Chesapeake Bay Program Office Fiscal Year 2021 Request for Applications for CBP 2025 Tidal Water Model for the Assessment of 2035 Climate Change Risk to the Chesapeake TMDL | EPA R3 CBP 21 08

Opportunity Information: Apply for EPA R3 CBP 21 08

This grant opportunity comes from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Chesapeake Bay Program Office (CBPO) and is framed as a Fiscal Year 2021 Request for Applications focused on advancing the Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) modeling capability. The core purpose is to support development of a next-generation, state-of-the-science tidal water quality model for the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries. The model is expected to use an unstructured grid approach, which generally allows the model to represent complex shorelines, varying channel geometries, and highly detailed tributary-mainstem connections more realistically than traditional structured grids. The larger program driver is a CBP requirement that this updated tidal model be completed and fully operational by 2025 so it can be used to evaluate Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) water quality standards under projected 2035 climate change conditions.

The specific work being requested centers on building an integrated simulation framework that can run TMDL-related scenarios across both the mainstem Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. In practical terms, the successful applicant would be expected to contribute to model development and model application in ways that directly support a 2025 assessment of climate-driven risks to meeting Chesapeake TMDL water quality standards in 2035. That means the work is not just about writing code or improving numerical methods; it also includes ensuring the modeling system can be used operationally for decision-support style analyses tied to regulatory benchmarks. A major deliverable is a fully operational and calibrated model for Chesapeake tidal waters by December 2024, positioning the partnership to use it for the 2025 assessment timeline.

From a technical standpoint, the opportunity specifies use of the CBP ICM (Integrated Compartment Model) water quality code, implemented in FORTRAN or an equivalent language. This signals that EPA is looking for applicants with deep experience in coupled hydrodynamic and water quality modeling, legacy scientific codebases, and the practical realities of making complex environmental models runnable, reproducible, and maintainable. Calibration is explicitly called out, which typically implies extensive comparison of model output to monitoring observations and iterative adjustment of parameters to ensure the model can reproduce key system behavior across space and time (for example, dissolved oxygen dynamics, nutrient processing, algal responses, and other indicators tied to Chesapeake Bay water quality standards).

Administratively, the funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, not a simple grant. That usually indicates EPA expects substantial involvement during the project, such as coordinating on methods, deliverables, timelines, and how results integrate with broader CBP modeling and assessment efforts. The opportunity is categorized as discretionary environmental funding under CFDA 66.466. EPA anticipated making one award, with an award ceiling of $1,650,000, suggesting this is intended as a single, focused effort rather than a multi-award program. The opportunity number is EPA R3 CBP 21 08, it was created on August 5, 2021, and the original closing date was September 20, 2021 (with the notice directing applicants to consult Section IV of the official announcement for final close-date details). Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with the expectation that the official eligibility section provides the exact interpretation of who may apply.

Overall, the opportunity is best understood as targeted support to modernize and operationalize the Chesapeake Bay tidal modeling platform so the Chesapeake Bay Program can credibly test whether TMDL water quality standards remain achievable under plausible 2035 climate conditions. The deliverables emphasize operational readiness, calibration, and applicability to TMDL climate risk assessments, rather than purely academic model development.

• The Environmental Protection Agency in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Chesapeake Bay Program Office Fiscal Year 2021 Request for Applications for CBP 2025 Tidal Water Model for the Assessment of 2035 Climate Change Risk to the Chesapeake TMDL" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 66.466.
• This funding opportunity was created on Aug 05, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 20, 2021 See Section IV of the funding opportunity announcement for close date information.. (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 $1,650,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for EPA R3 CBP 21 08

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