Chesapeake Center for Collaborative Computing

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 3, through its Chesapeake Bay Program Office (CBPO), is announcing funding opportunity EPA-R3-CBP-25-01 to support the Chesapeake Center for Collaborative Computing (C4). This initiative falls under the broader Chesapeake Bay Program, a long-standing regional partnership that aims to restore and protect the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. The C4 provides cloud-based infrastructure critical for data collection, storage, analysis, and dissemination that supports scientific and technical efforts under the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement. The successful applicant will operate and maintain this infrastructure while enhancing capabilities and exploring innovations to meet evolving needs. This cooperative agreement will fund up to $7,750,000 over a six-year project period, contingent on annual appropriations and satisfactory performance. The recipient will be responsible for administering, operating, and maintaining the current hybrid cloud/on-site infrastructure, which includes Amazon Web Services (AWS) resources and a physical data center. Specific AWS services currently deployed include EC2, ECS, RDS, Lambda, S3, and Elastic Beanstalk. On-site hardware includes networking components and high-capacity servers. Additional required platforms span Office 365, collaboration tools, and both administrative and scientific software. Applicants must provide a minimum 5% non-federal cost share. Eligible applicants include federally recognized Indian tribes, state and local governments, nonprofit organizations, and institutions of higher education. Applications are limited to those proposing activities that directly benefit the Chesapeake Bay watershed, which spans parts of Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia. All applicants must address three core activities: 1) administration and maintenance of the C4 infrastructure, 2) development of a long-term data storage architecture, and 3) evaluation of emerging technologies for potential implementation. Applications must be submitted via Grants.gov by 11:59 PM ET on September 10, 2025. There is no pre-application deadline or letter of intent requirement. All applications must include a completed SF-424, SF-424A, EPA Form 4700-4, EPA Key Contacts Form 5700-54, and both a Project Narrative and Budget Narrative Attachment. Optional materials include letters of support and indirect cost agreements. The EPA will conduct a threshold eligibility review and then evaluate applications based on technical criteria such as project scope, innovation, cybersecurity, transition planning, outcomes, and budget. The EPA anticipates notifying selected applicants by October 2025, with final award notifications expected by December 2025. The cooperative agreement will include substantial federal involvement, including regular performance reviews, budget oversight, and joint planning with CBP Management Board teams. Selected applicants will also need to submit Quality Assurance Project Plans within 90 to 120 days of the award if the project involves environmental data. Additionally, administrative costs charged solely for grant administration may not exceed 10% of the annual budget. For further information, applicants can contact the EPA's technical lead for this grant, Holly Waldman, at R3_CBPO_Grants@epa.gov or 410-295-1329.

Ensure cybersecurity, AWS cost optimization, and collaboration plans are clear.