Rhode Island’s governor has announced $800,000 in state grants for researchers studying the effects of climate change on marine life.

Gov. Lincoln Chafee said Tuesday the funding is available through a program of the Rhode Island Science and Technology Advisory Council, in partnership with the National Science Foundation.

Preference will be given to projects that use Brown University’s and the University of Rhode Island’s research facilities in proteomics, genomics and sequencing. Preference will also be given to projects that use the marine life sciences facilities at URI’s Bay Campus.

Initial proposals are due Sept. 28.

Since 2007, the program has awarded about $7.7 million to 46 teams of researchers at 44 different institutions.