Opportunity Information: Apply for USGS 15 FA 0273
Apply for USGS 15 FA 0273
- The Geological Survey in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "ICP MS Analysis" 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 Jul 28, 2015 and posted on Jul 28, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 11, 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 $144,755.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $144,755.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.
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Opportunity Summary:
This opportunity, titled "ICP MS Analysis" (Funding Opportunity Number USGS 15 FA 0273), is a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) notice of intent to award a cooperative agreement and is explicitly not a request for applications. The announcement serves as public notice that USGS planned to fund a specific set of research and data-collection activities without full and open competition. The work centers on "Trace Elements and Isotopic Cycling in the North Pacific Ocean and Analysis by ICP MS" and is tied to CFDA 15.808 (USGS Research and Data Collection), with the USGS contact listed as Stewart Evans (sevans@usgs.gov).
The intended recipient is the University of Washington (UW) School of Oceanography, with Dr. Virginia Armbrust and John Crusius identified as key personnel (Crusius is also referenced as the USGS PI). The award is described as a new cooperative agreement with an anticipated performance period running from August 1, 2015 through July 31, 2020. The notice lists an anticipated federal amount of $82,151 and states there is no cost share requirement. It also references a total anticipated award amount of $410,755, and separately provides an estimated total funding figure of $144,755 with an award ceiling of $144,755 and floor of $82,151, indicating the public posting contains multiple funding figures tied to the broader project context and/or incremental funding expectations.
The core purpose of the project is to support high-precision measurement of trace metals and, where needed, stable isotope ratios in environmental samples, especially seawater, to better understand how these elements move through and cycle in the North Pacific and related coastal systems. A second major purpose is workforce and research support: funding is intended to help support a graduate student (Graduate Research Assistant) who would conduct related research under a jointly guided arrangement between UW faculty and USGS staff, with collaborative interpretation of the resulting datasets.
UW's role is to provide access to, and expertise with, advanced inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) capabilities. The announcement highlights the use of UW instrumentation including a multi-collector ICP-MS (NuPlasma) and a high-resolution ICP-MS (Element 2), either individually or in combination depending on project needs. These instruments would be used to determine elemental concentrations and potentially isotopic compositions across a range of sample types, including seawater and fresh water, groundwater, porewaters, sediments, dust, rocks, and other materials relevant to understanding sources, transport, and fate of metals in marine and coastal environments.
USGS is expected to have substantial involvement, consistent with the cooperative agreement structure. Specific USGS responsibilities include contributing expertise in seawater and other field sampling; assisting with analytical and laboratory methods development (such as isotope dilution approaches, ion exchange, sample preconcentration steps, and trace-metal clean techniques); and providing samples collected through multiple USGS projects focused on metal sources and cycling. The announcement also frames the work as societally relevant, pointing to objectives such as evaluating metal impacts on ecosystems or human health and using isotopic tools to distinguish natural sources from anthropogenic contamination or to differentiate among multiple natural sources. In addition, USGS would participate in selecting and supporting the graduate student (potentially funding an existing student for a year or supporting a new student if funds allow) and would help guide the student's research in partnership with UW faculty on a mutually agreed topic.
The announcement explains why the award was planned as a single-source action rather than competed. Under Department of the Interior (DOI) policy (505 DM 2), the agency must justify why competition is not practicable. USGS cites "Unique Qualifications" as the primary basis, emphasizing that UW is uniquely qualified due to the quality and sensitivity of its ICP-MS techniques and instrumentation. A specific technical need is called out: UW's capability to resolve and separate iron (Fe) from argon oxide (ArO) interferences, which is described as essential for the study and not known to be available commercially at the same sensitivity level. Practical advantages are also mentioned, including reduced or eliminated travel and per diem costs due to UW's location relative to USGS needs. The notice also references USGS authority to enter into cooperative agreements under 43 U.S.C. 36d, which supports joint research and data collection activities with federal, state, and academic partners, including arrangements that provide for space in partner facilities.
Administratively, the opportunity is categorized as discretionary, with one expected award, and eligible applicants listed as public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, though the notice makes clear that USGS intended to fund UW specifically and was not soliciting applications. Key dates included a posted and creation date of July 28, 2015, an original/current closing date of August 11, 2015 (reflecting the notice period rather than an application deadline), and an archive date of September 10, 2015. For access issues, the contracting officer contact is Stewart Evans, phone 916-278-9334, email sevans@usgs.gov.
FAQs: USGS "ICP MS Analysis" (Funding Opportunity Number USGS 15 FA 0273)
1) What is this funding opportunity?
This is a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) notice of intent to award a cooperative agreement for work titled "ICP MS Analysis", associated with the project theme "Trace Elements and Isotopic Cycling in the North Pacific Ocean and Analysis by ICP MS."
2) Is this a request for applications (RFA) or an open solicitation?
No. The notice explicitly states it is not a request for applications. It is a public notice that USGS planned to fund a specific set of activities without full and open competition.
3) What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is USGS 15 FA 0273.
4) What CFDA program is this associated with?
This notice is tied to CFDA 15.808, described as USGS Research and Data Collection.
5) Who is the intended recipient of the cooperative agreement?
The intended recipient identified in the notice is the University of Washington (UW) School of Oceanography.
