U.S. Geological Survey Earthquake Hazards External Grants – Advancing Seismic Hazard Research, National Resilience, and Public Safety
Jill FranksSubmitted August 30, 2026, SCEC Contribution #15147, 2026 SCEC Annual Meeting Poster #TBD
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Earthquake Hazards External Grants Program advances nationwide earthquake hazards research by funding competitive, mission aligned projects that strengthen public safety and resilience, supporting work in fault mapping, ground motion characterization, induced seismicity, real time monitoring, and emerging sensing technologies such as distributed acoustic sensing.
Each year, the program invests approximately $4–5 million across 50–70 new grant awards, with most projects ranging between $30,000 and $150,000, extending critical research capacity beyond USGS through partnerships with universities, nonprofits, state agencies, private industry, and small businesses.
This diverse portfolio includes advances in early warning systems like ShakeAlert, improvements to 3D seismic velocity models in major urban regions, and detailed hazard characterization in tectonically active areas such as Cascadia and the New Madrid Seismic Zone, generating high value data and tools that directly inform engineering design, land use planning, emergency response, and national resilience against seismic threats.
Together, these investments underscore the essential role of the USGS External Grants Program in cultivating scientific innovation, strengthening partnerships, and delivering actionable research that equips communities, scientists, engineers, and decision makers with the knowledge needed to reduce seismic risk and build a more resilient nation.
Key Words
earthquake hazards, grants, funding
Citation
Franks, J. (2026, 08). U.S. Geological Survey Earthquake Hazards External Grants – Advancing Seismic Hazard Research, National Resilience, and Public Safety. Poster Presentation at 2026 SCEC Annual Meeting.
Related Projects & Working Groups
Community Capability Building (CCB)
