FY 2019 Request for Proposals Open
The FY 2019 FIS Program Request for Proposals is now open. Jointly funded by FIS, the National Observer Program, and the National Catch Share Program, the competitive process supports projects in four areas:
- Quality Management and Continuous Improvement (QM & CI)
- Electronic Reporting (ER)
- Electronic Monitoring (EM)
- Fishery Information Network (FIN) Improvement
This year's RFP process will begin with a pre-proposal submission, which is intended to reduce redundancy and streamline submissions.
Pre-proposals are due via PIMS by 5 pm HST on April 6. Each must include the project's title, the associated organization, a description of how the work supports the FIS vision, a clear statement of objectives and general methodology, and an estimated total budget.
FIS will provide feedback by April 21, and final proposals will be due by 5 pm HST on June 8. Recipients will be announced in September, with funding made available sometime in spring 2019, once appropriations are received.
You can learn more about our funded projects from FY 2018 and earlier on the FIS website. View the guidance document here for complete details on the 2019 submission process.
Solutions to Real-World Challenges
Enhancing AHMS Landings Data Collection and Processing through Electronic Tournament Registration and Reporting
One of the top priorities of FIS is improving data integration and streamlining data collection and reporting. Here's one example of how FIS support is having an impact -- for more details, see the full story online:
Overview
FIS support is helping to more effectively monitor tournament catch for Atlantic Highly Migratory Species through the automation of registration and reporting at HMS tournaments.
For these prized fish, tournament data are one of several key pieces of information used to develop abundance indices, determine population trends, inform catch and effort statistics used for stock assessments, and meet international reporting requirements.
The Challenge
Traditionally, registering and reporting has been managed by the Atlantic HMS Management Division and the Southeast Fisheries Science Center using two databases, housed separately at their respective offices in Maryland and Florida. The system was complex and time-consuming, relying on paper and PDF registration applications and catch reports, numerous fax and e-mail communications between NOAA Fisheries staff and tournament operators, and data transcription into several databases.
The Solution
FIS provided the funding to create the new Atlantic HMS Tournament Registration and Reporting system, which includes an online registration and reporting portal for HMS tournament operators, and dynamic querying and summary capabilities for NOAA Fisheries staff. The transition has yielded significant gains.
The Outcome
Thanks to the increased efficiency and accuracy of the new tool, staff can spend less time managing data and more time analyzing it. Tournament operators have welcomed the change as well, because they can now report catch electronically with smartphones or tablets, and avoid cumbersome paperwork. Ultimately, the tool will help the agency save resources while improving the quantity and accuracy of collected data.
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