104B – Annual Water Resources Research Act Program Funding Opportunity
The Illinois Water Resources Center (IWRC) requests proposals to fund exploratory research or educational projects that enhance water sciences research and higher education throughout Illinois. Although we are interested in supporting all water resources studies that affect Illinois, our 2024 priority topics are artificial intelligence applications and water resources, ecohydrology and public health in urban settings, social and environmental justice in water resources management, and synergy among multiple-scale spatiotemporal complex water systems. We are particularly interested in supporting projects that will help grow the body of research in Illinois, including proof-of-concept projects that may help researchers attract larger grants. Proposals continuing the work of previous IWRC Annual Research Grants will not be accepted. This is an open call contingent on funding availability.
NOTIFICATION OF INTENT DUE: 11/1/2023 5PM CST
FULL PROPOSAL DUE: 12/11/2023 5PM CST
Mission of the IWRC
The IWRC is a federal–state partnership whose aim is to plan, facilitate, and conduct research that helps resolve and foresee Illinois and regional water problems; promote the development and transfer of water technologies; promote the dissemination and application of research; train scientists through participation in research; and award competitive grants under the Water Resources Research Act. We conduct and facilitate novel and interdisciplinary water sciences research that benefits the people, economy, and environment of Illinois, the Mississippi River basin, and the Great Lakes region. The IWRC is dedicated to promoting transformative research and technological advances in water sciences by using team-based strategies to tackle grand societal challenges through collaboration on national and international scales.
Funding Eligibility and Requirements
The advancement of full proposals to review is contingent on the submission of a Notification
of Intent (NOI) by the designated deadline. Proposals must be submitted by principal investigators (PIs) who are faculty members or professionals affiliated with four-year institutions. Students may be listed as co-PIs. Funds must be used to support a new project with student participation, not for additional student(s) on a PI’s project funded by another source or sources. PIs will be required to provide documentation of committed matching funds. As the sponsor, the U.S. Geological Survey requires a 1:1 nonfederal-to-federal funding match. Provided the PI is not a federal employee, the PI’s salary may be (and often is) used for the match.
The sponsor will not pay indirect costs; researchers are encouraged to use forfeited indirect costs as a portion of the required match.
Funding is for 12 months, and the expected project period is September 1, 2024, to August 31, 2025. Funding availability and the funding timeline are determined by the allocation process of the U.S. Congress and may vary from year to year.
Federal employees may, and are encouraged to, collaborate with college or university investigators in this program. Federal employees may not serve as PIs but may serve as co-PIs. Federal employees and agencies may not receive federal funds for any purpose under these awards. Federal employees and agencies may not serve as a source of matching funds under these awards.
This program is designed as support for graduate students performing innovative research on water resources. Eligible expenses include salaries, research supplies, research travel, and publication costs.
Amy Weckle
Illinois Water Resources Center
Assistant Director
aweckle@illinois.edu
(217) 300-2101
Application Content
Notification of Intent (NOI)—Due Wednesday, November 1, 2023, by 5 pm CST
Notification of Intent (NOI)—due Wednesday, November 1, 2023, by 5 pm CST
Eligibility for submission of the full application is contingent on submission of an NOI (one page and 4,000-character maximum) by the specified due date and time. The NOI will be used by the IWRC to improve the review process for full applications. The NOI will not be used for application selection purposes, and submission of an NOI does not commit an applicant to completing a full submission.
The IWRC will not consider NOIs submitted after the deadline. Full proposals related to a late or nonexistent NOI will not be accepted or reviewed.
Each applicant must provide the following information as part of the NOI:
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- Project Title
- Lead Organization
- PI
- Priority Topic Area
- Abstract. The abstract provided should be limited to 200 words in length and should provide a truncated explanation of the proposed project.
Full proposals—Due Wednesday, November 22, 2023, by 5 pm CST
Full proposals can be submitted here and must consist of the following elements:
1. Basic Information
The cover page should:
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- Include a title that concisely describes the project.
- Provide the name, academic rank, university or organization, email address, and phone number of the PI(s).
- Identify the congressional district of the university or organization where the work will be conducted (e.g., IL-015).
- Identify one or more primary topics related to water resources, including justification for the exploratory research or educational project, from the following (shown in alphabetical order):
- Artificial intelligence applications and water resources
- Ecohydrology and public health in urban settings
- Social and environmental justice in water resources management
- Synergy among multiple-scale spatiotemporal complex water systems
- Choose up to 1 science priority and 3 keywords from Attachment 1.
- Provide a short abstract (300-word maximum).
- Provide a short summary (150 words or less) to describe the project to a lay audience.
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2. Project Narrative
The two-page, single-spaced narrative should include a:
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- Statement of exploratory research or educational need and how the project will enhance water sciences research and higher education in Illinois.
- Statement of expected results or benefits, specifying the type of information that is to be gained and how it will be used. Include plans for dissemination of the findings. The dissemination of findings targeting communities is of particular interest.
- Description of the nature, scope, and objectives of the project.
- Description of the methods, procedures, and facilities. Provide enough information to permit evaluation of the technical adequacy of the approach to satisfy the objectives.
- List of students or class information for those who will receive training or education from this project (in addition to the student listed as co-PI). Please include the degree level, and briefly detail any training the students will receive.
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Note: Literature citations are not included in the two-page limit.
3. Data Management Plan
Proposals must include a supplementary document of no more than two pages labeled “Data Management Plan” (DMP). Attachment A may be used for guidance. This supplementary document should describe how the proposal will conform to U.S. Geological Survey policy on the dissemination and sharing of research results and associated data. A valid DMP may include only a statement if no detailed plan is needed (e.g., “No data are expected to be produced from this project”), but such a statement must be accompanied by a clear justification.
Additional guidance on DMPs is available from the U.S. Geological Survey Data Management website.
4. Budget and Justification
Please use this template to complete the budget breakdown.
Federal funds will pay up to $15,000 for work completed between September 1, 2024, and August 31, 2025. The U.S. Geological Survey does not allow federal dollars to be used to pay indirect costs. However, the indirect costs on both the federal and state totals may be shown as a match. IWRC grants require a match of one nonfederal dollar for each federal dollar.
Using this template, please provide a detailed justification for how the money will be spent, including separate breakdowns for the federal request and the cost share portions of wage rates and fringe benefits for each category of personnel supported by the proposal (e.g., separate numbers for faculty members, postdoctoral researchers, graduate students, and undergraduate students), the cost of equipment, travel, and so on.
5. Investigators’ Qualifications
The lead PI must be a faculty member or professional affiliated with a four-year institution in Illinois. Project participants, including undergraduate and graduate students, should include CVs. The CVs should be included with the project narrative and are in addition to the two-page limit. Participants’ CVs are limited to two pages per investigator and can list no more than 15 pertinent publications.
6. Matching Fund Commitment Letters and University Confirmation
A matching fund commitment letter signed by the PI’s department or sponsored programs office should be submitted to verify that the matching funds will be supplied should the project be funded. See the example here.
104G funding opportunities are currently closed, we expect more to open in the coming months
FY2023 104G Funding Opportunities
NOTIFICATION OF INTENT DUE: 03/20/23
Given the potential benefit of these opportunities to the Great Lakes Region, the WRRIs in this region (IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI) are organized a joint informational webinar focusing on RFP preparation and regional collaborative opportunities. We discussed the full proposal process, addressed funding priorities and gave researchers a chance to ask questions.
Access the recording and slides for the National Competitive Grants RFP Informational Webinar below.
Additional details on specific opportunities are below.
Expected FY2023 project start date is 01/01/2024.
USGS is expected to award 10 PFAS, 5 AIS, and 6 general 104G proposals, nationally.
COST SHARING/MATCHING REQUIREMENT: Each applicant must match each federal dollar provided to support each proposed project with not less than one dollar from non-federal sources. Please check with your campus business office for allowable sources of matching funds.
INDIRECT COSTS: As per the Water Resources Research Act, federal funds shall not be used to pay indirect costs; however, unrecovered indirect costs on both the federal and non-federal funds CAN be used to help fulfill the Cost Sharing/Matching Requirement.h
Amy Weckle
Illinois Water Resources Center
Assistant Director
aweckle@illinois.edu
(217) 300-2101
2023 104G General research priorities:
Dates Open: 02/27/2023 – 04/12/2023
This competitive grant program focuses 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:
- 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 FY2023 the USGS will have internal funds available for modest support of USGS scientists on selected proposals.
- 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.
- 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.
2023 104G General 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 in 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
• Emphasis on prediction of water-budget components through a variety of interpretive approaches.
• Incorporation of how uncertainty in hydroclimate-forcing propagates to water budget components.
• Consideration of both retrospective and projected conditions.
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:
• Providing a quantifiable portfolio of risk for water-use sectors (including ecological and socio-economic)
• Developing climate futures and planning scenarios for relevant institutions: management, communities, other institutions
PROPOSALS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR FUNDING:
- Proposals for research on health effects involving human subjects.
