Notice of Intent: Earthquake Early Warning in Eastern California: Phase 2 | USGS FA 17 0314

Opportunity Information: Apply for USGS FA 17 0314

The Notice of Intent titled "Earthquake Early Warning in Eastern California: Phase 2" (Funding Opportunity Number USGS FA 17 0314) is a discretionary funding opportunity from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) that plans to support a cooperative agreement with the University of Nevada, Reno. The project centers on strengthening earthquake early warning capabilities in high-risk parts of the United States, with a specific emphasis on eastern California and how that work feeds into broader West Coast warning operations. The underlying public-safety purpose is straightforward: improve the ability to issue alerts in the first moments of an earthquake so people and systems can take protective actions that reduce injuries, deaths, and damage.

Phase 2 focuses on continuing to test and refine how seismic and geodetic monitoring networks can be used to generate actionable warnings once strong shaking has begun. In practical terms, this kind of work is about making sure sensor networks and the software that interprets them can detect an earthquake quickly, estimate its characteristics reliably (such as location and magnitude), and then distribute alerts fast enough to be useful to communities and critical infrastructure. Because seconds matter in early warning, the project is aimed at improving performance under real-time conditions, including data quality, processing speed, and the robustness of the warning algorithms.

A major technical emphasis in this phase is incorporating real-time Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) observations into ShakeAlert. GNSS is important for early warning because it can measure permanent ground displacements during larger earthquakes, complementing traditional seismometers that measure shaking. Integrating GNSS data can improve magnitude and fault motion estimates, especially for big events where seismic instruments can saturate or where rapid magnitude estimation is challenging. By supporting this GNSS integration, the project is positioned to enhance the accuracy and reliability of alerts, which in turn affects how confidently end users can automate responses like slowing trains, opening fire station doors, pausing delicate manufacturing processes, or triggering public alerts.

Another central goal is helping transition ShakeAlert into a "Production" Earthquake Early Warning system for the West Coast. This language signals movement from research and development toward an operational, dependable service with consistent performance expectations, stable monitoring and telemetry, and procedures suited to around-the-clock public warning. While the notice itself is brief, the stated intent implies that Phase 2 work is meant to mature the system components, validate them through continued testing in a real-world monitoring environment, and support readiness for broader operational use across the region.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is offered as a cooperative agreement, which typically means USGS expects to have substantial involvement in the project compared to a standard grant. The eligible applicant category is "Public and State controlled institutions of higher education," and the notice states the intended recipient is the University of Nevada, Reno, indicating this is not an open competition in the usual sense but rather an announced intent to fund a specific partner for this specific scope. The listing shows a creation date of July 26, 2017, with an original closing date of August 9, 2017. The award ceiling is $378,418, and the CFDA number associated with the program is 15.807.

• The Geological Survey in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Notice of Intent: Earthquake Early Warning in Eastern California: Phase 2" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.807.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-07-26.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-08-09. (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 $378,418.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.

Apply for USGS FA 17 0314

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