WRRI 104b Request for Proposals FY26

Maine Water Resources Research Grants (USGS 104b)

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Critical Dates:

  • Tuesday, February 24, 2026 — RFP announcement
  • Tuesday, March 3 at 12PM — Information session via Zoom or 105 Norman Smith Hall. RSVP by March 2 to carol.hamel@maine.edu       
  • Tuesday, March 10, 2026 — Letters of Intent due (required)
  • Friday, April 3, 2026 — Full proposals due. UMaine PIs must also meet ORA deadline
    requirements
  • Friday, April 24, 2026 — Award notification
  • Project Period (anticipated)* — Start date: 9/1/2026. End date: 8/31/2027

*Confirmation from the U.S. Geological Survey regarding project start dates for FY26 WRRI 104b funding has not been received at this time.

An information and discussion session for this RFP will be held on Tuesday, March 3 from noon to 1PM. Potential applicants who are unfamiliar with the Mitchell Center and the WRRI 104b grant program should plan to participate in this meeting. Please let Carol Hamel know who will attend from your team and to receive Zoom connection information.

General Information:

With funding from the U.S. Geological Survey’s 104b program, the Maine Water Resources Research Institute (WRRI), a program of the Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions, supports research and outreach to enhance the capacity for the sustainable management of water resources across the state. We request proposals for solutions-driven projects in which interdisciplinary research teams collaborate closely with stakeholders and provide support for student training.

This request for proposals from the Maine-USGS WRRI constitutes the FY26 Maine grants program as authorized by the federal Water Resources Research Act of 1984 as amended.

Grant Period:

The award period for projects is anticipated to begin September 1, 2026 with all project components to be completed by August 31, 2027. Confirmation from the U.S. Geological Survey regarding project start dates for FY26 WRRI 104b funding has not been received at this time.

Grant Categories:

Three categories of projects may be funded under this program:

  1. Research grants are funded for up to $60,000, not including required match provided by the PI. There is no minimum award limit.
  2. Information transfer or environmental education grants are funded in the range of $10,000 to $25,000, not including PI match.
  3. Seed grants are funded for no more than $10,000, not including PI match. These grants are intended to be pilot projects or incubators for future research ideas or funding.

WRRI 104b Program Objectives:

The objectives of this federally sponsored program place special emphasis on the importance of research and education aimed at improving the nation’s water supply. This focus is concordant with the Water Science Vision and Mission of the U.S. Geological Survey:

“The USGS will provide unbiased knowledge of the Nation’s water resources to support human well-being, healthy ecosystems, economic prosperity, and anticipate and help resolve impending water-resource conflicts and emergencies… The USGS Water Mission Area… will serve society through water-resource monitoring, assessment, modeling, and research to provide tools that managers and policymakers can use… Improvements are needed in the char­acterization and understanding of water quantity and water quality if we are to maintain our society and quality of life.” USGS Circular 1383-G

Section 104b of the Water Resources Research Act of 1984 requires Institutes to:

  1. Plan, conduct, or otherwise arrange for competent applied and peer reviewed research that fosters:
    • improvements in water supply reliability
    • the exploration of new ideas that —
      • address water problems; or
      • expand understanding of water and water-related phenomena;
    • the entry of new research scientists, engineers, and technicians into water resources fields; and
    • the dissemination of research results to water managers and the public.
  2. Cooperate closely with other colleges and universities in the State that have demonstrated capabilities for research, information dissemination, and graduate training in order to develop a statewide program designed to resolve State and regional water and related land problems.

The 104b program objectives also align with the mission and vision of the Mitchell Center (Addendum 4). The Mitchell Center’s intent is to foster innovative work to address intersections among the environmental, social, and economic dimensions of sustainability challenges through stakeholder-engaged, solutions-driven, interdisciplinary research.

RFP Objectives and Deliverables:  

Proposals must be related to freshwater resources, and focus on developing strong stakeholder partnerships and interdisciplinary collaboration that accelerate progress in understanding and solving sustainability problems via one or more of the following strategies: 

  • Identifying and overcoming key barriers in connecting scientific knowledge with societal actions to promote effective water resource management
  • Building upon past research to increase the delivery of decision-support systems and other tools that facilitate real-world problem-solving
  • Tackling sustainability problems that are highly relevant to place-based problems in Maine
  • Pursuing other research strategies to understand and solve sustainability problems in water resources.

All proposals must align with the WRRI’s program objectives and the Mitchell Center’s mission, vision, and approach (Addendum 4), and demonstrate significant promise for securing external funding. 

Eligibility:

  1. Team composition: Federal guidelines for this USGS program require that principal investigators (PI) be faculty or regular staff of a four-year institution of higher education in Maine. Co-investigators are not required to meet this criterion. Additional credit will be given to proposals led by early career researchers (see evaluation criteria).
  2. Interdisciplinarity: Teams must include sufficiently diverse research expertise to match the multi-faceted nature of the proposed sustainability challenge.
  3. Stakeholder engagement: Proposals will only be accepted for projects that include strong stakeholder participation to maximize the relevance and usability (sensu Clark et al. 2016) of research or information transfer products. The concepts of salience and legitimacy discussed in Cash et al. are particularly important determinants of success in efforts to link knowledge with action. Efforts to achieve legitimacy require a commitment to justice, fairness and impartiality, which in turn are essential for enhancing equity, diversity and inclusion (Clark and Harley 2020). Examples of active stakeholder participation include identification of research needs, development of research goals, interpretation and use of research results. Full proposals must describe the plans for stakeholder participation at each stage of the project and include letters from stakeholders describing their commitment to participate.
  4. Student training: A central goal of this program is to help train the next generation of researchers and leaders. Accordingly, teams should create opportunities for research by undergraduate and/or graduate students, and to explain how students will be mentored.
  5. Project Scope: Single investigator proposals will not be accepted – only team-based, interdisciplinary projects are eligible.
  6. All PIs and co-PIs must be current on deliverables from any prior USGS Institute grants.
  7. Federal employees cannot be PIs but can be included as co-investigators. Federal employees may not be supported by funds from these grants but are encouraged to provide fiscal support for the project. Federal support cannot be counted as match.
  8. This program supports water resources-related research. The following are not eligible for funding:
    • Research on health effects involving human subjects.
    • Research involving oceanography (estuarine research applications are acceptable).
    • Applications for research that do not meet WRRI 104b Program Objectives.

Proposal & Review Process:

  1. Letter of Intent (required): All interested applicants must submit a one-page Letter of Intent (LOI) explaining how their project idea is aligned with the program’s mission, vision and objectives by Tuesday, March 9, 2026. Please utilize the format below and email to umgmc@maine.edu.
  2. Full Proposals: Full proposals are due by 5pm on Friday, April 3, 2026. Full proposal format requirements are included below.
  3. Evaluation/Selection: A review committee will evaluate the submitted full proposals for relevance to the program’s mission, vision and objectives. If necessary, the WRRI Director will have additional consultations with members of the review committee to make final award selections. Notification will be made no later than Friday, April 24, 2026.
  4. Award Period: The award period for these projects is anticipated to begin September 1, 2026 with all project components to be completed by August 31, 2027. Confirmation from the U.S. Geological Survey regarding project start dates for FY26 WRRI 104b funding has not been received at this time.
  5. Support Level: It is anticipated that in FY26 $120,000 will be available for research and information transfer projects. Applicants are encouraged to leverage matching sources of funding whenever possible. Final project reports will be due on or about October 15, 2027.

Questions regarding this RFP should be directed to WRRI Director David Hart or Mitchell Center Strategic Program Manager Ruth Hallsworth.

Fiscal Guidelines:

Proposal budgets must reflect a $1 non-federal match for each federal dollar requested. This means that a federal request of $20,000 will result in a research project with at least a $40,000 total project cost. The match may include fringe benefits and indirect costs, as well as direct costs. Contact Ruth Hallsworth for specific guidance on match. Overhead (indirect) costs are not permitted to be charged on the federal funding request in this program, although the match may include those indirect costs that are not charged on federal dollars. Please contact Ruth Hallsworth for budget and budget justification templates. UMaine PIs should use ORA’s budget spreadsheet.

The congressional authorizing language in the Water Resources Research Act specifically refers to the “training of future water resource professionals.” Therefore, preference is given to projects for which student participation and training is a substantial part of the effort. All projects must include a training component for students and typically will fund a graduate assistantship or undergraduate stipend. The minimum monthly graduate stipend rate for a UMaine master’s student is $2,333 ($28,000/12 months). PIs are urged to provide tuition support unless another source of tuition funding is available. Tuition does not generate IDC match. Partial payment of health insurance premiums is required for UMaine graduate students.

Base-funded faculty PIs should prioritize student support, not their own salary. Rarely are projects funded that request more than one week per year in faculty summer salary.

Letter of Intent

All interested applicants must submit a one-page Letter of Intent (LOI) explaining how their project idea is aligned with the WRRI’s program objectives and the Mitchell Center’s mission, vision, and approach (Addendum 4) by Tuesday, March 9, 2026. Please utilize the format below and email to umgmc@maine.edu. The questions asked under Full Proposal Format and Scoring may be helpful to teams as they prepare their LOI.

Letter of Intent Format

In one page or less (minimum of 12pt type with 1″ margins), please provide a brief explanation of the following for your proposed research: 

  • Proposed Focus: (Research, Information Transfer/Environmental Education, Seed)
  • Primary Contact Person (name, title, dept., email, phone)
  • Problem Definition: What key challenge for the sustainable management of Maine water resources does your research/program seek to solve?
  • Partners and Partnerships:
    • Provide a list of participating partners and their roles, or
    • Provide a list of potential partners and your plans for getting them involved in this project
  • Team Members:
    • Provide a list of participating team members and their affiliations/areas of expertise, or
    • Provide a list of potential team members and your plans for getting them involved in this project
  • Solutions Strategy: How do you plan to identify, help implement and evaluate potential solutions that benefit community partners and other stakeholders?
  • What cost share (required) and matching funds (if any) do you have to support this research?  
  • Strategy for on-going support
    • Do you intend to continue this project beyond the duration of this grant? If so, what is your strategy for continued support? 

Full Proposal

Full Proposal Evaluation Criteria, Review, and Format

Prior to submission to the Mitchell Center, full proposals must be processed through your institution’s standard procedure for proposals to be submitted to federal agencies.

UMaine Researchers:

  • PIs must follow the Office of Research Administration’s Proposal Submission Policy and Timeline. Proposals must be fully approved by ORA and have completed routing through PARS before submission.
    • Mitchell Center Administration: PIs should select the Mitchell Center as the administrative unit (GAU) for all WRRI projects. This ensures the Mitchell Center has oversight and control over budget spending and project administration.
    • Closing Administrator: The closing administrator for all WRRI proposals should be Ruth Hallsworth. This will allow for proper tracking and management of the projects as they are processed through the system.
    • Department Approvals: While the Mitchell Center will handle the overall administration, PIs will still need to select their departmental approvers as they would for any other proposal. This ensures that the departmental level of approval is retained.
    • Mitchell Center Approvals: In addition to departmental approvals, PIs will also need to select Mitchell Center Director David Hart as an approver for their proposals. 
  • The complete electronic copy of the proposal must be submitted by the PI to the Mitchell Center (umgmc@maine.edu) by April 3, 2026 using the format below.

Non-UMaine Researchers:

PIs must email the following documents to umgmc@maine.edu by April 3, 2026:

  • Copy of the signature paperwork that follows your institution’s standard procedure for proposals submitted to Federal agencies.
  • Copy of the completed UMaine sub-recipient commitment form (available from https://umaine.edu/ora/).
  • A complete electronic copy of the proposal using the format outlined below.

