Author: Kaye L. Brubaker

Request for Proposals: Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) FY 2021 Competitive Grants

by Kaye L. Brubaker

The Maryland Water Resources Research Center (MWRRC) announces the release of the Request for Proposals (RFP) for the FY 2021 Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Competitive Grant Program by the U.S. Geological Survey under Section 104(g) of the Water Resources Research Act, in cooperation with the National Institutes for Water Resources.

Proposals are sought on the following specific areas of inquiry (levels of priority are not assigned, and the order of listing does not indicate the level of priority):

  • Improve our understanding of the impacts of aquatic invasive species on lakes and rivers in the Upper Mississippi River basin, including changes to water quantity, quality and ecosystem dynamics.
  • Identify lake and river characteristics that infer resistance and resilience to establishment and impacts of aquatic invasive species in the Upper Mississippi River basin. Research is needed to better understand these interactions and guide management decisions that will improve water resources at the regional scale.
  • Social and/or economic assessment of the spread, detection, impacts, solutions, and management of aquatic invasive species in the Upper Mississippi River basin.

Any investigator at an institution of higher learning in Maryland is eligible to apply through the MWRRC. If a proposal from an institution other than the University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP) is selected for funding, the funds will be managed as a subcontract from UMCP. Projects will only be awarded if funds are appropriated to the USGS to support the program.

Proposals may be for projects of 1 to 3 years in duration, may request up to $250,000 in federal funds, and require a 1:1 (non-federal:federal) match. Proposals in PDF format must be emailed to the MWRRC Director Dr. Kaye Brubaker at kbru<at-symbol>umd.edu by 11:59 p.m., June 18, 2021 to allow adequate time for MWRRC to submit the proposals by the June 24 deadline for institutes. Only proposals submitted to MWRRC by June 18, 2021 will be transmitted to the National Grants Competition Proposal Peer Review Panel.

Additional information about research priorities, proposal content, format and review process are available in the RFP.

PIs who intend to submit proposals under this program are asked to notify the Center as soon as possible (kbru<at-symbol>umd.edu) so that we may prepare for and assist with proposal preparation and processing.

Request For Proposals FY 2021 Competitive Grants 104(g)

by Kaye L. Brubaker

The Maryland Water Resources Research Center (MWRRC) announces the release of the Request for Proposals (RFP) for the FY 2021 National Competitive Grant Program by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the National Institutes for Water Resources.

Proposals are sought on the topic of improving and enhancing the nation’s water supply and availability, and promoting the exploration of new ideas that address or expand our understanding of water problems, including the following specific areas of inquiry (levels of priority are not assigned, and the order of listing does not indicate the level of priority):

  • Socioeconomics and water use – includes the development of water use models that require understanding of what drives the timing and location of water being withdrawn and used and how those relations change when climate impacts the use or conservation/management strategies (culture/societal/economics) are implemented.
  • Water related hazards and public health – exploration of the intersections of land/water use, disease vector mechanisms, and water hazards, climate change, and/or irrigation practices. Research may include advancing our understand of these connections as they affect the development rates of pathogens impacting public health.
  • Exploration and advancement of our understanding of harmful algae blooms (HABs). Proposals are sought that focus on innovations in monitoring the occurrence of HABs and algal toxins, research on factors that result in algal toxin production, and improvements in near-real time modeling and forecasting of toxin-producing blooms.

Any investigator at an institution of higher learning in Maryland is eligible to apply through the MWRRC. If a proposal from an institution other than the University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP) is selected for funding, the funds will be managed as a subcontract from UMCP. Projects will only be awarded if funds are appropriated to the USGS to support the program.

Proposals may be for projects of 1 to 3 years in duration, may request up to $250,000 in federal funds, and require a 1:1 (non-federal:federal) match. Proposals in PDF format must be emailed to the MWRRC Director Dr. Kaye Brubaker at kbru<at-symbol>umd.edu by 11:59 p.m., June 18, 2021 to allow adequate time for MWRRC to submit the proposals by the June 24 deadline for institutes. Only proposals submitted to MWRRC by June 18, 2021 will be transmitted to the National Grants Competition Proposal Peer Review Panel.

