RFPs: Including Indigenous Knowledge in Decision-Making for Ocean and Coastal Management

Scope of Work

• Broader inclusion of Indigenous ways of knowing into management decisions requires funding that supports:
  • the identification, analysis, and/or communication of Indigenous Knowledge and wisdom (where it is culturally appropriate), and
  • engagement approaches that facilitate the consideration of this knowledge in decision-making.
• To meet these needs, the LOP intends to fund multiple 15-month grant awards (total funding available for grant awards: $1M USD) that support Indigenous Peoples to elevate and share their traditions, culture, knowledge, and wisdom so that this information can inform evidence-based decision-making on the topical priorities identified below.
• The intent of this RFP is also to create opportunities where information from different knowledge systems, including Indigenous Knowledge, can be brought together to inform evidence-based decision-making in an equitable and complementary fashion. The LOP encourages applicants to consider equity and inclusivity as they develop their project ideas, which includes determining where they will work geographically, who will be in a leadership position on the project, who they will partner with, how the budget is allocated, and how the proposed work seeks to address local needs.

Project Focus

• All proposals must include substantial discussion about the planned collaboration and relationship building approaches and activities the project team will use to facilitate the consideration of Indigenous Knowledge and wisdom in decision-making in collaboration with the relevant rights holders, stakeholders, practitioners, and/or managers.
• Grant awards supported by this open call can run for up to 15 months and proposals should clearly communicate:
  • the geographical scope as well as the specific regional or sectoral management and/or decision-making context that Indigenous Knowledge and wisdom could help inform,
  • the identified opportunity(ies) to include Indigenous Knowledge in this management and/or decision-making context and/or any existing barriers to applying Indigenous Knowledge for evidence-based decision-making, which the proposed work would help address;
  • how the proposed activities will position Indigenous Knowledge and ways of knowing to be heard, considered, and included in discussions and/or decisions,
  • any proposed activities (if relevant to project needs) to identify, collate, safeguard, and/or analyze knowledge and wisdom stemming from Indigenous communities, and
  • an overview of the team’s plans for active engagement with groups using different types of knowledge so as to facilitate sharing and applying collective knowledge to decision-making within the identified context, if appropriate.

Topical Priorities

The LOP is interested in proposals that address or advance work on one or more of the following themes below. In addition to these specific priorities, projects are welcome to address themes that are intersectional in nature, such as community health, cultural heritage, coastal resilience, and food security, and applicants should make sure to articulate how they are aligned with one or more of these major topical priorities.

• Fisheries management – Proposed projects may include identifying opportunities where Indigenous Knowledge and ways of knowing could inform fisheries management where they aren’t currently being considered or applied. Proposals may focus on management of individual species that hold cultural, economic, livelihood, and/or subsistence importance, or on ideas that consider multiple species, and/or broader habitats and ecosystems that support those fisheries.
• Coastal development – Proposed projects may include identifying opportunities where Indigenous Knowledge and ways of knowing could inform ongoing or future coastal development activities in areas currently or previously occupied by Indigenous rights holders and communities. Priority will be assigned to proposals that detail how Indigenous Knowledge could inform the determination of how, where, and to what extent coastal waters are developed and used and how they can maintain their resilience over time.
• Coastal restoration – Proposed projects could include identifying opportunities where Indigenous Knowledge and ways of knowing could inform the identification and/or selection of potential sites and/or best practices and approaches to apply Indigenous Knowledge to in-field activities for restoration of marine habitats and ecosystems.
• Marine spatial protections – Proposed projects could include identifying opportunities where Indigenous Knowledge and ways of knowing could inform the creation of new, or supporting existing, spatial protections or management at various stages of their development: from establishing the location and bounds of newly proposed protected areas, to setting their goals/objectives to executing planned actions and monitoring required to reach the intended impact of the spatial protections.

Geographical Location

• The geographical limit for project proposals is the United States, including its territories, and Canada. Applicants should ensure their proposal speaks to why the location or region they propose to work in is well-suited to this call for proposals and how the project is drawn from a need identified by individuals or communities in that region.
• Furthermore, while all groups are encouraged to apply, applications must demonstrate that the ideas presented were codesigned/co-developed with Indigenous Peoples directly, and where possible and preferred, those groups should be recognized as leads/co-leads for projects. Finally, proposals that are led and submitted by Indigenous Peoples and/or organizations/institutions will be prioritized over those submitted by Indigenous serving, but not Indigenous led organizations/institutions, unless the Indigenous partners indicate a preference for a specific grant host organization/institution.

Eligibility Criteria

• To receive grant funds, grant host organizations/institutions must be in good financial standing and be able to fulfill the following requirements below:
  • be able to accept and administer the award as the grantee and/or on behalf of the grantee;
  • be able to pass Pew’s financial due diligence review, which requires submission of audited financial statements or similar documentation;
  • Pew funding from any open agreements and from this proposal will not represent greater than 50% of the grant host institution/organization’s gross revenue; and
  • agree to Pew’s indirect rate on salaries and benefits.
• Additionally, the Lenfest Ocean Program cannot support:
  • Any efforts at lobbying, advocating to establish, change, or remove government regulations or policies, or related legal analysis that has the express purpose of informing such activities,
  • Institutions from countries without U.S. diplomatic relations or the ability to conduct financial transactions with U.S. institutions, and
  • U.S. or Canadian national and/or state/provincial government institutions and staff salaries and benefits (these individuals can still participate in the project).

For more information, visit The Pew Charitable Trusts.