FOA_W81EWF-24-SOI-0025.pdf

PROJECT ANNOUNCEMENT

US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)

Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC)

Title: Willamette Systems Alternatives Analysis and Simulation Tool Development and

Application to Inform Implementation and Adaptive Management Plans

Announcement Type: Initial Announcement

Funding Opportunity Number: W81EWF-24-SOI-0025

Assistance Listing Number: 12.630

Date Issued: 15 April 2024

Key Dates: Phase I announcement will be open to receive statements of interest continuously until 12 noon Central Time (CT), 15 May 2024, at which point all statements of interest must be received.

If invited to Phase II, full proposal applications will be due at 12 noon Central

Time (CT), 5 June 2024.

Estimated Award Ceiling: $175,000 with up to an additional $50,000 in Year 1

Estimated Total Program Funding: $1,125,000

Agency Contact: Kisha M. Craig, Kisha.M.Craig@usace.army.mil mailto:Kisha.M.Craig@usace.army.mil

I. Program Description

A. Short Description of Funding Opportunity ERDC seeks applications for: a cooperative agreement to support completing the final analysis of alternatives for an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Willamette System (WS), development of tools and analysis supporting implementation and adaptive management following a Record of Decision on continued operation of the WS.

B. Background The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland, Oregon District, drafted the Willamette Valley System

(WVS) Operations and Maintenance Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (WS DEIS) in 2022 and submitted a Biological Assessment (BA) to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine

Fisheries Service in 2023, in accordance with NEPA and ESA. The proposed action in the BA reflects the draft preferred alternative included in the WS DEIS. Proposed measures include both operational and structural changes to address effects on ESA-listed fish in the Willamette River Basin. Biological

Opinions received from the Services are expected to include recommend changes, which will be used to develop and finalize the final EIS and a Record of Decision. The goal of this proposed cooperative agreement is to 1) complete analysis on the effects of alternatives included in preparation of a final EIS on

ESA-listed salmon and steelhead, and 2) address research and adaptive planning needs stemming from the

Final WS EIS and ROD.

Analysis of the effects on ESA-listed salmon and steelhead was primarily completed using the Integrated

Passage Assessment model, a lifecycle model allowing effects on population abundance, productivity, distribution, and diversity in the draft EIS. The life cycle model included estimates of downstream passage survival developed from a second model account for the configuration of each dam and hydrology conditions at the dam (e.g. pool elevations, routes in operation, discharge) occurring across multi hydrologic years. For finalization of the EIS, analysis of any modified or new alternatives considered will need to use the same approach.

Once the EIS is final, and a record of decision (ROD) is signed, implementation will begin. An

Implementation and Adaptive Management Plan (AM Plan) is included as part of the WS EIS. The AM

Plan defines the metrics to be monitoring in the field and criteria for assessing success. The plan also defines an adaptive management process to review monitoring results with partnering agencies and stakeholders participating in the WATER forum established under the 2008 Biological Opinion, and the process for evaluating proposed changes and making decisions to implement changes where needed to achieve objectives and performance criteria. Tools are needed to evaluate proposed changes and assess the effectiveness of changes on population attributes in the face of uncertainty. These tools must be capable of dealing with a range of data types and providing information in the format and units consistent with goals and objectives decision makers are concerned with, and account for costs, uncertainties, and risks so decision makers clearly understand trade-offs among available options when managing for a range of goals and objectives. Simulation modeling provides opportunities to incorporate iterative learning by using simulated data that otherwise could only be collected by monitoring over very long timelines.

C. Program Description/Objective:

This proposed agreement proposes three key aspects to support timely implementation of the WS EIS and

AM Plan: 1. Development of simulation tools that are then transferred to managing agencies for ongoing implementation, 2. Demonstrated application of simulations to inform management direction under uncertainty 3. Incorporation of the best available data as it comes available to update the simulation modeling, leading to a more informed management decision. This will require a combination of salmon life cycle modeling, refinement and application of downstream passage modeling using the Fish Benefit

Workbook developed by the Corps, and ongoing monitoring and analysis to inform these models.

