Chesapeake Bay Program Office Fiscal Year 2023 Request for Applications for: Chesapeake Bay Tidal Water Nutrient Limitation Assessment | EPA I R3 CBP 23 04

Opportunity Information: Apply for EPA I R3 CBP 23 04

The Chesapeake Bay Program Office Fiscal Year 2023 Request for Applications for the Chesapeake Bay Tidal Water Nutrient Limitation Assessment (Funding Opportunity Number: EPA-IR3-CBP-23-04) is a discretionary federal funding opportunity from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The agency is offering support through a cooperative agreement, which generally means EPA expects to be substantially involved in the project during the period of performance (for example, coordinating on study design, data management expectations, or integration with Chesapeake Bay Program priorities), rather than simply issuing a hands-off grant.

The central purpose of the opportunity is to fund one recipient to carry out a nutrient limitation assessment focused on nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) limitation in tidal waters. In practical terms, this kind of assessment is designed to determine whether biological productivity (often phytoplankton or algal growth potential) in sampled waters is more constrained by nitrogen availability, phosphorus availability, co-limitation by both, or by neither in certain conditions. EPA is targeting surface-water samples collected from the mainstem Chesapeake Bay as well as select major tributaries, reflecting an intent to capture conditions across the Bay proper and key inflowing tidal systems. The work is expected to occur over a two-year period, indicating a multi-season approach that can reflect seasonal variability (for instance, spring freshet influences, summer stratification and low-oxygen risks, and fall mixing dynamics) rather than a single snapshot in time.

The funding level reflects a single, focused award. The award ceiling is $550,000, and EPA anticipates making one award total. The funding activity category is listed under Environment and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), tying the effort to broader federal investments in environmental monitoring, science, and restoration outcomes. The associated CFDA (now commonly referred to as Assistance Listing) number is 66.466, which corresponds to Chesapeake Bay Program assistance.

Eligibility is labeled as "Others," with applicants directed to consult the opportunity text for details, which usually signals that eligibility may extend beyond state agencies to include universities, nonprofit organizations, interstate entities, or other qualified institutions with the scientific capacity to conduct field sampling and laboratory-based nutrient limitation experiments. Because the opportunity is structured to support one recipient, it is geared toward an organization (or a lead organization coordinating partners) that already has strong technical expertise in estuarine science, nutrient dynamics, experimental methods for nutrient enrichment/limitation testing, and the quality assurance/quality control practices expected for federally supported environmental data.

From an outcomes perspective, this project is meant to generate actionable scientific information about where and when nitrogen versus phosphorus is the limiting nutrient in the Bay and its tidal tributaries. That information can matter for management decisions because the Chesapeake Bay restoration effort relies heavily on nutrient reduction strategies, and understanding nutrient limitation patterns can help interpret water-quality responses to load reductions, refine modeling assumptions, and prioritize restoration actions in ways that are consistent with observed ecological behavior. The focus on tidal surface waters suggests an emphasis on the part of the water column most directly linked to primary production and bloom dynamics, and the inclusion of multiple major tributaries suggests EPA wants insight into spatial differences across distinct sub-estuaries with different watershed inputs and hydrodynamics.

Key administrative details include an opportunity posting date of February 21, 2023, with an original application closing date of April 18, 2023. Overall, the opportunity is a relatively targeted, science-forward cooperative agreement intended to strengthen the Chesapeake Bay Program's understanding of nutrient controls on productivity in tidal waters through a coordinated, two-year assessment covering both the Bay mainstem and selected tributary systems.

• The Environmental Protection Agency in the environment, infrastructure investment and jobs act (iija) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Chesapeake Bay Program Office Fiscal Year 2023 Request for Applications for: Chesapeake Bay Tidal Water Nutrient Limitation Assessment" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 66.466.
• This funding opportunity was created on Feb 21, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 18, 2023. (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 $550,000.00 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 EPA I R3 CBP 23 04

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