Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Rocky Mountain CESU | G20AS00106

Opportunity Information: Apply for G20AS00106

This grant opportunity, titled "Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Rocky Mountain CESU" (Funding Opportunity Number G20AS00106), is a US Geological Survey (USGS) funding call issued through the Department of the Interior. It supports a cooperative agreement focused on research and assessment work in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), with the USGS Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center (NoROCK) leading the effort. The program sits in the Science and Technology/Research and Development category (CFDA 15.808) and is structured to emphasize collaboration rather than a standalone, investigator-driven project.

The purpose of the award is to support participation in the first phase of a broader climate assessment of the GYE. This initial phase concentrates specifically on climate and water resources. In practical terms, that means synthesizing and assessing information about climate patterns, climate drivers, observed and projected changes, hydrology, snowpack, watershed processes, streamflow, drought and flood dynamics, and other water-related components that are central to ecosystem conditions and resource management in the region. This first-phase emphasis is meant to create a solid technical foundation that later phases can build on as the assessment expands into additional topics.

A defining feature of the opportunity is its collaborative assessment process. The work is expected to be carried out through multiple interactions among agencies, universities, and a broad mix of public and private stakeholders. Rather than producing only an internal report, the project is framed as a stakeholder-engaged assessment that integrates scientific expertise with management needs, likely involving iterative feedback, coordination meetings, shared data development, and co-production of usable outputs for decision-makers and the public.

The anticipated period of performance for the first phase is approximately 12 to 18 months. The expected deliverables go beyond a single written product and include a publicly available final assessment document, accompanying datasets, and an assessment website to make findings and data accessible. The notice also signals the possibility of follow-on peer-reviewed journal publications, with joint authorship involving USGS scientists, CESU-affiliated scientists, and partnering management agencies. That detail matters because it indicates an expectation of both applied assessment outputs and publishable scientific contributions, while also reinforcing that the work will be integrated with USGS and partner agencies rather than operating in isolation.

Financially, the opportunity anticipates one award with a maximum funding level (award ceiling) of $23,500. The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, which typically implies substantial involvement by the federal agency during the project, such as active coordination, shared planning, or collaboration on deliverables. Eligibility is listed as "Others" with additional eligibility details referenced in the full announcement, and the opportunity was originally posted on June 30, 2020, with an original closing date of July 22, 2020.

Overall, the grant is essentially a small, targeted award intended to bring CESU-partner capacity into the early, climate-and-water-focused stage of a Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem climate assessment, producing public-facing assessment materials and datasets through an interactive, multi-organization process led by USGS NoROCK.

• The Department of the Interior, U. S. Geological Survey in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Rocky Mountain CESU" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.808.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jun 30, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 22, 2020. (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 $23,500.00 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 G20AS00106

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