NGWMN_FY2018_PA.pdf

United States Geological Survey

Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program National Ground-Water Monitoring Network

Proposals for Cooperative Agreements – Fiscal Year 2018 Program Announcement/Funding Opportunity G17AS00070

Closing Date: November 30, 2017

4 pm, Eastern Standard Time

PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT STATEMENT: The Paperwork Reduction Act says that the agency must tell you why we are collecting this information, how we will use it, and whether you have to give it to us. This information is being collected to determine the eligibility of the applicant and as a basis for approval or disapproval of the proposed project. The purpose of the program is to support data providers to the National Ground-Water Monitoring Network. The Network provides groundwater data from Principal Aquifers at a regional or National scale to assist in assessing ground water resources. Response to this request is required to obtain and retain a cooperative agreement under the National Ground-Water Monitoring Network. Public report burden for this collection is estimated to average 30 hours per agreement and 125 hours to prepare a final technical report. The OMB Control Number is 1028-0114 for this information collection; the expiration date is September 30, 2018.

Direct comments regarding this collection of information may be sent to the Bureau Clearance Officer, U.S.

Geological Survey, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, MS807, Reston VA20192.

APPLICATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY VIA

http://www.grants.gov

SEE INSTRUCTIONS

http://www.grants.gov/

Cooperative funding Agreements to Support National Ground- Water Monitoring Network Data Providers

Fiscal Year 2018

CFDA 15.980

The Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program of the USGS is offering a two-year cooperative agreement opportunity to state or local water-resources agencies that collect groundwater data to participate in the National Ground-Water Monitoring Network. The USGS is working with the Federal Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI) and its Subcommittee on Ground Water (SOGW) to develop and administer a National Ground- Water Monitoring Network (NGWMN). This funding opportunity is to support data providers for the National Ground-Water Monitoring Network.

Legal authority for this opportunity is provided under Public Law 111-11, Subtitle F—Secure Water: Section 9507 “Water Data Enhancement by the United States Geological Survey.”

Funds will be used to support connecting new data providers to the Network and to support existing data providers to maintain persistent data service and to enhance the NGWMN.

1. Application Submission Closing Date: November 30, 2017, at 4 pm, Eastern Standard Time

2. Electronic Application Requirement

For the FY 2018 funding cycle all proposals shall be submitted electronically via Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov). Hard/paper submissions will NOT be accepted. Electronic copies submitted via e-mail will NOT be accepted under any circumstances. All proposals must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov on or before:

November 30, 2017, at 4 pm, Eastern Standard Time

Please be aware that the electronic submission process requires first time users to register using an e-Authentication process. This registration process can be somewhat complex and can take up to 3 weeks to complete. Be advised that it is virtually impossible to begin the process of electronic submission for the first time if you start just a few days before the due date. If you are from a university, contact your Office of Sponsored Programs. They may already have completed the registration process and should work with you to submit the application.

If you have any questions or problems with the registration process, or the completion of the application package, please contact the grants.gov help desk at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov

A question at the top of the grant opportunity in Grants.gov will ask if you would like to receive email notifications of changes to this opportunity. Providing your email address at the prompt mailto:support@grants.gov?subject=Support ensures you will be notified if changes are made to this program announcement after the original posting.

Briefly, when you submit a grant application package to Grants.gov, you will receive a confirmation screen as well as three additional emails over two business days from Grants.gov informing you of your application processing status:

1. Confirmation screen

2. Submission Receipt (with “Track My Application” link)

3. Submission Validation (or Rejection with Errors)

4. Agency Retrieval

CONFIRMATION: Submission Confirmation Screen.

After you submit your grant application package, a confirmation screen will appear on your computer screen. This screen confirms that you have submitted an application to Grants.gov.

NOTIFICATION 1: Submission Receipt Email Within two business days after your application package has been received by the Grants.gov system, you will receive a submission receipt email which indicates that your submission has entered the Grants.gov system and is ready for validation. This email also contains a tracking number for use while tracking the status of the submission as well as a “Track My Application” link, to use to see the progress of your submission.

NOTIFICATION 2: Submission Validation Receipt Email – This is the important one!

After you receive the submission receipt email, the next email you will receive will be a message validating or rejecting your submitted application package with errors. The Grants.gov system is designed to check for technical errors within the submitted application package. Grants.gov does not review application content for award determination. Grants.gov will not post the application if there are errors. Failure to correct errors and submit by the date and time for closing shall not be a reason for accepting a late application.

NOTIFICATION 3: Grantor Agency Retrieval Email Once your application package has passed validation it is delivered to the grantor for award determination and further approval. After the grantor has confirmed receipt of your application, you will be sent a third and final email from Grants.gov. The grantor may also assign your application package an agency specific tracking number for use within their internal system. IF

YOU HAVE NOT RECEIVED THIS E-MAIL WITHIN FOUR DAYS OF THE CLOSING

DATE, PLEASE CONTACT THE CONTRACTING OFFICER.

If you need help entering your proposal, you can reach the Grants.gov Contact Center at:

1-800-518-4726. Their hours of operation are Monday-Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Eastern Time, and they are closed on Federal Holidays.

During the application period an applicant may submit a revised or corrected proposal through grants.gov. Include a cover letter as the first page of the proposal stating that the proposal is revised and indicating that the previous submittal is to be withdrawn from consideration. Such submissions must be completed by November 30, 2017 at 4:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.

http://www.grants.gov/aboutgrants/federal_holidays.jsp

See Section 11, Application Preparation Instructions, which describes requirements for the proposal and other application components.

Please allow sufficient time for the proposal to be submitted electronically through Grants.gov and allow time for possible computer delays. Applicants are strongly advised not to wait until the last minute for submission. A proposal received after the closing date and time will not be considered for award. If the USGS determines that a proposal will not be considered for award due to lateness, the applicant will be notified immediately.

Questions?

For Grants.gov issues, see http://www.grants.gov/applicants/app_help_reso.jso or http://www.usgs.gov.contracts/grants/grantsgov.html, or contact:

Laura Mahoney, (703) 648-7344, lmahoney@usgs.gov

For grant issues, contact:

Sara Roser

(703) 648-7357 sroser@usgs.gov

For National Ground-Water Monitoring Network Program issues contact:

Daryll Pope

(609) 771-3933 dpope@usgs.gov http://www.grants.gov/applicants/app_help_reso.jso http://www.usgs.gov.contracts/grants/grantsgov.html mailto:lmahoney@usgs.gov

3. Award Description

The funding available for this Program Announcement is expected to be as much as $2,000,000 for Federal FY2018. This estimate does not bind the USGS to a specific number of awards or to the amount of any individual award. Congress has not yet authorized FY2018 funds for the National Ground-Water Monitoring Network so awards cannot be made until this funding is appropriated. Work performance under these awards must be completed within the two-year cycle from the start date. The timing of funds availability and the signing of the award will determine the start date. Individual applications are restricted to a maximum annual funding level of $150,000. The maximum funding allowed for the ‘Support persistent data service from existing data providers’ objective (objective 2) is $30,000 per year. The maximum funding allowed for objectives 1, 3, 4, and 5 is $135,000 per year. These limits apply to the current proposal but also must include any current projects the agency has with the NGWMN that covers the same year. Substantial involvement of the USGS is anticipated to provide support to new data providers during the site selection and classification process and to establish web services that interact with the NGWMN Data Portal. USGS also will provide guidance to existing data providers on techniques for collection of site information, on well maintenance activities, and on well drilling to support development of the NGWMN. Therefore, these awards will be in the form of cooperative agreements.

4. National Ground-Water Monitoring Network background

The National Ground-Water Monitoring Network (NGWMN) is designed to be a compilation of selected wells and springs from existing monitoring efforts to create a network to assess long-term water-level and water-quality trends at a National scale. The Network is a product of the Subcommittee on Ground Water (SOGW) of the Federal Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI). The design for the National Ground-Water Monitoring Network is presented in the document ‘A National Framework for Ground-Water Monitoring in the United States’ and is available at:

http://acwi.gov/sogw/ngwmn_framework_report_july2013.pdf. The Network focuses on monitoring groundwater in the Nation’s most productive aquifers. The Network is designed primarily to help answer questions of groundwater availability at a Principal or major aquifer scale (as defined by the USGS). In order to create a unified network, field and data management techniques need to be as consistent as possible and sites need to be selected and classified in a common manner. In addition, site density in the Network should be consistent at a Principal aquifer scale.

Data from the NGWMN is served from a Network Portal that links to data from all of the providers’ various databases. In order to accomplish this, the data providers must set up and maintain persistent web services for their databases. The data elements from these web services are mapped to the Portal elements so that data can be retrieved to answer questions at a regional scale that crosses data provider boundaries.

The focus of the Network will be on long-term data collected at a sufficient frequency to determine seasonal and long-term effects. Water-level and water-quality data from both wells and springs are included in the NGWMN.

http://acwi.gov/sogw/ngwmn_framework_report_july2013.pdf http://acwi.gov/sogw/ngwmn_framework_report_july2013.pdf http://acwi.gov/sogw/ngwmn_framework_report_july2013.pdf http://acwi.gov/sogw/ngwmn_framework_report_july2013.pdf https://water.usgs.gov/ogw/aquifer/atlas.html https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/

5. Eligibility Information

A. Applicant eligibility

Applicants can be state or local water-resource agencies which collect groundwater data.

Federal agencies are not eligible to apply for NGWMN Cooperative Agreements funding.

Funds from the projects cannot be distributed to Federal agencies to act as a contractor.

Discussion and coordination with the Subcommittee on Ground Water members and the NGWMN USGS Management and Operations Group is encouraged; however, USGS personnel are prohibited from helping an organization prepare its application for competitive funding.

