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Blue Horizon Grant: Seed Support for Bold Ocean Solutions

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The Blue Horizon Grant backs cross-disciplinary projects that push ideas a step farther than talk. Think prototypes, pilot programs, and public tools that help people protect and understand our ocean.

Award: TBD. We will announce the amount before the next cycle. Plan a lean, honest budget that gets your project over the line.

What we fund

  • Field pilots that turn a concept into a working test

  • Simple hardware or software prototypes for monitoring, mapping, or outreach

  • Community partnerships that produce a concrete tool, exhibit, or training

  • Storytelling that makes complex science clear and useful

  • Method trials for restoration or reef health tracking with shareable results

What we do not fund

  • Tuition, wages, or general stipends

  • Laptops, phones, or high-end cameras without a specific, justified need

  • Projects without permits when required, a safety plan, or measurable outcomes

Who should apply

  • Students, early-career researchers, engineers, educators, artists, and community groups

  • Small teams that can scope a tight plan, finish on time, and ship a usable result

  • South Florida roots are a plus, but strong projects from anywhere are welcome with local buy-in

What you will deliver

  • A finished output others can use: dataset, tool, map, exhibit, training, or short film

  • A one-page methods sheet so someone else can repeat or build on your work

  • 5 to 10 photos or screenshots and a brief summary for our website

  • If sites are sensitive, omit exact locations and share only appropriate detail

Budget guidance

Keep it clear and itemized.Eligible: small gear, consumables, instrument fees, permits, modest travel tied to the work, printing, software, storage, translation, accessibility services.Ineligible: general stipends, unrelated travel, luxury gear, expenses without receipts.We may fund by reimbursement or direct purchase depending on the plan.

How to apply

  1. Request the application formEmail projectanchordown@gmail.com with the subject Blue Horizon Grant Request + Your Name.Include your CV or resume and 3 to 5 sentences on your idea, location, partners, and what the award would unlock.

  2. Prepare your proposalYou will be asked for:

  3. 300 to 600 word summary with goals, significance, and users

  4. Simple timeline with milestones

  5. Itemized budget (award is TBD, propose what you truly need)

  6. Safety and ethics plan, including permits and points of contact

  7. A short note of support from a mentor or community partner

How we choose

We prioritize:

  • Clear impact and a concrete, shareable output

  • Feasibility within time and budget

  • Safety, permits, and good field practice

  • Community benefit and respect for local knowledge

  • Plans for access and long-term stewardship of results

Timeline

  • Rolling review with quarterly cycles

  • Award amount and dates posted ahead of each cycle

  • Typical project length is 6 to 16 weeks

Examples we like

  • A low-cost reef temperature dashboard that turns buoy data into daily classroom visuals

  • A bilingual storm-drain to reef toolkit that any city club can run with

  • A seagrass snapshot across three sites with an open methods sheet and tidy dataset

  • A short film for high schools that explains coral bleaching with teacher materials

  • A pilot of a simple, repeatable shoreline photo station network

Questions or ready to request the applicationEmail projectanchordown@gmail.com with your CV. Tell us what you want to build and why it matters. We will point you to the right next step.

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