Released: November 12, 2019

Submit completed proposal by: December 20, 2019

A PDF of the request for proposals is available to view or download.

Wednesday, December 4, 2019 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Purpose: The NELF Explorer team, Lucy Lee and Marissa Weiss, will describe the new NELF Explorer Working Groups RFP. They will also provide a basic overview of the tool and associated support resources, and will answer questions.

View or download the webinar slide deck. View the recording of the webinar.

The New England Landscape Futures (NELF) Explorer (https://newenglandlandscapes.org) is an interactive, scenarios-based land use mapping tool. NELF Explorer users can visualize different possible outcomes for the future of the land, based on global trends and local decisions.

The NELF team invites proposals for Working Groups that will use NELF Explorer for land use planning, conservation planning, communications about the future of the land, or other creative application of the NELF Explorer tool. Projects will have four components:

1. Project Goal: Your planning, conservation, communications, or other creative objective.

2. Product Development: Develop an outreach product in service of your goal.

3. Peer-to-Peer Sharing: Detail a distribution plan and put it into action to share your product and how you made it with others in your network.

4. Final Report: Submit project documentation including the outcomes and impact of your project, and how this effort will be relevant to your future work.

Our team is available to help your group learn to navigate the NELF Explorer interface, access and interpret data, and to answer your questions. Contact us (marissaweiss@fas.harvard.edu) for details.

Maximum budget $6000 per working group. We anticipate supporting 3 Working Groups.

We will support the following activities (max budget request $6000):

1. Convening: Up to $6000 of your budget can support meeting space, travel, lodging, and meals for participants in accordance with the Harvard University Travel Policy.
2. Stipend: Up to $3000 of your working group budget. Multiple members of your team may receive a stipend. Maximum of $1000 stipend per participant. (If only one member of your team will receive a stipend then your budget maximum for this category is $1000.) All recipients of stipends must attend either a virtual or in-person NELF Explorer training session with our NELF Explorer support team at the outset of your project.
3. Product Development: Up to $500 of your budget can support developing a print document (such as a poster, handout, infographic) or video. Ask us if you have an idea for a product that is not listed here.

RESTRICTIONS - We will NOT support:

• Projects that do not involve using NELF Explorer for land use planning, conservation planning, communications about the future of the land, or other creative application.
• Proposals requesting overhead or funds to be spent by the investigator at the investigator's home institution.

1. Minimum of one Product: Print document or video.
2. Documentation of peer-to-peer sharing activities: Please submit your written distribution plan, and documentation of your outreach, such as photos from in-person outreach events or screen shots of social media posts plus social media analytics pertaining to your NELF Explorer outreach efforts.
3. Final Report, describing your project objectives, the role of NELF Explorer, the outcomes, impact, and how this effort will be relevant to your future work.

Include the following in a single PDF document using single spacing, 12-pt type fonts, and one-inch margins. Maximum length 3 pages, including Cover Sheet.

1. Cover sheet (one page)

1. Descriptive title of proposed Working Group
2. Name and contact information for up to two Team Leaders
3. Project Summary (250 words), appropriate for the public; may be posted on the NELF Explorer documentation website (http://help.newenglandlandscapes.org)
4. Proposed timeline: number and duration of meetings, estimated number of participants, and timeline for producing the Product. (Earliest possible start date is February 1, 2020 and all work must be completed by May 29, 2020.)
5. Budget (Max $6000).

2. Main Body (maximum 2 pages)

1. Project Goals: Clear and concise statement of your land use planning, conservation planning or communications goal, and how you will use NELF Explorer.
2. Proposed Activities: Description of what you will do to meet your goals.
3. Description of the Product: Description of the print document or video.
4. Peer-to-Peer Sharing: Describe your network and how you will demo your use of NELF Explorer to one or more organizations in your network.
5. Expected Impact: Description of how these activities will advance land use planning, conservation planning, or communications about the future of the land.

Applications will be reviewed by the Harvard Forest-based NELF Explorer staff, and will be ranked with regard to the following:

1. A focus on an important and timely application of NELF Explorer to planning, conservation, communication, or other creative application of the NELF Explorer tool.
2. Creative applications of the tool and a creative approach to the Product.
3. Feasibility to apply NELF Explorer for the stated objective.
4. Feasibility of peer-to-peer sharing component of project.
5. Qualifications, diversity, and experience of the team.
6. Budget reflects workplan and is reasonable for completing the proposed work.

Email Marissa Weiss - marissaweiss@fas.harvard.edu

Submit your proposal in the form of a PDF document via email to Marissa Weiss (marissaweiss@fas.harvard.edu) by 5pm Eastern Standard Time on Friday December 20, 2019.

NELF Explorer – https://newenglandlandscapes.org/

NELF Explorer Help Website – https://help.newenglandlandscapes.org/

NELF Explorer Video Tutorial – http://bit.ly/NELFvideo1

NELF Stats spreadsheet – http://bit.ly/NELFstats2

(Use this tool plus Recent Trends in NELF Explorer to calculate basic stats about land conversion or conservation trends.)

New England Landscape Futures Storymap – https://newenglandlandscapes.org/story/