Opportunity Information: Apply for W81EWF 24 SOI 0014
The Ecosystem Services Evaluation Decision Research and Development opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number W81EWF 24 SOI 0014) is a discretionary, science-and-technology research effort led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC). It will be awarded as a cooperative agreement, reflecting an expectation of active collaboration between USACE and the selected university partner rather than a hands-off grant. The program is designed to build an interdisciplinary partnership that blends environmental economics, ecology, and decision science to make ecosystem services valuation more practical and repeatable for real-world water resources planning and management.
At its core, the project aims to create a decision support framework that estimates the value of ecosystem services associated with existing and proposed water resource projects and related public lands. The intent is a tool that planners and managers can actually use: users would enter a limited set of relevant project criteria and parameters, and the framework would return estimated values for multiple ecosystem services. Importantly, the valuations are not assumed to be automatically beneficial; estimated changes can be positive or negative depending on how a proposed action affects ecosystem conditions and services. The opportunity specifically anticipates valuing services such as water quality improvements, recreation, harvest (for example fisheries or other extractive benefits), species protection, wetland protection, carbon sequestration, open space, and flood protection.
The scope of work is organized around several major technical outcomes. First, the team will review and select appropriate metrics that capture ecosystem services in ways that match the types of changes water resource projects cause and the management contexts of public lands tied to water resources. Second, the project will ground valuation estimates in the best available environmental economics literature, using comprehensive literature review and meta-analysis methods to improve the credibility and transferability of benefit estimates to specific projects (a focus on more accurate benefits transfer, including quantitative and semi-quantitative outputs). Third, the collaboration will develop and test the ecosystem services evaluation decision support framework itself, then deliver it through a web-based portal so it can be accessed and used more broadly by practitioners. Fifth, and more specialized, the project includes an in-depth valuation study focused on oyster reef restoration, using economic experiments and/or other accepted valuation methods to assess the ecosystem services generated by reefs. That oyster reef component is meant to produce defensible, case-based insights that can feed the broader framework and inform coastal restoration decisions.
From a proposal and project management standpoint, applicants are expected to be explicit and structured. Competitive submissions should clearly define the technical questions the project will answer (technical objectives), spell out the tasks and data needed to answer those questions (data quality objectives), and lay out deliverables by task and by year. The opportunity encourages proposers to leverage existing federal and external ecosystem services programs, datasets, and initiatives rather than reinventing data pipelines or valuation approaches. It also emphasizes accountability: proposals should identify qualitative and quantitative success criteria for each task and objective, and it is encouraged to include go/no-go decision points at the end of each project year so progress can be evaluated and the approach adjusted if needed.
Deliverables are expected to be public-facing and professionally disseminated, including technical reports, technical notes, peer-reviewed journal articles, presentations, and participation in In Progress Reviews as appropriate. In other words, the agency is looking for both an operational product (the web-delivered decision framework) and a documented, publishable technical foundation that shows how the metrics and valuations were derived and validated.
Eligibility is limited: only non-federal partners of the Chesapeake Watershed Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Unit (CESU) may apply. The listing indicates an expected single award with a ceiling of $525,000 (CFDA 12.630). The opportunity originally closed on 2024-03-11, and it was posted/created on 2024-01-11. Overall, the grant is aimed at making ecosystem services valuation more usable in USACE planning by combining rigorous economics and ecology with a streamlined, web-based decision tool, while also deepening knowledge through a focused oyster reef restoration valuation study.Apply for W81EWF 24 SOI 0014
- The Engineer Research and Development Center in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Ecosystem Services Evaluation Decision Research and Development" 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 2024-01-11.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-03-11. (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 $525,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Ecosystem Services Evaluation Decision Research and Development opportunity?
This opportunity is a discretionary, science-and-technology research effort led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC). It focuses on improving how ecosystem services are evaluated and valued for real-world water resources planning and management.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) for this program?
The Funding Opportunity Number is W81EWF 24 SOI 0014.
What type of award will be made?
The project is expected to be awarded as a cooperative agreement, which signals that USACE anticipates active collaboration with the selected university partner (not a hands-off grant).
Who is leading this effort on the government side?
The effort is led by USACE ERDC (Engineer Research and Development Center).
What is the overall purpose of the program?
The program is designed to build an interdisciplinary partnership that blends environmental economics, ecology, and decision science to make ecosystem services valuation more practical and repeatable for water resources planning and management.
What is the main product the project is trying to create?
