Preparing for the Future: Developing Next Generation Ecological Models and Tools to Predict Ecological Futures for USACE Operations | W81EWF 20 SOI 0018

Opportunity Information: Apply for W81EWF 20 SOI 0018

Preparing for the Future: Developing Next Generation Ecological Models and Tools to Predict Ecological Futures for USACE Operations is a discretionary research opportunity from the Department of Defense, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC). The project is aimed at closing a major gap between today s ecological modeling and the kind of quantitatively strong, decision-ready forecasting that engineering models often provide. In practical terms, USACE manages and operates large, connected river and waterway systems that support navigation, flood risk management, and coastal storm damage reduction, and those systems are increasingly stressed by changing climate patterns, shifting hydrology, and biological invasions. The grant is intended to produce next generation integrated ecological models and supporting tools that can predict how ecological conditions will change over space and time, especially under uncertain future scenarios.

The core motivation is that inland and intracoastal navigable waterways behave like tightly coupled systems where physical processes (flow, sediment, channel form, groundwater exchange), ecological dynamics (community composition, invasive species spread, benthic habitat), and social or economic drivers interact. USACE needs improved forecasting to anticipate outcomes such as invasive species colonizing new regions, native species responses to altered flow regimes, and ecological changes that may affect infrastructure performance or management strategies. The opportunity emphasizes that better ecological prediction is not just an academic exercise; it is meant to inform sustainable, balanced approaches that account for both public benefits and environmental needs.

The anticipated work is structured around building the empirical backbone needed for stronger models. A university partner (or similarly qualified cooperator) is expected to conduct field and laboratory studies that identify the physical and environmental drivers shaping ecological responses across multiple spatial and temporal scales. A major deliverable is a robust, field-based dataset that links environmental variables to the distribution and abundance of aquatic species, including both native and invasive organisms, and including species in surface waters and the hyporheic zone (the subsurface region where groundwater and stream water mix). The work is designed to span different hydrogeomorphic settings, meaning it should capture variability across watershed forms, channel types, and flow or sediment regimes rather than focusing on a single uniform site condition.

Several specific research threads are highlighted. One is fine-scale quantification of how benthic communities (organisms living on or in the bottom substrate, often including invertebrates) respond to flow changes and how those responses translate into spatial patterns of distribution for both invasive and native taxa. Another is streamflow-focused studies that examine how climatic disturbances, especially floods and droughts, change ecological responses through time, capturing both immediate disturbance effects and longer-term community shifts. The opportunity also calls for investigating positive and negative associations among species in relation to their distributions and abundances, with an emphasis on teasing apart whether these associations arise from direct biological interactions (such as competition or facilitation) or from shared responses to abiotic conditions (such as flow velocity, temperature, substrate, or water chemistry). A further objective is to quantify relationships between watershed hydrogeomorphology and species distributions within the watershed, strengthening the ability to generalize predictions from site measurements to broader network scales.

All of these efforts feed into the central modeling outcome: generating parameter estimates and empirical relationships needed to develop and parameterize next generation integrated ecological models that can forecast ecological responses, including invasive species colonization, under changing environmental conditions. In other words, the field and lab work is not framed as standalone monitoring; it is explicitly intended to produce model-ready inputs and defensible parameters that improve predictive skill.

From an application standpoint, the notice indicates that at the time of posting they were requesting demonstrations of qualifications and skills for performing similar work, rather than a full technical proposal immediately. Applicants are expected to show relevant research experience, particularly in river systems across climatic, ecological, and geomorphic gradients, groundwater surface water exchanges (including hyporheic processes), benthic invertebrates, and hydrodynamic processes. Selection for a later request for proposal would be based on the expertise and capabilities presented in the Statement of Interest (SOI).

Key administrative details from the source listing include the funding opportunity number W81EWF 20 SOI 0018, funding instrument type Cooperative Agreement, activity category Science and Technology and other Research and Development, and CFDA 12.630. The opportunity anticipated a single award with an award ceiling of 7,500,000. The posting date was April 15, 2020, with an original closing date of May 15, 2020. Eligibility is listed broadly as Others with additional eligibility clarification referenced in the full notice.

• The Department of Defense, Engineer Research and Development Center in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Preparing for the Future: Developing Next Generation Ecological Models and Tools to Predict Ecological Futures for USACE Operations" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.630.
• This funding opportunity was created on Apr 15, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 15, 2020. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $7,500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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