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Quick Response Program Guidelines

Postdisaster Studies Sponsored by
the Natural Hazards Center

Purpose

The Natural Hazards Center's Quick Response Program provides funds for researchers to quickly travel to disaster-affected areas to capture perishable data. As well as contributing to academic knowledge, the research results in reports that make rapid analyses of recent events available to the Hazards Center's multidisciplinary network of researchers, practitioners, and educators. The program promotes innovation in disaster research by favoring students, new researchers, and novel areas of study.

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Program Operation and Selection Criteria

The Natural Hazards Center's Quick Response Program provides funds for researchers to quickly travel to disaster-affected areas to capture perishable data. Upon return, researchers write a brief report of their findings for distribution to the Hazards Center’s network of practitioners and researchers, making topical information immediately and broadly available. Most Quick Response-funded researchers go on to publish final results in academic journals or reports with acknowledgement of Center support. The researcher provides a reprint of the final publication to the Center library, expanding its disciplinary reach.

The Quick Response Program promotes new knowledge and perspectives by favoring research that fills gaps in the literature and time-sensitive research unlikely to be funded rapidly by other means—especially research by skilled students and new researchers. A variety of empirical research is acceptable. Proposals using widely recognized, theory-driven scientific methods to examine social, behavioral, and organizational phenomena are preferred.

The Quick Response Program provides small grants to reimburse actual expenses incurred during pre-approved fieldwork. The program seeks to fund research that is likely to be extended or more broadly disseminated. Realistic and economical budgets demonstrating an effective use of program funds will be favored.

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2009 Preferred Topics

Although all proposals will be considered, the Natural Hazards Center has identified areas where it would like to see the literature developed. For the 2009 Quick Response year, proposals that engage one or more of the following topics or classes of disasters will be given extra weight:
  • Local economic impacts;

  • Legal process, especially in relation to response, access, and civil and human rights;

  • Journalistic practices and their impacts;

  • Vulnerable populations or minorities;

  • Vital, cultural, and historic record preservation;

  • Mandatory evacuations, including compliance and repopulation;

  • Interagency and intergovernmental coordination, especially in relation to preexisting disaster plans;

  • Mass mortality;

  • Primary public health incidents, e.g., epidemics; and

  • Hospital and health system response.

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Application Process

Every fall, researchers submit quick response proposals in anticipation of disasters that might occur during the next calendar year. Proposals anticipate studying the aftermath of a particular class of disaster (e.g., tornadoes), or a particular social phenomena that might occur in the wake of different types of disasters (e.g., interagency coordination under the incident command system), or both.

Proposals are accepted from all U.S.-based researchers. Researchers whose proposals were approved but not activated in previous years should submit a new application meeting current guidelines if they wish to be considered for the 2009 year. Submissions must include:
  • A maximum three-page proposal consisting of a title, research question(s), and methods, including details of plans to collect data under difficult conditions. An explanation of the need for quick response, theoretical and applied benefits of the research, and field entry timeframe should be clearly stated.

  • An economical budget limited to travel-related expenses such as airfare, car rental, hotel, and per diem. Modest data collection costs may also be considered. Most budgets should be under $2000. A maximum of $3000 is available for an exceptional proposal.

  • A curriculum vita, outlining relevant qualifications, publications, and experience.

  • Students should submit a statement explaining their qualifications to implement the proposed methods and complete the work. A letter of support from an advisor and other information supporting a student's qualifications may be required before final approval is granted.

To submit a proposal for the 2009 grant cycle, please e-mail the above documents in Word or PDF format to Jolie Breeden at jolie.breeden@colorado.edu by November 16, 2008. Include “Quick Response Proposal” in the subject line.

Out-of-cycle proposals make it difficult for program staff to efficiently allocate funds and will be strongly disfavored in 2009.

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Favored Evaluation Criteria

Submissions will be evaluated based on weighted criteria favoring:

  • In-cycle proposals examining the above-stated 2009 focus areas

  • New and student researchers that have not received a Quick Response Grant in the past two years

  • Clearly articulated research questions using robust and appropriate methods to significantly contribute to knowledge about the social aspects of hazards and disasters

  • Proposals that promise to produce broadly applicable findings from research unlikely to be funded by other means and are likely to result in extended work and broader dissemination

  • Likelihood of completing research as proposed, resulting in the submittal of a high-quality report

  • Efficient and responsibly crafted budget

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Activation Procedure and Grant Requirements

The Natural Hazards Center will pre-approve a number of proposals for activation and possible funding between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2009.  An official letter from the applicant’s human subjects committee approving the research, or waiving the need for approval, will be required before activation.

Researchers with approved proposals will contact Program Associate Jolie Breeden for permission to activate their grants immediately on learning of a disaster that suits their proposal. If approved for activation, the researcher will be required to submit a brief, revised proposal applying the original data collection plan to the specific disaster. A revised budget and firm field entry and exit dates will also be required.

Every effort will be made to enable the researcher to enter the field as soon as possible. However, all pre-approvals and approvals remain at the Natural Hazards Center's sole discretion. Under no circumstances should researchers enter the field expecting Quick Response Program funding without written approval.

A Quick Response report of 5-12 pages will be due within 90 days of returning from the field. The report should include the research question(s), methods, results, and possible applications of results. Reports should be submitted as a Microsoft Word document. Charts, graphs, photos, and other ancillary materials should be submitted as separate files with notations of their placement in the main document.

After the report is received and accepted, the researcher may submit original receipts for reimbursement, up to the amount stated in the acceptance letter, in accordance with University of Colorado rules. Researchers submitting late reports may forfeit reimbursement.

Quick Response Reports will be edited to Center style and published on the Natural Hazards Center Web site as well as in other electronic and print forms. Most Quick Response-funded researchers go on to publish final results in academic journals or reports. The researcher must acknowledge Center support in all publications resulting from their Quick Response Program grant and provide a reprint of those publications to the Center library.

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Program Flyer

Please feel free to post or distribute this printable version of our program flyer.