MRERP - Application (State/Local/Tribal)

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

U.S. Geological Survey
Mineral Resources External Research Program

PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENT No. 09HQPA0002
ISSUE DATE: August 18

CLOSING DATE & TIME:
September 29

4:00 p.m. EDT

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Funding Opportunity and Award Description ....................................................................3
Two-Year Proposal Option .......................................................................................3
Applicant Eligibility.............................................................................................................4
Research Topic Eligibility ..................................................................................................4
Priority Research Topics ..........................................................................................5
Proposal Evaluation Procedure and Criteria .......................................................................6
Application Procedure .........................................................................................................7
Reporting Requirements ....................................................................................................11
Agency Contacts ...............................................................................................................13
Award Terms and Conditions ...........................................................................................14

DON’T WAIT!! GET STARTED NOW!!!
Begin your application process by visiting the Grants.gov web site and click on the tab in
the upper right side of the screen marked, “Get Started.” Begin working on the six steps
now because it will take time to complete each step. If you wait until the last minute, you
will not have enough time to complete the steps before the deadline for receipt of
applications. Also, it will take time to become familiar with filling out the electronic
versions of the SF 424 forms that must be completed and submitted with your
application.
Although no changes to the program announcement are anticipated, check back
periodically at Grants.gov to make certain no modifications have been issued.
HELP!
For all technical questions about applying through Grants.gov, call the Grants.gov Help
Desk at: 1-800-518-GRANTS
For questions concerning this Program Announcement, please contact Faith D. Graves,
Contracting Officer, at (703) 648-7356; [email protected].

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Mineral Resources External Research Program
Announcement
Funding Opportunity and Award Description
The Mineral Resources Program (MRP) of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is
offering a grant and/or cooperative agreement opportunity to universities, State agencies,
Tribal governments or organizations, and industry or other private sector organizations
that have the ability to conduct research in topics related to non-fuel mineral resources.
Two-Year Proposal Option
All work that can be completed in one year should be proposed as a one-year project.
Applicants should carefully consider their time commitments and request the grant
duration and funding required to accomplish the project goals. If the proposed work is
such that two years are required to complete the research, then a two-year proposal is
appropriate and applicants are encouraged to write their proposals accordingly. However,
proposals should clearly define the work to be completed in the first and second years.
The MRERP review panel may recommend funding only the first year of a two-year
proposal when the proposed research is easily divided into two, one-year projects or
when they feel that results from the first year’s proposed work will need to be evaluated
before a second year of research can be considered.
The second year of funding of a two-year grant is contingent upon the availability of
funds and satisfactory progress by the Recipient. Progress will be determined through
technical review of a Progress Report by the MRERP coordinator or his or her agent. The
Progress Report shall be submitted by the Recipient, in accordance with grant award
reporting requirements (see Report Requirements section), 30 days prior to the end of the
first year of funding.

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Applicant Eligibility
Applications will be accepted from any individual who has the ability to conduct research
consistent with the Mineral Resources Program goals (see Research Topic Eligibility
section below) and who is not employed by a U.S. Federal agency. Applicants need not
be U.S. citizens and can be affiliated (but are not required to be affiliated) with
universities, State agencies, Tribal governments or organizations, industry, or other
private sector groups.
The following are ineligible for consideration under this announcement:
 Proposals from U.S. Government agencies or U.S. Government employees.
 Proposals from Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDC).
 Proposals in which there is a real or the appearance of a conflict of interest.
Federal employees can be collaborators in proposed research, however, they are
prohibited from receiving MRERP funds for salary or other expenses. Collaborative
proposals between an external organization and a USGS/MRERP project may be funded
as a cooperative agreement or as a grant depending upon the extent and type of
involvement of the USGS in the work. Discussion and coordination between internal and
external researchers is encouraged; however, USGS personnel are prohibited from
helping an external organization prepare its proposal for competitive funding. MRERP
reserves the right to fund either part or all of the applicants involved in a collaborative
study.
Proposals to fund research in foreign countries will be considered when the proposed
research provides knowledge or new techniques leading to a greater understanding of
U.S. mineral resource issues. Applications submitted by foreign organizations must be
submitted in English and in U.S. dollars. Awards involving foreign governments may
require additional coordination and approval by the U.S. Department of State.

Research Topic Eligibility
All proposals must meet two primary criteria to qualify for funding consideration.
Criterion 1: The proposed work must be research; a systematic inquiry to generate new
knowledge about a subject of investigation, through a process of interpretation. Data
collection and compilation are important early steps in a research project, but do not,
alone, constitute research.
Criterion 2: The proposed research must address one of the long-term goals of the MRP,
as defined in the MRP Five-Year plan for FY 2006-2010
(http://minerals.usgs.gov/plan/2006-2010/2006-2010_plan.html). These are:

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




Long-term goal 1: Ensure availability of up-to-date quantitative assessments of
potential for undiscovered mineral deposits
Long-term goal 2: Ensure availability of up-to-date geoenvironmental
assessments of priority Federal lands
Long-term goal 3: Ensure availability of reliable geologic, geochemical,
geophysical, and mineral locality data for the United States
Long-term goal 4: Ensure availability of long-term data sets describing mineral
production and consumption

All proposals that meet the two qualifying criteria will be evaluated based on additional
criteria outlined in the Proposal Evaluation section below. Note that evaluation criteria
reward proposals that address one or more of the priority research topics outlined
below.
Priority Research Topics
The USGS MRP conducts research to reduce the uncertainty in nonfuel mineral resource
and mineral environmental assessments. As assessments are dynamic, so must be the
research that supports them. Each year the MRERP designates research topics as priority
for support. As the MRP prepares to embark on a new national mineral resource
assessment of the United States in 2012, work is underway to update mineral deposit and
mineral environmental models and to improve techniques of assessment for concealed
mineral resources.
To support this on-going effort, this announcement solicits research proposals that (1)
will improve our assessment for concealed mineral resources in general, or (2) will
contribute to accurate and comprehensive mineral deposit or mineral environmental
models for deposit types, known or expected to be found in the United States, that are
important sources of the following commodities (listed in alphabetical order):
beryllium
chromium
cobalt
iron
lithium
manganese
nickel
phosphate
platinum-group metals
potash
rare earths
titanium and TiO2
uranium

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The MRP also intends to include gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc in the new national
mineral resource assessment, but the MRERP is not soliciting research proposals related
to updating models for these commodities at this time.
Applicants are encouraged to contact USGS scientists listed below to discuss
collaborative research opportunities, and are strongly encouraged to provide
documentation from a USGS scientist illustrating how the proposed research will address
MRP research needs. Such documentation will be favorably considered in the scoring of
research proposals.
Mineral Deposits Research:
Rich Goldfarb: 303-236-2441; [email protected]
Mineral Environmental Research:
Geoff Plumlee: 303-236-1204; [email protected]
Bob Seal: 703-648-6290; [email protected]
Kathy Smith: 303-236-5788; [email protected]
Concealed Mineral Resources Research:
Mark Gettings: 520-670-5507; [email protected]
Karen Kelley: 303-236-2467; [email protected]

Proposal Evaluation Procedure and Criteria
Proposals will be reviewed by a seven-member panel. The panel will be composed of a
chairperson (an MRP representative), two reviewers from the USGS, and four reviewers
external to the USGS. All reviewers will have expertise in mineral resources. The
chairperson is a non-voting member. All proposals that satisfy the two primary
qualifying criteria noted in the Research Topic Eligibility section above (i.e., 1- it is
research, 2 - it addresses a long-term goal of the MRP) will be further evaluated and
scored based on the following criteria:
1. Priority Research Topic (20 points)
How well does the proposed research address one of the research topics
designated as priority for support for the current year, and defined in the
announcement?
2. Scientific Quality and Impact (40 points)
(a) How well does the proposed work respond to societal or customer needs at a
regional or national level?
(b) To what extent does this work make fundamental advances in geoscientific
research, enhance technology development, or provide fundamental minerals
information?
(c) How well does this work (1) advance our understanding of (a) the occurrence,
quality, quantity, and environmental characteristics of mineral resources, (b) the

