FY26 Sea Grant Aquaculture Institutional Activities

FY26 Sea Grant Aquaculture Institutional Activities is sponsored by National Sea Grant College Program. This opportunity provides funding for Sea Grant programs to support aquaculture projects. It includes eligibility for aquaculture supplemental funding from the 2026-2027 biennial research cycle and a funding category for "Advancing Sea Grant Aquaculture Investments."

2026 California Sea Grant Biennial Request for Proposals | California Sea Grant 2026 California Sea Grant Biennial Request for Proposals Environmental Literacy and Workforce Development, Resilient Communities and Economies, Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture February 14, 2025, 11:30AM - 12:30PM PT: Optional Informational Webinar April 7, 2025 5:00PM PT: Letter of intent due in eSeaGrant June 2, 2025, 5:00PM PT: Full proposals due in eSeaGrant [Only applicants who submitted a letter of intent may submit a full proposal] Funding Opportunity Overview Award Information and Priority Topics Indigenous Fisheries and Aquaculture Graduate Research Fellowships Co-Production and Community Engagement Applied research (as defined in NOAA Administrative Order NAO 216-115B ) is original investigation undertaken in order to acquire new knowledge, and is directed primarily towards a specific practical aim or objective.

Proposals will be accepted into one of three tracks, each with their respective priorities and requirements: Indigenous Fisheries and Aquaculture, Graduate Research Fellowships, and Cultivate Awards. Projects that demonstrate meaningful impacts and benefits to coastal California communities and natural resources management agencies will be prioritized.

Contingent upon available federal funding, the projects are expected to begin on February 1, 2026 and may be up to two years in duration. A total of $2,800,000 is available for funding across the three research tracks. Specific award maximums, match requirements and proposal requirements for each track are detailed below.

There is no guarantee that funds will be available to make awards, or that any proposal will be selected for funding. If an applicant incurs any costs prior to receiving an official award agreement, it does so at its own risk of not being selected or of these costs not being included in a subsequent award. California Sea Grant will not be responsible for any incurred project costs if a project fails to receive full funding.

Note: This request for proposals (RFP) is subject to change. All significant changes will be highlighted at the top of the webpage. We recommend bookmarking and referring to this webpage rather than downloading this RFP as a static document.

Administered by the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Sea Grant is a national network of 34 university-based programs in each of the U.S. coastal and Great Lakes states, Puerto Rico and Guam. The National Sea Grant College Program is a partnership between the nation’s universities and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce, and is authorized by the United States Congress.

For over 50 years, California Sea Grant has delivered science, increased ocean literacy and engaged thousands of communities to ensure that they can enjoy and depend on California’s coastal resources, through research, education, extension and communications.

California Sea Grant’s mission is to provide the information, tools, training and relationships needed to help California conserve and sustainably prosper from our coastal and marine environments. We accomplish this by collaborating with a range of local, state, regional, national, and international partners to further the generation and application of relevant scientific knowledge.

Sustainable Fisheries & Aquaculture (SFA) California’s 840-mile coastline is home to the largest ocean-based economy in the U.S. Here fishing has long played a key role in supplying healthy food, skilled jobs and other important economic and cultural benefits. An expanding aquaculture industry looking to create a steady supply of shellfish, seaweeds and finfish is now poised for growth, bringing with it skilled jobs and other benefits.

The diverse bounty of seafood sustainably landed on the state’s coast, including tuna, Dungeness crab, Chinook salmon, rockfish, Pacific mackerel, market squid and Pacific oyster, provide an important source of highly nutritious protein for many of the state’s 39 million residents and helps sustain California’s commercial and recreational seafood industries.

But significant challenges threaten these industries, including extreme changes in environmental conditions, ocean acidification and hypoxia, harmful algal blooms, financial and regulatory barriers to starting or expanding business ventures, supply chain disruptions and pressure from coastal and offshore development. California Sea Grant has identified the following goals for this focus area.

SFA Goal 1: California's fisheries, aquaculture, seafood systems and the environments that support them are environmentally, economically and socially more sustainable and resilient to future change through the facilitation of partnerships and the (co-) production of knowledge.

SFA Goal 2: California’s fishing, aquaculture and seafood industries have evidence-based information, partnerships and tools needed to support decision-making and a sustainable path forward through community engagement, collaboration and education.

