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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the funding opportunity number for this grant?

The Funding Opportunity Number is 10HQPA0094.

Which federal agency is offering this opportunity?

This opportunity is offered by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

What type of award instrument is expected?

The intended award instrument is a cooperative agreement.

What does it mean that this is a cooperative agreement?

A cooperative agreement typically means there will be meaningful involvement and collaboration between USGS and the recipient during the period of performance, such as coordinating field plans, aligning data standards, and agreeing on deliverables.

Is this a discretionary funding opportunity?

Yes. The notice describes this as a discretionary funding opportunity.

What program or network is this opportunity issued through?

This cooperative agreement is issued through the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) network, specifically the Great Lakes Northern Forests CESU.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is restricted to organizations that are already participating partners in the Great Lakes Northern Forests CESU Program.

The listing says the eligible applicant category is "Others." What does that mean here?

In this notice, "Others" is clarified by the eligibility text, which states that applicants must be partners in the Great Lakes Northern Forests CESU network to apply under this announcement.

How many awards were anticipated?

The announcement anticipated a single award.

What is the estimated total funding amount?

The estimated total funding amount stated in the announcement is $17,446.

Is there a cost sharing or matching requirement?

No. The announcement stated there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.

The database shows an award ceiling and floor of 0. Does that mean no funding is available?

Not necessarily. The listing indicates the ceiling and floor were shown as 0, which generally suggests the database entry did not express strict caps or floors. The announcement still provides an explicit estimated total funding amount of $17,446.

What is the broader project this opportunity supports?

This opportunity sits under the USGS Sea Level Rise Hazards and Decision Support Project, described as a five-year research effort that, at the time of the announcement, focused first on the Delmarva Peninsula and Assateague Island National Seashore.

What is the main purpose of the work being funded?

The core purpose is to improve scientific understanding and practical decision support related to sea-level rise by examining how the area's geologic framework, shoreline change, and hydrogeology interact to drive coastal landscape and habitat change.

Where will the funded work take place?

The work is focused in and around Assateague Island National Seashore.

What kinds of activities does the funding support?

The notice describes applied science and technology research and development activities, using a mix of geophysical surveys, oceanographic studies, and predictive modeling to characterize current conditions and anticipate future change. The award itself is aimed at two closely related support areas: (1) field support for core sampling and geophysical data collection, and (2) technical support to synthesize existing geophysical information for the Seashore.

What field support is USGS seeking?

USGS is seeking hands-on field support during coring operations within Assateague Island National Seashore, including collecting samples, describing and logging geologic materials, and subsampling materials for later sedimentologic and radiochronologic analyses.

What are sedimentologic and radiochronologic methods in this context?

In this announcement, sedimentologic approaches refer to methods used to analyze sediment composition and depositional history, and radiochronologic methods refer to methods used to determine timing or age.

What technical support is USGS seeking?

The opportunity also seeks technical support to build a synthesis of existing geophysical information already available for Assateague Island National Seashore, integrating and interpreting data to better characterize the hydrogeologic framework.

What existing data sources are specifically mentioned for integration and interpretation?

The announcement specifically mentions well logs, ground penetrating radar (GPR), and electrical resistivity.

What is the goal of integrating well logs, GPR, and electrical resistivity data?

The goal is to better characterize the hydrogeologic framework that controls how water moves through subsurface materials and influences coastal stability and ecological conditions.

Why is hydrogeology important to this sea-level rise work?

The notice frames hydrogeology as part of the interacting system that influences coastal landscape and habitat change, including how subsurface water movement affects coastal stability and ecological conditions.

What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The CFDA number listed is 15.808 (U.S. Geological Survey Research and Data Collection).

When was the opportunity posted?

Key dates in the notice show it was posted (and created) on July 6, 2010.

What was the application closing date?

The notice lists an original and current closing date of July 20, 2010.

When was the opportunity archived?

The archive date shown in the listing is August 19, 2010.

Who was the contact person for questions or access issues?

The contact listed was Faith Graves, Contract Specialist.

How can the listed contact be reached?

The phone number provided for Faith Graves is 703-648-7356.

How should this opportunity be understood in practical terms?

It is targeted support for a larger USGS coastal hazards initiative, funding on-the-ground and desk-based work to strengthen the geologic and hydrogeologic dataset for Assateague Island National Seashore to improve the evidence base used for modeling shoreline and habitat change under sea-level rise scenarios.