Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner of the Great Rivers Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit | G21AS00407

Opportunity Information: Apply for G21AS00407

The US Geological Survey (USGS) is soliciting proposals for a cooperative agreement under the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program, specifically limited to participating partners of the Great Rivers CESU. The project focuses on the development and improvement of a field-ready cell phone-based system that oil spill responders can use to perform semi-quantitative measurements of hydrocarbons after spills and other disaster events. In practical terms, the goal is to help translate laboratory fluorescence and image-analysis methods into a deployable phone adaptor or accessory and associated image collection workflow that can support rapid screening of oil contamination in real-world response conditions.

This opportunity builds on ongoing USGS work that is already investigating how oil extracts fluoresce and how that fluorescence can be captured and interpreted through images. USGS describes a broader scientific pathway that includes optimizing fluorescence behavior in basic oil and solvent mixtures, establishing laboratory relationships between fluorescence image characteristics and oil concentration, and then using those optical properties to develop machine learning models and equations that can predict oil concentration from images. The proposed partner effort is meant to strengthen the hardware and image-collection side of that workflow so that the eventual machine learning application can perform reliably outside the lab, where lighting, temperature, sample quality, and user handling can all introduce noise and bias.

The core research objectives for the funded work concentrate on three design and performance challenges for a cell phone adaptor and image collection system. First, the project must address interference issues that can degrade oil spill sample image collection, meaning the real-world factors that can distort fluorescence signals or cause inconsistent images across devices and settings. Second, the work must identify approaches to optimize power usage, since field operations often involve limited charging options and long periods of continuous use. Third, it must evaluate confounding factors and operating conditions and propose ways to control, restrict, or standardize the image collection process so that images are comparable, stable, and suitable for automated interpretation. USGS explicitly expects engagement with the oil spill response and practice community to gather user-centered input on design and implementation, ensuring the system fits responder workflows and constraints rather than only laboratory ideals.

USGS highlights three key questions that applicants should answer through the proposed research and development. One, what confounding factors or environmental and operational conditions are likely to affect fluorescence-based image analysis of oil samples (for example, anything that changes fluorescence intensity, background signal, or image capture consistency). Two, in an image collection system, how can electrical energy be optimized or managed to ensure efficient and stable image capture over time (including considerations tied to illumination sources, phone settings, accessory power draw, and duty cycles). Three, what practical approaches can be used to address the confounding factors identified in the first question while also respecting the energy optimization constraints identified in the second question, so that improvements in image quality do not create unrealistic power demands for field use.

The project is positioned within the USGS Ecosystem Mission Area and is framed as directly supporting federal goals related to contaminant detection and environmental protection. Specifically, USGS ties the work to the ability to identify, prioritize, and detect contaminants; reduce impacts of stressors on ecosystems, fish, and wildlife; understand complex interactions and combined effects from contaminant exposure; and improve preparedness and response to environmental and associated health threats arising from human-caused disasters. The implication is that the phone-based fluorescence imaging system is intended to function as a decision-support tool during response operations, enabling faster situational awareness and more targeted sampling or mitigation actions.

Expected deliverables go beyond a written report. USGS indicates that products should include prototype systems that incorporate solutions for optimized fluorescence image collection, and it anticipates multiple prototypes, up to 50 units, that can be provided for integration with the machine learning application and used in field demonstration efforts. This signals a strong emphasis on tangible, testable hardware or integrated accessory designs rather than purely theoretical analysis, and it also suggests that repeatability, manufacturability (at least at small scale), and user deployment considerations will matter in the proposed approach.

Administratively, the opportunity is a discretionary award using a cooperative agreement mechanism, which typically implies substantial involvement and collaboration with USGS during the period of performance. The funding activity category is Science and Technology and other Research and Development, and the CFDA number listed is 15.808. Eligibility is restricted to organizations that are formal partners within the Great Rivers CESU, reflecting the CESU model of leveraging established research partnerships to deliver applied science, technical assistance, and education. The opportunity number is G21AS00407, the agency is the US Geological Survey, and the posting indicates an award ceiling of $80,000. The original closing date for applications was April 10, 2021, and the opportunity was created on March 23, 2021.

The performance timeline described spans multiple fiscal years. Work is funded during FY 2021, with initial data summaries and deliverables due to USGS by September 30, 2021, and final reports due by September 30, 2023. Taken together, the schedule suggests an early phase focused on scoping, testing, and initial prototype design or proof-of-concept results, followed by refinement, expanded evaluation, and completion of final deliverables, including reporting and prototype production suitable for downstream integration and field demonstration.

• The Geological Survey in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner of the Great Rivers Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.808.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2021-03-23.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-04-10. (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.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for G21AS00407

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: