USGS mini-grant Pre-proposal Guidelines
FY2024
The U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the South 啵啵直播秀 Water Resources Institute (SD WRI) requests proposals under Section 104(g) of the Water Resources Research Act of 1984.
More information is available on the .
Please Note: Each applicant must match each Federal dollar provided to support each proposed project with not less than one dollar from non-federal sources. (1:1 MATCH)
Program Objectives
Section 104(g) of the Water Resources Research Act of 1984 requires that this competitive grant program focus on: 鈥渨ater problems and issues of a regional or interstate nature beyond those of concern only to a single State and which relate to specific program priorities identified jointly by the Secretary (of the Interior) and the (water resources research) institutes.鈥 Objectives of this program also include the following:
- Promote collaboration between the USGS and university scientists in research on significant national and regional water-resources issues. Proposals exhibiting substantial collaboration between the USGS and the applicant are strongly encouraged. Collaborative proposals should describe in detail the respective roles of the USGS and the applicant in the proposed work. It is anticipated that in FY2024 the USGS will have internal funds available for modest support of USGS scientists on selected proposals.
- Promote the dissemination and application of the results of the research funded under this program, both to the scientific community and to the general public.
- Assist in the training of scientists in relevant water resource fields. Proposals that include a strong educational component (student support) are encouraged, as are those from early-career faculty.
Research Priorities
Please be aware that the USGS is not asking for pre-proposals this year and are requesting full proposals on the topic of improving and enhancing the nation鈥檚 water supply and availability, and promoting the exploration of new ideas that address or expand our understanding of water problems, including the following specific areas of inquiry. Levels of priority are not assigned, and the order of listing does not indicate the level of priority:
- Abundance, location and persistence of legacy nutrients: What are the mechanisms that facilitate accumulation and persistence? Where in landscape are they stored and what does that mean for the potential to enter or move through the hydrologic system? What are the methods, time periods and utility to characterizing 鈥渘ew鈥 versus 鈥渙ld鈥 sources? Do related nutrients persist and move in the same way, and what does this mean for short- and long-term water quality?
- Trends of integrated processes: How do changes in one aspect of water quantity and availability affect other long-term aspects? For example, how are changes in groundwater identifiable as changes in streamflow patterns? How do changes in streamflow result in changes in water quality?
- Water Conflict: What are the risks of water conflict as a result of inter-basin transfers driven by water-use behavior, socioeconomic conditions, changing land-use patterns and climate variability. Aspects for consideration include identification of thresholds, tradeoffs between sectors and(or) communities, conservation opportunities and stakeholder actions, agent-based modeling, relevant laws and regulations and adaptive management.
Maximum Size and Duration of Project
- Applicants shall not request total federal funds exceeding $250,000 per project. Each applicant must match each Federal dollar provided to support each proposed project with not less than one dollar from non-federal sources.
- Proposed projects may be of one to three years in duration, with discrete 12-month budget periods.
- 啵啵直播秀s will be made directly to the Water Resources Research Institute through which the proposal was submitted. The project start date is expected to be within 30 days of receiving the award.
- Anticipated 啵啵直播秀 Date: Dec. 1, 2024
Proposal contents
- SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance, and SF-424B Assurances
- Signed matching funds commitment letter
- Suggested reviewers
- Research Proposal, including a Budget Breakdown, Budget Justification and Budget Summary
- .
- A must be included in the full proposal.
Application submission procedure
Proposals must be submitted to the South 啵啵直播秀 Water Resources Institute by 5 p.m. May 13, 2024.
Please contact John Maursetter at 605-688-5668 for additional questions.
Budget Justification Format
Principal Investigator:
Project Title:
Date:
Senior Personnel Costs - Total cost $_________
$_______ is requested for __________, who will serve as the Principal Investigator and will be responsible for the overall project goals and objectives. The PI will also be responsible for _____________. The total effort the PI will dedicate to this project each year will be ______% of the PI鈥檚 ______ months, which is equivalent to________ months for each year.
$__________ is requested for __________, who will serve as the Co-PI and will be responsible for _____________. The total effort the Co-PI will dedicate to this project each year will be _______% of the Co-PI鈥檚 ______ months, which is equivalent to ________ months for each year.
Other Personnel Costs 鈥 Total Cost $____________
$______ is requested for Click here to _________, who will support the project as a _________. The total effort that the _________ will dedicate to the project each year will be _____% of _______months, which is equivalent to _____months each year. _______will be responsible for the following activities: Click here to enter text.
$_____ is requested to support ______ graduate student(s) participating in this project. They will: ________.