Application announcement date: September 1, 2017 Applications must be submitted by the closing date of November 30, 2017

B. Topic eligibility

Several objectives have been identified and prioritized to meet the overall goal of building a Network that covers the Nation with data from well-defined sites and using accepted data-collection and data-management techniques. The highest priority of the NGWMN is to support persistent data services from existing data providers to the NGWMN Portal. The next priority is to add new data providers to build a robust network. Existing data providers also may request funds for additional activities to enhance their NGWMN sites. These activities can include: filling site information gaps, performing maintenance activities at existing sites in the Network, or drilling new wells for the NGWMN.

The following objectives will be supported for funding by the NGWMN:

1. Support to become a new data provider or expansion of services/sites by existing data providers

2. Support persistent data service from existing data providers

3. Filling gaps in information at NGWMN sites

4. Well maintenance

5. Well drilling

Funding cannot be used to:

• Purchase software or software maintenance license fees that are used for routine processing of water-level or water-quality data. Software required for setup or maintenance of the web services for new data provider projects is allowed

• Purchase or lease vehicles to be used to support data collection efforts

• Purchase equipment for long-term water-level monitoring

• Purchase sampling equipment or supplies

• Purchase equipment to support telemetry at NGWMN sites

• Develop new agency databases

• Contract with USGS or other Federal agencies to perform work on the project

6. Objectives

The NGWMN is providing financial support for the five objectives listed above and described below. The type of work supported under each objective is described in this section. The requirements that need to be addressed in the proposal for each objective are described in section 11.B, part C of this program announcement. Proposed work outside these objectives will not be funded.

If an agency is applying as a new data provider, then the ‘Support to become a new data provider’ objective must be completed before work can begin on any other objectives. All other objectives apply only to current NGWMN Data Providers and therefore can only be proposed to start in year two after the ‘Support to become a new data provider’ objective’s planned completion in a new data provider project.

Agencies who have an active project to become a new data provider or who are already a may apply for any of the other objectives under this Program Announcement. Agencies that have completed the ‘New Data Provider’ objective previously may use that objective to add web services or additional sites to the NGWMN as described in Objective 1 below. The total Federal funding for all work for the NGWMN cannot exceed $150,000 per year.

Objective 1: Support to become a new data provider or expansion of services/sites by existing data providers

This objective provides funding to perform work necessary to become a data provider to the NGWMN. The agency will select and classify sites from their existing networks for inclusion in the NGWMN. They will provide data from agency databases to the NGWMN Portal by creating new web services or repurposing existing web services. They will document field and data management practices specific to their agency so that users of the NGWMN data have information on the quality of data from the varied sources. A brief report summarizing the work to become a new data provider is required.

Web services established in this objective are the means by which agency data are shared with the NGWMN Data Portal. Guidance for setting up the web services is available in the Web Service Development tip sheet. The web services must return the minimum data elements as described in the Minimum Data Elements Tip Sheet. The service must return the data in XML format. We encourage, but do not require the use of data standards for the XML web services that are established. These include:

WaterML2 for water-levels, GWML2 for lithology and construction information, and WQX for water quality data.

For water-level network sites, separate web services are required to serve water-level, well-construction, and lithology data.

https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/doc/NGWMN_WebServices_Tip_Sheet.pdf https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/doc/NGWMN_Minimum_Data_Elements_Tip_Sheet.pdf http://www.waterml2.org/ http://docs.opengeospatial.org/is/16-032r2/16-032r2.html https://www.epa.gov/waterdata/storage-and-retrieval-and-water-quality-exchange

For water-quality network sites, water-quality data can be provided by either setting up new web services or by making the data available through the USEPA Water Data Exchange New data providers are encouraged to provide data through the Water Data Exchange as this then makes the data available to the Water-Quality Data Portal, which can be used to provide the data to the NGWMN. If web services are used to serve the water-quality data, they should follow the guidelines in the Water-Quality Web Services Tip Sheet and use of the WQX standard is encouraged. In either case, separate web services are required for water-level, well construction, lithology, and water-quality data (if not provided through the USEPA Water Data Exchange).

If using the USEPA Water Data Exchange, data providers would need to regularly upload their data to ensure that recent data are available.

The expected total costs (including agency in-kind services match) to become a new data provider should range from $60,000 to $120,000. Costs may vary depending on Information Technology (IT) costs, security issues, the number of sites that need to be reviewed and classified, and indirect rates.

Work can also be proposed under this objective to expand services/sites for existing data providers. This can include adding new web services that were not originally set up when the agency became a data provider. For example, an agency that currently provides only water-level data could use this objective to add a web service to serve water-quality data. This can also support adding a significant number of new sites (more than 25) to the Network that were not previously selected. This may include selecting sites for a Principal aquifer that was not part of the data provider’s original project.

The NGWMN has a specific interest in supporting groundwater data providers in the following Principal Aquifers: High Plains, Coastal Lowlands aquifer system, California Coastal Basins, Colorado Plateaus, and the Cambrian-Ordovician aquifer system. Proposals to establish new data providers in these aquifers will be given priority.

Ideally, work to become a new data provider would be completed in year one of a two-year project, but may continue into a second year if necessary. Note that no other objectives may be initiated on the project until the ‘Support to become a new data provider’ objective is complete.

Objective 2: Support persistent data service from existing data providers This objective provides funding to perform activities necessary to maintain persistent data services from agency databases to the NGWMN Portal. The goal of this objective is to support data providers to keep the sites and information in the NGWMN current and to maintain the database connections (web services) to the NGWMN Data Portal. Activities include: maintaining the web services that provide data to the Portal, keeping the list of sites in the NGWMN Well Registry current, https://www.epa.gov/waterdata/storage-and-retrieval-and-water-quality-exchange https://www.epa.gov/waterdata/storage-and-retrieval-and-water-quality-exchange https://www.epa.gov/waterdata/storage-and-retrieval-and-water-quality-exchange http://www.waterqualitydata.us/ https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/doc/NGWMN_WQ_WebServices_TipSheet.pdf https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/doc/NGWMN_WQ_WebServices_TipSheet.pdf https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/doc/NGWMN_WQ_WebServices_TipSheet.pdf https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/doc/NGWMN_WQ_WebServices_TipSheet.pdf https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/doc/NGWMN_WQ_WebServices_TipSheet.pdf https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/doc/NGWMN_WQ_WebServices_TipSheet.pdf https://water.usgs.gov/ogw/aquifer/atlas.html performing routine updates to site information at Network sites, and updating web services to meet the current requirements.

In general, routine support for persistent data service and database support should range from $5,000 to $15,000 per year. Agencies may also apply for an additional $15,000 per year ($30,000 per year maximum) to support additional work under certain circumstances. This additional work may include upgrading web services needed for major database upgrades, adding new fields to existing services that have recently been requested for the NGWMN data portal, upgrading existing services to provide data using established XML data standards (WaterML2, GWML, or WQX), or modifying existing water-quality services to meet guidelines in the new Water- Quality Web Services Tip Sheet.

Long-term water-level or water-quality data collection is not supported under this objective. Purchase of long-term monitoring equipment cannot be funded. Quality assurance of routinely collected data is not supported.

Objective 3: Filling gaps in information at NGWMN sites

This objective provides funding to perform work necessary to fill metadata gaps in the required data elements listed in the NGWMN Minimum Data Requirements tip sheet. The work may include data entry from available sources or field data collection efforts that fill metadata gaps.

For existing data providers, work to fill site information gaps can only be proposed for sites that are in the NGWMN Well Registry at the time of the proposal due date.

Examples of supported site information gap-filling activities include:

• Data collection to fill metadata gaps o Sounding wells to determine depth o Well logging to determine well construction details including screen intervals, casing diameter and depth, etc. Logging can include downhole camera surveys o Well logging to determine lithology o GPS or leveling of land surface altitude and/or measuring points at wells o GPS update of Latitude/Longitude o Entry of data collected under this objective into agency databases and the NGWMN Well Registry

• Data entry to fill metadata or NGWMN data gaps o Entry of lithologic data from paper files o Entry of well construction data from paper files o Entry of historical water-level or water-quality data for NGWMN sites into current agency databases Long-term water-level or water-quality data collection is not supported. Purchase of long-term monitoring equipment cannot be funded.

Objective 4: Well maintenance This objective provides funding to perform maintenance work on wells in the NGWMN to ensure that data are of high quality. The work may include well redevelopment, well rehabilitation or repair, periodic pumping to ensure connection to the aquifer, or testing of the well to ensure performance. Other routine well-maintenance activities may also be supported including replacing shelters or installing protective casing.

For existing data providers, well maintenance tasks can only be done at sites that are in the NGWMN Well Registry at the time of the proposal due date.

This objective is available to current data providers or in the second year of a new data provider project.

Examples of supported Well Maintenance activities include:

o Well redevelopment o Periodic pumping of observation wells to assess/maintain connection to aquifer o Well-integrity testing o Well rehabilitation o Well repair o Installation of protective surface casing at wells long-term monitoring equipment cannot be funded.

Routine site visits to collect data are not considered well maintenance.

Objective 5: Well drilling

This objective provides funding to install wells to enhance or maintain the NGWMN.

Well installation may include replacement wells for existing NGWMN sties and installation of wells at new locations that fill spatial gaps in the NGWMN Trend Networks. Preference will be given to projects with direct cost-sharing of the well drilling costs.

Drilling can be done by qualified and licensed agency staff or by using a contract driller. All state drilling requirements must be met. Well drilling activities cannot be contracted to the USGS. In addition, USGS staff cannot be contracted to serve in any role in the drilling operations using NGWMN cooperative agreement funds.

long-term monitoring equipment is not allowed using USGS funds. However, equipment purchase can be used as match.

