Grants for Exclusive - see details - Science and Technology

The Mayor’s Matching Grant program, funded by the City of Orlando, offers $500 to $5,000 in matched funding to neighborhood organizations for projects that enhance the neighborhood, such as beautification, crime prevention, and sustainability, with the aim to address community needs and improve quality of life.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Mississippi Valley Memphis District (USACE-MVM) environmental program, part of the Regional Planning and Environment Division, South (RPEDS), ensures U.S. Army civil works activities are conducted in compliance with all applicable environmental laws, regulations, and policies. 1.2 The purpose of this project is to determine the presence or likely absence of the tricolored bat (Perimyotis subflavus), proposed endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, at the two project areas. If other threatened or endangered (TE) bat species (i.e., Indiana Bat [Myotis sodalis] and northern long-eared bat [Myotis septentrionalis]) are detected during capture efforts, however, they will be subject to the appropriate similar guidance and deliverables as is outlined in in Sections 3.3 and 9.3 of this Statement of Objectives (SOO). 1.3 This work requires an onsite support person located at USACE-MVM. The work at the project areas shall be conducted by a Cooperator and will involve strategies to determine if tricolored bats (TCB) are present or likely absent, and whether roost trees are likely to be impacted due to planned tree clearing activities. This work includes mist net surveys, and if TCB or other TE bats are captured, the Cooperator will affix a radio transmitter on up to 3 of each species per survey site. The Cooperator will then conduct the radio-tracking surveys to locate likely roost trees within the project areas. Sampling methodologies will be in accordance with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Range-wide Indiana Bat & Northern LongEared Bat Survey Guidelines (2023), using northern long-eared bat level of effort, and the requirements set forth in the Description of Objectives. The Cooperator shall begin the survey on or as soon as possible after May 15, 2024, and end no later than August 15, 2024 (weather delays may require a modification of this timeframe). Cooperators will reside at lodging located near to the project areas and commute daily to the survey sites. 2 2.0 AUTHORITY This study is being conducted to fulfill regulatory requirements stipulated under the provisions of the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973 and associated regulations. Sections 7(a)(1) and 7(a)(2) of the ESA requires Federal agencies to ensure that actions authorized, funded, or carried out by them are not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of endangered or threatened species. In addition, the ESA of 1973 establishes as Federal policy that “all Federal departments and agencies shall seek to conserve endangered species and threatened species.” 2.1 This cooperative agreement will be awarded using the following authority: • 33 USC § 2339(a) Conservation and recreation management. Delegation of Authority under Section 213a of the Water Resources Development Act of 2000, dated 10 March 2015. In agreement with the above stated goals, the recipient agrees to provide the necessary personnel, equipment, and materials required to implement activities to support the USACE’s commitment toward environmental stewardship to manage natural and cultural resources in a responsible way that has the least impact on civil works and is beneficial to the region. In addition, the activities performed by the recipient must be completed in a manner conducive to guidelines outlined in the ESA (16 USC 1531 et seq.). USACE-MVM agrees to provide substantial involvement to include, but not limited to, the following: • USACE-MVM is involved in development of the Performance Work Statement/Scope of Work, and/or reviewing products provided by the Cooperator. • USACE-MVM actively participates and collaborates in carrying out the project plan of work, reviews and approves activities, and coordinates accordingly with the appropriate U.S. Fish and Wildlife (USFWS) office. • USACE-MVM incurs in-kind or direct expenditures in carrying out the activities specified in the project agreement. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:  Providing per diem for Cooperators  Providing staff time to work on the project. 3.0 DESCRIPTION OF OBJECTIVES 3.1 Task 1: Field Work Coordination The Cooperator will contact USACE MVM point of contact, Jennifer Hiltonsmith (901-579-7473) as soon as the Cooperator has selected the sampling days but no later than 2 weeks prior to any field work. This coordination will help in assessing field conditions, water levels, and site access. 3.1.1 Additional Personnel The Cooperator should anticipate 1-2 USFWS and/or USACE-MVM employees 3 to participate in the field work as observers. The Cooperator should not expect the observers to handle any live bats or be asked to carry out any duties outlined in this Statement of Objectives. Observers may place acoustic equipment to assist in building data sets. The Cooperator will not be responsible for set up or retrieval of Government equipment at any time. 3.2 Task 2: Habitat Assessment (Day 1) Suitable summer bat habitat has been determined to be present at several sites within each proposed project area. Survey sites have been designated by USACEMVM biologists based on habitat, accessibility, and USFWS survey guidelines (Exhibits 1 & 2). The Cooperator shall visually survey the preselected survey sites to confirm they are appropriate for mist netting. The Belle Fountain area project totals approximately 9 linear kilometers of potential habitat. The 15-Mile Bayou project totals approximately 6.3 linear kilometers of potential habitat. Suitable TCB summer habitat consists of a wide variety of forested/wooded areas where they roost, forage, and travel and may include some adjacent and interspersed non-forested areas such as emergent wetlands and adjacent edges of agricultural fields, old fields, and pastures. This includes forests and woodlots containing trees with potential roost substrate (i.e., live, and dead leaf clusters of live and recently dead deciduous trees, Spanish moss [Tillandsia usneoides], and beard lichen [Usnea trichodea]), as well as linear features such as fencerows, riparian forests, and other wooded corridors. TCB will roost in a variety of tree species, especially oaks (Quercus spp.), and often select roosts in tall, large diameter trees, but will roost in smaller diameter trees (e.g., 4-inch [10- centimeter] diameter at breast height [DBH]) when potential roost substrate is present. TCB commonly roost in the mid- to upper canopy of trees although males will occasionally roost in dead leaves at lower heights (e.g., <16 feet [5 meters] from the ground) and females will occasionally roost in Spanish moss of understory trees. TCB seem to prefer foraging along forested edges of larger forest openings, along edges of riparian areas, and over water and avoid foraging in dense, unbroken forests, and narrow road cuts through forests. TCB may roost and forage in forested areas near anthropogenic structures and buildings (e.g., suburban neighborhoods, parks, etc.) (USFWS 2023). Information gained in the habitat assessments shall assist the Cooperator to determine sites for mist netting surveys (Section 3.3). The Cooperator shall include a description of the areas and their potential TCB habitat in the final reports. The Cooperator shall use professional judgment to determine if an area has suitable habitat for mist netting sites. 3.3 Task 3: Mist netting for presence/absence determination Immediately following each habitat assessment, the Cooperator shall confirm survey sites for netting locations or contact the Technical Manager (Jennifer Hiltonsmith) to discuss altering net placement. The Cooperator will follow the northern long-eared bat recovery unit-based protocols for the amount of time (i.e., 4 netting nights) deemed appropriate from habitat surveys for TCB. Mist net surveys should be conducted in the best suitable habitat possible in each kilometer. 3.3.1 Equipment - Mist nets to be used for TCB surveys should be the finest, lowest visibility mesh commercially available. Currently, the finest net on the market is 75 denier, 2 ply, denoted 75/2 (Arndt and Schaetz 2009); however, the 50 denier nets are still acceptable for use. The finest mesh size available is approximately 38 millimeter (~1 1/2 inch). Nets should be cleaned and disinfected following approved protocols (http://www.whitenosesyndrome.org/) and any additional federal or state requirements to minimize disease transmission (USFWS 2023). 3.3.2 Minimum Effort – An effective mist-netting effort should be used at locations best suited for capturing TCB. A minimum of 4 net nights per kilometer of suitable habitat is required by USFWS. Therefore, it is recommended that sites are placed approximately 1 kilometer apart, but selection of the best mist-net habitat is the priority. Once the Cooperator determines the appropriate sample site locations, each sample site shall be photographed (during daylight hours) and recorded using a global positioning system (GPS) unit. The Cooperator shall record all GPS data in Universal Transverse Mercator, North American Datum - 1983, Zone 16N. Recorded GPS and color photographs shall be included in the report. 3.3.3 Net Placement – Potential travel corridors (e.g., streams) typically are the most effective places to net (although other sites may also be productive; see Carroll et al. 2002). Place nets approximately perpendicular across the corridor. Nets should fill the corridor from side to side and from stream (or ground) level up to the overhanging canopy. Nets of varying widths and heights may be used as the situation dictates. If netting over water, ensure there is enough space between the net and the water so that the bat will not get wet upon capture. Mist netting shall begin at sunset and end 6 hours after the nets are in place. See Kunz and Kurta (1988) for additional discussion of net placement. 