IMPORTANT NOTE: The pre-proposal submission deadline has passed. Only submit here if you received notification to submit your full proposal. General Information Working Groups are an essential part of the Conservation Paleobiology Network (CPN). Please adhere to the following guidelines as you prepare the proposal for your Working Group. For reference, additional details about CPN Working Groups are available here: https://conservationpaleorcn.org/working-groups/ In addition to addressing the panel comments on your pre-proposal, successful proposals will describe: (1) the significance of the proposed Working Group to conservation paleobiology, (2) the gap that this Working Group seeks to fill, (3) proposed outputs or tangible deliverables, and (4) the potential applications to biological conservation and/or ecosystem management as well as proposed steps for yielding those outcomes. Working Group participants must include practitioners focused on applied conservation or management. The CPN Working Group competition is open to all members of the CPN and the larger community. The PIs must be members of the CPN and Working Group participants are also encouraged to join the CPN. (You can become a network member by filling out a member form. Membership is free and open to anyone; it simply means that we add you to our member directory and contact list for network-related communication). There is no limit to the number of Working Group participants. Funds can be used for a wide variety of Working Group activities, but costs that can be classified as “participant support” (e.g., travel, lodging, and meals) are most suitable for this solicitation. Please do not hesitate to contact us with questions. Proposal Requirements To be considered for evaluation, all proposals must adhere to the criteria below and be no more than 5 pages in length (not including NSF-style CVs for PIs, references cited, and budget). Proposals must be in at least 11-point Arial or Courier New font, single-spaced, and with margins that are at least 1-inch. Please do not use footnotes. Proposals that do not follow these guidelines will not be evaluated. Full proposals will only be evaluated from teams invited to submit. These teams will be identified during the evaluation of pre-proposals sought from all interested parties.

1. Description (Suggested 2 pages): A description of the Working Group with clear goals, research questions, and/or hypotheses, including a complete list of anticipated products. As appropriate, please provide a plan for data management and accessibility.

2. Translational Science Plan (Suggested 1 page): Indicate your plan for translational science or how you plan to apply the findings of your Working Group. Identify partnering resource managers and specific management/conservation goals.

3. Working Group Format and Timeline (Suggested 1 page): Describe the format of the Working Group (e.g., virtual, in-person, or hybrid), the frequency of meetings, expected number of participants, and the start/end dates. Provide a logistical plan as needed (i.e., designate a person who will organize travel and work directly with the CPN program coordinator on behalf of the Working Group; anticipated dates of expected products, etc.).

4. Leadership and Participants (Suggested 1 page): Using the table format below, identify the Leadership Team (PIs) and all other participants. Consistent with the CPN diversity statement, we are dedicated to broadening participation of individuals from diverse cultures, career stages, and life experiences, including groups historically underrepresented in STEM. Proposals must describe how meetings and decision-making will be structured to promote and support diversity, equity, and inclusion. As appropriate, please also summarize the representation of the Working Group by profession (academic or applied scientist), career stage, and other ways that highlight diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Participant Name	Title	Institution	Academic/Applied Professional	Other relevant information (optional)

5. References (Suggested 1-2 pages): Citations to past work that frames the proposal.

6. Qualifications: Please provide 2-page National Science Foundation (NSF)-style CVs for all Working Group PIs. Click here for formatting instructions.

7. Budget and Justification (No more than 1 page): The CPN can provide $15k-25k for each Working Group. If appropriate, highlight additional funding available to support activities and goals. Please provide a detailed budget and short justification. Note: there are items that the CPN cannot fund and other limitations (see CPN FAQ). As you prepare your budgets, we would like to stress that all funding provided by the CPN will flow through the University of Florida. The CPN will provide Working Group support mostly through reimbursements and direct purchases on behalf of your project (e.g., airfares, hotel fees, publishing fees, etc.). Therefore, your proposal should not be run through your institution’s sponsored programs. Please submit directly to our website. If you have any specific questions, please don’t hesitate to email us.)

8. Deadline: All proposals must be submitted to the CPN using the form below by Monday, May 17, 2021 (11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time)

Proposal Evaluation The CPN seeks to ensure fairness and equity in all decisions related to the Working Group proposals. All proposals will first be evaluated by the CPN Working Groups Panel (see below). If a committee member is involved in a particular proposal, they will recuse themselves from any discussion of that proposal. After the full Working Groups Panel reviews all proposals, the proposals will be ranked by funding priority. Final rankings will be made only by Panel members who are not involved in any of the proposals.  Proposals and Working Group Panel rankings will then be sent to the CPN Steering Committee (excluding members who are involved in submitted proposals) for final evaluation and funding determinations. Evaluation of proposals will focus on:

1. Impact and significance of the proposed Working Group.

2. Relevance of Working Group goals to conservation and/or management.

3. Potential for community building within and outside of the CPN.

4. Experience and qualifications of the Leadership Team and Working Group composition (career stage, professional backgrounds, diversity, etc.).

5. Innovation in format and costs.

Successful proposals will be selected by July 16, 2021 August 20, 2021, with notifications sent to all proposal PIs at that time.

CPN Working Group Committee Members: Joshua Miller (University of Cincinnati, co-Chair), Torben Rick (Smithsonian Institution, co-Chair), Stephen Jackson (U.S. Geological Survey), Charles Jacoby (St. Johns Water Management District), Kyle Joly (National Park Service), Melissa Kemp (University of Texas), Hannah Kempf (University of California Davis), Loren McClenechan (Colby College), Lisa Park Boush (University of Connecticut), Jeff Rasic (National Park Service), Lynn Wingard (United States Geological Survey), Martin Zuschin (University of Vienna)