A Process for Selection and Preparation of GCOOS Proposals

The GCOOS Board of Directors has established a process for responding to opportunities such as the recent NOAA FY 2007 Announcement of Federal Funding Opportunity for Regional Integrated Ocean Observing Systems. The process will take advantage of the existing structure of the GCOOS Regional Association while allowing for expression by all those on our GCOOS list serve. It will rely prominently on the views of our Data Management and Communication, Products and Services, and Observing System Committees and our Education and Outreach Council (EOC). The process will remain under the control of the Board at all stages.

During this process, members of the Board and other GCOOS bodies involved must exercise due diligence to avoid conflicts of interest.

1. The Board asks chairs of the EOC and Committees to rapidly canvas their members for suggested projects to propose. The Board provides chairs with initial recommendations based on workshops and meetings held to date and asks for comments. The Board also asks Committees and the EOC for their suggested participants in these projects.

   TIMELINE:
   January 9 NOON (CST) Board via GCOOS Office sends request to Chairs
   January 19 NOON (CST) Chairs' inputs sent to Board

2. The list serve will be used to notify the GCOOS community of this opportunity and to solicit suggestions for potential projects and expressions of interest in participation as appropriate for the project (e.g., this would not be appropriate in the case of the development of a proven 3-D circulation model).

   TIMELINE:
   January 9 NOON (CST) Notice sent out to list serve
   January 16 NOON (CST) Community suggestions provided to GCOOS Office, which forwards on receipt to appropriate committees or EOC for consideration.

3. Board considers all recommendations and selects a suite of potential projects which is posted to the GCOOS web site for comments.

   TIMELINE:
   January 22 Board discussion and selection (afternoon conference call)
   January 22 GCOOS Office posts to web site for comments
   January 23 COB Comments due to GCOOS Office, which forwards to Board on receipt

4. Final selection by Board members of projects to be proposed and of teams to prepare proposals.

   TIMELINE:
   January 24 COB Board considers comments, if any, and makes final decisions
   January 25 NOON (CST) GCOOS Office notifies teams of final selection

5. Teams prepare letters of intent which are transmitted to the GCOOS Board.

   TIMELINE:
   January 29 NOON (CST) Letters to GCOOS Office

6. The GCOOS Office will submit letters of intent to NOAA.

   TIMELINE: January 31 by 5:00 pm EST

7. Complete proposals will be prepared per guidelines in the NOAA funding announcement.

   TIMELINE: To be determined per guidelines and institutional approval requirements.