The proposed work includes completing analysis of effects of the preferred alternative on Upper

Willamette River Spring Chinook and winter steelhead, supporting completion of the final EIS. Work proposed also includes description of an adaptive management framework wherein objectives, performance, uncertainty, risk, and value of information are explicitly quantified. This allows resource managers to 1) update testable hypotheses efficiently, 2) make use of limited data or disparate data types,

3) reduce analytical timelines, and 4) when presented with logistic or funding obstacles, can identify which monitoring data should be prioritized and collected thus remaining efficient with taxpayer dollars.

The proposed work further includes refining the Corps Fish Benefit Workbook (FBW), recently converted to R, to address structural limitations identified in previous scientific reviews, and completion of FBW models delivered for future application by USACE and other parties. Similarly, proposed work includes development and delivery of lifecycle models for future application by USACE and other parties, with capabilities similar to those applied in the 2022 WS EIS.

Analysis will occur once Biological Opinions from NMFS and USFWS are received and associated recommended changes (expected in summer 2024). Analysis during summer 2024 will be supported by contracts which expire in September 2024, however analysis will continue into fall 2024 and potentially winter 2025. Once final and a record of decision is signed, implementation and adaptive management begins during the remainder of 2025 and future years.

D. Public Benefit The WS is a multi-purpose flood control project. The WS EIS, drafted in 2022, considered public input to develop novel solutions for managing the system while balancing authorities. The proposed research supports the continued evaluation of alternative management of the system based on regional and public input. The proposed research is consistent with continued public involvement in the management of shared public resources, particularly Upper Willamette spring Chinook salmon and winter steelhead.

These species in particular have commercial and recreational fishery and tribal value and have been identified as a key resource for the people of the Pacific Northwest.

This research and data collection will be used to evaluate alternatives for continued operations and maintenance of the WS and address effects of the WS on ESA-listed fish. Research and monitoring results will provide public benefit through enhanced survival of key threatened and endangered fish species in the

Columbia and Willamette rivers and their tributaries.

E. Authorization: 10 USC 4001

F. Legal Requirements

Each Cooperative Agreement awarded under this announcement will be governed by 2 CFR 200, “Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal

Awards”, 2 CFR 1100 Subchapter D—Administrative Requirements Terms and Conditions for

Cost-Type Grants and Cooperative Agreements to Nonprofit and Governmental Entities and the

DoD research general terms and conditions located at https://www.nre.navy.mil/work-with-us/manage-your-award/manage-grant-award/grants-terms-conditions.

https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=17bffa4cc8aa56c9680587c537476bf9&mc=true&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title02/2CXIsubchapD.tpl https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=17bffa4cc8aa56c9680587c537476bf9&mc=true&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title02/2CXIsubchapD.tpl https://www.nre.navy.mil/work-with-us/manage-your-award/manage-grant-award/grants-terms-conditions https://www.nre.navy.mil/work-with-us/manage-your-award/manage-grant-award/grants-terms-conditions

G. Program-Specific Requirements

II. Federal Award Information

The following information applies to awards issued under this announcement:

• This is a new program.

• The Government anticipates 1 Federal award from this announcement but reserves the right to award more or less.

• The total amount of funding expected to be awarded through this announcement is

$1,125,000.00.

• The expected amount of funding is $175,000 (with up to an additional of $50,000) for

Year 1, and up to $225,000 each in years 2 through 5.

• Award(s) from this announcement will be Cooperative Agreement(s)

• The anticipated period of performance is 1 year, with options to extend additional years, up to a total of 5 years.

• Applications for renewal or supplementation of existing projects are eligible to compete with applications for new Federal awards

• The government reserves the right to accept only portions of an application and to negotiate with potential awardees

• Government’s substantial involvement includes government oversight of all aspects of the project: collaboration, hypothesis development, study design, and simulation testing.

While the contractor will provide the software and modeling expertise, the government will select which adaptive management scenarios and research needs are prioritized using recommendations from regional partners and Federal Experts.

III. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Applicants

This opportunity is restricted to non-federal partners of the Pacific Northwest Cooperative

Ecosystems Studies Unit (CESU).

Disclosures of current and pending support made in this application may render an applicant ineligible for funding. Prior to award and throughout the period of performance, ERDC may continue to request updated continuing and pending support information, which will be reviewed and may result in discontinuation of funding.

Religious organizations are entitled to compete on equal footing with secular organizations for

Federal financial assistance as described in E.O. 13798, “Promoting Free Speech and Religious

Liberty.”

B. Cost Sharing or Matching

This action will be 100% funded by USACE.

C. Conflict of Interest

a) General Requirement for Disclosure

You and your organization must disclose any potential or actual scientific or nonscientific conflict of interest(s) to us. You must also disclose any potential or actual conflict(s) of interest for any identified sub recipient you include in your application. We may have to ask you more questions if we need more information.

At our discretion, we may ask you for a conflict-of-interest mitigation plan after you submit your application. Your plan is subject to our approval.

b) Scientific Conflict of Interest

Scientific collaborations on research and development projects are generally the result of close collaboration prior to the submission of applications for support.

Accordingly, these collaborations should be considered when considering potential conflicts of interest. The potential conflict is mitigated by the disclosure of these collaborations, and the list of current and pending support you provide for senior and key researchers. Therefore, you must include in your list of current and pending support all collaborators, even if they did not formally provide support.

D. Other

a) Licensure or Certification

You must include the Acknowledgment of Support and Disclaimer on all materials created or produced under our awards. This language may be found in the Terms and

Conditions included in the award documents.

E. Certifications, representations, and assurances

1. To apply for grants and other funding opportunities the applicant entity must have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM).

Applications will not be accepted through Grants.gov or other methods unless the entity is registered in SAM. Registration in SAM now includes the acceptance of Certifications and Assurances. See https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/grantors/grantor-standard-language.html for details on how to register in SAM, and Grants.gov

2. The Federal Assistance Certifications Report is an attestation that the entity will abide by the requirements of the various laws and regulations; therefore, https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/grantors/grantor-standard-language.html as applicable, you are still required to submit any documentation, including the SF-LLL Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (if award value exceeds

$100,000.00), and, if applicable, informing DoD of unpaid delinquent tax liability or a felony conviction under any Federal law.

3. Certification Regarding Disclosure of Funding Sources. By checking "I

Agree" on the SF 424 (R&R) block 17 you agree to abide by the following statement: "By signing this application, I certify the proposing entity is in compliance with Section 223(a) of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National

Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 which requires that: (a) the PI and other key personnel certify that the current and pending support provided on the proposal is current, accurate and complete; (B) agree to update such disclosure at the request of the agency prior to the award of support and at any subsequent time the agency determines appropriate during the term of the award; and (c) the PI and other key personnel have been made aware of the requirements under Section 223(a)(1) of this Act. I am aware that any false, fictitious, or fraudulent statements or claims may subject me to criminal, civil, or administrative penalties. (U.S. code, Title 218, Section 1001)."

IV. Application and Submission Information (2 Phase Process)

A. Phase I: Submission of Statement of Interest (SOI)

1. Materials Requested for Statement of Interest/Qualifications:

a. Please provide the following via e-mail attachment to: Kisha M. Craig, Kisha.M.Craig@usace.army.mil (Maximum length: 2 pages, single-spaced 12 pt. font).

i. Name, Organization and Contact Information

ii. Brief Statement of Qualifications (including):

• Biographical Sketch,

• Relevant past projects and clients with brief descriptions of these projects,

• Staff, faculty, or students available to work on this project and their areas of expertise,

• Any brief description of capabilities to successfully complete the project you may wish to add (e.g. equipment, laboratory facilities, greenhouse facilities, field facilities, etc.).

Note: A proposed budget is NOT requested at this time.

The administrative point of contact is Kisha M. Craig, Kisha.M.Craig@usace.army.mil

2. ERDC will only accept SOIs submitted on or before 15 May 2024, 12 noon Central

Time (CT).

Based on a review of the Statements of Interest received, an investigator or investigators will be invited to move to Phase II which is to prepare a full study proposal. Statements will be evaluated based on the investigator’s specific experience and capabilities in areas related to the study requirements.

B. Phase II (if invited): Submission of Full Application Package

1. Address to Request Application Package

The complete funding opportunity announcement, application forms, and instructions are available for download at Grants.gov.

The administrative point of contact is Kisha M. Craig, Kisha.M.Craig@usace.army.mil.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

All mandatory forms and any applicable optional forms must be completed in accordance with the instructions on the forms and the additional instructions below.

a. SF 424 R&R - Application for Federal Assistance

b. Full Technical Proposal – Discussion of the nature and scope of the research and technical approach. Additional information on prior work in this area, descriptions of available equipment, data and facilities, and resumes of personnel who will be participating in this effort should also be included. In addition, a data management plan is required to be included.

