National Ground-Water Monitoring Network (15.980)
National Ground-Water Monitoring Network (Assistance Listing 15.980) is run by the U.S. Geological Survey, part of the Department of the Interior. It awarded $4.0 million in 79 grants from fiscal 2021 to 2025, about $51,023 per award on average. No funding opportunity is open on Grants.gov right now.
The typical award was $39,584. Half of the 79 awards fell between $20,192 and $77,256, and they ranged from $674 to $181,167.
- Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$4.0 million
- Grant awards79
- Typical award$39,584
- Awarded in FY 2025$244,289
- Size rank1660 of 1824
- Type of assistanceCooperative agreements (discretionary grants)
Key findings
- Annual funding fell from $1.1 million in fiscal 2021 to $244,289 in fiscal 2025.
- It is the 1660th largest of 1,824 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
- The 20 largest recipients received 91% of the money.
- Awards went to recipients in 28 states and territories.
What the program funds
To support data providers for the National Ground-Water Monitoring Network. The National Ground-Water Monitoring Network (NGWMN) is a cooperative, integrated system of data collection, management, and reporting that will provide data needed to address groundwater management questions. Assistance is provided to new and existing data providers of the National Ground-Water Monitoring Network. The program will provide support to state or local Water-Resource agencies which collect groundwater data to serve as data providers for the National Ground-Water Monitoring Network. Support will allow the data providers to perform tasks to get their data into the Network such as: selecting and categorizing their wells within NGWMN specifications, adding sites to the network, establishing and maintaining connections between their databases and the NGWMN Portal. Support will also allow agencies to maintain their connections to the NGWMN Portal and to enhance their networks to provide better data to the NGWMN.
Open opportunities
No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.
Rules from the program listing
Who can apply
Proposals will be accepted from interstate, State, U.S. territory or possession, local, public nonprofit water-resource agencies/organizations which collect and maintain groundwater-level or groundwater-quality data. Various elements of the data which are required for the National Ground-Water Monitoring Network are often available from different agencies within a state. Each agency within a state which wishes to participate in the Network can submit a proposal for their part of the work. States may also submit a single proposal that covers the work of multiple state agencies. Coordination of agencies within a state is strongly encouraged.
What the money can and cannot pay for
Funding will be used to 1) help new data providers participate in the network, and 2) support existing data providers. Funding for new providers primarily is intended to support data providers to select and categorize their data in accordance with the Framework document guidelines, and to make data for selected sites available to the NGWMN. Funding for existing data providers will support work to keep their connections to the NGWMN data portal up to date and to enhance their networks to improve data available to the NGWMN. This can include updating data on their wells, performing maintenance or repairs on wells to maintain the ability to collect reliable data, drilling new or replacement wells for the NGWMN.
Matching requirements
This program has no statutory formula. Matching Requirements: Percent: Other Statutory formula is not applicable to this assistance listing. Match is not required on work proposed under Objectives 1, 2, or 3. Match is not required but is recommended for the remaining four Objectives. Match can be in the form of in-kind services cost share or direct match. The amount of the cost share is not specified, but will be considered as part of proposal evaluation. Objectives that provide less than 25% match will be scored lower during proposal evaluation. In-kind services can include the costs to collect the data that will be provided to the NGWMN. Matching requirements are voluntary.MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.
Deadlines
Applications will be accepted from mid-September 2026 through mid-January 2027.
Award range and average, in the agency's words
Past Fiscal Year (2024): Funded projects in Fiscal Year 2024 ranged from $6,254 to $117,454 with an average funding level of $41,420. Current Fiscal Year Estimate (2025): Projects approved for funding in Fiscal Year 2025 ranged from $10,247 to $71,132 with an average funding level of $33,825. Budget Fiscal Year Estimate (2026): Awards for Fiscal Year 2026 are expected to range from $10,000 to $250,000 with an average funding level of $70,000. *Levels shown are notional.
Examples of funded projects
Fiscal Year2025: Fiscal Year 2025: Twelve 1- to 2-year projects were approved for funding. All projects will provide persistent data services to the NGWMN by maintaining the connection between agency databases and the NGWMN. Two projects support agencies to enhance their contribution to the NGWMN through filling data gaps at sites. Four projects support agencies to perform well maintenance or repairs.Fiscal Year2026: Fiscal Year 2026: Fourteen 1- to 2-year projects were approved for funding. All projects will provide persistent data services to the NGWMN by maintaining the connection between agency databases and the NGWMN. Three projects support agencies to enhance their contribution to the NGWMN through filling data gaps at sites. One project supports an agency to perform well maintenance or repairs. Two projects support well drilling activities. Ten projects support the purchase of equipment to collect continuous water-level data.Fiscal Year2027: Similar projects to those funding funded in the past two years are expected to be supported in Fiscal Year 2027.
Funding history and past recipients
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, National Ground-Water Monitoring Network (15.980) awarded$4.0 million across 79 grant awards, an average of $51,023 per award.
Who usually wins
State and local governments received 53% of the money, colleges and universities 46%.
| Recipient type | Awards | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| State and local governments | 48 | $2.1 million | 53% |
| Colleges and universities | 28 | $1.9 million | 46% |
| Other | 3 | $29,811 | 0.7% |
By state
No state received $1 million or 10 awards from this program, so it has no state pages.
| State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Indiana | 4 | $377,105 |
| Texas | 5 | $334,982 |
| Illinois | 3 | $322,548 |
| Nebraska | 7 | $268,470 |
| Kansas | 3 | $229,587 |
| Iowa | 5 | $227,191 |
| Montana | 2 | $226,517 |
| Oklahoma | 3 | $219,509 |
| Wisconsin | 2 | $213,611 |
| Missouri | 3 | $191,170 |
| Washington | 2 | $180,444 |
| Mississippi | 2 | $156,440 |
| Massachusetts | 2 | $141,282 |
| North Carolina | 1 | $138,711 |
| Ohio | 3 | $111,176 |
| Delaware | 2 | $106,552 |
| Michigan | 1 | $92,915 |
| New Mexico | 5 | $92,072 |
| New Hampshire | 4 | $91,000 |
| Utah | 4 | $86,378 |
| Minnesota | 2 | $84,145 |
| Alabama | 2 | $53,766 |
| California | 1 | $39,170 |
| Oregon | 3 | $35,778 |
| Colorado | 2 | $30,316 |
| Maine | 1 | $18,889 |
| South Carolina | 1 | $15,225 |
| Wyoming | 1 | $674 |