Additional information about research priorities, proposal content, format and review process are available in the RFP.

PIs who intend to submit proposals under this program are asked to notify the Center as soon as possible (kbru<at-symbol>umd.edu) so that we may prepare for and assist with proposal preparation and processing.

 

Deadline Extended for MWRRC 104(b) Applications; FY2021 Program Approved

by Kaye L. Brubaker

We have received notice that the Department of the Interior has approved the FY 2021 Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Water Resources Research Act Program Section 104(b). We expect the RFP to be published soon.

The due date for submissions to the MWRRC has been extended to Friday, May 7, 11:59 p.m. EDT.  For guidance and format, see the previous post, MWRRC Invites FY 2021 104(b) Proposals.

Estimated start date: June 1.

 

MWRRC Invites FY 2021 104(b) Proposals

by Kaye L. Brubaker

In anticipation of the official release of the USGS Request for Proposals (RFP) for the FY 2021 104(b)  Water Resources Research Act program, the MWRRC invites proposals from Principal Investigators (PIs) at institutions of higher education in Maryland.

Proposals should be submitted to the MWRRC by 11:59 p.m., Friday, April 23, 2021, following the guidelines in the example RFP, Example_RFP-MD104b-2020.

The Center suggests a start date of mid-May. Projects will be funded for one year. Specific start and end dates will be set by the forthcoming USGS 2021 RFP.

If the 2021 RFP, when published, requires adjustments, the Center will work with PIs to prepare the selected proposals for submission to the USGS on behalf of the Center.

Proposals may address any water resources topic important to Maryland and to the education of water scientists, engineers, and other professionals in Maryland. This year, the Center particularly invites proposals on the following topics:

  • Addressing the effects of changing climate
  • Justice and equity in water resources
  • Building a diverse water resources workforce for Maryland
  • Public and preK-12 education about water, watersheds, and water resources

The Center also welcomes proposals for Summer 2021 Graduate Student Fellowships (see https://blog.umd.edu/mwrrc/grad-fellowships/ )

 

FY 2021 104(b) Funding Update

by Kaye L. Brubaker

Federal funding through USGS will be available for the Fiscal Year 2021 104(b) (State Base Grant) program. However, the Request for Proposals (RFP) is not yet published.

The due date for proposals to MWRRC is likely to be at the end of January. We also anticipate that the start date for projects will be later than the usual date of March 1.

For planning and preparation purposes, last year’s Maryland RFP is provided here:

Example_RFP-MD104b-2020

Using this example RFP as guidance, investigators are encouraged to develop proposals in anticipation of the official RFP and submittal deadline, which will be announced here.

Projects selected by the MWRRC for funding will be forwarded to the USGS.

Postdoc Opportunity / Research Hydrologist, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, MD

by Kaye L. Brubaker

The USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Hydrology & Remote Sensing Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland, is seeking a POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATE, (Research Hydrologist) for a TWO YEAR APPOINTMENT.  Ph.D. is required. Salary is commensurate with experience ($ 69,581 – $83,398 per annum) plus benefits.  Citizenship restrictions apply.  The incumbent will develop research plans for water quality studies involving complex groundwater and surface water interactions in varied landscapes; select and modify appropriate hydrologic and water quality models for simulating transport of chemical constituents; carry out quality control exercises of field data sets collected in water quality investigations, especially those associated with trace organic and inorganic contaminants; and write scientific reports and peer-reviewed manuscripts documenting results, analysis, and interpretation of hydrologic and water quality data.  Send application materials and references to Dr. Gregory McCarty, USDA/ARS Bldg. 007, Room 127, Beltsville, MD 20705 or e-mail (greg.mccarty@usda.gov).

USDA/ARS is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

 

2020 Summer Internship Opportunity in Hydrology with Mosaics Diversity Program

by Kaye L. Brubaker

The Mosaics in Science Diversity Internship Program is a 12-week summer internship designed to engage racially diverse university students and recent graduates who are under-represented in natural resource fields with on-the-ground work experience in the National Park System.

Environment for the Americas coordinates over 40 paid internship opportunities for diverse youth interested in careers in natural resources, environmental education, communications, history, and more with federal agencies across the country.

