Notice of Intent | USGS 18 FA 9008

Opportunity Information: Apply for USGS 18 FA 9008

This opportunity is a discretionary funding announcement from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), a bureau that supports science and data for natural resources and related public needs. The posting is explicitly labeled a "Notice of Intent," which typically signals an early-stage announcement that an agency expects to fund or collaborate on a particular project or set of activities. In many cases, a Notice of Intent is used to communicate that a formal funding announcement may be forthcoming, or that the agency intends to make an award to a particular partner under a cooperative agreement framework. Because the description provided is limited to the title itself, the core takeaway is that this notice functions more as an advance notification than a fully detailed solicitation with a complete technical scope, evaluation criteria, and application instructions.

The funding opportunity is identified by the title "Notice of Intent" and the opportunity number USGS 18 FA 9008. It falls under the "Discretionary" category, meaning it is not a formula-based entitlement program; awards are made at the agency's discretion under the terms and priorities of the program. The funding instrument type is a cooperative agreement, which is important because it generally implies substantial involvement by USGS in carrying out the project. In practice, that can mean USGS scientists or staff may collaborate closely with the recipient on planning, methods, data collection, analysis, deliverables, or dissemination, rather than simply providing funds and stepping back as in a more hands-off grant.

The activity category is Natural Resources, and the CFDA (Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance) number associated with this program is 15.820. CFDA 15.820 corresponds to USGS research and data-related assistance programs, often covering scientific investigations, monitoring, mapping, modeling, and other work aligned with USGS mission areas. While the specific subject matter is not provided in the source text, the Natural Resources classification and USGS sponsorship indicate the work would likely relate to areas such as water resources, ecosystems, geology, hazards, land change science, mapping, or other resource-relevant scientific and technical activities.

Eligibility is limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education. That means the intended applicants are state universities, public colleges, and similar public higher-education entities, rather than private universities, nonprofits, local governments, or individuals. This eligibility restriction is a key constraint for anyone considering whether they can apply or partner; if an entity is not a public/state-controlled higher education institution, it would typically need to participate through an eligible lead applicant, if participation is even contemplated under the terms of the notice.

The posting lists an award ceiling of $170,045, which indicates the maximum anticipated federal funding amount for an award under this notice (or the expected maximum amount USGS intends to provide). The number of expected awards is not specified in the provided data, so the notice does not clearly communicate whether USGS anticipates making a single award or multiple awards. The original closing date is listed as January 20, 2018, and the creation date is January 6, 2018, which suggests a short window between publication and closing. Short timelines are common for intent notices or situations where an agency is signaling a planned award or a tightly scoped collaboration rather than running an open, lengthy competition.

Overall, the key elements are: USGS is the issuing agency; the mechanism is a cooperative agreement; the focus area is natural resources; only public and state-controlled higher education institutions are eligible; the maximum award amount is $170,045; and the notice was open until January 20, 2018. Because the supplied description contains no additional narrative beyond "Notice of Intent," any prospective applicant would normally need to consult the full announcement record (or any linked documentation) to determine the project scope, required deliverables, period of performance, cost sharing expectations (if any), reporting requirements, and whether the agency intends a limited or sole-source type of action under the cooperative agreement authority.

• The Geological Survey in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Notice of Intent" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.820.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2018-01-06.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-01-20. (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 $170,045.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.

Apply for USGS 18 FA 9008

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