Evaluation Criteria

Project selection will be based on scoring of proposals by the review committee using the following evaluation criteria. If necessary, the WRRI Director will have additional consultations with members of the committee to make final award selections.

  • Degree to which the proposed research/program addresses a key challenge for the sustainable management of water resources in Maine (15%)
  • Scientific and technical merit as judged by peer reviews (20%)
  • Impact – the potential of the project to deliver progress towards solutions and benefit community partners and other stakeholders (25%)
  • Stakeholder involvement (required) (15%)
  • Student involvement (required) (10%)
  • Interdisciplinary team (5%)
  • Total budget request and cost-effectiveness, including leveraging of external dollars (5%)
  • Likelihood of obtaining continued support for the project (5%)
  • Proposals led by early career researchers will receive additional points equivalent to 5% of the overall score for each of the two criteria. We define early career researchers as investigators with tenure-track or tenure-track-equivalent appointments who have held their graduate degrees (Ph.D. or equivalent) for fewer than five years.

Please refer to the fiscal guidelines for information on prioritizing student support.

Proposal Review

Full proposals will be reviewed by a peer review committee. Reviewers will be selected by the Director of the Maine WRRI.

Research Proposal Format

The following information should be sent as a single Word document to umgmc@maine.edu. Text should be formatted in 12-point type with one-inch margins on all sides.

Required Sections:

Sections 1 through 19 must fit on 9 pages.

  1. Title. Concise but descriptive.
  2. Principal Investigator. Provide name, academic rank, university, and full contact information.
  3. Project Title. Same as 1. above.
  4. Project Type. Choose from the following: Research, Information Transfer, Education, or Other (please specify).
  5. Congressional district. First or second Maine
  6. WRRI Science Priorities. Choose from the following the one category that most closely applies: Water Policy, Planning, and Socioeconomics; Water Quality; Water Scarcity and Availability; Water Technology and Innovation; Water-Related Hazards; Watershed Function; Workforce Development and Water Literacy
  7. USGS Cross-Discipline Landscapes and USGS Cross-Discipline Science Topics. Two selections. Choose from the lists in Addendum 1.
  8. Keywords. Choose a maximum of three keywords from the provided list (Addendum 2), with the most preferred keyword first.
  9. Training potential. Estimate the number of graduate and undergraduate students, by degree level, who are expected to receive training in the project.
  10. Principal Investigators. Provide name, academic rank, university, and email addresses for all investigators
  11. Start Date. September 1, 2026
  12. End Date. August 31, 2027
  13. Abstract. Provide a brief (300 word) description of the problem, methods, and objectives
  14. Plain-language summary. Provide a brief (150 word) description of the study that could be understandable by the public.
  15. Statement of regional or State water problem. Include an explanation of the need for the project, who wants it, and why. The following questions should also be addressed: a) What real-world problem does the proposed research/program address? b) Who are the relevant project stakeholders, what kind of stakeholder engagement has already occurred, and how do you plan to strengthen their participation?
  16. Statement of results and benefits. Specify the type of information that is to be gained and how it will be used. The following question should also be addressed: What is your strategy for identifying and implementing a solution (or solutions) to this problem?
  17. Nature, scope and objectives of the project, including a timeline of activities.
  18. Methods, procedures and facilities. Provide enough information to permit evaluation of the technical adequacy of the approach to satisfy the objectives. The following question should also be addressed: What is your plan for creating a research/program team with sufficient interdisciplinary breadth to address the problem?
  19. Related research (Research projects only). Provide context for the proposed work in terms of previous and ongoing research, including citations.
  20. Investigator qualifications. Include short (no more than two pages) biographical sketches of the principal investigators.
  21. Budget table and budget justification. Please contact Ruth for budget and budget justification templates. UMaine PIs should use the ORA budget template.
  22. References
  23. Letters of participation from stakeholders (not just letters of support). Letters must include a commitment by the stakeholder to participate actively in the project. Examples of participation include identification of research needs, development of research goals, interpretation and use of research results.

We strongly recommend that PIs read the fiscal guidelines before preparing proposal budgets.

