grants.gov Landslide Program Announcement

OMB Control Number: 1028-NEW

Expiration Date: 01/01/2023

Program Announcement

United States Geological Survey

USGS Cooperative Landslide Hazard Mapping and Assessment

Program Announcement for Fiscal Year 2024

https://www.usgs.gov/programs/landslide-hazards/science/external-grants-overview

Notice of Funding Opportunity - Fiscal Year 2024

Funding Opportunity Number (FON) XXXXXXXXX

Closing Date: MM/DD/YYYY

This application is for the U.S. Geological Survey – Cooperative Landslide Hazard Mapping and Assessment Program. Thank you for participating in this grant application process. Your participation in the grant application process is voluntary. We estimate that the entire grant application process should take about 46 hours. Your responses will provide important information to assess you and your co-PIs scientific and technical backgrounds to determine eligibility and ability to complete the proposed grant activities.

The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501), states that an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and you are not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number and expiration date. You may submit comments on any aspect of this collection. Please note that comments submitted in response to this collection are public record. Comments on this collection should be sent to the Clearance Office at gs-info_collections@usgs.gov.

Privacy Act Statement: You are not required to provide your contact information in order to submit your survey response. However, if you do not provide contact information, we may not be able to contact you for additional information to verify your responses. If you do provide contact information, this information will not be shared with any other organization and will only be used to initiate follow-up communication about this project if needed. The records for this collection will be maintained in the appropriate Privacy Act System of Records identified as [DOI Social Networks (Interior/USGS-8) published at 76 FR 44033, 7/22/2011].

Contents

A. Program Description 5

A1. Authority 5

A2. Background, Purpose, and Program Requirements 5

B. Federal Award Information 8

B1. Total Funding 8

B2. Award Amount 8

B3. Anticipated Award Funding and Dates 8

B4. Number of Awards 9

B5. Type of Award 9

C. Eligibility Information 9

C1. Eligible Applicants 9

C2. Cost Sharing or Matching 9

C3. Other 10

D. Application and Submission Information 10

Grants.gov Application Submission and Receipt Procedures 10

D1. Address to Request Application Package 14

Electronic Application Requirement 14

D2. Content and Form of Application Submission 14

D3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) 22

D4. Submission Dates and Times 23

D5. Intergovernmental Review 23

D6. Funding Restrictions 23

D7. Other Submission Requirements 24

E. Application Review Information 25

E1. Criteria 25

E2. Review and Selection Process 26

E3. CFR – Regulatory information 26

E4. Anticipated Announcement and Federal Award Dates 27

F. Federal Award Administration Information 27

F1. Federal Award Notices 27

F2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements 27

F3. Reporting 28

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s) 29

G1. USGS Project Officer 29

G2. USGS Grant Specialist 29

G3. USGS Contracting Officer 29

G4. Application System Technical Support 30

H. Other information 30

I. Attachments 31

Attachment A. Priorities for FY2024 32

Attachment B. Proposal Template - USGS Scientist Collaboration Statement Form 36

Attachment C. Proposal Information Summary Template 37

Attachment D. Budget Summary 38

Attachment E. Special Terms and Conditions 39

Attachment F. Public Law 115-323 54

Attachment G. Landslide National Strategy for Landslide Loss Reduction 54

Attachment H. Final Technical Report Template 55

Attachment I. Progress Report Template 57

A. Program Description

A1. Authority

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Landslide Hazards Program (LHP) issues this Program Announcement for assistance to support communication, planning, coordination, mapping, assessments, and data collection of landslide hazards. The program announcement for the Cooperative Landslide Hazard Mapping and Assessment Program is authorized by the National Landslide Preparedness Act (P.L. 116-323) and appropriations to the USGS.

A main objective of this Program, as outlined in the National Landslide Preparedness Act, is to provide grants, on a competitive basis, to state, territorial, local, and Tribal governments to research, map, assess, and collect data on landslide hazards within the jurisdictions of those governments. This funding opportunity, USGS Cooperative Landslide Hazard Mapping and Assessment Program, solicits Risk Reduction Proposals as described in this document.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number

15.821

A2. Background, Purpose, and Program Requirements

The following guidelines are included to assist you in preparing a thorough and competitive Risk Reduction Proposal that supports the mission of the Landslide Hazards Program. Reflecting the National Landslide Preparedness Act (Attachment F) and the National Strategy for Landslide Loss Reduction (Attachment G), Risk Reduction Priority Areas (Attachment A) have been identified as a scaffold for this grant opportunity. Applicants must review the Risk Reduction Priority Areas described in Attachment A to determine if their application is appropriate under this Program Announcement.

Application Guidelines and Requirements

• The organizations eligible to apply include state, territorial, local, and Tribal governments only.

• Proposals must outline a period of performance of either one or two years with a clearly stated objective for the requested term. For more detail on requirements for 2-year proposals, see Section titled "Two-Year Proposals" below.

• Proposals will include descriptions of project personnel and their experience and skills relevant to completing the proposed tasks. Extended supervisory hours performed by senior staff or other management activities for which funding is requested must be well justified. Curriculum vitae or resumes (2-page maximum) for primary personnel are required and do not count toward the proposal page limit.

• Proposals must align with the National Landslide Preparedness Act (Attachment F) and the National Strategy for Landslide Loss Reduction (Attachment G), as described in Attachment A.

• USGS personnel are prohibited from assisting any organization in preparing its proposal for competitive funding under this Program Announcement.

• Describe the project and the process you expect to follow (workflows, including methods and level of effort) to complete the required work. If you are proposing multiple activities to complete the project, clearly state the work associated with each activity and who will do the work. Please note that if reduced funds are awarded, the scope of work may require modification.

• All supplies and equipment must be itemized and provided with a dealer or manufacturer quote. See D2: Detailed Budget Narrative: Other Direct Costs.

• Equipment funding requests of $5,000 or more per item must be supported by a full justification and a dealer or manufacturer quote. Equipment justification and quotes are not included in the Project Narrative page limit and should be included with the Detailed Budget Narrative.

• Proposals must include a Data Management Plan (DMP) to conform with the Executive Order of February 22, 2013, "Increasing Access to the Results of Federally Funded Scientific Research". See Section D2: Data Management Plan Requirements for instructions.

• Begin submitting your proposal to Grants.gov well in advance of the due date as there is no possibility of late submissions.

Please contact the USGS Project Officer if you have questions. However, questions specific to your

proposal as to what will or will not be funded cannot be addressed.

Changes to Proposal Requirements and Conditions

This is a new grant program in FY2024 and in future Program Announcements, any implemented changes to the funding opportunity will be listed below.

Involvement of Federal Employees

Federal employees, including USGS employees, are prohibited from serving in any capacity (paid or unpaid) on any application submitted under this Announcement. Proposals that have a real or apparent conflict of interest related to Federal employees will not be processed for evaluation. This does not prohibit cooperation or collaboration between USGS and non-USGS scientists once a grant or cooperative agreement is in place. Collaborative Proposals are described below.

Out-of-Cycle Awards

The USGS may accept proposals outside of the normal competitive cycle under very limited circumstances:

• Proposals may be accepted and approved out-of-cycle (after the closing date) only in cases where there is compelling circumstance or emergency (e.g., significant landslide event), which must be acted on before the next competitive review cycle. Proposers should contact the USGS Project Officer prior to submitting out-of-cycle proposals.

• Congress mandates directed awards to support activities that evaluate landslide hazards and losses. In this case, the USGS will solicit applications.

Collaborative Proposals

Two types of collaborative proposals are acceptable:

• Type A: Collaboration between two or more external organizations that are seeking funding from the USGS Cooperative Landslide Hazard Mapping and Assessment Program

• Type B: Collaboration between an external organization seeking such funding and a USGS internal project.

7\21`

Collaborative proposals are not instances where persons from a second organization are hired as consultants or other contractual agreements to conduct work on behalf of the grant or cooperative agreement recipient. Recipients of 1-year collaborative awards must submit one Final Technical Report (Attachment H), incorporating the efforts of all collaborators. For 2-year collaborative awards, recipients must submit one Progress Report (Attachment I) at the end of the first year incorporating the efforts of all collaborators.

Collaborative proposals must be clearly identified in the proposal title. The application title shall read “Proposal Title: Collaborative Risk Reduction Project with First Institution name, and Second Institution name.” All collaborative proposal start and end dates must match.

Specific guidelines for each type of collaborative proposal are provided below:

Type A:

• For collaborative proposals that propose work by two or more separate institutions or organizations, each individual organization must accept responsibility for specific parts of the work proposed. A separate proposal must be submitted from each external organization involved in collaborative studies. Major sections of each proposal shall be identical, and each proposal must clearly define the objectives to be performed by each organization, and each institution shall submit a separate budget, which clearly reflects their objectives and responsibilities.

• Each Principal Investigator and their institution that is recommended for funding will receive a separate grant and shall accept financial responsibility for administering the grant and technical responsibility for submitted required reports.

Type B

• Collaborative projects between a USGS internal project and external investigator(s) must be structured such that neither project could succeed without the other being funded. While many external projects either directly or indirectly support or cooperate with ongoing internal USGS projects, these projects are not considered collaborative projects because their objectives can be pursued with or without the existence of the internal USGS project(s).

• USGS reserves the right to fund only some of the Applicants involved in a collaborative study.

IMPORTANT: In the case of collaborative proposals involving external organizations and USGS scientists, the external proposal MUST include the USGS Scientist Collaboration Statement Form (Attachment B), filled out and signed by the relevant internal USGS scientist(s) and their direct supervisor. This letter states that the scientist(s) will include specific efforts in their agreed-upon internal work plan for the period of time of the proposal to LHP. The scientists' supervisor must also sign the form in showing their approval of the work. Any letters provided by USGS scientists that do not use the template provided in Attachment B WILL BE REMOVED from consideration prior to proposal review and your proposal will be at risk for rejection. The signed Collaboration Statement Form will not count toward the 15- page limit.

Two-year Proposals

NOTE: Due to uncertainties with future appropriations to the grant program, please refrain from two-year proposals for this round. We will leave the text in the Program Announcement for your awareness if future funding occurs.

Most proposals are funded for one year and all work that can be completed in one year should be proposed as a one-year project. However, if the proposed work is such that two years are required to complete the project, then a two-year proposal is appropriate and can be submitted. Applicants should carefully consider their time commitments and request the required grant duration and funding to accomplish their project goals. The peer review panel may recommend funding only the first year of a two-year proposal when the proposed project is easily divided into two, one-year projects or when they feel that results from the first year’s proposed work will need to be evaluated before a second year can be considered. Applicants should be sure to address the stipulations for two-year proposals in Section D2., Project Narrative item E., Project Description item 2, Project Plan.

The second year of funding of a two-year grant is contingent upon the availability of funds and satisfactory progress by the Recipient. Progress will be determined through technical review of a Progress Report (Attachment I), submitted at the end of the first year of work, by the USGS Project Officer and their agent. The Progress Report shall be submitted by the Recipient. Recipients are required to submit a Final Technical Report (Attachment H) at the end of the second year.

Applicants may submit new proposals in subsequent years within the period of performance of an existing grant BUT the proposed work cannot duplicate the effort or be a continuation of objectives of a currently funded, active grant.

B. Federal Award Information

B1. Total Funding

Estimated Total Funding

$1,000,000

B2. Award Amount

Maximum Award

$300,000

Minimum Award

$10,000

It is estimated that a total of $1 million will be awarded to fund competitive Risk Reduction Proposals in FY 2024. The maximum award amount is $300,000.00. Because this is a new grant program, there is no history of past awards funded each fiscal year; however, the anticipated range of funding for an individual award is $10,000 - $300,000.

B3. Anticipated Award Funding and Dates

Anticipated Award Date

MM/DD/YYYY

Proposal Announcement Date: MM/DD/YYYY

Closing date and time for proposal submission: MM/DD/YYYY, 6 p.m. E.T.

Proposals received after the deadline will NOT be considered for an award.

All projects must propose start dates between MM/DD/YYYY and MM/DD/YYYY. The start date requested in the applicant’s submitted proposal is considered the applicant's official start date and may not be changed by the applicant. If funding delays do not allow for a project to be funded by the applicant's requested start date, the award will be issued as soon as funds become available, and the applicant will be notified of the new start date by the USGS Contracting Officer. Applicants must indicate if the proposed start date is fixed or flexible based on the activities (field work, etc.) of the proposal. This must be indicated on the Proposal Information Summary Template (Attachment C).

B4. Number of Awards

Expected Number of Awards

10

B5. Type of Award

Funding Instrument Type

G - Grant

C. Eligibility Information

C1. Eligible Applicants

Eligible Applicants

State, Tribal, territorial, and local governments

Additional Information on Eligibility

This Announcement is open to state, Tribal, territorial, and local governments. A university may submit a proposal on behalf of a state geological survey if the state geological survey is organized under a state university system. The following are ineligible categories and listed below. Direct any questions about eligibility to the USGS Project Officer.

The following proposals are NOT eligible for consideration under this Announcement:

• Proposals for long-term operation of landslide monitoring networks or instruments.

• Proposals from U.S. Government agencies or U.S. Government employees, unless part of a collaborative proposal.

• Proposals from Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDC).

• Proposals in which there is a real or apparent conflict of interest.

• Proposals principally involving the direct procurement of a product or equipment.

C2. Cost Sharing or Matching

Cost Sharing / Matching Requirement

No. This program does not have a match requirement.

