Water Resources Research Act Program

Under the provisions of section 104 of the Water Resources Research Act of 1984 annual base grants (104b) are awarded to the Institutes or Centers that have been established in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam. Funding for this program is historically $7.1 million dollars in federal funds per year that are required to be matched 1:1 with non-federal dollars.

The annual base grants help each Institute or Center to plan and conduct applied and peer reviewed research on water resource issues. Institutes also use their base grants to help train new scientists, disseminate research results to water managers and the public, and to cooperate with other colleges and universities in their respective states and with other institutes and other organizations in their regions to promote regional coordination.

How to Apply

Each Fiscal Year an announcement is issued requesting applications. All applications under this Announcement must be submitted by the Institute Directors or their designee(s) to https://www.grants.gov. Applications will be accepted only from State Institutes/Centers established pursuant to the provisions of Section 104 of the Water Resources Research Act of 1984, as amended. Only faculty members or affiliates at University/Colleges may submit project proposals to the State Water Institutes/Centers.

The U.S. Geological Survey supports an annual call for proposals under the National Competitive (104g) Grants in cooperation with the National Institutes for Water Resources to focus on water problems and issues that are of a regional or interstate nature or relate to a specific program priority identified by the Secretary of the Interior.

Goals of the National Competitive (104g) Grants program are to promote collaboration between the USGS and university scientists in research on significant national and regional water resources issues; promote the dissemination and results of the research funded under this program; and to assist in the training of scientists in water resources.

Funding for this program is historically $1.5 million dollars in federal funds per year that are required to be matched 1:1 with non-federal dollars. 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. Successful research topics have included research on improving and enhancing the nation's water supply, developing innovative approaches to water treatment, 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; developing approaches for integrated management of ground and surface waters; and the evaluation and assessment of conservation practices.

How to Apply

Each Fiscal Year an announcement is issued requesting applications. All applications under this Announcement must be submitted by the Institute Directors or their designee(s) to https://www.grants.gov. Applications will be accepted only from State Institutes/Centers established pursuant to the provisions of Section 104 of the Water Resources Research Act of 1984, as amended. Only faculty members or affiliates at University/Colleges may submit project proposals to the State Water Institutes/Centers.

The U.S. Geological Survey supports an annual call for proposals under the Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Grants in cooperation with the National Institutes for Water Resources to support research on the real and growing impact of numerous aquatic invasive species on water quality and quantity in the Upper Mississippi Basin. Funding for this program is historically $1.0 million dollars in federal funds per year that are required to be matched 1:1 with non-federal dollars. 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.

Successful research topics have included research on Improving our understanding of the impacts of aquatic invasive species on lakes and rivers in the Upper Mississippi River basin, including changes to water quantity, quality and ecosystem dynamics and the social and/or economic assessment of the spread, detection, impacts, solutions, and management of aquatic invasive species in the Upper Mississippi River basin.

How to Apply

Each Fiscal Year an announcement is issued requesting applications. All applications under this Announcement must be submitted by the Institute Directors or their designee(s) to https://www.grants.gov. Applications will be accepted only from State Institutes/Centers established pursuant to the provisions of Section 104 of the Water Resources Research Act of 1984, as amended. Only faculty members or affiliates at University/Colleges may submit project proposals to the State Water Institutes/Centers.

The U.S. Geological Survey supports an annual call for proposals under the Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Grants in cooperation with the National Institutes for Water Resources to support research challenges and opportunities of understanding the impact of per-and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) substances on water resources. Funding for this program is historically $1.0 million dollars in federal funds per year that are required to be matched 1:1 with non-federal dollars. 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.

Successful research topics have included research on the fate, persistence, transport, and impacts of per-and Polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) substances on changes to water quality and/or ecosystem dynamics, in water resources, including surface water and groundwater.

If you need more information on collaboration opportunities with USGS scientists, you may contact Dr. James Gray (jlgray@usgs.gov) or Dr. Mari Lee (melee@usgs.gov). You can also reach out to your local water science center.

How to Apply

Each Fiscal Year an announcement is issued requesting applications. All applications under this Announcement must be submitted by the Institute Directors or their designee(s) to https://www.grants.gov. Applications will be accepted only from State Institutes/Centers established pursuant to the provisions of Section 104 of the Water Resources Research Act of 1984, as amended. Only faculty members or affiliates at University/Colleges may submit project proposals to the State Water Institutes/Centers.

Coordination grants (sometimes referred to as Supplemental Grants or Pass-Through Grants) allow other Federal agencies (including agencies within the Department of the Interior) to use and take advantage of the expertise and capabilities that are available through the network of Institutes established by the Water Resources Research Act.

The USGS may accept funds from other Federal departments, agencies (including bureaus within the Department of the Interior), to establish a grant with an Institute in order to conduct hydrologic research with Federal programs concerned with water resources problems and issues.

The USGS fully supports and encourages other Federal programs concerned with water resources problems and issues to develop grants with the Water Resources Institutes in cooperation with the USGS.

When is a Coordination Grant Appropriate?

In general, if there will be no substantial involvement in the project by the government, then a competitive grant is the appropriate route. If the government is going to have substantial involvement in the project, then a coordination grant would be the best mechanism.

Substantial involvement does not include:

• Government approval of recipient plans prior to award
• Normal exercise of Federal stewardship responsibilities during the project period such as site visits, performance reporting, financial reporting, and review to ensure that the objectives, terms and conditions of the award are accomplished
• Unanticipated government involvement to correct deficiencies in project or financial performance from the terms of the assistance instrument
• General statutory requirements understood in advance of the award such as civil rights, environmental protection, and provisions for people with disabilities
• Government review of performance after completion of the assisted activity

Establishing a Coordination Grant

The USGS can accept funds from other Federal departments or agencies to pass through as a grant to one of the Institutes authorized by the Water Resources Research Act and described at https://water.usgs.gov/wrri/. The Water Resources Research Act gives the USGS the authority to accept the funds and use those funds to award a grant. The funds must be used to support water related research within the provisions of the Act, and the research must have applicability beyond just the other agency's mission.

Please note that coordination grants are not tied to an RFP process and can be established throughout the year.

Please email us at gs-w.wrri.web.team@usgs.gov for more information on the current procedure for establishing these grants.