ATTACHMENT C - Project Abstract Summary Requirement.docx

This document is a requirement specification for Project Abstract Summary submissions related to Department of the Interior financial assistance awards. All applicants must submit a Project Abstract Summary not exceeding one page (approximately 4,000 characters) in 12-point Times New Roman font alongside their Grants.gov proposal. The summary must include plain language descriptions organized into the following sections: project title, award purpose (avoiding acronyms and agency-specific terminology), activities to be performed, deliverables and expected outcomes, intended beneficiaries, and any known subrecipient activities. This requirement implements OMB Memoranda M-21-20 and M-22-02, which mandate complete and accurate financial assistance award descriptions on USAspending.gov. Upon award issuance, the Project Abstract Summary becomes publicly available on the USAspending.gov website.

The related federal grant opportunity is a Cooperative Agreement issued by the U.S. Geological Survey under CFDA 15.808 (U.S. Geological Survey Research and Data Collection) for a CESU affiliated partner to conduct discovery research supporting the development of an Environmental Review Partner Portal. The research objective is to investigate existing processes and workflows related to environmental review and permitting, identify relevant ecological science products and data sources, and determine barriers to timely access. The study will examine management workflows, systems usage, stakeholder involvement, and data access patterns across different land ownerships, scales, and statutory authorities. Deliverables will inform requirements for new web-based tools and resources that enhance efficiency and transparency in environmental permitting decisions while maintaining scientific integrity, aligned with Executive Order 14303 on restoring gold standard science in federal decision-making.