Jekyll Island Authority, Request for Research Proposals: Ecological research evaluating the stability of barrier-island native-plant populations exposed to multiple stress factors.
1.. Funding available Up to $150,000 total, to be awarded over the course of up to four years from the project start date. Up to $30,000 of the total will be available between the project start date and June 30th, 2016. The remainder should be outlined in the applicant’s proposed budget and allocated across the full term of the project according to need. The Jekyll Island State Park Authority (hereafter, the JIA), has restrictions on funding overhead expenses that may prevent it from being able to cover all overhead expenses unless rates are consistent with the rate an applying institution or organization would charge other state government agencies, such as the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, or an equivalent institution. Overhead rates exceeding 25% of direct project costs may warrant exclusion from further consideration for this opportunity. 2.. Eligibility All interested applicants from academic, private sector, or government institutions with demonstrated qualifications and experience in conducting ecological research are encouraged to apply for this funding opportunity. Other proposal qualities being equal, the educational-value of the research experience for a graduate student will warrant priority over proposals without student involvement. If a graduate student is to be involved, Ph.D. projects are preferred. 3.. Objectives and background The JIA is empowered by the State of Georgia as management stewards of Jekyll Island, a state-owned barrier island that balances conserving natural, historic, and cultural resources with providing accessible recreation, vacation, and education opportunities for the people of Georgia and beyond. The mission of the JIA Conservation Program is to preserve, maintain, manage, and restore Jekyll Island’s natural communities and species diversity while providing nature-based educational and recreational opportunities for the general public. The JIA is seeking detailed research proposals from highly-qualified applicants proposing research to be conducted on Jekyll Island, Georgia. The impetus for this research effort is concern on the part of the JIA that herbivory by abundant white-tailed deer may be compromising the long-term viability of some native plant species and/or communities. The JIA has been surveying the white-tailed deer population on Jekyll Island for 5 years with a combination of spotlight and camera surveys and estimates the density of deer on the island has averaged over 80 deer per square mile during that time. The population seems to be relatively stable at this high level and recruitment rates low. Importantly, proposals submitted in response to this request for proposals (RFP) should avoid a myopic focus on the single stressor of deer herbivory. The JIA is specifically interested in evaluating the effect of herbivory in relation to other environmental stressors, such as climate change, hydrologic changes, invasive plants, and human activity that may be affecting locally rare or otherwise important native plant species. Furthermore, we’d like to better understand how Jekyll Island’s stakeholders value native plant species diversity and whether that valuation supports management responses to the most critical stressors, as determined by the proposed research. Structured decision-making approaches and predictive modeling of long-term plant population/community viability under various scenarios are highly desirable. Applicants should demonstrate awareness of the strength and diversity of public interest and opinion in regard to white-tailed deer, their ecological role, and the decisions related to management that this research may inform. The selected project team would be expected to be able to manage a potentially high-profile research project while maintaining the highest caliber of research integrity. Familiarity with the human dimensions of environmental management is highly desirable. 4.. Example research questions The following questions are intended to provide examples of the types of inquiries of interest to JIA, but applicants should neither restrict their creativity to the questions posed here, nor necessarily attempt to design a proposal that will answer all of these questions. If an applicant’s knowledge of the literature on this topic leads to the proposal of other questions that would better advance the state of knowledge and inform JIA stewardship, we encourage you to craft your proposal accordingly. The first questions in bold below are most relevant to the JIA’s current management interests. 1.. What is the risk of local extirpation from Jekyll Island for a selection of the island’s locally rare and spatially restricted woody and herbaceous plant species? What environmental parameters affect this risk and what is the relative importance of these parameters? 2.. How do Jekyll Island’s various stakeholders prioritize their values relative to deer, live oak dominated maritime forest, and plant community diversity? How can these values be incorporated into management decisions relative to plant conservation that support the JIA’s conservation goals? 