A data management plan is a document that describes which data generated through the course of the proposed research will be shared and preserved, how it will be done, or explains why data sharing or preservation is not possible or scientifically appropriate, or why the costs of sharing or preservation are incommensurate with the value of doing so. See also: DoD

Instruction 3200.12. https://www.esd.whs.mil/Directives/issuances/dodi/

Data management plans are generally 2 pages in length, and must include the following considerations:

(1) The types of data, software, and other materials to be produced.

(2) How the data will be acquired.

(3) Time and location of data acquisition, if scientifically pertinent.

(4) How the data will be processed.

(5) The file formats and the naming conventions that will be used.

(6) A description of the quality assurance and quality control measures during collection, analysis, and processing.

(7) A description of dataset origin when existing data resources are used.

(8) A description of the standards to be used for data and metadata format and content.

(9) Appropriate timeframe for preservation.

(10) The plan may consider the balance between the relative value of data preservation and other factors such as the associated cost and https://www.esd.whs.mil/Directives/issuances/dodi/ administrative burden. The plan will provide a justification for such decisions.

(11) A statement that the data cannot be made available to the public when there are national security or controlled unclassified information concerns (e.g., “This data cannot be cleared for public release in accordance with the requirements in DoD Directive 5230.09.”)

c. Cost Proposal/Budget – Clear, concise, and accurate cost proposals reflect the offeror’s financial plan for accomplishing the effort contained in the technical proposal. As part of its cost proposal, the offeror shall submit a full budget in sufficient detail so that a reasonableness determination can be made. A recommended template will be included in the invitation to Phase II. The SF

424 Research & Related Budget Form can be used as a guide but is required if the sub-recipient uses it. The cost breakdown should include the following, if applicable:

1. Direct Labor: Direct labor should be detailed by level of effort (i.e.

numbers of hours, etc.) of each labor category and the applicable labor rate. The source of labor rates shall be identified and verified. If rates are estimated, please provide the historical based used and clearly identify all escalation applied to derive the proposed rates.

2. Fringe Benefit Rates: The source of fringe benefit rate shall be identified and verified.

3. Travel: Travel costs must include a purpose and breakdown per trip to include destination, number of travelers, and duration.

4. Materials/Equipment: List all material/equipment items by type and kind with associated costs and advise if the costs are based on vendor quotes and/or engineering estimates; provide copies of vendor quotes and/or catalog pricing data.

5. Subrecipient costs: Submit all subrecipient proposals and analyses.

Provide the method of selection used to determine the subrecipient.

6. Tuition: Provide details and verification for any tuition amounts proposed.

7. Indirect Costs: Currently the negotiated indirect rate for awards through the CESU is 17.5%.

8. Any other proposed costs: The source should be identified and verified.

d. R&R Senior/Key Person Profile

1. Biographical Sketch

2. Disclosure of Current and Pending Support:

i. A list of all current projects the individual is working on, in addition to any future support the individual has applied to receive, regardless of the source.

ii. Title and objectives of the other research projects.

iii. The percentage per year to be devoted to the other projects.

iv. The total amount of support the individual is receiving in connection to each of the other research projects or will receive if other applications are awarded.

v. Name and address of the agencies and/or other parties supporting the other research projects.

vi. Period of performance for the other research projects.

e. SF-LLL Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (if award value exceeds

$100,000.00)

3. ERDC will only accept full application packages submitted on or before 5 June

2024, 12 noon Central Time (CT).

4. Submission Instructions

Choose ONE of the following submission methods:

a. E-mail:

Format all documents to print on Letter (8 ½ x 11”) paper. E-mail proposal to Kisha M.

Craig, Kisha.M.Craig@usace.army.mil.

b. Grants.gov: https://www.grants.gov/:

Applicants are not required to submit proposals through Grants.gov. However, if applications are submitted via the internet, applicants are responsible for ensuring that their

Grants.gov proposal submission is received in its entirety.

All applicants choosing to use Grants.gov to submit proposals must be registered and have and account with Grants.gov. It may take up to three weeks to complete Grants.gov registration. For more information on registration, go to https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants.html.

Organizations must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and active System for Award

Management (SAM) registration to apply for Federal financial assistance.

C. Application Withdrawal:

An applicant may withdraw an application at any time before award by written notice via email. Notice of withdrawal shall be sent to the agency point of contact identified in this announcement and are effective upon receipt.

