NIWR NEWS

December 2025 | Issue 7

From the President

Water is central to the Nation’s resilience, economy, and security, and meeting today’s water challenges requires sustained federal investment in science and innovation. The Genesis Mission offers a powerful opportunity to advance water research through AI-enabled discovery and data integration. As a nationwide network of 54 WRRA Institutes, NIWR brings essential place-based expertise, proven research capacity, and strong partnerships with states, universities, Congress, and federal agencies to ensure water priorities are fully integrated into this effort. NIWR’s Water and AI Committee, informed by a recent network-wide survey, demonstrates the readiness of WRRA institutes to apply AI to critical water challenges—reinforcing why reauthorizing and strengthening the WRRA program is essential.

To support an effective collective voice, NIWR members are encouraged to join an advocacy preparation webinar hosted by Van Scoyoc Associates on January 22, 2026, at 2:00 PM ET (Microsoft Teams), focused on communicating institute priorities and research impacts to legislators.

-Yu-Feng Forrest Lin (IL)

December Board of Directors Meeting

Beyond updates from USGS and VSA (see below), NIWR’s December Board meeting focused on preparations for the Annual Spring Meeting.

Most Institutes are current on dues, but NIWR does understand that some must wait for funding before paying dues. Student travel awards for the UCOWR/NIWR applications due January 16 (see below).

On the communications front, the 2025 factsheet is underway, and website updates continue. Committees reported active planning, growing membership, and upcoming contributions to the Annual Meeting.

Read December's Unofficial Minutes

Read October's Minutes on the NIWR Member Portal.

Attend the next Board meeting on Wednesday, January 21, 2025,

at 3:00 PM ET.

USGS Updates — 104(b) Issue Date, 104(g) Reviewers, & NCEs

FY25 104(b) awards are expected on Tuesday, January 13, 2026.
If your Institute has yet to submit a reporting document, please submit it ASAP. Institutes will not receive their funding on time if they are still missing documents.
USGS is still looking for reviewers for the 104(g) General and PFAS awards. Contact Christian to volunteer or share with someone who might be interested.
FY25 104(g) funds expected around April or May.
No-costs extension (NCE) reminders:
Please only request a NCE if this is the first one for the award. A second NCE for an award will likely not be approved. Read more details in the December Board meeting minutes.

Legislative Updates from VSA — Senate Progress & House Movement to Come

The Senate WRRA reauthorization bill (AWRC Act) has been introduced. Institutes should reach out to their Senators to gather support for the bill. See instructions here.
A similar request will occur in January for House Representatives.

NIWR Annual Spring Meeting — Updates & Reminders

Planning for the NIWR Annual Spring Meeting is well underway. The agenda is currently in development and will feature presentations and discussions on emerging topics including AI and data centers.

Preparation Reminders:

Registration is open, and attendees are encouraged to book their hotel rooms early to secure the group rate.
Van Scoyoc Associates will host an advocacy preparation webinar (January 22 at 2 PM ET on Teams) to help members feel confident and ready for conversations with congressional offices.
Please send Erin your updated institute brochures and factsheets that you plan to share with legislators so we can keep our materials accessible for review.

UCOWR/NIWR Conference — Abstract Submission & Student Travel Awards

Universities Council on Water Resources (UCOWR) and NIWR invite you to participate in the 2026 Annual Water Resources Conference, taking place June 8–10, 2026, in San Antonio, Texas. UCOWR has announced a call for abstracts with a deadline of January 16, 2026. More details on the UCOWR website.

Additionally, NIWR is offering two student travel awards per Institute region. This opportunity is open to undergraduate and graduate students. Students who submit an abstract are encouraged to also apply for the travel awards. The travel award application closes on the same date as abstract submissions, January 16, 2026.

Staff Network Updates

Typically, the NIWR Staff Network meets monthly on the first Thursday of each month at 2:30 PM ET.

Our next meeting is on January 8, where the Community will continue to discuss RFP language and suggest improvements for the FY26 RFP. Later, these suggestions will be discussed with USGS to help prepare for the next award cycle.

Funding & Opportunities

(Submit opportunities here)

1. Call for Abstracts: UCOWR/NIWR Conference

Student travel awards available.
Deadline for both applications: January 16, 2026

2. Call for Papers: Water

Deadline: January 31, 2026

3. Water Scholar Award - CO

Deadline: January 31, 2026

Events & Conferences

(See our calendar for more)

1. Staff Network Meeting

January 8, 2026, 2:30 PM ET
MS Teams

2. VSA FY26 Advocacy Webinar

January 22, 2026, 2 PM ET
MS Teams

3. NIWR Annual Spring Meeting

February 23-25, 2026
Washington, D.C.

4. UCOWR/NIWR Annual Conference

June 8-10, 2026
San Antonio, TX

If you’d like to join our listserv or have news, opportunities, or photos to feature in a future newsletter, please reach out to NIWR's Communication Officer at eflanagan.niwr@gmail.com.

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