Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Californian CESU | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

This funding opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number 11HQPA0003) is a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) cooperative agreement offered through the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program, specifically the Californian CESU. The project sits within the USGS National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) Program and is aimed at improving how biological and natural resource information, especially vertebrate zoology data, is delivered, shared, and reused. The core idea is to strengthen “science delivery” and “technology transfer” so that high-value, specimen-backed records and related biodiversity information can be discovered and applied more easily at local, regional, and national scales.

The work is focused on increasing the availability, accuracy, and practical usefulness of verifiable distribution records for vertebrate species across the United States. In plain terms, the USGS is looking to partner with a qualified CESU member (often a university or similar institution) that can help expand and improve access to trustworthy location and occurrence data for mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fishes, backed by museum or research specimens. This kind of information is a foundation for conservation planning, land and wildlife management decisions, environmental reviews, research, and education, because it helps users understand where species have been documented and how distributions change over time.

A major theme in the announcement is building on successful, earlier National Science Foundation (NSF)-supported specimen data networks such as ManIS, HerpNet, FishNet, and ORNIS. Those projects demonstrated that when natural history collections digitize and standardize their specimen records and publish them through shared portals, the resulting data become far more useful to agencies and researchers. The NBII opportunity connects directly to a broader community effort to develop VertNet, envisioned as a national and international network that provides the information technology tools, governance approaches, digitization methods, and standards needed to help museums and collections publish specimen data consistently. The USGS signals that it intends to be an active, hands-on collaborator in this effort rather than simply a funder.

The expected collaboration includes several specific activities. First, USGS and the selected CESU partner would jointly review what participating collections need in order to publish and maintain their data effectively, which can include technical needs, workflow gaps, and data quality issues. Second, they would identify and recruit potential new partner collections or organizations to broaden the network and improve coverage. Third, they would brief relevant agencies and foundations about opportunities to support and benefit from these distributed data portals, effectively building broader buy-in and resource support. Fourth, they would explore and pursue sustainability models so these data networks can persist beyond a single grant cycle, recognizing that long-term usefulness depends on stable operations, governance, and ongoing data updates. Finally, they would ensure the information reaches a wide user base, not just biodiversity researchers but also staff in other federal and state agencies, educators, and ultimately the general public.

All results are intended to be openly accessible through multiple channels, including USGS websites, university and museum platforms, state agency outlets, and the NBII website (listed in the announcement as http://www.nbii.gov). The program emphasizes broad dissemination: the outputs are meant to serve federal and non-federal natural resource research and management communities, their partners, other stakeholders, and everyday users looking for credible biological information. NBII itself is described as a large collaborative effort spanning government agencies at many levels, academic institutions, museums, nongovernmental organizations, international partners, and the private sector, designed to function as an “intelligent gateway” to biological data worldwide. It is framed as infrastructure that supports science-based decision-making by making existing data products and analytical tools easier to find and use via portal technologies.

The announcement also notes NBII’s role as the U.S. node for a global biodiversity informatics facility that aggregates specimen-backed data from around the world, reinforcing the idea that the funded work is not only a domestic data-sharing improvement but also a contribution to international biodiversity information flows. This matters because vertebrate specimen data are often globally relevant for topics like invasive species, migratory species management, disease ecology, climate impacts, and cross-border conservation planning.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary funding opportunity using a Cooperative Agreement, which typically means substantial involvement by the federal agency during the project (consistent with the “USGS will be a full participant” language). The funding activity category is Science and Technology and other Research and Development, with one expected award and an estimated total funding amount of $75,000. The opportunity lists no cost-sharing or matching requirement. Eligibility is limited to organizations that are official participating partners in the Californian CESU Program (the “EligibleApplicants: Others” line is clarified by the eligibility statement that only Californian CESU partners may apply). The opportunity was posted June 22, 2010, with an original and final closing date of July 28, 2010, and an archive date of August 27, 2010.

In practical terms, the grant is seeking a CESU partner capable of coordinating with museums and collections, handling biodiversity data and informatics work (including standards and publishing protocols), and helping move specimen-based vertebrate distribution records into accessible, networked portals. The payoff the USGS is aiming for is a stronger, more sustainable national backbone for vertebrate biodiversity occurrence data that can be used confidently by land managers, policymakers, scientists, educators, and the public.

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