The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the National Institutes for Water Resources, requests proposals each year for research on topics of national importance (see priorities list below) for funding through its National Competitive Grants Program (a.k.a. 104G Program). Proposals are sought in not only the physical dimensions of supply and demand, but also quality trends in raw water supplies, the role of economics and institutions in water supply and demand, institutional arrangements for tracking and reporting water supply and availability, and institutional arrangements for coping with extreme hydrologic conditions. In 2009, the U.S. Geological Survey received 62 proposals, six of which received funding. The successful proposal abstracts are available at http://water.usgs.gov/wrri/projects.html.
The most recent request for proposals can be viewed at https://niwr.net/competitive_grants/RFP. Any investigator at an institution of higher learning in the United States is eligible to apply for a grant through a water resources research institute or center. Proposals involving substantial collaboration between the USGS and university scientists are strongly 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.
Research Priorities
The following research priorities have been established (levels of priority are not assigned, and the order of listing does not indicate the level of priority).
Proposals are requested on the topics of water supply and availability, including investigations of possible new sources of supply, improvement of impaired waters to usable quality, conservation of existing sources, and limiting growth in demand. Examples of the types of problems that could be addressed include:
Methods to enhance the long-term reliability of water supplies; Indicators of status and trends in water availability based on hydrologic data collected by the USGS and others; Management options for preserving or enhancing water availability under drought or flood conditions; Improved methods of characterizing and quantifying components of the water cycle; Improved estimates of the amount of water required to sustain healthy ecosystems while enhancing supplies for human use; Improvements in the assessment of water availability, incorporating technological, institutional, cultural, and economic factors that influence water use and water availability; Effects of water regulation and institutional arrangements on availability of water for alternative uses; Effectiveness of Best Management Practices (BMPs) in sustaining urban and rural raw water supply quality; Institutional characteristics of watershed planning and management organizations that have a demonstrated capability to protect the quality and enhance the reliability of water supply; and, Water management in the context of rapid development and conflict for water supply.
For additional information, please see “A Strategy for Federal Science and Technology to Support Water Availability and Quality in the United States,” available at http://www.ostp.gov/galleries/NSTC/Fed ST Strategy for Water 9-07 FINAL.pdf.
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