Key SFA topics of priority in California from 2024-2027 include: Enhancing emerging and existing fisheries and aquaculture ventures, such as: Feasibility of emerging species for harvest and production Basic economic, social and natural scientific information Effects of stressors on species of interest Facilitating permitting of new and expanding ventures Innovative approaches and applications in fisheries and aquaculture, such as: Conservation and restorative aquaculture New technologies and modeling approaches for fisheries management Techniques to adapt fisheries and aquaculture to a changing environment Ecosystem services and impacts of aquaculture and fisheries Resilient and safe seafood systems, such as: Seafood availability and accessibility Seafood quality, safety and supply chain transparency Fishing and aquaculture infrastructure and resources Producer to public connections and education Resilient Communities and Economies (RCE) People throughout California, both rural and urban, are intimately linked to the health and sustainability of the state’s coastal and marine resources.

How we respond to increasing threats from changing environmental conditions and other stressors will shape the health and welfare of the coast and the people and economies that depend on it.

California Sea Grant is committed to helping coastal communities increase their natural and socioeconomic resilience by supporting sea level rise/coastal hazards science and planning; exploring new ways to balance economic and natural resource sustainability; and addressing harmful activities and pollutants. Access to knowledge and the opportunity to engage in solutions are emphasized to foster sustainable coastal communities.

California Sea Grant has identified the following goals for this focus area. RCE Goal 1: California’s coastal communities are better prepared for extreme and chronic weather and coastal hazards, economic disruptions and other threats to community health and well-being with support from science partnerships and the (co-) production of knowledge.

RCE Goal 2: California’s coastal communities have the information, partnerships and tools needed to support planning, policy and actions for emerging marine and coastal industries and resource management that ensure an equitable and resilient path forward.

Key RCE topics of priority in California from 2024-2027 include: Understanding coastal hazards and risks, such as: Projections of sea level rise and extreme weather events Coastal erosion, flooding and inundation impacts and trends Water quality hazards (e.g., contamination, sedimentation, saltwater intrusion) Increasing compound risks to coastal habitats, communities and economies Coastal adaptation, hazard mitigation and resilience approaches, such as: Coastal and watershed adaptation and resilience science, strategies and assessments Nature-based solutions (e.g., green/natural infrastructure, hybrid infrastructure, blue carbon restoration/ mitigation) Socioeconomic and cultural connections to risks, adaptive capacity and adaptation pathways Adaptation strategies that draw from broad knowledges and meet the needs of Native American tribes, under-resourced and frontline communities.

Habitat protection, migration and transition approaches for sustaining ecosystem functions and services Balancing coastal and ocean uses, sustainability and conservation, such as: Emerging ocean and coastal uses (e.g., offshore/marine renewable energy, marine technologies) Sustainable futures for historic and current coastal uses (e.g.,working waterfronts, coastal tourism and recreation, cultural heritage sites) Coastal access, livelihood, health and wellbeing Resources Agency Sea Grant Advisory Panel (RASGAP) Resources Agency Sea Grant Advisory Panel (RASGAP) is codified in California state law and provides California Sea Grant guidance on state priorities and research needs.

Input from RASGAP is directed toward identifying and meeting priorities for funding according to the needs identified by state resource protection and management agencies. The RASGAP panel reviews research proposals and provides a resource protection- and management-relevant view of proposal value. RASGAP agencies may also elect to provide funding for additional projects.

​​Eligible applicants for this competitive grant program include California-based public agencies, Native American tribes and tribally-led entities, public or private universities, or nonprofit corporations. Projects must benefit the state of California. All submitting institutions will need to be able to receive federal funds, and be able to fulfill the award conditions of the Cal Model Agreement to be eligible to apply.

California Sea Grant is the final arbiter of decisions regarding eligibility. Eligibility specific to research tracks will be listed in the relevant sections below. Project leads (i.e., principal investigators) must have principal investigator (or equivalent) status at their institution.

Applicants may submit more than one letter of intent/full proposal but if selected, only one award will be made to the principal investigator (PI). In addition, PIs may be listed as co-PIs on other projects even if they are lead PI on their own project. Only applicants who have submitted a letter of intent may submit a full proposal.

Submissions from teams led by new faculty and individuals representing community partners are strongly encouraged. New faculty are individuals who are currently in their first research faculty position and began their position after January 1, 2023. California Sea Grant is committed to foster a thriving ocean science workforce and serve the broad needs of coastal communities.

