Global Water Security Program | HQ003424NFOEASD04

Opportunity Information: Apply for HQ003424NFOEASD04

The Global Water Security Program grant opportunity is a Department of Defense-funded cooperative agreement intended to build a dedicated capability that delivers data, analysis, and expert support on how water security is affected by seasonal to decadal weather and climate conditions. The central aim is to give DoD planners and decision makers practical, timely, and usable information about water availability and water-related hazards so they can better anticipate operational risks, plan investments, and shape strategic approaches. A major emphasis is placed on translating scientific and technical insight into products that are accessible and actionable, with turnaround times fast enough to match real-world planning and budget cycles.

A defining feature of this program is its focus on the security implications that sit at the intersection of water, food, and energy. The opportunity recognizes that changes in rainfall, drought patterns, flooding, and other hydrological extremes can ripple outward into agricultural production and energy generation, which then affects stability, governance pressures, migration, and conflict dynamics. The program is designed to strengthen DoD understanding of these linkages and to support planning that accounts for both immediate operational needs (such as reliable water access for missions) and longer-term strategic concerns (such as climate-amplified scarcity and extremes that may increase regional tensions or contribute to intra-state conflict).

The program is meant to serve a broad set of customers inside and alongside the Department of Defense. Key users include Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy (OUSD(P)) initiatives, specifically including efforts like the Defense Operational Resilience International Cooperation (DORIC) program, as well as Combatant Commands. The description also highlights support to allies and partners and coordination with other parts of the US Government, signaling an intent to use water security information not only for internal planning but also to enable cooperation, shared situational awareness, and defense diplomacy. Over time, DoD anticipates the Global Water Security Program becoming a wider scientific resource across the federal government focused on the security and stability dimensions of water, food, and energy stressors.

The opportunity is framed around a practical gap: climate and water security considerations are increasingly important for operational, tactical, and strategic planning, but decision makers often lack dedicated resources that can turn complex environmental data into decision-ready insights quickly. To close that gap, the program expects investments in data infrastructure and staffing, including hiring subject matter experts, building communication capacity, and implementing a "Pathways to Impacts" framework to ensure the work consistently translates into real planning value. In other words, this is not just a research grant; it is structured to create an enduring analytic and advisory function that can produce outputs, brief stakeholders, and provide expert support in a way that is responsive to DoD timelines and governance expectations.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary funding opportunity issued by Washington Headquarters Services under Funding Opportunity Number HQ003424NFOEASD04. The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, which typically implies substantial involvement or collaboration with the government during performance. Eligible applicants are limited to higher education institutions, both public/state-controlled and private. The opportunity anticipates a single award, with an award ceiling of $9,600,000. The original application closing date listed is 2024-06-18, and the program is associated with CFDA number 12.630 under activity areas tied to disaster prevention and relief, environment, and natural resources. The Notice of Funding Opportunity indicates that it also sets out OUSD(P) priority areas plus oversight and governance requirements, meaning applicants should expect clear direction on focus areas and coordination expectations once selected.

• The Washington Headquarters Services in the disaster prevention and relief, environment, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Global Water Security Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.630.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-05-14.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-06-18. (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 $9,600,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.

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