Opportunity Information: Apply for USGS 16 FA 0242
Apply for USGS 16 FA 0242
- The Department of the Interior, Geological Survey in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Notice of Intent to Award" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.808.
- This funding opportunity was created on Aug 17, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 31, 2016. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $149,996.00 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 is a Notice of Intent to Award from the U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), indicating the agency plans to make a single cooperative agreement award to the Research Foundation for SUNY/Buffalo State. The project focuses on applied science and monitoring work in Lake Superior, specifically research that evaluates the composition and abundance of key parts of the lake's benthic community, meaning the organisms and biological components associated with the lake bottom. The work is positioned as supporting the Lake Superior Cooperative Science and Monitoring (CSMI) effort, which is a coordinated, lake-wide monitoring and research initiative intended to improve understanding of ecosystem conditions and trends.
The central purpose of the project is to generate information on what benthic community components are present in Lake Superior and how abundant they are. In practical terms, this kind of work typically supports broader assessments of ecosystem health, changes in habitat condition, food web dynamics, and the potential impacts of stressors such as invasive species, pollution, climate-related shifts, and other environmental pressures. By documenting the status of benthic communities and how they vary across locations or over time, the project can help agencies and partners compare current conditions to past baselines and better interpret changes observed in other parts of the Lake Superior ecosystem.
The award mechanism is a cooperative agreement rather than a standard grant, which generally signals that the federal government expects to be substantially involved in the technical direction, collaboration, or coordination of the project during its performance. The funding instrument aligns with the opportunity's classification under Science and Technology and other Research and Development, reflecting that the work is research-driven and supports monitoring objectives. The opportunity is listed as discretionary, meaning it is not an entitlement program and awards are made at the agency's discretion within available funding and program priorities.
This effort is described as explicitly multi-agency, bringing together university and federal entities that have roles in Lake Superior science and management. The named partners include Buffalo State University, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Research and Development (US EPA ORD), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Great Lakes National Program Office (US EPA GLNPO). The involvement of these organizations indicates the project is intended to fit within a coordinated Great Lakes science framework, likely designed so that methods, data products, and findings can be shared and used across participating agencies to inform lake-wide monitoring strategies and management decisions.
From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is identified by Funding Opportunity Number USGS 16 FA 0242 and is associated with CFDA 15.808. The eligible applicant category is limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, and the notice specifies the intended recipient as the Research Foundation for SUNY/Buffalo State. The anticipated number of awards is one, consistent with the notice being an intent to award to a specific organization rather than an open competition for multiple recipients. The award ceiling is listed as $149,996, indicating the maximum expected federal funding level for the cooperative agreement as described in the notice.
The timeline information shows the opportunity was created on August 17, 2016, with an original closing date of August 31, 2016. Notices of intent to award often function primarily as a formal public posting of the agency's planned action, which can be required for transparency even when the recipient has already been identified due to programmatic reasons, specific expertise, continuity of ongoing work, or the collaborative structure of an established monitoring program. Overall, the opportunity describes a targeted, collaborative research and monitoring award intended to strengthen understanding of Lake Superior's benthic ecosystem as part of the broader CSMI effort.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is this funding opportunity?
This opportunity is a Notice of Intent to Award from the U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). It indicates that USGS plans to make a single cooperative agreement award for a specific project rather than run an open, multi-recipient competition.
Is this an open competitive grant opportunity?
No. Based on the notice, the anticipated number of awards is one and the intended recipient is explicitly identified as the Research Foundation for SUNY/Buffalo State. This is consistent with a Notice of Intent to Award, which is typically posted for transparency even when a recipient has already been selected for programmatic reasons.
Who is the intended recipient?
The intended recipient is the Research Foundation for SUNY/Buffalo State.
How many awards does USGS expect to make?
USGS anticipates making one award.
What type of funding instrument will be used?
The award mechanism is a cooperative agreement.
What does it mean that the award is a cooperative agreement?
A cooperative agreement generally indicates that the federal government expects to be substantially involved during the project, such as through technical direction, collaboration, or coordination while the work is performed (as opposed to a standard grant where federal involvement is usually more limited).
Which agency is offering this opportunity?
The offering agency is the U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
What is the project about in plain terms?
The project focuses on applied science and monitoring in Lake Superior, specifically research that evaluates the composition and abundance of key parts of the lake's benthic community (organisms and biological components associated with the lake bottom).
What are "benthic community components" in this context?
In this notice, benthic community components refer to the organisms and biological elements associated with the bottom of Lake Superior. The project is intended to document what is present and how abundant those components are.
What is the main purpose of the project?
The central purpose is to generate information on which benthic community components are present in Lake Superior and their abundance. This supports understanding of ecosystem conditions and trends.
How does this project support broader lake management or science goals?
By documenting the status and distribution of benthic communities across locations and/or over time, the work can support broader assessments of ecosystem health, habitat condition, food web dynamics, and interpretation of changes linked to stressors such as invasive species, pollution, climate-related shifts, and other environmental pressures.
What larger program or initiative is this project connected to?
The project supports the Lake Superior Cooperative Science and Monitoring (CSMI) effort, described as a coordinated, lake-wide monitoring and research initiative to improve understanding of ecosystem conditions and trends.
Is the effort described as multi-agency?
Yes. The notice describes the effort as explicitly multi-agency and involving university and federal entities that contribute to Lake Superior science and management.
Which partners are named in the notice?
Named partners include Buffalo State University, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Research and Development (US EPA ORD), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Great Lakes National Program Office (US EPA GLNPO).
What is the funding opportunity number?
The Funding Opportunity Number is USGS 16 FA 0242.
What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is associated with CFDA 15.808.
What is the opportunity's classification or field?
The opportunity is classified under Science and Technology and other Research and Development, reflecting that it is research-driven and supports monitoring objectives.
Is this opportunity discretionary?
Yes. It is listed as discretionary, meaning it is not an entitlement program and awards are made at the agency's discretion within available funding and program priorities.
Who is eligible to apply, according to the notice?
The eligible applicant category is limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education. The notice also specifies an intended recipient, which aligns with the posting being a Notice of Intent to Award rather than an open solicitation.
What is the maximum funding amount for the award?
The award ceiling is listed as $149,996, which indicates the maximum expected federal funding level for the cooperative agreement as described in the notice.
When was the opportunity created and when did it close?
The opportunity was created on August 17, 2016, and the original closing date is listed as August 31, 2016.
Why would an agency post a Notice of Intent to Award if the recipient is already identified?
The notice indicates that intent-to-award postings can function as formal public notices for transparency even when a recipient has been identified due to programmatic reasons, specific expertise, continuity of ongoing work, or the collaborative structure of an established monitoring program.
What geographic area does the project focus on?
The work focuses on Lake Superior.
What kind of outputs or information is the project expected to produce?
Based on the description, the project is expected to produce information characterizing benthic community composition (what is present) and abundance (how much is present), supporting lake-wide monitoring and interpretation of ecosystem conditions and trends.
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