On 15 December 2011, the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) Research Board issued a new request for proposals, RFP-II, which will provide up to $7.5 million per year for research grants to individual investigators or small groups of researchers.  The funding is part of BP’s commitment to provide $500 million over ten years to support independent scientific research into the effects of the Deepwater Horizon incident on the Gulf of Mexico and to develop innovative new technologies and tools to respond to and mitigate future oil spills.
It is anticipated that grants awarded through the RFP-II competition will range between $100,000 and $1,000,000 per year. Â Grants may be awarded for a one to three year period. Individuals and small groups interested in submitting a grant application should consult RFP-II (http://www.gulfresearchinitiative.org/request-for-proposals/rfp-ii/) for specific guidelines and requirements. Â A Letter of Intent must be submitted by 9:00 p.m. EST on 17 January 2012.