In case you're considering research in Japan in the near future, see below. NSF does have a funding mechanism for research projects that can't wait for the typical 6+ month grant proposal cycle:
1. Grants for Rapid Response Research (RAPID) The RAPID funding mechanism is used for proposals having a severe urgency with regard to availability of, or access to data, facilities or specialized equipment, including quick-response research on natural or anthropogenic disasters and similar unanticipated events. PI(s) must contact the NSF program officer(s) whose expertise is most germane to the proposal topic before submitting a RAPID proposal. This will facilitate determining whether the proposed work is appropriate for RAPID funding. * The Project Description is expected to be brief (two to five pages) and include clear statements as to why the proposed research is of an urgent nature and why a RAPID award would be the most appropriate mechanism for supporting the proposed work. Note this proposal preparation instruction deviates from the standard proposal preparation instructions contained in this Guide; RAPID proposals must otherwise be compliant with the GPG. * The box for "RAPID" must be checked on the Cover Sheet. * Only internal merit review is required for RAPID proposals. Under rare circumstances, program officers may elect to obtain external reviews to inform their decision. If external review is to be obtained, then the PI will be so informed in the interest of maintaining the transparency of the review and recommendation process. The two standard NSB-approved merit review criteria will apply. * Requests may be for up to $200K and of one year duration. The award size, however, will be consistent with the project scope and of a size comparable to grants in similar areas. http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/policydocs/pappguide/nsf09_1/gpg_2.jsp#IID1 UPDATE OF 26 APRIL 2011 ON POST-TSUNAMI SURVEYS IN TOHOKU The conditions (gasoline, foods, and infrastructures) of the devastated area were gradually improved after the previous protocol (29 March, 2011 version). Now, we offer to the international researchers to join the field survey in Tohoku area. We continue to recommend that tsunami teams coordinate under the International Tsunami Survey Teams - Japan (ITST-Japan) organized by UNESCO IOC. Please observe the following precautions and protocols: (A) Please include one or more Japanese researchers in your team. They will help you deal with these conditions, as well as helping with your own safety. Please take the initiative to identify Japanese counterparts who can accompany you. They should be researchers or engineers who have connections to earthquake and tsunami research communities. (B) Post your findings promptly. Japanese communities are sharing their results on the website [http://www.coastal.jp/tsunami2011/]. The results posted include inundation heights/depth and run-up heights with coordinates and photographs. We are doing this, even though the results are not published, to avoid duplication of effort under these difficult circumstances. Of course, the priority of the data belongs to each research team. We will ask you to post your results, through your Japanese counterparts, in the first few days after your survey ends. Your Japanese counterparts will be responsible for providing the data to the surveyed communities. (C) Respect private property. Fragments of houses and other material objects are private property in Japan even though they look like debris. These things legally belong to the local people. (D) Stay away from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plants. The zone within 30 km of these plants is strictly off-limits. Nobody can survey tsunami effects in this zone. Access outside this official Japanese government zone is your own responsibility. Some countries have recommended a larger radius. Please check and heed your government's recommendation. (E) Expect aftershocks. A large aftershock may potentially generate a tsunami. Your preparations should include multiple means of receiving earthquake and tsunami information, such as radio, cell phone, and portable TV. Dr. Laura S. L. Kong ([email protected]) and Dr. Masahiro Yamamoto ([email protected]) of UNESCO IOC will coordinate international research teams. Research teams who would like to conduct a survey in Tohoku are recommended to inform them of your schedule and team members, including Japanese counterparts. Coordinators will help your planning and your contact with affected communities. ITST-Japan hosts a secure information coordination site for survey teams to share survey plans and preliminary findings and recommendations with the goal of reducing duplication and collecting a comprehensive tsunami data set. Under ITST-Japan, teams may receive ITST-Japan identification badges and Letters of Support that may help to facilitate research data collection. 26 April, 2011 Two hundred Japanese researchers and engineers belonging to the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake Tsunami Joint Survey Group Secretary-General: Tomoyuki Takahashi (Kansai University) David W. Inouye Program Director Population and Community Ecology Cluster Division of Environmental Biology National Science Foundation 4201 Wilson Blvd, Suite 635 Arlington, VA 22230 Phone: 703.292.8570 Fax: 703.292.9064 E-mail: [email protected]
