In Situ Measurements of Physical Forces, Geotechnical and Biological Parameters in Coastal and Estuarine Systems, Galveston District | W81EWF 22 SOI 0015

Opportunity Information: Apply for W81EWF 22 SOI 0015

This opportunity is a Department of Defense, Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) cooperative agreement focused on collecting and interpreting in situ and geophysical field data to improve how dredged sediment is placed, contained, and potentially used for restoration in Galveston Bay and along the Texas coast. It is framed around the very large operational reality of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Galveston District: a navigation system spanning roughly 50,000 square miles and about 700 miles of coastline, with more than 1,000 miles of channels (including 270 miles of deep-draft channels). The Houston Ship Channel, described as the highest-use navigation channel in the Western Hemisphere, drives extremely high dredging volumes, on the order of 30 to 40 million cubic yards per year, with substantially more material expected as the channel is expanded. Because of those volumes, the government is looking for practical, science-backed ways to place dredged material beneficially rather than treating it purely as waste, especially in shallow, muddy bay environments where containment and long-term stability can be challenging.

The anticipated work centers on proposed new dredged material placement areas near Atkinson Island and the Mid Bay Placement area on the east side of the Houston Ship Channel. A key complicating factor is the likely presence of historical oyster mining (oyster shell dredging) areas across Galveston Bay, which may have left pits or disturbed seabed zones that affect sediment behavior, stability, and habitat conditions. The project therefore calls for a dedicated assessment to determine the extent and characteristics of these disturbed areas and to map seabed conditions in a way that directly supports engineering and restoration decisions.

On the data collection side, the solicitation specifically emphasizes geophysical surveys, including bathymetry, side-scan sonar, and magnetometer data. The intent is to use these datasets to build a three-dimensional map of geophysical conditions and to support modeling of how dredged material behaves after placement. That includes developing a model of ongoing "natural" consolidation (how the placed sediment settles and strengthens over time under its own weight and environmental conditions) and producing experimental and/or theoretical estimates of how consolidation could be accelerated through added overburden (such as surcharge loading) or in situ treatment methods. In plain terms, they want to know not just what the bay bottom looks like now, but how it will change when large volumes of dredged sediment are placed, and whether there are realistic ways to speed up settling and stabilization to reduce risk and improve outcomes.

The research questions listed in the opportunity show that ERDC is looking for both applied field measurements and analysis that can feed design guidance and numerical model development. Several questions target the core engineering challenge of confining sediment in a shallow muddy bay: how to reliably contain material within placement areas using dredged or borrowed sediments, what physical forces most strongly drive dike erosion, and whether there are "tipping points" where conditions shift from manageable erosion to rapid failure. There is also an ecological and nature-based component, asking what vegetation is best suited to stabilizing newly constructed dikes, which suggests an interest in using living shorelines or vegetated features as part of containment and resilience strategies.

Another major theme is sediment quality and behavior during navigation and nourishment operations, especially the mud fraction in predominantly sandy materials. The opportunity calls out questions about how mud is removed during and after beach nourishment, which removal methods are most effective, and how mud percentages change depending on dredging methods, time, and varying environmental conditions. That points to a practical management concern: excess fines can affect turbidity, placement performance, beach quality, and habitat impacts, so understanding when and how mud separates, migrates, or can be managed is important for both engineering success and environmental compliance.

Beyond containment, the government is explicitly linking this work to broader development and restoration planning. The collected data and resulting analyses are meant to enable full-scale implementation of complementary development and restoration strategies while strengthening research and numerical models. The scope includes evaluating foundation suitability for new island construction, assessing borrow site suitability, and determining habitat suitability for marsh and/or oyster reef features. It also calls for estimating how surcharge loads or other techniques might incrementally consolidate deposited material, assessing the likelihood of mud waving (instability or deformation phenomena in soft sediments), and evaluating whether historical oyster pits could aid in containment, capping, and ultimately restoration. Taken together, the project is trying to connect seabed history and present-day physics to feasible designs for placement areas and nature-based restoration features.

In terms of capabilities, the solicitation makes it clear they want a team with hands-on experience calibrating, deploying, collecting, and reducing data from standard underwater sensors. Examples given include wave gauges, current meters, seabed-location sensors, and backscatter instrumentation used for turbidity and suspended solids computations. A notable constraint is that the government will not pay for the purchase of these standard sensors; the applying university or partner organization is expected to already have them or be willing to obtain them at its own expense. If the work requires unusual or specialized sensors beyond the standard set, those may be leased or provided on a daily-rate basis, with those costs potentially covered by the government. That structure signals that the award is meant to fund field effort, analysis, and reporting rather than equipping a lab from scratch.

Administratively, this is a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement, which typically implies more substantial federal involvement and collaboration during execution than a standard grant. The opportunity number is W81EWF 22 SOI 0015, with an expected single award and an award ceiling of $930,000. The activity category is science and technology and other research and development, under CFDA 12.630. Reporting expectations are also spelled out: recipients must submit three quarterly status reports and one annual report each year for the duration of the cooperative agreement, keeping the government updated on progress, data collection, and implementation details.

• The Department of Defense, Engineer Research and Development Center in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "In Situ Measurements of Physical Forces, Geotechnical and Biological Parameters in Coastal and Estuarine Systems, Galveston District" 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 Apr 25, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 27, 2022. (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 $930,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for W81EWF 22 SOI 0015

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: