Cooperative Agreement for Affiliated Partner with the Gulf Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU)

The U.S. Geological Survey is offering a cooperative agreement funding opportunity for a participating partner of the Gulf Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit to conduct research on how spatial variations in geotechnical sediment properties affect coastal geomorphic response during storms. The work is intended to improve capabilities for predicting storm impacts along the Nation's coastline and to support storm and emergency preparedness. The announcement identifies coastal flooding, erosion, barrier island breaching, and related impacts on infrastructure and energy resources as important concerns. The project is funded through the Congressional Authority Disaster Supplemental from Hurricane Ian under Public Law 117-328 and is intended to improve data and tools that help stakeholders prepare for severe events. The research objective is to create more robust and accurate models for predicting coastal geomorphic response during extreme storms. The recipient will enhance the Coupled Ocean Atmosphere Wave Sediment Modeling System, or COAWST, which incorporates the Regional Ocean Modeling System, an infragravity wave group driver, and the Community Sediment Transport Modeling system. Research will investigate how variations in characteristics including grain size, bed thickness, porosity, and critical erosion stress affect predicted geomorphic changes under low, moderate, and extreme conditions. Data from the USACE Field Research Facility at Duck, North Carolina, may be used to evaluate model performance. The anticipated result is a more reliable modeling system for predicting coastal change. USGS anticipates making one award under a cooperative agreement. The project is expected to consist of one base year and two additional budget years, for a total project period of three years. Total estimated funding is 350000 dollars, including an estimated 150000 dollars available for Budget Year 1. Funding for subsequent years will depend on satisfactory progress and availability of funding, and applicants should submit proposals reflecting the full three-year project period. The announcement establishes an approved CESU negotiated indirect cost rate of 17.5 percent. USGS will not support costs incurred before the start date established on the award by the Contracting Officer. No required applicant cost share or matching contribution is identified in the announcement. Eligibility is limited to participating partners of the Gulf Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit Program. Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov using Funding Opportunity Number G26AS00158. The application must include a cover page identifying the anticipated recipient, project title and start date, Principal Investigator and administrative contact information, Co-Principal Investigators, expected USGS collaborators, other cooperators and partners, available laboratories and facilities, study areas, equipment, and relevant project staff experience. The proposal narrative must address the problem and prior work, objectives and geographic scope, procedures and methods, planned products and dissemination, schedule and reporting milestones, references, and applicable legal, policy-sensitive, animal-use, or human-subject considerations. Applicants must also provide detailed budget information corresponding to the SF-424A and broken out for all requested project budget years. Required budget explanations cover personnel, fringe benefits, supplies, equipment, contractual expenses, travel, other direct costs, total direct charges, indirect charges, and the total project budget. Proposals must include a supplementary Data Management Plan addressing management, access, sharing, reuse, archiving, and preservation of project data and research products, as applicable. The application requirements also include biographical sketch information for senior or key personnel, current and pending other support disclosures, and a Project Abstract Summary. The Project Abstract Summary should address the project title, plain-language award purpose, activities, deliverables and expected outcomes, intended beneficiaries, and known subrecipient activities and should be one page or less and no more than approximately 4000 characters. Applications will be reviewed for completeness, basic eligibility, category requirements, and budget reasonableness. USGS technical personnel will score proposals and submit evaluations to the Contracting Officer for final award determination. Purpose, Objectives, and Relevance account for 30 points; Technical Approach accounts for 25 points; Budget Justification and Clarity accounts for 20 points; and Qualifications, Experience, and Past Performance account for 25 points. Applicants should demonstrate clear and measurable objectives, alignment with the announcement's stated policy and research priorities, detailed and achievable methods and milestones, appropriate use of COAWST, expertise in coastal geotechnical data, relevant research and publication experience, and demonstrated ability to conduct large-scale storm simulation research. The supplied announcement does not state an application opening date, application closing date, pre-application deadline, award notification date, or recurring application cycle, so these dates cannot be established from the source. Questions regarding the application may be directed to Grant Specialist Katie Calder at katherine_calder@ios.doi.gov. The announcement also identifies USGS contact Nikolas Lushenko at nikolas_lushenko@ios.doi.gov and technical contact John C. Warner at 508-457-2237 or jcwarner@usgs.gov. Grants.gov assistance is available at 1-800-518-4726 in the United States, 1-606-545-5035 internationally, or support@grants.gov. During the award, annual progress and financial reports are generally due within 90 calendar days after each annual period, while final technical and financial reports are due within 120 calendar days after the period of performance or agreement completion date.

Directly address the scored review criteria. Clearly connect the research to the stated national security energy coastal resilience and storm preparedness priorities. Define measurable and realistic objectives. Provide detailed methods models data analysis and datasets and demonstrate specific use of COAWST to study spatial geotechnical variability and storm-driven geomorphic change. Provide clear achievable milestones and a detailed reasonable budget. Demonstrate expertise in coastal geotechnical data relevant publications completed projects and past performance in large-scale storm simulation research.