The National Landslide Preparedness Act (Public Law 116-323) states that funding prioritization shall be given to projects for which at least 50 percent of the total cost of the project is matched by non-Federal sources (i.e., state, local, non-governmental, Tribal, territorial, or private). More information about what qualifies for this non-Federal support, termed “match”, is discussed below. Report non-federal matching funds in the Detailed Budget Narrative below.

In some cases, the required match is waived:

• 48 U.S.C. 1469a(d) mandates that the Department of the Interior waive any cost-sharing requirement for the jurisdictions of American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In addition, CA-23-04 directs all federal agencies and departments to waive local cost share requirements under $200,000 for grants for these four U.S. territories.

• The non-Federal cost-share requirement is waived for Tribes as described in Public Law 93-638 Sec 103 (c), which states: “the provision of any other Act notwithstanding, any funds made available to a tribal organization under grant pursuant to this section may be used as matching share for any other Federal grant programs which contribute to the purposes for which grants and this section are made.”

If using any of the above exceptions or other unlisted exceptions, please note that in your application.

As part of the non-Federal entity's cost sharing or matching, shared costs or matching funds and all contributions, including cash and third-party in-kind contributions, are acceptable following 2 CFR 200.306¹. The contributions must be verifiable in the entity’s records, not included as contributions on any other Federal award, necessary for the project work, not paid by the Federal Government through another award (except where authorized), are documented in the Detailed Budget Narrative, and conform to the provisions described in 2 CFR 200.306.

C3. Other

Availability of Data

All data, methodology, factual inputs, models, analyses, technical information, reports, conclusions, valuation products or other scientific assessments in any medium or form, including textual, numerical, graphic, cartographic, narrative, or audiovisual, resulting from a financial assistance agreement is available for use by the Department of the Interior, including being available in a manner that is sufficient for independent verification (2 CFR 1402.315).

The Federal Government has the right to:

1. Obtain, reproduce, publish, or otherwise use the data, methodology, factual inputs, models, analyses, technical information, reports, conclusions, or other scientific assessments, produced under a Federal award; and

(2) Authorize others to receive, reproduce, publish, or otherwise use such data, methodology, factual inputs, models, analyses, technical information, reports, conclusions, or other scientific assessments, for Federal purposes, including to allow for meaningful third-party evaluation.

Excluded Parties

USGS conducts a review of the SAM.gov Exclusions database for all applicant entities and their key project personnel prior to award. USGS cannot award funds to entities or their key project personnel identified in the SAM.gov Exclusions database as ineligible, prohibited/restricted or otherwise excluded from receiving Federal contracts, certain subcontracts, and certain Federal assistance and benefits, as their ineligibility condition applies to this Federal program.

D. Application and Submission Information

Grants.gov Application Submission and Receipt Procedures

Grants.gov Application Submission and Receipt Procedures

This section provides the application submission and receipt instructions for U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) program applications. Please read the following instructions carefully and completely.

1. Electronic Delivery

USGS is participating in the Grants.gov initiative to provide the grant community with a single site to find and apply for grant funding opportunities. Applicants are required to submit their applications online through Grants.gov.

2. How to Register to Apply through Grants.gov

A. Instructions: Read the instructions below about registering to apply for USGS funds. Applicants should read the registration instructions carefully and prepare the information requested before beginning the registration process. Reviewing and assembling the required information before beginning the registration process will alleviate last-minute searches for required information.

 Organizations must have an active System for Award Management (SAM) registration which provides a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), and Grants.gov account to apply for grants. If individual applicants (those submitting on their own behalf) are eligible to apply for this funding opportunity, they need only refer to steps 2 and 3 below.

Creating a Grants.gov account can be completed online in minutes, but SAM registration may take several weeks. Therefore, an organization's registration should be done in sufficient time to ensure it does not impact the entity's ability to meet required application submission deadlines.

Organization registration instructions can be found on Grants.gov here: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html

 

1) Register with SAM: All organizations (entities) applying online through Grants.gov must register with the System for Award Management (SAM). Failure to register with SAM will prevent your organization from applying through Grants.gov. SAM registration must be renewed annually. For more detailed instructions for registering with SAM, refer to:
https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html

2) Create a Grants.gov Account: The next step is to register an account with Grants.gov. Follow the on-screen instructions provided on the registration page.

3) Add a Profile to a Grants.gov Account: A profile in Grants.gov corresponds to a single applicant organization the user represents (i.e., an applicant) or an individual applicant submitting on their own behalf. If you work for or consult with multiple organizations, you can have a profile for each organization under one Grants.gov account. In such cases, you may log in to one Grants.gov account to access all your grant profiles. To add an organizational profile to your Grants.gov account, enter the UEI (Unique Entity Identifier) for the organization in the UEI field. If you are an individual applicant submitting on your own behalf, you do not need a UEI to add the profile. For more detailed instructions about creating a profile on Grants.gov, refer to: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/add-profile.html 

4) EBiz POC Authorized Profile Roles: After you register with Grants.gov and create an Organization Applicant Profile, the applicant's request for Grants.gov roles and access is sent to the EBiz POC. The EBiz POC is then expected to log in to Grants.gov and authorize the appropriate roles, which may include the AOR role, thereby giving you permission to complete and submit applications on behalf of the organization. You will be able to submit your application online any time after you have been assigned the AOR role. For more detailed instructions about creating a profile on Grants.gov, refer to:
https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/authorize-roles.html

5) Track Role Status: To track your role request, refer to:
https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/track-role-status.html

B. Electronic Signature: When applications are submitted through Grants.gov, the name of the organization applicant with the AOR role that submitted the application is inserted into the signature line of the application, serving as the electronic signature. The Ebiz POC of the organization must authorize people who are able to make legally binding commitments on behalf of the organization as a user with the AOR role; this step is often missed and it is crucial for valid and timely submissions.

3. How to Submit an Application to USGS via Grants.gov

Grants.gov applicants can apply online using Workspace. Workspace is a shared, online environment where members of a grant team may simultaneously access and edit different webforms within an application. For each funding opportunity announcement (FOA), you can create individual instances of a workspace.

For an overview of applying on Grants.gov using Workspaces, refer to:
https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html

1) Create a Workspace: Creating a workspace allows you to complete it online and route it through your organization for review before submitting.

2) Complete a Workspace: Add participants to the workspace to work on the application together, complete all the required forms online or by downloading PDF versions, and check for errors before submission. The Workspace progress bar will display the state of your application process as you apply. As you apply using Workspace, you may click the blue question mark icon near the upper-right corner of each page to access context-sensitive help.

a. Adobe Reader: If you decide not to apply by filling out webforms you can download individual PDF forms in Workspace. The individual PDF forms can be downloaded and saved to your local device storage, network drive(s), or external drives, then accessed through Adobe Reader.

NOTE: Visit the Adobe Software Compatibility page on Grants.gov to download the appropriate version of the software at: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html

b. Mandatory Fields in Forms: In the forms, you will note fields marked with an asterisk and a different background color. These fields are mandatory fields that must be completed to successfully submit your application.

c. Complete SF-424 Fields First: These forms are designed to fill in common required fields across other forms, such as the applicant name, address, and SAM UEI. Once it is completed, the information will transfer to the other forms.

3) Submit a Workspace: An application may be submitted through workspace by clicking the Sign and Submit button on the Manage Workspace page, under the Forms tab. Grants.gov recommends submitting your application package at least 24-48 hours prior to the close date to provide you with time to correct any potential technical issues that may disrupt the application submission.

4) Track a Workspace Submission: After successfully submitting a workspace application, a Grants.gov Tracking Number (GRANTXXXXXXXX) is automatically assigned to the application. The number will be listed on the Confirmation page that is generated after submission. Using the tracking number, access the Track My Application page under the Applicants tab or the Details tab in the submitted workspace.

For additional training resources, including video tutorials, refer to: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-training.html

Applicant Support: Grants.gov provides applicants 24/7 support via the toll-free number 1-800-518-4726 and email at support@grants.gov. For questions related to the specific grant opportunity, contact the number listed in the application package of the grant you are applying for.

If you are experiencing difficulties with your submission, it is best to call the Grants.gov Support Center and get a ticket number. The Support Center ticket number will assist USGS with tracking your issue and understanding background information on the issue.

4. Timely Receipt Requirements and Proof of Timely Submission

a. Online Submission. All applications must be received by 6pm Eastern time on the due date established for each program. Proof of timely submission is automatically recorded by Grants.gov. An electronic date/time stamp is generated within the system when the application is successfully received by Grants.gov. The applicant with the AOR role who submitted the application will receive an acknowledgement of receipt and a tracking number (GRANTXXXXXXXX) from Grants.gov with the successful transmission of their application. This applicant with the AOR role will also receive the official date/time stamp and Grants.gov Tracking number in an email serving as proof of their timely submission.

When USGS successfully retrieves the application from Grants.gov, and acknowledges the download of submissions, Grants.gov will provide an electronic acknowledgment of receipt of the application to the email address of the applicant with the AOR role who submitted the application. Again, proof of timely submission shall be the official date and time that Grants.gov receives your application. Applications received by Grants.gov after the established due date for the program will be considered late and will not be considered for funding by USGS.

Applicants using unreliable internet connections should be aware that the process of completing the Workspace can take some time. Therefore, applicants should allow enough time to prepare and submit the application before the package closing date.

Grants.gov will provide either an error or a successfully received submission message in the form of an email sent to the applicant with the AOR role attempting to submit the application. The Grants.gov Support Center reports that some applicants end the transmission because they think that nothing is occurring during the transmission process. Please be patient and give the system time to process the application.

D1. Address to Request Application Package

The application package is available from Grants.gov. General information on the grant process is available on the Landslide Hazards Program External Grants website.

Program Website Link: https://www.usgs.gov/programs/landslide-hazards/science/external-grants-overview

Electronic Application Requirement

For the FY 2024 funding cycle all proposals must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov). Hard/paper submissions will NOT be accepted. Electronic copies submitted via e-mail will NOT be accepted under any circumstances. All proposals must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov on or before: MM/DD/YYYY, at 6 pm, Eastern Daylight Time

Please be aware that the electronic submission process requires first time users to register using an e-Authentication process (SAM described above). This registration process can be somewhat complex and can take up to 3 weeks to complete. Be advised that it is virtually impossible to begin the process of electronic submission for the first time if you start just a few days before the due date.

If you have any questions or problems with the registration process, or the completion of the application package, please contact the grants.gov help desk at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov.

D2. Content and Form of Application Submission

SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance

Applicants must submit the appropriate Standard Form (SF)-424, Application for Federal Assistance. The required application forms are available with this announcement on Grants.gov. The SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance must be complete, signed, and dated. Do not include any proprietary or personally identifiable information. Please note: Enter only the amount requested from this Federal program in the “Federal” funding box on the SF- 424 Application form. Include any other Federal sources of funding in the “Other” box and provide details on those Federal source(s) and funding amount(s) in the required Budget Narrative (see the “Budget Narrative” section below).

In the Grants.gov forms, floating your mouse over a field will provide instructions for completing that field. You can also click on the Check Package for Errors button to check the entire application for validation errors (incomplete fields, etc.) To view complete forms instructions, please visit the Grants.gov Forms Repository at http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms.html

Application Preparation Instructions

Your electronic submission will include a 15-page (maximum) Project Narrative, that includes a Budget Narrative, and various additional forms that are not included in the 15-page limit. The Project Narrative and additional forms shall be submitted to www.grants.gov. Provide the requested information in the correct locations within the proposal template. Failure to do so may result in disqualification of the proposal.

Your submission must include the following components (A-E) of a Project Narrative not to exceed 15 pages. Each component is described in detail below:

1. Proposal Information Summary (Attachment C)

2. Project Abstract Summary

3. Table of Contents

4. Budget Summary (Attachment D)

5. Project Description

Your electronic submission must also include these additional forms, which DO NOT count towards the page limit:

• Standard Form 424 (SF-424) - Application for Federal Assistance (available at grants.gov)

• Standard Form 424A (SF-424A) - Budget Information: Non-Construction Programs (available at grants.gov)

• Standard Form 424B (SF-424B) - Assurances: Non-Construction Programs (available at grants.gov)

• Detailed Budget Narrative

• Data Management Plan

• Curriculum Vita

• Letters of Support from institutions outside USGS

• USGS Scientist Collaboration Statement Forms (Attachment B; if applicable)

No additional documents or materials may be submitted. Following this format ensures that every proposal contains all essential information and is evaluated equitably. Failure to comply with the required application components may result in rejection of the proposal. The USGS cannot request or receive supplemental or replacement application components after the closing date under this Program Announcement.

Project Narrative

The Project Narrative must be arranged according to the format described here. Following this format ensures that submitted proposals contains all essential information and are evaluated equitably. All pages of the Project Narrative shall be numbered and in color. All text, figures, and tables shall be sized to fit on 8½" by 11" paper, however, font size shall not be smaller than 11 point. Components A through E, described below, shall be combined into a single PDF or Microsoft Word document, in the order noted below. The Project Narrative may not exceed 15 single-spaced pages (including supplemental figures, tables, references, appendices, etc.)

The format of the Project Narrative is as follows:

1. Proposal Information Summary. This summary is mandatory for Grants.gov submitted proposals. The same format, with ALL information as shown in Attachment C, shall be included in each applicant’s Grants.gov submittal. If you do not submit this page, your proposal will be rejected.

