The Cooperative Agreement for affiliated Partner with the Great Lakes-Northern Forest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit supports a research partnership between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and an eligible CESU partner to evaluate the operational readiness of a low-cost autonomous underwater vehicle for near-real‑time water quality monitoring.

Overview

The USGS Water Resources Mission Area is offering this funding opportunity under the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) Program. The project will assess the JaiaBot BIO, a commercially available autonomous underwater vehicle equipped with in‑situ water quality sensors. Field testing will take place in Lake Champlain, which serves as an ideal test bed due to its high watershed‑to‑lake area ratio, existing monitoring infrastructure, and well‑characterized, highly dynamic cyanobacteria blooms. Four JaiaBot BIO vehicles will be purchased with grant funds and vested to the recipient at the conclusion of the project. The cooperative agreement has a duration of 24 months from the receipt of funds.

Funding and Benefits

• Total Program Funding: $299,971
• Expected Number of Awards: 1
• Award Minimum: $1
• Award Maximum: $299,971
• Funding Instrument Type: Cooperative agreement
• Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: No
• Funding Opportunity Number: G26AS00123

Eligibility

Eligible applicants are classified as “Other” (miscellaneous). To be considered, an applicant must be a participating partner of the Great Lakes‑Northern Forest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU). This financial assistance opportunity is issued under the CESU Program, which provides research, technical assistance, and education through partnerships.

Research Areas and Activities

The overall objective is to examine the operational readiness of autonomous underwater vehicle technology coupled with in‑situ sensors to quantify the distribution and severity of episodic water quality degradation events in near real time. Key activities include:

• Evaluating the JaiaBot BIO’s ability to conduct rapid assessments of high‑flow riverine plumes and summer/fall cyanobacteria blooms.
• Leveraging existing long‑term and high‑frequency stationary monitoring infrastructure in Lake Champlain and its tributaries.
• Characterizing the relationship between spatially heterogeneous bottom water hypoxia and dynamic cyanobacteria blooms.
• Acquiring four JaiaBot BIO vehicles for use during the project; these vehicles will be conveyed to the recipient upon project completion.

Application Process

Applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov no later than the deadline. Required documents include a program announcement, biographical sketch (common form DOI OMB 3145‑0279), current and pending support form, project abstract summary, and geospatial data instructions, as listed on the opportunity page. All submissions must be complete and conform to the instructions provided in the attachments.

Deadline and Timeline

Closing Date: June 29, 2026
Electronically submitted applications must be received by 11:59 PM ET on the listed due date. The project will begin after receipt of funds and run for 24 months.

Contact Information

Grantor Contact: Rachel Miller, rachel_miller@ios.doi.gov
Technical Support: Grants.gov Support Center, support@grants.gov, 1‑800‑518‑4726