Analytical Support for Aquatic Herbicide Tracing in Field and Mesocosm Research to Optimize Herbicide Efficacy and Use-Efficiency | W81EWF 22 SOI 0026

Opportunity Information: Apply for W81EWF 22 SOI 0026

The Department of Defense, through the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), offered a cooperative agreement opportunity focused on improving how aquatic herbicides are tracked and evaluated in real-world treatments and controlled research settings. The core need behind the award is practical: aquatic herbicides are widely used to manage invasive plants in public waters, but using them responsibly and effectively depends on knowing what residues are present, where they move, how long they persist, and how quickly they break down. Water resource managers, researchers, and regulators have been asking for stronger residue data profiles across the full suite of USEPA-registered aquatic herbicides, not only to confirm effectiveness but also to better understand environmental fate, potential exposure of non-target organisms, and possible interactions with agricultural or drinking water intakes tied to human health concerns. This opportunity is essentially aimed at building dependable, rapid, and cost-effective third-party laboratory capacity that can generate high-quality residue data and connect those measurements to herbicide use patterns in the field.

The anticipated work is organized around up to two stand-alone projects over the life of a 5-year cooperative agreement, with ERDC expecting roughly two projects total during that period. The first objective centers on method development and standardization. The awardee would work closely with ERDC researchers to develop and refine protocols for sampling, preserving, and analyzing aqueous herbicide residues. The opportunity explicitly targets a broad list of aquatic herbicides, including (but not limited to) 2,4-D, bispyribac, carfentrazone, copper, diquat, endothall, florpyrauxifen-benzyl, flumioxazin, fluridone, glyphosate, imazamox, imazapyr, penoxsulam, topramezone, and triclopyr. The laboratory is expected to have access to advanced analytical instrumentation and approaches such as liquid and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS and GC-MS), liquid chromatography with UV detection, immunoassays, and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC). A key requirement is that the analytical protocols align with accepted U.S. standards and meet expectations associated with USEPA Offices of Pesticides and Water, reflecting the regulatory sensitivity of pesticide residue data.

The second objective covers routine analytical support once protocols are in place, including sample processing, quantification, data handling, and transfer of results into usable technical products. ERDC researchers would collect water, sediment, and/or plant tissue samples in the field or in mesocosm studies, preserve them, and send them to the awardee for preparation, extraction, and residue measurement. The resulting residue data are intended to feed directly into ERDC technical reports and peer-reviewed scientific publications, with the broader purpose of guiding best practices around herbicide deposition, dissipation, and site-specific fate processes following aquatic applications. Reporting expectations are fairly structured: the awardee is expected to provide quarterly status updates and draft products for ERDC review, and to deliver final reporting in a format consistent with peer-reviewed publication standards. The opportunity also places strong emphasis on data stewardship and controlled sharing. Electronic raw data files must be retained at the laboratory with integrity safeguards, copies must be provided to ERDC regularly, and the data cannot be shared externally without ERDC agreement.

Administratively, the opportunity was listed as a discretionary award using a cooperative agreement instrument under the Science and Technology and other Research and Development category (CFDA 12.630). It was posted by the Department of Defense (ERDC) with Funding Opportunity Number W81EWF 22 SOI 0026. The posting indicated an expected single award, with an award ceiling of $100,000. The opportunity was created June 22, 2022, and originally closed August 12, 2022. The eligibility category is noted as "Others" with additional eligibility details referenced in the full announcement. Overall, the grant is designed to strengthen the scientific backbone of aquatic herbicide programs by pairing ERDC field and mesocosm research with fast, credible, and standardized residue analytics that can support operational decision-making, environmental accountability, and improved species-selective invasive plant control.

• The Department of Defense, Engineer Research and Development Center in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Analytical Support for Aquatic Herbicide Tracing in Field and Mesocosm Research to Optimize Herbicide Efficacy and Use-Efficiency" 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 22, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 12, 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 $100,000.00 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 0026

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: