Great Lakes Biology Monitoring Program: Zooplankton, Mysis, and Benthic Invertebrate Components
Closed Posted
- Opportunity number
- EPA-R5-GL2026-ZMB
- Applications due
- Award size
- Up to $8,100,000
Opportunity facts
- Assistance listings
- Funding instrument
- Cooperative Agreement
- Category
-
- Environment
- Eligible applicants
-
- Other
- Points of contact
-
- Victoria Raymond glri-rfa@epa.gov
Opportunity details come from Grants.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Great Lakes National Program Office is soliciting applications for a cooperative agreement to conduct sample collection and analysis of zooplankton, Mysis, and benthic invertebrate communities across all five Great Lakes in support of the Great Lakes Biology Monitoring Program (GLBMP). Eligible applicants include Indian tribes, state and local governments, institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations with demonstrated capability to perform taxonomic analysis, biomass calculations, statistical analysis, and results reporting. Key requirements include collecting samples from 72 plankton stations and 58 summer benthic stations twice annually aboard the R/V Lake Guardian during 2027-2031, maintaining comparability with historical datasets, implementing artificial intelligence approaches for species assessment, and conducting lake-specific supplemental studies aligned with the Cooperative Science and Monitoring Initiative. Applications will be evaluated on a 150-point scale with major emphasis on base monitoring program implementation (54 points), programmatic capability and past performance (22 points), budget justification (20 points), and supplemental studies (21 points). The application deadline is June 30, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET, with anticipated award notification in October 2026.
The EPA anticipates awarding one cooperative agreement valued at approximately $8.1 million over six years, with incremental annual funding of approximately $1.35 million contingent on funding availability and satisfactory performance. The project period must commence January 1, 2027 and conclude no later than March 31, 2033. All work will be performed within the Great Lakes Basin region, with sampling activities conducted on the R/V Lake Guardian during designated spring and summer survey periods across years 2027-2031. Cost sharing is not required, although voluntary committed cost share may be documented in applications.
Synopsis
This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) solicits applications from eligible entities for grants to be awarded pursuant to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) Action Plan IV. The Great
Lakes Biology Monitoring Program (GLBMP) fulfills EPA's statutory obligation specified in Clean Water Act Section 118(c)(B) to establish a Great Lakes system-wide surveillance network to monitor the water quality of the Great Lakes. The goals of the GLBMP are to (1) report on Great Lakes water quality and ecosystem condition using assessments of the lower food web (phytoplankton, chlorophyll, zooplankton, Mysis and benthic invertebrates) as indicators; (2) assess the impacts to the lower food web from invasive species including quagga mussels; and (3) inform fisheries and habitat management. The Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO) is requesting applications for a project to complete sample collection and analyses in support of the zooplankton, Mysis, and benthic invertebrate components of the GLBMP. The targeted audience for this funding opportunity is eligible entities listed below capable of analyzing zooplankton, Mysis, and benthic invertebrate community abundance and composition. The intended beneficiaries of the GLBMP are all those who live, recreate, or work within the Great Lakes basin.
Files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| EPA-R5-GL2026-ZMB-Final-v5.pdf | ||
| EPA-R5-GL2026-ZMB-Final-v4.pdf | ||
| EPA-R5-GL2026-ZMB Revised 2026 05 13.pdf |
On GovTribe
Work this opportunity
- Track it in your pipeline
- Find teaming partners
- Similar grant opportunities
- Ask GovTribe AI about this opportunity