2021 RFA for Great Lakes Biology Monitoring Program: Zooplankton, Mysis, and Benthic Components

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Overview

Selection: Cornell University

This Request for Applications is expected to result in the award of grants and/or cooperative agreements to support the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Action Plan III Focus Area 5: Foundations for Future Restoration Actions, Objective 5.2: Conduct comprehensive science programs and projects. RFA closed Oct. 29, 2021.

Documents

Request for Applications 

Standard Operating Procedures

Funding opportunity details

Great Lakes Biology Monitoring Program: Zooplankton, Mysis, and Benthic Components 
Funding Opportunity Number: EPA-R5-GL2021-ZMB

This RFA solicits applications from eligible entities for a cooperative agreement to be awarded pursuant to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Action Plan III. EPA is requesting applications 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.

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.

Our responses to questions about the RFA will be updated frequently and posted in the Documents section of this page.

Who can apply

EPA recognizes that it is important to engage all available minds to address the environmental challenges the nation faces. At the same time, EPA seeks to expand the environmental conversation by including members of communities which may have not previously participated in such dialogues to participate in EPA programs. For this reason, EPA strongly encourages all eligible applicants identified in Section III of the RFA, including minority serving institutions (MSIs), to apply under this opportunity. 

Eligible Not Eligible
  • Non-federal government entities
    • State agencies
    • Agencies or instrumentalities of local governments
    • Interstate agencies
    • Federally recognized tribes and tribal organizations
  • Nonprofit private agencies, institutions and organizations
  • Colleges and universities
  • Individuals
  • Foreign organizations and governments
  • Nonprofit organizations exempt from taxation under Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code that engage in lobbying
  • “For-profit” organizations

Contact Information

Administrative, eligibility, and other general RFA questions:
Ben Alsip (glri-rfa@epa.gov)

For technical questions about the monitoring program:
Matthew Pawlowski (pawlowski.matthew@epa.gov)

Important Dates

  • Oct. 29, 2021 - Application deadline.
  • EPA has notified finalist.
  • EPA made the award Mar. 21, 2022.

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Last updated on May 12, 2025