Grant Guidelines

GUIDELINES FOR THE WESTERN REGION CONSERVATION AND RESEARCH GRANT PROGRAM.

Passed by The Western Region, NSS, 5/28/89
(ammended April 2005 and May 2006 by The Western Region)

APPROVED FOR PUBLICATION
  1. PURPOSE.The Western Region Conservation and Research (WRCR) Grant Program promotes cave conservation and speleological research by funding meritorious projects conducted by members of the Western Region.
  2. GENERAL INFORMATION.
    1. WRCR Grants are awarded on a competitive basis for worthy projects proposed and conducted by individual members or by grottos of the Western Region.
    2. WRCR Grants are intended for projects carried out within the Western Region (California, Oregon and Nevada). However, grants will be considered for projects outside of the Western Region when the project is organized and principally conducted by members of the Western Region.
    3. Provided sufficient funds are available, grants may be awarded up to two times per year. Grants may be made by the committee up to the amount of $500; awards in excess of that amount to be appoved by the Regional Council.
    4. The grant committee evaluates grant proposals on a competitive basis and identifies the grants that merit funding. The Chairman of the grant committee will authorize funding if sufficient funds are available.
    5. Grant money is intended for expenses unique to projects, rather than for routine caving expenses. Some examples of expenses unique to a project are: construction materials, instrumentation, scientific supplies, film, or printing. Examples of routine caving expenses are: transportation costs, food, or caving equipment.
    6. WRCR Grants are intended to support a wide range of conservation and research projects. For purposes of WRCR Grants, cave survey or exploration projects will be considered for WRCR Grants only when they are a necessary and integral part of a larger, well-defined conservation or research project.
    7. Prospective applicants may obtain application forms from the Chairman of the WRCR Grant Committee.
    8. Effective April 2005, 50% of all Western Region auction proceeds will be dedicated to the Conservation & Research Grant Fund.
    9. Any capital equipment purchased as a result of a grant fund award, remaining after the project, shall revert to the Western Region of the N.S.S. at the close of the project.
  3. ADMINISTRATION
    1. The WRCR grant program shall be administered by a Chairman, elected from among the membership of the Western Region. The WRCR Grant chairman shall be elected by a simple majority vote using the same voting procedure by which the Chairman of the Western Region is elected. The term of the Chairman shall be six years.
    2. The WRCR Grant chairman is empowered: (1) to solicit contributions of money or property for the Grant Fund, (2) to manage grant funds by investing them in low-risk interest bearing accounts and, (3) to disburse funds to successful grant applicants. At least one other elected officer of the Western Region shall have signature authority on all accounts containing WRCR funds.
    3. The WRCR Grant chairman may be removed from office by a simple majority vote at any meeting of the Western Region with a quorum of grottos present. The voting procedure referred to in IIIa above shall be used. The Grant chairmanship shall be declared vacant if the chairman moves out of the Western Region. When a vacancy occurs, either from a move, resignation or vote, the Vice-chairman of the Western Region will administer the WRCR Grant Program until the next meeting of the Western Region, at which time a new Chairman will be elected for a six year term.
    4. The Chairman of the WRCR Grant Program shall file a written report on the activities of WRCR Grant Program. The report will be presented at the annual meeting of the Western Region, which usually occurs in September. If no Regional meeting occurs in September, the WRCR Grant Program report will be filed with the Chairman of the Western Region and the editor of the California Caver by September 30. The report shall contain information on all financial transactions of the WRCR Grant Program and a list of all grant proposals that were funded.
  4. CONSERVATION GRANTS
    1. Conservation Grants will be made on a matching funds basis. (For example, if a project were estimated to cost $300, the WRCR Grant would provide $150 and the applicant would provide $150).
    2. Grant recipients shall provide a brief written description of the project for the California Caver within one year of receiving the grant.
    3. Decisions to fund conservation grants shall be made by a committee comprised of the WCRC Grant Chairman, the Vice-chairman of the Western Region, the Conservation Chairman of the Western Region and two committee members-at-large selected by the Chairman of the WRCR Grant Program. The committee members-at-large shall be knowledgeable about Western Region conservation issues.
  5. RESEARCH GRANTS
    1. Grant recipients shall provide two article for the California Caver. The first article will be prepared when a proposal receives WRCR Grant funding and will be a brief overview of the project. The second article will be either an interim or final summary of the project.
    2. Decisions to fund research projects shall be made by a committee comprised of the Chairman of the WRCR Grant Program, the Vice-chairman of the Western Region, a research project director of the Pacific sphere of the Cave Research Foundation and, two scientists-at-large who are knowledgeable in the area of the grant proposal. They shall be selected by the Chairman of the WRCR Grant Program.
  6. APPLICATION DEADLINES
    1. Grants will be awarded semi-annually. Application deadlines will be February 1 and August 1.
    2. Decisions will be made within six weeks of the application deadlines.