6) Who are the key personnel named in the notice?
The notice identifies Dr. Virginia Armbrust and John Crusius as key personnel. John Crusius is also referenced as the USGS PI in the posting.
7) What type of award is planned?
The award is described as a new cooperative agreement, which indicates that USGS is expected to have substantial involvement in the technical work and collaboration (as opposed to a more hands-off grant structure).
8) What is the anticipated performance period?
The anticipated performance period is August 1, 2015 through July 31, 2020.
9) How many awards does USGS expect to make under this notice?
The notice indicates there is one expected award.
10) Is there a cost share or matching requirement?
No. The notice states there is no cost share requirement.
11) What is the anticipated federal funding amount?
The notice lists an anticipated federal amount of $82,151.
12) Why does the posting show multiple funding figures?
The public posting contains several funding numbers, including:
- An anticipated federal amount of $82,151
- A referenced total anticipated award amount of $410,755
- An estimated total funding figure of $144,755 with an award ceiling of $144,755 and a floor of $82,151
Based on the information provided in the notice, these figures appear to reflect different representations of anticipated or incremental funding and/or broader project context, rather than a single clear, uniform total.
13) What is the main scientific purpose of the project?
The core purpose is to support high-precision measurement of trace metals and, where needed, stable isotope ratios in environmental samples (especially seawater) to improve understanding of how trace elements move through and cycle in the North Pacific Ocean and related coastal systems.
14) What types of samples may be analyzed under this work?
The notice describes analysis of a broad range of environmental materials, including seawater and fresh water, groundwater, porewaters, sediments, dust, rocks, and other relevant materials connected to metal sources, transport, and fate in marine and coastal environments.
15) What analytical capabilities are central to the project?
The work centers on advanced inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), including both elemental concentration measurements and potentially isotopic composition determinations when needed.
16) What specific UW instruments are mentioned?
The notice highlights UW instrumentation including:
- A multi-collector ICP-MS (NuPlasma)
- A high-resolution ICP-MS (Element 2)
These may be used individually or in combination depending on project needs.
17) What role does the University of Washington play in the project?
UW is expected to provide access to and expertise with advanced ICP-MS capabilities, supporting the analytical measurements needed for the trace element and isotope cycling studies.
18) What role does USGS play under the cooperative agreement?
USGS is expected to have substantial involvement, including:
- Contributing expertise in seawater and other field sampling
- Assisting with development of analytical and laboratory methods
- Providing samples collected through multiple USGS projects focused on metal sources and cycling
19) What lab and method-development activities are mentioned?
The notice references method development and technical approaches such as isotope dilution, ion exchange, sample preconcentration, and trace-metal clean techniques.
20) Why did USGS plan a single-source (non-competitive) award?
USGS cites Unique Qualifications under Department of the Interior policy (referenced as 505 DM 2), stating that competition was not practicable because UW is uniquely qualified due to the quality and sensitivity of its ICP-MS techniques and instrumentation.
21) What specific technical need is called out as unique?
The notice specifically highlights UW's capability to resolve and separate iron (Fe) from argon oxide (ArO) interferences, described as essential for the study and not known to be available commercially at the same sensitivity level.
22) Are there practical reasons mentioned for selecting UW?
Yes. The notice mentions practical advantages including reduced or eliminated travel and per diem costs due to UW's location relative to USGS needs.
23) What legal authority does USGS cite for entering into this cooperative agreement?
The notice references USGS authority to enter into cooperative agreements under 43 U.S.C. 36d, supporting joint research and data-collection activities with federal, state, and academic partners (including arrangements that may provide for space in partner facilities).
24) Does the notice list eligible applicant types?
Yes. It lists eligible applicants as public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, while also making clear that USGS intended to fund UW specifically and was not soliciting applications.
25) What does the posted closing date represent if applications are not being accepted?
The notice includes dates such as a closing date, but based on the text provided these dates reflect the public notice period rather than an application submission deadline.
26) What key dates are included in the notice?
- Posted/Creation date: July 28, 2015
- Original/Current closing date: August 11, 2015
- Archive date: September 10, 2015
27) Who is the USGS point of contact for this notice?
The USGS contact listed is Stewart Evans.
28) What contact details are provided for the contracting officer?
The notice provides the following contact information for access issues:
- Name: Stewart Evans
- Phone: 916-278-9334
- Email: sevans@usgs.gov
29) What broader societal relevance does the notice describe?
The notice frames the work as societally relevant by referencing objectives such as evaluating metal impacts on ecosystems or human health, and using isotopic tools to distinguish natural sources from anthropogenic contamination or to differentiate among multiple natural sources.
30) Does the project include student or workforce support?
Yes. A major purpose described is to help support a graduate student (Graduate Research Assistant) who would conduct related research with joint guidance from UW faculty and USGS staff, including collaborative interpretation of the resulting datasets.
31) How is the graduate student involvement described?
The notice indicates USGS would participate in selecting and supporting the graduate student, potentially funding an existing student for a year or supporting a new student if funds allow, and would help guide the student's research in partnership with UW faculty on a mutually agreed topic.
32) How is this opportunity categorized administratively?
The notice categorizes the opportunity as discretionary.
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