Geological Survey Grants

This Program Announcement is issued under the provisions of section 104 of the Water Resources Research Act of 1984 (Public Law 98-242), as amended by Public Laws 101-397, 104-147, 106-374, 109-471, and 117–58. Section 104 of the Water Resources Research Act directs the Secretary of the Interior to administer program grants to Institutes established under the provisions of section 104(a) of the Act. Water Resources Research Institutes have been established in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam. The Institute in Guam also serves the Federated States of Micronesia and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The Institute in Hawaii also serves American Samoa. The addresses of the 54 Institutes are available at https://water.usgs.gov/wrri/index.php . Responsibility for administration of the Water Resources Research Act Program has been delegated to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

Invasive climbing plants, or vines, are spreading rapidly throughout the southeastern United States and the U.S. Caribbean, smothering local vegetation, altering forest structure, increasing infrastructure maintenance costs, and complicating management efforts for natural and working landscapes. Their expansion is influenced by disturbances such as hurricanes, flooding, uprooted trees, landslides, and wildfires, yet information is currently fragmented across jurisdictions, ecosystems, and stakeholders. This project will build a database with information on species status, traits linked to their spread, and the locations of recent disturbances to better understand the causes of vine expansion. The database will also feature maps showing where different species could spread in the future, covering species from the mainland U.S., Puerto Rico, and other parts of the world, categorized by whether they are already present or have not yet been detected in the region. Managers can use these maps to identify areas most at risk for invasive vine spread in coming decades. By assembling a regional database, synthesizing management strategies, and engaging partners, this project will provide a clear framework for detecting and effectively responding to invasive vines. This work supports EO 14313 - Establishing the President's Make America Beautiful Again Commission) by advancing science-based stewardship of natural resources and strengthening the capacity of agencies and communities to safeguard vulnerable ecosystems from biological degradation. This work also supports EO14303 (Restoring Gold Standard Science) and SO3441 (Implementing the Requirements of Executive Order 14303, Restoring Gold Standard Science) by strengthening American leadership in adaptation science and providing credible, reliable, and impartial scientific evidence to reduce the economic damages caused by proliferating vines. Projects supported under this cooperative agreement should advance Administration priorities, including, but not limited to, American energy dominance, critical mineral development, water security, infrastructure resilience, and natural hazard preparedness. Research and activities may incorporate scientific expertise in areas such as hydrology, geology, geospatial science, biosecurity, and near-earth space science, including extreme events such as drought, flooding, wildland fire, coastal erosion, severe storms, and geologic hazards, to develop actionable science, data, and tools that support informed decision-making by resource managers and stakeholders.

The USGS is offering a funding opportunity to a CESU partner for research to develop an enhanced gene expression panel with the ability to differentiate among several unique stressors that can potentially affect population and ecosystem health. This research will contribute to the development of ecosystem monitoring programs. Focal species include Californian sea lions, sea otters, salmon, longfin smelt, mussels, and clams. This project directly supports Department of the Interior and Administration priorities related to ecosystem resilience, restoration, public health preparedness, and scientific integrity. Specifically, the proposed work aligns with Executive Order (EO) 14303 – Restoring Gold Standard Science (May 23, 2025); and Secretarial Order (SO) 3399 Department-Wide Approach to the Climate Crisis and Data-Driven Decision-Making. The project will generate actionable scientific information to support management decisions, early warning systems, and ecosystem recovery efforts.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is offering a funding opportunity to a CESU partner for research in the development, evaluation, and synthesis of national-scale biogeographic information for fish and other aquatic organisms. This project supports research that improves how species distributions, habitat conditions, and conservation needs are mapped and analyzed across the United States. The project focuses on three technical areas: (1) advancing statistical and analytical methods that integrate multiple lines of evidence to improve species distribution models for freshwater organisms; (2) evaluating the accuracy, uncertainty, and environmental sensitivity of habitat models; and (3) using modern synthesis tools, including artificial intelligence, to assemble and maintain up-to-date information on species traits, conservation status, and habitat preferences. These activities will help resource managers make informed decisions about conserving aquatic species and freshwater ecosystems. The USGS intends to provide support for work that directly aligns with Department of the Interior (DOI) scientific and conservation priorities, including the development and application of actionable science for species management and cooperative conservation with local communities and Tribes. This opportunity supports DOI strategic objectives related to conserving land and water resources, improving ecological data and analysis, and strengthening shared stewardship across agencies and partners. The proposal objectives clearly supports, informs, and benefits the following: SO 3447 - Expanding Hunting and Fishing Access, Removing Unnecessary Barriers, and Ensuring Consistency Across the Depart of the Interior Lands and Waters (January 7, 2026) SO 3442 - Land and Water Conservation Fund Implementation by the U.S. Department of the Interior September 4, 2025), EO 14303 – Restoring Gold Standard Science (May 23, 2025) SO 3441 –Implementing the Requirements of Executive Order 14303, Restoring Gold Standard Science, May 23, 2025 (August 29, 2025) SO 3444 - Leading Interior's Path to Artificial Intelligence Transformation (September 17, 2025), and SO 3435 - Implementation of the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences Act June 25, 2025). This funding opportunity is appropriate for applicants with expertise in aquatic ecology, species distribution modeling, geospatial analysis, and ecological data synthesis. Prospective applicants should review the focus areas above to determine alignment of their capabilities with project needs and assess their interest in contributing to collaborative, nationally relevant biogeographic science.

