Notice of Intent | USGS 20 FA 0121

Opportunity Information: Apply for USGS 20 FA 0121

This Notice of Intent (Funding Opportunity Number USGS 20 FA 0121) is a discretionary funding opportunity from the Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) focused on natural resources. It anticipates making one award through a cooperative agreement to support work centered on "Best Practices for Project Design Effectively Addressing Natural Resource Management Needs." In practical terms, the opportunity is aimed at strengthening how natural resource projects are designed so that they more directly and effectively meet the needs of resource managers and decision-makers, with an emphasis on approaches that can be considered best practices and potentially applied across programs or locations.

The funding is tied to the Natural Resources funding activity category and is listed under CFDA 15.820. The instrument type is important: a cooperative agreement typically indicates that USGS expects to have substantial involvement in the funded project, meaning the agency may collaborate more actively than it would under a standard grant. That can include coordination on project scope, methods, deliverables, and alignment with management priorities, which fits well with a topic focused on improving project design practices for real-world management applications.

Eligibility is limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education. That means the primary applicants are state universities, public colleges, and similar public academic entities, rather than private universities, nonprofits, tribal governments, or private-sector organizations (unless they participate as partners under an eligible lead applicant). Because only this eligibility category is listed, prospective applicants outside that group would generally need to collaborate with an eligible public institution that can serve as the applicant and award recipient.

The opportunity was created on April 17, 2020, with an original closing date of May 1, 2020, indicating a short application window. The award ceiling is $168,231, and the USGS expects to make one award. With a single anticipated award and a defined ceiling, the competition is likely structured to fund one well-scoped project or a focused body of work (such as developing a framework, guidance, methods, or actionable recommendations) rather than multiple smaller projects.

Overall, the intent of the opportunity is to support a public higher-education partner in producing credible, transferable guidance or approaches that improve the way natural resource projects are conceived and designed, so the resulting science, data, and outputs are better aligned with on-the-ground management needs. The combination of a cooperative agreement, a single expected award, and a moderate funding cap suggests USGS is seeking a tightly aligned collaboration that produces practical, implementable best practices rather than purely academic or exploratory research outcomes.

• The Department of the Interior, U. S. Geological Survey in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Notice of Intent" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.820.
• This funding opportunity was created on Apr 17, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 01, 2020. (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 $168,231.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.

Apply for USGS 20 FA 0121

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