Notice of Intent to Award Federal Funds to the University of Mississippi National Center for Physical Acoustics (NCPA) | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1) What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) for this grant notice?

The Funding Opportunity Number is R12AC80083.

2) Which federal agency is associated with this opportunity?

This notice is issued by the Bureau of Reclamation, Denver Office.

3) What program is this opportunity issued under?

The notice states the award will be made under the WaterSMART program (CFDA 15.507).

4) What type of funding instrument will be used?

The notice indicates federal funds will be awarded through a cooperative agreement.

5) What activity category does this opportunity fall under?

The activity category is Natural Resources.

6) Is this a competitive opportunity open to the public?

No. The notice is explicitly identified as non-competitive and is described as a notice of intent to make a directed (sole-source) award rather than a general call for proposals.

7) Who is the intended recipient of the award?

The intended recipient is the University of Mississippi National Center for Physical Acoustics (NCPA).

8) How many awards does the agency expect to make?

This is described as a single-award action.

9) What is the estimated total funding amount?

The estimated total funding amount is $150,000.

10) What are the award floor and award ceiling?

Both the award floor and the award ceiling are fixed at $150,000.

11) Does the opportunity require cost sharing or a match?

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

12) When was this opportunity posted and created?

The opportunity was posted and created on November 21, 2011.

13) What was the closing date for this notice?

The original closing date and the current closing date are both listed as December 5, 2011.

14) When was the opportunity archived?

The notice was archived on December 6, 2011.

15) Why does the notice show a short window between posting and closing?

Based on the description provided, the short administrative window is consistent with a sole-source or directed intent-to-award notice (as opposed to an open solicitation).

16) What is the main technical purpose of the funded work?

The work focuses on developing a passive (listening) acoustic monitoring system to measure or track coarse bed load movement in rivers or channels, particularly gravel transport along the streambed.

17) What does "passive (listening) acoustic monitoring" mean in this context?

It refers to listening for sound generated naturally when sediment moves and impacts the streambed, rather than transmitting an acoustic signal and measuring reflections (active acoustics).

18) What kind of sediment transport is being targeted?

The description highlights coarse bed load movement, with a particular emphasis on gravel transport along the bed.

19) What tasks or components are included in the project scope?

The scope includes developing the monitoring concept, calibrating the approach so acoustic measurements can be related to real sediment transport conditions, and developing data processing methods to interpret the acoustic signals reliably.

20) Does the scope include building an instrument?

Potentially. The description states that if the research and development results justify it, the effort may include fabrication of a dedicated instrument, indicating a possible transition toward a more field-ready device.

21) What is a key technical challenge identified in the description?

A key issue is that the acoustic signature of bed load movement is not expected to be constant across environments. Both signal magnitude and frequency content can vary by site and material.

22) Which factors are specifically called out as affecting the acoustic signature?

The notice specifically identifies sediment size, sediment mineralogy, and local channel morphology as factors that can influence the detected acoustic magnitude and frequency content.

23) How does the project plan to address differences across sites?

The description states that these characteristics (sediment and site conditions) are to be investigated so the monitoring system can account for them, improving accuracy and making the method more transferable across different river settings.

24) What is meant by "calibration" in this opportunity?

As described, calibration involves relating acoustic measurements to real sediment transport conditions so the acoustic signals can be interpreted as meaningful indicators of bed load movement.

25) What is meant by "data processing methods" in this opportunity?

The scope includes developing methods to interpret the acoustic signals reliably, which implies processing and analysis steps needed to convert recorded sound into usable information about bed load movement.

26) Who is the point of contact for administrative or access questions?

The listed point of contact is Michelle Maher, Grants Officer.

27) What phone number is provided for the point of contact?

The phone number provided is 303-445-2025.

28) Is this posting a request for applications from multiple organizations?

No. The notice describes a non-competitive intent to award that is intended only for the University of Mississippi National Center for Physical Acoustics (NCPA).

29) What does "notice of intent to award" indicate here?

Based on the text provided, it indicates the agency plans to make a directed award to a specific institution, and the posting functions as a formal public notice of that intent rather than an open competition.

30) What is the stated nature of the award amount (fixed vs. variable)?

The funding level is described as fixed, with the floor and ceiling both set at $150,000.