Date | Activity |
October 21, 2021 1:00p ET | RFP informational webinar |
December 1, 2021 | Deadline for Letter of Intent (required) |
January 28, 2022 11:59pm ET | Deadline for Proposals |
February, 2022 | Panel Meeting (exact date TBD) |
March 21, 2022 | Awards announced |
August, 2022 | Face-to-face meeting (exact date and format TBD) |
October 1, 2022 | Progress report deadline and check-in meeting (see below) |
March 31, 2023 | All work must be completed. Award funding must be expended (not just obligated). |
June 30, 2023 | Summary reports due |
FY22 Risk RFP Guidance (start here!): Risk FY22 RFP Guidance.pdf
FY22 Risk RFP Letter of Intent Form (required) (due Dec. 1, 2021): https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=urWTBhhLe02TQfMvQApUlBe1F4ezmNJKklmgEluIQhFUQkYzVFVKOUpHVzVBN0tZUEE4WlBMSUlBVSQlQCN0PWcu
(you may preview the LOI form and use this Word doc version for planning your LOI submission: Risk RFP FY22 LOI Form Planning Document.docx)
FY22 Risk RFP Proposal Template (proposals due Jan. 28, 2022): FY22 Risk Research and Applications Proposal Template.docx
FY22 Risk RFP Proposal Budget Form: FY22 Risk RFP Budget Form.xlsx
Scheduled Office Hours:
In your strategy and approach section, we encourage you to think about measures of success and project outcomes. How much engagement will the project perform to test usability or receive local input in planning objectives? Given the social vulnerability theme, will your project consider the unique needs or develop strategies to specifically engage historically underserved groups? In the end, how will the project help reduce risk, inform planning, or foster resilience? Below, we have some examples of ideas, metrics, or indicators to help brainstorm for possible project goals. Please reach out to our social scientists for more information.
Social Inclusion Metrics can include: Community Engagement/Needs Assessment; Limited Engagement; Local Leader Consultation; Community Forums; Co-production
DEIA: Renter Needs; Language Barriers; Preferred Modes of Communication; Dissemination Plans
Risk Reduction Metrics: Decision Making; Tool Use/Adoption; Plan Development; Building Codes; Community Rating System
The Risk Plan was intended to be relevant to all hazards that USGS studies. In the Plan, hazard is defined “a dangerous process, phenomenon, substance, activity, or condition that may cause loss of life, injury or other health impacts, property damage, loss of livelihoods and services, social and economic disruption, or environmental damage.” Therefore, projects related to geohazards (e.g., earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, coastal storms), wildfires, contaminants, wildlife disease outbreaks, as well as slow-onset events (e.g., drought, sea level rise, long-term erosion or subsidence) -- or any combination of these -- are eligible. Importantly, keep in mind that the Risk Plan (and this RFP) focuses on the intersection of hazards and society; projects solely focused on hazards, and not their potential impact to assets of societal value, will not be as competitive.
In the Risk Plan, risk is defined as the potential for the full or partial loss of something of societal value due to current or proposed courses of action under conditions of uncertainty regarding real-time and future adverse events. Therefore, within the USGS plan, risk is more broadly characterized as the confluence of a hazard with societal assets or systems exposed to that hazard.
The Risk Plan is available here. In addition, the USGS published a Top Story on the Plan, which is available here and the Natural Hazards Center also published a story on the Risk Plan, available here.
The Risk Research and Applications Community of Practice was created to convene like-minded scientists, communication experts, and staff from across USGS to discuss issues relevant to risk research and applications. Monthly meetings occur on the 3rd Thursday of each month at 1p ET and include a mix of presentations, discussions, and announcements about relevant resources, events, and activities. Past meetings are archived on the community wiki. Anyone interested is welcome to attend and ideas for future meetings are always appreciated. To join the Risk Research and Applications Community of Practice, visit https://listserv.usgs.gov/mailman/listinfo/cdi-risk Joining will add you to the email distribution list and provide access to the community wiki.
Yes. Please be aware that all contracts and/or cooperative agreements must be developed and executed through the funded cost center and are subject to compliance with Bureau policy and procedures. Every effort should be made to identify the contractor/services (e.g., name, expertise/qualifications) BEFORE submitting the proposal so that the panel can understand the expertise of this team member or component of the proposal.
Awardees will be notified directly by email. Awards will be announced beginning on March 21, 2022 and will be posted on the Risk Community of Practice wiki page (see https://my.usgs.gov/confluence/x/DoIcJQ). Community membership is required to access this site. To join the Risk Research and Applications Community of Practice, visit https://listserv.usgs.gov/mailman/listinfo/cdi-risk
Yes. This RFP is open to all USGS Federal employees. However, if there is uncertainty in the duration of your position, please discuss this opportunity with your Supervisor to ensure that the work can be completed if you depart and include a brief explanation of your contingency plan in the proposal narrative.
Proposals should be prepared using the Lead PI cost center burden/overhead rate. Please verify your cost center burden/overhead rate with your Administrative Officer.
Yes, as long as it is in keeping with the RFP guidance. Please ensure your Center can transfer funds to the external collaborator (e.g., academic institution, non-governmental organization, other agency). As stated above, please be aware that all contracts and/or cooperative agreements must be developed and executed through the funded cost center and are subject to compliance with Bureau policy and procedures. This may require completing the action and/or arranging new cooperative agreements, which can be time consuming. While not required, a letter of support from these collaborators will be viewed favorably in the review process. All funds must be expended – not just obligated – by March 31, 2023.
The use of awarded funds needs to be relevant to the RFP guidance and justified clearly in the proposal. With respect to workshops, funds can be used towards workshop expenses (e.g., travel for USGS or external colleagues, supplies, space). Please work with your cost center to make any necessary arrangements (e.g., memo for an operational meeting, etc.). Funds should not be used for purchasing equipment or software that is not in compliance with USGS policy. If funds are being used for equipment, include explicit justification for this in the budget justification (e.g., why is this expense in this proposal vs. programmatic funding).
Yes. Please list funding from other projects as “in-kind” support in the budget.
Yes. Funds can be used to work with external collaborators. Please see above.
Yes. Please describe the contractor in the Project Team and indicate the costs as a line item in the Other Direct Costs section of the budget. Every effort should be made to identify the contractor (name, expertise) BEFORE submitting the proposal so that the panel can understand the expertise of this team member.
No.
Yes and we will share additional information on this through the Risk Community of Practice listserv and newsletter as we work on the agenda.
Funding should not be requested for personnel who are already funded to do similar work through programmatic funds. Funding can be used to extend or supplement an existing term appointment in accordance with the terms and conditions of that appointment. Please list the person in the Project Team section of the proposal and indicate their salary cost as a line item in the Personnel section of the proposal budget. For Project Team member salaries included in the Personnel section of the budget, those staff or replacements need to charge salary directly to this project or their salary needs to be included as an “in-kind” contribution.