Lake Champlain Basin Program Seeks Pre-Proposals for Clean Water and Healthy Ecosystems Research

Grand Isle, VT – The Patrick Leahy Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP), in partnership with NEIWPCC, seeks pre-proposals for research projects that will address the complex challenges facing Lake Champlain and its watershed. A subset of applicants will be asked to submit a more detailed full proposal for further consideration. 

Research pre-proposals should support Clean Water or Healthy Ecosystems goals outlined in LCBP’s management plan, Opportunities for Action. For this request, the LCBP is particularly interested in funding research projects that: 

• Assess the bioavailability of phosphorus from understudied sources or that replicate previous mercury studies in Lake Champlain. 

• Support population monitoring for priority species, assess the impact of cyanobacteria blooms on lake biota, investigate the impact of environmental change on native species, or advance understanding of aquatic habitat restoration techniques. 

• Assess the impacts of established aquatic invasive species, or investigate best practices for containment of hemlock woolly adelgid to preserve riparian habitat. 

• Assess best practices for dam removal, including riparian restoration, invasive species spread prevention, and minimizing impacts on threatened and endangered species. 

• Identify opportunities to enhance public recreation access or improve understanding of water use conflicts at recreation access points. 

• Develop best practices for riparian forest management. 

Please see the Request for Pre-proposals for full details on research priorities. Requests up to $400,000 will be considered, with all awards subject to available funding.  

Selected projects will be supported by funds awarded to NEIWPCC by the US Environmental Protection Agency on behalf of the Lake Champlain Basin Program, or in partnership with the Great Lakes Fishery Commission. Proposals must support work within the Lake Champlain watershed. 

Proposals are due at 5:00 PM EST on November 7, 2025. An informational webinar will be offered on October 14, 2025 at 1:00PM (register for the Zoom webinar at this link). Awarded research projects are targeted to begin work in January 2027. 

More information, including grant guidelines and applications, is available on the Lake Champlain Basin Program’s website at lcbp.org/grants.    

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The Lake Champlain Basin Program coordinates and funds efforts that benefit the Lake Champlain Basin’s water quality, fisheries, wetlands, wildlife, recreation, and cultural resources. The program works in partnership with federal agencies, state and provincial agencies from New York, Vermont, and Québec, local communities, businesses, and citizen groups. NEIWPCC—a regional commission that helps the states of the Northeast preserve and advance water quality—serves as the primary program administrator of LCBP at the request of the Lake Champlain Steering Committee and administers the program’s personnel, finances, and contracts. NEIWPCC is a program partner of LCBP. For further information, contact the Lake Champlain Basin Program, 54 West Shore Road, Grand Isle, VT at (802) 372-3213 / (800) 468-5227 or visit https://www.lcbp.org/.