EPA Great Lakes Biology Monitoring Program Grant for Zooplankton, Mysis, and Benthic Research

This Request for Applications (RFA) solicits applications from eligible entities for a cooperative agreement to be awarded pursuant to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (“GLRI” or “Initiative”) Action Plan III. Applications are requested for a project to complete sample collection and analyses in support of the Zooplankton, Mysis, and Benthic components of the Great Lakes Biology Monitoring Program (GLBMP).

Under this competition, approximately $6,750,000 may be awarded for one cooperative agreement over approximately five years, consisting of incremental funding of about $1,350,000 per year. Applications should specify a start date on or around January 17, 2022 and should specify an end date that will allow for the collection, processing, and analysis of the 2022-2026 field seasons. All incrementally funded awards will be subject to the availability of funding, future appropriations, satisfactory performance of work, and other applicable considerations.

The statutory authority of the GLRI to award cooperative agreements is contained in the Clean Water Act, Section 118(c)(7), as amended by Public Law 114-322. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has authority to award grants and cooperative agreements for planning, research, monitoring, outreach and implementation projects in furtherance of the GLRI and the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. Governmental entities, including state agencies, interstate agencies, Indian tribes, local governments, institutions of higher learning (i.e., colleges and universities), and non-profit organizations (as defined in 2 CFR Part 200) are eligible to apply for funding under this RFA.