Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Lakes Northern Forests CESU | G20AS00111

Opportunity Information: Apply for G20AS00111

The Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Lakes Northern Forests CESU funding opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number G20AS00111) is a discretionary research grant offered by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) within the Department of the Interior. It is issued as a cooperative agreement, which generally means the USGS expects to have substantial involvement in the project as it is carried out, such as collaborating on technical direction, coordination, or integration of results into agency needs. The program falls under the Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity category and is listed under CFDA 15.808.

At its core, the opportunity supports applied research focused on aquatic invasive species (AIS) risk assessments, with an emphasis on producing assessments that are directly useful to state natural resource managers. The work is not framed as purely academic; it is intended to be co-developed with management agencies so the resulting tools, methods, and findings can be used in real decision-making. In addition to conducting or improving AIS risk assessments, the project also includes a planning component: developing an action plan that lays out how to organize and implement a regional-scale effort to integrate AIS risk assessment approaches. A key expectation is that this regional integration will also account for climate change projections, recognizing that shifting temperatures, hydrology, ice cover, and ecosystem conditions can change invasion pathways, species survival, and future risk patterns.

Eligibility is limited to partners in the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit network, specifically within the Great Lakes Northern Forests CESU, with the opportunity listing eligible applicants broadly as "Others" and directing readers to additional eligibility details. The announcement anticipates making a single award, with a maximum funding level (award ceiling) of $16,661, indicating a relatively targeted project scope, likely aimed at a specific deliverable set such as a pilot assessment, a synthesis of existing assessment frameworks, stakeholder engagement with state agencies, and a structured regional action plan. The opportunity was created on June 30, 2020, with an original closing date of July 22, 2020, which sets the time frame for when applications were due.

Overall, the grant is designed to strengthen how AIS risks are evaluated and communicated in the Great Lakes and northern forest region by linking scientific assessment methods with management needs, and by pushing toward a more coordinated regional strategy that also anticipates the added uncertainty and shifting baselines introduced by climate change.

• 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, Great Lakes Northern Forests 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 $16,661.00 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 G20AS00111

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