Delivering scalable Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) management technologies in the Ohio region | W81EWF 22 SOI 0019

Opportunity Information: Apply for W81EWF 22 SOI 0019

Delivering scalable Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) management technologies in the Ohio region is a Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers funding opportunity (CFDA 12.630) offered as a cooperative agreement under a CESU project. The core aim is to develop and demonstrate practical, scalable solutions that can reduce both the frequency of HAB events and the impacts they have on freshwater waterways in the region. The emphasis is not on small, one-off pilot concepts, but on approaches that can realistically be deployed at the large scales where HABs occur and cause problems.

The work centers on two main needs. First, the program is looking for scalable technologies that can manage, control, or mitigate active blooms in freshwater systems, whether in still waters (lentic systems such as lakes and reservoirs) or flowing waters (lotic systems such as rivers and streams). Second, it is interested in proactive strategies for large river systems that help agencies pinpoint where interventions will matter most. That includes methods to identify priority areas like cyanobacteria "seed beds" or recurring bloom onset "hot spots" that may form in main channels, tributaries, or backwaters, along with effective treatment options once those priority zones are identified.

The project is expected to produce and demonstrate a process or technology that measurably reduces HAB events and/or their effects. The solicitation frames success in terms of outcomes such as decreasing bloom size, duration, and frequency; decreasing overall biomass and toxicity; or reducing biomass and toxins during an event or after it occurs. It is open to solutions that rely on physical, chemical, and/or biological mechanisms, as long as the concept is supported with a convincing case that it can work beyond small experimental conditions and be implemented in real, large-scale freshwater settings.

Competitive proposals are expected to be tightly structured around clear technical questions and objectives, with a strong plan for the tasks, datasets, and methods needed to answer those questions. Applicants are asked to define data quality objectives (what data will be collected or used, how it will be validated, and why it is sufficient), directly address how and why the proposed approach is scalable, and lay out concrete deliverables organized by task and by year. The opportunity also encourages teams to build on and integrate existing federal and state HAB monitoring programs, past activities, and available data, rather than starting from scratch.

A notable expectation is that project performance will be managed with explicit metrics and decision points. Applicants are encouraged to define both quantitative and qualitative success criteria for each objective and task, and to include go/no-go decision points at the end of each year. In other words, the project should be set up so progress can be measured, adjustments can be made based on evidence, and the sponsor can decide whether the approach is on track to produce a deployable, high-impact HAB management capability.

Key administrative details include an anticipated single award with an award ceiling of $500,000. The opportunity was posted June 2, 2022, with an original closing date of August 5, 2022. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others" with further clarification referenced in the full notice, which is common for CESU-based opportunities that may have specific partnership or membership requirements depending on the network and region involved.

• The Department of Defense, Dept. of the Army -- Corps of Engineers in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Delivering scalable Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) management technologies in the Ohio region" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.630.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jun 02, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 05, 2022. (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 $500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for W81EWF 22 SOI 0019

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