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The Global Innovation Initiative is a joint effort of the United States and the United Kingdom to strengthen global multilateral collaboration through grants to university consortia focusing on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)-related issues of global significance that foster cutting-edge multinational research and strengthen institutional international partnerships.

The goal of the NSF Section for Arctic Sciences, Division of Polar Programs (PLR), is to gain a better understanding of the Arctic's physical, biological, geological, chemical, social and cultural processes; the interactions of oceanic, terrestrial, atmospheric, biological, social, cultural, and economic systems; and the connections that define the Arctic. The Arctic Sciences and other NSF programs support projects that contribute to the development of the next generation of researchers and scientific literacy for all ages through education, outreach, and broadening participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Program representatives from polar and other non-polar NSF programs that support arctic research coordinate across NSF, including joint review and funding of arctic proposals and mutual support of special projects with high logistical costs.

The new National Ocean Policy calls for actions to improve understanding of and capacity to respond to ocean acidification, recognizing the potential adverse impacts of an acidifying sea upon marine ecosystems. The effects of ocean acidification could significantly affect strategies for developing practices towards the sustainability of ocean resources. Basic research concerning the nature, extent and impact of ocean acidification on oceanic environments in the past, present and future is required. Research challenges include: Understanding the geochemistry and biogeochemistry of ocean acidification; Understanding how ocean acidification interacts with biological, chemical and physical processes at the organismal level, and how such interactions impact the structure and function of ecosystems, e.g. through life histories, adaptive evolution, food webs, biogeochemical cycling, and interactions with other changes in the ocean (e.g., temperature, stratification, circulation patterns); and Understanding how the earth system history informs our understanding of the effects of ocean acidification on the present day and future ocean. The Ocean Acidification program is in its fifth and anticipated last year of competition. We expect this to be the last solicitation specifically targeting Ocean Acidification.

The Mathematical Biology Program supports research in areas of applied and computational  mathematics with relevance to the biological sciences.  Successful proposals are mathematically innovative and address challenging problems of interest to members of the biological community. 

The Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases program supports research on the ecological, evolutionary, and socio-ecological principles and processes that influence the transmission dynamics of infectious diseases. The central theme of submitted projects must be quantitative or computational understanding of pathogen transmission dynamics. The intent is discovery of principles of infectious disease transmission and testing mathematical or computational models that elucidate infectious disease systems. Projects should be broad, interdisciplinary efforts that go beyond the scope of typical studies. They should focus on the determinants and interactions of transmission among humans, non-human animals, and/or plants. This includes, for example, the spread of pathogens; the influence of environmental factors such as climate; the population dynamics and genetics of reservoir species or hosts; or the cultural, social, behavioral, and economic dimensions of disease transmission. Research may be on zoonotic, environmentally-borne, vector-borne, or enteric diseases of either terrestrial or freshwater systems and organisms, including diseases of animals and plants, at any scale from specific pathogens to inclusive environmental systems. Proposals for research on disease systems of public health concern to developing countries are strongly encouraged, as are disease systems of concern in agricultural systems. Investigators are encouraged to involve the public health research community, including for example, epidemiologists, physicians, veterinarians, food scientists, social scientists, entomologists, pathologists, virologists, or parasitologists with the goal of integrating knowledge across disciplines to enhance our ability to predict and control infectious diseases.

The Dynamics of Coupled Natural and Human Systems (CNH) Program promotes interdisciplinary analyses of relevant human and natural system processes and complex interactions among human and natural systems at diverse scales.

Hundreds of watersheds across Alaska have been mined in the past or are currently being mined or proposed for future mining. Stream reclamation restoration in Alaska is complex and has often failed to achieve stability goals within 10 years post construction. The protracted recovery periods and limited success are due in large part to the absence of baseline data needed for channel design and an over reliance on natural processes to facilitate recovery of disturbed streams. To enhance the probability of restoration success, baseline data on stream function and stream functional lift potential need to be gathered. In addition, regional hydraulic geometry curves need to be developed for Alaskaÿfds mining districts. Coupled with site specific baseline geomorphic data, this information can greatly enhance stream restoration success and the rehabilitation of fish and wildlife habitat. The testing and adoption of proven stream design techniques, such as Rosgenÿfds Natural Channel Design, in Alaska is also essential to developing an effective approach to improving conditions with watersheds degraded by historic or ongoing placer mining.

Background: The BLM Richfield Field Office works together with Utah State Parks, the Forest Service, and private land owners to manage and maintain the Paiute Trail and other motorized trails to provide a unique and seamless experience for users and the public. This trail is over 900 miles long and benefits the local economies of multiple communities, draws in thousands of visitors each year, and helps maintain solid working relationships between the agencies and landowners with cohesive goals to benefit the public through the motorized trail systems. The BLM has worked with and Utah State Parks for the past 5 years to provide maintenance, public outreach, and to improve the trails for the benefit of the public. The BLM Richfield Field Office is seeking proposals to assist with maintenance, education, and monitoring on the Paiute and associated OHV trails. Objective: 1. The partner and BLM will continue to provide monitoring, education, and maintenance on over 150 miles of motorized and Paiute ATV trail on public lands, provide upkeep on kiosks and trailheads, litter removal and to provide a quality experience for thousands of recreational visitors. Areas to be maintained include recreation areas and trailheads associated with the motorized trails. Otter Creek trail access including Fishermans Beach, Tamarisk Point, and South Point. Sauls Meadow, Kingston Canyon, Aurora Open Area, Glenwood Open Area, Bicknelll Bottoms Trailheads, Koosharem Reservoir, and other recreation areas and trailheads along the trails will be maintained. Work would also include public outreach and education, trail work, maintenance, sign installation and maintenance, clearing, improving, and additional work and special projects as needed along the motorized trails on public land connecting communities, state parks, and trailheads. This would ensure a well-marked, signed, and maintained long-distance trail system with adequate support facilities that are open to the general public for recreati

EPA is soliciting applications for grants and/or cooperative agreements to be awarded as part of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. EPA will award approximately $13.9 million under a Request for Applications for up to about 40 projects, contingent upon funding availability, the quality of applications received and other applicable considerations. This RFA is EPA's major competitive grant funding opportunity under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative for fiscal year 2015. It is one of several funding opportunities available through federal agencies under the GLRI. Categories (Funding Opportunity Number): *Invasive Species Prevention (EPA-R5-GL2015-ISP) *Invasive Species Control (EPA-R5-GL2015-ISC) *Urban Watershed Management Implementation (EPA-R5-GL2015-UWM) *Agricultural Watershed Management Implementation (EPA-R5-GL2015-AWM) *Maumee River Watershed Nutrient Prevention Pilot Project (EPA-R5-GL2015-MNP)

The Office of Federal Activities in the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is requesting proposals for a cooperative agreement in support of the International Network of Environmental Compliance and Enforcement (INECE). INECE (www.inece.org) is an informal international partnership promoting compliance and enforcement of domestic and international environmental laws through networking, capacity building, and enforcement cooperation. INECE is not part of the United States Government. Comprising 2,500 practitioners from international organizations, governmental agencies and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), INECE is exclusively dedicated to promoting cooperation among governmental and non-governmental stakeholders on environmental compliance and enforcement.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as part of the P3-People, Prosperity and the Planet Award Program, is seeking applications proposing to research, develop, and design solutions to real world challenges involving the overall sustainability of human society. The P3 competition highlights the use of scientific principles in creating innovative projects focused on sustainability. The P3 Award program was developed to foster progress toward sustainability by achieving the mutual goals of improved quality of life, economic prosperity and protection of the planet -- people, prosperity, and the planet - the three pillars of sustainability. The EPA offers the P3 competition in order to respond to the technical needs of the world while moving towards the goal of sustainability. Please see the P3 website for more details about this program.

Description of Program and/or Project a. Background: The BLM conducts population and habitat monitoring of Sonoran desert tortoise at previously established, 1 square mile, long term monitoring plots in the Tortilla and Maricopa Mountains of south central Arizona to determine current population and habitat status and trend using established protocols. Methods consist of mark/recapture surveys. Individual desert tortoises will be located, mapped, marked, measured and evaluated for presence of disease indicators. Habitat parameters, including vegetative composition will be measured and the presence of potential tortoise and habitat stressors will be documented and assessed. Data will establish current population demographic composition, presence of disease, recruitment, habitat conditions and presence and magnitude of threats to the population and habitat. Data will be compared with previous years and summarized in a monitoring report. b. Objectives: Determine current population demographic composition, presence of disease, recruitment, habitat composition and condition, and presence and magnitude of threats to the population and habitat at 2 locations in the Sonoran Desert following established protocols. Compare current conditions with historical data to determine trends and disseminate information to Arizona Interagency Desert Tortoise Team members.

The overall goal of EESLR is to facilitate informed adaptation planning and coastal management decisions through a multidisciplinary research program that results in integrated models and tools of dynamic physical and biological processes capable of evaluating vulnerability and resilience under multiple SLR, inundation, and coastal management scenarios.

