<br><font size=3 face="Times New Roman">This release can be found in the
USGS Newsroom at: </font><a href="http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=2165"><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><u>http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=2165</u></font></a><font size=3 face="Times New Roman">.</font>
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<br><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><b>News Release</b></font>
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<td width=23%><font size=3 face="Times New Roman">March 18, 2009 </font>
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<td width=36%><font size=3 face="Times New Roman">Elizabeth Lemersal
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<td width=27%><font size=3 face="Times New Roman">703-648-6716 </font>
<td width=36%><a href=mailto:lemersal@usgs.gov><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><u>lemersal@usgs.gov</u></font></a><font size=3 face="Times New Roman">
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<br><font size=5 face="Times New Roman"><b>Technical Announcement:<br>
USGS Offers $7 Million in Earthquake Research Grants</b></font>
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<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><b>-Applications Due May 13, 2009-</b></font></div>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman">RESTON, Va. - The U.S. Geological
Survey (USGS) will award up to $7 million in grants and cooperative agreements
for earthquake research in 2010.</font>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman">Interested researchers can apply
online at </font><a href=http://www.grants.gov/><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><u>www.grants.gov</u></font></a><font size=3 face="Times New Roman">
under the funding opportunity number 10HQPA0001. Applications are due May
13, 2009.</font>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman">The USGS awards approximately 90
research grants annually to universities, state geological surveys and
private institutions. Key projects include cataloging earthquakes in Southern
California to better prepare emergency responders, the public and the media
about earthquakes; providing seismic hazard estimates so communities and
critical institutions can engineer their buildings and roads to be structurally
sound; and providing data on ground shaking to help minimize damage.</font>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman">"We encourage research proposals
focused on the geographical areas in the United States that are most at
risk from earthquakes, on earthquake physics, earthquake effects and nationally
applicable earthquake hazards issues," said Elizabeth Lemersal, external
research support manager for the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program.</font>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman">For a complete list of funded projects
and reports, visit Earthquake Hazards Program, </font><a href=http://earthquake.usgs.gov/research/external/><font size=3 face="Times New Roman">External
Research Support Web site</font></a><font size=3 face="Times New Roman">. </font><a href=http://earthquake.usgs.gov/research/external/><font size=3 face="Times New Roman">http://earthquake.usgs.gov/research/external/</font></a>