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fundamental processes that create and modify them, or (c) the life cycle of
minerals and mineral materials; (2) contribute to developing objective methods
for assessing mineral resources; or (3) help predict the potential environmental
impact of mineral development?
(d) To what extent does this work contribute to resolution of issues involving the
economy, sustainable use, land stewardship, environmental impact, or public
health?
3. Work Plan (15 points)
(a) How clear is the strategy clear and how does it demonstrate success?
(b) How are the scientific objectives appropriate for proposed time frame?
(c) How appropriate are the geographic areas selected for study?
(d) How appropriate are the tools selected for research?
(e) What documentation is included from a USGS scientist illustrating how the
proposed research will address MRP research needs?
4. Experience/Competence of Research Personnel (10 points)
(a) For previous MRERP award recipients:
 Was publication of project results and data in peer-reviewed scientific or
technical journals achieved in a timely manner?
 Were reporting requirements from previous MRERP awards satisfied?
 Was the work completed in a competent fashion?
(b) Have the applicants demonstrated (through bibliographic references, previous
experience, awards, etc.) that they are capable of doing the proposed research?
(c) Have the applicants demonstrated a thorough knowledge of the scientific
problem?
5. Budget Justification and Clarity (10 points)
(a) Is staff sufficient to accomplish the proposed goals?
(b) Are field expenses, supplies, lab work, and other expenses appropriate?
(c) Are expenses adequately itemized?
(d) Is cost-sharing proposed for major budget items (e.g., equipment purchases)?
6.

Planned Products and Dissemination of Results (5 points)
(a) How clearly defined are the final products?
(b) How likely are these products to be produced in the proposed time frame with
resources requested?
(c) What indication is there that the results will be published in a peer-reviewed
form?
(d) What kind of plan is provided for dissemination of the project results to the
scientific community and general user community (i.e., appropriate professional
organizations; local, State, regional and federal agencies; and the general
public)?

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Application Procedure
Applicants are to submit proposals electronically at http://www.grants.gov /Apply, no
later than September 29 @ 4:00 p.m. EDT. If you have questions concerning the
submission process, please contact Faith D. Graves at 703-648-7356 or
[email protected]. Applicants will receive an email response from the USGS Office of
Acquisition and Grants to acknowledge receipt of submitted proposals.
Proposals submitted through http://www.grants.gov /Apply after the closing date and time
will not be considered for award. If it is determined that an application will not be
considered due to lateness, the applicant will be so notified immediately.
Please arrange your application according to the format provided below. Following this
format ensures that every proposal contains all essential information and is evaluated
equitably. Failure to follow these guidelines will result in your proposal not being
considered.
1. Proposal Forms
Begin by registering at http://www.grants.gov under the “Get Registered” tab in the menu
bar on the left side of the home page. Once registered, go to the “Apply for Grant” tab in
the menu bar on the left side of the home page. Here you will be required to download
the PureEdge Viewer. The PureEdge Viewer will enable applicants to view and complete
the following required forms:
SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance
SF-424a Budget Information
SF-424b Assurances – Non-Construction Programs
(The DI-2010 U.S. Department of the Interior Certifications Regarding Debarment,
Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters, Drug-Free Workplace Requirements and
Lobbying is required but is not yet available through Grants.gov. This form will be
completed when the grant/cooperative agreement is awarded).
2. Proposal Narrative
a. Proposal Summary Sheet
The first page of the proposal must contain the following information:
Project Title:
Principal Investigator(s) (person we can contact, if needed):
Name:
Address:
Phone:
FAX:
Email:

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Name of university, state agency, or other organization:
Project Deliverable:
Total Funds Requested: $____________________________
b. Proposal Text. The text (i-vi below, including figures and tables), should be no
longer than 7 pages when printed on letter-size paper, with 1-inch margins and a
font size no smaller than 12 points. The text for two-year proposals may be up to
10 pages. All geographic-based proposals must include an index map showing the
location of the proposed study area(s). Proposals not following these guidelines
will not be considered. Please include the following:
i
ii
iii

iv

v

vi

vii

Statement of Problem. Give a brief introduction to the research problem.
Objectives. Clearly define goals of project. State how the proposal
addresses MRP goals and priority research topics.
Relevance and Impact. Explain why the work is important. Specify the
contribution to science related to mineral resources and the benefits that
society will receive from the project. Because MRP is focused on regional
and/or national issues related to mineral resources, proposals should
describe why the research is important to regional or national mineral
resource issues.
Work Plan. This section should include a fairly detailed discussion of the
work plan and technical approach. The percentage of your time that you can
devote to the proposed work should also be indicated. You are strongly
encouraged to provide a statement from an MRP project scientist
documenting how the proposed research will fulfill USGS MRP
research needs.
Prior Work, On-going Work, and Preliminary Results,. Provide a brief
summary of findings or outcomes of any prior work you or others have
completed in this area. If on-going work is being funded through another
source of funds, specify what work is already funded and what work will be
conducted with funds requested in this proposal.
Planned Products – Dissemination of Findings. The USGS considers
dissemination of research data and results to potential users to be a crucial
aspect of projects funded by this program. List product(s) (reports,
analyses, digital data, etc.) that will be delivered at the end of the project
period to satisfy the Final Technical Report requirement (see Reporting
Requirements section below). Identify customers that would benefit from
the results of your research. Beyond the requirements for a Final Technical
Report, describe your plan for dissemination of project data and results that
will result in the greatest possible benefit to customers. The USGS strongly
encourages grant award recipients to publish the results of research in
scientific peer-reviewed journals.
References Cited. List all references to which you refer in text and
references from your past work in the field that the research problem
addresses. Be sure to identify references as journal articles, chapters in
books, abstracts, maps, digital data, etc.

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viii Project Personnel. List the Principal Investigator first, followed by the
names of other individuals. Indicate the role for each participant in the
project (geologist, geochemist, field assistant, etc.). Include a brief vita for
each person. Emphasize previous experience in the field of study that the
proposal addresses.
ix Continuation projects. List the total amount of funding per year for which
support was provided by the USGS, as well as the duration of each
increment (including no-cost extensions), and the total number of person
months committed by each project participant each year.
c.

Budget Sheets. This information will provide more details than what is required
under the SF 424A form. Please include the following:
Salaries and Wages. List names, positions, and rate of compensation. If
contract employees are hired, include their total time, rate of compensation,
job titles, and roles.
ii
Fringe benefits/labor overhead. Indicate the rates/amounts in conformance
with normal accounting procedures. Explain what costs are covered in this
category and the basis of the rate computations.
iii Field Expenses. Briefly itemize the estimated travel costs (i.e., number of
people, number of travel days, lodging and transportation costs, and other
travel costs).
iv Lab Analyses. Include geochemical analyses, age-dating analyses, etc.
Briefly itemize cost of all analytical work.
v
Supplies. Enter the cost for all tangible property. Include the cost of office,
laboratory, computing, and field supplies separately. Provide detail on any
specific item, which represents a significant portion of the proposed amount.
vi Equipment. Show the cost of all special-purpose equipment necessary for
achieving the objectives of the project. "Special-purpose equipment" means
scientific equipment having a useful life of more than 1 year and having an
acquisition cost of $5,000 or more per item. Each item should be itemized
and include a full justification and a dealer or manufacturer quote, if
available. General-purpose equipment must be purchased from the
applicant's operating funds. Title to non-expendable personal property shall
be vested solely with the Recipient. Under no circumstances shall property
title be vested in a sub-tier recipient. The MRERP is not intended to be a
major equipment purchase opportunity. If new equipment is critical for
conducting the proposed research then cost-sharing with the PI’s
institution or a third party for equipment purchases is encouraged and
is factored in the scoring of the proposal.
vii Services or consultants. Identify the tasks or problems for which such
services would be used. List the contemplated sub-recipients by name
(including consultants), the estimated amount of time required, and the
quoted rate per day or hour.
viii Travel (non-field related). State the purpose of the trip and itemize the
estimated travel costs to show the number of trips required, the destinations,
i