D. Funding Restrictions

Per 2 CFR § 200.216, funds may not be used to procure telecommunications equipment or video surveillance services or equipment produced by

• Huawei Technologies Company,

• ZTE Corporation Hytera Communications Corporation,

• Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Company,

• Dahua Technology Company

• any subsidiary or affiliate of such entities mailto:Kisha.M.Craig@usace.army.mil https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants.html

Funds from an award may not be used to attain fee or profit.

V. Application Review Information

A. Selection Criteria Applications will be evaluated using the following criteria, listed in descending order of importance:

● Technical merits of the proposed research and development; and

● Potential relationship of the proposed research and development to Department of

Defense missions

● Demonstrated experience with models of salmon and steelhead lifecycles, with integrated passage at dams, as described in the 2022 draft WS EIS. This experience should include application to federal alternative management evaluations.

● Demonstrated experiences in development and application of adaptive management of public resources.

B. Review and Selection Process:

Each application will be reviewed based on the selection criteria above rather than against other applications submitted under this Announcement.

Based on the Peer or Scientific Review, proposals will be categorized as Selectable or Not

Selectable (see definitions below). The selection of the source for award will be based on the

Peer or Scientific Review, as well as importance to agency programs and funding availability.

i. Selectable: Proposals are recommended for acceptance if sufficient funding is available.

ii. Not Selectable: Even if sufficient funding existed, the proposal should not be funded.

Note: The Government reserves the right to award some, all, or none of proposals. When the

Government elects to award only a part of a proposal, the selected part may be categorized as

Selectable, though the proposal as a whole may not merit such a categorization.

In addition to the technical/program review, the DoD performs a budget review and a risk review as directed by 2 CFR 200.206, including a review of the Federal Awardee

Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS). Applicants may review information in FAPIIS and comment on any information entered into that system. Comments made by applicants will be taken into account in addition to other information in considering applicants’ integrity, business ethics, and record of performance.

VI. Federal Award Administration Information

The notification e-mail regarding a selection is not authorization to commit or expend DoD funds. A DoD grants officer is the only person authorized to obligate and approve the use of federal funds. This authorization is in the form of a signed Notice of Award. Applicants whose applications are recommended will be contacted by a DoD grants officer to discuss any additional information required for award. This may include representations and certifications, revised budgets or budget explanations, or other information as applicable to the proposed award.

The award start date will be determined at this time.

VII. Reporting Requirements

The terms and conditions of the award will provide the specifics on how to submit the reports and any required sections for those reports.

In accordance with 2 CFR 200.328 (Financial Reporting) and 2 CFR 200.329 (Program

Performance)

Report Requirements/Form Frequency Means of Submission

ERDC Progress Report Progress during the period covered by the corresponding SF 270 via email submission

Upon submission of the

SF 270

E-mail

Research Performance

Progress Reports

(Interim and Final)

OMB Control Number:

0704-0527

Annually E-mail

Financial Report SF 425 Bi-annually E-mail

Payment Report SF 270 Monthly or Quarterly E-mail

Closeout Report See OAR Article VI of

DoD R&D General

Terms and Conditions

Once E-mail

Awardees will need to comply with the reporting requirements in 2 CFR 170: Reporting

Subaward and Executive Compensation Information.

The terms and conditions of the award will provide the specifics on how to submit the reports and any required sections for those reports.

VIII. Federal Contacts

Questions should be directed to:

Kisha M. Craig

Grants Specialist

Kisha.M.Craig@usace.army.mil

Timothy D. Black

Grants Officer

Timothy.D.Black@usace.army.mil mailto:Timothy.D.Black@usace.army.mil

Questions regarding Grants.gov should be directed to: the toll-free number 1-800-518-4726 and email at support@grants.gov.

IX. Other Information

The Federal government is not obligated to make any Federal award as a result of the announcement. Only grants officers can bind the Federal government to the expenditure of fund.

Applicants are advised to monitor Grants.gov for potential amendments to this Notice of Funding

Opportunity. You can also elect to be automatically notified by Grants.gov whenever there is a change to the opportunity.

Applications must not include any information that has been identified as classified national security information under authorities established in Executive Order 12958, Classified National

Security Information.

mailto:support@grants.gov mailto:support@grants.gov