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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is this funding opportunity?

This is a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center (NOROCK) discretionary funding opportunity administered as a cooperative agreement. It focuses on improving scientific understanding of glacier recession in the northern Rocky Mountains by moving from glacier area/extent mapping to true glacier mass-balance science.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number?

The Funding Opportunity Number is 09HQPA0015.

Which USGS office is sponsoring the project?

The opportunity is sponsored by the USGS Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center (NOROCK).

What problem is the project trying to solve?

The project addresses a key limitation of earlier glacier-change work that relied on maps, remote sensing, and aerial photography. Those approaches can document changes in glacier extent (surface area) but do not adequately describe glacier thickness, total mass, or the physical processes that control year-to-year mass gains and losses. NOROCK is seeking work that quantifies glacier change volumetrically and physically (mass balance), including factors that are often missed such as avalanche-fed snow inputs.

What is meant by moving beyond glacier area mapping?

Moving beyond area mapping means estimating how much ice and snow a glacier gains and loses (its mass balance), rather than only tracking changes in its outline or surface area. Area change alone cannot capture thickness, total mass, or process-level drivers like accumulation and ablation dynamics.

What is the main study site?

Sperry Glacier is designated as the main study site.

Why is Sperry Glacier being used as an “index glacier”?

Sperry Glacier is intended to be studied intensively as an index glacier, meaning it serves as a representative site for broader conditions and trends affecting other glaciers in the region.

What is the core technical objective?

The main technical objective is to analyze both existing and newly collected data to estimate seasonal and/or annual mass balance for Sperry Glacier, using measurements from 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008.

Which years of measurements are specifically referenced?

The solicitation specifically calls out measurements from 2005 through 2008 (2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008).

What does “mass balance” mean in this opportunity?

Mass balance is described as the net difference between accumulation and ablation. Accumulation includes inputs such as snowfall and avalanche contributions, while ablation includes losses due to melt, sublimation, and related processes.

What glacier processes are emphasized as important to include?

The opportunity emphasizes incorporating both accumulation and ablation dynamics and explicitly notes that snow avalanches can add significant mass to a glacier and may not be fully accounted for in traditional approaches. The intent is to capture physical processes and spatial/temporal variability, not just changes in surface extent.

Does the opportunity focus only on historical analysis, or could new data collection be required?

While the solicitation is anchored in analyzing the 2005 to 2008 period, it notes that additional measurements and analyses may be required as necessary. This suggests potential targeted fieldwork or supplementary data collection to resolve uncertainties, validate calculations, or quantify longer-term changes in glacier mass and volume.

What deliverables are expected?

The selected partner is expected to produce: (1) results incorporated into a draft scientific manuscript (implying rigor suitable for peer review), and (2) a separate report summarizing the 2005 to 2008 measurements and methods and providing recommendations for how Sperry Glacier mass balance should be monitored going forward.

What is expected in the draft scientific manuscript?

The opportunity states that the partner should incorporate results into a draft scientific manuscript, indicating the analyses should be rigorous and suitable for broader scientific dissemination and potential peer review.

What is expected in the separate report?

The report must summarize the 2005 to 2008 measurements and methods and provide recommendations for future monitoring of Sperry Glacier mass balance. The goal includes translating findings into practical guidance for long-term monitoring design, such as what variables to measure, how often to measure them, and which approaches are most appropriate for capturing key processes like avalanche-fed accumulation and spatial variability in melt.

Is the work intended to support long-term monitoring?

Yes. Beyond estimating mass balance for 2005 to 2008, the opportunity explicitly calls for recommendations on how mass balance should be monitored going forward, indicating an emphasis on designing sustainable, informative long-term monitoring.

How does this work fit into NOROCK’s mission?

NOROCK frames this work as part of its mission to produce and share scientific information that supports natural resource management in the mountains and plains of Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, and Idaho. It also emphasizes collaboration with agencies, tribes, academic institutions, and other organizations and the provision of strong, unbiased science for decision-making.

Who might use the results besides glaciologists?

The solicitation suggests the outcomes are intended to be useful to natural resource managers and partners concerned with downstream impacts such as water resources, ecosystem change, hazards, and broader climate adaptation planning, in addition to the scientific community.

What is the award mechanism?

The award mechanism is a cooperative agreement.

What does “cooperative agreement” imply for this project?

The opportunity notes that a cooperative agreement generally implies substantial involvement or collaboration with the federal agency during the project, rather than a fully hands-off grant.

How many awards are anticipated?

The anticipated number of awards is one.

What is the total estimated funding amount?

The total estimated funding is $18,000.

Is there an award ceiling and floor?

Yes. Both the award ceiling and award floor are $18,000, meaning it is effectively a single fixed-size award.

Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. The opportunity states there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.

What is the funding activity category?

The funding activity category is Science and Technology and other Research and Development.

What is the CFDA listing for this opportunity?

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

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is limited to Rocky Mountain CESU (Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit) partners that can demonstrate the ability and experience to carry out the glacier research described in the announcement.

Are federal employees allowed to apply?

Applicants must not be employed by a federal agency.

Can federal employees participate in the project in any way?

Yes. The opportunity notes that federal employees may participate as collaborators in the proposed research, even though they cannot be the applicant.

When was the opportunity posted?

The opportunity was posted in December 2008.

What was the closing date?

The final closing date was January 9, 2009.

Is this opportunity still open?

No. The opportunity was archived shortly after the closing date, indicating it was a time-bound competition for a single project.

Who was the listed point of contact?

The listed point of contact for administrative or access issues was Faith Graves, Contract Specialist at USGS.

What is the main scientific shift emphasized by this solicitation?

The solicitation emphasizes shifting from documenting glacier recession primarily through surface area change to quantifying change through mass balance, including the processes that control accumulation and ablation and the resulting implications for glacier thickness and total mass.