Opportunity Information: Apply for BOR UC 18 001
The UNM Law Research Assistant opportunity is a Bureau of Reclamation (Department of the Interior) cooperative agreement designed to fund research support, largely through student interns, for work tied to river management and endangered species water needs in New Mexico. The award focuses on two connected priorities: carrying out the December 2016 Final Biological and Conference Opinion for water management activities on the Middle Rio Grande (the 2016 BiOp), and strengthening the acquisition and administration of water rights used to support threatened and endangered species across the state, with the Rio Grande and Pecos River highlighted as the most significant systems. The core premise is that both BiOp implementation and water-rights programs are legally and technically complex and require careful research, documentation, and tracking to manage effectively.
A major program context described in the notice is Reclamation's planned pilot native water leasing program for the Middle Rio Grande. This pilot is being built in partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District, multiple irrigation districts and irrigators, several Native American Tribes, municipalities, and the State of New Mexico. The pilot spans several practical components: figuring out how much water is needed to meet critical minimum river conditions for habitat and wildlife, securing water supplies to meet those needs, and identifying operational or infrastructure efficiencies in the Conservancy District system and on farms that could free up additional water for environmental purposes. Within that broader effort, interns are meant to support Reclamation staff working in water operations, project management, contracting, and water acquisitions, with an emphasis on legal and technical research for water operations and supplemental water programs.
The work itself is organized into three main tasks. Task 1 is the development of a comprehensive water rights database covering water rights Reclamation has purchased or leased on the Rio Grande and the Pecos River, generally to bolster flows needed for Endangered Species Act protections during irrigation season. The database is expected to be more than a simple list; it is intended to capture supporting documentation, historical and current use details, permitting requirements and deadlines, and contractual obligations to irrigators, irrigation districts, and state regulatory agencies. The practical goal is to give Reclamation a reliable, complete accounting of its holdings and a management tool that supports best practices for administering each right according to its intended environmental purpose.
Task 2 centers on water rights analysis connected to the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District. Reclamation and MRGCD are initiating a program aimed at making irrigators' water rights temporarily available for environmental use, particularly to sustain river flows during drought or unusually dry conditions. Because enrollment depends on identifying which rights are suitable and can be approved, this task supports the creation of an information framework, similar in concept to Task 1, to spell out what details must be gathered for each candidate water right to satisfy licensing and permitting requirements overseen by the New Mexico Office of the State Engineer.
Task 3 is historical research and compilation: creating a comprehensive history of Reclamation's involvement in the Rio Grande Project since its authorization in 1905. The scope includes Reclamation's roles in storage and delivery for irrigation, hydropower, flood control, and international water deliveries. This historical product is described as a need shared by NFWF and MRGCD, presumably to inform current planning, stakeholder coordination, and decision-making around present-day river operations and environmental water strategies.
Administratively, the opportunity is a discretionary cooperative agreement (Funding Opportunity Number BOR UC 18 001) under CFDA 15.517 within the natural resources funding activity category. Eligibility is limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, aligning with the intern and university research-assistant structure implied by the title. The posting lists an award ceiling of $50,000, with one expected award. The opportunity was created on October 2, 2017, with an original closing date of October 16, 2017.Apply for BOR UC 18 001
- The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "UNM Law Research Assistant" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.517.
- This funding opportunity was created on Oct 02, 2017.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Oct 16, 2017. (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 $50,000.00 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.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): UNM Law Research Assistant Opportunity (BOR UC 18 001)
1) What is this funding opportunity?
This is a Bureau of Reclamation (U.S. Department of the Interior) discretionary cooperative agreement intended to fund research support, largely through student interns, for work connected to river management and endangered species water needs in New Mexico.
2) Who is the sponsoring agency?
The sponsoring agency is the Bureau of Reclamation, which is part of the Department of the Interior.
3) What type of award is being offered?
The notice describes a discretionary cooperative agreement.
4) What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is BOR UC 18 001.
5) What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is listed under CFDA 15.517.
6) What program area or category does this opportunity fall under?
The notice places it in the natural resources funding activity category.
7) What is the main purpose of the project being funded?
The core purpose is to provide legally and technically focused research, documentation, and tracking support so that Reclamation can more effectively manage complex water operations and water-rights programs tied to endangered species needs and river management in New Mexico.
8) What are the two main priorities or focus areas of the work?
The work emphasizes two connected priorities: (1) supporting implementation of the December 2016 Final Biological and Conference Opinion for water management activities on the Middle Rio Grande (the 2016 BiOp), and (2) strengthening the acquisition and administration of water rights used to support threatened and endangered species across New Mexico, with particular emphasis on the Rio Grande and Pecos River systems.
9) What is the "2016 BiOp" referenced in the notice?
The notice refers to the December 2016 Final Biological and Conference Opinion for water management activities on the Middle Rio Grande, abbreviated as the 2016 BiOp.
10) Why does the notice emphasize research, documentation, and tracking?
The notice states that both BiOp implementation and water-rights programs are legally and technically complex, and that careful research, documentation, and tracking are needed to manage them effectively.
