Request for Proposals (RFP)
As part of The Ocean Project’s efforts to help our partner aquariums and zoos fulfill their role as centers
for conservation leadership, we are pleased to announce a third round of funding for our Innovative
Solutions Grants+ (ISG+) program.
For the ISG+ program, The Ocean Project seeks proposals from its aquarium and zoo partners in the
United States that are interested in developing and testing innovative approaches to engaging their
visitors in solutions to ocean issues. Specific criteria listed below. Proposal deadline is August 21, 2015.
Background
The mission of The Ocean Project is to advance ocean conservation in collaboration with aquariums,
zoos, and other organizations around the world. To support our partners, we have conducted public
opinion research and provided communications guidance since the late 1990s, with an emphasis on
helping our growing network of partners become ever more effective in engaging their audiences and
achieving positive impacts for the ocean and society. Related reports, presentations, and other
communications resources for our partners are all available online.
Thanks to funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), The Ocean
Project also is supporting innovators in the aquarium and zoo community, helping them apply the
lessons from the research and expand their capacity as leaders for conservation engagement in their
communities. There are two major goals for the Grants+ program:
1. Provide financial, strategic, and technical resources in support of innovative efforts by
aquariums and zoos to engage visitors, especially the key audiences of youth and/or minorities,
in ways that provide meaningful and measurable benefit for ocean conservation and
stewardship
2. Leverage the impact of these efforts by encouraging and enabling peer-to-peer sharing of
success stories and lessons learned, with The Ocean Project network of over 2,000 aquariums,
zoos, museums and other conservation and education organizations across the United States
and around the world
Funding Available
In this third year of the ISG+ program, The Ocean Project anticipates providing a total of $100,000 in
funding. A maximum of $30,000 will be awarded per aquarium or zoo in any given year. For additional
details, please see below.
Eligibility
Eligible applicants are limited to aquariums and zoos that are partners in The Ocean Project network
(see all partners listed here). NOAA funding also requires that applicants be based in the United States.
We welcome applications from a variety of aquariums and zoos -- inland and coastal, large and small --
to demonstrate what is possible in all types of situations. Other organizations seeking funds through this
grant opportunity must directly contact one of these types of eligible organizations. Proposals may come
in partnership with other aquariums, zoos, and/or other organizations that are located in our outside of
the US, but must be submitted by the US-based aquarium or zoo.
2015 Innovative Solutions Grant+ Program Goals
Grant applications must demonstrate how the applicant’s project will address these goals:
1. Develop innovative ways that engage visitors for measurable conservation outcomes.
Proposals must explore new ways of engaging an institution's visitors and/or community. This can be
through a new approach to an existing program, an innovative local or regional community project, or
any outreach program that leads to measurable benefit for the ocean by motivating visitors to help with
solutions to pressing problems. We are seeking applications from aquariums and zoos that are willing to
take risks in order to discover new ways to engage visitors for high impact. Because we are looking to
capture insights from both successful and unsuccessful innovations, those who take risks and "fail" will
not be penalized but instead highly encouraged to apply for an additional year of funding. We want
grantees to continue to experiment and share those lessons learned, so all of us can avoiding
reinventing the (broken) wheel.
More than "best practices" we are seeking "breakthrough practices" for the aquarium and zoo
community, and looking to help our partners establish the capacity to keep innovating for
environmental and social progress. As part of an ongoing iterative process to improve communications
for conservation outcomes, The Ocean Project is interested in its partners integrating our research
findings, and measuring the conservation outcomes as much as possible.
2. Ensure meaningful participation in conservation action by youth and/or minorities.
Engaging citizens in conservation action is critical to the success of any long-term effort to find solutions
to the many challenges facing our ocean. Our research has found young people (ages 13-25) are more
interested and concerned about ocean and other environmental issues, and they are more willing than
adults to take action. Furthermore, youth influence the opinions of adults, who tend to view their
children as better informed on these issues.
Among minorities and other traditionally under-served audiences, Americans in households where
English is not the primary language are of particular interest, as they express higher levels of concern
about ocean and environmental issues and a higher willingness to modify their behavior. These are
therefore two key audiences to target more specifically and intensely.
3. Share lessons learned and encourage best practices in online communications within the aquarium
and zoo community.
Grantees will be expected to invest in developing online communication skills and work closely with The
Ocean Project share content and disseminate lessons learned to their peers – encouraging a “norm” of
engagement in the online peer-to-peer knowledge sharing platforms available to aquarium and zoo
staff. With this in mind, efforts that seek to compare and contrast the efficacy of different engagement
methods and/or messages are strongly encouraged.
Specific Criteria for Applications
Project proposals must:
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Be innovative (not necessarily in a technological sense) and demonstrate willingness to take
chances, going beyond raising awareness of the problems to inspiring participation in the
solutions. We are seeking proposals that focus on conservation outcomes and can result not
only in "best practices," but also "breakthrough innovations."
In this context, an “innovative” project:
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Sets out to achieve some measurable action on behalf of the environment
Breaks the education paradigm of “more knowledge and information will convince
people to take action”
o Asks visitors directly to do something, either during their visit or sometime afterwards
o Uses the best psychological, communications, and marketing research and tools to
develop outreach strategies
o Leverages different institutional resources where applicable
o Has a basic premise supported by some evidence (for example: previous experience or
research makes you think your project may be successful?)
o Keeps the bigger picture in mind: what will we learn that can help change the way ZAMs
engage the public for change? Can this project one day be made bigger, better, etc.?
Specifically engage youth and/or minority audiences
Focus on ways to engage key audiences in solutions to one or more of the many issues facing
our ocean, including ocean acidification and climate change
Demonstrate an understanding of The Ocean Project's communications research findings
Provide a budget with enough detail to show whether proposed costs are reasonable and
necessary
Explain how the proposed innovative solution project will address a need in your local community.
Applicants must also be willing to work closely with The Ocean Project team to:
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Develop an evaluative component that clearly demonstrates measurable conservation action
impact on target audience(s). Awardees will work with The Ocean Project's evaluation specialist
at the start of their project to discuss and clearly state how project outcomes — the effects and
changes that are a result of the outputs — will be evaluated. Awardees will work with the
consultant throughout the grant period to ensure this grant is maximized for measurable
conservation outcomes.
Share the results widely with peers. Throughout the grant period, awardees will work with The
Ocean Project's digital media specialist to help accelerate peer-to-peer learning. Awardees will
work with The Ocean Project to widely share resulting new strategies and successes by
developing case studies, blog posts, and actively participating on social media channels and
platforms.
Commit to raising at least a 1:1 match in new funding related specifically to this proposed
initiative (must at least show good faith effort in trying to match it during the grant period) to
help expand or extend the effort. Staff time and other in-kind contributions will not count
toward this match.
Participate at a special meeting of grantees at the AZA 2016 national conference (travel stipend
will be provided for those who demonstrate need) and participate in a conference panel.
Proposal Process
All applications are due by August 21, 2015. Decisions are expected by September 19, 2015, with a start
date of October 1, 2015. Please complete the online application here.
For More Information
If you have any questions on The Ocean Project Innovative Solutions Grants+ Program, please contact:
Bill Mott, Director
bmott@TheOceanProject.org
* As we seek to match NOAA's funding with additional sources we anticipate an increase in the overall
amount in subsequent years and opening up this Grants+ program opportunity to our partner
aquariums, zoos, and museums throughout the world. Anyone with suggestions on potential sources of
matching funding and/or sponsoring opportunities, please contact Bill Mott at The Ocean Project.