The U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the National Institutes for Water Resources requests proposals for matching grants to support research on the topic of improving and enhancing the nation’s water supply, including evaluation of innovative approaches to water treatment, infrastructure design, retrofitting, maintenance, management, and replacement; evaluation of the dynamics of extreme hydrological events and associated costs; development of methods for better estimation of the physical and economic supply of water; alternative approaches and governance mechanisms for integrated management of ground and surface waters; and the evaluation and assessment of conservation practices. Proposals are sought in not only the physical dimensions of supply, but also the role of economics and institutions in water supply and in coping with extreme hydrologic conditions. Any investigator at an accredited institution of higher learning in the United States is eligible to apply for a grant through a Water Research Institute or Center established under the provisions of the Water Resources Research Act of 1984, as amended (http://water.usgs.gov/wrri/institutes.html). Proposals involving substantial collaboration between the USGS and university scientists are encouraged. Proposals may be for projects of 1 to 3 years in duration and may request up to $250,000 in federal funds. Successful applicants must match each dollar of the federal grant with one dollar from non-federal sources. Funds have not yet been appropriated for this program for FY 2013. The Government's obligation under this program is contingent upon the availability of funds.

Proposals must be filed on the Internet at https://niwr.net/ by 3 p.m., Central Standard Time, Thursday, February 21, 2013. For Wisconsin applicants, a submission on the website is NOT considered complete unless the application has been approved by the University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute. Approval requires an applicant to provide a matching commitment letter and proof of administrative approval by the applicant’s department and dean’s office for UW-Madison, or campus approval for applicants from Wisconsin higher education institutions other than UW-Madison.

For UW-Madison applicants this means a WISPER record needs to be created and a matching commitment letter attached to the WISPER record (since the proposal narrative and budget are submitted on the NIWR website the WISPER record does not need to include that information unless required by applicant’s administrative channels). The record then needs to be routed through the associated dean/director office and then to Dan Marklein (WISPER user MARKEIN, DANIEL J, marklein@aqua.wisc.edu). WISPER records should NOT be routed to the SPO (Office of Research and Sponsored Programs). After the proposal and matching commitment is approved by the Water Resources Institute, Water Resources Director James Hurley’s name will be added as the administrative principal investigator. A Grants.gov file containing the SF-424 will be prepared by Water Resources and associated with the WISPER record that will then be routed to the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs. In summary, a WISPER record with matching commitment letter attached will be created by the applicant’s department and routed through the applicant’s dean’s office. The dean’s office should then route the record to Dan Marklein (not Research and Sponsored Programs). This must occur prior to 3 p.m. CST, Thursday, February 21, 2013.

Applicants from campuses other than UW-Madison must provide a document showing that administrative approval has been received from someone authorized to sign-off for that institution. This authorization must include a separate matching commitment letter indicating how the matching requirement will be met. An email from the authorized representative for the applicant’s campus with the matching commitment letter as an attachment is acceptable. The matching commitment letter must be a separate document (not incorporated into the body of the email). Also acceptable would be any transmittal form or sponsored research offices' forms that show approval has been obtained along with the matching commitment letter as an attachment. Any non-Madison campus applicants using the WISPER proposal routing application should route the WISPER record through their channels, including their sponsored research office (SPO) and then generate an electronic copy of the WISPER record to send as an attachment along with the matching commitment letter. The WISPER record should NOT be transmitted to NIWR. Materials should be emailed to: Dan Marklein, Water Resources Institute at marklein@aqua.wisc.edu. The approval email and any attachments must arrive by 3 p.m. CST, Thursday, February 21, 2013. Since the proposal narrative and budget are submitted by the applicant on the NIWR Web site the email does not need to have that information attached.

All applicants should note that there is language on the NIWR website and in the RFP on submitting a Federal Form SF-424 via Grants.gov. Applicants do NOT need to be concerned with this step. The Water Resources Institute will prepare the SF-424 and submit it on behalf of applicants to Grants.gov. 

To obtain a copy of the RFP, please go to https://niwr.net/competitive_grants/RFP