Request for Proposal (RFP) - Research Fellowships and Small Grants Initiative

Request for Proposals (RFP): Research Fellowships and Small Grants Initiative
Submission Deadline: November 5th, 2024
Please see additional submission requirements below

Who we are
Global Fishing Watch is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing ocean governance through increased transparency of human activity at sea. By creating and publicly sharing map visualizations, data and analysis tools, we aim to enable scientific research and transform the way our ocean is managed. We believe human activity at sea should be public knowledge to safeguard the global ocean for the common good of all.

Context

Global Fishing Watch seeks to advance ocean governance by creating and publicly sharing data on human activity at sea. Supported by The Audacious Project, we are pursuing this goal by building the open ocean project, which will reveal human activity on the ocean as never before.

Global Fishing Watch's network of research partners has been key to co-developing our algorithms and datasets, exploring novel uses for them, and proposing data-based interventions to inform management decisions. To strengthen this network and maximize the reach and impact of the datasets we will be creating under the open ocean project, The Audacious Project is also supporting the development of a new initiative: the fellowship and grants program.

The program, which will enable a cohort of fellows to execute two-year work plans, will be an opportunity for individuals from around the world to join a community of developers and researchers with similar interests. For Global Fishing Watch, this initiative will widen our research network reach, creating connections with new partners and geographies.

Fellowship objectives

Support the development, improvement and application of datasets to research that can drive impact, supporting Global Fishing Watch's impact areas as stated in our 2023 strategy: industrial and small-scale fishing, spatial marine planning, ocean climate solutions, marine pollution, biodiversity conservation, and science and governance.
Grow and diversify Global Fishing Watch’s research network, building a global community of researchers who co-develop novel datasets and apply them to critical challenges in the ocean. 
Strengthen relationships to support Global Fishing Watch's program’s interventions in countries where we already have engagements and new countries. 
Promote Global Fishing Watch's work through new projects that can help implement solutions to protect the ocean and improve fisheries management.

Objectives
We seek an experienced grant maker to help us develop and execute this fellowship and grant program. They will help develop the most appropriate program structure and assets needed, help determine how to advertise and score applications, devise the relevant process to review and select applications and design the appropriate structure to interact with and support awardees for the duration of their work. 
We see three phases to this work. The first phase will develop the structure of the program between November 2024 and April 2025, and will end with the call opening. The second phase will coordinate the selection of grantees and the implementation of the first cohort, between May and July 2025, and prepare for the cohort events that will take place in Phase 3. We expect the first cohort to start in July 2025 and last for two years. Phase three will start in July 2025, follow the first semester of the cohort and end in December 2025 with the handover of the program to Global Fishing Watch staff. 

Our initial plans, subject to review by the selected consultant and Global Fishing Watch staff, are that the fellowships and grants will be open to researchers around the globe, and will be open to any group or individual that can either help improve our core technologies or apply them to research that can improve ocean governance. We tentatively plan to have two categories–$10k for individuals and $20k for small labs and organizations, granted for two years. In addition to the financial support, a common fund will be available to support specific requests (conference participation, small stipends, publication fees), up to six months after the project completion. The selected fellows will be considered a cohort and will participate in training webinars and networking opportunities (including an annual event in a format to be determined). They will present their work progress after one year and in a final webinar by the end of year two.
For Global Fishing Watch, this is a step forward in our mission to enable research aligned with our strategic objectives and ultimately improve the management of the oceans. It is an opportunity to connect with people with novel ideas about the implementation, use and application of our datasets and platforms and to expand our impact globally. By creating a financial mechanism and selecting structured work plans, we are intentionally seeking potential research partners in all of our impact areas and expanding the research network, which has grown organically until now. 

Scope and timeline (Detailed deliverables and expected start / end date)

Phase 1: Project Planning - December 2024–April 2025

• Co-develop–with the Fellowship initiative manager and relevant Global Fishing Watch team members–the structure of grants and fellowship program and the assets needed to run the program
• Develop application procedure and create materials (application forms, criteria/guidelines for completion, terms and conditions, contracts) 
• Identify the criteria for proposal selection and evaluating grants and the feedback process for unsuccessful candidates
• Coordinate the selection and training of the proposal evaluation panel 
• Develop, with the communications team, the outreach strategy to promote the fellowship to reach a wide audience and potential candidates, in adherence to our brand and editorial guidelines
• Discuss and develop timelines for activities included in the fellowship, such as onboarding and training webinars and networking events with Global Fishing Watch staff
• Create strategies to ensure fellows are on track with their work plans
• Develop key performance indicators (KPIs) and milestones to measure the success of the program
• Provide an accurate financial budget and staff-time estimate needed to roll out the program as designed
• Assist Global Fishing Watch in complying with all legal requirements, as a US-based organization willing to grant research grants and fellowships around the globe or as widely as possible (required)

Phase 2: Selection Process - April 2025–July 2025

• Support the launch of the program for the first round of applications 
• Oversee and coordinate the review of the first group of applications with the selection committee engaged in Phase 1
• Design evaluation criteria: how to evaluate whether the program reached its objectives and milestones. This could include analysis and tracking of the range of impacts covered by the applications, amongst other key KPIs. 
• Develop a feedback mechanism to understand how the program met the needs of the applicants and participants

Phase 3: Cohort Implementation - July 2025-December 2025

• Support internal staff to coordinate the program activities (training sessions, networking events)
• Follow up with the grantees the first semester of work plans project execution
• Engage with the communications team to determine what can be done to promote the results of the work plans carried out by the Fellows
• Hand over to Global Fishing Watch staff all procedures and documentation to ensure the successful completion of the work plans and the cohort 

The selected consultant will work closely with internal staff in charge of managing Global Fishing Watch's research network and our operations department, to provide their expertise in grant-making. 

Qualifications requirements
- The consultant should have:
- Experience in designing and implementing similar grantmaking programs for US-based organizations
- Experience in cohort-based community management
- Experience working remotely and across time zones and cultures
- Great communication skills to coordinate with internal and external stakeholders

Also great:
- Capacity to interact in languages other than English (Spanish, French, Portuguese, etc.)
- Experience interacting with scientists and developers from different backgrounds and institutions

Submission requirements
Interested parties should submit a proposal via email to research@globalfishingwatch.org. Please do not apply via this posting, as it is not monitored. Only emailed proposals will be considered.

The proposal should consist of:
1. A cover letter explaining the candidate’s interest and qualification for the consultancy, including a description of previous experience with the type of work proposed in the RFP, as a Word or PDF attachment. Two or three references may be submitted as part of the proposal or provided after the shortlist selection.
2. A narrative proposal outlining:
- How the candidate intends to fulfill the responsibilities outlined in the previous section
- Any changes to the proposed timeline for completing the consultancy
3. A descriptive budget outlining the total cost of fulfilling the terms of the RFP, including fees, estimated level of effort, and any cost associated with the completion of the proposal. The budget can be submitted as a spreadsheet or added to the proposal.
4. Resumes/CVs of key project personnel.

Submission deadline
Proposals should be submitted by Nov 5, 2024

Selection timeline
The proposals will be reviewed by a selection committee and the top candidates will be interviewed. We expect the final selection to be published by December 5, 2024.