[CANUFNET] ISA-SRC 2019 Call for Literature Review Proposals

[Tenley Conway]

The Science and Research Committee of the ISA is again looking to support a literature review of an arboriculture topic, including urban and community forestry.  The proposal deadline is March 15th, with one $5,000 award granted to support a literature review.  This is a great opportunity for graduate students developing their research proposals.

Please see the call details below and in the attached pdf.

If you have any questions, feel free to email me (tenley.conway at utoronto.ca<mailto:tenley.conway at utoronto.ca>) or Stephanie Ebersohl at ISA (sebersohl at isa-arbor.com<mailto:sebersohl at isa-arbor.com>). Proposals should be sent to Stephanie Ebersohl at sebersohl at isa-arbor.com<mailto:sebersohl at isa-arbor.com> by March 15, 2019.

Thanks,

Tenley Conway
Professor
Department of Geography, Program in Environment
University of Toronto, Mississauga
tenley.conway at utoronto.ca<mailto:tenley.conway at utoronto.ca>
http://sites.utm.utoronto.ca/conway



OVERVIEW
The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) in conjunction with the Science and Research Committee (SRC) are continuing their series of scientific literature reviews. Literature reviews should identify the frontiers of arboriculture and then assist in disseminating this knowledge to the profession worldwide.
ISA is now accepting proposals for literature reviews on topics within the following themes. The topics can be as focused as is necessary to provide a comprehensive literature review:

●     Tree Benefits and Public Awareness (e.g., quantifying tree benefits, public awareness of trees and their benefits, public perception of arborists and urban foresters)
●     Plant Health Care (e.g., tree diagnostic practices, application of integrated pest management, abiotic disorder management)
●     Urban and Community Forestry (e.g., tree species diversity, climate change effects on the urban forest, inventories and management plans, strategic management, planning and design of resilient urban forests)
●     Tree Care and Preservation (e.g., pruning techniques, preservation ordinances, balancing tree risk and tree benefits)

This Request for Proposals is for the performance of a comprehensive literature review of all research relevant to the proposed topic.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
●     Timely Topic
The successful grantee will perform a literature review on a topic that represents a current or expanding topic of focus within one of the four themes listed above.

●     Organizational Access
The successful grantee must have a means of accessing relevant research and technical publications from relevant sources that include and emphasize, but are not necessarily restricted to, refereed journals.
●     Researcher Qualifications
The successful grantee must have the educational background, knowledge, and skills necessary to discern the difference between primary and secondary sources in research. In addition, the successful grantee must be capable of making judgements on the rigor and scientific merit of research publications by evaluating the experimental design, data collection procedures, statistical procedures and analysis, and validity/appropriateness of conclusions drawn. Technical articles in refereed and non-refereed journals may contain appropriate literature; the successful grantee must be able to understand such articles and assess their value to include in the review.

●     Communication Skills
The successful grantee must be able to communicate the results of this study in a well-written manuscript with comprehensive bibliographic citations, suitable for publishing (in English). The successful grantee may also be asked to present a summary of the results at the International Society of Arboriculture conference in the year following completion of the study.
●     Budget
The successful grantee must submit a proposal for all specified requirements within a budget cap of $5,000 USD.

SCOPE OF SERVICES (DELIVERABLES)
The successful grantee will be required to perform the following services:

  1.  Submit a study plan and outline to the Science and Research Committee (SRC) (no more than 3 months after the contract is implemented) for review and feedback.

     *   A clear description of the research problem(s)
     *   The scope of studies to be included in the analysis
     *   A format for coding literature into the database
     *   Anticipated results
  1.  Submit a final Summary Report to the SRC containing:
     *   Introduction
     *   Description of how studies were collected
     *   Description of how the database and coded data was formatted above and beyond ISA Guidelines
     *   Description of findings
     *   Interpretation of synthesized findings and their implications
     *   Appendix
  2.  Prepare a literature review paper for publication in Arboriculture & Urban Forestry listing all research published (preferably primary sources in refereed journals) and summarizing
previous work, trends that have emerged, research possibilities that have been overlooked, approaches showing promise or have proven sterile, and recommendations for further research. The summary should discuss the quality, merit, and scope of the research studies.
  3.  Prepare a summary article suitable for Arborist News magazine, summarizing the work and its relevance and applicability to practitioners in the profession.

PROPOSAL COMPONENTS
Only one proposal per principal investigator and/or research group can be submitted for consideration. Principal investigators from around the world are invite to apply.


  1.  Plan/Narrative
The narrative must be clear and concise, containing an overview of the proposed topics to be reviewed (i.e., the scope of literature review to be conducted) and a rationale for why a literature review on the proposed topic is important at this time (i.e., recent advances in the literature, absence of other reviews on the topic, etc.), as well as a plan of work describing the proposed methodology, the proposed timeline or schedule, key personnel involved in implementation and the ability of the applicant to perform all required services. Each proposal should show a clear understanding of the needs noted in this RFP and demonstrate how the plan will meet the goals and objectives of this particular RFP. Grantees must provide a detailed description of the methods to be employed to accomplish the tasks as noted in this RFP, including methodologies for reviewing non-English citations.
  2.  Organizational Capacity
The organizational capacity should show evidence of adequate human, organizational, and technical resources and professional ability to meet the needs of this RFP. The organizational description must include but need not be limited to the following:
●      Resumes or curriculum vitae of key personnel.
●      A description of how the provider's internal monitoring system adheres to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).

  1.  Demonstrated Effectiveness
Proposal must include a description of all prior experience in the provision of these or similar services. At a minimum, this description should include the background and experience of the grantee in providing these services.
  2.  Budget
Proposal must include a detailed budget stipulating how funds will be spent, including direct costs, salaries, wages and benefits, administration and overhead (if applicable), contractor costs, materials and supplies, and travel (if applicable).
EVALUATION
All proposals accepted by ISA will be reviewed to determine that candidates meet all of the submission and minimum qualifications requirements prescribed in the RFP. An evaluation committee will evaluate and rate all proposals under consideration, applying the evaluation criteria below:
Components

Characteristics

Points

Plan/Narrative

Topic of literature review, methodology, program design, scope of services, ability to perform all required services, and innovative elements

50

Organizational Capacity

Evidence of adequate organization staff, resources (human, organizational, and technical), and professional ability to meet requested services

20

Demonstrated Effectiveness

Evidence of prior successful experiences in the provision of services

20

Budget

Budget Plan, reasonableness of total cost, and comparison with other proposals

10


SUBMITTING

  1.  The candidate shall submit a cover letter transmitting the proposal package to ISA. The cover letter shall be signed and dated by an authorized individual representing the candidate’s Organization.
  2.  Candidates shall include in their proposals a table of contents and page numbers. (Although there is no specific limit on the number of pages that applications may contain, applicants are encouraged to be as concise and succinct as possible, while adequately conveying their ability to undertake the proposed request.)
  3.  The entire proposal package shall be submitted to: sebersohl at isa-arbor.com<mailto:sebersohl at isa-arbor.com>


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