Opportunity Information: Apply for G15AS00026
Apply for G15AS00026
- The Geological Survey in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Californian CESU" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.808 U.S. Geological Survey Research and Data Collection.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jan 20, 2015 and posted on Jan 13, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 15, 2015. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $394,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- This financial assistance opportunity is being issued under a Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program. CESUs are partnerships that provide research, technical assistance, and education. Eligible recipients must be a participating partner of the Californian Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program.
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Opportunity Summary:
This grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number G15AS00026) is a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program cooperative agreement offered through the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) network, specifically the Californian CESU. The project is focused on improving scientific understanding of how water and nitrogen move through the unsaturated zone (the soil and sediments above the water table) across broad agricultural regions, with the practical goal of clarifying how nitrogen inputs at the land surface translate into nitrate occurrence and concentrations in groundwater. In other words, the work is meant to help connect what happens at the farm field scale (fertilizer and other nitrogen sources applied at the surface) to what later shows up in groundwater monitoring as nitrate contamination, including the timing and magnitude of that connection.
The central technical emphasis is on developing and applying methods based on a relatively simple "vertical flux model" (VFM), cited as Liao et al. (2012). The VFM approach is intended to estimate key quantities across large agricultural areas, including travel time (how long water and dissolved nitrogen take to move downward toward groundwater), water flux (the downward movement of water through the unsaturated zone), and nitrate flux (the downward movement of nitrate and related nitrogen forms). The opportunity is not just about building a model in a single location; it is about creating approaches that can be implemented across large regions, where conditions vary widely and direct measurements everywhere are not feasible.
The solicitation lays out three specific research objectives. First, it calls for developing VFMs within representative "type settings" to generate estimates of parameters and outputs such as fN, an unsaturated-zone travel time term (shown in the text as #964u), and nitrogen flux. The idea is that you build and test the model in well-characterized settings that represent common combinations of soils, crops, climate, irrigation practices, and geology, and then use those settings to anchor broader regional estimates. Second, it requires comparing the VFM outputs to "metamodels" for their ability to extrapolate the key outputs (travel time, water flux, nitrate flux, and related parameters) across larger mapped areas, referenced in the announcement as PAs and IWS study areas. This comparison piece signals that USGS is interested in scalable methods, potentially including statistical or reduced-form models that can take information from a limited number of detailed sites and extend predictions across entire regions. Third, it asks the recipient to evaluate additional nitrogen input functions in the unsaturated zone beyond direct surface inputs, specifically processes such as mineralization (conversion of organic nitrogen to inorganic forms that can become nitrate) and nitrogen fixation, both of which can materially affect how much nitrate is ultimately available to leach downward.
Administratively, the award mechanism is a cooperative agreement, meaning the federal agency is expected to be substantially involved during the project rather than simply issuing funds with minimal interaction. The opportunity is categorized under Science and Technology and other Research and Development, and it is associated with CFDA 15.808 (USGS Research and Data Collection). The estimated total funding listed is $394,000, with one expected award, and no cost sharing or matching requirement. Eligibility is restricted to organizations that are participating partners in the Californian CESU Program, reflecting the CESU structure as a partnership-based mechanism for research, technical assistance, and education.
Key dates in the posting indicate it was posted January 13, 2015, created January 20, 2015, and had an original closing date of January 23, 2015, later extended to February 15, 2015, with an archive date of April 13, 2015. The announcement directs applicants to Grants.gov for access to full posting details and provides a contact for assistance: Faith Graves at 703-648-7356 and fgraves@usgs.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the funding opportunity number for this grant?
The Funding Opportunity Number (FON) is G15AS00026.
Which federal agency is offering this opportunity?
This opportunity is offered by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), under the National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program.
What type of award is being offered?
The award mechanism is a cooperative agreement, which means USGS is expected to have substantial involvement during the project (not just provide funding with limited interaction).
What is the main scientific focus of the project?