Award Information and Priority Topics There are three research tracks that applicants may submit a proposal to: Indigenous Fisheries and Aquaculture, Graduate Research Fellowships, and Cultivate Awards.

Indigenous Fisheries and Aquaculture This research track requires the participation of at least one California Native American tribe or tribally-led entity with research needs and/or knowledge that is central to the proposed project, including serving as project leads. Projects should result in deliverable(s) that will directly benefit the tribal partner. Tribal applicants or partners do not need to be federally-recognized.

We anticipate funding two to three projects contingent upon receipt of funds from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The duration of a project request is typically two years, though requests for a 1-year award will also be considered. Project extramural budgets may not exceed $150,000 per year.

For this solicitation, California Sea Grant requires a 25% funding match from non-federal funds. If the match requirement poses a challenge, please review these ideas on what can be used as match and reach out to California Sea Grant (sgproposal@ucsd. edu).

Graduate Research Fellowships The California Sea Grant Graduate Research Fellowship supports exceptional graduate students engaged in applied education and research that furthers the strategic goals of California Sea Grant.

California Sea Grant Graduate Research Fellows address issues relevant to California communities, and of importance to coastal and marine science – broadly defined (e.g., natural and social sciences, engineering and design, policy and legal analysis). By working with a research mentor and community mentor, the fellowship provides hands-on experience in translating research results to coastal and marine communities.

Fellowships are available for one or two years for full-time Masters and Ph. D students at any California academic institution who are engaged in coastal and marine research relevant to California. Each fellowship provides an award of up to $50,000 per year, and California Sea Grant expects to fund up to nine fellowships.

For this solicitation, California Sea Grant requires a 25% funding match from non-federal funds. If the match requirement poses a challenge, please review these ideas on what can be used as match and reach out to California Sea Grant (sgproposal@ucsd. edu).

Applicants must be enrolled in a full-time graduate or professional degree program at a California academic institution prior to the award of the fellowship, beginning no later than fall 2026 (provisional acceptances are allowed, however acceptances will need to be confirmed before any award can be made). Prospective Masters and pre-doctoral fellows must, at the time of applying, be in or have recently been admitted to a Masters or Ph.

D. degree program at a California academic institution in natural resources or environmental sciences, environmental policy and management, engineering, social sciences, or coastal, aquatic or related sciences. Candidates must remain associated with an accredited California institution of higher learning for the duration of the award.

Applicants must be eligible to receive federal funds; it is the responsibility of the applicant to check with their institution if they are eligible to receive federal funds and (if applicable) obtain the appropriate VISA to work at their institution during the fellowship period. Each applicant must have at least one research mentor.

Research mentors are typically the academic advisor and must be from the academic institution at which the fellow is enrolled. The research mentors must be scientists actively engaged in research relevant to California Sea Grant and be permitted by their institution to serve as principal investigators on grants.

Research mentors must provide a letter of support including: expressing support for the applicant, the proposed research project and how the applicant will be supported in terms of mentorship and professional development. In addition to working with a research mentor(s), fellows are required to collaborate with at least one community mentor familiar with existing data and/or resource issues central to the proposed research.

Community mentors should be individuals whose work requires the application of scientific information, particularly the information, data, and findings that will result from the fellow’s research project. Community mentors must provide a letter of commitment including: expressing support for the applicant, the proposed research project and how the applicant will be supported in terms of mentorship and professional development.

Given the diversity of projects typically funded, California Sea Grant recognizes that the community mentor collaboration in the project may look different from one project to the next. Each should be tailored to the specific project proposed.

Community mentors may include, but are not limited to: local, regional, state, and federal agencies; tribal governments; non-governmental organizations; marine and coastal industry representatives; community based organizations.

The California Sea Grant Cultivate Awards support transformative collaborative research projects that are driven by and/or addressing the needs of California coastal communities, particularly those that are Indigenous or under-resourced. These seed grants should focus on relationship and trust-building around community-driven research topics that fall within California Sea Grant’s strategic focus areas.

This research track requires the participation of at least one community partner with research needs and/or knowledge that is central to the proposed project, including serving as project leads.

Projects should result in deliverable(s) that will serve as a launching point for continued meaningful collaboration among the project team, such as a grant proposal, manuscript, increased knowledge and capacity, etc. Examples of activities include: Workshops and outreach events to connect scientific and community partners and engage community members in research project creation and design Time for project team and community members to collaborate Conducting preliminary or pilot research Analysis and presentation of preliminary data Professional development training opportunities for PIs and team members on community engagement and related topics, such as community outreach and responsive science communication Travel to support the above activities We anticipate funding up to five projects contingent upon receipt of anticipated funds from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The duration of a project request is typically two years, though requests for a 1-year award will also be considered. Project extramural budgets may not exceed $100,000 per year. For this solicitation, California Sea Grant does not have a match requirement.

Co-Production and Community Engagement All three research tracks require working with community mentors or partners, including as project leads. For the purposes of this RFP, communities can be broadly interpreted to individuals, organizations, businesses, or tribal governments who are outside traditional academic/research institutions, particularly those that are under-resourced by ocean/coastal science funding agencies.

The level of community engagement in research falls on a continuum (adapted from Ubri et al.

, 2024): Community Informed - community role as audience Community Consulted - community role as advisor Community Involved - community role as collaborator Shared Leadership - community role as equal partner Community Led - community role as leader The degree of community partner involvement should be clearly justified and can range in what is reasonable based on capacity and need (e.g., as a research lead, subaward, advisor, etc).

Applicants should take an ethical and culturally responsive approach in engaging prospective or existing community partners addressed in the resources below, such as through respectful communication, appropriate compensation, and ensuring mutual benefits. The degree to which community partners are engaged and the degree to which ethical and culturally responsive approaches are integrated are part of the review evaluation criteria.

The proposed approach for community engagement must be detailed in the Community Engagement Plan (see more details below). Additionally, California Sea Grant maintains a list of community partners that are interested in collaborating on research projects. If you choose to contact individuals listed, please ensure you provide sufficient time and be considerate in your communications with the prospective community partner.

If you are a prospective community partner who would like to be added to the contact list, you can complete the survey here . Applicants are also encouraged to reach out to California Sea Grant Extension Specialists (listed in Contacts section) early on in the development of proposal ideas to seek feedback or advice and potentially partner on the project.

Community-Engaged Research (University of Chicago) The Spectrum of Community Engagement to Ownership Meaningful Engagement Resources - Climate Science Alliance Centering Knowledge Co-Production In Sustainability Science Guide to Collaborative Science - NOAA National Estuarine Research Reserve System Science Collaborative Technical assistance times are subject to change.

All changes will be posted to this request for proposals and registered attendees will be contacted directly. California Sea Grant hosted an informational webinar about the request for proposals on February 14, 2025. Please find the recording and slides (PDF) below.

A PDF of the webinar slides can be accessed here .

California Sea Grant will host informal office hours at the following times to answer questions about the proposal process: February 25, 2025, 12:00 - 1:00 PM PT ( Register here ) March 27, 2025, 4:00 - 5:00 PM PT ( Register here ) April 22, 2025, 4:00 - 5:00 PM PT ( Register here ) May 14, 2025, 9:00 - 10:00 AM PT ( Register here ) Resources and Guidance Documents Potential Options for Cost Share (Match) General Budget Narrative Guidance Ten Simple Rules for Getting Grants Guide For Writing A Funding Proposal Frequently Asked Questions February 14, 2025, 11:30AM - 12:30PM PT - Informational webinar and Q&A April 7, 2025 by 5:00 PM PT - Letters of intent due via eSeaGrant June 2, 2025 by 5:00 PM PT - Full proposals due via eSeaGrant June - August 2025 - Technical panel and RASGAP review of full proposals September 2025 - Selection and potential proposal revisions October 2025 - Applicants notified of recommendations to fund projects February 1, 2026 - Projects expected to begin (start dates are subject to availability of NOAA funding) Letters of intent should be submitted in eSeaGrant by 5:00PM PT on April 7, 2025.

Full proposals are required to be submitted using eSeaGrant by 5:00PM PT on June 2, 2025. We use the eSeaGrant online system (https://eseagrant2. ucsd.

edu/) for submission of letters of intent and full proposals. If applicants have not registered in eSeaGrant, you will need to register via the online submission “portal”. Once you login, you can change your password if you would like.

To change your password, click on your name in the upper-right corner of the screen, and select “My Profile”. To start a proposal, or revisit/edit an existing proposal, click on “Current Tasks” in the left hand menu. To start a new proposal, click on “Add Proposal” under “2026 California Sea Grant Biennial RFP”.