Notification and Award Period

Proposed projects may be up to 12 months in duration and are anticipated to begin as early as September 1, 2026. Projects must be completed by August 31, 2027. Final funding decisions will be announced by Friday, April 24, 2026.

No-cost Extensions

USGS has strict limits on no-cost extensions for WRRI projects. PIs should plan to complete projects by the August 31, 2027 project end date.

Award Requirements

Projects receiving WRRI funding are required to provide the following items:

  1. Final report (due October 15, 2027).
  2. Oral or poster presentation at the Maine Sustainability & Water Conference.
  3. One-page summary of proposed project for lay audience (due October 1, 2026).

Addendum 1

USGS Cross-Discipline Landscapes

Choose from the following list:

  • Arctic
  • California Bay – Delta
  • Chesapeake Bay
  • Columbia River
  • Everglades
  • Great Lakes
  • Gulf Coast
  • Klamath
  • Puget Sound
  • Salton Sea
  • Upper Mississippi River
  • None of the Above

USGS Cross-Discipline Science Topics

Choose primary and secondary (if applicable) from the following list:

  • Energy
  • HABs
  • Indian Water Rights
  • Natural Hazards
  • Oceans/Coastal/Great Lakes
  • STEM
  • Water Challenges
  • Other

Addendum 2

Keywords

Choose primary, secondary, and tertiary (if applicable) from the following list.

  • AGRICULTURE
  • AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES
  • ATMOSPHERIC DEPOSITION
  • CLIMATOLOGICAL PROCESSES
  • CONSERVATION
  • DROUGHT                                                                                                        
  • ECOLOGY
  • ECONOMICS
  • EDUCATION
  • FLOODS
  • GEOMORPOLOGICAL PROCESSES
  • GEOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
  • GROUNDWATER
  • HYDROGEOCHEMISTRY
  • HYDROLOGY
  • IRRIGATION
  • LAW, INSTITUTIONS, AND POLICY
  • MANAGEMENT AND PLANNING
  • METHODS
  • MICROPLASTICS
  • MODELS
  • NITROGEN
  • NON POINT POLLUTION
  • PFAS
  • PHOSPHORUS
  • RADIOACTIVE SUBSTANCES
  • RECREATION
  • SEDIMENTS
  • SOLUTE TRANSPORT
  • SURFACE WATER
  • TOXIC SUBSTANCES
  • TREATMENT
  • WASTEWATER
  • WATER BUDGET
  • WATER SUPPLY
  • WETLANDS

Addendum 3

Federal Authorization Requirements

The Water Resources Research Act Amendments of 2006 (42 USC §§10301-10309) reauthorized the Water Resources Research Institutes’ program through 2011. Special emphasis was placed on the importance of research and education aimed at improving the nation’s water supply. This new focus suggests that the Water Research Institutes should ensure that their assessments of performance provide evidence that the Institutes are accomplishing statutory purposes.

Under this reauthorization each institute shall-

(1) plan, conduct, or otherwise arrange for competent applied and peer-reviewed research that fosters

(A) improvements in water supply reliability;

(B) the exploration of new ideas that

(i) address water problems or

(ii) expand understanding of water and water-related phenomena;

(C) the entry of new research scientists, engineers, and technicians into water resources fields; and

(D) the dissemination of research results to water managers and the public.

(2) Reports

The Secretary shall report to Congress annually on coordination efforts with other Federal departments, agencies, and instrumentalities under paragraph (1). As part of the annual budget submission to Congress, the Secretary shall also provide a crosscut budget detailing the expenditures on activities listed under subsection (a)(1) and a report which details the level of applied research and the results of the activities authorized by this Act, including potential and actual –

(A) increases in annual water supplies;

(B) increases in annual water yields;

(C) advances in water infrastructure and water quality improvements; and

(D) methods for identifying, and determining the effectiveness of, treatment technologies and efficiencies.

