Cooperative Agreement for Affiliated Partner with the Rocky Mountain Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) | G26AS00153

What is the maximum funding amount (award ceiling)?

The award ceiling is $300,000.

What is the central goal of the project?

The central goal is to improve hydrologic decision making by transforming remotely sensed water surface elevation measurements from SWOT into practical, usable information products at scales that have not been available before.

What specific data source or mission is the work focused on?

The research focuses on data from the NASA/CNES Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission.

What kinds of outputs is this project trying to produce?

The notice emphasizes turning SWOT water surface elevation measurements into practical information products, including detailed accuracy assessments and the generation of low-latency (near-real-time) monitoring data streams.

What does "low-latency" mean in the context of this opportunity?

As described in the notice, low-latency refers to near-real-time monitoring data streams derived from SWOT, intended to support more timely hydrologic monitoring and decision making.

What are the main technical challenges the research is expected to address?

The notice highlights two tightly related challenges: (1) improving methods for extracting water surface elevations from SWOT "pixel cloud" data, and (2) automating and scaling workflows so water surface elevation estimates can be published broadly rather than for only a limited set of locations.

What is SWOT "pixel cloud" data and why is it important here?

The notice describes "pixel cloud" as a key intermediate data form from SWOT that must be translated into reliable water surface elevation estimates for rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and other waterbodies.

Which water features are explicitly mentioned as targets for elevation estimates?

The notice specifically mentions rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and other waterbodies.

What does "automation and scaling" mean for this project?

Automation and scaling refers to developing or refining workflows that can publish water surface elevation estimates for all resolvable waterbodies across the United States, rather than limiting outputs to a small number of instrumented or manually processed sites.

What is the envisioned scale of the monitoring capability?

The notice describes a vision of expanding from a few thousand discrete measurement sites to a national-scale network exceeding one million locations.

How is this work expected to support hydrologic decision making and public needs?

According to the notice, the expanded monitoring capability would improve situational awareness for floods, droughts, reservoir operations, and other water-related hazards and management needs, supporting public safety and water management.

What role does the USGS Observing Systems Division play in this effort?

The notice states that the project builds on ongoing work within the USGS Observing Systems Division and is intended to strengthen understanding of SWOT data performance for hydrologic applications.

Is the notice interested in accuracy assessments and performance evaluation?

Yes. The notice explicitly mentions detailed accuracy assessments and strengthening understanding of SWOT data performance for hydrologic applications.

Are uncertainty metrics part of the expected research focus?

Yes. The notice signals interest in robust uncertainty metrics for water surface elevation products.

Does the notice encourage AI/ML methods?

The notice indicates interest in the use of AI/ML approaches where appropriate, alongside an emphasis on sound scientific practices and reproducibility.

What does the notice say about scientific rigor and reproducibility?

It references federal priorities for "gold standard" science practices and emphasizes sound scientific practices and reproducibility.

How does this opportunity connect to Department of the Interior and federal policy priorities?

The notice frames the work as supporting multiple policy priorities, including improved water resource mapping and monitoring tied to national needs around energy and critical minerals, government-wide goals to strengthen scientific rigor, and agency efforts to responsibly expand the use of artificial intelligence.

Does the notice mention benefits for recreation-related land and water management?

Yes. It notes that improved water mapping supports land and water management objectives, including improved management of lands and waters used for recreation such as hunting and fishing, by providing better information about surface water distribution and conditions.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is limited to entities that are already participating partners in the Rocky Mountain CESU program.

Is this opportunity open to non-CESU entities?

No. The notice limits eligibility to existing Rocky Mountain CESU participating partners.

What is the application deadline?

The application deadline listed is August 29, 2026.

When was the opportunity created?

The opportunity was created on July 29, 2026.

What is the stated purpose of the collaboration between the CESU partner and USGS?

The notice describes an intent to create a strong, ongoing partnership: CESU researchers gain access to USGS knowledge and operational context, and USGS benefits from partner innovation in areas such as data science, remote sensing, uncertainty quantification, and scalable geospatial workflows.

What kinds of expertise does the notice explicitly mention as relevant?

The notice explicitly mentions data science, remote sensing, uncertainty quantification, and scalable geospatial workflows as areas where partner innovation can benefit the effort.