Program Update: Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative – April 2011
Filed under: Discovery,Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative,Gulf Oil Spill,News & Resources,Program Updates
On April 25, the details of the $500 million BP sponsored Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GRI) were unveiled by Dr. Rita Colwell, the Chair of the GRI Research Board, at a National Press Club event. The goal of this 10-year research initiative is to study the effects of the Deepwater Horizon incident to improve society’s ability to understand, respond to and mitigate the impacts of petroleum pollution to marine ecosystems, with an emphasis on the Gulf of Mexico.
The scientific direction and funding decisions of the GRI will be made by the twenty-member Research Board. The RFP will focus on the next three years of research on the fate and effects of the oil, gas and dispersants on the Gulf’s ecosystems and communities as well as technology development to improve response, mitigation and remediation of these pollutants in the marine environment. Last year, BP provided $40 million of the GRI’s first year funding through fast action block grants awarded to Gulf research institutions and to the National Institutes of Health.
The GRI will be administered by the Gulf Research Initiative Administrative Unit, an internal division of the Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA). The Consortium for Ocean Leadership has been contracted by GOMA to help manage the program, including the research proposal review process in accordance with NSF standards for peer-reviewed research. The selection of the awards, based on panel reviews and recommendations, will be made solely by the independent GRI Research Board, which will follow NAS protocol for conflict of interest. Furthermore, all research findings and data will be shared publicly and published freely in peer-reviewed scientific journals, in accordance with NSF protocols.
In addition to running the peer review (but not selection) process, Ocean Leadership will also manage the grants, help enhance scientific opportunities through post-grant collaborations and publicize the results.
More information about the GRI and the RFP can be found at www.gulfresearchinitiative.org and questions regarding the RFP can be directed to the Research Board website at www.griresearchboard.org.