The USGS is offering a funding opportunity to a CESU partner for research for meeting partner needs for quantifying current status and trends of North American amphibian populations and outcomes of management interventions. The research will be conducted in collaboration with USGS partners at the USGS Eastern Ecological Research Center and the USGS Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative. Specific work will focus on three areas of need: 1) assisting with model development and analysis of data from an ongoing national amphibian disease study; 2) prototyping methods for dynamic integrated distribution models; and 3) assisting with development of decision tools for management of an endangered amphibian on DOI lands.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is offering a funding opportunity to a CESU partner for research that supports cisco restoration priorities in Lakes Huron and Erie by hiring a structured decision-making expert and convening a structured decision-making workshop to help fisheries managers develop a restoration plan and by hiring a scientist to conduct experiments to determine what environmental conditions can lead to the highest quality cisco that can be produced in hatcheries for reintroduction.

Robust and reliable quantitative method to correct for solution chemistry interferences in molecularly imprinted polymer – electrochemical sensor (MIP-ES) measurements of complex environmental water matrices The goal of this research is to develop a robust and reliable quantitative method to correct for solution chemistry interferences in MIP-ES measurements of complex environmental water matrices. One of the challenges using MIP-ES to measure contaminants such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in environmental samples is understanding how bulk solution chemistry contributes to the electrochemical background signal. The development of a ratiometric comparison approach with MIP-ES will involve bench scale proof of concept testing and then escalate to field deployed trials. Instrumentation required for MIP-ES fabrication and sensing includes multichannel potentiostats capable of differential pulse voltammetry and cyclic voltammetry. Differential pulse voltammetry will be used to collect current differences at 1-minute and 15-minute incubation time points in the sample matrices. These current values will be used to build the ratiometric comparison approach. The ratiometric approach will involve the comparison of normalized current difference ratios, outlined in Equation 1, between a matrix matched solution that contains all matrix constituents minus the analyte in question and an unknown solution that is composed of the sample matrix and may or may not contain the analyte. The use of a ratiometric comparison isolates current differences from the association of the analyte with the MIP-ES binding sites from any change in current from interferent effects due to the rest of the sample matrix constituents (i.e., humic acids, fulvic acids, ions, non-fluorinated counterparts, etc.). A ratio close to 1 indicates the absence of the analyte due to similar normalized current difference values in the ratio. A statistically different ratio from 1 indicates the presence of the analyte in question in the sample matrix. This project supports the administration's priority to protecting human health by generating data and tools that identify potential risks to drinking water quality. By enabling early detection and informed decision-making, this work helps safeguard communities from exposure to harmful contaminants and ensures access to safe, clean drinking water.

