Projects on surface waters, ground waters, and estuarine waters are encouraged in the following areas:

USGS Critical Water Science Goals (Special Focus Areas)

The special focus for FY14 WRRI grants will be research that aligns with USGS critical water science goals. Priority actions focus on the following:

• Improve integrated science planning for water;
• Expand and enhance water-resource monitoring networks;
• Characterize the water cycle through development of state-of-the-art 3-D/4-D hydrogeologic framework models at multiple scales;
• Clarify the linkage between human water use (engineered hydrology) and the water cycle (natural hydrology);
• Advance ecological flow science;
• Provide flood-inundation science and information;
• Develop rapid deployment teams for water-related emergencies;
• Conduct integrated watershed assessment, research, and modeling; and
• Deliver water data and analyses to the Nation (from Circular 1383-G).

Extra consideration in the review process will be given to those proposals that demonstrate a strong link with these goals. Pre-proposals must explicitly contain a statement about addressing these special topics and also show relevance for consideration. Please contact John Peckenham with your question on this topic.

New researchers and faculty at primarily undergraduate institutions are invited to submit proposals. Additional consideration in the review process will be given to proposals in this category.

All of the core themes for the Maine WRRI program (listed below) also apply to the special theme.

Non-point source pollution and watershed management
Research in this category includes the role of non-point source contributions to environmental degradation and the evaluation of effective, economic technologies for their control. Example topics include:

1. sources/magnitudes of pollution to surface and ground waters from agriculture, silviculture, urban-suburban runoff, and atmospheric deposition;
2. forestry and water quality;
3. the evaluation/demonstration of low-cost/low-maintenance better management practices (BMPs);
4. pollution prevention methods or enhanced environmental monitoring techniques,
5. improved understanding or mitigation of lake eutrophication,
6. water quality and land use development patterns, especially as they pertain to the Maine stormwater control law;
7. non-point source runoff to estuaries;
8. drinking water source protection;
9. TMDL research or development;
10. ecological flow requirements (minimum flows, flow variation, effects of flow management including withdrawal);
11. water issues related to Atlantic salmon.

Contaminant transport, fate, history, effect, and remediation

1. the fate and transport of toxic inorganic or organic chemicals,
2. the monitored history, inferred history, or inventories of contamination, and the demonstrated effects; or
3. the development of cost effective remedial measures or analytical techniques for these contaminants.

Research expanding the foci of the DEP Surface Water Ambient Toxics program (SWAT) could include concentrations, fate, transport, persistence, or innovative analytical techniques for mercury, dioxin, PCBs, trace metals, or pesticides in aquatic environments.

 Information transfer or environmental education (IT/EE)
Competitive projects in IT/EE will be those which enhance communication or use of existing data, bring together partners and collaborators to develop innovative mechanisms for IT or EE, or serve a facilitating role for research and monitoring in Maine. Leveraging and partnerships are important for maximum impact for the funding.

Back to Request for Proposals 104(b)