Geospatial Modeling Grant | NOAA NOS NGS 2023 2007815

Opportunity Information: Apply for NOAA NOS NGS 2023 2007815

The Geospatial Modeling Grant (Funding Opportunity Number NOAA NOS NGS 2023 2007815) is a discretionary NOAA funding opportunity offered through the Department of Commerce, led by NOAA's National Ocean Service and its National Geodetic Survey. It is structured as a cooperative agreement, meaning recipients should expect an ongoing, collaborative relationship with NOAA during the project period rather than a hands-off grant arrangement. The core aim is to fund work that modernizes and strengthens the National Spatial Reference System (NSRS) while also pushing forward geodesy research and practical capability in the United States. In plain terms, the program is looking for projects that improve the foundation of how positions, heights, and geodetic measurements are defined and used across mapping, surveying, engineering, hazard planning, coastal applications, and other location-dependent work.

A central theme of the opportunity is advancing both the science and the applied tools that make NSRS data more useful and easier to work with. NOAA outlines several priority areas that proposals are expected to address. The first is research and development of new methods for defining the NSRS and expanding how it can be applied, which can include improved approaches to reference frames, datums, transformations, and real-world implementation practices. The second priority focuses on building and evaluating tools, models, and guidelines that help users access, analyze, and manipulate geodetic data, which could include software, workflows, modeling approaches, quality-control practices, and user guidance that lowers barriers for practitioners. The third priority is strengthening the underlying infrastructure that supports the NSRS, including geodetic control, coastal remote sensing data, survey measurements, and other physical datasets that feed into and validate the national reference system. The fourth priority centers on education, capacity building, and technology transfer, with an emphasis on developing the next generation of geodesy expertise and ensuring that new methods and tools actually make it into operational use. The fifth priority emphasizes coordination and partnerships, encouraging strong ties with local, state, and regional user communities such as state and local governments, universities, and the broader public sector so that funded work aligns with real needs and can be adopted widely.

NOAA also explicitly encourages applicants to incorporate student collaboration and education into proposed projects, signaling that proposals that blend research outputs with training, curriculum development, student research experiences, internships, or workforce development components may align especially well with program goals. Alongside this, the program promotes the principles of diversity and inclusion in both proposal design and project execution. The notice frames diversity as the mix of individual attributes that help organizations meet objectives, and inclusion as a workplace culture that connects each person to the organization. In practice, this encouragement suggests that applicants should consider thoughtful, credible approaches to broadening participation and creating supportive pathways into geospatial and geodetic work, as these efforts are viewed as contributing to innovation and long-term vitality in the field.

Eligibility is limited to U.S.-based institutions of higher education and state, local, and Indian tribal governments, and the competition is open across all U.S. states and territories. Federal agencies are not eligible to apply under this notice. The opportunity is associated with CFDA number 11.400 and falls under broad activity categories including education, environment, natural resources, science and technology, and other research and development. Funding is subject to the availability of funds. The posted award ceiling is $10,000,000, and NOAA anticipated making around 10 awards under this competition. The opportunity was created on February 22, 2023, with an original closing date of April 24, 2023.

• The Department of Commerce in the education, environment, natural resources, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Geospatial Modeling Grant" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 11.400.
• This funding opportunity was created on Feb 22, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 24, 2023. (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 $10,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for NOAA NOS NGS 2023 2007815

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