7. Network Policies, Standards and Procedures

The requirements for the National Ground-Water Monitoring Network are described in the National Ground-Water Management Framework Document, which is available online at:

http://acwi.gov/sogw/ngwmn_framework_report_july2013.pdf

More information on the National Ground-Water Monitoring Network can be found on the web page for the Subcommittee on Ground-Water (SOGW) of the Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI) available at: http://acwi.gov/sogw/index.html

“Tip Sheets” are available to provide guidance related to the NGWMN and can be found at:

https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/learnmore.jsp under the ‘Data Provider’ tab. The tip sheets are a quick reference for data providers on the following topics:

• Well Selection Criteria for Water Levels

• Well Selection Criteria for Water Quality

• Defining the Subnetwork

• Defining Monitoring Categories

• Populating the Well Registry

• Minimum Data Requirements for Candidate sites

• Web Service Development

• Water-Quality Web Services

8. Multi-year proposals

All agreements will be for a maximum period of two years. Ideally, proposals to become a new data provider to the NGWMN shall have all work associated with this objective planned for the first year of the project (Objective 1). However, if the applicant needs additional time for the project (for example, to arrange information technology support) the new data provider objective can be done over two years. If the new data provider objective will be completed in the first year of the project, the applicant can also request funding to support additional objectives (objectives 2-5) in the second year of the project. Current data providers may submit an application to support persistent data service (objective 2) for one or two years and may also propose work under objectives 3 to 5. The total funding to an agency for any year cannot exceed $150,000 even if the funds come from different awards. All work must be completed by the end of the two-year cycle (dependent upon actual project period of performance) and final reports (Attachment C 5.b.2) generated within 90 days of completion.

For two-year projects, a progress report (Attachment C 5.b.1) should be submitted 60 days prior to the end of the 1st year of the project.

9. Unsuitable Proposals

The following proposals are ineligible for consideration under this Announcement:

• Proposals from U.S. Government Agencies or U.S. Government employees.

• Proposals from Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDC).

• Proposals principally involving the direct procurement of a product, equipment, or service.

http://acwi.gov/sogw/ngwmn_framework_report_july2013.pdf http://acwi.gov/sogw/index.html https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/learnmore.jsp https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/doc/NGWMN_WL_Criteria_Tip_Sheet.pdf https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/doc/NGWMN_WQ_Criteria_Tip_Sheet.pdf https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/doc/NGWMN_Subnetwork_Tip_Sheet.pdf https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/doc/NGWMN_Monitoring_Categories_Tip_Sheet.pdf https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/doc/NGWMN_Well_Registry_Tip_Sheet.pdf https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/doc/NGWMN_Minimum_Data_Elements_Tip_Sheet.pdf https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/doc/NGWMN_WebServices_Tip_Sheet.pdf

• Proposals that contract with U.S. Government Agencies to provide funding to perform work on the project.

10. Agency Cost-Share Guidelines

While no specific match rate is required, a 50-50 match of agency in-kind services to USGS funding is suggested. This match rate will be used as part of the proposal evaluation criteria.

Agencies providing less than 50% match on non-Information Technology parts of a project will be scored lower. There is no need to match the Information Technology (IT) work on a project, so the match percentage for IT work will not be used as part of the proposal evaluation criteria.

Examples of in-kind resource match are: salaries, contract support, travel expenses, software purchase, equipment dedicated to the project, production of outreach materials, and indirect costs or overhead charges. Agency activities related to operation and maintenance of NGWMN sites that are a part of their current (local agency) network can be used as in-kind services match. These activities must occur during the performance period of the project. All contributions, including cash and third party in-kind, will be accepted as part of the recipient’s in-kind match when such contributions meet all of the following criteria:

o Verifiable from the recipients’ records.

o Not included as contributions for any other federally-assisted project or program.

o Necessary and reasonable for proper and efficient accomplishment of project or program objectives.

o Allowable under the applicable cost principles.

o Not paid by the Federal Government under another award, except where authorized by Federal statute to be used for cost matching.

o Provided for in the approved budget when required by the Federal awarding agency.

o Conform to the provision of the appropriate OMB Circular, as applicable.

Volunteer services furnished by professional and technical personnel, consultants, and other skilled and unskilled labor may be counted as in-kind match if the service is an integral and necessary part of the project. Rates for volunteer services shall be consistent with those paid for similar work in the recipient’s organization. In those instances in which the required skills are not found in the recipient organization, rates shall be consistent with those paid for similar work in the labor market in which the recipient competes for the kind of services involved. In either case, paid fringe benefits that are reasonable, allowable, and allocable may be included in the valuation.

The applicant must document the amount and type of in-kind resource that will be contributed to the fulfillment of the project and include this information in the detailed budget breakdown.

11. Application Preparation Instructions

Your electronic submission shall consist of forms SF-424, SF-424a, and SF-424b, plus the items described below. No additional documents or materials may be submitted. Failure to comply with the required application components listed below may result in the proposal being rejected.