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ix

Publication costs. Show the estimated cost of publishing the results of the
research, including the final report. Include costs of drafting or graphics,
reproduction, page or illustration charges, and a minimum number of
reprints.
x
Other direct costs. Itemize the different types of costs not included
elsewhere; such as, shipping, computing, equipment-use charges, or other
services.
xi Total Direct Charges. Totals for items a - j.
xii Indirect Charges (Overhead). Indirect cost/general and administrative
(G&A) cost. Show the proposed rate, cost base, and proposed amount for
indirect costs based on the cost principles applicable to the Applicant's
organization. If the Applicant has separate rates for recovery of labor
overhead and G&A costs, each charge should be shown.
xiii Amount proposed. Total items k and l.
xiv Two-year projects. The Applicant shall provide summary information as
well as a detailed budget for the second year. The SF 424, however, shall
reflect support for the one year only.

Reporting Requirements
The following reports will be required from all award recipients:
Report

(1) Publication

Number of
copies and
format
3 reprints

Submit to

Due

MRERP
coordinator

Immediately following
publication. See instructions
below.
On or before 60 days after the
expiration of the agreement.
See instructions below.
30 days before the end of the
first year of funding. Second
year funding is contingent on
receipt of the report and
demonstration of satisfactory
progress. See instructions
below.
On or before 45 working days
after the end of each threemonth performance period.

(2) Final Technical 1 Adobe
Report
Acrobat PDF
file
(3) Progress
1 Adobe
Report (for twoAcrobat PDF
year awards only)
file

MRERP
coordinator

(4) Quarterly SF272 Federal Cash
Transactions

Contracting
officer*

Original + 1

MRERP
coordinator

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Report
(5) SF-269
Financial Status
Report

Original + 1

Contracting
officer*

See instructions below.
On or before 90 working days
after the expiration of the
agreement. See instructions
below.

* See Agency Contacts section below
Report Preparation Instructions
(1) Publication: Publication means any book, report, photograph, map, chart, or recording
published or disseminated to the scientific community. Preprints of articles submitted
for publications will be accepted as final reports. All publications that contain work
performed during the project period shall include the following statements:
“Research supported by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Department of
the Interior, under USGS award number (Recipient, insert award number).
The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the
authors and should not be interpreted as necessarily representing the
official policies, either expressed or implied, of the U.S. Government.”
(2) Final Technical Report: A final report that includes the findings of the in-depth
studies sponsored by the Mineral Resources External Research Program is due within
90 days following the expiration of the grant agreement. The final report should be
submitted as a PDF file on a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM to:
External Research, Mineral Resources Program
U.S. Geological Survey
913 National Center
12201 Sunrise Valley Drive
Reston, VA 20192
Format for Final Technical Report
(A) Title page must contain the following information:
Award number
Name of principal investigator(s)
Title of the report
Statement that reads as follows:
“Research supported by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Department
of the Interior, under USGS award number [insert award number]. The
views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors
and should not be interpreted as necessarily representing the official
policies, either expressed or implied, of the U.S. Government.”
(B) Any figures, tables, or equations should be embedded in the report and included
in the PDF file (a tagged PDF). Provide alternative text for each figure, table, and

