ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ

Proposal Information for FY 2026

Guidelines for Preproposals

The South Dakota Water Resources Institute is seeking preproposals for the U.S. Geological Survey 104b small grants program for fiscal year 2026.

ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ

The South Dakota Water Resources Institute (SDWRI) invites full-time faculty/staff from all South Dakota colleges and universities to submit preproposals for the USGS 104B Research Grant Program.

Program Overview

• Total Funding Available: $90,000.
• Number of Awards: Two to four projects.
• Project Duration: Jan. 1, 2027-Dec. 31, 2027 (tentative).
• Primary Objective: To leverage federal seed funding into exponential research growth and practical solutions for South Dakota's unique water challenges.

Critical Deadlines

• Preproposals Due – March 30, 2026
• Notification of Approval – April 15, 2026
• Final Proposals Due – May 5, 2026

Priority Research Areas

While all water research will be considered, priority will be given to projects addressing the following SDWRI research targets:

• Agricultural Water Management: Optimizing nutrient and water use efficiency for major crops (corn, soybeans, wheat).
• Urban/Rural Interface: Managing water priorities, flooding and quality issues between expanding cities and producers.
• Prairie Water Management: Science-based watershed and lake management for improving lake-use quality of life, wildlife and fisheries enhancement and mitigation of invasive species.
• Livestock and Dairy Systems: Ensuring drinking water quality and innovative wastewater treatment for the sector, with a special focus on novel drinking water treatment/supply and beneficial wastewater uses.
• Emerging Opportunities: Water use and efficiency in specialty crop agriculture, greenhouses and the water-energy nexus for AI data centers.

Evaluation and Priority Criteria

The review panel will give priority consideration to proposals that demonstrate:

1. Funding Leverage: A clear plan for how this 104b seed funding will be used to attract significantly larger competitive federal grants (e.g., NSF, USDA, EPA, USGS 1014G).
2. Collaborative Ecosystems: Utilization of multidisciplinary and multi-institutional teams across South Dakota universities and public/private sectors.
3. Workforce Development: Intentional including and training of undergraduate and graduate students to prepare the next generation of water leaders.
4. Impact: Scientific output that enables informed choices for stakeholders and improves the quality of life for South Dakotans.

Matching Requirements

Strict 1:1 Match Required: Applicants must match each federal dollar with at least $1 from nonfederal sources.

• Matching funds must be obligated during the project period.
• Matches may include investigator salary (nonfederal), fringe benefits, student assistantships or unrecovered indirect costs (overhead).
• Note: No indirect costs allowed, and federal funds themselves cannot be used for faculty salary support.

Submission Instructions

• Eligibility: Academic full-time faculty and research personnel at any South Dakota public or private university.
• Format: Preproposals are limited to a three-page maximum (excluding resumes and budget documents).
• Submit to: Ryan Lefers, director, SDWRI with the subject line "South Dakota 104B Preproposal." All submissions are due no later than 11:59 p.m. Central Time on March 30, 2026. No late submissions will be considered.

In fiscal year 2025, the South Dakota Water Resources Institute U.S. Geological Survey 104b small grant research program funded research totaling approximately $60,000. Six preproposals were submitted in fiscal year 2025. All preproposals were reviewed by five reviewers, representing:

1. The South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources
2. South Dakota Natural Resources Conservation Service
3. South Dakota Utilization Corn Council
4. East Dakota Water Development District

Fiscal Year 2025 SDSU WRI 104b Research Grants

Two proposals were selected for funding:

• Scalable Cold-Plasma Water Treatment for E. coli disinfection in South Dakota Agricultural Water Systems. Principal investigator: Ren Yang, assistant professor, Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ.
• Real-Time Metabarcoding and Physicochemical Monitoring of a Newly Constructed Riparian Wetland to Assess Nutrient Mitigation Potential.
  Principal investigators: Paula Mazzer, professor of analytical chemistry, Dakota Wesleyan University, and Etienne Z. Gnimpieba, research assistant professor of bioinformatics, University of South Dakota.

Fiscal Year 2024 SDSU WRI 104b Research Grants

Three proposals were selected for funding:

• Integrated Remote Sensing and Water Quality Analysis for Spatiotemporal Assessment of Surface Water Quality in Eastern South Dakota. Principal investigator: Sushant Mehan, assistant professor, ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ.
• Risk Assessment of Groundwater Contamination in the Madison Aquifer. Principal investigator: Liangping Li, associate professor, Department of Geology and Geological Engineering, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.
• Development of a Noncontact, Artificial Intelligence-Driven Method for Rapid Assessment of Surface Water Quality Based on Imagery and Smells. Principal investigator: Xufei Yang, assistant professor and SDSU Extension environmental quality engineer, ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ.

FY 2023 SDSU WRI 104b Research Grant

One proposal was selected for funding:

• Pilot Scale (Year 2) Study for Utilizing Nanobubble Technology for Dairy Processing Effluent Management. Lead principal investigator: Maneesha Mohan, ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ.