Opportunity Information: Apply for NWRS R2 CC02
Apply for NWRS R2 CC02
- The Region 2 in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Climatic projections and data downscaling across southwestern ecosystems" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.650 Research Grants (Generic).
- This funding opportunity was created on Dec 29, 2009 and posted on Aug 25, 2009.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 1, 2009. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $60,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $60,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
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Opportunity Summary:
The grant opportunity titled "Climatic projections and data downscaling across southwestern ecosystems" is a Region 2 discretionary funding announcement intended to improve how conservation and wildlife professionals anticipate and respond to climate-driven ecosystem change. The core problem it targets is that warming climates are already reshaping biodiversity by altering where species can live and how abundant they are. Some species will successfully follow shifting habitats, while others will be blocked by barriers, fail to keep pace, or lose suitable conditions and disappear from parts of their current range. At the time of the announcement, managers often lacked reliable, fine-scale information about how quickly habitats are moving, where the most significant changes are happening, and what obstacles might prevent plants and animals from tracking those changes. This uncertainty makes planning harder and reduces the odds of successful long-term conservation decisions.
The project focuses on the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, a region expected to experience relatively large climatic changes and where complex topography and strong climate gradients can produce highly localized ecological responses. A major emphasis is translating (or downscaling) climate information into forms and spatial resolutions that are actually useful for management decisions across federal, state, and private conservation organizations. In practical terms, the work is framed around identifying where and how climate conditions have changed in ways that are likely to trigger ecosystem shifts, then linking those climate signals to observed changes on the ground.
Methodologically, the opportunity builds on prior analyses using PRISM climate data at a 4 x 4 km resolution. Those data were used to calculate annual minimum, maximum, mean, and variability (standard deviation) for temperature and precipitation, comparing a historical baseline period (1930-1974) to a more recent period (1975-2007). From those climate summaries, the work derives management-relevant indicators such as growing season length, number of frost-free days, and the occurrence of extreme events. Using these indicators, the project identifies focal areas that have trended toward different climate-change "directions," such as hotter/wetter, hotter/drier, colder/wetter, colder/drier, and areas with shorter or longer growing seasons. These mapped patterns are treated as priority places to investigate for climate-induced ecosystem transitions.
To connect climate trends to real ecological change, the project evaluates geographic shifts and rates of change using two complementary approaches. First, it relies on a roughly 30-year Landsat record at 30 m spatial resolution to detect spectral and landscape changes over time, providing a relatively fine-scale, consistent view of how vegetation and land surface conditions have changed. Second, it examines vegetation through established classification frameworks, specifically ecological systems and macrogroups in the National Vegetation Classification, which helps interpret remote sensing signals in ecologically meaningful categories. A key component is the "crosswalk" step: integrating Landsat-derived spectral findings and knowledge of ecological boundaries or constraints ("sideboards" that define where certain systems can exist) with abiotic drivers such as temperature and precipitation metrics. The intent is to identify plausible causal mechanisms, model relationships between climate variables and observed ecological shifts, and determine which variables and combinations of variables best explain the changes detected across the landscape.
Funding was offered as a cooperative agreement, indicating an expectation of substantial involvement or collaboration with the agency rather than a hands-off grant. The announcement listed one expected award with total estimated funding of $60,000, an award ceiling of $60,000, and an award floor of $35,000. Cost sharing or matching was required. The opportunity fell under CFDA 15.650 (Research Grants - Generic) and was categorized under Natural Resources. Eligibility was described as unrestricted (open to any type of entity), subject to any additional clarifications that might appear in the full announcement text. The posting date was August 25, 2009, with a closing date of September 1, 2009, and the opportunity was archived on October 1, 2009. The listed contact for access issues or questions was Grant Harris (505-248-6817, grantharris@fws.gov).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the title of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "Climatic projections and data downscaling across southwestern ecosystems."
What type of funding announcement is this?
It is a Region 2 discretionary funding announcement.
What is the main purpose of the project?
The project is intended to improve how conservation and wildlife professionals anticipate and respond to climate-driven ecosystem change by producing climate information that is more reliable, more management-relevant, and available at finer spatial scales.