U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) Powell Center solicits research on "A spatially explicit framework to assess the risk of aquatic contaminants to insectivorous birds." This project will predict how contaminant and nutrient fluxes by adult aquatic insects contribute to a landscape of risk for aerial insectivorous birds. The research synthesis project will map areas of elevated risk for aerial insectivorous birds across the U.S. and Europe from contaminant effects on aquatic insect prey. Specifically, this project will elucidate the spatial patterns of risk due to prey loss and contaminant exposure through diet. This synthesis will enhance understanding of the spatial extent of aquatic contaminant fates and the impacts of those contaminants on aerial insectivores. This work will support species and habitat management by equipping decision makers with the tools to anticipate where and to what extent aquatic-borne contaminants and their (re)distribution across the landscape pose risks to environmental health at local, regional, and continental scales.

U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS), Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center (NOROCK), is offering a funding opportunity to improve assessments of floodplain connectivity and riverscape health . Current approaches to identify floodplain connectivity across the western United States rely on field data, limiting inference and spatial extent of data. However, existing lidar datasets through the USGS provide unique opportunities to develop approaches using lidar elevation data to provide robust estimates of floodplain connectivity. The ultimate use of these data would be to identify factors limiting healthy riverscapes across the Great Basin. The CESU partner in collaboration with NOROCK's research fisheries biologist will advance the ability to evaluate riverscape health by addressing one or more of the following considerations to improve assessments of riverscape health: Develop a workflow for using lidar to estimate floodplain connectivity within riverscapes in the Great Basin. Demonstrate the benefits this approach in comparison to existing methods. Quantify continuous estimates of floodplain connectivity across portions of the Great Basin. Results will be useful to the broader community working to assess and restore the health and ecosystem services of riverscapes in the Western US in relation to drought, land management activities, and fish and wildlife populations. Biologists and geomorphologists from NOROCK and the CESU Partner will collaborate with federal and state agencies and NGO partners to ensure their approach and data are accessible, scalable, and transferable to encourage the uptake by the broader scientific community involved with riverscape health assessments and restoration actions. This project focuses on using remote sensing products to efficiently direct resources to restoration of rivers and riparian areas. Using lidar data to map the health of riverscapes supports: SO 3435 - Implementation of the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences Act (June 25, 2025) SO 3442 - Land and Water Conservation Fund Implementation by the U.S. Department of the Interior (September 4, 2025) Improving methods beyond field data by leveraging available lidar data will provide continuous, robust measures of riverscape health, thus supporting and restoring Gold Standard Science approaches: EO 14303 – Restoring Gold Standard Science (May 23, 2025) SO 3441 Implementing the Requirements of Executive Order 14303, Restoring Gold Standard Science, May 23, 2025 (August 29, 2025) Restoring our riverscapes will inform Land and Water Conservation Fund Implementation by the U.S. Department of the Interior: and the lead to improved riverscape health that align with the Implementation of the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences Act. Further, the benefits of this project will provide cascading benefits to fish and wildlife, thus recovering populations and species. This falls in line with the goals outlined in: EO 14313 – Establishing the President's Make America Beautiful Again Commission (July 3, 2025) SO 3435 - Implementation of the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences Act (June 25, 2025) SO 3442 - Land and Water Conservation Fund Implementation by the U.S. Department of the Interior (September 4, 2025)

