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Bradley Scholar Program

The Bradley Scholar Program is currently in inactive status.

The purpose of the Bradley Scholar Program is to provide support to USGS  Scientists Emeriti for (1) completing legacy work and (2) conducting new basic or applied research in earth and biological sciences.

The Bradley Scholar Program honors the contributions of Wilmot Hyde “Bill” Bradley (Chief Geologist, 1944-1959). Bradley strongly supported attaining a balanced program of applied and basic research. Under his leadership, scientists applied multidisciplinary techniques in investigating uranium and other rare-element deposits. Bradley, however, is best known for his fundamental and applied studies of past and present lakes and their sediments, especially Green River oil shales. The scientific community recognized Bradley’s contributions in 1972 with the GSA Penrose Medal.

Awards are limited to no more than $5,000 per year per Scientist Emeritus. Approximately 60% of available funding will be directed toward legacy work and 40% for new research.

Legacy Component –For the purposes of this program, legacy work includes unfinished experimental, mapping, or interpretative work, begun before retiring from the USGS, and which can be completed within two years.

New Research Component –This component supports scientific studies started after retiring from the USGS that relate to the mission of the USGS. Work should be able to be completed in three years or less.

If you plan to apply to the Bradley Scholar Program, please follow the Bradley instructions below.

 

Guidelines for completing Bradley proposal form

Because of the large number of applicants competing for Bradley funding, it is critical that you FOLLOW THESE GUIDELINES CAREFULLY:

  1. All Bradley Scholars must be active Scientists Emeriti. Before you submit a Bradley proposal, make certain you have a current Volunteer Services Agreement (see How to Participate).
  2. Complete the Bradley Scholar Proposal form. This must be done for each year that you request money.
  3. Submit your Word document proposal (via email if possible) to your Science Center Director or Branch Chief by the designated date.

Timeline for Proposals

  • Scientists Emeriti submit Bradley Scholar Proposal forms to Science Center Directors/Branch Chiefs/CRU Regional Supervisors. On-line Volunteer Services Agreement forms must be in place with annual work plans incorporated.
  • Science Center Directors/Branch Chiefs/CRU Regional Supervisors forward a digital copy of the proposal and support form to Laurel M. Bybell, lbybell@usgs.gov.
  • Bradley panel meets
  • Notification of panel results

 

Proposal Review Process

Bradley Scholar proposals will first be reviewed by your Science Center Director/Branch Chief/CRU Regional Supervisor before they submit it to Judy Back, the Scientist Emeritus Coordinator, for review by an internal panel. Scientists Emeriti in headquarters should submit their proposals through their supervisory chain. Please consult Judy Back if you have any questions. The review panel will include a Scientist Emeritus and science managers. Panel members will be chosen for their scientific expertise in the areas covered in the proposals. Final funding decisions will be made by the Director of the Office of Science Quality and Integrity.

Using the Bradley Scholar Proposal Support Form, your Science Center Director/Branch Chief/CRU Regional Supervisor will provide additional information to support the proposal, including your previous year of funding, as well as a supporting/clarifying statement regarding how much the proposed work would support the Science Center’s/Branch’s overall efforts and how much support they can give to the proposed work. If your Science Center Director/Branch Chief/CRU Regional Supervisor approves your proposal, he/she will forward the completed support form and the proposal to the Judy Back.

For multiple year projects, progress of work will be evaluated annually by the review panel, and second and third year funding will be dependent upon meeting scheduled milestones and/or developing promising new directions, as well as continued availability of Bradley Scholar Program funding.

 

Proposal Review Criteria

A. Legacy work

  1. The proposed work meets the definition of legacy work – i.e. experimental, mapping, or interpretative work begun during the Scientist Emeritus’ career, and which can be completed within two years.
  2. Technical quality of the research proposal – scientific merit of the proposed work and feasibility of the proposed approach, including timely completion of products,
  3. Relevance – how well does the proposed research relate to the USGS mission and/or the Bureau science strategy (http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/2007/1309/pdf/C1309.pdf)? Is there a customer interested in completion of this legacy work?
  4. Technical expertise –is the appropriate expertise identified?
  5. Budget and facilities– is the proposed budget reasonable with respect to the value of the anticipated results? Does the proposal contain a detailed budget that includes any applicable Science Center/Branch assessment? Are the necessary facilities available to complete the work?
  6. Progress to date – the second year of funding for multi-year proposals will be awarded only if substantial progress has been demonstrated and continued funding is available.

B. New Research

  1. Technical quality of the research proposal – scientific merit of the proposed research and feasibility of the proposed approach, including timely completion of products. All proposals must indicate one or more products.
  2. Relevance – how well does the proposed research relate to the USGS mission and/or the Bureau science strategy (http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/2007/1309/pdf/C1309.pdf)? Is there a customer interested in completion of this legacy work?
  3. Technical expertise –is the appropriate expertise identified?
  4. Budget and facilities– is the proposed budget reasonable with respect to the value of the anticipated results? Does the proposal contain a detailed budget that includes any applicable Science Center/Branch assessment? Are the necessary facilities available to complete the work?
  5. Progress to date – the second and third years of funding for multi-year proposals will be awarded only if substantial progress has been demonstrated and continued funding is available.