3.3.4 Checking Nets – Each net should be checked approximately every 10 minutes, never exceeding 15 minutes between checks. Capture and handling are stressful for bats. Emphasis should be on minimizing handling and holding bats for as short a time as possible to achieve research objectives. TCB, or any other TE bat should be they captured, should not be held for more than 30 minutes after capture. Federal and state permits usually specify maximum holding times (e.g., Recovery Permits issued by Regions 3 and 4 of the USFWS specify a maximum holding time of 30 minutes for most projects). 5 3.3.5 Weather and Light Conditions - Severe weather adversely affects capture of bats. Negative results combined with any of the following weather conditions throughout all or most of a sampling period is likely to need additional netting effort: (a) temperatures that fall below 10°C (50°F); (b) precipitation, including rain and/or fog, that exceeds 30 minutes or continues intermittently during the survey period; and (c) sustained wind speeds greater than 4 meters/second (9 miles/hour). It is typically best to set nets under the canopy where they are out of moonlight, particularly when the moon is ½-full or greater. 3.3.6 If, at the conclusion of each mist netting, no TCB or any other TE bats, have been captured, fieldwork is complete and that particular survey is finished. At each project area (Belle Fountain and 15 Mile Bayou), if one or more TCB or other TE bats are captured (up to 3 TCB, northern long-eared bat, or Indiana bat per site), Phase II radio-tracking surveys will be conducted by the Cooperator. The emergence survey protocol should not be used for radio-tracked TCB given the variability in roosting locations typically used by the species (e.g., roosting in dead leaf clusters in the canopy of live trees) and difficulty observing bats emerging. An emergence count may be attempted on the rare occasion that the surveyor is able to discover the exact roosting location of a transmitted TCB and believes he/she can observe the bat(s) emerging. Transmitter Attachment - A qualified and permitted biologist who is experienced in handling TCB and other TE bats and attaching radio transmitters must perform transmitter attachments. Attachment guidelines and protocols are outlined in the 2024 USFWS Range-wide Indiana Bat & Northern Long-Eared Bat Survey Guidelines. For each captured TCB (or other threatened or endangered bats should they be captured), the Cooperator shall attach radio transmitters to all female, juvenile, and adult male TCB or others captured at each site. Surveyors should be prepared to place transmitters on bats when they are captured to minimize holding times. The radio transmitter, adhesive, and any other markings ideally should weigh less than 5% of the bat’s pre-attachment body weight but must not weigh more than 10% of its total body weight (Kurta and Murray 2002). In all cases, the lightest transmitters capable of the required task should be used, particularly with pregnant females and volant juveniles. Bats carrying transmitters must be monitored daily for at least seven days, or until the transmitter falls off, whichever occurs first. 6 The purpose of radio tracking TCB and other TE bats is to determine their roosting locations. If radio tracking determines specific summer roosting or maternal colony sites (trees or other structures), the Cooperator shall use a GPS unit to record the specific locations. The Cooperator shall describe the sites and nearby surroundings in each survey report. 3.3.7 Radio Telemetry Equipment - Proposed radio telemetry equipment (e.g., receivers, antennas, and transmitters) and frequencies should be coordinated with the appropriate state natural resource agency and the USFWS – Missouri Ecological Services Field Office, Columbia, MO (Kris Budd, 573-507-8924 when conducting surveys in Missouri), or Arkansas Ecological Services Field Office, Conway, AR (Pedro Ardapple-Kindberg, 501-513-4470 when conducting surveys in Arkansas) after any night a bat is fitted with a transmitter. 3.4 Task 4: Post-Fieldwork Coordination with USACE-MVM The cooperator shall call the Technical Manager of this project (Jennifer Hiltonsmith, 901-579-7473) within 24 hours of the conclusion of field work conducted at each project location (Belle Fountain and 15 Mile Bayou) with all netting and transmitter information. Each project area will have its own draft report. Each draft report will document all capture results, photographs, maps, etc. performed at each location; and each draft report will be provided to the Technical Manager no later than one month after field work has been concluded at that specific area. More information about report submittals are provided in Section 9.2. 4.0 QUALIFICATIONS 4.1 The Cooperator shall possess a current USFWS threatened or endangered species recovery permit and both a State of Missouri collector’s permit and a State of Arkansas collector’s permit prior to starting the field work at each specific site. The Principal Investigator (PI) conducting the surveys should have a thorough understanding of the USFWS Range-Wide Indiana Bat and Northern Long-Eared Bat Survey Guidelines, should be familiar with the 2024 updates and the inclusion of Tricolored bat efforts. The Cooperator should have at least 3 years’ experience with mist-netting, handling, and identifying bat species including threatened and endangered species. Survey experience, academic background, and examples of prior reports should be submitted with your proposal.

