NGWMN_FY26_Attachment_C_Proposal Checklist_2026.xlsx

This is a proposal checklist for the National Ground-Water Monitoring Network (NGWMN) FY2026 funding opportunity, designed to ensure applicants submit complete and compliant proposals to the USGS Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program. The checklist is organized into seven sections covering general requirements, maps and tables, budgets, new data provider project requirements, objective-specific requirements, and requirements for specific objectives, with a final section for principal investigator sign-off.

General requirements mandate that proposals be submitted by 4 pm EST on the due date, be less than 20 pages (excluding figures and tables) in PDF format with 12-point minimum font, include detailed budgets for each objective with federal funding not exceeding $150,000 per year, and contain a Data Management Plan, staff qualifications, letters of support, and current Negotiated Rate Agreements if indirect costs are requested. Maps and tables must include site information with NGWMN IDs, principal aquifers, well depths, scale bars, north arrows, and inset maps where appropriate. Budget sections require overall and detailed objective-level budgets separated by individual task and staff member, with reasonable costs and hours, itemized contractor costs, and separate documentation of in-kind services. New data provider projects must describe existing monitoring networks, data storage infrastructure, web service development approaches, and site selection justifications referencing well density guidelines. Objective-specific requirements prohibit federal funding for routine data collection and mandate that all proposed sites be registered in the NGWMN Registry, with justified need statements, benefit descriptions, detailed workplans with timelines, and Data Management Plan documentation of collection methods and quality assurance. Additional requirements address specific objectives, including a 25 percent in-kind match for Objectives 4, 5, or 6; restrictions on travel funding for Objectives 1, 2A, 2B, or 6; and detailed requirements for well rehabilitation, drilling, and equipment purchases, including Construction Assurances Forms (SF-424D) for drilling projects.