Model Intercomparison and Improvement for Carbon Sequestration and Greenhouse Gas Emission Estimation from Agriculture | USDA NRCS NHQ SSRA 24 NOFO001387

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NRCS NHQ SSRA 24 NOFO001387

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), through the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), is offering a single cooperative agreement to run a coordinated model intercomparison effort focused on agriculture-related carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The work is designed to support USDA's Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) GHG Quantification efforts, which involve collaboration across multiple USDA agencies. The central aim is to take a clear look at how well current agricultural models estimate soil carbon (C) sequestration and GHG emissions, identify gaps and inconsistencies across models, and drive improvements that strengthen the overall scientific basis for quantifying climate impacts and benefits from agricultural management.

The project is specifically centered on cropland and grassland systems, with attention to how soil carbon and GHG emissions respond to different climate-smart mitigation practices. Rather than funding one modeling team to build a single model, NRCS is funding a "coordination unit" (the primary awardee) to organize, manage, and execute a structured comparison among multiple participating model groups. A key part of the coordinator's job is to identify and engage those model teams through communications and meetings, in alignment with USDA and NRCS priorities and the scope of the intercomparison, while staying within the available budget. The intercomparison can build on existing intercomparison activities or launch a new one, but it must be designed and carried out collaboratively with the participating model groups so that the comparison is credible, transparent, and useful for decision-making.

A major expected deliverable is the development and stewardship of well-organized datasets to support the intercomparison. This includes compiling field measurement datasets as well as model input and output data, then storing and managing them in a way that makes access straightforward for the participating teams and supports ongoing analysis. The emphasis on data infrastructure and shared data products reflects a broader goal: enabling apples-to-apples evaluation of model performance and making it easier to diagnose why models diverge (for example, differences in assumptions, parameterization, process representations, or required input data).

Funding is fixed at an estimated total of $1.9 million, with both the funding floor and ceiling set at $1.9 million, indicating NRCS expects to make one award at that level. The performance period is planned for four years. Applicants must include a clear budget breakdown separating funds for coordination, management, and analysis from the funds that will be issued as subawards to support multiple modeling groups. The notice also specifies that subaward support for model groups is expected to cover three years of the agreement, so applicants need to plan staffing, timelines, and deliverables accordingly.

Eligibility is limited to institutions that are part of the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Network, which generally includes qualified higher education institutions and nonprofit organizations participating in CESU partnerships. Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on October 4, 2024. NRCS anticipates making selections by November 15, 2024, with awards executed around January 15, 2025, though those dates are presented as estimates that could change. For submission or platform issues, applicants must work with Grants.gov support rather than NRCS staff; NRCS will only answer narrow clarification questions tied to the notice itself (such as resolving discrepancies or pointing to where a requirement is described), not questions about whether an applicant is eligible or whether a proposed approach is likely to be competitive.

The opportunity also carries several notable compliance and policy expectations. Every proposal must include a data management plan, and all data and deliverables produced under the award must be made publicly available in line with USDA public access requirements (as described in USDA DR 1020-006). NRCS also highlights its commitment to equity and encourages submissions from organizations that represent, partner with, or are made up of producers from communities that have been marginalized and faced barriers to farming and ranching success. In addition, the Build America, Buy America Act preference is flagged as applicable to federal financial assistance infrastructure projects, meaning that if any part of the work involves infrastructure, relevant iron and steel, manufactured products, and construction materials requirements may apply and must flow down appropriately to subawards consistent with USDA award terms and conditions.

In practical terms, the award is intended to create a well-run, multi-model comparison program that produces defensible, publicly accessible datasets and insights into model strengths, weaknesses, and improvement pathways for quantifying soil carbon sequestration and agricultural GHG emissions. The emphasis on coordination, shared protocols, transparent data handling, and subawards to multiple model groups signals that NRCS is looking for a capable lead institution that can manage a complex collaborative scientific effort and translate the results into improved modeling capacity for USDA's climate and conservation objectives.

• The Natural Resources Conservation Service in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Model Intercomparison and Improvement for Carbon Sequestration and Greenhouse Gas Emission Estimation from Agriculture" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.903.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-08-05.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-10-04. (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 $1,900,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for USDA NRCS NHQ SSRA 24 NOFO001387

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