2015 Forest Service National Urban and Community Forestry Challenge Cost Share Grant Deadline: December 15, 2015 The Secretary of Agriculture has a congressionally designated advisory council that assists the U.S. Forest Service in establishing the grant categories and recommendations of final proposals for the Forest Service to consider. This is the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council (NUCFAC). The Council serves to advise the Secretary of Agriculture on the status of the nation's urban and community forests and related natural resources. The NUCFAC seeks to establish sustainable urban and community forests, by encouraging communities of all sizes to manage and protect their natural resources, which, if well managed, improves the public's health, well-being, economic vitality, and creates resilient ecosystems for present and future generations. The Council recommends urban and community forestry projects that have national or multi-state application and impact through the U.S. Forest Service's competitive Urban and Community Forestry Challenge Cost Share Grant Program. This year, the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council (NUCFAC) has identified three national grant categories: 1. Analysis and Solutions for Development and Redevelopment Impacts on Urban and Community Forests, 2. Building Human Health Through Urban and Community Forestry, and 3. Climate Change and Its Impact on Trees and Water. An applicant may apply to more than one category; however they are to use a separate application for each category. The purpose of these grants is to address national issues. This RFP is not for local or State-wide projects. Click on link http://www.fs.fed.us/ucf/nucfac.shtml for full information on the 2016 Urban and Community Forestry Challenge Cost Share Grant. Search [CFDA number: 10.675], or [Grant Opportunity No.: USDA-FS-UCF-01-2016]. The grant applications are to be submitted through www.grants.gov. Contact Nancy Stremple, Natural Re

NMFS, in coordination with the New England Fishery Management Council (Council), is soliciting Atlantic Sea Scallop (scallop) research proposals to utilize scallop Total Allowable Catch (TAC) that has been set-aside by the Council to fund scallop research endeavors through the 2016/2017 Atlantic Sea Scallop Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program. No federal funds are provided for research under this notification. Rather, proceeds generated from the sale of RSA quota will be used to fund research activities and compensate vessels that participate in research activities and/or harvest set-aside quota. Projects funded under the Scallop RSA Program must enhance the knowledge of the scallop fishery resource or contribute to the body of information on which scallop management decisions are made. Priority will be given to scallop research proposals that investigate research priorities identified by the Council, which are detailed under the Program Priorities section of this announcement.

The BLM is interested in partnering with a recipient to conduct research on the effectiveness of forest and rangeland restoration projects in Nevada

The Lakeview BLM in cooperation with the Lake County Cooperative Weed Management Area has been actively surveying the North Warner Sage Grouse Project Planning Area through a past agreement through both aerial and ground based survey methods. The North Warner area covers 222,667 acres of checker boarded ownerships of BLM, USFS, Oregon Department of State Lands and private lands. To date surveys have taken place over 130,000 acres. The North Warner project planning area falls within the Lakeview BLM Resource Area and is approximately 50 miles Northeast of Lakeview on the eastside of the Warner Mountain range. Studies have shown invasions of annual grass species could easily degrade the habitat for sage grouse and other wildlife species. Medusahead Rye and other non-native winter annual grass species were discovered the summer of 2010. The infestations have been found on all four of the ownerships. The majority of the infestations are small isolated infestations that could effectively be managed though cooperative control efforts. The issue in the past has been the lack of effective herbicides available for use on BLM lands. However, the NEPA to allow the use of imazapic and other more effective herbicides has been completed and should be available for use by the fall of 2015. This project will allow continued coordination among all of the land managers in the North Warner area. One of the biggest needs is education for all of the land managers, which will improve accurate identification of the annual grass species invading the North Warner Area. Surveys will need to continue to cover the southern portion of the project area. Once the use of imazapic use is finalized, large scale cooperative projects can be planned across all of the jurisdiction boundaries. These large scale projects will entail a lot of coordination and planning.

Protecting its clients and the community from risks is at the core of AXA's purpose. Convinced that researching today will help better protecting tomorrow, the AXA Group has created the AXA Research Fund in 2007. Its mission is to boost scientific progress and discoveries that contribute to understand and better prepare against environmental, life and socio-economic risks. It thus fosters innovative world-class research on those major risks.

 Within this general framework, ARPA-E seeks transformative ideas that enable the most efficient, economical, sustainable, and environmentally benign conversion of energy while minimizing exergy destruction.

The National Marine Fisheries Service Southeast Region (Fisheries Southeast Regional Office) is seeking proposals under the Gulf of Mexico B-WET Program. The Gulf of Mexico B-WET program is a competitive, environmental education, grants program that promotes locally relevant, experiential learning in the K-12 environment. Funded projects provide Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs) for students, related professional development for teachers, and help to support regional education and environmental priorities in the Gulf of Mexico.