Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Colorado Plateau CESU | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

The Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Colorado Plateau CESU grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number 09HQPA0050) is a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) discretionary funding announcement that would support a single cooperative agreement project focused on ecosystem greenhouse gas dynamics and carbon management. The work sits in the Science and Technology/Research and Development category (CFDA 15.808, USGS Research and Data Collection). The program context is the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) network, which is designed to link federal agencies with partner institutions to deliver applied research, technical assistance, and education that directly supports resource management needs.

At the core of the opportunity is a research agenda aimed at understanding and improving how different ecosystems store carbon and exchange greenhouse gases with the atmosphere. The first objective is process-focused: identifying and explaining the mechanisms that control the movement (flux) of covered greenhouse gases into and out of each ecosystem. In practical terms, this implies measuring or modeling how factors like vegetation type, soils, moisture, temperature, disturbance (for example, drought, wildfire, grazing, land use), and management practices influence whether an ecosystem behaves as a net sink or source of greenhouse gases over time.

The second objective is applied and management-oriented: estimating how much additional carbon sequestration could be achieved in both natural and managed ecosystems through specific actions, including management changes and restoration activities. This can include evaluating the sequestration benefits of approaches such as revegetation, invasive species control, altered grazing regimes, improved soil or watershed management, riparian restoration, forest thinning or fuels treatments where relevant, and other interventions that may increase long-term carbon storage in biomass and soils while maintaining ecological integrity.

The third objective moves from assessment to strategy by calling for the development of near-term and long-term adaptation or mitigation strategies. These strategies are expected to address three connected outcomes: enhancing carbon sequestration (increasing the amount of carbon captured and stored), reducing emissions of covered greenhouse gases from ecosystems (limiting releases that can occur through decomposition, soil disturbance, fire, or other pathways), and helping ecosystems adapt to climate change (maintaining function and resilience under shifting temperature, precipitation patterns, and disturbance regimes). This objective signals that the expected deliverables are not purely academic; they should translate scientific understanding into actionable guidance that managers can use under changing climate conditions.

The fourth objective is explicitly policy-relevant: estimating annual carbon sequestration capacity across ecosystems under a range of policies, with the intent of supporting management decisions that optimize sequestration. This suggests the project should be able to compare scenarios or policy frameworks (for example, different management priorities, restoration scales, or constraints) and quantify how those choices would influence yearly sequestration outcomes. The emphasis on a range of policies indicates decision-support value, such as helping agencies understand tradeoffs and prioritize actions based on projected carbon benefits.

Funding for the opportunity is modest, with an estimated total funding amount of $15,000 and an expected number of awards listed as one. The award ceiling and floor are both shown as $0 in the source listing, which typically indicates the announcement did not specify formal minimum/maximum award amounts in that field, rather than implying no funding. There is no cost sharing or matching requirement identified for applicants.

Eligibility is limited to organizations that are already participating partners in the Colorado Plateau CESU Program. CESUs are partnership-based arrangements, so the applicant must fall within that established network and meet the CESU partnership eligibility conditions. The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, which generally means the USGS expects to have substantial involvement in the project (for example, collaboration on scope, methods, coordination, or deliverables) rather than operating strictly as a hands-off funder.

Key timing details show the opportunity was posted on July 14, 2009, created on July 27, 2009, and had an original closing date of July 24, 2009, later updated to a current closing date of August 1, 2009, with an archive date of August 23, 2009. For administrative or access issues related to the full announcement, the listed contact is Faith Graves, Contract Specialist, at 703-648-7356.

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