Environmental Monitoring NIWC PAC | W9126G 21 2 SOI 2252

Opportunity Information: Apply for W9126G 21 2 SOI 2252

The Environmental Monitoring NIWC PAC opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number W9126G-21-2-SOI-2252) is a Department of Defense research and monitoring effort run through the USACE Fort Worth District on behalf of the Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Pacific. It was released as a Request for Statements of Interest (RSOI) for a project planned to start in 2021, with the goal of identifying qualified investigators who can support NIWC Pacifics environmental science work, particularly around environmental sensing and laboratory assay approaches used to detect hazards in environmental media. The underlying purpose is both compliance and mission support: helping protect natural resources on or near military installations while also improving the ability to safeguard service members and other deployed organizations by improving confidence in safe water and environmental conditions.

This is expected to be awarded as a cooperative agreement under the CESU program, using Sikes Act authority (16 USC 670(c)(1)). The award structure emphasizes collaboration rather than procurement, meaning the work is intended to advance a public purpose and will involve substantial federal participation during execution. The governments specific involvement would be detailed later in a formal statement of objectives provided to finalists invited to submit full proposals. The CESU Network indirect cost rate of 17.5 percent may apply if both parties agree and authorize its use.

Eligibility is limited. Applicants must be non-federal partners that are members of a Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) network, with preference for institutions in the Californian, Great Basin, or Pacific Northwest CESU regions. The listed eligible applicant type in the posting includes public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, consistent with how many CESU partners are structured.

The technical focus is on environmental monitoring research support, centered on characterizing environmentally relevant microbes and evaluating the bioavailability of contaminants using physiologically based assays. NIWC Pacific is looking for support that can work closely with its Environmental Science project manager to assess emerging monitoring capabilities, including new sensors and in vitro methods, and to compare those approaches against established reference methods. The broader compliance context explicitly includes support aligned with laws and directives such as the Endangered Species Act (ESA), Clean Water Act (CWA), NEPA and Executive Order 12114, invasive species guidance under Executive Order 13112, and the Sikes Act.

The anticipated work is organized into four core tasks. Task 1 uses NIWC Pacific laboratory space and materials to study sensor capability for detecting targeted pathogens and to characterize pathogenicity and protein expression, with an emphasis on sample characterization of relevant environmental microbes. Task 2 compares the sensor-based results to standard analytical methods, assessing both qualitative and quantitative detection performance and benchmarking against EPA-recommended Standard Test Organisms approaches for viruses, bacteria, and protozoa. Task 3 evaluates the relative bioavailability of contaminants using physiologically based assays, again relying on sample characterization and analysis. Task 4 focuses on statistical analysis of results from Tasks 1 and 2 and producing analysis that supports an interim report.

Funding for the base period is expected to be about $80,000 for a 12-month period of performance. The government also anticipates up to four additional 12-month option periods, with the possibility of roughly $80,000 per option year for follow-on work, contingent on funding availability and continued need. The posting indicates an expectation of a single award.

At this stage, the government was not asking for a full technical proposal or a budget. Instead, applicants were asked to submit a short (maximum two pages, single-spaced, 12-point font) Statement of Interest/Qualifications by email. The required content includes basic organizational identifiers and contacts (name, organization, CAGE code, DUNS number, and contact information) plus a concise qualifications package: a biographical sketch, examples of relevant past projects and clients, identification of available staff/faculty/students and their expertise, and any additional capability information such as relevant equipment and laboratory or field facilities. Submissions were to be evaluated by an installation/activity review board, and only the most suitable respondents would be invited to submit a full study proposal later.

Key administrative details from the posting include a CFDA listing of 12.005, an activity category of science and technology and other research and development, and an original posting date of January 29, 2021 with responses due by March 1, 2021 (after at least a 30-day posting period). The primary contacts listed were Alisa Marshall (Grants Specialist, USACE Fort Worth District) and Kathy Mitchell (Project Manager, USACE Fort Worth District), with submissions directed to their email addresses.

• The Department of Defense, Fort Worth District in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Environmental Monitoring NIWC PAC" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.005.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jan 29, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 01, 2021. (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 $80,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.

Apply for W9126G 21 2 SOI 2252

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