Great Lakes Biology Monitoring Program: Phytoplankton and Chlorophyll-a Components

Great Lakes Biology Monitoring Program: Phytoplankton and Chlorophyll-a Components is sponsored by US EPA. Supports monitoring of biological components in the Great Lakes, contributing to environmental data collection.

2026 Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Great Lakes Biology Monitoring Program: Phytoplankton and Chlorophyll-a Components | US EPA 2026 Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Great Lakes Biology Monitoring Program: Phytoplankton and Chlorophyll-a Components Funding Opportunity Details This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is expected to result in the award of one cooperative agreement in support of the Great Lakes Biology Monitoring Program (GLBMP) pursuant to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) Action Plan IV .

The GLBMP fulfills EPA's statutory obligation specified in Clean Water Act Section 118(c)(B) to establish a Great Lakes system-wide surveillance network to monitor the water quality of the Great Lakes. Funding Opportunity Details May 1, 2026 - NOFO Announcement live on Grants.

gov June 30, 2026 - Application submission deadline (10:59 PM Central) August 2026 - Anticipated notification of selection October 2026 - Anticipated notification of award Great Lakes Restoration Initiative 2026 Notice of Funding Opportunity Great Lakes Biology Monitoring Program: Phytoplankton and Chlorophyll-a Components Funding Opportunity Number: EPA-R5-GL-2026-PCA Under this competition, up to $3.

6 million may be awarded for one cooperative agreement over an approximate 6-year period. This NOFO solicits applications from eligible entities for a cooperative agreement to be awarded pursuant to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Action Plan IV .

The goals of the Great Lakes Biology Monitoring Program are to (1) report on Great Lakes water quality and ecosystem condition using assessments of the lower food web (phtyoplankton, chlorophyll-a, zooplankton, Mysis , and benthic invertebrates) as indicators; (2) assess the impacts to the lower food web from invasive species including quagga mussels; and (3) inform fisheries and habitat management.

EPA is requesting applications for a project to complete sample collection and analyses for 2027-2031 field years in support of the phytoplankton and chlorophyll-a components of the GLBMP. Applications must specify a start date of January 1, 2027, and must specify an end date of no later than March 31, 2033, for the cooperative agreement.

This incrementally funded award will be subject to the availability of funding, future appropriations, satisfactory performance of work, and other applicable considerations. Please consult the full details on the funding opportunity for complete information. Only these types of organizations may apply.

Organization types are consistent with definitions at 2 CFR 200. 1 : State & Local Governments Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) Foreign organizations and governments Nonprofit organizations exempt from taxation under Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code that engage in lobbying “For-profit” organizations Please direct any administrative, eligibility, and other general questions to glri-rfa@epa.

gov and put “EPA-R5-GL2026-PCA” in the subject of the email. Please provide your full name and explain the reason for your email. EPA staff will respond to general inquiries, including administrative and eligibility-related questions, as well as technical inquiries about historical data on phytoplankton taxonomy and fluoroprobe profile data.

Standard Operating Procedures Phytoplankton Sampling (pdf) Phytoplankton Analysis (pdf) Chlorophyll-a Sampling (pdf) Chlorophyll-a In Vitro Analysis (pdf) On Page 14, the NOFO calls for the budget narrative to be included in the narrative proposal. However, the NOFO also lists the budget narrative as a mandatory document to be included separate from the project narrative and there is a section in Grants.

gov Within the detailed budget narrative, should the budget table be for the first year of funding or cover all years of the funding project? Would a proposal that includes satellite-based chlorophyll-a estimation, spatial algal bloom prediction, and/or machine learning-driven phytoplankton assessment align with the objectives and scope of this current funding opportunity? The budget form SF424A in Grants.

gov allows applicants to input data for five years of funding, but this is a six-year project. How do we handle inputting budget information for this additional year in the SF424A and the budget justification? Contact Us About Great Lakes Funding Contact Us About Great Lakes Funding to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.

Last updated on June 22, 2026