USGS Grant Applications
Apply for funding through the U.S. Geological Survey's Water Resources Research Act (WRRA) Program, authorized by section 104 of the Water Resources Research Act of 1984. WRRA is a Federal-State partnership allows KWRI to facilitate research through the Annual Base Grants, National Competitive Grants, and Coordination Grants. Information and resources regarding the most recent Request for Proposals for the 104b and 104g programs are listed below:
​
FY 2024 USGS 104B
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
On February 12, 2024, KWRRI released the FY 2024 Request for Proposals for the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) 104b grant program. This program is targeted toward supporting water-related research efforts conducted by students at universities and colleges in Kentucky. Research priorities include Water Scarcity and Availability, Water Hazards and Climate Variability, Water Quality, Water Policy, Planning and Socioeconomics, Watershed and Ecosystem Function, Water Technology and Innovation, Workforce Development, and Water Literacy.
​
Of note are several changes from prior years:
​
-
The matching requirement has been reduced from 2:1 to 1:1.
-
We will evaluate proposals in two categories: larger research grants ($10,000 to $20,000) and student research seed grants ($5,000 to $10,000).
-
Renewal of projects for a second year.
-
The proposal length, format, and reporting have been adjusted.
​
The deadline to apply is March 22, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. Application materials are linked below. You are required to use the templates provided. Proposal submissions should be submitted to the Institute by email.
Request for Proposal
Instructions
Attachment C:
Budget Justification Template
Attachment A:
Proposal Template
Budget Justification
Example
Attachment B:
Budget Template
Attachment D:
"Covered UAS" Assessment Guide
FY 2024 USGS 104G
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
For all three requests for proposals, an objective is to promote collaboration between the USGS and university scientists in research on significant national and regional water-resources issues. Proposals exhibiting substantial collaboration between the USGS and the applicant are strongly encouraged. Collaborative proposals should describe in detail the respective roles of the USGS and the applicant in the proposed work.
Water Resources Research Act Program grants are administered in cooperation between the US Geological Survey and the Water Resources Research Institutes and Centers. The Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute (KWRRI) coordinates applications from universities or colleges in Kentucky. Applications must be submitted to KWRI by May 16, 5:00 pm EST, to allow time for the KWRI to prepare and submit the application package.
Please contact kwri@uky.edu ASAP if you are considering submission of a proposal or if you have any questions regarding these announcements.
​
For more information on the Water Resources Research Act Program and the grant programs, click here.
​
Water Resources Research Institutes [or Centers] have been established in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam. The Institute in Guam also serves the Federated States of Micronesia and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The Institute in Hawaii also serves American Samoa.
The addresses of the 54 Institutes are available at https://water.usgs.gov/wrri/index.php. Responsibility for administration of the Water Resources Research Act Program has been delegated to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The 54 Institutes are organized as the National Institutes for Water Resources (NIWR). NIWR cooperates with the USGS in the administration of the Water Resources Research Act Program.
PROGRAM OBJECTIVES
Section 104(g) of the Water Resources Research Act of 1984 requires that this competitive grant program focus on: “water problems and issues of a regional or interstate nature beyond those of concern only to a single State and which relate to specific program priorities identified jointly by the Secretary (of the Interior) and the (water resources research) institutes.” Objectives of this program also include the following:
A. Promote collaboration between the USGS and university scientists in research on significant national and regional water-resources issues. Proposals exhibiting substantial collaboration between the USGS and the applicant are strongly encouraged. Collaborative proposals should describe in detail the respective roles of the USGS and the applicant in the proposed work. It is anticipated that in FY2024 the USGS will have internal funds available for modest support of USGS scientists on selected proposals.
B. Promote the dissemination and application of the results of the research funded under this program, both to the scientific community and to the general public.C. Assist in the training of scientists in relevant water-resource fields. Proposals that include a strong educational component (student support) are encouraged, as are those from early-career faculty.
RESEARCH PRIORITIES
Ongoing research needs include improving and enhancing the nation’s water supply and availability, as well as promoting the exploration of new ideas that address or expand our understanding of water problems. Proposals are sought on the following specific areas of inquiry; levels of priority are not assigned, and the order of listing does not indicate the level of priority:
National-scale evaluation of water budget: Retrospective or predictive analyses using hydroclimate-forcing data sets, with emphasis on CONUS404, which was developed in a USGS- NCAR collaboration. Additional guidance includes• Comparison of different water budget models, evaluation of relative model predictive skill and identification of specific opportunities for improvements.
• Incorporation of how uncertainty in hydroclimate-forcing propagates to water budget components.
• Evaluate scale-dependent uncertainties in water-budget predictions when using CONUS404. (e.g. How much more uncertainty at HUC12 versus HUC 8, which variables, and are specific uncertainties regional?).
​
Rasmussen, R.M., Liu, C., Ikeda, K., Chen, F., Kim, J., Schneider, T., Gochis, D., Dugger, A., and Viger, R., 2023, Four-kilometer long-term regional hydroclimate reanalysis over the conterminous United States (CONUS), 1979-2020: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9PHPK4F.
