2022 Request for Pre-Proposals - USGS 104(b) Annual Base Grants Program

Program Description and Objectives:

The Utah Center for Water Resources Research (UCWRR) is one of 54 federally authorized water resource institutes in the United States. It operates under the authority of the Water Resources Research Act of 1964, as amended in 1984, through the Water Resources Research Institutes Program administered by the USGS. Program objectives are as follows:

• Plan, facilitate, and conduct research to aid in the resolution of State and regional water problems
• Promote technology transfer and the dissemination and application of research results
• Provide for the training of scientists and engineers through their participation in research
• Provide for competitive grants to be awarded under the Water Resources Research Act

Eligibility:

Any faculty member or affiliate at an institution of higher education in the State of Utah can apply. Federal employees are NOT eligible as a principal investigator but may participate as a co-investigators.

Research Priorities

USGS Circular 1488 , Water Resources Research Act Program—Current Status, Development Opportunities, and Priorities for 2020–30, lists seven focus areas for this program:

• Water Scarcity and Availability
• Water Related Hazards and Climate Variability
• Water Quality
• Water Policy, Planning, and Socioeconomics
• Ecosystem and Drainage Basin Functions
• Water Technology and Innovation
• Workforce Development and Water Literacy

Proposed projects should articulate how they align with these focus areas and the associated goals and opportunities listed in this circular with application to Utah and the western US.

Funding Information:

Pre-proposals should be for projects of 12 months duration that address water problems in the State of Utah. It is anticipated that 4 to 7 projects will selected to submit full proposals. Requested funding amounts should not exceed $30,000 (matching funds are required).

The funding for this grant is contingent upon congressional appropriations. Congress has authorized $12 million for the USGS 104b program as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. This is an increase over prior years and could result in a total of $200,000 to be awarded to Utah. However, the federal budget is not yet approved and the federal government is operating under a continuing resolution that would provide $125,000 to Utah. Because the final amount is unknown, we plan to select four project and prioritize an additional three to hold in reserve. Based on the newly released USGS 104b request for proposal for this fiscal year, we plan to award 4 projects at the level of ~$30,000 per project. Delays in funding are possible.

Matching Requirement:

This program requires applicants to match each Federal dollar provided with not less than one dollar from non-federal sources (1:1 match). The RFP indicates the following

• Federal funds shall not be used to pay indirect costs
• Matching funds may contain indirect costs and non-federal salaries and benefits

The use of indirect costs and non-federal salaries and benefits to fulfill match requirements is illustrated in this match budget example.

Selection Criteria:

30% – Scientific merit / Research approach
25% – Applicability to Utah’s need
25% – Research Impact
20% – Training potential / Technology transfer

Proposal Guidelines:

Project pre-proposals should include:

• A project description of no more than 5 pages (excluding citations & investigator qualifications)
• A 1-page draft budget. This does not require institutional commitment at the pre-proposal stage, but should state how the 1:1 match requirement will be met.

NOTE: Projects selected for inclusion in the full UCWRR proposal to USGS will be required to submit content responsive to the FY2022 USGS 104b request for proposal. This content must be submitted to the UCWRR no less than three weeks prior to the USGS deadline to allow time for us to assemble the full proposal.

Contents:

1. Title: Concise but descriptive.

2. Project Type (Choose from the following): Research, Information Transfer, Information Management System, or Education.

3. Focus Categories: Choose a maximum of three focus categories from the list provided (Attachment A), with the most preferred focus category first.

4. Research Category (Choose from the following the one category that most closely applies):

   • Water Scarcity and Availability
   • Water Hazards and Climate Variability
   • Water Quality
   • Water Policy, Planning, and Socioeconomics
   • Ecosystem and Drainage Basin Functions
   • Water Technology and Innovation
   • Workforce Development and Water Literacy

5. Keywords: Enter keywords of your choice descriptive of the work.

6. Principal investigator(s): Provide name, academic rank, university, email address and phone number of the principle investigators

7. Abstract: Provide a brief description of the problem, methods, and objectives.

8. Statement of regional or State water problem: Include an explanation of the need for the project, who wants it, and why.

9. Statement of results or benefits: Specify the type of information that is to be gained and how it will be used.

10. Nature, scope, and objectives of the project: include a timeline of activities.

11. Methods, procedures, and facilities:. Provide enough information to permit evaluation of the technical adequacy of the approach to satisfy the objectives.

12. Related research: Show by literature and communication citations the similarities and dissimilarities of the proposed project to completed or ongoing work on the same topic.

13. Training potential: Estimate the number of graduate and undergraduate students, by degree level, who are expected to receive training in the project.

14. Budget breakdown: A one-page draft budget and basic budget justification including details on meeting the 1:1 match. (Example budget spreadsheet)

15. Investigator’s qualifications: Include resume(s) of the principal investigator(s). Limit to 2 pages with no more than 15 pertinent publications.

Reporting Requirements:

• At the completion of the project, recipients will be required to prepare a final report summary.

• The USGS tracks project productivity such as research publications, conference proceedings, patents, student participation, training sessions, etc., and you will be required to provide this information in your project summary report and to report on publications and other outcomes that result from this project in subsequent years.

• All outputs of your 104b supported research must acknowledge both the USGS and UCWRR for the 104b grant opportunity and must include the project number assigned to your research.

The following additional information must be provided as a reporting requirement:

• Name, major, degree program of all student working on the project.

• One or more publication quality photo(s) of project-related work (and/or student performing such work).

• Electronic copies of any student thesis or dissertation, poster, or PowerPoint presentation resulting from the project.

• Journal articles submitted for publication or link to publication.

• Fact sheets or any other materials produced as part of the project.

• A final abstract (around 250 words) summarizing major findings of the project suitable for newsletter publication.

• Publications, information transfer, student support, and notable achievements and awards.

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ATTACHMENT A

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FOCUS CATEGORIES