2. Project Abstract Summary. The Project Abstract Summary is required to include the following information and shall be no longer than 400 characters including spaces:

   1. A plain language description;

   2. Award purpose (avoid acronyms or Federal or agency-specific terminology) and clearly stated objective;

   3. Activities to be performed;

   4. Deliverables and expected outcomes;

   5. Intended beneficiary(ies);

   6. Sub-recipient activities, if known or specified at the time of award.

NOTE: Upon issuance of the grant, this Project Abstract Summary will be publicly available at USAspending.gov.

3. Table of Contents.

4. Budget Summary. The budget summary is a one-page document formatted as shown in Attachment D. The elements on the budget summary will be described more fully in the Detailed Budget Narrative (below).

5. Project Description The description of the proposed project shall consist of the following parts:

   1. Significance of the Project. In a dedicated paragraph of the proposal, discuss the specific problem addressed and its importance. Describe the contribution the project will make to one or more of the Risk Reduction Priority Areas articulated (P1, P2, and P3) in Attachment A. This description is required.

   2. Project Plan. In the context of the Risk Reduction Priority Areas and the problem to be addressed by this proposed work, discuss:

      1. specific activities to be undertaken ,

      2. the conceptual framework or model to be used,

      3. the data collection and analysis plans, and

      4. the relationship of this proposed study to past studies.

Include project milestones and related due dates for the proposed work and required reports. Clearly connect anticipated findings, products, or other deliverables to the activities, models and data collection proposed. Briefly articulate how these results will address the goals and strategic activities associated with the Risk Reduction Priority Areas. Time allocations, responsibilities for the project staff members, and level of effort for personnel must also be described separately for each year of the proposal; this is critical for two-year proposals.

3. Broader Impacts (optional). It is strongly encouraged to include a statement that articulates the PI’s plan for ongoing synergistic work to address diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA), STEM education, and workforce resiliency efforts in specific aspects of the project.

4. Data Management Plan (DMP). The required DMP will indicate where final data and results generated by the project will be archived and how the data will be made publicly available to other scientists and users. Instructions for writing an acceptable DMP are found below in the Section: “Data Management Plan Requirements” The DMP does not count toward the 15-page limit.

5. Related Efforts. Describe significant, related studies conducted by members of the project team and discuss any planned coordination with other workers in the field. Include descriptions of current and recent USGS/LHP External Support grants or cooperative agreements, the relationship of those to this proposal (if any), and relevant results from previous grants or cooperative agreements.

6. Project Personnel and Bibliography of Directly Related Work. Provide curriculum vitae (2-page maximum) for all professional staff, summarizing education, experience, and the last five years’ bibliographic information related to the proposed work; a length of one-page is recommended. Curriculum vitae for non-PI staff who contribute significantly to the project must also be included. Curriculum vitae do not count toward the 15-page limit.

7. Institutional Qualifications. State the resources available at, and the relevant experience of, the institution. Resources include personnel, computer and library facilities, and ties to both sources of data and potential users of the results.

8. Current Support and Pending Applications. List all sources of support (in addition to the proposed effort) to which the senior members have committed a portion of their time for the period covered by the proposal. The information should account for 100 percent of the work time of each investigator and include titles, annual budget levels, period of the awards, and the person- months committed in each case. This section must also list projects/research being considered by, or that will be submitted to, other possible sponsors. If identical or similar work is also proposed to another institution (e.g., National Science Foundation), an explanation of the relationship of such work to this proposal should be provided.

9. Past USGS-Supported Projects. List the total amount of funding per year for which support was provided by the USGS for previous work related to this Risk Reduction Proposal, as well as the duration of each award (including no-cost extensions) and the total number of person-months committed by each Principal Investigator each year.

10. Current or Past IPA Work. In this section, please list any Intergovernmental Personnel Act Appointments you, your co-PIs, or anyone on your Project Team has had or currently has with the USGS in the last 5 years. Include a description of the work completed during the appointment.

11. References/Works Cited.

12. Conflicts of Interest. Regarding senior personnel, please state if any actual or potential conflict of interest exists at the time of submission (2 CFR §1402.112). More information on this topic can be found in the “Conflicts of Interest Disclosure” section below.

13. Letters of Support/Signed USGS Scientist Collaboration Statement Form (optional). Letters of Support are useful for all proposals that include coordination with or participation by landslide scientists/researchers at institutions other than those submitting the proposal. However, such letters are NOT acceptable from USGS scientists and if included, WILL BE REMOVED from consideration prior to proposal review and your proposal will be at risk for rejection. Instead of a Letter of Support, a signed “USGS Scientist Collaboration Statement Form”, Attachment B, is REQUIRED and MUST be included if a USGS scientist intends to collaborate with the proposal applicant(s). The applicant is responsible for providing the form to the USGS collaborator(s)to fill out and sign along with the USGS scientist’s direct supervisor. Letters of Support/Signed USGS Scientist Collaboration Statement Form do not count toward the 15-page limit.

Geospatial Requirements

All geospatial data collected for or produced through the use of the Department of the Interior financial assistance funds are required to meet all relevant standards established by the Federal Geospatial Data Committee (FGDC) as authorized by Geospatial Data Act of 2018, Pub. L. 115-254, Subtitle F – Geospatial Data, §§ 751-759C, codified at 43 U.S.C. §§ 2801– 2811. Interior requires fully compliant metadata on all Geographic Information Systems files developed for financial assistance projects. If a funded financial assistance project involves acquiring or collecting geospatial data, the recipient is required to search GeoPlatform.gov to determine that no existing Federal, State, local or private data meet the Government’s needs and are available at no cost before acquiring or collecting additional geospatial data.

SF-424C, Budget Information for Construction Programs

Applicants must submit the appropriate SF-424 Budget Information form and Detailed Budget Narrative. For non-construction programs or projects, applicants must complete and submit the SF-424A, “Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs” form. All the required application forms are available with this announcement on Grants.gov. Federal award recipients and subrecipients are subject to Federal award cost principles in 2 CFR 200.

Detailed Budget Narrative

The project budget shall include detailed information on all cost categories and must clearly identify all estimated project costs. Unit costs shall be provided for all budget items including the cost of work to be provided by contractors or sub-recipients. In addition, applicants shall include a narrative description of the items included in the project budget, including the value of in-kind contributions of goods and services provided to complete the project when cost share is identified to be included (reference section C of this announcement). Cost categories can include, but are not limited to, those costs items included on the SF-424A or SF-424C.

The proposed Detailed Budget Narrative shall be keyed to the Budget Summary (Attachment D). Non-federal funds available to support the project as “match” should be reflected in the Detailed Budget Narrative. The Detailed Budget Narrative must include the amounts proposed for each of the following items in this order:

1. Salaries and wages. List names, positions, number of hours individuals will spend on various activities, their rates of compensation, and project roles. Salaries or wages for student assistants (undergraduate and/or graduate students) working on the project are an acceptable cost to this Risk Reduction Grants Program. Tuition remission and other forms of compensation paid as, or in lieu of, wages to students performing necessary work are allowable provided that the tuition or other payments are reasonable compensation for the work performed and are conditioned explicitly upon the performance of the work. Tuition and/or tuition remission should be identified in this section of the budget. If a position is vacant, indicate the position title. Include only personnel actively involved in the project. If senior management salary/time is covered by the overhead (indirect cost) portion of the budget, senior management salary/time should not be included. If senior management personnel participate in project work, include an explanation of their roles. Non-government/non-Tribal staff working on the project should also be included if they are being supported by other funding. Salary for services or consultants should be reported in section 5 below. The detailed proposed budget shall include the total time worked on the project (in units of hours), rate-of-compensation (hourly, monthly, or annually), and job title or role of each person.

2. Fringe benefits/labor overhead. Indicate the rates/amounts in conformance with normal accounting procedures. Explain what costs are covered in this category and the basis of the rate computations. Indicate whether rates are used for proposal purposes only or whether they are also fixed or provisional rates for billing purposes.

3. Equipment. State the cost of all special-purpose equipment necessary for achieving the objectives of the project. “Special-purpose equipment” means scientific equipment having a useful life of more than 1 year and having an acquisition cost of $5,000 or more per item. Each item should be itemized and include a full justification and a dealer or manufacturer quote. General-purpose equipment must be purchased from the applicant’s operating funds (see 2 CFR 300.206(g) for match details). Title to non-expendable personal property shall be vested solely with the Recipient. Under no circumstances shall property title be vested in a sub-tier recipient. Note that the purchase of Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS or drones) must follow prohibitive Department of Interior policies, which are found here: https://www.doi.gov/aviation/uas/policy

4. Supplies. Enter the cost for all tangible property. Include the cost of office, laboratory, computing, and field supplies separately. Provide detail on any specific item, which represents a significant portion of the proposed amount. If fabrication of equipment is proposed, list parts and materials required for each and show costs separately from the other items.

5. Services or consultants. Identify the objectives or problems for which such services would be used. List the contemplated sub-recipients by name (including consultants), the estimated amount of time required, and the quoted rate per day or hour. If known, state whether the consultant’s rate is the same as they have received for similar services or under Government contracts or assistance awards.

6. Travel. State the purpose of the trip and itemize the estimated travel costs to show the number of trips required, the destinations, the number of people traveling, the per diem rates, the cost of transportation, and any miscellaneous expenses for each trip. Failure to provide this information may result in a determination of the cost as unallowable. Calculations of other special transportation costs (such as charges for use of applicant-owned vehicles or vehicle rental costs) should also be articulated. Travel expenses not to exceed $6,000 are allowable for staff to attend scientific conferences/workshops or relevant training. The staff member(s) should be identified, and a detailed breakdown for all costs related to conference/workshop travel needs to be provided. Conference travel fund requests for contractors are prohibited.

7. Publication costs. Provide the estimated cost of publishing the anticipated results of your Risk Reduction Proposal. Include costs of drafting or graphics, reproduction, and page or illustration charges.

8. Other direct costs. Itemize the different types of costs not included elsewhere, such as: shipping, telemetry, computing, and equipment-use charges, not specifically identified in other budget sections. Provide breakdowns showing how the cost was estimated; for example, computer time should show the type of computer, estimated time of use, and the established rates.

9. Total direct costs. Total items 1 through 9.

10. Indirect cost/General and Administrative (G&A) cost. Show the proposed rate, cost base, and proposed amount for allowable indirect costs based on the cost principles applicable to the Applicant’s organization. G&A should not be calculated for any tuition remission. If the Applicant has separate rates for recovery of labor overhead and G&A costs, each charge should be listed. Explain the distinction between items included in the two cost pools. The Applicant should propose rates for evaluation purposes, which they are also willing to establish as fixed or ceiling rates in any resulting award. NOTE: A copy of the indirect negotiated cost agreement with the Federal Government will be requested from all applicants recommended for an award. This request will be made at the time of recommendation notification. Please note that in the absence of a negotiated cost agreement, the maximum indirect rate that may be charged is 10% (see Section 200.414(f) of the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards). This requirement applies to ALL applicants.

11. Amount proposed. Total items 10 and 11.

12. Applicant’s contribution (i.e., Cost share/Match) to Project Cost: Non-federal match is not required; however, funding prioritization shall be given to projects for which at least 50 percent of the total cost of the project is matched by non-Federal sources. Refer above to section C2 Cost Sharing or Matching for a description of the exceptions and examples of what counts as “match”. Describe all non-federal matching funds here and provide the total sum.

13. Total Project Cost. Total Federal and non-Federal amounts, if any.

Data Management Plan Requirements

Proposals submitted to USGS must include a supplementary document of no more than four pages labeled “Data Management Plan” (DMP). This supplementary document should describe how the proposal will conform to USGS policy on the dissemination and sharing of results and associated data. A valid DMP may include only the statement that no detailed plan is needed (e.g. “No data are expected to be produced from this project”), as long as the statement is accompanied by a clear justification. This supplementary document may include:

• the types of data, samples, physical collections, software, curriculum materials, and other materials to be produced in the course of the project;

• the standards to be used for data and metadata format and content (where existing standards are absent or deemed inadequate, this should be documented along with any proposed solutions or remedies);

• policies for access and sharing including provisions for appropriate protection of privacy, confidentiality, security, intellectual property, or other rights or requirements;

• provisions for re-use, re-distribution, and the production of derivatives; and

• plans for archiving data, samples, and other products, and for preservation of free public access to them.

Additional guidance on Data Management Plans is available from the USGS Data Management web site here: https://www.usgs.gov/data-management/data-management-plans. Simultaneously submitted collaborative proposals and proposals that include subawards are a single unified project and should include only one supplemental combined DMP by the lead PI that also addresses all subaward data management needs, regardless of the number of non-lead collaborative proposals or subawards included.

Conflict of Interest Disclosure

Per the Financial Assistance Interior Regulation (FAIR), 2 CFR § 1402.112, applicants must state in their application if any actual or potential conflict of interest exists at the time of submission.

(a) Applicability.

(1) This section intends to ensure that non-Federal entities and their employees take appropriate steps to avoid conflicts of interest in their responsibilities under or with respect to Federal financial assistance agreements.

(2) In the procurement of supplies, equipment, construction, and services by recipients and by subrecipients, the conflict of interest provisions in 2 CFR 200.318 apply.

(b) Notification.

(1) Non-Federal entities, including applicants for financial assistance awards, must disclose in writing any conflict of interest to the DOI awarding agency or pass-through entity in accordance with 2 CFR 200.112.

(2) Recipients must establish internal controls that include, at a minimum, procedures to identify, disclose, and mitigate or eliminate identified conflicts of interest. The recipient is responsible for notifying the Financial Assistance Officer in writing of any conflicts of interest that may arise during the life of the award, including those that have been reported by subrecipients.

(c) Restrictions on lobbying. Non-Federal entities are strictly prohibited from using funds under a grant or cooperative agreement for lobbying activities and must provide the required certifications and disclosures pursuant to 43 CFR part 18 and 31 U.S.C. 1352.

(d) Review procedures. The Financial Assistance Officer will examine each conflict of interest disclosure on the basis of its particular facts and the nature of the proposed grant or cooperative agreement, and will determine whether a significant potential conflict exists and, if it does, develop an appropriate means for resolving it.

(e) Enforcement. Failure to resolve conflicts of interest in a manner that satisfies the government may be cause for termination of the award. Failure to make required disclosures may result in any of the remedies described in 2 CFR 200.338, Remedies for noncompliance, including suspension or debarment (see also 2 CFR part 180).

Single Audit Reporting Statement

All U.S. states, local governments, federally recognized Indian Tribal governments, and nonprofit organizations expending $750,000 USD or more in Federal award funds in the applicant's fiscal year must submit a Single Audit report for that year through the Federal Audit Clearinghouse's Internet Data Entry System. U.S. state, local government, federally recognized Indian tribal government, and non-profit applicants must state if your organization was or was not required to submit a Single Audit report for the most recently closed fiscal year. If your organization was required to submit a Single Audit report for the most recently closed fiscal year, provide the EIN associated with that report and state if it is available through the Federal Audit Clearinghouse website.

Certification Regarding Lobbying

Applicants requesting more than $100,000 in Federal funding must certify to the statements in 43 CFR Part 18, Appendix A-Certification Regarding Lobbying. If this application requests more than $100,000 in Federal funds, the Authorized Official's signature on the appropriate SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance form also represents the entity's certification of the statements in 43 CFR Part 18, Appendix A.

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities

Applicants and recipients must not use any federally appropriated funds ( annually appropriated or continuing appropriations) or matching funds under a Federal award to pay any person for lobbying in connection with the award. Lobbying is influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any U.S. agency, a Member of the U.S. Congress, an officer or employee of the U.S. Congress, or an employee of a Member of the U.S. Congress connection with the award. Applicants and recipients must complete and submit the SF-LLL, "Disclosure of Lobbying Activities" form if the Federal share of the proposal or award is more than $100,000 and the applicant or recipient has made or has agreed to make any payment using non-appropriated funds for lobbying in connection with the application or award. The SF-LLL form is available with this Funding Opportunity on Grants.gov. See 43 CFR, Subpart 18.100 and 31 USC 1352 for more information on when additional submission of this form is required.

Overlap or Duplication of Effort Statement

Applicants must provide a statement indicating if there is any overlap between this Federal application and any other Federal application, or funded project, in regards to activities, costs, or time commitment of key personnel. If no such overlap or duplication exists, state, "There are no overlaps or duplication between this application and any of our other Federal applications or funded projects, including in regards to activities, costs, or time commitment of key personnel". If any such overlap exists, provide a complete description of overlaps or duplications between this proposal and any other federally funded project or application in regards to activities, costs, and time commitment of key personnel, as applicable. Provide a copy of any overlapping or duplicative proposal submitted to any other potential funding entity and identify when that proposal was submitted, to whom ( entity name and program), and when you anticipate being notified of their funding decision. The statement and the description of overlap or duplication, when applicable, may be provided within the proposal or as a separate attachment to the application. If at any time a proposal is awarded funds that would be overlapping or duplicative of the funding requested from USGS, the applicant must immediately notify the USGS point of contact. Any overlap or duplication of funding between the proposed project and other active or anticipated projects may impact selection and/or funding amount.

D3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)

Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM.gov) Registration

This requirement does not apply to individuals applying for funds as an individual (i.e., unrelated to any business or nonprofit organization you may own, operate, or work within), or any entity with an exception to bypass SAM.gov registration with prior approval from the funding bureau or office in accordance with bureau or office policy. All other applicants are required to register in SAM.gov prior to submitting a Federal award application and obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) which replaces the Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number from Dun & Bradstreet in April 2022. A Federal award may not be made to an applicant that has not completed the SAM.gov registration. If an applicant selected for funding has not completed their SAM.gov registration by the time the program is ready to make an award, the program may determine the applicant is not qualified to receive an award. Federal award recipients must also continue to maintain an active SAM.gov registration with current information through the life of their Federal award(s).

Register with the System for Award Management (SAM)

Applicants can register on the SAM.gov website. The "Help" tab on the website contains User Guides and other information to assist you with registration. The Grants.gov "Register with SAM" page also provides detailed instructions. Applicants can contact the supporting Federal Service Desk for help registering in SAM. Once registered in SAM, entities will be assigned a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). Entities must renew and revalidate their SAM registration at least once every 12 months from the date previously registered. Entities are strongly encouraged to revalidate their registration as often as needed to ensure their information is up to date and reflects changes that may have been made to the entity's IRS information. There is no cost to register with SAM.gov. There are third-party vendors who will charge a fee in exchange for registering entities with SAM.gov; please be aware you can register and request help for free. If applicable, foreign entities who want to receive payment directly to a U.S. bank account must enter and maintain valid, current banking information in SAM.

D4. Submission Dates and Times

Due Date for Applications

MM/DD

Application Due Date Explanation

Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 6:00 p.m., ET, on the listed application due date.

D5. Intergovernmental Review

Prior to application submission, U.S. state and local government applicants should visit the OMB Office of Federal Financial Management website and view the “State Point of Contact (SPOC) List” to determine whether their application is subject to the state intergovernmental review process under Executive Order (E.O.) 12372 “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.” States not on the list do not participate in the intergovernmental review process, and therefore do not have a SPOC. If you are located within a State that does not have a SPOC, you may send application materials directly to a Federal awarding agency. If your state is on the list, contact the designated entity for more information on the state’s prior review requirements for Federal assistance applications.

D6. Funding Restrictions

Required Indirect Cost Statement to be submitted with Application

All organizations must include the applicable statement from the following list in their application, and attach to their application any documentation identified in the applicable statement:

We are:

• A U.S. state or local government entity receiving more than $35 million in direct Federal funding each year with an indirect cost rate of [insert rate]. We submit our indirect cost rate proposals to our cognizant agency. Attached is a copy of our most recently approved rate agreement/certification.

• A U.S. state or local government entity receiving less than $35 million in direct Federal funding with an indirect cost rate of [insert rate]. We have prepared and will retain for audit an indirect cost rate proposal and related documentation.

• A [insert your organization type; U.S. states and local governments, do not use this statement] that has previously negotiated or currently has an approved indirect cost rate with our cognizant agency. Our indirect cost rate is [insert rate]. [Insert either: “Attached is a copy of our most recently approved but expired rate agreement. In the event an award is made, we will submit an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency within 90 calendar days after the award is made.” or “Attached is a copy of our current negotiated indirect cost rate agreement.”]

• A [insert your organization type] that has never submitted an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency. Our indirect cost rate is [insert rate]. If we receive an award, we will submit an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency within 90 calendar days after the award date.

• A [insert your organization type] that has never submitted an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency and has an indirect cost rate that is lower than 10%. Our indirect cost rate is [insert rate; must be lower than 10%]. However, if we receive an award we will not be able to meet the requirement to submit an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency within 90 calendar days after award. We request as a condition of award to charge a flat indirect cost rate of [insert rate; must be lower than 10%] against [insert a clear description of the direct cost base against which your rate is charged (e.g., salaries; salaries and fringe benefits; or modified total direct costs). However, please note that your organization cannot charge indirect costs in excess of the indirect costs that would be recovered if applied against modified total direct costs as defined in §2 CFR 200.68]. We understand that we must notify USGS in writing if we establish an approved rate with our cognizant agency at any point during the award period.

• A [insert your organization type] that has never submitted an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency and has an indirect cost rate that is 10% or higher. Our indirect cost rate is [insert your organization’s indirect rate; must be 10% or higher]. However, if we receive an award we will not be able to meet the requirement to submit an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency within 90 calendar days after award. We request as a condition of award to charge a flat de minimis indirect cost rate of 10% to be charged against modified total direct project costs as defined in 2 CFR §200.68. We understand that we must notify USGS in writing if we establish a negotiated rate with our cognizant agency at any point during the award period. We understand that additional Federal funds may not be available to support an unexpected increase in indirect costs during the project period and that such changes are subject to review, negotiation, and prior approval by USGS.

• A [insert your organization type] that is submitting this proposal for consideration under the “Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit Network”, which has a Department of the Interior-approved indirect cost rate cap of 17.5%. If we have an approved indirect cost rate with our cognizant agency, we understand that we must apply this reduced rate against the same direct cost base as identified in our approved indirect cost rate agreement per 2 CFR §1402.414. If we do not have an approved indirect cost rate with our cognizant agency, we understand that we must charge indirect costs against the modified total direct cost base defined in 2 CFR §200.68 “Modified Total Direct Cost (MTDC)”. We understand that we must request prior approval from USGS to use the 2 CFR 200 MTDC base instead of the base identified in our approved indirect cost rate agreement. We understand that USGS approval of such a request will be based on: 1) a determination that our approved base is only a subset of the MTDC (such as salaries and wages); and 2) that use of the MTDC base will still result in a reduction of the total indirect costs to be charged to the award. In accordance with 2 CFR §200.405, we understand that indirect costs not recovered due to a voluntary reduction to our federally negotiated rate are not allowable for recovery via any other means.

• A [insert your organization type] that will charge all costs directly.

D7. Other Submission Requirements

Award Terms and Conditions

Award Recipients must comply with grant award Special Terms and Conditions (Attachment E). Submittal of an application constitutes the applicant’s acceptance of these terms and conditions for inclusion in any award resulting from their application. Any concerns with the requirements of the Special Terms and Conditions shall be presented to the USGS Project Officer and USGS Grant Specialist at least three days prior to the closing date of the Announcement.

Please be aware of the following are additional conditions:

1. No pre-award costs are authorized.

2. No-Cost Extensions to the Project Period: No-cost extensions are discouraged. The USGS/LHP awards grants for risk reduction projects that extend or supplement ongoing research, addresses current needs under the Risk Reduction Priority Areas (Attachment A), or the priorities within the USGS. The timely conduct of funded projects is of great importance to the achievement of the goals of the program. Applicants should consider their time commitments at the time of applying for a grant. Requests for no-cost extensions will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Applicants should supply documentation supporting their request for an extension, as described in Attachment E.

3. Supplemental Funds: Increases in funds beyond the amount awarded are also discouraged. The peer review panel will recommend funding at a rate commensurate with their judgment of the scientific merit and effectiveness of risk reduction of a given proposal and in consideration of the costs involved to do the proposed work. The USGS is aware that the course of any project cannot always be predicted. However, the bulk of the funds available for grants are expended early in the fiscal year and little is retained for expenses beyond emergencies or special opportunities for the program. Requests for increased funding will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Applicants should supply documentation supporting their request for increased funding.

4. Dissemination of Results: When award recipients have completed their studies, a Final Technical Report (Attachment H) must be submitted within 90 days; these reports will be posted at https://www.usgs.gov/programs/landslide-hazards/science/external-grants-overview. Projects that produce products related to landslide hazard mapping and assessments, such as hazard maps, events database, landslide studies and data collection, and other products where applied or scientific principles were employed, are strongly encouraged to publish their results in a peer-reviewed journal. Publication by organizations with an internal, peer-reviewed publication process is also acceptable. Note that scientific or technical journals are NOT acceptable to satisfy the requirements of a Data Management Plan. In addition, all data products and computer codes must be made readily available within the public domain. For awards with periods of performance longer than 12 months, recipients are required to submit interim financial reports on the frequency established in the Notice of Award.

E. Application Review Information

E1. Criteria

The following are the five areas of evaluation criteria used by an expert panel to evaluate each proposal. The criteria are weighed equally.

1. Technical Merit and Quality

This factor assesses the technical approach of the proposed work and the probability of achieving positive results within the designated performance period. Assessment includes analysis of methodologies, technology, and/or workflows. This factor also evaluates whether the proposal meets one or more of the Risk Reduction Priority Areas (P1, P2, P3) presented in Attachment A.

2. Societal Benefits

This factor assesses the value of the landslide deliverable(s) in advancing scientific understanding, improving the knowledge base, enhancing environmental health, and(or) increasing public safety, especially for underserved communities where vulnerabilities may be directly related to socioeconomic factors.

3. Knowledge, Performance, and Experience

This factor considers the scientific and technical competence of the PI and team and the promptness with which the results of previous projects/funding were disseminated to the user community. This factor includes performance records and capability to provide the necessary facilities and support that will ensure satisfactory completion of the proposed work, including dissemination to the intended audience.

4. Appropriateness and Reasonableness of the Budget

This factor considers whether the proposed budget is commensurate with the level of effort needed to accomplish the project objectives and whether the cost of the project is reasonable relative to the value of the anticipated results.