Items A through F as described below shall be combined together in one document, in the order noted below, and submitted through Grants.gov in either MS Word or Adobe PDF format. The application shall not exceed 20 single-spaced pages (including figures, references, etc.), and the type size shall not be smaller than 12 point. All pages of the application shall be numbered. All text, figures, and tables shall be sized to fit on 8½” by 11” paper with 1-inch margins. The SF forms, negotiated rate agreement, required tables, detailed budgets for objectives, timelines for objectives, and the Data Management Plan do not count toward the page limit.

In the Grants.gov forms, floating your mouse over a field will provide instructions for completing that field. You can also click on the ‘Check Package for Errors’ button to check the entire application for validation errors (incomplete fields, etc.)

The application submitted through Grants.gov as the ‘Project Narrative Attachment Form’ (in MS Word or Adobe PDF format) shall be assembled in the following order:

A. Proposal Information Summary B. Proposal C. Budget Summary D. Data Management Plan E. Detailed Budget for each objective F. Timeline for each objective

A. Proposal Information Summary

Provide a summary for the proposal using the format shown in Attachment A. The project title should not exceed 80 characters. Please list only one Technical Contact/Principal Investigator for the proposed work. Provide a start date for the proposed work sometime in the period from April 1st through September 30th, 2018.

B. Proposal

Please prepare a proposal that includes background information about your agency and network, a summary of your planned project, and a detailed description of the project with a separate section for each objective that is part of the project (see guidance below).

Existing data providers should include a summary of their involvement with the

NGWMN.

Tables of sites at which field work is proposed must be included and should reference sites using the NGWMN site number. These tables should be included in an Appendix and do not count towards the page limit for the proposal.

Do not include links to any data or information on a web site as part of your proposal. If the content is important, include it in the proposal. We will not consider any information from referenced websites as part of the proposal evaluation process.

Please include references for any methods used to perform work on NGWMN sites or describe the methods you will be using in detail.

A separate budget is required for each objective proposed.

a. Background information

Provide supporting information about your agency, monitoring networks, and your database and IT infrastructure. Because membership on the NGWMN Program Board that evaluates the proposals may change from year to year, all proposals should have this information included so that it is available for proposal review. Please describe your network and your involvement with the NGWMN in sufficient detail so that new Board members have the necessary background to evaluate your current proposal. Each proposal should stand on its own and not rely on background information included in previous proposals. The following items should be addressed:

i. Description of Agency and purpose of monitoring. Give a brief description of your agency, its role, and the purpose for which the monitoring data are being collected. Identify the USGS Principal or major aquifers and areas that are monitored.

ii. Description of the Agency’s existing monitoring networks. Provide a detailed description of existing monitoring networks relevant to the needs of the NGWMN. Describe how the data are used to support your agency monitoring goals.

iii. Describe previous projects with the NGWMN. If applicable, briefly describe any past projects with the NGWMN. Summarize your involvement with the Network. Indicate the number of sites your agency is currently providing to the NGWMN.

iv. Information Technology (IT) Infrastructure. Describe the databases used to store data at your agency and the web server infrastructure if applicable. Briefly describe any current data sharing applications, services or web sites. Describe IT staff experience and availability.

Discuss any security requirements or limitations. Please describe any planned database updates that may affect your ability to provide data to the NGWMN during the next 2-3 years.

b. Project Summary

Generally describe the work that is proposed for the project. Describe which objectives will be included in the project and the overall timeframe of the project.

c. Project Description

For each objective for which you are applying, please provide a separate section that describes the work plan, detailed budget, and timeline.

Describe each objective in detail in a work plan so that individual objectives can be considered for funding separately.

• Work Plan. Provide a work plan that describes the work necessary to accomplish the objective. Describe the need for the proposed work and the benefits to the NGWMN. The work plan should include the items listed below for the corresponding objective. Identify the personnel involved and their expertise related to the objective. For each task, justify the need for the work (why does it need to be done?) and the methods that will be used to do the work (how will it be done?). Please include either detailed descriptions of the methods that are proposed or provide references for the methods you will be using.

• Budget. Provide a budget for each objective in using the format shown in section 11.E. An example of a detailed budget for a new data provider project (Objective 1) is provided in Attachment B. Provide the total cost to accomplish the objective (including overhead). List the in-kind services that will be used to match the work for this objective. For all objectives, in-kind services can include data-collection activities at NGWMN sites that occur during the performance period of the project.

In-kind services can also include database support at NGWMN sites.

• Time Line. Provide a time line describing the planned timeframe for work that will be done for the objective. A table listing all the tasks in the objective and what project month they will occur in is satisfactory.

An example time line for a new data provider project (Objective 1) is shown in section 11.F

Refer to section 6 above for guidance on what work is allowable under each objective.

Objective 1: Support to become a new data provider or expansion of services/sites by existing data providers

For this objective please provide a map (or maps) of your water-level and/or water-quality sites that would be considered for the NGWMN. Include the USGS National Aquifers on the map(s).