The US Geological Survey is offering a funding opportunity to a CESU partner for research in the following research area: improving methods to model, map, and analyze predictions of habitat suitability and suitability for abundance of both well-established and emergent invasive plant species under current and future scenarios. The research will be used to develop modeling software, improve model transferability, analyze spatial patterns of model uncertainty, and optimize the development and delivery of model results to practitioners charged with the management of invasive species.

The US Geological Survey is offering a funding opportunity to a CESU partner for research in unifying pre-Illinoian glacial till strata in the midcontinent region of the United States. The purpose of this project is to create a multi-state working group to update the correlations on a multi-state level to refine existing glacial stratigraphy that is not adequate for current geological needs. Early to Middle Pleistocene tills and associated glacial sediments in the midcontinent are lumped together and named pre-Illinoian. Geochronologic and stratigraphic evidence revealed that this framework was too simplistic. Individual states have adopted inconsistent nomenclatures and varying approaches to differentiating pre-Illinoian units in the midcontinent. The working group plans to better understand and align multiple till intervals both within states and across state boundaries.

This grant provides funding to state and territory Coastal Zone Management Programs for projects focused on restoring coastal habitats, planning and designing restoration efforts, and conserving coastal lands, with an emphasis on benefiting tribal, indigenous, and underserved communities.

This grant provides funding for National Estuarine Research Reserves to undertake coastal habitat restoration, planning, and land conservation projects that benefit coastal ecosystems and support underserved communities.

The Tactical Technology Office (TTO) of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is soliciting executive summaries, proposal abstracts, and proposals for applied research, advanced technology development, platform demonstrations, or systems studies that aim to redefine the future of warfighting across four domains: Air, Ground, Maritime, and Space.

Evaluation Center (CJTTEC). The Center provides testing, evaluation, and other activities to support the safety, effectiveness, efficiency, and efficacy of technologies in use or adaptable by criminal justice and juvenile justice communities. The Center informs NIJs research and development efforts as well as NIJs stakeholders, including criminal justice practitioners, policymakers, researchers, federal partners, and private industry, by: (1) conducting secondary research on technologies and technology implementation for potential use by criminal justice communities; (2) performing experimental testing and evaluation on technologies to inform potential adoption by criminal justice agencies; (3) conducting experimental or rigorous quasi-experimental research and evaluation of technology implementation by criminal justice agencies; (4) administering the NIJ Compliance Testing Program (CTP); and (5) supporting the development, validation, and maintenance of criminal justice equipment standards.

With this solicitation, NIJ seeks to continue funding to support the Law Enforcement Advancing Data and Science (LEADS) Scholars Program, an ongoing NIJ program designed to increase the in-house research capabilities of law enforcement agencies by building data and research skills of individuals employed by and engaged with these agencies.

