Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Basin CESU | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

This grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number 11HQPA0010) is a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) cooperative agreement offered through the Great Basin Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU). The project centers on building a strong working partnership between USGS scientists and CESU member institutions to apply remote sensing and GIS-based landscape analysis to conservation and land-use planning challenges in the Mojave Desert. In practical terms, the work is aimed at turning large, region-wide environmental datasets into usable spatial models that predict where species are likely to occur and how their habitats connect across the landscape.

The core technical objective is to develop predictive spatial distribution models for as many as 30 Mojave Desert species. These models will rely on remotely sensed landscape features and carefully prepared geospatial layers that represent biological conditions, physical environment, and human or social influences (for example, land use patterns, access routes, and other indicators of human activity). The project also emphasizes integrating distributional data with genetic information, so that the modeling does not only highlight where species may be present, but also helps identify locations that represent important reservoirs of biological and genetic diversity, especially where multiple species overlap. The end product is intended to support ecosystem-scale understanding rather than single-species decisions made in isolation.

A major applied purpose of these models is to evaluate potential impacts from proposed alternative energy development and to assess likely responses to climate change. By comparing predicted distributions and habitat connectivity under different scenarios, the work is designed to help resource managers anticipate where development pressures could fragment habitat, where climate-driven shifts might reduce suitability, and which areas may function as movement corridors or refugia. The opportunity explicitly frames the modeling as decision-relevant science, meant to feed directly into planning and management choices in the Mojave Desert, including sensitive species management, recreation planning, law enforcement support, travel management, and related on-the-ground programs.

The announcement highlights that the modeling effort depends heavily on high-quality GIS inputs that are geospatially rectified and suitable for analytical comparison with existing and ongoing work. Because of that, quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) is not treated as a minor administrative task but as a central piece of the technical scope. The project anticipates acquiring, harmonizing, and validating data layers so that the resulting models are defensible and consistent across species and across the region. The broader intent is to use these shared datasets and modeling workflows to support interdisciplinary problem-solving at multiple spatial scales, keeping the focus on ecosystem context across the Mojave Desert rather than isolated project footprints.

From a program and partnership standpoint, this opportunity is structured to strengthen collaboration between federal scientists and the academic community for the benefit of land managers and their partners. CESUs are designed specifically to blend research, technical assistance, and education, so the expected work is not limited to producing scientific outputs; it is also meant to translate those outputs into tools, guidance, and usable products that managers can apply in planning processes. The opportunity anticipates a cooperative relationship, meaning USGS involvement is part of the project approach rather than simply providing funds and receiving a final report.

Key administrative details include that it is a discretionary opportunity using a cooperative agreement as the funding instrument, categorized under Science and Technology and other Research and Development. The CFDA number is 15.808 (U.S. Geological Survey Research and Data Collection). The estimated total funding is $55,000, with an expectation of one award, and there is no cost sharing or matching requirement stated. Eligibility is limited to organizations that are participating partners in the Great Basin CESU program (the listing uses “Others” with clarification that applicants must be CESU partners). The opportunity was posted November 2, 2010, with an original and current closing date of November 15, 2010, and an archive date of December 15, 2010. The listed contact for access issues is Faith Graves, Contract Specialist, at 703-648-7356.

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Next opportunity: FY 2012 Fulbright Scholar Program

Previous opportunity: Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Californian CESU

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