Water-Use Data and Research program: Proposals and awards
Water-Use Data and Research (WUDR) financial assistance is awarded in a competitive process each Federal Fiscal Year. The funding cycle begins with the WUDR Program Announcement being made available on Grants.gov. State water resources agencies can then prepare proposals for improving their water-use data under the priorities described in an approved workplan. All submitted proposals are reviewed and scored by a Technical Committee using criteria in the Program Announcement, then decisions are made on that year's awards.
The 2024 awards cycle has been completed. Congratulations to West Virginia and the US Virgin Islands, each awarded a FY24 grant of approximately $120K.
There will not be a funding opportunity in 2025.
For eligibility, please consult the program announcement on Grants.gov for more details. In summary:
- Funding is for State and Territory water resource agencies only.
- Water resource agencies may use contractors for carrying out projects, but review the program announcement for details or contact wudr-coordinator@usgs.gov for specific questions.
- Each State and Territory can receive a maximum of \$250,000, cumulatively, in grant funding (total includes non-competitive awards). This provision has not changed from prior years.
- Workplans must be approved.
- Applications are limited to between \$24,000 and \$125,000.
- Data collected with WUDR funding must be made available to the USGS. Data transfer guidance is available.
If you are new to the application process or need a refresher, the comprehensive program announcement on Grants.gov includes specifics on how to apply. Also, please contact the Water Use Data and Research (WUDR) program coordinator (wudr-coordinator@usgs.gov) for one-on-one Microsoft Teams calls to accommodate inquiries about the WUDR program and the proposal review, evaluation, and selection process. If this is your first time applying through Grants.gov, it is strongly advisable to start the process early and to not wait until the final day. If you have any questions or problems with the registration process, or the completion of the application package, please contact the Grants.gov Help Desk at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov.
Before applying for a competitive funding award, the State must have an approved workplan which outlines State priorities for improving water-use data. If you have questions on completing a workplan, please contact the WUDR Coordinator. Additionally, viewing completed State workplans from other States and Territories can be beneficial for outlining a new State workplan.
Program announcements on Grants.gov
The full program announcement is available under the Related Documents tab in the grant opportunity postings.
- FY 2024 grant opportunity G24AS00194
- FY 2023 grant opportunity G23AS00463
- FY 2022 grant opportunity G22AS00089 | round 2 Grant opportunity G22AS00311
- FY 2021 grant opportunity G21AS00258
- FY 2020 grant opportunity G20AS00013 | round 2 Grant opportunity G20AS00053
- FY 2019 grant opportunity G19AS00008
- FY 2018 grant opportunity G18AS00016
- FY 2017 grant opportunity G17AS00032
- FY 2016 grant opportunity G16AS00062
- FY 2015 grant opportunity G15AS00001, non-competitive (Program Announcement not available at Grants.gov)
Program awards
Below are links to related information on the Water-Use Data and Research program.
Water-Use Data and Research (WUDR) program
Summary of baseline standards for water-use data
Water-Use Data and Research program: Completed State workplans
State Contacts for Water-Use Data
Below are links to related information on the Water-Use Data and Research program.