11) What geographic areas or river systems are most relevant to this work?
The work is tied to New Mexico, with the Rio Grande and Pecos River highlighted as the most significant river systems for the water-rights work. The Middle Rio Grande is specifically emphasized for BiOp implementation and the pilot leasing context.
12) How do student interns fit into this project?
The opportunity is designed to fund research support largely through student interns, who are intended to support Reclamation staff with legal and technical research related to water operations and supplemental water programs.
13) What Reclamation functions are interns expected to support?
Interns are described as supporting Reclamation staff working in water operations, project management, contracting, and water acquisitions, with an emphasis on legal and technical research for water operations and supplemental water programs.
14) What is the pilot native water leasing program mentioned in the notice?
The notice describes Reclamation's planned pilot native water leasing program for the Middle Rio Grande. It is presented as an important program context for the work being supported through this cooperative agreement.
15) Who are the partners involved in the pilot native water leasing program?
The pilot is described as being built in partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District (MRGCD), multiple irrigation districts and irrigators, several Native American Tribes, municipalities, and the State of New Mexico.
16) What practical components does the pilot native water leasing program include?
The notice identifies several components: determining how much water is needed to meet critical minimum river conditions for habitat and wildlife; securing water supplies to meet those needs; and identifying operational or infrastructure efficiencies within the Conservancy District system and on farms that could free up additional water for environmental purposes.
17) What are the main tasks or workstreams under this opportunity?
The work is organized into three main tasks: (1) development of a comprehensive water rights database for Reclamation-held rights on the Rio Grande and Pecos River, (2) water rights analysis connected to the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District and a temporary availability program for environmental use, and (3) historical research and compilation of Reclamation's involvement in the Rio Grande Project since 1905.
18) What is Task 1?
Task 1 is the development of a comprehensive water rights database covering water rights that Reclamation has purchased or leased on the Rio Grande and the Pecos River, generally to bolster flows needed for Endangered Species Act protections during irrigation season.
19) What information is the Task 1 database expected to include?
The notice indicates the database should be more than a simple list. It is intended to capture supporting documentation; historical and current use details; permitting requirements and deadlines; and contractual obligations to irrigators, irrigation districts, and state regulatory agencies.
20) What is the practical goal of Task 1?
The stated goal is to give Reclamation a reliable, complete accounting of its water-rights holdings and a management tool that supports best practices for administering each right according to its intended environmental purpose.
21) What is Task 2?
Task 2 focuses on water rights analysis connected to the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District (MRGCD). It supports initiation of a program aimed at making irrigators' water rights temporarily available for environmental use, particularly to sustain river flows during drought or unusually dry conditions.
22) Why is Task 2 needed for the MRGCD-related program?
The notice explains that enrollment depends on identifying which rights are suitable and can be approved. Task 2 supports creation of an information framework to define what details must be gathered for each candidate water right to satisfy licensing and permitting requirements.
23) What regulatory entity is specifically mentioned in connection with Task 2 approvals?
The New Mexico Office of the State Engineer is specifically identified as overseeing licensing and permitting requirements relevant to Task 2.
24) What is Task 3?
Task 3 is historical research and compilation to create a comprehensive history of Reclamation's involvement in the Rio Grande Project since its authorization in 1905.
25) What topics should the Task 3 history cover?
The scope includes Reclamation's roles in storage and delivery for irrigation, hydropower, flood control, and international water deliveries.
26) Why does the notice say Task 3 is needed?
The notice describes the historical product as a need shared by NFWF and MRGCD, and implies it would help inform current planning, stakeholder coordination, and decision-making related to river operations and environmental water strategies.
27) What is the award ceiling (maximum funding amount) for this opportunity?
The posting lists an award ceiling of $50,000.
28) How many awards are expected?
The notice lists one expected award.
29) Who is eligible to apply based on the notice?
Eligibility is limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, which aligns with the intern and university research-assistant structure described in the opportunity.
30) When was the opportunity created and when did it close?
The opportunity was created on October 2, 2017, and the original closing date listed is October 16, 2017.
31) What does the notice suggest about the nature of the work product for water rights?
It suggests the work products are meant to be operational and management-oriented, emphasizing complete documentation, tracking of requirements and deadlines, and clarity around contractual and regulatory obligations so Reclamation can administer water rights according to their intended environmental purpose.
32) What does the notice say about how the water rights are used (generally) in this program?
For Task 1, it states Reclamation-purchased or leased rights on the Rio Grande and Pecos River are generally used to bolster flows needed for Endangered Species Act protections during irrigation season.
33) How is drought specifically referenced in the scope?
The Task 2 program is described as particularly focused on sustaining river flows during drought or unusually dry conditions through temporary availability of irrigators' water rights for environmental use.
34) Which organizations are explicitly named as sharing a need for the historical research deliverable?
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District (MRGCD) are explicitly named.
35) What is the relationship between the database work (Task 1) and the analysis framework (Task 2)?
The notice describes Task 2 as creating an information framework similar in concept to Task 1, focused on what details must be gathered for candidate water rights to meet permitting and licensing requirements for temporary environmental use.
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