If you have already started a proposal and wish to edit it, click on the hyperlink for that proposal instead. Note: The project lead/lead PI should be the individual to create the proposal in their eSeaGrant account. Only applicants who have submitted a letter of intent will receive an invitation to eSeaGrant to submit their full proposals.

In order to submit a proposal, you must work down the sequence of sections (“Start Here” through “Submission Preview”) listed on the left side of the proposal window. eSeaGrant provides sections to input or upload all application components. Files to upload must be converted to PDFs before uploading to eSeaGrant.

We recommend that eSeaGrant users access the system, make an account, review submission requirements within it, and start to upload necessary documents well in advance of the submission deadline. This will give users the opportunity to obtain any necessary clarification or assistance before the deadline (sgproposal@ucsd. edu).

The submission deadline will not be extended. Templates are provided for components of the letter of intent and full proposal narrative. The letter of intent and narrative templates must not be altered other than to add the requested information--do not modify or delete any headings .

All sections of the letter of intent and proposal that are uploaded as PDFs should be formatted using 11-point Arial font, with single-spaced lines. Page margins must be 1 inch (top, bottom, left, and right sides of each page). Adherence to the proposal format requirements is mandatory, and ensures fairness across all applications.

Applications not meeting the format requirements may be rejected without review. Several proposal elements have specific page limits and excess pages will not be reviewed. Only the requested materials should be submitted; additional documents (e.g., appendices, etc.) will not be reviewed.

Listed below are the requirements for a complete proposal package. Letters of Intent are due April 7, 2025 by 5:00PM PT, submitted through eSeaGrant. Letters of Intent (2-page limit) will not be evaluated but will provide California Sea Grant with information to identify appropriate technical experts for review and ensure proposed projects are consistent with the priorities of this competitive solicitation.

The letter must provide the following basic information: Name of project team lead (i.e., lead PI), affiliation, and contact information (name of lead PI must not change from LOI to proposal submission). Name of co-PI(s) with affiliation(s) and emails, if applicable.

Which track you are applying to (Indigenous Fisheries and Aquaculture, Graduate Research Fellowship, Cultivate Awards) Approximate funding amount to be requested and a list of all the collaborating entities who will receive funds as part of the award, if applicable Brief discussion of the proposed research topic and approach, including: Priority topics and strategic focus area goals the project will address Potential or known end-users of the project outcomes If not part of the project team, describe the Indigenous and/or community partners that you have identified or plan to contact Applicants will be asked to provide names and contact information for at least five potential (non-conflicted) reviewers.

You may also provide names of anyone that you do not want to review your proposal or who might have a conflict of interest with your proposal. Applicants are also asked to voluntarily provide demographics information to better understand the applicant pool. This questionnaire will be separated from the application and will not be used in any review decisions.

A response acknowledging receipt of the letter of intent will be sent. No feedback will be provided, unless a letter of intent appears to fall outside the scope of the request of proposals. Anyone who submits a letter of intent is eligible to submit a full proposal.

Full proposals are due June 2, 2025 by 5:00PM PT, submitted through eSeaGrant. Only those who submitted a letter of intent are eligible to submit a full proposal. For assistance with specific application requirements, please attend office hours (see technical assistance section above) or reach out to sgproposal@ucsd.

edu. A full proposal checklist is provided here . A complete full proposal must include the following: Signed Institutional Cover Page : This cover page provides basic summary information regarding the project and demonstrates support of the proposal from the applicants’ institution.

Applicants should download and use the fillable Cover Page Template, enter this information, and upload this document as a PDF back into eSeaGrant. Please provide all requested information and obtain the required institutional signatures (e.g., from your sponsored projects office or equivalent). Summary budget information must match that requested in 90-4 budget forms.

Each lead and subaward institution must submit a signed institutional cover page. Project Summary : The Project Summary is a fillable on-line form in eSeaGrant. Applicants will need to prepare separate sections for objectives, methodology, rationale (each section should not exceed 1000 characters).

The project summary provides a concise description of the proposed project in a form useful to a variety of readers not requiring detailed information. Instructions are available in eSeaGrant to help applicants accurately complete the form. Please follow these instructions carefully - the project summary is the most widely consulted description of your project.