5. Address language from the National Landslide Preparedness Act

This factor assesses whether the proposal meets one or more funding prioritizations outlined in the National Landslide Preparedness Act (Public Law 116-323; Attachment F), which are: "(i) the causes, mechanisms, triggers, hydrology, and geology of landslides; (ii) ways to reduce landslide hazards and risks to minimize loss of life and property, including landslide hazard and risk communication, perception, decision making, tools, and technologies; and (iii) other goals and priorities of the national strategy established under subsection (b)(2)(A)” Priority will be given to projects that will achieve the greatest landslide hazard and risk reduction; that reflect the goals and priorities of the National Strategy for Landslide Loss Reduction; for which at least 50 percent of the total cost of the proposal is matched by non-Federal sources; and that include enhanced elevation data consistent with the 3D Elevation Program (3DEP).

E2. Review and Selection Process

1. All proposals are considered in accordance with the criteria described above. All criteria are to be weighed equally by the panel reviewers when deriving their overall score.

2. A panel of 4-7 peer members comprising of scientists, engineers, and other experts drawn from academic, federal, state, local, regional, and Tribal governments, non-profits, and private industry will review all proposals. Each panel member will read and review every proposal. After individual review, the panel will meet to discuss each proposal according to the evaluation criteria.

3. The peer review panel will make recommendations and provide advice on each proposal based on the criteria discussed in section E1. The panel will rank proposals into priority groupings in accordance with the criteria. The panel rankings are the principal determination of proposal success pending available funds. The Landslide Hazards Program (LHP) Office will make the final funding decisions based on the panel's recommendations and the LHP Science Priorities for the Fiscal Year.

E3. CFR – Regulatory information

Refer to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Award Terms and Conditions for the general administrative and national policy requirements applicable to USGS awards. USGS will communicate any other program- or project-specific special terms and conditions to recipients in their Notice of Award.

E4. Anticipated Announcement and Federal Award Dates

Following the panel reviews, the USGS will make funding decisions and will notify applicants of one of three possible decisions:

• the proposal has been recommended for funding at full or reduced levels of support, subject to appropriations;

• the proposal is being declined and will not be funded; or

• the proposal is on hold and may be funded if sufficient funds become available during the fiscal year in question.

The USGS intends to provide initial notifications to the institution and PI by the end of MONTH. For proposals that are placed on hold, secondary notification regarding funding will be provided on or before the following MONTH or when appropriations are known.

F. Federal Award Administration Information

F1. Federal Award Notices

Rejection of Applications after Initial Review

If an application does not meet all requirements specified in the Announcement, as determined by the Contracting Officer and in consultation with the USGS Project Officer, the institution and Principal Investigator will be promptly notified that the proposal will not be reviewed indicating the reason for its rejection.

F2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

See the “DOI Standard Terms and Conditions” for the administrative and national policy requirements applicable to DOI awards.

Refer to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Award Terms and Conditions for the general administrative and national policy requirements applicable to USGS awards. The USGS will communicate any other program- or project-specific special terms and conditions to recipients in their Notice of Award.

Data Availability

Per the Financial Assistance Interior Regulation (FAIR), 2 CFR §1402.315:

1. All data, methodology, factual inputs, models, analyses, technical information, reports, conclusions, valuation products or other scientific assessments in any medium or form, including textual, numerical, graphic, cartographic, narrative, or audiovisual, resulting from a financial assistance agreement is available for use by the Department of the Interior, including being available in a manner that is sufficient for independent verification.

2. The Federal Government has the right to:

1. Obtain, reproduce, publish, or otherwise use the data, methodology, factual inputs, models, analyses, technical information, reports, conclusions, or other scientific assessments, produced under a Federal award; and

2. Authorize others to receive, reproduce, publish, or otherwise use such data, methodology, factual inputs, models, analyses, technical information, reports, conclusions, or other scientific assessments, for Federal purposes, including to allow for meaningful third-party evaluation.

F3. Reporting

Financial Reports

All recipients must use the SF-425, Federal Financial Report form for financial reporting. At a minimum, all recipients must submit a final financial report. Final reports are due no later than 90 calendar days after the award period of performance end date or termination date. For awards with periods of performance longer than 12 months, recipients are required to submit interim financial reports on the frequency established in the Notice of Award. The only exception to the interim financial reporting requirement is if the recipient is required to use the SF 270/271 to request payment and requests payment at least once annually through the entire award period of performance. We will describe all financial reporting requirements in the Notice of Award.

Performance Progress Reports

Performance reports must contain a comparison of actual accomplishments with the established goals and objectives of the award; a description of reasons why established goals were not met, if appropriate; and any other pertinent information relevant to the project results. Final reports are due no later than 90 calendar days after the award period of performance end date or termination date. For awards with periods of performance longer than 12 months, recipients are required to submit interim progress reports on the frequency established in the Notice of Award.

Significant Development Reports

Events may occur between the scheduled performance reporting dates which have significant impact upon the supported activity. In such cases, recipients are required to notify the Bureau in writing as soon as the recipient becomes aware of any problems, delays, or adverse conditions that will materially impair the ability to meet the objective of the Federal award. This disclosure must include a statement of any corrective action(s) taken or contemplated, and any assistance needed to resolve the situation. The recipient should also notify USGS in writing of any favorable developments that enable meeting time schedules and objectives sooner or at less cost than anticipated or producing more or different beneficial results than originally planned.

Conflict of Interest Disclosures

Recipients must notify the program immediately in writing of any conflict of interest that arise during the life of their Federal award, including those reported to them by any subrecipient under the award. Recipients must notify the program in writing if any employees, including subrecipient and contractor personnel, are related to, married to, or have a close personal relationship with any Federal employee in the Federal funding program or who otherwise may have been involved in the review and selection of the award. The term employee means any individual engaged in the performance of work pursuant to the Federal award. Recipients may not have a former Federal employee as a key project official, or in any other substantial role related to their award, whose participation put them out of compliance with the legal authorities addressing post-Government employment restrictions. See the U.S. Office of Government Ethics website for more information on these restrictions. USGS will examine each conflict of interest disclosure based on its particular facts and the nature of the project and will determine if a significant potential conflict exists. If it does, USGS will work with the recipient to determine an appropriate resolution. Failure to disclose and resolve conflicts of interest in a manner that satisfies USGS may result in any of the remedies described in 2 CFR 200.338 Remedies for Noncompliance, including termination of the award.

Other Mandatory Disclosures

The Non-Federal entity or applicant for a Federal award must disclose, in a timely manner, in writing to the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity all violations of Federal criminal law involving fraud, bribery, or gratuity violations potentially affecting the Federal award. Non- Federal entities that receive a Federal award including the terms and conditions outlined in 2 CFR 200, Appendix XII—Award Term and Condition for Recipient Integrity and Performance Matters are required to report certain civil, criminal, or administrative proceedings to SAM. Failure to make required disclosures can result in any of the remedies described in 2 CFR 200.338 Remedies for Noncompliance, including suspension or debarment.

Reporting Matters Related to Recipient Integrity and Performance

If the total value of your currently active grants, cooperative agreements, and procurement contracts from all Federal awarding agencies exceeds $10,000,000 for any period of time during the period of performance of this Federal award, then you as the recipient during that period of time must maintain the currency of information reported to the System for Award Management (SAM) that is made available in the designated integrity and performance system (currently the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS)) about civil, criminal, or administrative proceedings in accordance with Appendix XII to 2 CFR 200.

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s)

G1. USGS Project Officer

For programmatic technical assistance, contact:

First Name: Stephen

Last Name: Slaughter

Address: USGS, Box 25046, MS 966, Denver, CO 80225

Telephone: 720-483-3945

Email: sslaughter@usgs.gov

G2. USGS Grant Specialist

For program administration assistance, contact:

First Name: Amber

Last Name: Brazil

Address: USGS National Center, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston, VA 20192

Telephone: 703-648-7477

Email: abrazil@usgs.gov

G3. USGS Contracting Officer

First Name: Sherri

Last Name: Bredesen

Address: USGS National Center, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston, VA 20192

Telephone: 703-648-7485

Email: sbredesen@usgs.gov

G4. Application System Technical Support

For Grants.gov technical registration and submission, downloading forms and application packages, contact:

Name: Grants.gov Customer Support

Telephone: 1-800-518-4726

Email: Support@grants.gov

H. Other information

Payments

Domestic recipients are required to register in and receive payment through the U.S. Treasury’s Automated Standard Application for Payments (ASAP), unless approved for a waiver by the USGS program. Foreign recipients receiving funds to a final destination bank outside the U.S. are required to receive payment through the U.S. Treasury’s International Treasury Services (ITS) System. Foreign recipients receiving funds to a final destination bank in the U.S. are required to enter and maintain current banking details in their SAM.gov entity profile and receive payment through the Automated Clearing House network by electronic funds transfer (EFT). The Bureau will include recipient-specific instructions on how to request payment, including identification of any additional information required and where to submit payment requests, as applicable, in all Notices of Award.

OMB Control Number: 1028-NEW

Expiration Date: 01/01/2023

I. Attachments

Attachment A. Priorities for FY2024

USGS Cooperative Landslide Hazard Mapping and Assessment Program

Introduction

The USGS Cooperative Landslide Hazard Mapping and Assessment Program Priorities, presented here, reflect the National Landslide Preparedness Act (Attachment F) and the National Strategy for Landslide Loss Reduction (Attachment G), which support the mission of the USGS Landslide Hazards Program (LHP) to reduce loss of lives and property from landslides and improve public safety and community resilience of the Nation. Applicants should review the risk reduction priority areas described below. Proposed risk reduction activities aim to advance landslide science and communication that underlie the priorities of the National Landslide Preparedness Act by focusing on landslide hazard planning, coordination, education, outreach, mapping, and assessments. Proposed work could: (a) advance landslide hazard mapping and assessments, (b) improve landslide hazard planning and coordination, and (c) improve dissemination and effectiveness of landslide hazard information in mitigating losses. Proposed work could also be a combination of these objectives. Proposals focused on development of new products, such as hazard maps or educational materials, must demonstrate strong collaboration and coordination with intended users. Proposals focused on landslide hazard mitigation and risk reduction for traditionally underserved communities, and for populations whose vulnerability may be directly related to socioeconomic factors, are strongly encouraged.

Risk Reduction Priority Areas

The National Landslide Preparedness Act established the National Landslide Hazards Reduction Program to address four goals:

G1. Identify and understand landslide hazards and risks:

G2. Reduce losses from landslides;

G3. Protect communities at risk of landslide hazards; and

G4. Help improve communication and emergency preparedness, including by coordinating with

communities and entities responsible for infrastructure that are at risk of landslide hazards.

To meet these four goals, the National Strategy for Landslide Loss Reduction (hereafter the “Strategy”) was written in coordination with a Federal interagency working group, identifying specific goals and strategic actions applicable to all levels of government. In consideration of the four goals above and the goals and strategic actions identified in the Strategy, the following risk reduction priority areas are recommended and described in detail below:

P1. Landslide hazard mapping and assessment

P2. Planning and coordination

P3. Education and outreach

Proposals submitted to this grant program must address at least one of the Risk Reduction Priority Areas (P1, P2, P3). This document summarizes some of the relevant goals and strategic actions discussed above; we invite those submitting a proposal to also review the National Landslide Preparedness Act and the Strategy (Attachments F and G, respectively) to improve their proposal alignment. The identified priority areas are not an exhaustive list of all potential proposal topics, nor intended to discourage submission of proposals to accomplish other important landslide risk reduction tasks. PIs are encouraged to reach out to USGS Project Officer to discuss potential topics.

Risk Reduction Priority Area P1: Landslide hazard mapping and assessments

Characterizing societal risk from landslides is an interdisciplinary endeavor that requires the data, collaboration, and coordination of local, Tribal, state, territorial, and federal agencies, as well as input from communities at-risk, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector. Key to the effectiveness of this work in reducing landslide losses is the development of better landslide hazard mapping and assessments. The hazard assessments can then be used to inform vulnerability and risk-assessment activities, which can in turn help identify where more-detailed hazard assessments and improved monitoring are needed to reduce the uncertainty of where, when, and why landslides could occur. These maps and assessments, combined with place-based sociological research, can also help focus outreach and communications about landslide risk reduction and preparedness.

Proposal topics may include:

• Landslide hazard mapping following an established protocol and using a lidar (3DEP) DEM base map. Hazard mapping may include landslide inventory, susceptibility, runout, exposure, and risk modeling for a region, municipality, or other defined area within the proposer’s jurisdictional responsibility.

• Landslide event database creation that describes spatial and temporal information related to storm events, earthquakes, or other regional landslide events. Data collected may include landslide timing, precise location, land use, damage estimates, losses, or other influences to improve the collective understanding of the impact that landslides have on people, the built environment, and ecosystem services.

• Assessments to improve our understanding of landslide behavior, including where landslides will initiate and where debris could travel after an event.

• An assessment of the influence of land use and land management practices on landslide likelihood and magnitude.

• Development of best practices and tools for landslide mapping in collaboration and coordination with state, Tribal, territorial, Federal, and local governments.

• Collecting and analyzing loss data from landslides.

• Or other topics relevant to this Risk Reduction Priority Area.

Note that for any mapping efforts that require topographic data, applicants are strongly encouraged to use lidar DEMs (e.g., data from the 3D Elevation Program (3DEP)) and to describe their usage in their proposals.

Risk Reduction Priority Area P2: Landslide planning and coordination

Reducing landslide losses requires strategies for improving preparedness and mitigation, and for increasing the Nation’s capacity to respond to and recover effectively from landslides when they affect communities, infrastructure, and other equities. Improving preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery requires planning, collaboration, and coordination across Federal agencies; state, Tribal, territorial, and local governments; academia; private industry; and nongovernmental and community organizations. Priority area 2 seeks to fund ways to improve planning and coordination among research, private industry, land management, and emergency management communities, as well as across various levels of government to ensure that the right information is in the right hands at the right time. Such coordination includes improving and standardizing linkages between landslide hazard science and operational entities responsible for providing watches and warnings, evacuation planning, and communication strategies. Formalizing roles and responsibilities for landslide response and research, as well as increasing coordination, will streamline landslide hazard responses and can result in improved short- and long-term outcomes to protect lives, property, infrastructure, and the environment.

Proposal topics may include:

• Development of landslide emergency and technical response protocols, roles and responsibilities, procedures, products, etc. to address local landslide emergencies. Partners may include emergency, land, and infrastructure managers, and others.

• Development, coordination, and facilitation of a landslide working group that shares best practices and lessons learned for effective landslide outreach, preparedness planning, education, land use practices, and other areas of landslide risk reduction and consisting of landslide experts and emergency, land, and transportation managers, planners, and others.

• Or other topics relevant to this Risk Reduction Priority Area.

Risk Reduction Priority Area P3: Landslide education, engagement, and outreach

The production of information on landslides and related hazards alone is not sufficient to reduce landslide losses and risk. Active engagement with the user community in the application and interpretation of landslide hazard information is needed for effective risk reduction. Ensuring stakeholder comprehension of landslide risk reduction products is crucial to reduce landslide losses. Early coordination of hazard and risk assessment activities with emergency managers, planners, public works, and other government officials is crucial for the development of effective mitigation strategies. Stakeholders buy-in is a critical step in information acceptance, adoption, and use. The use of hazard maps is reduced when: (a) the users don’t know the product exist; (b) users don’t understand the underlying data; and (c) the users were not provided the opportunity for input into the development of products. Active engagement with the user community provides space for dialogue on modifications to existing risk reduction products and development of new products that make work and results more relevant and applicable. The LHP supports opportunities for engaging the user community at all levels of government.

For the best available scientific information to be used, it must be delivered in a manner that is tailored to the scale and intent of the decisions and actions of its users in an accessible way. Effective loss reduction also requires education and training for at-risk people and communities, for land managers, and for other entities. Incorporating landslide hazard information into all-hazards planning efforts enables land managers and communities to: (a) address exposure of existing and future assets to landslide risk; (b) mitigate potential losses to the built environment, natural and cultural resources, and habitats that may be in these areas; and (c) respond and recover in ways to reduce the long-term effects of landslides. Preparing individuals that live and work in, or visit areas prone to landslides, will help make sure that they have the capacity to evacuate and avoid injuries and loss of life.

Proposal topics may include:

• Development of materials promoting landslide education, outreach, and engagement to the public.

• Provide collaborative engagement opportunities (workshops, trainings, etc.) for specialists and practitioners that facilitate addressing important challenges, such as: landslide hazard mitigation, response, preparedness, resilience, or similar.

• Advancing improved coordination of messages across multiple agencies by examining resources for education, crowdsourcing, and emergency management tools, for disseminating landslide information, landslide hazard products, and landslide emergency response.

• Engage user communities to assess the efficacy of existing landslide products and elicit their suggestions for improvements and new products.

• Develop new tools and products for increasing awareness of landslide hazards within the public and targeted user groups, such as emergency responders, public utilities, risk managers, decision makers, developers, and engineers.

• Develop approaches for providing landslide hazard information needed for risk assessments, and landslide mitigation and response planning to decision makers, emergency responders, and the public, particularly that cross local, state, Tribal, and territorial boundaries, and various levels of government.

• Develop landslide preparedness curricula and training modules for the public and for government officials including emergency, land, and infrastructure managers; planners; utilities; and b

• Or other topics relevant to this Risk Reduction Priority Area.

Proposal preparation guidance

Proposals submitted in response to this Program Announcement must indicate the Risk Reduction Priority Area(s) that the proposed activity addresses. Funding is only for risk reduction actives in the US, territories, and Tribal lands. Priority will be given to proposals that:

• Demonstrate strong collaboration with intended users. The inclusion of user input and engagement is critical to ensure a project aligns with stakeholder needs. For instance, collaboration with local planners and emergency managers for their buy-in and feedback should begin before starting a landslide hazard mapping project.

• Develop protocols for others to follow in the future. For example, if implementing a new landslide susceptibility model, include a protocol or publication with detailed methods for others to replicate.

• Encourage collaboration across state, Tribal, territorial, or other municipal boundaries.

• Target landslide hazard mitigation and risk reduction in underserved communities, and in populations whose vulnerability may be directly related to socioeconomic factors.

Projects that will not be considered:

• Long-term projects dependent on external funding, such a landslide monitoring or instrumentation.

Attachment B. Proposal Template - USGS Scientist Collaboration Statement Form

USGS Cooperative Landslide Hazard Mapping and Assessment Program

Red text signifies items that must be changed prior to proposal submission.

Please delete all red text before submission.

Organization Letterhead

Date

To whom it may concern:

If the proposal submitted by (INSERT FULL NAME OF PI) entitled (INSERT PROJECT TITLE) is selected for funding by the USGS, it is my intent to collaborate and/or commit resources as detailed in the submitted Project Narrative. I have discussed my commitment to collaborate on this work with my Supervisor and I will include specific efforts of the collaboration in my agreed-upon internal work plan for the period of the proposal.

___________________________________

(Signature)

[Name of USGS Collaborator]

[Title of USGS Collaborator]

_____________________________________

(Signature)

[Name of Supervisor of USGS Collaborator]

[Title of Supervisor of USGS Collaborator]

Attachment C. Proposal Information Summary Template

USGS Cooperative Landslide Hazard Mapping and Assessment Program

Use the format below for the required Proposal Information Summary:

Project Title	If a collaborative proposal, the title of the proposal must appear as follows: "Title of Proposal: Collaborative Research with First Institution Name, and Second Institution Name".
Risk Reduction Priority Areas	From Attachment A, list the Risk Reduction Priority Area(s) this proposal addresses (P1, P2, P3)
Principal Investigator(s)	(Name(s)) List all PI’s/Co-I’s for the proposal here and all contact information. (Institute/Organization Name) (Phone/email) (Street Address/P.O. Box) (City, State, Zip Code)
Authorized Institutional Representatives	The individual(s) who can represent, commit, and legally bind your organization for this grant application. (Name) (Institute/Organization Name) (Organizational Unit) (Street Address/P.O. Box) (City, State, Zip Code) (Phone/email)
Amount Requested	List amount requested for federal Fiscal Year (FY) support
Proposed Start Date	The date you would like to start work; between MMDD and MMDD of the same federal fiscal year. Indicate if the start date is: Fixed or Flexible
Proposed Duration	1 or 2 years. No awards are issued for less than 12 months.
New Proposal	If submitting a proposal for a project related to a current or recent USGS award, indicate the USGS award number and title
Resubmittal Proposal	If this is a resubmitted proposal, include title and year of submission of the previous proposal to USGS. The resubmitted proposal should identify changes made since original submission to USGS.
Has this proposal been submitted to any other organization for funding, if so, which?	Note name(s) of agency, and program or division to which this proposal was submitted. If it has not been submitted before, enter “None”
List any known CRADAs between the USGS and applicant	List title of Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA), name of USGS representative, and program under which the CRADA is entered.

Attachment D. Budget Summary

USGS Cooperative Landslide Hazard Mapping and Assessment Program

Project Title:

Principal Investigator(s):

Proposed Start Date:

Proposed Completion Date:

	Cost Category	Total
1	Salaries and Wages (list each person separately) (Example: R. Marsh: $3500; H. Dalton: $2200) Total Salaries and Wages	$
2	Fringe Benefits/Labor Overhead	$
3	Equipment	$
4	Supplies	$
5	Services or Consultants	$
6	Radiocarbon or other Dating	$
7	Travel	$
8	Publication Costs	$
9	Other Direct Costs	$
10	Total Direct Costs (items 1 thru 9)	$
11	Indirect cost/General and Administrative (G&A) cost	$
12	Amount Proposed (items 10+11)	$
13	Applicant’s contribution (i.e., Cost share/Match) to Project Cost	$
14	Total Project Cost (Total of Federal and non-Federal amounts)	$

Use this format for the required Budget Summary. The detailed budget must be keyed directly to the Budget Summary page.

Attachment E. Special Terms and Conditions

SPECIAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

2024 LANDSLIDE HAZARDS MAPPING AND ASSESSMENT PROGRAM

SECTION A – ASSISTANCE ADMINISTRATION DATA AND DELIVERABLES

A.1 Acceptance

Acceptance of a Federal Financial Assistance award from the Department of the Interior (DOI) carries with it the responsibility to be aware of and comply with the terms and conditions of award. Acceptance is defined as the start of work, drawing down funds, or accepting the award by signature or electronic means. Awards are based on the application submitted to and approved by DOI and are subject to the terms and conditions incorporated either directly or by reference below.

A.2 Payment

Payments under financial assistance awards must be made using the Department of the Treasury Automated Standard Application for Payments (ASAP) system (www.asap.gov).

1. The Recipient agrees that it has established or will establish an account with ASAP. USGS will initiate enrollment in ASAP. If the Recipient does not currently have an ASAP account, they must designate an individual (name, title, address, phone and e-mail) who will serve as the Point of Contact (POC).

2. With the award of each grant/cooperative agreement, a sub-account will be set up from which the Recipient can draw down funds. After Recipients complete enrollment in ASAP and link their banking information to the USGS ALC (14080001), it may take up to 10 days for sub-accounts to be activated and for funds to be authorized for drawdown in ASAP.

3. Inquiries regarding payment should be directed to ASAP at 855-868-0151.

4. Payments may be drawn in advance only as needed to meet immediate cash disbursement needs.

Payment for Foreign Recipients

A waiver has been granted by the Associate Director for Administrative Policy and Services because this award involves payments to a foreign Recipient.

1. Payment will be made by wire transfer utilizing the International Treasury Services through Treasury upon receipt of a properly prepared SF 270, Request for Advance or Reimbursement. Foreign recipients are required to provide bank wiring instructions in order to facilitate payments. Submit the SF 270 form to the address specified in D.1. Requests should be submitted on a quarterly basis. Request for the entire award amount will be denied.

2. Payments may be drawn in advance only as needed to meet immediate cash disbursement needs.

A.3 Assistance Administrative Information

1. USGS Grant Specialist

This Assistance Award will be administered by:

U.S. Geological Survey

Office of Acquisition and Grants

12201 Sunrise Valley Drive,

MS205 Reston, VA 20192

Amber Brazil, Grants Specialist

Phone: 703-648-7477

Email: abrazil@usgs.gov

Written communications shall make reference to the Assistance Award number and shall be mailed (or emailed) to the above address.

2. USGS Project Officer

For programmatic technical assistance, contact:

U.S. Geological Survey

Landslide Hazards Program

USGS, Box 25046, MS 966

Denver, CO 80225

Stephen Slaughter, Associate Program Coordinator for Landslide Hazards

Telephone: 720-483-3945

Email: sslaughter@usgs.gov

3. USGS Contracting Officer

U.S. Geological Survey

Office of Acquisition and Grants

12201 Sunrise Valley Drive,

MS205 Reston, VA 20192

Sherri Bredesen, National Grants Branch Chief

Phone: 703-648-7485
Email: sbredesen@usgs.gov

A.4 Dissemination of Results

The Grantee is strongly encouraged to disseminate research results promptly to the scientific community and appropriate professional organizations; local, state, regional and federal agencies; and the general public. It is the expectation of the USGS that Grantees will publish the results of any funded project in peer-reviewed scientific or technical journals. In addition, all data products and computer codes must be made readily available to the public. In accordance with 43 CFR 12.936(a) and 2 CFR 200.315(b), the Federal Government is hereby granted a royalty- free, nonexclusive and irrevocable right to reproduce, publish, or otherwise use the work for Federal purposes, and to authorize others to do so.

Data generated as a part of work funded under this program must be made readily available; there is no provision for Grantees to have exclusive access to data for a proprietary period of time. In accordance with 43 CFR 12.936(a) and 2 CFR 200.315(b), the Federal Government is hereby granted the right to receive, reproduce, publish, or otherwise use all data developed as a result of this award in any manner and for any purpose, without limitation, and may authorize others to do the same for federal purposes. Any project funded under the Landslide Hazards Mapping and Assessment Program shall fall under this clause. Should any questions arise, both the USGS Contracting Officer and the Recipient will determine which data fall in this category.

A Data Management Plan is required for all grants. The Data Management Plan should describe standards and intended actions for acquiring, processing, analyzing, preserving, publishing and other means of sharing data, and should describe data and metadata, identify how quality will be maintained, address how data will be backed up, and how data holdings will be secured. More information about Data Management can be found at https://www.usgs.gov/products/data-and-tools/data-management/data-management-plans. The data management plan is often satisfied by specifying where data will be permanently stored (e.g., the IRIS DMC, GitHub, applicant’s webpage, etc.), with the intention that the archived data set is complete enough to allow the work to be reproduced by others. The location of the archived data should be listed in the award recipient’s Final Technical Report and in all publications resulting from the work.

Grantees are subject to applicable regulations governing patents and inventions, including government-wide regulations issued by the Department of Commerce at 37 CFR part 401, ‘‘Rights to Inventions Made by Nonprofit Organizations and Small Business Firms Under Government Grants, Contracts and Cooperative Agreements.’’ Grantee agrees to disclose every subject invention which may be patentable or otherwise protectable within 60 days of the time that an inventing party reports such invention to the person(s) responsible for patent matters in the inventing organization. These disclosures should be in sufficient enough detail to enable a reviewer to make and use the invention. Grantees may retain the entire right, title, and interest throughout the world to each subject invention subject to the provisions of this clause, and 35 U.S.C. 203. With respect to any subject invention in which the Grantee retains title, the Federal Government shall have a nonexclusive, nontransferable, irrevocable, paid -up license to practice or have practiced for or on behalf of the United States the subject invention throughout the world.

If Grantees enters into an Award with a contractor, consultant, grantee, or third-party collaborator to perform any portion of this Project, such Grantee shall notify all parties to the Project and provide information about the third-party involvement within 7 days of engagement. The Grantee agrees that they will comply with and advise any contractors, consultants, or third- party collaborators to comply with all applicable Executive Orders, statutes, and regulations related to this Award.

A.5 Reporting Requirements

1. Required Reports/Documents

The Recipient is required to submit the following reports/documents:

Report/ Document	How to Submit	When Due
Publications*	Adobe Acrobat PDF file as an email attachment (or 1 reprint if PDF not possible) to the USGS Project Officer	Immediately following publication.
Annual Progress Report (multi-year awards only)	Electronically through GrantSolutions or via email to the USGS Project Officer	Annual Progress Report: Within 90 days after the end of each budget period.
Final Technical Report	Electronically through GrantSolutions or via email to the USGS Project Officer	Final Technical Report: Within 90 days after the end of the award project period.
Annual and Final Federal Financial Report (SF425)	Electronically through GrantSolutions or via email to sf425@usgs.gov	Annual Financial Report: Within 90 days after the end of each budget period. Final Financial Report: Within 90days after the end of the award project period.

* Publication means any book, report, photograph, map, chart, or recording published or disseminated to the scientific community. Preprints of articles accepted for publications will be accepted as final reports.

2. Report Preparation Instructions
   
   

The Recipient shall prepare the reports/documents in accordance with the following instructions:

1. I. All Publications

   1. Acknowledgment of Support

Recipient is responsible for assuring that an acknowledgment of USGS support:

1. is made in the Final Technical Report and in any publication (including World Wide Web pages) of any material based on or developed under this Agreement, in the following terms:

“This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Geological Survey under Grant No. (insert award number).”

2. is orally acknowledged during all news media interviews, including popular media such as radio, television and newsmagazines.

2. Disclaimer

Recipient is responsible for assuring that every Final Technical report and also every publication of material (including World Wide Web pages) based on or developed under this grant, contains the following disclaimer:

“The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the opinions or policies of the U.S. Geological Survey. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute their endorsement by the U.S. Geological Survey.”

3. USGS Logo

Use of the USGS logo (also known as "visual identity" or "identifier") constitutes the recipient’s agreement to and acceptance of the following terms:

1. The USGS identifier is trademarked and not in the public domain.

2. Use of the trademarked USGS identifier is authorized by USGS for use only by recipients of USGS funding.

3. Use is authorized on information products that result from research funded by the financial assistance award.

4. Use the USGS identifier for any other purpose without written permission from USGS is prohibited; doing so constitutes trademark infringement.

5. Recipient will adhere to the design requirements, which are as follows:

   1. The USGS identifier must appear in black, white, or green only.

   2. The USGS identifier cannot be modified in any way except for proportional sizing.

   3. The USGS identifier should appear at the same size as logos of other agencies, if any.

   4. If used on a digital product, the USGS identifier should link to www.usgs.gov

4. Publication

Publication of the results of any project carried out under this assistance award is authorized in professional journals, trade magazines, or may be made by the USGS. Such manuscripts or publications submitted to journals or professional publications for publication shall be accompanied by the following notation:

“This manuscript is submitted for publication with the understanding that the United States Government is authorized to reproduce and distribute reprints for Governmental purposes.”

5. Copies for USGS

Recipient is responsible for assuring that the USGS Project Office is provided a digital version, preferably as a MS Word DOCx file, of every accepted manuscript upon acceptance for publication by the journal.

6. Department of the Interior Requirements

Two copies of each publication produced under a Grant or Cooperative Agreement shall be sent to the Natural Resources Library with a transmittal that identifies the sender and the publication. The address of the library is:

U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resources Library

Division of Information and Library Services Gifts and Exchange Section

18th and C Streets, NW Washington, DC 20240

2. Progress Reports

1. The Recipient must submit annual progress reports electronically through GrantSolutions (https://www.home.grantsolutions.gov/home) or via e-mail to the USGS Program Officer and one copy of the transmittal letter to the USGS Grant Specialist. Unless otherwise specified in this Agreement, annual progress reports should be submitted within ninety (90) days after the end of each budget period to allow adequate time for the designated office to review the report. In the case of multi-year Agreements, failure to submit timely reports may delay processing of funding increments. For Agreements with a total anticipated performance period of twelve months (12) months or less, only a Final Technical Report will be required. A progress report is not required in the final budget year, unless the Recipient requests an extension to the project period.

2. For multi-year projects a Progress Report shall document and summarize the progress of Recipient’s work. The report will include a comparison of actual accomplishments to the objectives of the Agreement established for the budget period and overall progress in response to the performance metrics. The reasons why established goals were not met, if appropriate. Additional pertinent information including, when appropriate, analysis and explanation of cost overruns or high unit costs. An outline of anticipated activities and adjustments to the program during the next budget period. The Progress Report will follow the template provided in Attachment I of the 2024 USGS Cooperative Landslide Hazard Mapping and Assessment Program Announcement.

3. Between the required reporting dates, events may occur which have significant impact upon the project or program. In such cases, the Recipient shall inform the USGS as soon as the following types of conditions become known:

1. Problems, delays, or adverse conditions which will materially impair the ability to meet the objective of the Agreement. This disclosure must include a statement of the action taken, or contemplated, and any assistance needed to resolve the situation.

2. Favorable developments which enable meeting time schedules and objectives sooner or at less cost than anticipated or producing more or different beneficial results than originally planned.

3. Final Technical Report

1. The Recipient must submit the final technical report electronically through GrantSolutions (https://www.home.grantsolutions.gov/home) or via e-mail to the USGS Program Officer and one copy of the transmittal letter to the USGS Grant Specialist. The final technical report will be due 90 calendar days after the period of performance end date.

2. The Final Technical Report shall document and summarize the results of Recipient’s work. The report shall include a quantitative description of activities and overall progress in response to the performance metrics which documents and summarizes the results of the entire Agreement. The final report shall include tables, graphs, diagrams, sketches, etc., as required to explain the results achieved under the Agreement. The report shall also include recommendations and conclusions based upon both the experience and the results obtained. The Final Technical Report will follow the template provided in Attachment H of the 2024 USGS Cooperative Landslide Hazard Mapping and Assessment Program Announcement.

IV. Annual Financial Reports

1. The Recipient must submit an annual SF 425, Federal Financial Report, for each individual USGS award. The SF 425 is available at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/post-award-reporting-forms.html. The SF 425 will be due within 90 days following the end of the budget period.

2. The SF 425 must be submitted electronically through GrantSolutions (https://www.home.grantsolutions.gov/home) or by e-mail to SF425@usgs.gov with a cc to the USGS Grant Specialist. The Recipient must include the USGS award number in the subject line of all e-mail correspondence. If, after 90 days, the Recipient has not submitted a report, the Recipient’s account in ASAP will be placed in a manual review status until the report is submitted.

V. Final Financial Report

1. The Recipient will liquidate all obligations incurred under the award and submit a final SF 425, Federal Financial Report, in accordance with A.5(b)V no later than 90 calendar days after the Agreement completion date. 

2. Recipient will promptly return any unexpended federal cash advances or will complete a final draw from ASAP to obtain any remaining amounts due. Once 120 days has passed since the Agreement completion date, USGS shall unilaterally deobligate federal funds as reflected in the Final SF 425.

Subsequent revision to the final SF 425 will be considered only as follows:

(1) When the revision results in a balance due to the Government, the Recipient must submit a revised final SF 425, Federal Financial Report, and refund the excess payment whenever the overcharge is discovered, no matter how long the lapse of time since the original due date of the report.

(2) When the revision represents additional reimbursable costs claimed by the Recipient, a revised final SF 425 may be submitted to the USGS Grants Management Official with an explanation. If approved, the USGS will either request and pay a final invoice or reestablish the ASAP subaccount to permit the Recipient to make a revised final draw. Any revised final report representing additional reimbursable amounts must be submitted no later than 1 year from the due date of the original report, i.e., 15 months following the Agreement completion date. USGS will not accept any revised SF 425 covering additional expenditures after that date and will return any late request for additional payment to the Recipient.

Adherence to Reporting Requirement. A Recipient's failure to submit the required Final Technical Report and/or Final Financial Report by the due dates noted above will likely result in delay or non-issuance of new awards. Failure to submit a Progress Report for multi-year awards will likely result in delayed renewal of funds.

A.6 Adherence to Original Research Objective and Budget Estimate

Any commitments or expenditures incurred by the Recipient in excess of the funds provided by this award shall be the responsibility of the Recipient. Expenditures incurred prior to the effective date of this award cannot be charged against award funds.

The following requests for change require advance written approval by the Contracting Officer shown on your award. Your request must be submitted to the USGS Grant Specialist at least 30 calendar days prior to the requested effective date of the change:

1. Changes in the scope, objective, or key personnel referenced in the Recipient's proposal.

2. Request for supplemental funds.

3. Transfer of funds between direct cost categories when the cumulative amount of transfers during the project period exceeds 10 percent of the total award.

4. Acquisition of nonexpendable personal property (equipment) not approved at time of award.

5. Creation of any direct cost line item not approved at time of award.

6. Any other significant change to the award.

7. No-cost Extensions to the Project Period. No cost extensions are discouraged. The Landslide Hazards Program (LHP) awards grants and cooperative agreements for research that extends or supplements ongoing research within the USGS. The timely conduct of funded projects is of great importance to the achievement of the LHP goals. Applicants should consider their time commitments at the time of application for a grant. Requests for no cost extensions will be considered on a case-by-case basis. The USGS reserves the right to limit the length of time and number of no-cost extensions. Please note that no-cost extensions are not intended to be used merely for the purpose of expending unobligated balances. Applicants must supply documentation supporting their request for an extension.

The Recipient shall include in the request:

1. the cause of the needed extension,

2. a description of the remaining work to be completed,

3. the proposed new end date, and

4. the amount of funds remaining.

A request for an extension that is received by the USGS Grant Specialist after the expiration date shall not be honored. Requests for no-cost extensions shall be submitted to the USGS Grant Specialist at least 30 days before the grant end date.

The USGS Grant Specialist will notify the Recipient in writing within 30 calendar days after receipt of the request for revision or adjustment whether the request has been approved.

SECTION B – GENERAL PROVISIONS

B.1 Department of the Interior Standard Terms and Conditions

The Recipient shall be subject to the Department of the Interior Standard Terms and Conditions which are incorporated herein by reference and available on the Internet at: https://www.doi.gov/grants/doi-standard-terms-and-conditions

B.2 Additional Terms and Conditions

1. Research Integrity

1. USGS requires that all grant or cooperative agreement Recipient organizations adhere to the Federal Policy on Research Misconduct, Office of Science and Technology Policy, December 6, 2000, 65 Federal Register (FR) 76260. The Federal Policy on Research Misconduct outlines requirements for addressing allegations of research misconduct, including the investigation, adjudication, and appeal of allegations of research misconduct and the implementation of appropriate administrative actions.

2. The Recipient must promptly notify the USGS Project Office when research misconduct that warrants an investigation pursuant to the Federal Policy on Research Misconduct is alleged.

2. Data Availability

1. Applicability. The Department of the Interior is committed to basing its decisions on the best available science and providing the American people with enough information to thoughtfully and substantively evaluate the data, methodology, and analysis used by the Department to inform its decisions.

2. Use of Data. The regulations at 2 CFR 200.315 apply to data produced under a Federal award, including the provision that the Federal Government has the right to obtain, reproduce, publish, or otherwise use the data produced under a Federal award as well as authorize others to receive, reproduce, publish, or otherwise use such data for Federal purposes.

3. Availability of Data. The recipient shall make the data produced under this award and any subaward(s) available to the Government for public release, consistent with applicable law, to allow meaningful third party evaluation and reproduction of the following:

1. The scientific data relied upon;

2. The analysis replied upon; and

3. The methodology, including models, use to gather and analyze the data.

(c) Conflict of Interest

1. Applicability.

1. This section intends to ensure that non-Federal entities and their employees take appropriate steps to avoid conflicts of interest in their responsibilities under or with respect to Federal financial assistance agreements.

2. In the procurement of supplies, equipment, construction, and services by recipients and by subrecipients, the conflict of interest provisions in 2 CFR 200.318 apply.

2. Requirements.

1. Non-Federal entities must avoid prohibited conflicts of interest, including any significant financial interests that could cause a reasonable person to question the recipient’s ability to provide impartial, technically sound, and objective performance under or with respect to a Federal financial assistance agreement.