The project focuses on improving scientific understanding of how water and nitrogen move through the unsaturated zone (soil and sediments above the water table) across broad agricultural regions, with the practical aim of clarifying how nitrogen inputs at the land surface translate into nitrate occurrence and concentrations in groundwater.
What is meant by the "unsaturated zone" in this solicitation?
The unsaturated zone is the soil and sediment zone above the water table, where pore spaces are not fully filled with water. This is the zone through which water and dissolved nitrogen move downward before reaching groundwater.
Why is this work important for groundwater nitrate contamination?
The intent is to connect what happens at the farm field scale (such as fertilizer and other nitrogen sources applied at the surface) to what later appears in groundwater monitoring as nitrate contamination, including both the timing and magnitude of that connection.
What modeling approach is emphasized in the announcement?
The solicitation emphasizes developing and applying methods based on a relatively simple vertical flux model (VFM), cited as Liao et al. (2012).
What does the vertical flux model (VFM) estimate?
The VFM approach is intended to estimate key quantities across large agricultural areas, including:
- Travel time (how long water and dissolved nitrogen take to move downward toward groundwater)
- Water flux (downward movement of water through the unsaturated zone)
- Nitrate flux (downward movement of nitrate and related nitrogen forms)
Is the project limited to modeling a single site or location?
No. The opportunity emphasizes creating approaches that can be implemented across large regions where conditions vary widely and direct measurements everywhere are not feasible.
How many research objectives are specified in the solicitation?
The announcement lays out three specific research objectives.
What is the first research objective?
The first objective is to develop VFMs within representative "type settings" to generate estimates of parameters and outputs, including fN, an unsaturated-zone travel time term (shown in the text as #964u), and nitrogen flux.
What are "type settings" in the context of this project?
Type settings are well-characterized representative settings intended to reflect common combinations of soils, crops, climate, irrigation practices, and geology. These settings are used to build and test the model and to help anchor broader regional estimates.
What is the second research objective?
The second objective is to compare VFM outputs to "metamodels" for their ability to extrapolate key outputs (travel time, water flux, nitrate flux, and related parameters) across larger mapped areas, referenced as PAs and IWS study areas in the announcement.
What are "metamodels" used for in this opportunity?
Based on the announcement, metamodels are intended to help extrapolate or extend key outputs from a limited number of detailed sites across larger regions, supporting scalable regional assessment approaches.
What is the third research objective?
The third objective is to evaluate additional nitrogen input functions in the unsaturated zone beyond direct surface inputs, specifically including mineralization and nitrogen fixation.
Which nitrogen-related processes are explicitly called out for evaluation?
The solicitation specifically identifies mineralization (conversion of organic nitrogen to inorganic forms that can become nitrate) and nitrogen fixation as processes to evaluate, because they can affect how much nitrate is available to leach downward.
What program and network is this opportunity associated with?
It is a USGS NAWQA Program cooperative agreement offered through the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) network, specifically the Californian CESU.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is restricted to organizations that are participating partners in the Californian CESU Program.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is associated with CFDA 15.808 (USGS Research and Data Collection).
What category does the opportunity fall under?
The opportunity is categorized under Science and Technology and other Research and Development.
How much funding is expected to be available?
The estimated total funding listed is $394,000.
How many awards does USGS expect to make?
The posting indicates one expected award.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The announcement states there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.
Where can applicants find the full posting and application details?
The announcement directs applicants to Grants.gov for access to full posting details.
When was the opportunity posted and created?
The posting date is January 13, 2015, and the opportunity was created January 20, 2015.
What was the application closing date?
The original closing date was January 23, 2015, and it was later extended to February 15, 2015.
When was the opportunity archived?
The archive date listed is April 13, 2015.
Who is the contact person for questions or assistance?
The contact listed is Faith Graves. Phone: 703-648-7356. Email: fgraves@usgs.gov.
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