Instructions for submitting a proposal to the Regional Conservation Needs Grant Program for the 2015 funding cycle are provided below.

Proposal Deadline: March 1, 2015. Proposals received after this deadline will not be considered. The complete program funding schedule is available at www.rcngrants.org/priority-rcn-topics.

Funding: Proposals for the 2015 funding cycle for the Northeast RCN Grant program of the NEAFWA are now being solicited. The total amount of funding available for new projects within the Northeast RCN Grant program is estimated at $250,000. Funding for approved projects will be available no earlier than January 1, 2016.

Submission Procedures: Please read carefully and follow all of the guidance listed in the "Instructions on Submittal of Proposals" included herein.

Instructions on Submittal of Proposals:

Please read these instructions carefully as well as all of the information provided above.

1. Proposals must be submitted as either MS Word or Adobe PDF documents to wmisw@together.net no later than March 1, 2015 at 5:00 PM Eastern Standard Time.

2. The proposal is limited to a total of 6 pages:
   • Page 1 is a single cover page with contact information (see details in section #3 below) and a concise description of the proposed project.
   • Pages 2-5 are four pages of text about the proposed project, including budget (see details in section #4, #5 and #6 below).
   • Page 6 is a single page outlining the qualifications of the individuals and organizations involved.
3. The cover page should provide the following information:
   • Title of Project
   • Name of Project Director and Job Title
   • Name of Institution
   • Email Address
   • Physical Mailing Address
   • Telephone and Fax Numbers
   • Other Principal Investigators Involved (name, title, institution, email address)
   • RCN Funds Requested
   • A Concise Description of the Proposed Project. The description should not exceed 250 words and include primary objectives, a brief summary of methods, expected outcomes and a timeline. THIS ABSTRACT WILL BE WIDELY DISTRIBUTED SO PLEASE FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS PROVIDED ON CONTENT CAREFULLY.
4. Four pages of explanatory text are the principal component of the proposal and should be written as clearly and concisely as possible, address the following questions, and provide the following information (note that tables, graphs and photos can be included in the proposal but they must be contained within the four pages of text):
   
   1. Which of the Priority RCN Topics does your proposal address?
   2. In what area or state(s) will your project be conducted?
   3. What is the start date of the project and the projected end date.
   4. What is the goal of your project and what major objectives or tasks will you undertake to achieve that goal?
   5. What are the methods by which you propose to carry out your work?
   6. What measurable products or outcomes will result from your project?
   7. What is the proposed total budget of your project? Separate the budget into the following categories: Personal Service, Fringe Benefits, Indirect Overhead, Supplies and Materials, Travel, Contractual Service, and In-kind Services. Clearly indicate which activities will be supported by Northeast RCN grant funds and which will be supported by non-federal match. For non-federal matching funds committed to the project, specify whether those funds are direct or indirect and clearly designate the source of the non-federal funds.
5. Applicant budgets must be complete and document suitable matching funds for their proposal. Suitable non-federal match funds must be an amount equal or greater than the request for federal RCN funds. Eligible matching funds include any non-federal source of funds including cash, supplies and materials, waived costs, or in-kind services. These may include volunteer labor, donation of professional services, reduced charges for fringe and indirect benefits, and others. Applicants are strongly urged to review the Federal guidance on in-kind services and the documentation requirements therein. All costs, including match, must be incurred during the term of the award, defined as the period beginning with the date of a final grant award letter to the expiration date of the service contract executed as a result of the grant application.
6. All grants require non-federal matching funds of at least 50% of the total budget. For each dollar of RCN funds requested, an equal or greater number of non-federal dollars must be pledged. All applicants are required to certify matching funds from non-federal sources at the time of application. A pending grant application from another potential funding source cannot be considered as certified match until such grant application is officially awarded by the Grantor to the applicant. If a grant is awarded, federal funds will be disbursed on a quarterly basis, and in an amount not to exceed the amount of approved non-federal match.
7. Grant applications may not request greater than $100,000 in RCN funds.
8. Grant applications must propose to complete work in two years or less.
9. Grant recipients will be required to present preliminary results to the Northeast Fish and Wildlife Diversity Committee and final results at the Northeast Fish and Wildlife Conference.