Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Rivers CESU | G18AS00023

Opportunity Information: Apply for G18AS00023

The Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Great Rivers CESU grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number G18AS00023) is a discretionary funding announcement from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), within the Department of the Interior, to support a single CESU partner through a cooperative agreement. The project focuses on improving a practical decision-support tool described as a "revised spill calculator" used to estimate the effects of misapplications of fire retardant, particularly in situations where retardant may inadvertently enter or threaten aquatic systems. The work falls under the Science and Technology and other Research and Development funding activity category (CFDA 15.808).

The central purpose of the award is to develop and test an updated modeling-based calculator that can better estimate transport and potential impacts following retardant misapplication events. The revised tool is expected to be grounded in an advection-dispersion modeling framework, which is a standard approach for representing how a substance moves downstream (advection) and spreads out due to mixing processes (dispersion) in rivers and streams. In practical terms, the tool would help translate information about an incident (such as where and how much retardant entered a waterway, and the flow conditions at the time) into estimates of downstream concentrations and exposure over time, supporting more informed assessments and response decisions.

The solicitation lays out three specific objectives. First, the recipient is to develop a spill calculator based on an advection-dispersion model, implying a shift or upgrade from the existing calculator to a method with a clearer physical basis for predicting downstream fate and transport. Second, the recipient must apply both the current spill calculator and the proposed revised calculator to a set of real-world field events, with the US Forest Service (USFS) providing between four and eight incidents for evaluation. This side-by-side application is meant to show how the revised approach compares to the existing method across multiple scenarios, likely highlighting differences in predicted concentrations, timing of peak exposure, and downstream extent under varying hydrologic and site conditions. Third, the recipient must apply both calculators to at least one event for which dye study data are available. Dye studies are commonly used to empirically measure travel time and dispersion characteristics in streams, so including at least one dye-traced event provides an observed dataset to help check whether the revised model captures real transport behavior and whether it improves prediction performance relative to the current calculator.

Administratively, the opportunity was created on March 13, 2018, with an original closing date of March 27, 2018, indicating a short application window typical of targeted CESU opportunities. The expected number of awards is one, and the award ceiling is $18,937, signaling a small, focused research effort rather than a large multi-year program. Eligibility is limited to CESU partners (listed broadly as "Others" with clarification in the opportunity text), meaning applicants generally must be part of the CESU network and aligned with the Great Rivers CESU partnership framework.

Overall, the grant is aimed at producing an improved, field-tested spill calculation tool for estimating the downstream effects of fire retardant misapplications, validated through application to multiple USFS-provided incidents and anchored by at least one case with dye study measurements. The outcome USGS is driving toward is a more defensible and usable calculator that supports incident analysis and environmental risk evaluation in riverine settings when accidental retardant exposure is a concern.

• The Department of the Interior, U. S. Geological Survey in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Rivers CESU" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.808.
• This funding opportunity was created on Mar 13, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 27, 2018. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $18,937.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for G18AS00023

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