2. In addition to any other probations that may apply with respect to conflicts of interest, no key official of an actual or proposed recipient or subrecipient, who is substantially involved in the proposal or project, may have been a former Federal employee who, within the last one (1) year, participated personally and substantially in the evaluation, award, or administration of an award with respect to that recipient or subrecipient or in development of the requirement leading to the funding announcement.

3. No actual or prospective recipient or subrecipient may solicit, obtain, or use non- public information regarding the evaluation, award, or administration of an award to that recipient or subrecipient or the development of a Federal financial assistance opportunity that may be of competitive interest to that recipient or subrecipient.

3. Notification.

1. Non-Federal entities, including applicants for financial assistance awards, must disclose in writing any conflict of interest to the DOI awarding agency or pass- through entity in accordance with 2 CFR 200.112, Conflicts of Interest.

2. Recipients must establish internal controls that include, at a minimum, procedures to identify, disclose, and mitigate or eliminate identified conflicts of interest. The recipient is responsible for notifying the USGS Grants Management Official in writing of any conflicts of interest that may arise during the life of the award, including those that have been reported by subrecipients.

4. Restrictions on Lobbying. Non-Federal entities are strictly prohibited from using funds under this grant or cooperative agreement for lobbying activities and must provide the required certifications and disclosures pursuant to 43 CFR Part 18 and 31 USC 1352.

5. Review Procedures. The USGS Grants Management Official will examine each conflict of interest disclosure on the basis of its particular facts and the nature of the proposed grant or cooperative agreement, and will determine whether a significant potential conflict exists and, if it does, develop and appropriate means for resolving it.

6. Enforcement. Failure to resolve conflicts of interest in a matter that satisfies the Government may be cause for termination of the award. Failure to make required disclosures may result in any of remedies described in 2 CFR 200.338, Remedies for Noncompliance, including suspension or debarment (see also 2 CFR Part 180).

4. Program Income

1. If the Recipient is an educational institution or nonprofit research organization, any other program income will be added to funds committed to the project by the Federal awarding agency and Recipient and be used to further eligible project or program objectives, as described in 2 CFR 200.307(e)(2).

2. For all other types of Recipients, any other program income will be deducted from total allowable costs to determine the net allowable costs before calculating the Government's share of reimbursable costs, as provided in 2 CFR 200.307(e)(1).

4. Government Furnished Equipment or Equipment Authorized for Purchase

Title to equipment acquired wholly or in part with Federal funds shall be vested in the Recipient unless otherwise specified in the award document. The Recipient shall retain control and maintain an inventory of such equipment as long as there is a need for such equipment to accomplish the purpose of the project, whether or not the project continues to be supported by Federal funds. When there is no longer a need for such equipment to accomplish the purpose of the project, the Recipient shall use the equipment in connection with other Federal awards the Recipient has received. Disposal of equipment shall be in accordance with 2 CFR 200.313.

Insert the following if no equipment will be provided or purchased:

No equipment is provided or authorized for purchase on this grant/cooperative agreement. Insert the following if property will be provided or purchased:

The following equipment will be vested with the Recipient: (list equipment)

SECTION C - SPECIAL PROVISIONS

C.1 Geospatial Requirements

Geospatial Data Act of 2018, Pub. L. 115-254, Subtitle F - Geospatial Data §§ 751- 759C codified at 43 U.S.C. §§ 2801- 2811 -Federal recipient collection of geospatial data through the use of the Department of the Interior financial assistance funds requires a due diligence search at the GeoPlatform.gov list of datasets to discover whether the needed geospatial-related data, products, or services already exist. If the required data set already exists, the recipient must use it. If the required data is not already available, the recipient must produce the proposed geospatial data, products, or services in compliance with applicable proposed guidance and standards established by the Federal Geospatial Data Committee (FGDC) posted to www.fgdc.gov. Recipients must submit a digital copy of all GIS data produced or collected as part of the award funds to the bureau or office via email or data transfer. All GIS data files shall be in open format. All delineated GIS data (points, lines or polygons) should be established in compliance with the approved open data standards with complete feature level metadata.

2 CFR 1402.315 Availability of Data

(a) All data, methodology, factual inputs, models, analyses, technical information, reports, conclusions, valuation products or other scientific assessments in any medium or form, including textual, numerical, graphic, cartographic, narrative, or audiovisual, resulting from a financial assistance agreement is available for use by the Department of the Interior, including being available in a manner that is sufficient for independent verification.

(b) The Federal Government has the right to:

1. Obtain, reproduce, publish, or otherwise use the data, methodology, factual inputs, models, analyses, technical information, reports, conclusions, or other scientific assessments, produced under a Federal award; and

2. Authorize others to receive, reproduce, publish, or otherwise use such data, methodology, factual inputs, models, analyses, technical information, reports, conclusions, or other scientific assessments, for Federal purposes, including to allow for meaningful third-party evaluation.

(c) Bureaus and offices of the Department of the Interior must include the language in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section in full text in all NOFOs and financial assistance agreements.

– END OF ASSISTANCE AWARD DOCUMENT –

Attachment F. Public Law 115-323

Link: PUBL323.PS (congress.gov) or https://www.congress.gov/116/plaws/publ323/PLAW-116publ323.pdf

Attachment G. Landslide National Strategy for Landslide Loss Reduction

Link: ofr20221075.pdf – National Strategy for Landslide Loss Reduction (usgs.gov) or https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2022/1075/ofr20221075.pdf

Attachment H. Final Technical Report Template

USGS Cooperative Landslide Hazard Mapping and Assessment Program

Red text signifies items that must be changed prior to proposal submission.

Please delete all red text before submission.

This report will be published at https://www.usgs.gov/programs/landslide-hazards/science/external-grants-overview

The Final Technical Report shall document and summarize the results of Recipient’s work. The report shall include a quantitative description of activities and overall progress in response to the performance metrics which documents and summarizes the results of the entire Agreement. The final report shall include tables, graphs, diagrams, sketches, etc., as required to explain the results achieved under the Agreement. The report shall also include recommendations and conclusions based upon both the experience and the results obtained. The Final Technical Report will follow the report template, below.

Award Number: XXXXXXX

Title: For collaborative projects the title should be in the form: "Title: Collaborative Research with First Institution name and Second Institution name

Author(s) and Affiliation(s) with Address and zip code

Author's Telephone numbers and email address

Term covered by the award (start and end dates)

Acknowledgement of Support: This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Geological Survey under Grant No. XXXXXXXX

Disclaimer: The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the opinions or policies of the U.S. Geological Survey. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute their endorsement by the U.S. Geological Survey

Abstract

Goals and Objectives

List the goals and objectives for this grant. (Source: final project narrative. List only goals/objectives, not complete narrative.

Risk Reduction Priority Areas Funded

List only the Risk Reduction Priority Area(s), not the narrative.

Accomplishments

List accomplishments and summarize results completed by this grant in summary form, not year-by-year and task-by-task. Must contain a comparison of actual accomplishments with the established goals and objectives of the award. Include a quantitative description of activities and overall progress in response to the performance metrics which documents and summarizes the results of the entire Agreement (Attachment E). Please include tables, graphs, diagrams, sketches, etc., as required to explain the results achieved under the Agreement.

Example: [Remove examples below and replace with your own accomplishments]

• Risk Reduction Priority Area 1: Mapped 358 landslides in Adams County and published the data on our Geohazards data portal, which is available to the public (link). Met with 3 planners, 2 emergency managers, and 2 public works county personnel to teach them about the mapping products. Held one community meeting for public (28 in attendance) interested in the mapping results.

• Risk Reduction Priority Area 2: coordinated with 3 Adams County emergency managers in the development of landslide emergency protocols and emergency management plans. Met with 5 County planners to develop land use codes that reflect landslide hazards in the county.

• Risk Reduction Priority Area 3: developed an 8-page Homeowners Guide to Landslides that can be changed to meet the needs of communities and their relevant landslide hazards. Printed 10,000 copies and distributed to 5,000 equally among 8 planning offices. Link to pdf version of the guide is here: (link)

Unmet Results

Describe results anticipated but not achieved. Explain simply what happened. If you list any unmet results, make sure that funds for that activity appear on the Cash On Hand of Standard Form 425 Federal Financial Report. That is, you should have funds remaining if any result is not met. If a result were reprogrammed through an earlier action, then report the result under accomplishments.

Example: planned to map landslides in Adams and Jefferson Counties. Deferred Jefferson County to FY25 grant because Adams County landslide density was significantly higher than initially scoped. $13,000 for this activity is reported on the SF-425 as Cash On Hand at End of Period.

Note: if you have no unmet results, state “none.”

Summary

In one or two paragraphs, state how this grant has contributed toward achieving the risk reduction strategies of the USGS Cooperative Landslide Hazard Mapping and Assessment Program.

Please attach any final products resultant from this grant, including web links, resources, etc.

Bibliography

List of any publications, products, websites, resources, etc. resulting from the work performed under the award. One copy of each publication is required if the Recipient has not previously submitted them to the USGS Project Officer.

Attachment I. Progress Report Template

USGS Cooperative Landslide Hazard Mapping and Assessment Program

USE FOR MULTI-YEAR PROJECTS ONLY

Red text signifies items that must be changed prior to proposal submission.

Please delete all red text before submission.

This report will be published at https://www.usgs.gov/programs/landslide-hazards/science/external-grants-overview

For multi-year projects a Progress Report shall document and summarize the progress of Recipient’s work. The report will include a comparison of actual accomplishments to the objectives of the Agreement established for the budget period and overall progress in response to the performance metrics. The reasons why established goals were not met, if appropriate. Additional pertinent information including, when appropriate, analysis and explanation of cost overruns or high unit costs. An outline of anticipated activities and adjustments to the program during the next budget period. The Progress Report will follow the report template, below.

Award Number: XXXXXXX

Title: For collaborative projects the title should be in the form: "Title: Collaborative Research with First Institution name and Second Institution name

Author(s) and Affiliation(s) with Address and zip code

Author's Telephone numbers and email address

Term covered by the award (start and end dates)

Acknowledgement of Support: This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Geological Survey under Grant No. XXXXXXXX

Disclaimer: The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the opinions or policies of the U.S. Geological Survey. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute their endorsement by the U.S. Geological Survey

Abstract

Goals and Objectives

List the goals and objectives for this grant as stated in the Project Narrative.

Risk Reduction Priority Areas Funded

List the Risk Reduction Priority Area(s) addressed by this grant work using P1, P2, P3.

Accomplishments to date

List the accomplishments and summarize the results completed by this grant to date. Your response should be in summary form, not year-by-year and task-by-task. Please directly link your listed accomplishments with the Risk Reduction Priority Areas (P1, P2, P3) associated with this grant. Include a quantitative description of activities and overall progress in response to the performance metrics which documents and summarizes the results of the entire Agreement (Attachment E). Please include tables, graphs, diagrams, sketches, etc., as required to explain the results achieved under the Agreement.

Example: [Remove examples below and replace with your own accomplishments]

• Risk Reduction Priority Area 1: Mapped 358 landslides in Adams County and published the data on our Geohazards data portal, which is available to the public (link). Met with 3 planners, 2 emergency managers, and 2 public works county personnel to teach them about the mapping products. Held one community meeting for public (28 in attendance) interested in the mapping results.

• Risk Reduction Priority Area 2: coordinated with 3 Adams County emergency managers in the development of landslide emergency protocols and emergency management plans. Met with 5 County planners to develop land use codes that reflect landslide hazards in the county.

• Risk Reduction Priority Area 3: developed an 8-page Homeowners Guide to Landslides that can be changed to meet the needs of communities and their relevant landslide hazards. Printed 10,000 copies and distributed to 5,000 equally among 8 planning offices. Link to pdf version of the guide is here: (link)

Anticipated Results

Describe all anticipated results beyond the accomplishments to date mentioned above. Note if the anticipated results are “As Planned”, “Changed”, or “No Longer Anticipated”. Describe any changes to the anticipated results or timeline of work compared to what was provided in your grant proposal. If you have any anticipated results documented in your grant proposal that will not be achieved over the next year, please clearly state those here and briefly describe why they are no longer anticipated.

Example: AS PLANNED: We planned to build a landslide hazards website hosting decision-support tools for Adams and Jefferson County. The website construction is underway and set to be completed and go live by the end of June 2025.

Example: CHANGED: We planned to hire 2 student interns to help with field work and work on populating the new website during May-July, however, due to scheduling issues, we instead hired 3 interns during June and July to do the same work. While this will result in STEM training for an additional student, the timeframe of their work period is compressed.

Example: CHANGE TO NOT ANTICIPATED: We planned to map landslides in Adams and Jefferson Counties, however, we deferred Jefferson County to FY26 grant because Adams County landslide density was significantly higher than initially scoped. $13,000 for this activity is reported on the SF-425 as Cash On Hand at End of Period.

Summary

In one or two paragraphs, state how this grant-funded work is contributing to the risk reduction strategies of the USGS Cooperative Landslide Hazard Mapping and Assessment Program.

Please attach any final products resultant from the first part of the funding period, including web links, resources, etc.

Bibliography

List of any publications, products, websites, resources, etc. resulting from the work performed under the award. One copy of each publication is required if the Recipient has not previously submitted them to the USGS Project Officer.

1 See eCFR :: 2 CFR Part 200 -- Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards or https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200?toc=1

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