Maine Sea Grant has a limited amount of program development, or seed project, funding to support small-scale or preliminary research projects. The total available is approximately $45,000 to $50,000 per year, and individual awards range from a few hundred dollars to a maximum of $10,000. Program development funds are intended to allow researchers to conduct pilot projects to demonstrate the feasibility of an approach, or to obtain preliminary data to support a full proposal to Sea Grant or other funding agency. Development funding is also used to support small-scale projects, in which useful information can be obtained for a limited cost and to avoid the necessity of developing a full proposal. Finally, development funding allows Sea Grant to respond rapidly so that researchers can begin to address important issues and problems without the delays inherent in the full proposal process.

Development funding supports research projects in the three theme areas of Ecosystem Health, Aquaculture and Fisheries, that meet the overall objectives of the program described in the 2001-2005 Strategic plan Marine Science for Maine People. Because Sea Grant seeks to foster the highest quality marine research, projects in areas not mentioned in the Strategic Plan will be also be considered, provided they contribute to the improved understanding, utilization, sustainability, or management of coastal and marine resources.

Development funds are not usually used for salaries of principal investigators, permanent equipment, fringe benefits, or institutional overhead. Requests for funding to attend meetings or publish results will be considered, but are generally a low priority. To view Maine Sea Grant's policy for distribution of Program Development funds, click here. Requests for development funding are made using a standard Project Proposal Form, and decisions are usually made three times per year. Prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to discuss their project with the Sea Grant director before applying.