The following tasks should be included in the work plan for this objective for a new data provider. For each task please indicate who will be doing the work and their qualifications to do the work.

• Select sites for the NGWMN. Generally describe the available sites and why they are appropriate for the NGWMN. Select appropriate sites for the NGWMN according to criteria in the NGWMN Framework document, the Well Selection Criteria for Water Levels and Well Selection Criteria for Water Quality tip sheets, and the Minimum Data Requirements tip sheet.

https://water.usgs.gov/ogw/aquifer/atlas.html https://water.usgs.gov/ogw/aquifer/atlas.html https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/doc/NGWMN_WL_Criteria_Tip_Sheet.pdf https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/doc/NGWMN_WQ_Criteria_Tip_Sheet.pdf https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/doc/NGWMN_WQ_Criteria_Tip_Sheet.pdf

• Classify sites into Subnetworks and Monitoring Categories: Classify sites as described in the NGWMN Framework document and Defining the Subnetwork and Defining Monitoring Categories tip sheets.

• Provide required data elements for selected sites. Data are provided either in the Well Registry or through web services. The required data elements are listed and the source of data for each element is described in the Minimum Data Requirements tip sheet.

• Populate the NGWMN Well Registry with site and network information. See the Populating the Well Registry tip sheet. This can be done by populating the site and network data in a NGMWN provided template spreadsheet and uploading that spreadsheet into the Well Registry.

• Connect agency databases to the NGWMN Portal using web services.

Separate web services will be required for water-level data, well construction data, and lithology data. If water-quality data are to be served, a water-quality data web service will also be needed unless otherwise available from the USEPA Water Data Exchange (http://www.waterqualitydata.us/). Guidance for setting up the web services is available in the Web Service Development tip sheet. Specific guidance for water-quality web services is given in the Water-Quality Services tip sheet.

• Document data collection and Data Management protocols. This is needed so that the NGWMN can provide users of the NGWMN data an understanding of the quality of the data. Our goal is to provide water-level and water-quality data of known quality.

• Prepare a brief report. Document the work done for the tasks above. This should include: the criteria used to select and classify wells, a description of web services set up for the project and the underlying supporting IT infrastructure, a description the field data collection, and a description of data management practices. This report will be used to populate a Data Provider page that includes information on site selection, classification, data collection, data management, and general information about the data provider and their networks. Examples of Data Provider pages are available at:

o https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/provider/KSGS o https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/provider/SCDNR o https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/provider/OWRB

The following tasks should be included in the work plan for this objective for a data provider who will be expanding sites or adding web services. For each task please indicate who will be doing the work and their qualifications to do the work.

For new sites:

• Select sites for the NGWMN. Describe the new sites to be added and why they would benefit the NGWMN. Select appropriate sites for the NGWMN according to criteria in the NGWMN Framework document, the Well Selection Criteria for Water Levels and Well Selection Criteria for Water Quality tip sheets, and the Minimum Data Requirements tip sheet.

https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/doc/NGWMN_Subnetwork_Tip_Sheet.pdf https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/doc/NGWMN_Subnetwork_Tip_Sheet.pdf https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/doc/NGWMN_Monitoring_Categories_Tip_Sheet.pdf https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/doc/NGWMN_Minimum_Data_Elements_Tip_Sheet.pdf https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/doc/NGWMN_Minimum_Data_Elements_Tip_Sheet.pdf https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/doc/NGWMN_Well_Registry_Tip_Sheet.pdf http://www.waterqualitydata.us/ https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/doc/NGWMN_WebServices_Tip_Sheet.pdf https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/doc/NGWMN_WQ_WebServices_TipSheet.pdf https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/provider/KSGS https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/provider/SCDNR https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/provider/OWRB https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/doc/NGWMN_WL_Criteria_Tip_Sheet.pdf https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/doc/NGWMN_WL_Criteria_Tip_Sheet.pdf https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/doc/NGWMN_WQ_Criteria_Tip_Sheet.pdf https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/doc/NGWMN_WQ_Criteria_Tip_Sheet.pdf

• Classify sites into Subnetworks and Monitoring Categories: Classify sites as described in the NGWMN Framework document and Defining the Subnetwork and Defining Monitoring Categories tip sheets.

• Provide required data elements for selected sites. Data are provided either in the Well Registry or through web services. The required data elements are listed and the source of data for each element is described in the Minimum Data Requirements tip sheet.

• Populate the NGWMN Well Registry with site and network information. See the Populating the Well Registry tip sheet. This can be done by populating the site and network data in a NGMWN provided templated spreadsheet and uploading that spreadsheet into the Well Registry.

• Prepare a brief report. Document the work done for the tasks above. This should include the criteria used to select and classify wells.

For new web services:

• Connect agency databases to the NGWMN Portal using web services.

Describe the new web services that are to be added to the NGWMN. Explain why they were not included in the original project and why they would benefit the network at this time. Guidance for setting up the web services is available in the Web Service Development tip sheet.