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is offering a funding opportunity to a CESU partner for research in the study of chronic wasting disease (CWD) to support its prevention and management in the northeastern, and western United States. This project builds on several existing projects in direct collaboration with natural resource agencies where, in many locations, chronic wasting disease is not yet widespread and endemic. In order to better plan for the eventual spread into the region and its wide-ranging effects, this project would focus on strategic planning for CWD management as a long-term endeavor focused on repeated, linked management decisions that span two disease states (disease-free and disease-present) and recurring decisions on surveillance, regulatory actions (e.g., harvest policy, bans on harvested animal transport and carcass disposal), and targeted actions (e.g., hunter outreach, culling). The goal of thisproject is to support those long-term management efforts by developing decision support tools that estimate the arrival of CWD, the spread and growth of disease in new locations, and the opportunities that agencies have in preventing its effects. The USGS has developed a set of linked decision support tools that model metrics of interest (CWD prevalence, costs, active hunters) as functions of disease dynamics and alternative management strategies. While the decision support tools are currently being used to inform CWD management planning in some locations, there are opportunities to refine their structure, develop more reliable estimates for critical uncertainties, and distribute them widely to natural resource managers across regions. In particular, it is proposed to further develop model-based estimates of the rate of disease introduction into northeastern U.S. from multiple pathways, and then test the efficacy of surveillance and public communications strategies to enhance targeted actions such as carcass disposal, hunter-harvest, and culling to reduce the long-term impacts. In combination, these tasks will advance long-term, strategic CWD management in the northeastern U.S. prior to widespread impacts to the region. This project is designed to support and align with existing planning documents, executive orders, and congressional priorities. The CESU partner would help achieve governmental efficiency by developing risk-informed approaches to potential hazards (EO 14239 – Achieving Efficiency Through State and Local Preparedness (March 19, 2025), such as the spread of wildlife diseases that have already cost U.S. taxpayers millions of dollars (Chiavacci 2022). This funding opportunity also aligns with EO 14314 – Making America Beautiful Again by Improving Our National Parks (July 3, 2025) by considering the effect that diseases have on the recreational experience at National Parks, National Forests, and National Refuges and by examining management actions that keep animals healthy and abundant, promote hunting opportunities, and maintain economic viability of local communities that depend on our natural resources for their livelihoods. Finally, the CESU partner will develop science that supports EO 14303 - Restoring Gold Standard Science (May 23, 2025) by creating open access science (reproducibility), transparency and unbiased approach in collecting and analyzing data used to model future scenarios and communicating scientific data accurately.

The spread of invasive grasses, such as cheatgrass, adds fine fuels to the landscape that increase wildfire occurrence and frequency. Following a fire, invasive grasses regrow quickly, typically outcompeting native plants and perpetuating what is known as the invasive grass-fire cycle. This cycle has been well documented in western portions of the sagebrush biome, such as the Great Basin, but there are only limited studies within the eastern portion of the biome. Some of these studies have shown that native grasslands in eastern portions of the Northern Great Plains may be more fire-adapted and less prone to this cycle. This means that management practices used in the Great Basin may be ineffective, or even determinantal, in the Great Plains. Focusing on the eastern portion of the sagebrush biome, this project will collaborate with resource managers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Wyoming Department of Agriculture to map the presence and extent of the invasive grass-fire cycle in native grasslands and identify effective management strategies. Improved understanding of the invasive grass-fire cycle in the region will enable managers to determine where to target post-fire interventions to limit the spread of invasive grasses, and where interventions are not needed. By supporting risk-informed approaches for the management of invasive grasses that contribute to wildfires, this work enhances community resilience to wildfires, consistent with the goals of EO 14308 Empowering Commonsense Wildfire Prevention and Response (June 12, 2025) and EO 14239 -Achieving Efficiency Through State and Local Preparedness (March 19, 2025). Projects supported under this cooperative agreement should advance Administration priorities, including, but not limited to, American energy dominance, critical mineral development, water security, infrastructure resilience, and natural hazard preparedness. Research and activities may incorporate scientific expertise in areas such as hydrology, geology, geospatial science, biosecurity, and near-earth space science, including extreme events such as drought, flooding, wildland fire, coastal erosion, severe storms, and geologic hazards, to develop actionable science, data, and tools that support informed decision-making by resource managers and stakeholders.

Invasive species are one of the greatest threats to biodiversity, biosecurity, ecosystem functioning, and human well-being in Hawaiʻi. Managers are increasingly concerned about the horticultural trade because it is the predominant pathway for non-native plant introduction in the state. However, they currently lack information about which species pose the greatest risk now and in the future. By analyzing invasion records and ornamental trade data for approximately 19,000 plant taxa, this project will identify horticultural species likely to establish in Hawaiʻi based on local conditions. In doing so, the project will identify geographic areas with the highest invasion risk and highlight species of concern, taking into account invasion history, weed risk scores, nursery locations, and their overlap with human infrastructure and conservation areas. Findings will inform risk-based screening, early detection priorities, and management planning for federal and state partners including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, and Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife. By improving invasive species management, this project will support the mitigation of hazards like wildfires and erosion that can be exacerbated by invasive plants, improving state and local preparedness in line with the goals of EO 14239 -Achieving Efficiency Through State and Local Preparedness (March 19, 2025). This work also supports the goals of EO 14303 -Restoring Gold Standard Science (May 23, 2025) and SO 3441 -Implementing the Requirements of Executive Order 14303, Restoring Gold Standard Science (August 29, 2025) by advancing American leadership in adaptation science and providing credible, reliable, and impartial scientific evidence to reduce the harm caused by invasive species. Projects supported under this cooperative agreement should advance Administration priorities, including, but not limited to, American energy dominance, critical mineral development, water security, infrastructure resilience, and natural hazard preparedness. Research and activities may incorporate scientific expertise in areas such as hydrology, geology, geospatial science, biosecurity, and near-earth space science, including extreme events such as drought, flooding, wildland fire, coastal erosion, severe storms, and geologic hazards, to develop actionable science, data, and tools that support informed decision-making by resource managers and stakeholders.