Projects funded by the Maine Water Resources Research Institute must produce results that coincide with one or more of these performance metrics:

Applied and Practical Research

  • “applied water supply research”
  • “applied and peer-reviewed research”
  • “quality and relevance of its water research”
  • “address water problems”
  • “effectiveness at producing measured results”

Education

  • “entry of new research scientists, engineers, and technicians into water resources fields”

Outreach

  1. “dissemination of research results to water managers and the public”
  2. “potential and actual increases in annual water supplies”

Water Supply (Quantity)

  1. “applied water supply research”
  2. “potential and actual increases in annual water yields”
  3. “expand understanding of water and water related phenomena”

Water Quality

  1. “potential and actual advances in water quality improvements”

Water Supply Reliability

  1. “improvements in water supply reliability”

Water Infrastructure and Technology

  • “methods for identifying and determining the effectiveness of treatment technologies and efficiencies”
  • “potential and actual advances in water infrastructure improvements”

Addendum 4

Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions and Maine Water Resources Research Institute

Mission, Vision, and Approach

Mission: The mission of the Mitchell Center is to be a leader and valued partner in understanding and solving societal problems related to the growing challenge of sustainable development (i.e. improving human well-being while protecting the environment).

Vision: The vision of the Mitchell Center is to connect knowledge with action to create a brighter economic, environmental, social, and environmental economic future in and beyond Maine.

Approach: The Mitchell Center’s general approach to sustainability science: (i) is problem-driven and focused on deriving and testing solutions based on scientific knowledge; (ii) uses interdisciplinary research teams to analyze the dynamic, coupled interactions between natural and human systems; and (iii) stresses early, active and ongoing engagement with diverse stakeholders.

Key Publications and Other Resources for Preparing Effective Research Proposals

General Sustainability Science Resources

Clark, W. C., & Harley, A. G. (2020). Sustainability Science: Toward a Synthesis. Annual Review of Environment and Resources, 45, 331-386. https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/pdf/10.1146/annurev-environ-012420-043621

Clark, W. C., van Kerkhoff, L., Lebel, L., & Gallopin, G. C. (2016). Crafting usable knowledge for sustainable development. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 113(17), 4570-4578.
https://www.pnas.org/content/113/17/4570

Hart, D. D., & Silka, L. (2020). Rebuilding the ivory tower: A bottom-up experiment in aligning research with societal needs. Issues in Science and Technology, 36(3), 64-70.
https://issues.org/aligning-research-with-societal-needs/

Matson, P., Clark, W. C., & Andersson, K. (2016). Pursuing sustainability: a guide to the science and practice. Princeton University Press.

Miller TR. 2015. Reconstructing sustainability science: Knowledge and action for a sustainable future. New York: Routledge.

PNAS Sustainability Science Web Page: Access to PNAS publications and links to other relevant websites – http://sustainability.pnas.org/

Understanding and strengthening connections between knowledge and action

Clark, W. C., Tomich, T. P., Van Noordwijk, M., Guston, D., Catacutan, D., Dickson, N. M., & McNie, E. (2016). Boundary work for sustainable development: Natural resource management at the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 113(17), 4615-4622.
https://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/early/2011/08/11/0900231108.full.pdf

Jacobs, K. et al.  2002. Connecting Science, Policy, and Decision-making: Agencies. NOAA Climate Program Office. http://leopoldleadership.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/Jacobs_2001-02_Connecting.Science.Decisionmaking.pdf

Pielke Jr, R. A. (2007). The honest broker: making sense of science in policy and politics. Cambridge University Press. (for a brief overview, see: http://rogerpielkejr.blogspot.com/2015/01/five-modes-of-science-engagement.html

Pielke, R. et al. 2010.  Usable Science: A Handbook for Science Policy Decision Makers. Science Policy Assessment and Research on Climate. http://cstpr.colorado.edu/sparc/outreach/sparc_handbook/brochure.pdf

Rowe, A. and K. Lee. 2012. Linking knowledge with action. A report to the Packard Foundation. http://www.packard.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/LinkingKnowledgewithAction_ScienceCS2013.pdf