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equation; this text, combined with the caption or title, should convey to the nonsighted person what the image or equation conveys to the sighted person.
(C) The report should contain a list of citations for all publications (including
abstracts) that may have resulted from work funded by the Mineral Resources
External Research Program.
(3) Progress Report: Recipients of two-year awards shall submit a report that summarizes
the progress of the project during the first funding period. Work that was proposed
for the first year should have been completed in that year. The heading on page 1 of
the report should include (a) the MRERP award number, (b) the Principal
Investigator’s name, and (c) the title of the research project. The progress report shall
consist of accomplishments, unanticipated problems encountered, plans for solving
unanticipated problems, and any other information pertinent to the progress of the
project. Funding expended by the award recipient during year one must also be
detailed in the Progress Report. The Progress Report should be submitted as an
Adobe Acrobat PDF file via e-mail attachment to: [email protected] with “Progress
Report for MRERP award [insert award number] in the subject line.
(4) Federal Cash Transactions Report: The award recipient shall submit the SF-272
Federal Cash Transactions Report in order for the USGS Contracting Officer and
Project Officer to monitor cash advanced to the award recipient, and to obtain
disbursement information about the grant/cooperative agreement. Copies of the SF269 form can be obtained from the following web site:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/grants_forms.html.
(5) Financial Report (SF-269): Each award recipient shall use the SF-269 or SF-269A to
report the status of funds at the end of the project (projects shall not exceed one year).
Copies of the SF-269 form can be obtained from the following web site:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/grants_forms.html.
Financial information shall be reported on an accrual basis. However, if the
recipient’s accounting records are not normally kept on an accrual basis, the recipient
shall not be required to convert its accounting system, but shall develop such accrual
information through best estimates, based on an analysis of the documentation on
hand.

Agency Contacts
Technical questions concerning the application process at Grants.gov:
Grants.gov Help Desk at: 1-800-518-GRANTS
Questions concerning this Program Announcement:

13

Faith D. Graves, Contracting Officer
U.S. Geological Survey
Office of Acquisition and Grants
National Center, Mail Stop 205G
Reston, VA 20192
Phone: (703) 648-7356
E-Mail: [email protected]

Award Terms and Conditions
Method of Payment
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is using the Department of Health and Human
Services (DHHS) Payment Management System (PMS), Division of Payment
Management of the Financial Management Service, Program Support Center, to
provide electronic invoicing and payment for assistance award recipients. The
Recipient must either have an established account or will establish an account with
PMS at the time of award of the agreement.
With the award of each
grant/cooperative agreement, a sub-account will be set up from which the Recipient
can draw down funds. The DHHS will forward instructions for obtaining payments
to the recipients. Inquiries regarding this payment system should be directed to:
Division of Payment Management
Department of Health and Human Services
P.O. Box 6021
Rockville, MD 20852
The Division of Payment Management web address is www.dpm.psc.gov.
No-cost extensions to the project period
No-cost extensions are discouraged. The MRP awards grants and cooperative
agreements for research that extends or supplements the ongoing research within the
U.S. Geological Survey. The timely conduct of funded projects is of great importance
to the achievement of the goals of the MRP. Applicants should consider their time
commitments at the time of applying for a grant. Requests for no-cost extensions will
be considered on a case-by-case basis. Applicants should supply documentation
supporting their request for an extension.
Dissemination of results
The Principal Investigator is strongly encouraged to disseminate research results
promptly to the scientific community and appropriate professional organizations;
local, state, regional and federal agencies; and the general public. Research findings
must be published in scientific or technical journals, in a peer-reviewed form.

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The Government may publish, reproduce, and use all technical data developed as a
result of this award in any manner and for any purpose, without limitation, and may
authorize others to do the same. Data generated as a part of work funded under this
program is not subject to a proprietary period of exclusive data access. Any data
generated must be made available to the USGS as soon as it is available. The USGS
reserves a royalty-free, nonexclusive and irrevocable license to reproduce, publish, or
otherwise use, and to authorize others to use the data for Government purposes. Any
project funded in whole or part with funds obtained under this program shall fall
under this clause. The USGS Contracting Officer is the sole person to decide which
data fall into this category if questions arise.

--End of Program Announcement No. 09HQPA0002--

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