If your proposal is funded, the following deliverables are required or recommend 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 first draft report is due within six months of award activation. The Natural Hazards Center will professionally edit each report. If successfully reviewed and accepted, the report will be included in an edited compilation of Weather Ready Research Reports to be published on the Natural Hazards Website. A unique report is due for each track of funding awarded (Tracks 1 and 2).

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

Submit a Track 1 or Track 2 Proposal




Questions?

Please contact Jennifer Tobin at haz.research.awards@colorado.edu.


Acknowledgements

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