Great Lakes Protection Fund (NYGLPF) Small Grants Program

Grants of up to $25,000 to New York colleges, universities, government agencies, businesses, and environmental and conservation organizations for research projects on the Great Lakes basin. Funding is intended to support cooperative research that enhances the understanding of, and/or management of, New York's Great Lakes basin.

Priority areas include, but are not limited to, the elimination of discharge of toxic substances, conservation of fish and wildlife, combatting invasive species, energy development, and environmental outreach and education.

The intent of the Great Lakes Research Consortium (GLRC) Small Grants Program, offered by the Great Lakes Research Consortium, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, and the New York Great Lakes Basin Advisory Council, is to promote research that contributes to the protection and restoration of the health of the Great Lakes and contributes to ecosystem-based management of the basin’s natural resources and environmental quality. The program provides seed funding for new, cooperative approaches and projects for researching and protecting the Great Lakes. The program supports collaborative projects and grant awards can be used for basic or applied research and project planning that will lead to larger projects.

Projects funded by this small grant program must meet one or more of the priority goals listed in the Great Lakes Action Agenda (GLAA - see https://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/91881.html), and must satisfy the following criteria:

Appropriate: Project must be consistent with the goals and purposes of the New York’s Great Lakes Basin: Interim Action Agenda as described in the GLAA.

Collaborative: Project must foster communication and cooperative action between New York’s colleges and universities, state and local government, business and industry, and environmental or conservation organizations. Collaborative projects involving more than one institution and those providing support for internships working with local government and community organizations are strongly encouraged.

Effective: Proposals must demonstrate how the project will (a) promote ecosystembased management or science-informed decision-making and (b) lead to measurable progress in achieving the goals and priorities of the GLAA.

Productive: The project must have defined qualitative or quantitative outcomes. Projects must clearly identify the potential to grow into larger projects consistent with the GLAA goals and purposes.

Relevant: Projects should describe their relevance to New York State Great Lakes efforts as described in the GLAA. This action agenda brings together new priorities, as well as existing environmental, social and economic goals previously identified for New York's Great Lakes region, using an ecosystem-based management approach. Priorities include:

(a) Virtually eliminate discharges of persistent toxic substances,
(b) Control sediment, nutrient and pathogen releases,
(c) Accelerate the delisting of New York's Areas of Concern,
(d) Combat invasive species,
(e) Conserve and restore fish and wildlife,
(f) Conserve Great Lakes water supplies,
(g) Enhance coastal resiliency and ecosystem integrity,
(h) Promote smart growth, redevelopment and adaptive reuse,
(i) Enhance recreation and tourism opportunities and
(j) Plan for future energy development. In addition, the GLAA includes four cross-cutting priorities to
(k) Support and promote partnerships among stakeholders,
(l) Coordinate monitoring and information management,
(m) Support environmental education and outreach, and to work towards
(n) Climate change adaptation and mitigation.

A major goal of this program is to facilitate new and emerging technologies and uses that can be applied in support of the New York State Great Lakes Action agenda. Applicants should look at the respective websites for the NYGLPF (https://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/25582.html) and the interim GLAA report (see Supporting Documents below) for guidance on how their project can further these goals.

The Great Lakes Research Consortium is an organization of 18 colleges and universities in New York, with nine affiliate campuses in Ontario, dedicated to collaborative research and education on the Great Lakes.