Project Narrative : The project narrative template must not be altered other than to add the requested information--do not modify or delete any headings. The full proposal narrative must not exceed 10 pages including tables, figures, and images, but not references. Proposals exceeding this page limit may be redacted or rejected without review.

Rationale – Summarize the problem or important opportunity that will be addressed and its relation to Sea Grant’s mission to provide information, tools, training and relationships needed to help California conserve and sustainably prosper from our coastal and marine environments. Proposed research must be driven by clear research questions and generate new, solutions-based knowledge.

Explain how the data collected will be applicable to the problem or opportunity, identify potential users of the results of your research, and how they might use them. Objectives – Provide a list of clearly defined research questions and associated objectives. Objectives should lead to measurable outcomes at project completion.

Research Methods/Approach – Present the scientific/technical approach, including experimental design(s) and/or research protocols fully and clearly, including special equipment, procedures or assays, etc. that may be used to accomplish your goals/objectives. Be concise, but specific enough to satisfy reviewers that your methods have been validated and will enable you to achieve your goals.

Identify pitfalls and limitations in your approach and methodology and how you will address them. Applicants must demonstrate that the project team has the experience, facilities, materials, equipment, and the capacity to successfully perform the proposed tasks within the term of the project. Discuss any relevant prior projects, prior publications or examples of productivity, or previous collaborations that the work leverages.

Please make clear what other sources of support (fiscal, personnel or logistical), if any, will be used to help support the work proposed. Outcomes and Deliverables – Project outcomes and deliverables should be clearly related to the project objectives and should be clearly described.

Describe why these outcomes and deliverables are important for specific potential end-users in California and what benefits or broader impacts will result. Outline how end-users will be engaged throughout the research process and what indicators of success will be used to ensure the project outcomes are benefitting those end-users.

Project Timeline - Provide a timeline for accomplishing the proposed work, which covers the entire duration of the project. Include approximate dates for key milestones related to the proposed work, including the accomplishment of anticipated outcomes and release of deliverables. References – List all included references alphabetically.

The list of references does NOT count toward the 10-page limit of the narrative but must be included in the narrative PDF file. Curriculum Vitae(s): Provide CVs (maximum 2 pages for each person) of all key personnel (PIs, co-PIs, Associate PIs). If a CV longer than 2 pages is submitted, reviewers will only be provided with the first 2 pages of the CV for each PI and co-PI.

Upload a single PDF of all CVs in eSeaGrant. Current and Pending Support: List all current and pending sources of support associated with key personnel (PIs, co-PIs, Associate PIs). Applicants may use the direct entry form in eSeaGrant or upload a PDF with the same information.

Community Engagement Plan (maximum of 2 pages): The Community Engagement Plan is a document that describes how the proposed project team will utilize co-production and community engagement throughout the project. Applicants are highly encouraged to focus on Indigenous or under-resourced coastal communities. This plan should be developed jointly with the community partner(s), if they are not part of the project team.

The Community Engagement Plan should include sections addressing the following: What is the identified need of the community partners(s) and how will the information generated by this project be used by and/or benefit them?

Where does the proposed research approach fall on the community engagement continuum, as described in the “Co-Production and Community Engagement” section of this Request for Proposals, and why is that the appropriate level of engagement? What principles will guide community engagement to ensure an ethical and culturally responsive approach (such as those described in the Community-Engaged Research Framework )?

How will community partner(s) time and contributions be fairly and equitably compensated, as reflected in the proposed budget? If funds are not budgeted for community partners, explain why. What community engagement activities will occur as part of the proposed project and how will the project team and community partner(s) participate?

Letter of Commitment (maximum of 2 pages) : A commitment letter is required from at least one identified community partner, if they are not part of the project team , to ensure they have been appropriately consulted and support the proposed work. This entity may be a funded or non-funded partner on the project.

The letter should explain the role they will play in the proposed project including design of the research, the anticipated activities involved, and relevance or value of research results. This letter should clearly indicate what the community partner is committed to doing within the proposed project if it is funded.

Community partner involvement can range in what is reasonable based on capacity and need, and should be tailored to the specific project proposed. For the Graduate Research Fellowship, this letter should come from their community mentor. The letter of commitment will be uploaded as a PDF in eSeaGrant.

Letter(s) of Support (maximum of 2 pages each): Additional support letters, from community partner(s) or other entities, are optional but encouraged. The only exception is for the Graduate Research Fellowship, as a letter