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Water Resources Research Act Program Annual Base Grants - FY 2025

Agency: U.S. Department of Interior
CFDA: 15.805
Federal FON: G25AS00486
Office: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Institutes for Water Resources (NIWR)
Multipart Grant: No
Next Due: 09/16/2025 (Application)
Solicitation Date: 08/01/2025
   
Match Required: Yes
Match Type: Cash/In-Kind
Actual Funds: $8,325,000 (Estimated)
Number of Awards: 54 (Estimated)
Summary:

The purpose of this program is to support research research for water resources in each state or territory served by water resources research institutes under the Water Resources Research Act. Such institutes are required to:

  • Plan, conduct, or otherwise arrange for competent applied and peer-reviewed research that fosters:
    • Improvements in water supply reliability
    • The exploration of new ideas that address water problems or expand understanding of water and water-related phenomena
    • The entry of new research scientists, engineers, and technicians into water resources fields
    • The dissemination of research results to water managers and the public
  • Cooperate closely with other colleges and universities in their states that have demonstrated capabilities for research, information dissemination, and graduate training, in order to develop a statewide program designed to resolve state and regional water and related land problems
  • Cooperate closely with other institutes and other organizations in the region to increase the effectiveness of the institutes and for the purpose of promoting regional coordination

Projects supported by this program will further these objectives and promote the national mission and objectives of the funding agency, which are focused on providing water quality and quantity information, understanding water availability, addressing the influence of climate on water resources, and responding to water-related emerging needs.

Eligible costs include salaries and wages, fringe benefits, tuition, supplies and equipment, services and consultants, travel, and other direct costs.

Eligibility Notes:

Eligible applicants are institutes or centers established pursuant to the provisions of Section 104 of the Water Resources Research Act of 1984, as amended. Each applicant may consider project proposals only from faculty members or affiliates at institutions of higher education in its state. Water resources institutes or centers have been established in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The institute in Guam also serves the Federated States of Micronesia and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The institute in Hawaii also serves American Samoa. Institute directors or their designee(s) are responsible for submitting applications.

Applicants may apply for multiple projects in the same application.

Federal employees may, and are encouraged to, collaborate with college or university investigators in this program; however, federal employees may not serve as principal investigators (PIs), but may serve as co-principal investigators (co-PIs). Federal employees and agencies may not receive federal funds for any purpose.

Institutes or centers that have not met reporting requirements on a previous award by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) are not eligible.

Eligible Applicants:
Academic Institutions
Application Notes:

Applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. ET on September 16, 2025.

Applications must be submitted online at www.ecivis.com/grants.gov.

Applications must include:

  • SF 424
  • SF 424A
  • SF LLL (if applicable)
  • Project narrative
  • Proposal summary budget workbook
  • Data management plan (2 pages max)
  • Budget narrative
  • Conflict of interest disclosure
  • Single audit reporting statement (if applicable)
  • Certification regarding lobbying (if applicable)
  • Overlap or duplication of effort statement
  • Biographical sketch
  • Current or pending support form

Refer to pages 7-8 of the NOFA file for additional information regarding the proposal summary budget workbook, including applicable page limits. Application files must be submitted as a single .pdf document, in addition to the budget workbook in Microsoft Excel file. Zipped and compressed files may not be submitted.

The following are required in order to submit an application:

  • Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number
  • SAM (System for Award Management) registration

Applicants may obtain a UEI number and verify or renew SAM registration status at www.ecivis.com/sam.

Refer to pages 17-18 of the NOFA file for information regarding the evaluation of applications.

Refer to the NOFA file and Application folder for additional application information.

Match Required: Yes
Match Type: Cash/In-Kind
Actual Funds: $8,325,000 (Estimated)
Number of Awards: 54 (Estimated)
Match Notes:

Generally, applicants must provide at least a one-to-one match via nonfederal cash and/or in-kind contributions. American Samoa, Guam, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands are exempt from the program's matching requirement.

The matching requirement must be met during each 12-month budget period. Matching contributions must be obligated during the project period.

Matching contributions may include indirect costs and nonfederal salaries and benefits.

Federal funds may not be used as matching contributions, and federal employees and agencies may not serve as the source of any matching funds.

Funding Notes:

An estimated $8,325,000 is expected to be available to support approximately 54 awards through this program. Each eligible institute will receive $146,052. A total of $438,156 will be available to the regional institute in Guam, which serves Guam, the Federated States of Micronesia and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. A total of $292,104 will be available to the regional institute in Hawaii, which serves Hawaii and American Samoa.

Project periods are expected to start on December 1, 2025, and end on November 30, 2026. 

The applicant's negotiated indirect cost rate may not be applied to tuition and equipment costs.

Funds may not be used for:

  • Research on health effects involving human subjects
  • Research involving oceanography, although estuarine research projects are eligible
  • Research that does not meet program objectives
  • Indirect costs
  • Lobbying

For FY 2024, 215 awards were issued through this program. For FY 2023, 229 awards were issued. For FY 2022, 235 awards were issued. Refer to the Award file for details.

Contacts:

Primary Contact:

Christian Schmidt
Program Coordinator
(208) 861-2866
cgschmidt@usgs.gov

Administrative Contact:

Sara Roser
Grants Specialist
(703) 648-7357
sroser@usgs.gov

Agency Address
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
12201 Sunrise Valley Drive
Reston, VA 20192

Contact Notes:

Questions should be directed to the appropriate program contact.

Applications must be submitted online at www.ecivis.com/grants.gov.

The agency address provided is for reference purposes only.

Files:
NOFA File: US4139_NOFA_FY2025.pdf (702.9 Kb)
Application File: US4139_Application_FY2025.zip (484.0 Kb)
Other Pre-Award File: US4139_Terms&Conditions_FY2025.pdf (276.2 Kb)
Award File: US4139_Award_FY2025.pdf (3.9 Mb)
File Notes:

The NOFA file contains the full solicitation for this program. The Application folder contains required forms for submission, as well as detailed guidance on submitting budget forms. The Terms&Conditions file contains the program's administrative terms and conditions. The Award file contains information on previous award recipients.

Project: Trace Organic Contaminants (TOrCs) in Urban Stormwater and Performance of Urban Bioretention Systems: a Field and Modeling Study (7.0 Mb)
Applicant: Colorado State University
Summary:

The purpose of this program is to support research to improve and enhance the nation's water supply by evaluating approaches to water treatment, infrastructure design, retrofitting, maintenance, management, and replacement; increasing understanding about changes in quantity and quality of water resources; and developing methods to improve and evaluate relevant conservation methods. Colorado State University requested $249,960 and provided $253,100 for a three year-period to evaluate land use impacts of trace organic contaminants (TOrCs) in stormwater. Funding was also requested to perform sampling to evaluate TOrC removal efficiencies, and perform data modeling to recommend improvements for specific bioretention sites.

 
Grant Keywords
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Grant Categories
Environment/Natural Resources
Wastewater
Water Supply/Quality