- Proposals for research involving oceanography (estuarine research proposals are acceptable).
- Proposals submitted by an Institute or Center that has not met reporting requirements on a previous award by the USGS.
- Proposals that do not comply with the terms of this Announcement.
- Proposals for research that do not meet the listed Research Priorities.
MAXIMUM AWARD: $310,000
ANTICIPATED AWARD START DATE: January 1, 2024
AWARD DURATION: 1-3 years
104G PER– AND POLYFLUOROALKYL Substances funding opportunity
Dates Open: 02/27/2023 – 04/12/2023
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.
OBJECTIVES:
- 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).
- 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.
- 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.
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.
PROPOSALS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR FUNDING:
- Proposals for research on health effects involving human subjects.
- Proposals for research involving oceanography (estuarine research proposals are acceptable).
- Proposals submitted by an Institute or Center that has not met reporting requirements on a previous award by the USGS.
- Proposals that do not comply with the terms of this Announcement.
- Proposals for research that do not meet the listed Research Priorities.
MAXIMUM AWARD: $279,000
ANTICIPATED AWARD START DATE: January 1, 2024
AWARD DURATION: 1-3 years
104G AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES Funding Opportunity
Dates Open: 02/27/2023 – 04/12/2023
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.
OBJECTIVES:
- Promote aquatic invasive species research as related to hydrodynamics, water quality, control technologies, and(or) human dimensions in the upper Mississippi River basin to address critical needs, including integration with ongoing USGS science and monitoring.
- 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.
- 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.
Proposals are sought in 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.
PROPOSALS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR FUNDING:
- Proposals for research on health effects involving human subjects.
- Proposals for research involving oceanography (estuarine research proposals are acceptable).
- Proposals submitted by an Institute or Center that has not met reporting requirements on a previous award by the USGS.
- Proposals that do not comply with the terms of this Announcement.
- Proposals for research that do not meet the listed Research Priorities.
MAXIMUM AWARD: $279,000
ANTICIPATED AWARD START DATE: January 1, 2024
AWARD DURATION: 1-3 years
IL
IN
MI
MN
OH
WI
ALL
MI, MN, WI
IL, IA, MO
OH, KY, IN
MN, WI, IA, IL, IN, MO
*104B funding opportunities are currently closed.
Prior to submission of a full proposal, please submit a Notification of Intent.
Please only submit proposals that are submission-ready. Your business office should review for completeness, IWRC will submit your proposal as part of our annual application for funding from USGS to Sponsored Programs Administration. IWRC’s process is strictly administrative, submitting the proposal without alteration. The proposal contents are the PI’s responsibility. If specific points in the call for proposals are confusing, feel free to reach out to IWRC for additional clarification.
PROPOSALS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR FUNDING:
- Proposals for research on health effects involving human subjects.
- Proposals for research involving oceanography (estuarine research proposals are acceptable).
- Proposals submitted by an Institute or Center that has not met reporting requirements on a previous award by the USGS.
- Proposals that do not comply with the terms of this Announcement.
- Proposals for research that do not meet the listed Research Priorities.
MAXIMUM AWARD: $15,000
ANTICIPATED AWARD START DATE: September 1, 2023
AWARD DURATION: 12 months
COST SHARING/MATCHING REQUIREMENT: Each applicant must match each Federal dollar provided to support each proposed project with not less than two dollars from non-federal sources. Please check with your campus business office for allowable sources of matching funds.
INDIRECT COSTS: As per the Water Resources Research Act, federal funds shall not be used to pay indirect costs, however, unrecovered indirect costs on both the federal and non-federal funds CAN be used to help fulfill the Cost Sharing/Matching Requirement.
104B Annual Funding Opportunity
The Illinois Water Resources Center (IWRC) requests proposals to fund exploratory research or educational projects that enhance water sciences research and higher education throughout Illinois. While we are interested in all water resources issues that impact Illinois, our 2023 priority topics are agriculture, climate, ecosystem structure and function, per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), urban resilience, water-energy nexus, and water equity. We are particularly interested in supporting projects that will help grow the body of research in Illinois, including proof-of-concept projects that may help researchers attract larger grants. Proposals continuing the work of previous IWRC Annual Research Grants will not be accepted. This is an open call contingent on funding availability.
Amy Weckle
Illinois Water Resources Center
Assistant Director
aweckle@illinois.edu
(217) 300-2101
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