Opportunity Information: Apply for EPA R5 GL2026 ZMB
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), through its Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO), is seeking proposals for a major monitoring project under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) Action Plan IV. This funding opportunity supports the Great Lakes Biology Monitoring Program (GLBMP), which is part of EPAs legal responsibility under Section 118(c)(B) of the Clean Water Act to maintain a Great Lakes, system-wide surveillance network that tracks water quality and overall ecosystem condition. In practical terms, the program is meant to generate consistent, basin-wide data that helps agencies and partners understand how the Great Lakes are changing over time and what those changes mean for the rest of the food web and for management decisions.
The core focus of this specific competition is the lower food web monitoring work tied to zooplankton, Mysis (an important shrimp-like prey species in Great Lakes food webs), and benthic invertebrates (bottom-dwelling organisms that reflect habitat and water quality conditions). The selected project would be responsible for completing sample collection and performing the laboratory analyses needed to describe community abundance and composition for these groups. That means the work is not just field sampling, but also the taxonomic and quantitative analysis that turns samples into usable indicators of ecosystem status and trends.
The GLBMP has three main goals that frame what applicants are expected to support with their work. First, it aims to report on Great Lakes water quality and ecosystem condition using lower food web indicators, including phytoplankton and chlorophyll in addition to the groups emphasized in this award. Second, it is designed to assess impacts from invasive species, specifically including quagga mussels, which can reshape nutrient pathways and alter the availability of food resources for higher trophic levels by filtering large volumes of water and changing where energy moves in the ecosystem. Third, it is intended to inform fisheries and habitat management, meaning the monitoring results should be suitable for decision-makers who manage fish populations, habitat restoration priorities, and broader ecosystem strategies across the basin.
Administratively, the opportunity is a discretionary cooperative agreement (not a formula grant), meaning EPA expects substantial involvement in the project as it is carried out. The opportunity number is EPA R5 GL2026 ZMB, listed under CFDA 66.469, with an award ceiling of $8,100,000 and an expectation of one award. Applications are due by 2026-06-30, and the opportunity was created on 2026-05-01. Eligibility is limited to the entities described in Section 2 of the NOFO, and the competition is aimed at organizations that already have the capability and expertise to analyze zooplankton, Mysis, and benthic invertebrate communities at the level needed for a system-wide Great Lakes monitoring program.
The intended beneficiaries are broadly defined as everyone who lives in, works in, or recreates within the Great Lakes basin, since the monitoring results contribute to protecting water quality, understanding ecosystem health, and supporting management actions that affect drinking water sources, fisheries, tourism, and ecological resilience across the region.Apply for EPA R5 GL2026 ZMB
- The Environmental Protection Agency in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Great Lakes Biology Monitoring Program: Zooplankton, Mysis, and Benthic Invertebrate Components" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 66.469.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2026-05-01.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-06-30. (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 $8,100,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is this EPA funding opportunity for?
This opportunity supports a major monitoring project under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) Action Plan IV. It funds work within the Great Lakes Biology Monitoring Program (GLBMP) to produce consistent, basin-wide data on Great Lakes water quality and overall ecosystem condition, with a specific emphasis in this competition on lower food web monitoring.
Which EPA office is offering this opportunity?
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), through its Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO), is seeking proposals for this project.
What is the Great Lakes Biology Monitoring Program (GLBMP)?
The GLBMP is a monitoring program that generates consistent, system-wide surveillance data across the Great Lakes. Its purpose is to track water quality and ecosystem condition over time and help agencies and partners interpret what ecosystem changes mean for the broader food web and for management decisions.
Why is EPA doing this monitoring work?
EPA has a legal responsibility under Section 118(c)(B) of the Clean Water Act to maintain a Great Lakes, system-wide surveillance network that tracks water quality and overall ecosystem condition. This funding helps carry out that responsibility through GLBMP monitoring.
What is the core scientific focus of this specific competition?
The core focus is lower food web monitoring tied to zooplankton, Mysis (a shrimp-like prey species important to Great Lakes food webs), and benthic invertebrates (bottom-dwelling organisms that reflect habitat and water quality conditions).
What types of work would the selected project be responsible for?
The selected project would be responsible for completing sample collection and performing the laboratory analyses needed to describe community abundance and composition for zooplankton, Mysis, and benthic invertebrates. This includes both field sampling and the taxonomic and quantitative analysis needed to turn samples into usable indicators of ecosystem status and trends.
Is this opportunity only for field sampling, or does it include lab and analysis work too?
It includes both. The work described includes sample collection as well as laboratory analyses, including taxonomic and quantitative work to characterize community abundance and composition.
What are the main goals the GLBMP is intended to support?
The GLBMP is framed around three main goals: (1) report on Great Lakes water quality and ecosystem condition using lower food web indicators, (2) assess impacts from invasive species (including quagga mussels), and (3) inform fisheries and habitat management across the basin.
How do invasive species fit into this monitoring effort?
One of the program goals is to assess impacts from invasive species, specifically including quagga mussels. Quagga mussels can reshape nutrient pathways and alter food availability for higher trophic levels by filtering large volumes of water and changing how energy moves through the ecosystem.
How will the results be used for management decisions?
The monitoring is intended to inform fisheries and habitat management. The results are expected to be suitable for decision-makers who manage fish populations, set habitat restoration priorities, and develop broader ecosystem strategies across the Great Lakes basin.
What kind of award is this?
This is a discretionary cooperative agreement. EPA expects substantial involvement in the project as it is carried out, which is a defining feature of a cooperative agreement.
Is this a formula grant?
No. The opportunity is described as a discretionary cooperative agreement, not a formula grant.
What is the opportunity number and CFDA listing?
The opportunity number is EPA R5 GL2026 ZMB. It is listed under CFDA 66.469.
How much funding is available?
The award ceiling is $8,100,000.
How many awards does EPA expect to make?
EPA expects to make one award.
When are applications due?
Applications are due by 2026-06-30.
When was this opportunity created?
The opportunity was created on 2026-05-01.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is limited to the entities described in Section 2 of the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). The competition is aimed at organizations that already have the capability and expertise to analyze zooplankton, Mysis, and benthic invertebrate communities at the level needed for a system-wide Great Lakes monitoring program.
What kinds of expertise or capabilities is EPA looking for in applicants?
Based on the description provided, EPA is seeking organizations with existing capability and expertise to conduct Great Lakes system-wide monitoring work specific to zooplankton, Mysis, and benthic invertebrates, including both sampling and the laboratory analyses required to quantify abundance and composition and generate indicators of ecosystem status and trends.
Who benefits from this project?
The intended beneficiaries are broadly defined as everyone who lives in, works in, or recreates within the Great Lakes basin. The monitoring results contribute to protecting water quality, understanding ecosystem health, and supporting management actions affecting drinking water sources, fisheries, tourism, and ecological resilience across the region.
How does this project relate to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI)?
This is a GLRI Action Plan IV funding opportunity that supports GLBMP monitoring work intended to generate consistent, basin-wide data used to understand how the Great Lakes are changing over time and to support management decisions.
What ecosystem components are mentioned as lower food web indicators?
The program description notes lower food web indicators including phytoplankton and chlorophyll, in addition to the groups emphasized in this award (zooplankton, Mysis, and benthic invertebrates).
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