[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 237 (Wednesday, December 10, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65119-65120]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-32226]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 2660]


Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific 
Affairs; United States Man and the Biosphere Program: Request for 
Proposals for the Tropical Ecosystems Directorate

    The Tropical Ecosystems Directorate (TED) of the U.S. Man and the 
Biosphere Program (U.S. MAB) announces a call for proposals to support 
applied research on the management, harvesting, utilization and 
marketing of tropical forest resources, both timber and nontimber, in 
the tri-national Mayan forest of Mexico, Belize and Guatemala.
    A small number of grants of $1000 to $3500 US each, will be awarded 
in 1998. Persons interested in applying for these grants are encouraged 
to first obtain a copy of the TED core project description from the 
U.S. MAB Secretariat (Roger E. Soles), OES/ETC/MAB, U.S. Department of 
State, Washington, D.C. 20522-4401. Tel. (202) 776-8318, Fax. (202) 
776-8367.

Funding Objectives

    U.S. MAB/TED funding should assist research teams to add a national 
researcher to their effort as well as to: better integrate conservation 
and sustainable development; add a particular discipline to an ongoing 
research project; or explore the application of ongoing site-specific 
research to an additional site in the Maya Tri-National region. U.S. 
MAB/TED funding will not be provided for planning purposes.

Focal Issues

    The TED recognizes that strategies to sustainably conserve the 
Mayan forest must address the needs of the rural communities that live 
in the forest and use its wild resources. Lack of an adequate knowledge 
base on the ecology and management of these resource species, 
nondestructive harvesting methods, and appropriate marketing and 
commercialization of these products has negative impacts on the forest, 
on the resource base, and on local economies. For this reason we 
continue to invest in the development of new knowledge in these fields 
through small grants. In order to ensure that this new knowledge will 
be integrated into ongoing resource management and utilization 
activities, and to enhance local capacity to continue to produce new 
information as it is needed, our applied research program focuses on 
the integration of students or recent graduates (at the Bachelor or 
Master level), from the three countries into relevant projects led by 
respected researchers in these fields and linked with NGO's, and 
preferably local communities, in the region.

Content Requirements and Deadlines for Proposals

    Persons interested should submit a one to two page proposal by 
February 27, 1998. Each proposal should have: a title page, a one page 
synopsis of the existing research project, up to five pages detailing 
the proposed use of U.S. MAB/TED funds that would be complementary to 
the TED core program, and a one-page budget with justification.
    The U.S. MAB/TED will make final decisions by April 6, 1998.
    No funds are available for institutional overhead. Only direct 
costs can be supported.
    Funds will be committed to the managing institutions identified in 
the proposals during May 1998.

Evaluation and Review Process

    Because of limited available funding, U.S. MAB/TED will give the 
greatest preference to those proposals that directly complement the 
objectives of the directorate's core program. Proposals will be 
evaluated for the intrinsic merit of the research or activity, its 
policy relevance, applicability to promoting sustainable use of 
tropical forest resources in the Maya Tri-National Region, and the 
quality and demonstrated productivity of the principals.
    Principals will receive from the U.S. MAB Secretariat copies of all 
U.S. MAB/TED review evaluations of their proposal and a written 
notification of the directorate's decision on their project.

Submission of Proposals

    Proposals may be submitted in Spanish or English to U.S. MAB 
Secretariat, OES/ETC/MAB, Room 107, SA-44C, U.S. Department of State, 
Washington, DC 20522-4401.

[[Page 65120]]

    Individuals choosing to submit their proposals by Express Mail, 
Federal Express, UPS, etc. must use the following address: U.S. MAB 
Secretariat, Room 107, 2430 E Street NW, Washington, DC 20520.

    Dated: November 28, 1997.
Roger E. Soles,
Executive Director, U.S. Man and the Biosphere Program, Office of 
Ecology and Terrestrial Conservation.
[FR Doc. 97-32226 Filed 12-9-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-09-P