Notice of Intent | USGS 17 FA 0100

Opportunity Information: Apply for USGS 17 FA 0100

This Notice of Intent (Funding Opportunity Number USGS 17 FA 0100) is a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) focused on evaluating research funded by the Southwest Climate Science Center (SW CSC). The core purpose is to support an evaluation effort that looks at how SW CSC-supported research contributes to learning, innovation, and actionable science, specifically in the context of climate adaptation. In practical terms, the opportunity is centered on assessing whether and how climate adaptation research products, processes, partnerships, and outcomes are being designed and used in ways that help decision-makers and practitioners respond to climate-related risks.

The activity falls under the Natural Resources funding activity category (CFDA 15.820), which aligns with USGS programs that support science and information for managing land, water, ecosystems, and related natural resource challenges. The title indicates this is a "Notice of Intent," which typically signals that the agency is announcing its intention to make an award or solicit a specific type of proposal, sometimes as a step preceding a full funding announcement or as part of a targeted approach. The emphasis on "research evaluation for learning and innovation" suggests the work is not only about scoring outputs (like publications) but also about understanding how research becomes usable, how knowledge moves into practice, and what factors help or hinder the production of decision-relevant science for climate adaptation.

Eligibility is limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education. That means the applicant pool is primarily public universities and similar state-run academic entities, which are commonly positioned to carry out program evaluation, social science research, and interdisciplinary assessment work at the scale needed for a climate science center portfolio. The funding instrument is a grant, meaning the selected institution would receive financial assistance to carry out the evaluation work under the terms and conditions set by USGS.

The opportunity lists an award ceiling of $99,859, indicating the maximum amount that would be provided under this announcement. While the number of expected awards is not specified in the provided data, the relatively modest ceiling often aligns with a single evaluation project or a limited-scope assessment, potentially involving activities such as document and portfolio review, interviews or surveys with researchers and stakeholders, case studies of research-to-application pathways, and development of lessons learned to improve future funding strategies and research design.

Key dates show the opportunity was created on July 14, 2017, with an original closing date of July 28, 2017. That short window is consistent with certain federal notices that are either narrowly targeted, time-sensitive, or intended for a specific subset of potential applicants that are already engaged in relevant work. Overall, the intent is to invest in an evidence-based evaluation of SW CSC-funded research to strengthen learning and innovation and to improve the production of actionable climate adaptation science that can be applied by resource managers, communities, and other decision-makers across the Southwest region.

• The Geological Survey in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Notice of Intent" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.820.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-07-14.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-07-28. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $99,859.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.

Apply for USGS 17 FA 0100

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