The Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program of the USGS is offering a cooperative agreement funding opportunity to States, federally recognized Native American Tribal governments, or local water-resources agencies that collect groundwater data to participate in the National Ground-Water Monitoring Network. The USGS is working to develop and administer the 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...

Applicant eligibility:Applicants can be State, federally recognized Native American Tribal governments, or local water-resource agencies which collect groundwater data. State government agencies that are part of a public university system are eligible to apply under the University authority. 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. Agencies that are partnering with the local USGS Water Science Center to collect water-level or water-quality data as part of a Cooperative Matching Funds project are considered current data providers and are eligible for funding under Objectives 3-6 to enhance the NGWMN. Discussion and coordination with USGS NGWMN staff are encouraged; however, USGS personnel are prohibited from helping an organization directly prepare its application for competitive funding.Agencies cannot propose work under Objectives 4, 5, or 6 in a proposal to become a new data provider (Objective 1).Proposal eligibility:The following items will result in a proposal or work under the related objective being deemed ineligible:Objectives that are missing detailed budgetsProposals from data providers working with a local USGS Cooperative Matching Funds project to collect groundwater data that are missing a letter of support from the local USGS Water Science CenterProposals with a funding request that exceeds award limitsObjectives that contract with U.S. Government agencies to perform workExcluded Parties: USGS conducts a review of the SAM.gov Exclusions database for all applicant entities and their key project personnel prior to award. USGS cannot award funds to entities or their key project personnel identified in the SAM.gov Exclusions database as ineligible, prohibited/restricted or otherwise excluded from receiving Federal contracts, certain subcontracts, and certain Federal assistance and benefits, as their ineligibility condition applies to this Federal program.The following proposals are ineligible for consideration under this Announcement:Proposals from U.S. Government agencies or U.S. Government employeesProposals from Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDC)Proposals principally involving the direct procurement of a product, equipment, or service not used for data collection

Sara Roser sroser@usgs.gov