“Improving the Computation of Large Wood and Other Geomorphic Parameters in Rivers” | W81EWF 22 SOI 0031

Opportunity Information: Apply for W81EWF 22 SOI 0031

This opportunity, run by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) under the Department of Defense, focuses on making it easier and more defensible for engineers to use large wood and similar natural materials in riverbank stabilization projects. The core problem it is trying to solve is practical: while using locally available wood can bring real environmental benefits and can fit well with nature-based approaches, many engineers avoid it because there are not enough standardized, science-backed design tools to reliably predict performance and failure risk. To address that, the Engineering With Nature program is supporting development of an add-on capability for HEC-RAS, the most widely used river hydraulic modeling and design software in the world, so that large wood features can be designed and analyzed using workflows engineers already trust.

The grant is structured as a cooperative agreement in the science and technology/research and development category (CFDA 12.630). The funding opportunity number is W81EWF 22 SOI 0031. At the time of posting, the award ceiling was $125,000, with one expected award. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others" with additional clarification referenced in the full notice, and the work is framed around collaboration with USACE and, specifically, close coordination with the USACE Hydrologic Engineering Center (the HEC team behind HEC-RAS).

The first major task is to identify where the current knowledge and datasets fall short for designing with large wood in rivers, and to propose realistic ways to close those gaps. The recipient (working as a CESU non-federal partner) is expected to actively reach out to subject-matter experts across agencies, universities, and the private sector. A key deliverable under this task is organizing and hosting a one-day interagency meeting with invited experts. USACE (or another partner agency) will provide the venue at no cost, and the meeting is intended to start with short presentations on the state of practice and science and then move quickly into structured discussion about what is missing and what should be prioritized.

The second major task is the technical heart of the opportunity: turning what is learned from the expert engagement into practical methods for calculating the driving forces and resisting forces acting on large wood elements in rivers, and then implementing those calculations in software that can be integrated into the HEC-RAS ecosystem. The work includes researching and documenting best materials and practices, along with the environmental and hydraulic variables that influence performance (for example, factors that affect drag, buoyancy, embedment, anchoring resistance, and stability under high flows). A large portion of the funding effort is expected to go into building a standalone software application that reads HEC-RAS 1D model output files and uses those outputs to compute driving forces, resisting forces, and factors of safety for wood-based stabilization features. The application must also generate simple visualizations in both cross-section and plan view so engineers can interpret the results in a spatially meaningful way.

There are several specific software requirements that shape what the recipient must build. The tool must read one-way data from HEC-RAS into the application (it does not need to write results back into HEC-RAS or modify the HEC-RAS interface). It must also read wood-property tables that USACE will provide, so the tool can apply consistent material/property assumptions. The user interface is required to be written using WinUI, and it must use XAML Islands within WinUI to use CSIChart for plotting/visualization. Because the goal is a seamless eventual incorporation into HEC-RAS workflows, prior experience parsing or reading HEC-RAS output is strongly preferred, and close coordination with the Hydrologic Engineering Center is explicitly required throughout development. Another important detail is that the recipient does not choose which engineering equations or formulations get coded; USACE will select the equations based on feedback from the interagency meeting and will provide worked spreadsheet examples to guide implementation. The recipient is also expected to document how the tool could be enhanced later to support RAS2D (two-dimensional HEC-RAS modeling) even if the initial implementation is for 1D output.

The third major task broadens beyond wood stability to geomorphic automation. The recipient must deliver a literature review and a short scoping document describing ways to automate high-level geomorphic assessments at scales large enough to be useful across regions. The specific goal here is to outline methods sufficient to derive parameters such as channel velocity and bank height from automated or semi-automated geomorphic analyses. The notice signals that experience computing geomorphic values automatically over large areas is strongly desired, which implies the agency is looking for approaches that can scale (for example, leveraging terrain data, hydrography datasets, and repeatable workflows rather than purely site-by-site manual interpretation).

A fourth task is listed as an out-year option rather than an immediate requirement. If pursued in later funding periods, it would involve developing and maintaining an online platform aimed at practical adoption by landowners and practitioners. The platform concept includes helping users apply new bank stabilization methods, identify headcut locations across large watersheds, and generate stream centerlines and other enhancements that support cross-section based analysis. In other words, it would extend the work from engineering tool development into broader decision support and implementation assistance.

The public benefit case is straightforward and tied to adoption. Because HEC-RAS is globally dominant in river analysis and design, a well-built standalone application that plugs into the HEC-RAS workflow can spread quickly through engineering practice. USACE is aiming for a "wood calculator" that makes force and moment balance checks and factors of safety routine, which helps engineers determine when wood structures need anchoring, when designs are likely to be stable, and when conditions are simply too energetic for wood-based approaches. By improving reliability and reducing uncertainty, the agency expects fewer project failures and greater willingness among engineers to incorporate large wood in bank stabilization and related projects, supporting nature-based solutions without sacrificing engineering defensibility.

• The Department of Defense, Dept. of the Army -- Corps of Engineers in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "“Improving the Computation of Large Wood and Other Geomorphic Parameters in Rivers”" 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 Jun 27, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 15, 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 $125,000.00 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 0031

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