announcement.doc

Water Resources Research

National Competitive Grants Program

Fiscal Year 2012 Announcement

Announcement No. G12AS20005 under Section 104(g) of the

Water Resources Research Act of 1984, as Amended

November 18, 2011

Closing Dates

4:00 PM, Eastern Time, February 23, 2012(Investigators)

4:00 PM, Eastern Time, March 8, 2012 (Approved by Institutes)

Department of the Interior National Institutes for

U. S. Geological Survey Water Resources

OMB Number:1028-0095

Expiration Date 01/31/2013

PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT STATEMENT: A Federal agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. Public burden for the collection of this information is estimated to average 62 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions and completing the form. Comments regarding this collection of information should be directed to the Bureau Clearance Officer, U.S. Geological Survey 2150 Centre Avenue Fort Collins, CO 80525 or call 970-226-9445.

NATIONAL INSTITUTES FOR WATER RESOURCES

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH NATIONAL COMPETITIVE GRANTS PROGRAM

ANNOUNCMENT

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT

ELECTRONIC FILING OF PROPOSALS

I. INTRODUCTION

II. PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

III. RESEARCH PRIORITIES

IV. PROPOSALS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR FUNDING

V. APPLICANT ELIGIBILITY AND PROPOSAL APPROVAL

VI. COLLABORATION BY FEDERAL EMPLOYEES

VII. FEDERAL FUNDS

VIII. MATCHING FUNDS

IX. MAXIMUM SIZE AND DURATION OF PROJECT

X. PROPOSAL DUE DATE

XI. PROPOSAL REVIEW, SELECTION, AND AWARD PROCESS

XII. PROPOSAL CONTENTS

XIII. PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS

XIV. PROPOSALS SELECTED FOR FUNDING IN PREVIOUS YEARS

XV. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

ATTACHMENTS

A: APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL ASSISTANCE (SF-424) and ASSURANCES (SF-424B)

B: BUDGET BREAKDOWN

C: BUDGET JUSTIFICATION

D: BUDGET SUMMARY

E: FOCUS CATEGORIES

F: USGS PROGRAM CONTACTS

G: APPLICATION CHECKLIST

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

National Institutes for Water Resources

WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH

NATIONAL COMPETITIVE GRANTS PROGRAM

ANNOUNCEMENT

FY 2012

ABSTRACT

The U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the National Institutes for Water Resources requests proposals for matching grants to support research on the topic of improving and enhancing the nation’s water supply, including (but not limited to) enhancement of water supply infrastructure, development of drought impact indicators, 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, integrated management of ground and surface waters, the resilience of public water supplies, and the evaluation of conservation practices. Proposals are sought in not only the physical dimensions of supply, but also the role of economics and institutions in water supply and in coping with extreme hydrologic conditions. 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, as amended (http://water.usgs.gov/wrri/institutes.html). Proposals involving substantial collaboration between the USGS and university scientists are encouraged. Proposals may be for projects of 1 to 3 years in duration and may request up to $250,000 in federal funds. Successful applicants must match each dollar of the federal grant with one dollar from non-federal sources. Proposals must be filed on the Internet at https://niwr.net/ by 4:00 PM, Eastern Time, Thursday, February 23, 2012 and must be approved for submission to the National Competitive Grants Program not later than 4:00 PM, Eastern Time, Thursday, March 8, 2012 by the Institute or Center through which they were submitted. The SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance) and SF-424B (Assurances) portion of the application package must be submitted through the Internet site at http://www.grants.gov not later than 4:00 PM Eastern Time, Thursday, March 8, 2012 by the university at which the Institute or Center is located. Funds have not been appropriated for this program as of the date of this Announcement. The Government's obligation under this program is contingent upon the availability of funds.

ELECTRONIC FILING OF PROPOSALS

Proposals under this Announcement must be submitted using the following process:

1. All portions of the proposal, except the SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance) and SF-424B (Assurances) must be submitted through the Internet site at https://niwr.net/. Prospective applicants (Principal Investigators) must be registered at the niwr.net site prior to submitting a proposal. Registration does not obligate the registrant to submit a proposal. Proposals will be accepted on the niwr.net site beginning December 1, 2012. Detailed instructions for proposal preparation and submission will be provided online at that time.

2. A separate SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance) and SF-424B (Assurances) must be submitted for each proposal through the Internet site at http://www.grants.gov/ by the university at which the Water Resources Research Institute or Center approving the proposal is located.

