Correcting streamflow biases in watershed hydrology simulations | BOR PN 18 N0021

Opportunity Information: Apply for BOR PN 18 N0021

The grant opportunity titled "Correcting streamflow biases in watershed hydrology simulations" is a Bureau of Reclamation initiative focused on improving the accuracy and usability of watershed-scale hydrology modeling, particularly the daily streamflow outputs that often feed into larger water resources planning and operations models. The work sits under Reclamation's Research and Development Office (R and D), which funds applied science and technology projects that support the agency's mission to manage, develop, and protect water and related resources in ways that are both environmentally responsible and economically practical for the American public. In this case, the central technical problem is that modeled hydrology datasets, even when produced by reputable watershed models, can contain systematic bias in streamflow (for example, consistently overpredicting or underpredicting flows, missing peak timing, or distorting low-flow conditions). Those biases can propagate into downstream decision-support tools used for reservoir operations, drought planning, flood risk considerations, environmental compliance, and long-range water supply assessments. The project described in the notice is intended to explore and evaluate newer techniques for correcting those biases so that daily modeled hydrology can be integrated more reliably into water resources models.

A key administrative point is that this announcement is explicitly not a request for applications. Instead, it serves as a public notice of the Bureau of Reclamation's intent to fund specific project activities without full and open competition. In practical terms, that means Reclamation is signaling it plans to make an award through a non-competitive process rather than running an open call where multiple applicants submit proposals for review. The funding instrument identified is a cooperative agreement, which generally implies substantial involvement by the federal agency during the project, such as collaboration on technical direction, data access, evaluation, or integration of outcomes into Reclamation workflows.

The opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding and falls under the Natural Resources activity category, with CFDA number 15.560. Eligibility is limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, which indicates the intended recipient is within the public university system rather than private universities, for-profit entities, or non-profits. The funding opportunity number is BOR PN 18 N0021. The notice lists an award ceiling of $237,022, suggesting the maximum planned federal funding for the effort is up to that amount. The posting was created on July 30, 2018, with an original closing date of August 13, 2018, which in this context functions more like an administrative timeline for the public notice rather than a deadline for proposal submissions, since applications are not being solicited.

Overall, the opportunity is best understood as a targeted R and D investment meant to advance methods for bias correction in simulated streamflow time series at daily resolution, with the broader objective of strengthening how hydrology model outputs are translated into operational and planning models used across Reclamation's water management responsibilities.

• The Bureau of Reclamation in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Correcting streamflow biases in watershed hydrology simulations" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.560.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2018-07-30.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-08-13. (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 $237,022.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.

Apply for BOR PN 18 N0021

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