Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Californian CESU | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

This grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number 09HQPA0032), titled "Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Californian CESU," is a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) cooperative agreement aimed at supporting university-led research that uses advanced hydroecological modeling to answer science questions about how forested watersheds respond to climate-related stressors. The work sits in the Science and Technology and other Research and Development category and is specifically focused on applying and improving the RHESSys model (Regional HydroEcological Simulation System), which links hydrology and ecosystem processes so researchers can simulate how water, vegetation, and climate interact across landscapes.

The core purpose of the project is to use RHESSys to simulate ecosystem function and watershed hydrology across five forested, montane watersheds that span a broad range of environmental conditions in the western United States. The sites named in the announcement are MacDonald Watershed in Montana, Loch Vale Watershed in Colorado, the Jemez Watershed in New Mexico, the Upper Merced watershed in California, and the Stehekin Watershed in Washington. By choosing watersheds that differ in climate, elevation, and forest conditions, the project is designed to support comparisons across sites, rather than producing results that only apply to a single location.

The announced research tasks for the 2009 to 2010 period are organized around setting up, validating, and extending RHESSys simulations so they can be compared against observed, on-the-ground data and then used more confidently for climate response analyses. First, the awardee is expected to select sites and set up RHESSys model simulations in a way that allows direct comparison with empirical data analyses focused on climate-induced tree mortality and forest dieback. This signals an emphasis on tying modeling outputs to real measurements and observed ecological outcomes, not just running theoretical scenarios. Second, the recipient is expected to calibrate the most recent version of RHESSys for two key locations: the Loch Vale watershed and the Jemez Mountains site in New Mexico, with the Jemez site highlighted as semi-arid, implying special attention to dry-site processes and water-limited ecosystem behavior. Third, the work should build on and revise earlier RHESSys WMI simulations for the original five forested watersheds (and potentially include several additional sites where RHESSys simulations already exist), while also developing a coherent strategy for comparing climate change responses across all sites. That inter-site comparison element is a major deliverable in itself, because it requires consistency in inputs, calibration approaches, metrics, and scenario design so results can be meaningfully contrasted. Fourth, the project calls for developing a strategy to integrate succession and fire models with RHESSys, pointing to an intention to better represent longer-term vegetation change and disturbance dynamics, which are often central drivers of watershed hydrology and ecosystem trajectories under climate change.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement, which generally indicates that USGS expects to have substantial involvement during the project (for example, coordination on study design, data, methods, or deliverables), rather than functioning purely as a hands-off funder. The opportunity anticipated a single award, with an estimated total funding amount of $79,462. The announcement lists no cost sharing or matching requirement. It is associated with CFDA number 15.808 (U.S. Geological Survey Research and Data Collection). The posting date and creation date were both May 7, 2009, with an original and current closing date of May 18, 2009, and an archive date of June 17, 2009.

Eligibility is restricted to organizations that are participating partners in the Californian Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program. CESUs are partnership networks designed to facilitate research, technical assistance, and education among federal agencies and partner institutions, and this grant is explicitly issued under that CESU framework. While the description emphasizes universities with the capacity to conduct the required modeling research, the key eligibility requirement is CESU partnership status within the Californian CESU. For access issues or questions tied to the full announcement, the listed contact is Faith Graves, Contract Specialist, at 703-648-7356.

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