Project Title: Habitat Conservation and Improvement for the federally endangered Smalls milkpea and candidate species sand flax at U.S. Army Garrison Miami, Homestead/SOCSOUTH Site, Homestead, Florida.A cooperative agreement is being offered ONLY to members of the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) Program Region(s) identified above. Award will be made upon mutual agreement and acceptance of the terms and conditions contained in the request for proposal and the of the recipients CESU Master Agreement.Note the established CESU Program indirect rate is 17.5%.Responses to this Request for Statements of Interest will be used to identify potential organizations for this project. Approximately $50,000 is expected to be available to support this project for the base period. Additional funding may be available to the successful recipient for optional tasks and/or follow on work in subsequent years for a total project cost of $210,000 (base + four follow-on periods).NOTE: This project will be awarded under the authority of 10 USC 2684a: Agreements to limit encroachments and other constraints on military training, testing, and operations, UAI Part 5101, Version 4 dated 25 Jan 2017, revised July 2018. Re-Delegation of Authority in10 U.S.C 2684a.Period of Performance. The base period of agreement will extend 12 months from date of award. There may be up to four 12-month follow-on periods based on availability of funding. Description of Anticipated Work: See attached Statement of Objectives NOTE: At this time, we are only requesting that you demonstrate available qualifications and capability for performing similar or same type of work by submitting a Statement of Interest. A full proposal and budget are NOT requested at this time. Submission of Your Statement of InterestStatements of Interest are due by 12:00 P.M., Central Time, on 15 July 2024.Submit your Statement of Interest via e-mail attachments or direct questions to: Sandy JustmanGrants SpecialistUSACE, Fort Worth DistrictEmail: [email protected] CrawleyProject ManagerUSACE, Fort Worth DistrictEmail: [email protected] you for your interest in our Cooperative Agreements Program.

Project Title: Natural Resources Support Beale AFB, CA A cooperative agreement is being offered ONLY to members of the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) Program Region(s) identified above. Award will be made upon mutual agreement and acceptance of the terms and conditions contained in the request for proposal and the of the recipients CESU Master Agreement. Note the established CESU.Program indirect rate is 17.5%. Responses to this Request for Statements of Interest will be used to identify potential organizations for this project. Approximately $899,050.00 is expected to be available to support this project for the base period. Additional funding may be available to the successful recipient for optional tasks and/or follow on work in subsequent years. NOTE: This project will be awarded under the authority of 10 USC 670c-1, Sikes Act: For projects for the implementation and enforcement of integrated natural resources management plans, priority shall be given to award to Federal and State agencies having responsibility for the conservation or management of fish or wildlife. Period of Performance. The base period of agreement will extend 18 months from date of award. There may be up to four 18-month follow-on periods based on availability of funding. Description of Anticipated Work: See attached Statement of Objectives NOTE: At this time we are only requesting that you demonstrate available qualifications and capabaility for performing similar or same type of work.1. Statements of Interest are due by 12:00 P.M., Central Time, on 15 July 2024.2. Submit your Statement of Interest via e-mail attachments or direct questions to: Sandy JustmanGrants SpecialistUSACE, Fort Worth DistrictEmail: [email protected]: 817-886-1073David LeptienProject ManagerUSACE, Fort Worth DistrictEmail: [email protected]: 402-889-5570

The US Geological Survey is offering a funding opportunity to a CESU partner for research in Global Food-Security Support-Analysis Data (GFSAD) project. Climate variability and ballooning populations are putting unprecedented pressure on agricultural croplands and their water use, which are vital for ensuring global food and water security in the twenty-first century. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic, military conflicts, and changing diets have added to looming global food insecurity. Therefore, there is a critical need to produce consistent and accurate global cropland products at fine spatial resolution (e.g., farm-scale, 30m or better), which are generated consistently, accurately, and routinely (e.g., every year). In order to address these issues, the proposed study will make use of Landsat-8, 9, and Sentinel-2A&2B surface reflectance products already available in the Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud, and NASA’s Harmonized Landsat Sentinel-2 (HLS) Landsat derived product (HLSL30) for 2013-present and Sentinel-2 derived product (HLSS30) for 2015-present, that together have sub-5-day global coverage at nominal 30m resolution. The four cropland products will be generated using 14 mature MLAs that the team has extensive experience with such as random forest, support vector machines, decision trees, and spectral matching techniques (e.g., Thenkabail et al., 2021, Oliphant et al., 2019, Teluguntla et al., 2018, 2015, Xiong et al., 2017a, Thenkabail et al., 2012, 2009, 2007, 2005) as outlined in the methods section, utilizing GEE and\or other cloud platforms.

The US Geological Survey is offering a funding opportunity to a CESU partner to leverage the expertise and infrastructure to support and accelerate data collection and research on the impacts of climate on species range shifts in the North Central CASC.

The US Geological Survey is offering a funding opportunity to a CESU partner for research in floodplain surface/subsurface hydrology, soils, and vegetation dynamics of the Upper Mississippi River System.

The US Geological Survey is offering a funding opportunity to a CESU partner for research in floodplain surface/subsurface hydrology, soils, and vegetation dynamics of the Upper Mississippi River System.

The US Geological Survey is offering a funding opportunity to a CESU partner for research in floodplain surface/subsurface hydrology, soils, and vegetation dynamics of the Upper Mississippi River System.

The US Geological Survey is offering a funding opportunity to a CESU partner to leverage the expertise and infrastructure to support and accelerate data collection and research on the impacts of climate on species range shifts in the Southwest.

The US Geological Survey is offering a funding opportunity to a CESU partner for collaborative research focused on Pacific salmon ecology and habitat modeling in the Pacific Northwest, United States. In 2022, USGS selected the Willamette River Basin as the fourth integrated water science basin in the United States which has resulted in the devotion of significant multi-year funding focused on examining factors affecting the supply and demand of water for human and salmon. In 2023, the Biden-Harris administration committed $208 million to efforts to restore heathy and abundant salmon populations in the Upper Columbia River Basin. The Biden-Harris administration further expanded emphasis on Pacific salmon conservation in the Pacific Northwest by announcing an intention to move forward with the removal of four dams on the Lower Snake River in 2023 as well. These examples illustrate the magnitude of importance of Pacific salmon in the region and substantial funding is available to advance the state-of-science for these species. USGS currently has funding in-place and is actively contracting for new projects focused on salmon ecology and habitat modeling in the Willamette River Basin, Yakima River Basin, Upper Columbia River Basin, and Upper Snake River Basin and requires assistance to produce the best-possible products for these contracted activities.

This is a Request for Information (RFI) only. This RFI is not accepting applications for financial assistance. The purpose of this RFI is solely to solicit input for ARPA-E consideration to inform the possible formulation of future programs. The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to solicit input for a potential ARPA-E program focused on leveraging material, process, equipment, and cross-supply chain manufacturing innovations to catalyze domestic production of cathode active materials (CAMs) and their precursors (pCAMs). Most commercial lithium-ion batteries employ graphite anodes and layered transition metal oxide cathodes. CAMs can account for approximately 50% of total battery cost, while CAM chemistry determines overall battery performance and safety.5 To date, commercial cell-level energy densities exceeding 280 watt-hour per kilogram (Wh/kg) are achievable in batteries where NMC is used as the CAM in combination with a graphite anode.6 Recent optimization efforts have focused on innovations in chemistry to decrease cobalt content and increase nickel content thus simultaneously increasing energy density and reducing cost. Moreover, significant government and private sector research funding has been allocated to develop alternative lithium-based battery chemistries. Thus far, LFP is the most commercially successful nickel-free and cobalt-free cathode to be developed with notable attributes in cost, safety, and cycle life. Recent gains in market share suggest that LFP batteries may become the dominant chemistry for compact, economy EVs, while NMC is likely to continue to be the preferred cathode chemistry for vehicles where torque response and range are priorities. To view the RFI in its entirety, please visit https://arpa-e-foa.energy.gov.

The US Geological Survey is offering a funding opportunity to a CESU partner for research in the application of Artificial Intelligence informed by explicit semantics to the practice of scientific assessments carried out by the USGS. The demand for actionable scientific findings from legislatively mandated scientific assessments in energy, mineral, biodiversity, and other National natural resource assets is increasing in intensity and requirements for currency with all available data, information, and knowledge. This demand can be aided through the development of AI scientists, intelligent agents built within a technological framework that iteratively improves through new generations of generative AI and related capabilities and trained through regular learning and adapting interactions with USGS scientists.