The purpose of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) Cooperative Agreements Program (CAP) is to fund innovative projects in the geospatial data community to build the infrastructure necessary to effectively discover, access, share, manage, and use digital geographic data. 

The NSDI consists of the technologies, policies, organizations, and people necessary to promote cost-effective production, and the ready availability and greater utilization of geospatial data among a variety of sectors, disciplines, and communities.  Specific NSDI areas of emphasis include: metadata documentation, clearinghouse establishment, framework development, standards implementation, and geographic information system (GIS) organizational coordination.

Since 1994, the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) has funded projects that advance the NSDI in partnership with the geospatial data community. The FGDC, now as part of the new National Geospatial Program Office (NGPO), will continue to support these projects.

A. Fiscal Year (FY) 2006 NSDI Cooperative Agreements Program

A total of $1,150,000 in funds is available for the FY 2006 program. The projects will be funded for one year. Award notification will be made on or about March 1, 2006. Project work must commence by September 30, 2006 (the end of the 2006 Federal fiscal year). Start dates on or after October 1, 2006 are not authorized under this announcement.

Summary of 2006 CAP Funding Categories

Category 1: Metadata Trainer and Outreach Assistance provides assistance to organizations with NSDI expertise knowledge and experience in assisting other organizations with the training and implementation of metadata, clearinghouse or web mapping services. Maximum award $25,000 (50% in-kind match), approximately 5 projects.

Category 2: Framework Client Development: Developing Software Clients for Framework Data Services provides assistance to advance the development of client software to exploit online Framework Data to support operational needs of an application community. Software will be distributed freely through an established community as an extension to an existing geographic information system or as an open-source software solution that can be integrated into specific decision- support or data management processes. Maximum award $75,000 (50% in-kind match), approximately 3 projects. 

Category 3: Fifty States Initiative: Strategic and Business Plan Development in Support of the NSDI Future Directions Fifty States Initiative. Projects will develop and implement statewide strategic and business plans that will facilitate the coordination of programs, policies, technologies, and resources that enable the coordination, collection, documentation, discovery, distribution, exchange and maintenance of geospatial information in support of the NSDI and the objectives of the Fifty States Initiative Action Plan. Maximum award $50,000 (50% in-kind match), approximately 10 projects.

Category 4: Canadian-US Spatial Data Infrastructure Project will support one collaborative project between organizations in the U.S. and Canada that have an interest in creating, maintaining, and sharing geospatial data over a common geography. This is a collaborative funding opportunity sponsored by GeoConnections Canada and the FGDC. U.S lead award up to $75,000; Canadian lead award up to $100,000 CDN, (100% in-kind match).

Category 5: Geographic Information Integration & Analysis category provides assistance to organizations and consortia that maintain, update and make available data, in collaborating with the National Geospatial Program Office and The National Map. Funds are provided to help new participants overcome initial impediments to participation and to help existing participants improve their web services and provide them through The National Map. Maximum award $50,000 (100% in-kind match), approximately 5 projects.

Award Information

Under the 2006 CAP program, a total of not to exceed $1,150,000 is available for funding. Approximately 24 awards are anticipated.

Program Announcement Number 06HQPA0007
Issue Date:  December 8, 2005
CLOSING DATE & TIME: February 1, 2006      2:00 p.m. EDT
Details at: http://www.usgs.gov/contracts/FGDC/2006NSDI.doc
See Also www.grants.gov