Hudson River Park: CUNY Visiting Scholars

Hudson River Park (the Park) is a 550-acre park and estuarine sanctuary that runs from Chambers Street to W 59th Street in Manhattan, including distinctive and varied piers, uplands, embayments and water-based uses.

The Park and City University of New York (CUNY) are partnering to facilitate opportunities for CUNY faculty and students to utilize Park resources for applied, estuarine research. With this funding opportunity, the Park will engage CUNY’s accomplished faculty in its Visiting Scholars program to help meet research, data analysis, and resource management goals as outlined by the Park’s Estuarine Sanctuary Management Plan (ESMP), a forward looking action agenda that describes goals and projects in three management areas:

1. Research & Habitat Enhancement
2. Environmental Education
3. Public Access & Resource Management

Funding Scope & Areas of Priority Research

There will be one funding cycle in 2024 for the CUNY Visiting Scholars Research Pilot. This year’s call for proposals will focus on identifying projects that reflect the Park’s interest in innovative approaches to understanding current and emerging issues for the Lower Hudson River Estuary. The Park intends to fund two projects with budgets up to $10,000 each, inclusive of a 12% indirect cost rate.

Areas of Priority Research include:

• Climate Change & Resilience
• Wetland & Nearshore Habitat Enhancement
• Water Quality & Modeling
• Terrestrial Ecology & Land Management
• Sustainability & Stewardship

Eligibility

• Full-time, tenured or tenure-track CUNY faculty are eligible to apply
• Adjunct faculty and lecturers may receive funding from this program as a co-PI or research associate if they partner with a full-time faculty member.
• Preference will be given to proposals that include CUNY postdoctoral scholar, graduate student, and/or undergraduate student participation in research with an emphasis on mentorship in STEM.
• Faculty may only participate in one proposal as a PI or co-PI.
• All awardees must submit a ~10 page report at the end of the funding period and share relevant data with the Park. Additionally, the awardee will be asked to share findings at up to two Park meetings or events.
• Awardees will have the opportunity to share their research at Hudson River Park’s annual Winter ESMP Sanctuary Science Meeting in 2025.

For full list of eligibility guidelines, please review Hudson River Park’s Project guidelines below.

Submission Guidelines (only complete proposals will be reviewed)

1. Proposal Summary
2. Project Narrative
   1. Clearly describe the research question addressed in the proposal, and provide detail about how the work will further the Park’s Areas of Priority Research as detailed above.
   2. Describe proposed methods and need for Park facilities and/or resources.
   3. Describe student participation.
3. Project Schedule
4. Abbreviated Biographical Sketch 
5. Budget & Budget Justification
6. List of Current & Pending Funds

For more information regarding eligibility guidelines and submission guidelines, please review Hudson River Park’s Project guidelines below.

Complete proposals must be submitted by March 22nd, 2024 by 11:59 pm EST

All questions and clarifications should be directed to Michaela Mincone, Science & Stewardship Coordinator (mmincone@hrpt.ny.gov) using the subject line “CUNY Visiting Scholar Grant.”