• Set up the Water-quality web services using guidance given in the Water- Quality Services tip sheet.

• Prepare a brief report. Document the work done for the tasks above. This should include a description of web services set up for the project.

Information Technology work for this objective does not need to show any agency in-kind services match.

Objective 2: Support persistent data service from existing data providers

For this objective please briefly describe your existing NGWMN sites and the web services you are using to provide data to the NGWMN.

The following tasks should be included in the work plan for this objective. For each task please indicate who will be doing the work and their qualifications:

• Keep the list of sites in NGWMN Well Registry up to date. See the Populating the Well Registry tip sheet. Add any new qualified sites to the Well Registry and remove any sites that are no longer active.

• Classify any new sites according to Subnetwork and Monitoring Categories as described in the NGWMN Framework document and the Defining the Subnetwork and Defining Monitoring Categories tip sheets. Review classification of existing sites to see if they are still appropriate.

• Populate data elements for any new sites in agency databases and the NGWMN Well Registry. See the Populating the Well Registry tip sheet

• Keep site information on existing sites updated in the Well Registry as new data becomes available.

https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/doc/NGWMN_Subnetwork_Tip_Sheet.pdf https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/doc/NGWMN_Subnetwork_Tip_Sheet.pdf https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/doc/NGWMN_Monitoring_Categories_Tip_Sheet.pdf https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/doc/NGWMN_Minimum_Data_Elements_Tip_Sheet.pdf https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/doc/NGWMN_Minimum_Data_Elements_Tip_Sheet.pdf https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/doc/NGWMN_Well_Registry_Tip_Sheet.pdf https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/doc/NGWMN_WebServices_Tip_Sheet.pdf https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/doc/NGWMN_WQ_WebServices_TipSheet.pdf https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/doc/NGWMN_WQ_WebServices_TipSheet.pdf https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/doc/NGWMN_Well_Registry_Tip_Sheet.pdf https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/doc/NGWMN_Well_Registry_Tip_Sheet.pdf https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/doc/NGWMN_Subnetwork_Tip_Sheet.pdf https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/doc/NGWMN_Subnetwork_Tip_Sheet.pdf https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/doc/NGWMN_Monitoring_Categories_Tip_Sheet.pdf https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/doc/NGWMN_Well_Registry_Tip_Sheet.pdf

• Maintain web services connections to the NGWMN Portal. NGWMN Portal staff will be in communication with the agency staff if the web services are not providing data for several days.

• In conjunction with the NGWMN Portal staff, update web services to serve any new required elements. New required elements will be occasionally added to the Minimum Data Requirements tip sheet.

• Describe any additional work proposed to maintain or improve database connections to the NGWMN Portal. This can include updates to existing services, adding new fields to services, or upgrading existing services to XML standards.

• Document persistent data services activities in final report for the project.

Information Technology (IT) work for this objective does not need to show any agency in-kind services match.

Objective 3: Filling gaps in information at NGWMN sites

Multiple site information gaps can be addressed as part of this objective. Please provide background information and specific work needed for each gap. Include a timeline that shows all the site information gaps and a planned timeframe for all tasks required for each gap.

A Data Management Plan is required for any data collected or added to agency databases. All projects that are proposing work under objective 3 should include this work in their Data Management Plan.

Provide a summary of the site information gap filling activities proposed under Objective 3.

The following information should be provided for each proposed site information gap filling task.

• Describe the information gap. Refer to the Minimum Data Requirements tip sheet as needed.

• Describe your planned approach to fill the gap.

• Describe any field techniques and equipment you will be using to collect data.

Provide references for methods, if applicable.

• Provide a table of the proposed data-collection activities at each well including the NGWMN site number and the approximate cost of the work.

This table should be included as an appendix to the proposal and will not count against the page limit for the proposal.

• Describe your plan to perform quality assurance on new data as it is collected and entered into databases.

• If any GPS work is proposed, please specify the equipment and methods to be used and the expected vertical and horizontal accuracy.

http://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/doc/NGWMN_Minimum_Data_Elements_Tip_Sheet.pdf

The following tasks should be included in the work plan for this objective. For each task please indicate who will be doing the work and their qualifications:

• For each site information gap, describe all tasks needed to complete the work.

• Document gap filling activities in the final report for the project.

Objective 4: Well maintenance

Multiple well maintenance activities can be addressed as part of this objective. Please provide background information and specific work needed for each activity. Include a timeline that shows all the well maintenance activities and a planned timeframe for all tasks required for each activity. Photographs of wells needing rehabilitation can be helpful.

A table of sites requiring well maintenance is required. Specific maintenance activities to be performed at each well must be listed. Include a map of the sites for proposed maintenance activities in relation to existing NGWMN sites.

A Data Management Plan is required for any data collected or added to agency databases. Any data collected as part of well maintenance activities should be entered into agency databases and included in the Data Management Plan.

Provide a summary of the well maintenance activities proposed under Objective 4.

The following information should be provided for each proposed well maintenance activity.

• Describe…