Freshwater aquatic habitats in the Northwest sustain native fish such as bull trout, salmon, and lamprey that are important to the region's food economy, outdoor recreation, and as Tribal resources. However, increasing water temperatures and fluctuating precipitation can increase the vulnerability of these habitats and native species to biological invasions. Among non-native species that are known threats to the iconic native bull trout are brook trout and smallmouth bass. This project aims to inform freshwater ecosystem management by developing a modeling tool that predicts the likelihood of non-native fish invasion and impacts in the Northwest under different future scenarios and management approaches. The modeling tools will help decision-makers evaluate and prioritize actions that safeguard native bull trout and freshwater streams from the impacts of non-native fishes and interacting environmental stressors. This work advances EO 14313 Establishing the President's Make America Beautiful Again Commission (July 3, 2025) by evaluating fish, wildlife, and habitat to inform species recovery efforts and management plans at federal, state, and Tribal levels. It also advances science-based conservation of natural resources and strengthens the ability of agencies and communities to safeguard vulnerable ecosystems from biological degradation. Additionally, this work supports EO 14276 -Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness (April 17, 2025) and SO 3447 -Expanding Hunting and Fishing Access, Removing Unnecessary Barriers, and Ensuring Consistency Across the Department of the Interior Lands and Waters (January 7, 2026) by providing science to improve fisheries management, sustain access to recreational fishing, and safeguard the region's cultural and economic interests. Projects supported under this cooperative agreement should advance Administration priorities, including, but not limited to, American energy dominance, critical mineral development, water security, infrastructure resilience, and natural hazard preparedness. Research and activities may incorporate scientific expertise in areas such as hydrology, geology, geospatial science, biosecurity, and near-earth space science, including extreme events such as drought, flooding, wildland fire, coastal erosion, severe storms, and geologic hazards, to develop actionable science, data, and tools that support informed decision-making by resource managers and stakeholders.

Invasive plants harm ecosystems by outcompeting native plants and destabilizing natural communities. To reduce harm, practitioners use control methods such as herbicides or mowing. Rising temperatures can create a fertilization effect that boosts plant growth, an impact that is even stronger in invasive species, which tend to grow much faster than non-invasive plants. As a result, the recommended doses and number of treatments of herbicides may no longer be effective for controlling invasive plants. To address the need for information on how invasive plant treatment strategies can be adapted to remain effective under warming temperatures in the Northeast, researchers will synthesize 1) practitioner knowledge on the success of past treatments and 2) the best available science on treatments. Incorporating science on whether and how treatment approaches can be more effective will address a critical need for invasive species practitioners in the Northeast, who report spending most of their time treating existing invasive plants. This work aligns with the goals of EO 14239 -Achieving Efficiency Through State and Local Preparedness (March 19, 2025) by helping state and local practitioners mitigate invasive species-associated hazards, as well as EO 14303 -Restoring Gold Standard Science (May 23, 2025) and SO 3441 (Implementing the Requirements of Executive Order 14303, Restoring Gold Standard Science (August 29, 2025) by strengthening American leadership in adaptation science. Projects supported under this cooperative agreement should advance Administration priorities, including, but not limited to, American energy dominance, critical mineral development, water security, infrastructure resilience, and natural hazard preparedness. Research and activities may incorporate scientific expertise in areas such as hydrology, geology, geospatial science, biosecurity, and near-earth space science, including extreme events such as drought, flooding, wildland fire, coastal erosion, severe storms, and geologic hazards, to develop actionable science, data, and tools that support informed decision-making by resource managers and stakeholders.