Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Californian CESU | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) California opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number G16AS00031)?

This opportunity is a US Geological Survey (USGS) award offered through the John Wesley Powell Center for Analysis and Synthesis. It is structured as a discretionary cooperative agreement under CFDA 15.808 and supports science and technology research and development focused on soil carbon in the context of climate and ecosystem science.

Which agency is sponsoring this grant?

The sponsoring agency is the Department of the Interior, US Geological Survey (USGS).

What is the main scientific question this project is trying to address?

The project focuses on a major climate and ecosystem science question: how much carbon soils store, how stable that carbon is over time, and how vulnerable it may be to disturbance and future environmental change.

Is this opportunity meant to fund new fieldwork or lab experiments?

The stated intent is not to fund isolated field or lab work. Instead, it is designed to support a coordinated synthesis effort that pulls together existing knowledge and data and translates that synthesis into practical improvements in terrestrial carbon cycle modeling.

What is the overall purpose of the funded effort?

The core aim is to increase quantification and predictive capability for soil carbon storage and stability across different soil ecosystems by coordinating a synthesis that integrates existing datasets and scientific understanding and then uses those outcomes to improve modeling approaches.

Why does the opportunity emphasize bringing together experimentalists and modelers?

The opportunity highlights that experimentalists (who measure soil carbon processes in the field and lab) and modelers (who represent those processes in predictive frameworks) often work in parallel. By convening and coordinating these groups, the project is meant to clarify mechanisms controlling soil carbon dynamics, compare approaches across systems, and identify where models align with or diverge from real-world observations.

What types of disturbances or changes are relevant to soil carbon vulnerability in this project?

The opportunity specifically mentions improving forecasts of soil carbon vulnerability under warming, land-use change, fire, drought, and other disturbances, because soil carbon release can influence climate feedbacks.

What are the specific objectives of the opportunity?

Four objectives are described:

1. Build consensus on methods and approaches for assessing soil carbon dynamics (including measurement protocols, indicators of stability, and interpretation of soil carbon pools).
2. Assemble and review large datasets in coordination with the International Soil Carbon Network (ISCN).
3. Develop practical approaches for matching data with models, including using models to improve spatial and temporal scaling strategies.
4. Facilitate broad participation of the scientific community, emphasizing an inclusive and collaborative synthesis process.

What does "building consensus on methods" mean in this context?

Based on the description, this refers to aligning the community on how soil carbon dynamics should be assessed, such as agreeing on measurement protocols, deciding which indicators best represent carbon stability, and establishing shared interpretations of different soil carbon pools.

How does the International Soil Carbon Network (ISCN) relate to the project?

The opportunity indicates that assembling and reviewing large datasets will be done in coordination with the International Soil Carbon Network (ISCN). This signals that a key product is a curated synthesis of existing community-relevant data rather than creation of a small standalone dataset.

What does "matching data with models" mean for this grant?

The opportunity describes moving beyond compiling datasets by explicitly connecting observations to model structure and parameterization. It also emphasizes improving strategies for scaling site-level measurements to broader spatial extents (landscapes/regions) and longer time horizons.

What kind of participation is expected from the broader scientific community?

The opportunity explicitly calls for facilitating broad participation, indicating the work should be collaborative and inclusive rather than conducted by a single small team behind closed doors.

What kinds of outputs are expected?

The expected outputs are oriented toward open science and broad dissemination. The opportunity states that results are intended to be presented at scientific meetings and published in the open literature, and that underlying data products are to be made publicly available.

Are publications and presentations required to be open and widely shared?

The opportunity describes publishing in the open literature and presenting at scientific meetings, along with making underlying data products publicly available, which aligns the effort with transparency and reuse.

How many awards were anticipated?

The opportunity anticipated a single award.

What is the maximum funding amount (award ceiling) for this opportunity?

The award ceiling listed for the opportunity is $50,000.

What type of award mechanism is used?

The opportunity is described as a discretionary cooperative agreement (CFDA 15.808).

What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?

The CFDA number listed is 15.808.

When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?

The opportunity was posted on January 27, 2016 (and created the same day) with a closing date of February 12, 2016.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with additional clarification referenced in the full announcement. The summary provided does not include the detailed eligibility definition.

What makes this grant different from a typical research grant?

Based on the description, it is positioned as targeted support for a synthesis-driven, community-engaged effort that leverages existing large datasets and cross-disciplinary collaboration, with a strong focus on translating synthesis into practical improvements in terrestrial carbon cycle modeling rather than funding isolated data collection efforts.

What is the practical modeling outcome this project is aiming for?

The opportunity is oriented toward strengthening terrestrial carbon cycle models by improving how soil carbon storage and stability are quantified, how mechanisms are represented, how models are evaluated against observations, and how measurements are scaled across space and time.