SMALL GRANTS FOR
EXPLORATORY RESEARCH

OCE wants to be sure that the ocean research community is aware of the opportunity provided by NSF’s “Small Grants for Exploratory Research (SGER)”. SGER is a granting mechanism that can provide limited funding for a limited period of time for certain types of exploratory or high risk research. This includes providing a rapid response to opportunities that might be missed or compromised should the proposal go through the standard NSF review processes (SGER proposals are subject to internal NSF merit review only). To justify exemption from standard peer review, a compelling case must be made as to why the research should be considered particularly exploratory and high risk as well as the nature and significance of its potential impact on the field. In all cases, please contact one of the OCE program officers for guidance before submitting a request for SGER funding. The source of funds for these awards is an OCE research program appropriate to the topic of the proposal.

The maximum SGER award amount will not exceed $200,000. Although the maximum award amount is $200,000, the award amount usually will be substantially less than a given program’s average award amount. The project’s duration will normally be 1 year, but may be up to 2 years. Renewed funding of SGER awards may be requested only through submission of a non-SGER proposal that will be subject to full merit review. Additional information is available in NSF’s Guide to Programs.