$______ is requested to support _____undergraduate student(s) participating in this project. The students will: ____________
Fringe Benefits Costs 鈥 Total Cost $_______.
Fringe benefits for the Senior and Other Personnel above is calculated based on % of time on the project at a rate of 15% plus an annual stipend of $9,872 for health and life for a total of $_______. One percent fringe is calculated for graduate and undergraduate personnel for a total of $______.
Equipment Costs 鈥 Total Cost $ ___________.
Equipment/ Purpose | Amount | Year Purchasing |
---|---|---|
blank | blank | blank |
Travel Costs 鈥 Total Cost $______.
Domestic Travel
- Name:
- Meeting/Purpose
- Year(s): # Trips, #Days, Totals
- Mileage:
- Per Diem:
- Lodging:
- Airfare: Registration
- Total for Meeting:
(copy table as needed for additional personnel)
Foreign Travel: Provide same type of detail as domestic travel.
Other Direct Costs 鈥 Total Cost $__________.
- Materials and Supplies: $______ is requested for the following supplies. Click here to enter text.
- Publication/Documentation/Dissemination: $__________ is requested for the publication costs, at an estimated cost of $Click here to enter text. per publication.
- Contractual/Consultant: $___________ is requested for __________, whom will assist the PI and Co-PI with the following activities: ______________. _________________ was selected for his/her expertise in ________________, which is critical to the proposed project. ________________. The rate per day is $_____________
Repeat for each individual contractor/consultant on project.
- Computer Services: $_____________is requested per year for necessary computer services. These services include ____________ to be used for ________________.
- Tuition Remission: $_____________ is requested for _______________ students for a total of $_________ for Year 1. Tuition Remission is based on a base tuition rate of $_______________ in Year 1, increasing by $200 each year thereafter, plus a program fee rate set by the South 啵啵直播秀 Board of Regents based on the graduate student鈥檚 specific program鈥檚 need.
- Other costs such as equipment/facility rental, user fees, speaker/trainer fees, honorariums, fabrication of equipment should be considered.
Facilities and Administration (F&A) Costs 鈥 Total Cost $____________.
F&A costs totaling $____________ is associated with the proposed project at the rate of _____% of $____________. Modified Total Direct Costs include Total Direct Costs excluding equipment, capital expenditures, tuition remission, and rental costs of off-site facilities, scholarships, and subaward amounts over $25,000.
SDSU鈥檚 current federally negotiated rate agreement is valid for the period (7/1/18 鈥 7/1/23). The cognizant agency is the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The cognizant agency point of contact is Helen Fung at 415-437-7820.
Investigator鈥檚 qualifications. Include resume(s) of the principal investigator(s). No resume shall exceed two pages or list more than 15 pertinent publications.
Matching Funds
- Each applicant must match each Federal dollar provided with not less than one dollar from non-federal sources.
- Matching funds shall be obligated during the period of performance.
- The matching requirement should be met during each 12-month budget period.
- Matching funds may contain indirect costs and non-federal salaries and benefits. The applicant鈥檚 negotiated indirect cost rate (NICR) may be applied to both qualifying federal and non-federal direct costs, and the result used to satisfy part of the matching requirement under the non-federal share. The NICR shall not be applied to tuition and equipment costs. Federal funds shall not be used to pay indirect costs.
- Regulations pertaining to allowable matching funds are provided in the Code of Federal
- Regulations at 43CFR12.64 and in the following OMB Circulars:
- Circular A-21 for Educational Institutions
- Circular A-87 for State, Local and Indian Tribal Governments
- Circular A-122 for Private Nonprofit Organizations
Appendix A Focus Categories
- Acid Deposition ACD
- Agriculture AG
- Climatological Processes CP
- Conservation COV
- Drought DROU
- Ecology ECL
- Economics ECON
- Education EDU
- Floods FL
- Geomorphological Processes GEOMOR
- Geochemical Processes GEOCHE
- Groundwater GWw
- Hydrogeochemistry HYDGEO
- Hydrology HYDROL
- Invasive Species INVnv
- Irrigation IG
- Law, Institutions, And Policy LIP
- Management And Planning M&P
- Methods MET
- Models MOD
- Nitrate Contamination NC
- Non Point Pollution NPP
- Nutrients NU
- Radioactive Substances RAD
- Recreation REC
- Sediments SED
- Solute Transport ST
- Surface Water SW
- Toxic Substances TS
- Treatment TRT
- Wastewater WW
- Water Quality WQL
- Water Quantity WQN
- Water Supply WS
- Water Use WU
- Wetlands WL
