Geospatial Modeling | NOAA NOS NGS 2018 2005522

Opportunity Information: Apply for NOAA NOS NGS 2018 2005522

The Geospatial Modeling grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number NOAA NOS NGS 2018 2005522) is a discretionary grant offered by the U.S. Department of Commerce through NOAA, focused on projects that modernize and strengthen the National Spatial Reference System (NSRS) across the Gulf Coast states. At its core, the program is looking to fund work that improves the foundational geospatial framework used to accurately measure, map, and monitor positions and elevations, which supports everything from coastal resilience planning and infrastructure development to flood mapping and environmental monitoring. The competition is specifically limited to Gulf Coast geography, and proposals are expected to produce public benefits tied to better geodetic data and tools that users in the region can apply in practical, real-world settings.

A major emphasis of the opportunity is upgrading and expanding the physical and observational infrastructure that underpins geodesy in the region. That includes strengthening geodetic control networks, improving coastal remote sensing datasets, collecting or integrating terrestrial gravity measurements, and enhancing other key physical datasets that feed into accurate coordinate systems and elevation models. In practice, this could involve activities such as densifying control networks, improving the quality and availability of coastal mapping inputs, or closing data gaps that limit precise positioning and height determination. The intent is to make the NSRS more accurate, more reliable, and more usable for Gulf Coast conditions, where land subsidence, coastal dynamics, and storm impacts can complicate mapping and engineering decisions.

In addition to collecting and improving data, the grant prioritizes the development of modeling approaches, software tools, technical guidance, and practical workflows that help users access geodetic control and effectively manipulate and analyze geodetic data. This includes creating or refining models that translate raw measurements into usable products, building tools that make NSRS resources easier to apply in mapping and engineering contexts, and publishing guidelines that standardize best practices. The focus is not just on producing datasets, but also on making them usable by a broad set of practitioners who depend on consistent, high-quality reference information for decision-making.

The opportunity also highlights education, capacity building, and technology transfer as key outcomes. NOAA is looking for proposals that do more than deliver technical outputs; they should also help develop regional expertise and strengthen the ability of organizations and professionals to adopt updated NSRS approaches and geospatial methods. That can include training, workshops, curriculum development, or other efforts that move knowledge and technical capability into the hands of the organizations that will use it long after the grant period ends. The underlying idea is to create lasting improvements in how Gulf Coast states and localities produce and use geospatial information.

Partnership and coordination are central expectations. Proposals are expected to work closely with local users and regional partners, including state and local governments, universities, and the public sector, so that funded work is aligned with on-the-ground needs and is adopted in practice. This coordination piece matters because NSRS modernization is only as valuable as its uptake; NOAA is signaling that successful projects should be shaped by stakeholder input and should fit into regional workflows for surveying, mapping, coastal management, hazard planning, and infrastructure development.

Another core requirement is a strong commitment to data sharing and public access. Environmental data and related information collected or created under NOAA grants and cooperative agreements should be made visible, accessible, and independently understandable to general users, at no cost or minimal cost, and shared in a timely manner. The only exceptions are where restrictions apply due to law, regulation, policy, or security requirements. This means applicants should plan for data management and dissemination as a serious project component, not an afterthought, with deliverables that are easy for others to discover and reuse.

Eligibility is limited to institutions of higher education and state, local, and Indian tribal governments. The listing indicates an award ceiling of $3,000,000 and anticipates a single award, subject to the availability of funds. The opportunity was created on February 13, 2018, with an original closing date of April 23, 2018, and it is associated with CFDA number 11.400. Overall, the program is designed to drive measurable improvements in Gulf Coast geodetic infrastructure and the practical tools, partnerships, and knowledge needed to apply modern spatial reference capabilities broadly and effectively.

• The Department of Commerce in the environment, natural resources, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Geospatial Modeling" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 11.400.
• This funding opportunity was created on Feb 13, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 23, 2018. (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 $3,000,000.00 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 NOAA NOS NGS 2018 2005522

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