Call for Proposals

The Great Lakes Fishery Commission is now accepting pre-proposals for the 2025 funding cycle for the Fishery Research Program and Sea Lamprey Research Program. The Commission’s research programs consist of a portfolio of funded basic (discovery, descriptive, or hypothesis-generation) and applied (descriptive or hypothesis-driven) research organized by designated theme areas.

Awards are typically between $35,000 and $100,000 per year for projects beginning no earlier than January 1, 2025. Pre-proposals should be submitted through the online portal, which contains detailed submission instructions.

Deadline: MONDAY, JANUARY 15, 2024 11:59 PM EST

Submission

Webinar

Interested applicants are encouraged to join one of the informational webinars to learn more about research needs of the Commission and its partners and the research funding process. Webinars will provide interested investigators program-specific information regarding the annual funding cycle and timelines, proposal preparation, submission, and review processes, and will include opportunities to address questions. Webinars will be recorded and available online.

Tuesday, November 21, 2023, at 12:00 EST. Fishery Research Program.

Watch the recording: https://youtu.be/amh9ryh_2U0

Monday, November 27, 2023, at 12:00 EST. Sea Lamprey Research Program.

Watch the recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FS1H6u31kU

Special Topics

In addition to the research needs highlighted in the theme areas (Sea Lamprey Themes; Fishery Themes), the Great Lakes Fishery Commission invites proposals on these special topics for the 2025 funding cycle:

  • Impacts of sea lamprey control actions on issues and resources important to Indigenous Peoples around the Great Lakes.
  • Production potential of newly opened habitats for both sea lamprey and native fishes.
  • Projects using a mix of traditional (e.g., stable isotopes) and non-traditional (e.g., acoustic telemetry) methods to elucidate food-web structure and trophic interactions across trophic levels and habitats in the Great Lakes.
  • Proposals that aim to address knowledge gaps and recommendations identified in the recent International Joint Commission (IJC) report "Understanding Declining Productivity in the Offshore Regions of the Great Lakes."
  • Projects focused on conservation and restoration of native coregonines.

Evaluation

  • Pre-proposals are evaluated for relevance and against information needs identified by the Research Themes under which they are submitted, and the research needs identified by the Sea Lamprey Control Board and Council of Lake Committees. Review the theme papers (Sea Lamprey Themes; Fishery Themes) or associated research priorities (Sea Lamprey Control Board Research Priorities; Fishery Priorities).
  • Pre-proposals are ideally cross-cutting and address multiple themes or integrate multiple disciplines.
  • Demonstration of awareness of diversity, equity, inclusion, and cultural competency considerations should be embedded throughout the proposal and summarized in a separate DEIC statement.
  • Investigators should coordinate with relevant supporting agencies and partners and demonstrate the feasibility of obtaining appropriate resources, samples, data, etc.

Additional Resources

  • Investigators may explore examples of successfully funded projects in the Commission’s Project Catalogue.
  • Visit Resources for Researchers for information on additional support from partnering facilities and organizations.
  • Watch the informational webinar to learn more about the research needs and funding process.
  • Contact the Science Director for questions about the research programs or research ideas.

Review Process & Timeline

  • January 15 - Pre-proposals due to the online portal.
  • Early March - Pre-proposals reviewed by the Board of Technical Experts (FRP) and Sea Lamprey Research Board. Investigators may be invited to give a presentation to the board.
  • Mid-April - Investigators notified. Authors of successful pre-proposals are requested to develop a full proposal.
  • June 01 - Full proposals due from successful pre-proposals.

If you have questions regarding the research programs or a proposal submission, please contact Science Directorate staff at research@glfc.org or call 734-662-3209 x136.

If you would like to be notified of future calls for proposals please subscribe to our call for proposals list.