Proposals sought for energy and environmental sustainability white papers

UND Energy & Environmental Sustainability White Papers

Request for Proposals (RFP)

The University of North Dakota (UND) Energy & Environmental Sustainability (EES) Grand Challenge team is seeking proposals for the development of white papers focused on expanding and enhancing UND’s research activities related to EES (One UND, Goal 4).

UND has a long and established track record of conducting EES research that makes an impact throughout the world. The goal of this solicitation is to identify and explore additional areas in which we can expand our presence. Faculty and research staff are invited to look for ways to apply existing research experience, expertise, and interest for the first time or to grow existing work within the EES area.

Specifically, we are looking for white papers that describe issues or problems in the area of energy and environmental sustainability and propose a research project or approach to address those issues or problems from the perspective of the author’s (authors’) area(s) of scholarly expertise. Our intent is to select white papers and work with the authors to develop grant proposals and research projects that incorporate a wide range of faculty expertise.

Time Line

• RFP Announcement – October 2
• Workshop/Discussion on RFP – October 6 (Gamble Hall, Room 315, 10:30 am ) and October 9 (Gamble Hall, Room 315, Noon)
• Submission Date – November 17 (5:00 p.m. CST)
• Announcement of Funded Internal Grants – December 4
• White Paper Due Date – February 9
• Forum to Discuss White Papers – late February (TBD)

Internal Grant Amount

• Up to 12 awards of $2500 each
• Submissions are open for all research concepts, but at least one award is anticipated in each of the following areas:
• Law and Regulation
• Policy Issues
• Social Impacts
• Health and Well-Being
• Public Awareness and Education
• Environmental Sustainability
• Proposal FormatThe proposal should be no more than 2 pages (single-sided) in length and should include the following information:
  • Proposal submitter(s), department(s), and contact information
  • Responses to the following questions:
  • What is the topic you intend to explore/expand on, and how does it support the UND EES Grand Challenge?
  • How does it fit in with existing UND research or scholarly activity (is it a completely new area/idea and, if so, does it intersect/complement other research; does it build on or extend existing research and/or expertise)?
  • What funding opportunities could be targeted as this topic is developed further (be as specific as possible)?
  • How will future research in this area better serve UND, North Dakota, and the world?

  Please also include current CV(s) of author(s).

  Proposal Review

  Proposals will be reviewed and selected for award by the EES executive team (comprised of Tom Erickson, Kathryn Rand, Bo Wood, Soizik Laguette, Ed Steadman, Brad Rundquist, and Mike Mann) along with John Mihelich (Faculty Fellow).

  Proposal Evaluation Criteria

  Reviewers will consider the following criteria:

  • Technical/intellectual/creative merit of the proposed white paper topic
  • Potential impact of white paper on influencing/benefiting future funding opportunities
  • Future opportunities for multidisciplinary collaboration
  • Impact on UND Strategic Plan goals

  Proposal Submission

  All proposals must be submitted electronically to Jen Knudson, jknudson@undeerc.org, by the date and time posted above.

  Any questions related to this submission can be addressed at the workshop or by contacting Tom Erickson at ext. 7-5153 or terickson@undeerc.org.