WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH ACT PROGRAM NATIONAL COMPETITIVE GRANTS FY2026 (104g General)
Funds competitive water resources research grants to Water Resources Research Institutes established under the Water Resources Research Act, excluding health-effects studies involving human subjects and oceanography, with federal employees allowed only as unfunded co-PIs.
RESTRICTED TO: SINGLE NAMED INSTITUTION
⚑ Only Water Resources Research Institutes established under WRRA may apply · No funding for research on health effects involving human subjects · Oceanography applications are ineligible; estuarine research is allowed · Applicant Institute/Center must be current on USGS reporting requirements to be eligible
This is a water-resources research institute program, which is outside IPPRA’s core social-science lines of energy, weather risk communication, education policy, and security attitudes. The team could be tangentially relevant only if a project framed water risk perception or water-policy communication, but nothing in the announcement itself points to a member’s established PI program.
JUDGED AGAINST THE ROSTER'S PUBLICATION DOSSIER · GPT-5.4-MINI · 2026-10-01
Unit fits — one characterization, each unit's own rules
| Physical Sciences & Engineering (demo) | 70 strong | technical depth: substantial; funds applied research |
| IPPRA | 58 good | portfolio topics: water_resources, environment, climate_weather (primary); signature methods: policy analysis; social/behavioral work is minor; funds applied research |
| Tom Love Innovation Hub | 5 none | not openly competed |
Description
This Program Announcement is issued under the provisions of section 104 of the Water Resources Research Act of 1984 (Public Law 98-242), as amended by Public Laws 101-397, 104-147, 106-374, 109-471, and 117–58. Section 104 of the Water Resources Research Act directs the Secretary of the Interior to administer program grants to Institutes established under the provisions of section 104(a) of the Act. Water Resources Research Institutes have been established in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam. The Institute in Guam also serves the Federated States of Micronesia and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The Institute in Hawaii also serves American Samoa. The addresses of the 54 Institutes are available at https://water.usgs.gov/wrri/index.php . Responsibility for administration of the Water Resources Research Act Program has been delegated to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
Eligibility
Only Water Resources Research Institutes established under the Water Resources Research Act of 1984 are eligible to apply. These Institutes are located at universities in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam. The Institute in Guam also serves the Federated States of Micronesia and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The Institute in Hawaii also serves American Samoa. Applications not eligible for funding: Applications for research on health effects involving human subjects. Applications for research involving oceanography (estuarine research applications are acceptable). Applications for research that do not meet program objectives as outlined. Applications submitted by an Institute or Center that has not met reporting requirements on a previous award by the USGS. Participation by federal employees: Federal employees may, and are encouraged to, collaborate with college or university investigators in this program. Federal employees may not serve as a principal investigator (PI) but may serve as a Co- PI. Federal employees and agencies may not receive federal funds for any purpose under these awards. Federal employees and agencies may not serve as a source of matching funds under these awards.
Apply
View on Grants.gov → CONTACT: Geological Survey <sara_roser@ios.doi.gov>
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Funder-faithful document skeletons — Federal (generic)'s document set with section headings, page limits, reviewer guidance, and writing prompts; add a project idea to get [DRAFT] starter bullets. Download as .md for Word or Overleaf.