The central deliverable is a decision support framework that estimates the value of ecosystem services tied to existing and proposed water resource projects and associated public lands. The intent is for it to be usable by planners and managers with limited inputs.
How is the decision support framework expected to work for end users?
Users would enter a limited set of relevant project criteria and parameters, and the framework would return estimated values for multiple ecosystem services. The design goal is practicality and repeatability for real planning contexts.
Are ecosystem services value changes assumed to always be positive?
No. The opportunity explicitly notes that estimated changes can be positive or negative depending on how a proposed action affects ecosystem conditions and services.
What ecosystem services are specifically anticipated for valuation?
The opportunity anticipates valuing multiple services, including water quality improvements, recreation, harvest (for example fisheries or other extractive benefits), species protection, wetland protection, carbon sequestration, open space, and flood protection.
What are the major technical outcomes or work areas described in the scope?
The scope is organized around major outcomes including: (1) reviewing and selecting appropriate ecosystem services metrics aligned to water resource project impacts and public land management contexts; (2) grounding valuation in the best available environmental economics literature using comprehensive literature review and meta-analysis to improve benefits transfer; (3) developing and testing the decision support framework and delivering it through a web-based portal; and (4) conducting an in-depth valuation study on oyster reef restoration using economic experiments and/or other accepted valuation methods.
What does the opportunity mean by selecting "appropriate metrics"?
It refers to choosing measures that capture ecosystem services in ways that match the kinds of changes water resource projects cause and that fit the management contexts of public lands related to water resources.
How is the project expected to support credible valuation estimates?
Valuation estimates are expected to be grounded in the best available environmental economics literature, using comprehensive literature reviews and meta-analysis methods. A key emphasis is improving the credibility and transferability of benefit estimates to specific projects (more accurate benefits transfer), including quantitative and semi-quantitative outputs.
What is meant by "benefits transfer" in this opportunity?
Based on the description, benefits transfer here refers to using published environmental economics evidence (strengthened through literature review and meta-analysis) to estimate ecosystem service values for specific projects, improving accuracy and transferability to real planning cases.
How will the decision support framework be delivered?
The framework is expected to be delivered through a web-based portal so that it can be accessed and used more broadly by practitioners.
What is the oyster reef restoration component?
The project includes an in-depth valuation study focused on oyster reef restoration. It is expected to use economic experiments and/or other accepted valuation methods to assess ecosystem services generated by reefs, producing defensible, case-based insights that feed the broader framework and inform coastal restoration decisions.
Why does the opportunity include a specialized oyster reef valuation study?
The oyster reef study is intended to generate defensible, case-based insights that can support the broader decision support framework and provide information relevant to coastal restoration decisions.
What does the opportunity expect from proposals in terms of structure and clarity?
Applicants are expected to be explicit and structured by clearly defining technical objectives (the technical questions the project will answer), specifying tasks and data needed (data quality objectives), and laying out deliverables by task and by year.
Are applicants encouraged to use existing ecosystem services datasets and programs?
Yes. The opportunity encourages leveraging existing federal and external ecosystem services programs, datasets, and initiatives rather than rebuilding data pipelines or valuation approaches from scratch.
How does the opportunity address accountability and project oversight?
Proposals are expected to identify qualitative and quantitative success criteria for each task and objective. The opportunity also encourages go/no-go decision points at the end of each project year so progress can be evaluated and the approach adjusted if needed.
What kinds of deliverables are expected?
Deliverables are expected to be public-facing and professionally disseminated. Examples listed include technical reports, technical notes, peer-reviewed journal articles, presentations, and participation in In Progress Reviews as appropriate. The agency is looking for both an operational product (the web-delivered decision framework) and a documented, publishable technical foundation.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is limited to non-federal partners of the Chesapeake Watershed Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Unit (CESU).
How many awards are expected?
The listing indicates an expected single award.
What is the maximum funding amount for the award?
The ceiling for the expected single award is $525,000.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA number listed is 12.630.
When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?
It was posted/created on 2024-01-11 and originally closed on 2024-03-11.
What disciplines or expertise areas are emphasized for this partnership?
The opportunity emphasizes an interdisciplinary approach combining environmental economics, ecology, and decision science, with a focus on making valuation usable in water resources planning and management.
What is the intended real-world use of the project outputs?
The outputs are intended to support practical decision-making in USACE water resources planning by providing a streamlined way to estimate ecosystem service values for existing and proposed projects and associated public lands.
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