What problem is this funding trying to address?
The announcement targets a key management challenge: warming climates are already reshaping biodiversity by changing where species can live and how abundant they are, but managers often lack dependable, fine-scale information about how quickly habitats are shifting, where the biggest changes are occurring, and what barriers might prevent plants and animals from tracking those changes.
What geographic area does the project focus on?
The work focuses on the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.
Why is the southwestern U.S. and northern Mexico an emphasis area?
The region is expected to experience relatively large climatic changes, and its complex topography and strong climate gradients can lead to highly localized ecological responses. That makes fine-scale climate translation (downscaling) especially important for on-the-ground decisions.
What does "downscaling" mean in the context of this opportunity?
In this announcement, downscaling refers to translating climate information into forms and spatial resolutions that are actually useful for management decisions across federal, state, and private conservation organizations.
What climate dataset is specifically mentioned as a foundation for the work?
The opportunity builds on prior analyses using PRISM climate data at a 4 x 4 km resolution.
What time periods are compared to evaluate climate change?
The work compares a historical baseline period (1930-1974) to a more recent period (1975-2007).
What climate variables are summarized from the PRISM data?
Annual minimum, maximum, mean, and variability (standard deviation) for temperature and precipitation.
What management-relevant indicators are derived from the climate summaries?
The announcement lists indicators such as growing season length, number of frost-free days, and the occurrence of extreme events.
How does the project identify places that may be undergoing climate-driven transitions?
Using derived climate indicators, the project maps focal areas that have trended toward different climate-change "directions" (for example, hotter/wetter, hotter/drier, colder/wetter, colder/drier) as well as areas with shorter or longer growing seasons. These mapped patterns are treated as priority places to investigate for climate-induced ecosystem transitions.
What approaches are used to connect climate trends to observed ecological change?
The opportunity describes two complementary approaches: (1) analyzing a roughly 30-year Landsat record at 30 m resolution to detect spectral and landscape changes over time, and (2) examining vegetation through established classification frameworks, specifically ecological systems and macrogroups in the National Vegetation Classification.
What Landsat information is used and at what resolution?
A roughly 30-year Landsat record is used at 30 m spatial resolution to detect changes in spectral and landscape conditions over time.
How are vegetation changes interpreted in ecologically meaningful terms?
The project uses classification frameworks including ecological systems and macrogroups from the National Vegetation Classification to interpret remote sensing signals as meaningful ecological categories.
What is the "crosswalk" step mentioned in the announcement?
The crosswalk refers to integrating Landsat-derived spectral findings with knowledge of ecological boundaries or constraints ("sideboards" defining where certain systems can exist) and abiotic drivers such as temperature and precipitation metrics.
What is the intended outcome of the crosswalk and modeling work?
The intent is to identify plausible causal mechanisms, model relationships between climate variables and observed ecological shifts, and determine which variables and combinations of variables best explain the changes detected across the landscape.
What type of award instrument is expected?
Funding is offered as a cooperative agreement, which indicates an expectation of substantial involvement or collaboration with the agency rather than a hands-off grant.
How many awards were expected?
The announcement listed one expected award.
What is the total estimated funding amount?
The total estimated funding was $60,000.
What are the award ceiling and award floor?
The award ceiling was $60,000 and the award floor was $35,000.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
Yes. The announcement states that cost sharing or matching was required.
What is the CFDA number and program description?
The opportunity is listed under CFDA 15.650, "Research Grants - Generic."
What category is this opportunity listed under?
It is categorized under Natural Resources.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was described as unrestricted (open to any type of entity), subject to any additional clarifications that might appear in the full announcement text.
When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?
The posting date was August 25, 2009, and the closing date was September 1, 2009.
Is this opportunity still open?
No. The opportunity was archived on October 1, 2009.
Who is the contact person for questions or access issues?
The listed contact is Grant Harris. Phone: 505-248-6817. Email: grantharris@fws.gov.
What kind of users or organizations is this work meant to support?
The announcement emphasizes producing information useful for management decisions across federal, state, and private conservation organizations, especially conservation and wildlife professionals planning for long-term ecosystem change.
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