Opportunity Information: Apply for USGS FA 18 0234

This grant opportunity is a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Notice of Intent to make a single cooperative agreement award to the University of Hawaii at Hilo for a project titled "Cooperative Monitoring and Assessment of Hawaii Volcano Hazard." It sits under CFDA 15.818 and is categorized as a discretionary award using a cooperative agreement, which typically means USGS staff expect to be actively involved in the work rather than simply funding it at arm's length. The opportunity was created on July 9, 2018, with an original closing date of July 23, 2018. The listed award ceiling is $1,029,995, and the eligible applicant type specified is public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, aligning with the intent to support the University of Hawaii system.

The central purpose of the project is to strengthen volcano monitoring and hazard assessment for Kilauea and Mauna Loa by ensuring the day-to-day functionality and scientific usefulness of the monitoring network and its data products. A major component involves maintaining the monitoring instruments installed on these volcanoes and carrying out the full data lifecycle: collecting measurements, processing them into usable formats, and creating clear visualizations that can support scientific analysis and operational decision-making. The work is explicitly framed as collaborative with Hawaii Volcano Observatory (HVO) staff, emphasizing that the effort is meant to directly support active USGS volcano monitoring operations in Hawaii.

Another key objective is workforce and capacity building through hands-on student support. The project includes support for students who will work closely with the Principal Investigator and with staff at the Center for the Study of Active Volcanoes (CSAV). This suggests a training pipeline where students contribute to real monitoring and assessment tasks while gaining experience with volcanic hazards work, data systems, and applied research methods, all in coordination with HVO personnel.

On the technical and software side, the project emphasizes continued implementation and development of the VALVE software. While the notice does not define VALVE in the text provided, it is clearly treated as an important operational tool tied to monitoring data handling, analysis, and/or visualization. Beyond VALVE, the award’s scope includes broader software development to improve data collection and analysis workflows and to make collaboration with HVO more efficient. In practical terms, this points to building and maintaining tools that help move monitoring data from instruments to usable information products, reduce bottlenecks, and support rapid interpretation during eruptive activity.

The opportunity also highlights public-facing and decision-support communication goals through the development of web-based publication of hazards and risk information. This indicates an intent to translate monitoring and assessment outputs into accessible online products, likely to aid situational awareness for scientists, emergency managers, and the public. Web publication work typically involves establishing reliable data feeds, building interfaces that present maps, plots, and summaries, and ensuring information is current and consistent with operational messaging during changing volcanic conditions.

A scientific collaboration component focuses on analyzing eruptive products associated with Kilauea’s ongoing eruption at the time of the notice. This implies coordinated work between University of Hawaii at Hilo/CSAV and HVO to examine materials produced by eruptions (such as lava, tephra, and related deposits) to better understand eruption behavior, hazards, and impacts. Such analyses can feed back into hazard assessments by improving models of eruption dynamics, mapping hazard footprints, and identifying indicators relevant to monitoring signals.

Finally, the project includes building and populating an information database on prior eruptions of Mauna Loa and Kilauea. This historical database effort is aimed at consolidating eruption records and related datasets into a structured resource that can be used for long-term hazard assessment, comparative studies, and improved forecasting context. A well-designed eruption history database can support scenario planning, probabilistic hazard analyses, and more consistent interpretation of current unrest by grounding it in patterns observed in past activity.

Overall, the opportunity is best understood as an integrated monitoring, software, data management, training, and applied research effort designed to keep Hawaii’s volcano monitoring infrastructure reliable and to improve the speed, quality, and accessibility of hazard and risk information. It is explicitly collaborative with HVO and oriented toward operational needs at Kilauea and Mauna Loa, combining immediate eruption-focused work with longer-term investments in tools, web products, and historical data systems.

  • The Geological Survey in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Notice of Intent: Cooperative Monitoring and Assessment of Hawaii Volcano Hazards" and is now available to receive applicants.
  • Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.818.
  • This funding opportunity was created on 2018-07-09.
  • Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-07-23. (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 $1,029,995.00 in funding.
  • Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.
Apply for USGS FA 18 0234

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is this grant opportunity?

This is a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Notice of Intent to make a single cooperative agreement award for a project titled "Cooperative Monitoring and Assessment of Hawaii Volcano Hazard."

Which agency is offering the award?

The award is offered by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

What type of award is being used?

The opportunity is categorized as a discretionary award using a cooperative agreement.

What does "cooperative agreement" imply for this project?

A cooperative agreement typically means USGS staff expect to be actively involved in the work, rather than simply providing funding with minimal federal participation.

Is this a competitive funding opportunity?

Based on the notice text provided, it is a Notice of Intent to make a single award (not a broad, open competition), with the intended recipient identified.

Who is the intended award recipient?

The notice states USGS intends to make a single cooperative agreement award to the University of Hawaii at Hilo.

Who is eligible to apply?

The eligible applicant type listed is public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, aligning with the stated intent to support the University of Hawaii system.

What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?

The opportunity sits under CFDA 15.818.

When was the opportunity created?

The opportunity was created on July 9, 2018.

What was the original closing date?

The original closing date listed is July 23, 2018.

What is the maximum (ceiling) award amount?

The listed award ceiling is $1,029,995.

What is the main purpose of the project?

The central purpose is to strengthen volcano monitoring and hazard assessment for Kilauea and Mauna Loa by ensuring the day-to-day functionality and scientific usefulness of the monitoring network and its data products.

Which volcanoes are specifically covered by the project?

The scope specifically mentions Kilauea and Mauna Loa.

How does the project support volcano monitoring operations?

The project is designed to keep monitoring instruments functioning, support the full monitoring data lifecycle (collection, processing, visualization), and produce outputs that support scientific analysis and operational decision-making.

What kinds of field or instrument work are included?

A major component involves maintaining the monitoring instruments installed on Kilauea and Mauna Loa to support ongoing monitoring operations.

What is meant by the "full data lifecycle" in this notice?

As described, it includes collecting measurements, processing them into usable formats, and creating clear visualizations to support analysis and operational decisions.

Who is the key USGS operational partner for this work?

The notice emphasizes collaboration with Hawaii Volcano Observatory (HVO) staff and frames the effort as directly supporting active USGS volcano monitoring operations in Hawaii.

How is collaboration with HVO described in the opportunity?

Collaboration with HVO staff is explicit and central: the work is meant to directly support monitoring operations, improve workflows, and coordinate scientific and data activities with HVO personnel.

Does the project include student involvement or workforce development?

Yes. The project includes hands-on student support as part of workforce and capacity building.

How will students be involved in the project?

Students are expected to work closely with the Principal Investigator and with staff at the Center for the Study of Active Volcanoes (CSAV), contributing to real monitoring and assessment tasks while gaining experience in volcanic hazards work and related data systems and methods.

What is CSAV in the context of this opportunity?

The notice references the Center for the Study of Active Volcanoes (CSAV) as a collaborator in student support and hands-on work associated with monitoring and assessment activities.

What software development is included in the scope of work?

The project emphasizes continued implementation and development of the VALVE software and includes broader software development to improve data collection and analysis workflows and to make collaboration with HVO more efficient.

What is VALVE?

The notice treats VALVE as an important operational tool tied to monitoring data handling, analysis, and/or visualization, but it does not define VALVE in the provided text.

What practical outcomes are expected from the software work?

Based on the description, software work is intended to help move monitoring data from instruments to usable information products, reduce bottlenecks, improve data collection and analysis workflows, and support rapid interpretation during eruptive activity.

Does the opportunity include public-facing information products?

Yes. The scope includes developing web-based publication of hazards and risk information.

What does "web-based publication of hazards and risk information" mean here?

The notice indicates an intent to translate monitoring and assessment outputs into accessible online products that can support situational awareness for scientists, emergency managers, and the public.

What types of web products are implied by the notice?

While specific deliverables are not enumerated in the text provided, the description implies reliable online presentation of maps, plots, and summaries, supported by dependable data feeds and consistent, current information during changing volcanic conditions.

Is there a research component in addition to monitoring and software?

Yes. The opportunity includes a scientific collaboration component focused on analyzing eruptive products associated with Kilauea's ongoing eruption at the time of the notice.

What are "eruptive products" in this project context?

The notice describes eruptive products as materials produced by eruptions (for example, lava, tephra, and related deposits) that can be analyzed to better understand eruption behavior, hazards, and impacts.

How can analysis of eruptive products support hazard assessment?

As described, these analyses can feed back into hazard assessments by improving understanding of eruption dynamics, supporting hazard footprint mapping, and helping identify indicators relevant to monitoring signals.

Does the project include building any databases or historical records?

Yes. The project includes building and populating an information database on prior eruptions of Mauna Loa and Kilauea.

What is the purpose of the eruption history database?

Its purpose is to consolidate eruption records and related datasets into a structured resource that supports long-term hazard assessment, comparative studies, and improved forecasting context grounded in patterns from past activity.

How does this project balance immediate operational needs with longer-term goals?

The opportunity is described as integrating immediate eruption-focused work (including ongoing Kilauea eruption product analysis and operational monitoring support) with longer-term investments in tools, web products, and historical data systems that strengthen hazard assessment over time.

What is the overall focus of the grant when summarized?

Overall, it is an integrated monitoring, software, data management, training, and applied research effort intended to keep Hawaii's volcano monitoring infrastructure reliable and to improve the speed, quality, and accessibility of hazard and risk information, in explicit collaboration with HVO and with a focus on Kilauea and Mauna Loa.

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