National Competitive Grants Program
Fiscal Year 2021
Due in eDrop Tuesday, June 15, 2021 at 5:00 pm CST
To allow submissions by WRI (as required) to meet deadline of June 24, 2021 into grants.gov
Any interested Wisconsin investigator is urged to contact Melissa Boyce, maboyce@aqua.wisc.edu, as soon as possible for submittal guidance through WRI’s online proposal system. Boyce is WRI’s chief financial officer.
View the PDF for this opportunity
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:
- 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 in FY2021 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 Page 3 of 23 program.
- Assist in the training of scientists in relevant water resource fields. Proposals that include a strong educational component (student support) are encouraged, as are proposals from faculty beginning their careers.
RESEARCH PRIORITIES
Proposals are sought on the topic of improving and enhancing the nation’s water supply and availability, and promoting the exploration of new ideas that address or expand our understanding of water problems, including the following specific areas of inquiry (levels of priority are not assigned, and the order of listing does not indicate the level of priority):
- Socioeconomics and water use – includes the development of water use models that require understanding of what drives the timing and location of water being withdrawn and used and how those relations change when climate impacts the use or conservation/management strategies (culture/societal/economics) are implemented.
- Water related hazards and public health – exploration of the intersections of land/water use, disease vector mechanisms, and water hazards, climate change, and/or irrigation practices. Research may include advancing our understand of these connections as they affect the development rates of pathogens impacting public health.
- Exploration and advancement of our understanding of harmful algae blooms (HABs). Proposals are sought that focus on innovations in monitoring the occurrence of HABs and algal toxins, research on factors that result in algal toxin production, and improvements in near-real time modeling and forecasting of toxin-producing blooms. The challenges and opportunities of understanding the connection of aquatic invasive species and water resources are poorly understood, despite the real and growing impact of numerous aquatic invasive species on water quality and quantity. Research is needed to better understand these interactions and guide management decisions that will improve water resources at the regional scale.
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 Research Priorities listed above.
The due date for full proposals to be submitted in eDrop is Tuesday, June 15, 2021 at 5:00 pm CST.