Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Californian CESU | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the name of this funding opportunity?

This opportunity was issued under the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program through the Californian CESU. It is identified as the "Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Californian CESU" grant opportunity.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?

The Funding Opportunity Number is G11AS20095.

Which federal agency released this opportunity?

The opportunity was released by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) as a discretionary funding opportunity.

What is a CESU, and why does it matter for this opportunity?

CESUs (Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units) are formal partnership networks that connect federal agencies with participating universities, research institutions, and other partners to deliver applied research, technical assistance, and education supporting public-resource management needs. For this opportunity, CESU participation mattered because eligibility was restricted to organizations that were already official participants in the Californian CESU partnership.

Who was eligible to apply?

Only organizations that were already official participants in the Californian CESU were eligible to receive an award.

If an organization was not a Californian CESU partner, could it apply?

No. Eligibility was limited to official participants in the Californian CESU, so an organization outside that partner network would be ineligible regardless of its technical qualifications.

What was the project focus or topic area?

The project focus was climate change impacts in the U.S. Southwest, with an emphasis on evaluating "next generation" climate models to support future projections and derived products.

What does "evaluating next generation climate models" mean in this context?

Based on the description provided, it refers to assessing how newer generations of climate models perform for the U.S. Southwest and determining their suitability for projecting variables important to public-resource managers.

What kinds of climate variables or management-relevant indicators were implied?

The description indicates a typical focus on variables and indicators such as temperature extremes, precipitation patterns, drought indicators, snowpack, runoff timing, and heat wave frequency.

What does "making projections and derivations" refer to?

It refers both to producing core future climate projections (future climate scenarios) and to developing downstream analytical products derived from those projections. Examples mentioned include downscaled datasets, bias-corrected time series, climate indices, and other impact-relevant metrics that can support ecological or hydrological assessments.

What type of award instrument was used: grant or cooperative agreement?

The award mechanism was a cooperative agreement (not a standard grant).

Why does it matter that this was a cooperative agreement?

A cooperative agreement generally implies substantial involvement by USGS during the project. The description indicates involvement could include collaboration on study design, data standards, methodological choices, interpretation, and/or review of deliverables.

What was the activity category for this opportunity?

The activity category was listed as "Science and Technology and other Research and Development."

What CFDA program number was associated with this opportunity?

The associated CFDA program number was 15.808, described as U.S. Geological Survey Research and Data Collection.

How many awards were expected?

The opportunity anticipated a single award (ExpectedAwards: 1).

What was the estimated total funding amount?

The estimated total funding amount was $200,000.

Was cost sharing or matching required?

No. No cost sharing or matching was required, meaning applicants were not obligated to provide non-federal funds as a condition of receiving an award.

Was there a minimum (floor) or maximum (ceiling) award amount published?

No formal award ceiling or floor was set in the public synopsis (both were listed as 0). This typically indicates no strict minimum or maximum amount per award was published in the synopsis, even though the total expected funding amount was provided.

When was the opportunity posted?

The opportunity was posted and created on August 17, 2011.

What was the application closing date?

The original and current closing date was September 1, 2011.

When was the opportunity archived?

The archive date was October 1, 2011.

How long was the application window?

Based on the posted date of August 17, 2011 and the closing date of September 1, 2011, the application window was short. The description notes this is common for targeted CESU opportunities intended for a defined partner community.

Who was the point of contact for this opportunity?

The point of contact listed was Faith Graves, Contract Specialist.

How can the point of contact be reached?

Faith Graves could be reached by phone at 703-648-7356.

What kinds of questions would the point of contact typically handle?

Based on the description provided, the point of contact was listed for assistance obtaining or accessing the full announcement and typically serves as the administrative contact for application and announcement access issues.

Why is the point of contact labeled a "Contract Specialist" if this is a financial assistance opportunity?

The information notes that although the role is labeled "Contract Specialist," the listing is attached to this financial assistance opportunity and typically serves as the administrative contact for issues related to the announcement and access to application materials.