Socieoeconomics: Integrate ongoing USGS research and data collection in order to assess socioeconomic and ecological vulnerability to compounding extreme events and develop adaptation measures. This proposed project should undertake new research (e.g., Water Use and Social and Economic Drivers Program) to understand the vulnerability of urban (e.g., trans-basin diversions), agricultural (e.g., reservoir management), and ecological (e.g., endangered species) water-use sectors to drought and compounding hazards such as wildfire. Additional guidance includes:• Qualitative techniques to develop parameters or metrics for feedback inputs into hydrologic models (e.g. surveys/interviews/focus groups to understand how consumers change their behaviors around water use in response to supply shortages).
• Construct utility functions of actual decision-makers/consumers that are used in the model, rather than hypothetical versions.
• Exploration of close-loop versus open-loop hydrologic models in different geographic contexts.
Model advancement: Explore methods to develop new hydrologic models in a geographic area and provide information on promising modeling approaches to inform science questions specific to a region. Examples include:
• Natural language processing methods to assimilate and identify succinct hydrologic science issues in an area of interest, and additional AI/ML to provide a modeling pathway based on attributes of hydrologic model capacities.)
• Rapid model development methods to quickly provide information regarding potential high-value data collection and guide further model development in a given geographic area.
Funding Opportunity Goals Research for water resources in each State or Territory served by the Water Resources Research Institutes under the Water Resources Research Act.​
The challenges and opportunities that link aquatic invasive species and water resources are poorly understood, despite the real and growing effect of numerous aquatic invasive species on water quality, water quantity, and aquatic ecosystems. Research is needed to better identify and understand these interactions and to guide management decisions that will help to improve invasive species management and thus reduce effects of invasive species on water resources and aquatic ecosystems at local, regional, and national scales. Proposals are sought on the following specific areas of inquiry (levels of priority are not assigned, and the order of listing does not indicate the level of priority):
​
-
Effects: Research that improves our understanding of the effects of aquatic invasive species on lakes, rivers, and associated tributaries in the upper Mississippi River basin, including changes to water quantity, water quality, and ecosystem dynamics.
​
-
Characteristics: Research that identifies physical, biological, and chemical characteristics of water bodies that infer resistance and resilience to the distribution, establishment, and effects of aquatic invasive species in the upper Mississippi River basin. Research is needed to better understand these interactions to guide management decisions that will improve invasive species management and result in positive effects on aquatic ecosystems.
​
-
Management: Research on assessment of the detection, spread, and management of aquatic invasive species in the upper Mississippi River basin and the connections to human dimensions, both socially and economically. Note that this does not include physical control of AIS.
-
​
Water Resources Research Institutes [or Centers] have been established in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam. The Institute in Guam also serves the Federated States of Micronesia and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The Institute in Hawaii also serves American Samoa. The addresses of the 54 Institutes are available at https://water.usgs.gov/wrri/index.php. Responsibility for administration of the Water Resources Research Act Program has been delegated to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The 54 Institutes are organized as the National Institutes for Water Resources (NIWR). NIWR cooperates with the USGS in the administration of the Water Resources Research Act Program.
PROGRAM OBJECTIVES
Section 104(g) of the Water Resources Research Act of 1984 requires that this competitive grant program focus on: “water problems and issues of a regional or interstate nature beyond those of concern only to a single State and which relate to specific program priorities identified jointly by the Secretary (of the Interior) and the (water resources research) institutes.” Objectives of this program also include the following:
A. Promote per-and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) substances research as related to the nation’s water quality as well as the social and(or) economic implications that might drive or be affected by PFAS. This includes integration with ongoing USGS science, monitoring, and goals, including those summarized by Tokranov and others (2021; https://doi.org/10.3133/cir1490).
Page 3 of 23
B. Promote the dissemination and application of the results of the research funded under this program, both to the scientific community and to the general public. C. Assist in the training of scientists in relevant water-resource fields. Proposals that include a strong educational component (student support) are encouraged, as are those from early-career faculty.
RESEARCH PRIORITIES
The challenges and opportunities of understanding the effects of per-and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) substances on water resources are poorly understood, despite the real and growing effect of this group of man-made substances on water quality and the resultant exposure to humans, other organisms, and ecosystems. Research is needed to better understand these interactions and guide management decisions that will improve water resources at the regional or national scale.
Proposals are sought on the following specific areas of inquiry (levels of priority are not assigned, and the order of listing does not indicate the level of priority):Media-specific methods: Enhanced methods for detection on specific media, with a clear indication of
• new or different compounds,
• new or different methodological approaches,
• lower detection levels for specific media or compounds, especially with respect to EPA health guidelines for PFOA (Perfluorooctanoic Acid) and PFOS (Perfluorooctane Sulfonate).Media of interest include (in ranked order): (1) Tissues/plasma, (2) sediment, (3) air or interfaces, (4) water.
Atmospheric sources: Improved understanding of atmospheric exchange in PFAS distribution and fate. This may include methods to determine transport of PFAS to the atmosphere and to subsequent receiving waters, such as a water method that determines "new" compounds based on their likelihood to occur in the atmosphere.
Processes oriented at molecular level: Process-oriented research of PFAS fate, transport, and effects, with emphasis on molecular-level understanding of PFAS precursor transformation, sorption dynamics, or mechanisms of bioaccumulation and(or) biological/ecological effects, or biodegradation of PFAS along source to receptor pathways and identification of mitigation methods.
Funding Opportunity Goals
Research pertaining to PFAS in water resources in each State or Territory served by the Water Resources Research Institutes under the Water Resources Research Act.
​
​