Water Resources Research National Competitive Grants Program Announcement FY 2016

Thursday, December 10, 2015 - 11:35am
Summary: 

The U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the National Institutes for Water Resources requests proposals for matching grants to support research on the topic of improving and enhancing the nation's water supply, including evaluation of innovative approaches to water treatment, infrastructure design, retrofitting, maintenance, management, and replacement; exploration and advancement of our understanding of changes in the quantity and quality of water resources in response to a changing climate, population shifts, and land use changes; development of methods for better estimation of water supply, both surface and groundwater, including estimation of the physical supply and of the economic supply of water; development and evaluation of processes and governance mechanisms for integrated surface/ground water management; and the evaluation and assessment of conservation practices. Any investigator at an accredited institution of higher learning in the United States is eligible to apply for a grant through a Water Research Institute or Center established under the provisions of the Water Resources Research Act of 1984, as amended (http://water.usgs.gov/wrri/institutes.html). Proposals involving substantial collaboration between the USGS and university scientists are encouraged. Proposals may be for projects of one to three years in duration and may request up to $250,000 in federal funds. Successful applicants must match each dollar of the federal grant with one dollar from nonfederal sources. Approximately $1 million is available for this program. The Government's obligation under this program is contingent upon the availability of funds. 

Proposals must be filed on the Internet at https://niwr.net/ by 5 p.m., Eastern Time, Thursday, February 25, 2016. 

Applicants should note that there is language on the NIWR website and in the RFP on submitting a Federal Form SF-424 via Grants.gov.  Applicants do NOT need to be concerned with this step. The University of New Hampshire and the NH WRRC will prepare the SF-424 and submit it on behalf of applicants to Grants.gov by the March 17, 2016 deadline for Institutes and Centers. The NH WRRC will also work with applicants to approve proposals by this deadline. This requires that applicants provide a matching commitment letter and proof of administrative approval by the applicant's institution of higher education.

A copy of the RFP is available at http://water.usgs.gov/wrri/FY_2016_RFP_104g.pdf.