A hydrology position is currently available at Monocacy National Battlefield in Frederick, MD.

Hydrology Assistant – Mosaics In Science

 

Request for Proposals FY 2020 104(G) (National Competitive Grant Program)

by Kaye L. Brubaker

The Maryland Water Resources Research Center (MWRRC) announces the release of the Request for Proposals (RFP) for the FY 2020 National Competitive Grant Program by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the National Institutes for Water Resources.

Proposals are requested on the topics of improving and enhancing the nation’s water supply and availability, and promoting the exploration of new ideas that address or expand our understanding of water problems. Proposals must address one of the four high priority research areas listed in the RFP:

  • Expand and enhance the use of hydrologic monitoring data monitoring to support advanced modeling tools to provide state-of-the-art flood and drought forecasts, drive emergency-and water-management decision support systems.
  • Research to help society deal with water scarcity or water availability challenges such as drought, snow pack, and/or changes in runoff regimes.
  • Development and evaluation of processes and governance mechanisms that advance the science of ecological flows.
  • Exploration and advancement of our understanding of harmful algae blooms (HABs). Proposals are sought that focus on innovations in monitoring the occurrence of HABs and algal toxins, research on factors that result in algal toxin production, and improvements in near-real time modeling and forecasting of toxin-producing blooms.

Any investigator at an institution of higher learning in Maryland is eligible to apply through the MWRRC. Projects will only be awarded if funds are appropriated to the USGS to support the program.

Proposals may be for projects of 1 to 3 years in duration, may request up to $250,000 in federal funds, and require a 1:1 (non-federal:federal) match. Proposals in PDF format must be emailed to the MWRRC Director Dr. Kaye Brubaker at kbru<at-symbol>umd.edu by 5 p.m., March 9, 2020 to allow adequate time for MWRRC to submit the proposals by the March 19 deadline for institutes. Only proposals submitted to MWRRC by March 9 will be transmitted to the National Grants Competition Proposal Peer Review Panel.

Additional information about research priorities, proposal content, format and review process are available in the RFP.

Summer Opportunity for Undergraduates (Virginia)

by Kaye L. Brubaker

Virginia Tech REEU graphcis

USDA-Funded RESEARCH & EXTENSION EXPERIENCES FOR UNDERGRADUATES (REEU)

Applications due Feb 15, 2020

Applicants must be US citizens or permanent residents, enrolled in a degree program leading to BS or BA degree, and be entering their sophomore, junior or senior year in Fall 2020. The program will run from June 1 – July 31, 2020 in Blacksburg, VA on the Virginia Tech campus. Chosen undergraduate fellows will receive a stipend of $500 per week for the 9-week program and we will provide housing and meals. We also have some funds to help with travel to and from the site, which will be determined once we have reviewed the applications and accepted students into the program.

We aim to provide intellectually challenging, interdisciplinary research and extension experiences for diverse undergraduates from across the US. During the summer program, our undergraduate fellows will:

1. Develop a detailed and nuanced understanding of the complexity of anthropogenic influences and stakeholder needs within mixed-use watersheds;

2. Gain appreciation for the disciplinary diversity required to address critical, complex water resources issues;

3. Improve their ability to communicate scientific findings to audiences of varying backgrounds in formal and informal situations;

4. Acquire a foundation in technical, social, and collaborative skills to help them succeed in future research and professional activities; and

5. Form a professional network that can support future careers in water management (e.g., graduate degrees, agricultural/industry careers, public service, etc.).

This REEU will catalyze interactions between students from widely varying disciplines by focusing on research questions that require innovative approaches to scientific collaboration and data visualization, as well as communication and engagement with an array of local stakeholders. Our diverse team of experienced mentors includes environmental scientists, social scientists, engineers, and computer scientist will both guide individual student efforts as well as collectively model successful interdisciplinary collaboration.

To promote a unifying context for research: a) fellows and mentors will be members of interdisciplinary teams; b) we will learn from and interact with a range of stakeholders across multiple land use issues; and c) activities will be place-based within the New River basin.

For more information go to the following website: https://vtconfluence-reeu.weebly.com

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