3.. What environmental parameters affect the stability of live oak dominated maritime forest, a globally-imperiled plant community, and what is the relative importance and spatial variation of these parameters on Jekyll Island? Previous researchers working at various locations have shown that excluding herbivores increases oak recruitment, but how much recruitment is needed to sustain a live oak dominated maritime forest? What other factors may be limiting or promoting live oak persistence and how significant are these factors relative to deer herbivory? 4.. Some marsh hammocks (islands of high ground surrounded by salt marsh) in the vicinity of Jekyll Island are used by deer, while others may not be used or are used rarely. Does the plant community reflect these differences? How? What other co-variates may affect distribution and abundance of plant communities among hammocks and what is their significance relative to deer abundance? 5.. What environmental parameters, including deer abundance, affect the relative dominance of saw palmetto in the understory and what is the relative importance and spatial variation of these parameters on Jekyll Island? Is saw palmetto abundance a limiting factor for the recruitment and persistence of other native plants? 5.. How to apply Proposals should be submitted electronically to the JIA’s Director of Conservation, Ben Carswell, at bcarsw...@jekyllisland.com, and should include the following: 1.. A cover letter describing why the research team and proposed work are a good fit for the requirements for this RFP. 2.. A complete narrative description of project goals, timeline, and deliverables presented with accuracy, brevity, and clarity. 3.. A narrative budget description must be provided as well as a tabular budget. The budget should be structured according to a fiscal year (FY) timeline that begins July 1st and concludes June 30th each year. Refer to “Funding Available”, Section 1, for maximum amount available to be awarded in FY 2016 from the project start date through June 30th, 2016, and thereafter. Any overhead rates applied should be explicitly identified in the budget. 4.. CV’s, resumes, or statements of qualifications, including experience and publications, for all individuals who will be responsible for delivering on the proposed work including any graduate students already to be assigned to the proposed work should it be funded. 6.. Selection Timeline All proposals received before close of business on Friday, October 30th, 2015, will be given full consideration. The selected applicant will be notified no later than November 13th, and a contractual agreement (Final Research Contract) should be signed by all parties no later than November 27th. Project start dates in early 2016 are strongly encouraged. 7.. Evaluation Within 5 days of closing the submittal period, all proposals will be examined by the JIA to verify if requirements of the RFP have been met. Failure to meet any of the proposal requirements will be cause for the rejection of a proposal. Funding shall be awarded to the proposal deemed most advantageous to the JIA acting in its sole discretion based on the qualifications of the applicants, the quality and creativity of the proposal, the degree to which the work would advance the state of knowledge, applicability to the JIA’s mission and conservation goals, and overall value relative to expense. The JIA reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, or any portions or items of a proposal, and to waive technical defects or informalities which are not material to the proposal in the JIA’s sole discretion and best interest. The JIA reserves the right to obtain clarification of any point in an applicant’s submittal or to obtain additional information during the RFP process. The JIA also reserves the right to negotiate changes in the successful proposal afterward. Final selection of a proposal shall be subject to the negotiation of the Final Research Contract and the approval of such agreements by the JIA. The JIA reserves the right to withdraw approval of a proposal if such agreements cannot be finalized within 30 days of the notification of selection. 8.. On-site resources The following resources may be available on site to support the selected project. Mention here does not guarantee availability. a.. Technical support and consultation, including limited field support and access to annual deer spotlight count and camera survey data (the JIA will not require that this data be used to estimate deer abundance for purposes of this research. Applicants are free to propose their own alternative measures or use the JIA data according to their discretion). b.. Basic, shared housing at a per-person rental rate of $190/month, or $50/week, with a $100 partially-refundable security deposit, of which $50 covers a non-refundable administrative fee. Availability is very limited from March through August The following resources will not generally be made available on site. Necessary accommodations must therefore be provided by the applicant. a.. Office or laboratory space. b.. Vehicles 9.. Term The term of the Final Research Contract to be associated with this award is proposed as follows: 1.. Startup phase: project start date (to be negotiated - early 2016 preferred) through June 30th, 2016; 2.. Implementation phase: three 1-year extensions: 1.. July 1, 2016 – June 30, 2017 2.. July 1, 2017 – June 30, 2018 3.. July 1, 2018 – June 30, 2019; 3.. Completion phase: July 1, 2019 – project completion date (to be negotiated – early 2019 preferred, but in no event later than June 30, 2019. Variation from this timeline may be considered and negotiated on a case-by-case basis, as proposed. 