General Program Development Funds Grant

Note: Program Development funds are awarded on a rolling basis as needed and applicants must be based at a Massachusetts institution to be eligible to receive funding.We strongly encourage all potential applications to reach out to WHOI Sea Grant’s Research Coordinator to discuss project ideas prior to preparing application materials.
Each year WHOI Sea Grant allocates part of its budget for Program Development (PD) funds. The National Sea Grant Office allows state programs to award these funds to enhance their strategic plan goals. Typical awards are $1,000 - $5,000. Projects exceeding $5,000 should be discussed with the Woods Hole Sea Grant director prior to submission.
Awards are generally for small research projects and proof-of-concept with the intent of seeding an idea for later development into larger funding proposals. Other credible uses of these funds include extension, education, communications, travel, graduate student support, and workshops or conferences. Applicants must express how the proposed project will add value to WHOI Sea Grant’s research, extension, education, and outreach efforts in the program’s current strategic focus areas. The WHOI Sea Grant management team will make decisions on Program Development awards two times per year.
Target Allocation
These funds will be provided to projects that align with WHOI Sea Grant’s strategic goals and objectives. Development funds are limited such that we often have many more requests for funding than we can support.

Eligibility

Applicants must be based at a Massachusetts institution to be eligible to receive funding.