I.

INTRODUCTION

This Program Announcement is issued under the provisions of section 104 of the Water Resources Research Act of 1984 (Public Law 98-242), as amended by Public Laws 101-397, 104-147, 106-374, and 109-471. Section 104 of the Water Resources Research Act directs the Secretary of the Interior to administer program grants to Institutes and Centers established under the provisions of section 104(a) of the Act. Water Resources Institutes or Centers have been established in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam. The Institute in Guam also serves the Federated States of Micronesia and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The addresses of the 54 Institutes are available on the Internet at http://water.usgs.gov/wrri/institutes.html. Responsibility for administration of the State Water Resources Research Institute program has been delegated to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

The 54 Institutes are organized as the National Institutes for Water Resources (NIWR). NIWR cooperates with the USGS in the administration of the State Water Resources Research Institute Program. Questions or comments concerning the review process may be addressed to either John Schefter at the address below or to:

James Hurley

Associate Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Director, Environmental Health Division

Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene

2601 Agriculture Drive

Madison, Wisconsin 53718

(606) 224-6237 jphurley@wisc.edu Questions or comments concerning this Program Announcement should be directed to:

Program Office Grants Office John Schefter Kimberly L. Dove

Chief, Office of External Research Office of Acquisition and Grants

MS 424, U.S. Geological Survey MS 205, U.S. Geological Survey

12201 Sunrise Valley Drive 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive

Reston, Virginia, 20192 Reston, Virginia, 20192

Phone: 703-648-6800 Phone: 703-648-7487 schefter@usgs.gov kdove@usgs.gov

II.

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

Section 104(g) of the Water Resources Research Act of 1984 requires that this competitive grant program focus on: “water problems and issues of a regional or interstate nature beyond those of concern only to a single State and which relate to specific program priorities identified jointly by the Secretary (of the Interior) and the (water resources research) institutes.”

Objectives of this program also include the following:

A. Promote collaboration between the USGS and university scientists in research on significant national and regional water resources issues.

Proposals exhibiting substantial collaboration between the USGS and the applicant are encouraged and will receive extra weight in the evaluation and selection process. Collaborative proposals should describe in detail the respective roles of the USGS and the applicant in the proposed work.

Potential applicants seeking collaborative opportunities are encouraged to contact USGS Water Science Center Directors (contact information is available on the Internet at http://water.usgs.gov/district_chief.html. Potential applicants are also encouraged to contact the Water Resources Research Branch Chiefs (see Attachment F for contact information).

B.

Promote the dissemination and application of the results of the research funded under this program.

C.

Assist in the training of scientists in relevant water resource fields.

Proposals that include a strong educational component (student support) are encouraged, as are proposals from faculty beginning their careers.

The USGS and NIWR prefer that research supported by this program involve substantial collaboration between the USGS and university scientists. Collaboration can range from use of USGS data and information in the research to mutual involvement of USGS and university scientists on projects.

III. Research Priorities

Proposals are sought on the topic of improving and enhancing the nation’s water supply, including the following specific areas of inquiry (levels of priority are not assigned, and the order of listing does not indicate the level of priority):

Evaluation of innovative approaches to water infrastructure design, manufacture, installation, retrofitting, maintenance, and replacement.

Development and evaluation of drought impact indicators.

Exploration and model development of the dynamics of extreme hydro-meteorological events and associated economic, social, and infrastructure costs.

· Development of methods for better estimation of water supply, both surface and groundwater, at gaged and ungaged sites, including estimation of the physical supply and of the economic supply of water.

Development and evaluation of alternative approaches to integrated surface/ground water management.

Development and evaluation of techniques and metrics for vulnerability/resilience assessment of public water supplies.

Evaluation and assessment of water conservation practice adoption, penetration and permanence.

Assessment of the effectiveness of strategies to involve water managers and users in water conservation.

· Evaluation of the advantages/disadvantages of decentralized water and wastewater treatment systems at local and watershed scales.

· Adaptive watershed management strategies for sustainable hydrologic flow management of urban stormwater, agricultural surface runoff and agricultural tile drainage.

· Synthesis of the results of previous research on and assessment of the state of the art of any of the preceding topics.

IV.

Proposals not eligible for funding

A.

Proposals for research on health effects involving human subjects.

B.

Proposals for research involving oceanography (estuarine research proposals are acceptable).

C.

Proposals submitted by an Institute or Center that has not met reporting requirements on a previous award by the USGS.

D. Proposals that do not comply with the terms of this Announcement.

V.

APPLICANT ELIGIBILITY AND PROPOSAL APPROVAL

Awards are available only to Water Research Institutes or Centers established pursuant to the provisions of section 104 of the Water Resources Research Act and listed at http://water.usgs.gov/wrri/institutes.html. However, any investigator at an institution of higher learning in the United States is eligible to apply for an award through a Water Research Institute or Center. All portions of the proposals, with the exception of the SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance) and SF-424B (Assurances), must be submitted through the website at https://niwr.net/. The SF-424 and SF-424B must be submitted through the website at http://www.grants.gov by the university at which the Institute or Center is located. Each proposal will then be authorized for inclusion in the national competition by the Director of the Institute or Center in the state in which the university of the principal investigator is located. Proposals requesting matching funds from an Institute or Center are authorized at the discretion of the Institute or Center Director.

When a proposal is filed on the niwr.net site, the Institute or Center in the State in which the university of the principal investigator is located will be notified electronically that a proposal has been filed. The Director of that Institute or Center will subsequently review the proposal for adherence to the terms of this Announcement, and then, following the instructions provided at the website, may approve it for further consideration and technical review. The Director may, during this process, contact the principal investigator to discuss possible clarification or changes in the proposal.

VI.

COLLABORATION BY FEDERAL EMPLOYEES

A.

Federal employees may, and are encouraged to, collaborate with college or university investigators in this program.

B.

Federal employees may not serve as a principal investigator, but may serve as a co-principal investigator.

C.

Federal employees and agencies may not receive federal funds for any purpose under these awards.

D.

Federal employees and agencies may not serve as a source of matching funds under these awards.

E.

Federal employees must prepare a Statement of Government Involvement, which is to be included with collaborative proposals (See Section XIII.D.21.)

VII.

FEDERAL FUNDS

A.

Funds have not been appropriated for this program as of the date of this Announcement. The Government's obligation under this program is contingent upon the availability of funds.

B. All successful proposals will be fully funded for the entire duration of the project with FY 2012 funds.

VIII.

MATCHING FUNDS

A.

Each applicant must match each Federal dollar provided to support each proposed project with not less than one dollar from non-federal sources. States may have different guidelines as to the sources of matching funds - please check with your Institute or Center Director for details.

Note: Guam, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands are exempt from the matching requirement.

B.

Matching funds shall be obligated during the period of performance.

C.

The matching requirement should be met during each 12-month budget period.

D.

Matching funds obligated shall be reflected on line 10.i of each Financial Status Report, Standard Form 425.

E.

Matching funds may contain indirect costs and non-federal salaries and benefits. The applicant’s negotiated indirect cost rate (NICR) may be applied to both qualifying federal and non-federal direct costs, and the result used to satisfy part of the matching requirement under the non-federal share. The NICR shall not be applied to tuition and equipment costs. Federal funds shall not be used to pay indirect costs.

IX.

MAXIMUM SIZE AND DURATION OF PROJECT

A.

Applicants shall not request total federal funds exceeding $250,000 per project.

B. Proposed projects may be of 1 to 3 years in duration, with discrete 12-month budget periods.

X.

PROPOSAL DUE DATE

Investigators must file their proposals on the Internet at https://niwr.net/ prior to 4:00 PM Eastern Time, Thursday, February 23, 2012. Only proposals filed by that time will be transmitted to the National Grants Competition.

Institutes or Centers must approve the proposals filed by investigators in their State prior to 4:00 PM Eastern Time, Thursday, March 8, 2012. Only proposals approved by that time will be transmitted to the National Grants Competition.

The SF-424 and SF-424B portions of the application package must be filed electronically at http://www.grants.gov prior to 4:00 PM Eastern Time, Thursday, March 8, 2012. Only applications submitted by that time will be considered.

XI.

PROPOSAL REVIEW, SELECTION, AND AWARD PROCESS

Each proposal which meets the requirements of this Announcement will be evaluated by: 1) written peer reviews from qualified scientists or managers in the area of the proposed research, and 2) a selection panel consisting of Institute directors, university scientists, and USGS employees experienced in water resources research. Proposals will be reviewed according to the following criteria:

25 Points: Relevance and Importance. - The extent to which: (1) the proposal focuses on a water problem or issue of a regional or interstate nature of concern to more than one State and directly addresses a research priority described in Section III; (2) the subject is of particularly high importance to present and future water resources management programs; and (3) the proposal includes collaboration with the USGS if appropriate.

25 Points: Scientific Merit. – The extent to which the proposal (1) has potential to expand fundamental knowledge in its specific area(s); (2) is scientifically sound; and (3) demonstrates cognizance of past work.

10 Points: Feasibility. (1) The extent to which the objectives, methodologies, designs, and techniques are adequate and completely described; and (2) the likelihood of success given the methods and time frame proposed.

10 Points: Information Transfer. How well the proposal actively addresses the eventual transfer of results to user groups and whether it actively addresses the impact that the results could have?

10 Points: Training. The extent to which the proposal has a strong educational component, provides for student support, and engages a principal investigator near the beginning of his or her career?

10 Points: Qualifications of the Investigators. The extent to which the qualifications of the investigators are commensurate with the proposed research, and the adequacy of the facilities and equipment.

10 Points: Budget. The extent to which the budget is reasonable and adequate for the work proposed. Note: the principal investigator’s salary is an acceptable budget item, but should not exceed one or two months per year.

Proposals recommended for funding will be forwarded to the USGS for review and approval. Awards will be made directly to the Water Resources Research Institute or Center through which the proposal was submitted. The target award date is August through September with a USGS-preferred project start date of September 1, 2012. The project start date must be no later than September 30, 2012

XII.

PROPOSAL CONTENTS

Each proposal shall consist of the following items:

A.

SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance, and SF-424B, Assurances [Attachment A]

B.

Signed Matching Funds Commitment Letter

C.

Suggested Reviewers

D.

Research Proposal, including a Budget Breakdown (Attachment B), Budget Justification (Attachment C) and Budget Summary (Attachment D)

Attachment B (Budget Breakdown), Attachment C (Budget Justification) and Attachment G (Budget Summary) should be considered worksheets; during the proposal submission process, these data will be entered into forms on the website. Upon completion of the submission process, the actual Attachments will be generated from these form entries and bundled with your application package.

XIII.

PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS

Prior to submission of a proposal, all principal investigators must be registered at https://niwr.net/. Registration involves providing basic contact information (name, address, phone, e-mail address, etc.) to a Web form, and subsequently being provided with a user ID and password. This ID and password may be used to update one’s contact information, to submit proposals, and to be kept informed of the proposal review process, including final notification of awards. Individuals already registered should not register again.

Each proposal must be submitted through the website at https://niwr.net/ and shall be prepared and submitted in accordance with the specific instructions provided at that site. Submission will require two distinctly different actions: (1) submission of specified information as text directly into a Web form and (2) "depositing" at the website a document file containing a detailed description of the work being proposed. This file may be prepared using the word processing software of choice, but must be translated to PDF format prior to being deposited. (Detailed instructions for preparing and submitting this file, and verifying its submission, will be provided at the website when it is opened for receiving proposals, on December 1, 2012.)

Applications must contain the following sections and adhere to the following guidelines:

A. Application for Federal Assistance, SF-424 and Assurances, SF-424B (Attachment A)

a. The official applicant is the Water Resources Research Center or Institute through which the application is submitted.

b. The information on the SF-424 and SF-424B must pertain to that Institute/Center and its host university.

c. The SF-424 and SF-424B must be submitted electronically at http://www.grants.gov by the university at which the Water Resources Research Center or Institute is located. Further instructions can be found at http://www.grants.gov: click on “For Applicants” on the left side of the screen.

d. The SF-424 must request the total amount of Federal funds for the full duration of the project.

e. An SF-424 and SF-424B must be submitted for each proposal. An SF-424 and SF-424B covering more than one proposal is not acceptable.

B. Matching Funds Commitment Letter. The applicant shall provide an institutional cost-sharing agreement (letter) signed by an official authorized to commit the applicant to all or part of the matching share or a third party, in-kind contribution signed by an official authorized to commit the third party.

1.

Signed matching funds commitment letters are to scanned and uploaded to the niwr.net website following the instructions on the website .

2.

Note: Copies of the original signed letter(s) need only be uploaded to niwr.net at the time of submission of the application; they need NOT be mailed to the USGS. Please be sure that the scanned documents are legible.

C.

Suggested Reviewers. Provide the names and contact information for no more than six (6) suggested reviewers having expertise in the field of the proposal as requested by the Web form at the niwr.net website, including street address, city, state, zip code, phone, fax, email address and subject areas. Suggested reviewers MAY NOT be from your State. In fairness to all applicants, it is requested that no reviewers be contacted other than by the USGS or NIWR.

D.

Research Proposal. Each proposal shall consist of the following 24 elements. Items numbered 1 through 13 are to be entered in the Web forms provided at the niwr.net website.

1. Title. Concise but descriptive.

2.

Project Type. Select "Research" if not pre-selected by the system.

3. Focus Categories. Choose a maximum of three focus categories from the list provided (Attachment E), with the most preferred focus category first.

4.

Research Category. Choose from the following the one category that most closely applies: Social Sciences, Ground-water Flow and Transport, Water Quality, Biological Sciences, Engineering, or Climate and Hydrologic Processes.

5.

Keywords. Enter keywords of your choice descriptive of the work.

6.

Start Date. Enter the requested beginning date for the project. The target award date is August through September with a USGS-preferred project start date of September 1, 2012. The project start date must be no later than September 30, 2012.

7.

End Date. Enter the estimated end date for the project.

8.

Principal investigator(s). Provide name, academic rank, university, email address and phone number of ALL principal investigators.

9.

Congressional District of the university where the work is to be conducted.

10.

Abstract. Provide a brief (one-page) description of the problem, methods, and objectives in the space provided at the Internet site. Please be as descriptive as possible in the space allowed. The abstract will be distributed to prospective reviewers to elicit their interest in providing a review.

11.

Budget Breakdown, as requested by the Web form (See Attachment B).

12.

Budget Justification, as requested by the Web form (See Attachment C).

13. Budget Summary, as requested by the Web form (See Attachment D).

Budget Note: Multi-year projects will be fully funded with FY 2012 funds, if funded. The budget must be complete for all years of the project.

Items 14 through 24 are to be "deposited" as a file document in PDF format on the niwr.net website. Note: This document shall not exceed 12 single-spaced pages, with 12 point font and at least 1 inch margins, including tables, pictures, graphs, figures, and appendices, but excluding resumes (item 24) and literature citations/references (item 23). Upon submission of your application components, the entire package will be available in PDF format for your inspection and final approval. You are responsible for verifying the approval, including compliance with the 12-page limit. Proposals exceeding the 12-page limit will not be considered in the competition. If editing is required, you must edit the document using your word processor and resubmit the document.

14.

Title. Please use the same title as was entered in the Web form under item 1, above.

15.

Statement of regional, interstate, or multi-state water problem. Include an explanation of the need for the project, who wants it, and why.

16.

Statement of results or benefits. Specify the type of information that is to be gained and how it will be used.

17.

Nature, scope, and objectives of the project, including a timeline of activities.

18.

Methods, procedures, and facilities. Provide enough information to permit evaluation of the technical adequacy of the approach to satisfy the objectives.

19.

Related research. Demonstrate by literature and communication citations the similarities and dissimilarities of the proposed project to completed or on-going work on the same topic.

20.

Training potential. Estimate the number of graduate and undergraduate students, by degree level, who are expected to receive training in the project.

21.

Statement of Government Involvement. If a Federal employee will collaborate on the project, provide a detailed description of the role and responsibilities of the Federal collaborator in the proposed research project. (Caution: see Item VI, above)

22.

Information Transfer Plan. Describe the plan for disseminating information on the results of the research and promoting their application. Each plan should define the subject matter and the problems to be addressed, identify the target audience, indicate the strategies to be employed (e.g., workshops, publications), and identify the cooperators (e.g., Cooperative Extension Service).

23.

Literature Citations/References

24. Investigator’s qualifications. Include a resume(s) of the principal investigator(s). No resume shall exceed two pages or list more than 15 pertinent publications.

If letters of support for the application are provided, they should be scanned and uploaded to the niwr.net website following the instructions on the website at https://niwr.net/. Letters of support do not count against the 12-page limit.

An Application Checklist is provided to help guide the principal investigator and the relevant Water Center or Institute through the application process. Please see Attachment G.

XIV.

PROPOSALS SELECTED FOR FUNDING IN PREVIOUS YEARS

Total Funds Available, Number of Proposals Received and Funded, and the Minimum and Maximum Federal Funds Awarded, by Year.

Funds Available

*The program did not receive funding in FY 2007. Projects selected in FY 2007 were supported with FY 2008 funds. A program competition was not held in FY 2008. Descriptions of the projects selected for funding since 1999 are provided at http://water.usgs.gov/wrri/projects.html. The research priorities established for FY 2012 differ from those of previous years.

XV. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

All award recipients will be required to submit the following reports:

See instructions below.

See instructions below.

See instructions below.

*Please see the Terms and Conditions provided with the Award document.

A. TECHNICAL REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

The annual progress report and final report shall contain:

1. The “Basic Information” requested by the Annual Report System at https://niwr.net, including the project title, project number, start date, end date, research category, focus category, descriptors, and the name of the principal investigator.

2. A description of the problem addressed and work performed under the award and the results and significance thereof.

3. A list of publications resulting from the work under the award.

B. FINANCIAL REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

Cash Management and Financial Reporting Requirements

1. Annual Financial Reports.

The recipient will submit annual STANDARD FORM 425, FEDERAL FINANCIAL REPORT(S) for each individual USGS award. The SF 425 is available at - http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_forms. The SF 425 will be due ninety (90) calendar days after the grant year (i.e., 12 months after the approved effective date of the grant agreement and every 12 months thereafter until the expiration date of the grant agreement). USGS acknowledges that this annual reporting schedule may not always correspond with a specific budget period. The SF 425 must be submitted electronically through the FedConnect Message Center (www.fedconnect.net). If after 90 days, recipient has not submitted a report, the recipient’s account in ASAP will be placed in a manual review status until the report is submitted.

2. Final Financial Report.

a. The recipient will liquidate all obligations incurred under the award and submit a final STANDARD FORM 425, FEDERAL FINANCIAL REPORT through FedConnect (www.fedconnect.net) no later than 90 calendar days after the grant/cooperative agreement completion date. The SF 425 is available at - http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_forms. Recipient will promptly return any unexpended federal cash advances or will complete a final draw from ASAP to obtain any remaining amounts due. Once 120 days has passed since the grant/agreement completion date, the ASAP subaccount for this award may be closed by USGS at any time.

b. Subsequent revision to the final SF 425 will be considered only as follows -

(i) When the revision results in a balance due to the Government, the recipient must submit a revised final Federal Financial Report (SF 425) and refund the excess payment whenever the overcharge is discovered, no matter how long the lapse of time since the original due date of the report.

(ii) When the revision represents additional reimbursable costs claimed by the recipient, a revised final SF 425 may be submitted to the Contracting Officer with an explanation. If approved, the USGS will either request and pay a final invoice or reestablish the ASAP subaccount to permit the recipient to make a revised final draw. Any revised final report representing additional reimbursable amounts must be submitted no later than 1 year from the due date of the original report, i.e., 15 months following the agreement completion date. USGS will not accept any revised SF 425 covering additional expenditures after that date and will return any late request for additional payment to the recipient.

BUDGET BREAKDOWN*

Project Number: (Number will be provided by the application system)

Project Title:

1.

Salaries and Wages

- Principal Investigator

Total Salaries and Wages

2.

Fringe Benefits

3.

Supplies

4.

Equipment

5.

Services or Consultants

6.

Travel

7.

Other direct costs

8.

Total direct costs

9a.

Indirect costs on federal share

XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

9b.

Indirect costs on non-federal share

XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

10.

Total estimated costs

Total Costs at other University Campus

Name of University:

* This form is provided as a worksheet only

BUDGET JUSTIFICATION*

Project Number: (Number will be provided by the application system)

Project Title Salaries and Wages. Provide personnel, title/position, estimated hours and the rate of compensation proposed for each individual. (Tuition remission and other forms of compensation paid as or in lieu of wages to students performing necessary work are allowable provided that the tuition or other payments are reasonable compensation for the work performed and are conditioned explicitly upon the performance of necessary work.)

Fringe Benefits. Provide the overall fringe benefit rate applicable to each category of employee proposed in the project.

Supplies. Indicate separately the amounts proposed for office, laboratory, computing, and field supplies. Provide a breakdown of the supplies in each category.

Equipment. Identify non-expendable personal property having a useful life of more than one (1) year and an acquisition cost of more than $5,000 per unit. If fabrication of equipment is proposed, list parts and materials required for each, and show costs separately from the other items. A detailed breakdown is required.

Services or Consultants. Identify the specific tasks for which these services, consultants, or subcontracts would be used. Provide a detailed breakdown of the services or consultants to include personnel, time, salary, supplies, travel, etc.