10.. Reporting Requirements The selected project team must provide to the JIA, before April 1st of each year under contract, a comprehensive progress report on project activities to date as well as an annual project plan and operating budget for the upcoming fiscal year period (July 1 –June 30th). The latter shall include an updated budget for the upcoming fiscal year, keeping within total allowable expenses as specified in the Final Research Contract. The successful applicant will be required to schedule and lead quarterly structured status-update meetings, by phone or in person, with the JIA Director of Conservation through the duration of the project. The nature and content of a comprehensive final reporting product should be proposed by the applicant in the narrative description of the proposed work. This may be in the form of a dissertation if the project includes a Ph.D. student. 11.. Default and Termination Failure to produce deliverables, honor deadlines, or meet other expectations as outlined in the Final Research Contract may constitute grounds for project termination. Either party will be able to terminate the agreement upon a default by the other party subject to a reasonable cure period or for reasons related to force majeure, to be specified in the Final Research Contract. 12.. Further information Background materials to support proposal preparation can be made available to applicants upon request. These include deer population monitoring results and some limited plant diversity information. For general information about Jekyll Island habitats and the JIA conservation mission, please refer to the Jekyll Island Conservation Plan at the following link: http://www.jekyllisland.com/conservation/ For an assessment of Jekyll Island’s deer population prepared by the JIA conservation staff, refer to the following: http://www.jekyllisland.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/3deer_report.pdf All official correspondence should be conducted in writing via email with JIA Director of Conservation, Ben Carswell, at bcarsw...@jekyllisland.com. Applicants are not permitted to communicate for any reason related to this RFP with any JIA staff other than the person named here. No response other than written will be binding upon the JIA. 13.. Additional Terms and Conditions The terms described in this section and otherwise found in the RFP are merely indicative of the terms that may be included the Final Research Contract, which will be subject to negotiation between the parties and final authorization and approval by the JIA. Budget allocations are made by the JIA Board of Directors on an annual basis, adhering to a fiscal year calendar beginning on July 1 of each year and concluding on June 3o. The JIA Board has requested that the JIA staff select a research partner through this RFP and the Board’s finance committee has indicated commitment to ongoing annual funding availability for such a partnership, as outlined here. Applicants are advised that each fiscal year budget allocation for this project will be contingent on formal approval by the JIA Board each year. Applicants are advised that any documentation submitted with or in support of a proposal will become subject to public inspection under the Georgia Open Records Act. With submission of a proposal, the applicant agrees that he/she has carefully examined the RFP, and that it is his/her responsibility to request clarification on any issues in any section of the RFP with which the applicant disagrees or needs clarified. The applicant also understands that failure to mention these items in the proposal will be interpreted to mean that he/she is in full agreement with the terms, conditions, specification, and requirements therein. With submission of a proposal, the applicant hereby certifies: (a) that this proposal is genuine and is not made in the interest on in behalf of any undisclosed person, firm, or corporation; (b) that applicant has not directly or indirectly included or solicited any other applicant to put in false or insecure proposal; (c) that the applicant has not solicited or induced any person, firm, or corporation to refrain from sending a proposal. The successful applicant will release, indemnify, protect, defend, and hold harmless the JIA, and its successors, assigns, members, directors, officers, attorneys, employees, and agents, from and against any and all claims, counterclaims, demands, damages, losses, liabilities, action and causes of action, costs and expenses, whatsoever, including but not limited to attorney’s fees (collectively, “Losses”) resulting from or arising out of directory or indirectly, (i) the breach of the obligations of the successful applicant under the Final Research Contract. (ii) the negligence of willful acts of the successful applicant, its agents, servants or employees in connection with its activities under the Final Research Contract, (iii) any claim, demand or cause of action of whatever kind or nature arising out of any conduct or misconduct of the successful applicant, its agents, servants, or employees not included in (i) or (ii) above and for which the JIA, or each of its successors, assigns, members, directors, officers, attorneys, employees, or agents are alleged to be liable. Breanna Ondich, Park Ranger The Jekyll Island Authority Phone: 912.635.4137 / Fax: 912.717.6828 Cell: 973-903-5914 / Wildlife Response: 912.222.5992 Email: bond...@jekyllisland.com http://gstc.jekyllisland.com/ / www.jekyllisland.com / http://wildlifelab.wix.com/jekyllresearch