Cooperative Agreement for Affiliated Partner with the Gulf Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU)
Closed Posted
- Opportunity number
- G26AS00118
- Agency
-
US Geological Survey
Department of the Interior
- Applications due
- Award size
- Up to $120,000
Opportunity facts
- Assistance listings
- Funding instrument
- Cooperative Agreement
- Category
-
- Science and Technology and other Research and Development
- Eligible applicants
-
- Other
- Points of contact
-
- Katie Calder katherine_calder@ios.doi.gov
Opportunity details come from Grants.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Water Resources Mission Area seeks a cooperative agreement with a Gulf Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) affiliated partner to develop and validate operational workflows for remote sensing river discharge measurement using the Skydio Dock for X10 unmanned aerial system. The project requires demonstration of beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) flight capabilities, image velocimetry data collection, satellite communications transmission, and artificial intelligence integration for water mask and vegetation identification in support of the Next Generation Water Observing System initiative. Eligible applicants must be current CESU partners and must submit proposals through Grants.gov (Funding Opportunity Number G26AS00118) by May 30, 2026. Applications will be evaluated on five criteria: Purpose, Objectives, and Relevance (30 points); Technical Approach (25 points); Budget Justification and Clarity (25 points); Qualifications, Experience, and Past Performance (20 points); and other administrative factors. Required application materials include proposal narratives addressing specific technical and procedural elements, detailed budget justifications using SF-424A format with a negotiated 17.5% CESU indirect cost rate, biographical sketches and current/pending support documentation for all senior personnel, a Data Management Plan, and a one-page Project Abstract Summary.
The cooperative agreement offers total estimated funding of $120,000 for one base year with one optional additional year of operation and maintenance, with all funding fully obligated at time of award. Testing will occur at the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Green Mountain Reservoir, which features two co-located USGS streamgages for verification data and discharge validation. The two-year project period requires recipients to submit comprehensive proposals addressing the full performance timeline, comply with annual progress reporting due 90 days after each anniversary date, submit final technical reports 120 days after project completion, and ensure all resulting data, products, and publications comply with USGS Fundamental Science Practices and the Geospatial Data Act of 2018 requirements.
Synopsis
The USGS is offering a funding opportunity to a CESU partner for research on the utility of the Skydio Dock for X10 to (1) fly remotely beyond visual line of site (BVLOS), (2) collect image velocimetry (IV) data, (3) upload IV data via the Skydio Cloud and satellite communications (SatComms), and (4) develop a workflow for processing camera imagery to compute IV-derived discharge.The cost to operate stream gages in gage-poor or hard-to-access basins is both costly and a potential safety risk. The Next Generation Water Observing System (NGWOS) is seeking to trial and develop a workflow that is reliable and capable of transmitting camera imagery via SatComms and compute IV-derived discrete discharge that is equivalent to USGS standard methods.The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Water Resources Mission Area (WMA) is interested in partnering with the CESU to evaluate the operational readiness of near-field remote sensing of the Skydio Dock platform. The Skydio Dock has been developed to operate remotely by remote pilots; however, the application to collect camera imagery that can be processed and to compute river discharge is novel. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Green Mountain Reservoir is an ideal test bed for this technology given that two USGS streamgages are co-located within the proposed flight volume of the Skydio Dock. The streamgages will offer verification data that can be used to assess the efficacy of various image velocimetry algorithms, which will be used to compute river discharge remotely. Integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) to assist with identifying water masks and vegetation will be a valuable contribution to accurately compute image velocimetry-based river discharge.Under Executive Order 14179 - Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence (January 23, 2025) by the USGS NGWOS program is authorized and encouraged to conduct structured pilots of AI-enabled sensing systems that improve safety, performance, and mission delivery. The proposed project will serve as a pilot for BVLOS, dock-scheduled operations with AI computer vision for image velocimetry, enabling safe, repeatable discharge estimation at hazardous monitoring locations, and providing crucial information for technical readiness assessments.
Files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| Full Announcement.docx | DOCX document | |
| ATTACHMENT D - Geospatial Data instructions.docx | DOCX document | |
| ATTACHMENT C - Project Abstract Summary Requirement.docx | DOCX document | |
| ATTACHMENT B - Common-form-current-and-pending-support-doi-omb-3145-0279 3.pdf | ||
| ATTACHMENT A -Biographical-sketch-common-form-doi-omb-3145-0279 3.pdf |
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