Travel. Provide purpose and estimated costs for all travel. A breakdown should be provided to include location, number of personnel, number of days, per diem rate, lodging rate, mileage and mileage rate, airfare (whatever is applicable).

Other Direct Costs. Itemize costs not included elsewhere, including publication costs. Costs for services and consultants should be included and justified under “Services or Consultants (above). Please provide a breakdown for costs listed under this category.

Indirect Costs. Provide negotiated indirect (“Facilities and Administration”) cost rate.

* This form is provided as a worksheet only.

BUDGET SUMMARY*

Project Number: (Number will be provided by the application system)

Project Title:

9. Indirect Costs

11. Amount Proposed (8 + 9)

* This form is provided as a worksheet only.

# Multi-year projects only.

ACID DEPOSITION

ACD

AGRICULTURE

AG

CLIMATOLOGICAL PROCESSES

CP

CONSERVATION

COV

DROUGHT

DROU

ECOLOGY

ECL

ECONOMICS

ECON

EDUCATION

EDU

FLOODS

FL

GEOMORPOLOGICAL PROCESSES

GEOMOR

GEOCHEMICAL PROCESSES

GEOCHE

GROUNDWATER

GW

HYDROGEOCHEMISTRY

HYDGEO

HYDROLOGY

HYDROL

INVASIVE SPECIES

INV

IRRIGATION

IG

LAW, INSTITUTIONS, AND POLICY

LIP

MANAGEMENT AND PLANNING

M&P

METHODS

MET

MODELS

MOD

NITRATE CONTAMINATION

NC

NON POINT POLLUTION

NPP

NUTRIENTS

NU

RADIOACTIVE SUBSTANCES

RAD

RECREATION

REC

SEDIMENTS

SED

SOLUTE TRANSPORT

ST

SURFACE WATER

SW

TOXIC SUBSTANCES

TS

TREATMENT

TRT

WASTEWATER

WW

WATER QUALITY

WQL

WATER QUANTITY

WQN

WATER SUPPLY

WS

WATER USE

WU

WETLANDS

W

National Research Program

Eastern Region

Pierre D. Glynn

MS 433

U.S. Geological Survey

12201 Sunrise Valley Drive

Reston, Virginia 20192

Phone: (703) 648-5823 pglynn@usgs.gov

Central Region

Donald H. Campbell

U.S. Geological Survey

MS 418 Denver Federal Center

Lakewood, Colorado 80225

Phone: (303) 236-5022 dhcampbe@usgs.gov

Western Region

Keith R. Prince

U.S. Geological Survey

MS 466 McKelvey Building

345 Middlefield Road

Menlo Park, California 94025

PHONE: (650) 329-4087

krprince@usgs.gov

Application Checklist

Principal Investigator (Items to be completed by Investigator Deadline)

File application on the website at https://niwr.net following the instructions in the Announcement and on the website. Filing the application requires the PI to:

Complete the Basic Info webform, which includes proposal abstract;

Complete Suggested Reviewers webform;

Complete Budget Breakdown webform;

Complete Budget Justification webform;

Complete Budget Summary webform;

Upload Proposal in pdf format - Check that page limit as stated in the Announcement is not exceeded;

Upload signed Letter(s) of Commitment of Matching Funds; and

Upload signed letter(s) of support (optional, not required)

Check that email has been received by Water Institute or Center from niwr.net stating that the application has been submitted.

Water Institute or Center (Items to be completed by Institute Deadline)

Check that email received from niwr.net stating that application has been submitted.

Review application for conformance with the Announcement.

If revision necessary, “Enable” the proposal on niwr.net and notify the PI of changes to be made. Instructions for “enabling” the proposal for editing are available by clicking on the Approve Proposals” menu item of the 104G system.

PI makes requested changes and (re)submits the application.

If application is acceptable, Approve application

Check that email received from niwr.net stating that application has been approved.

Submit an SF-424 and SF-424B on http://www.grants.gov for the application. NOTE: One SF-424 and SF-424B is to be submitted for each application/proposal approved by the institute/center. One SF-424 and SF-424B covering all applications/proposals approved is not acceptable.

Record and retain confirmation messages from grants.gov, including tracking number, for each application submitted.

Note: It is expected that the Principal Investigator will coordinate the application process with the Water Center or Institute in his or her state from the beginning of the process.

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