Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Basin CESU | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the name of this funding opportunity?

The opportunity is the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Basin CESU opportunity, Funding Opportunity Number G16AS00128.

Which federal agency is offering this opportunity?

This is a discretionary cooperative agreement offered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

Which USGS office is managing the award?

The opportunity is offered through the USGS Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center (WY-MT WSC).

What type of award is this?

It is a cooperative agreement (a type of federal assistance award) rather than a standard procurement contract.

What is the program area or category for this opportunity?

The opportunity is categorized under Science and Technology and other Research and Development.

What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The CFDA number listed for this opportunity is 15.808.

Who is this opportunity intended to fund?

It is specifically intended for a partner organization within the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) network. The listing indicates eligibility as "Others," with additional eligibility details referenced in the full notice, but the core intent is to fund a CESU partner rather than the general public.

Is this opportunity open to the general public?

Based on the information provided, the core intent is to fund a CESU network partner organization rather than the general public.

What region is the research focused on?

The research focus is on the northwest United States, with the driving science question framed around headwater streams in the Rocky Mountains.

What is the main technical focus of the project?

The technical focus is developing multi-temporal snowpack extent monitoring techniques, meaning methods to map and compare snow presence across multiple dates and seasons rather than relying on a single snapshot in time.

What does "multi-temporal snowpack extent monitoring" mean in this context?

It refers to approaches that track snow cover extent across multiple time periods (different dates, seasons, and years) to evaluate changes and persistence over time.

What is the primary scientific question being addressed?

The project is driven by the question of how snowpack extent during March through July relates to headwater stream intermittency in the Rocky Mountains.

Why are the months March through July emphasized?

Because the opportunity highlights snow cover in late winter through early summer (March to July) as a strong indicator of whether small headwater streams remain flowing (perennial) or dry up at some point (intermittent).

What is meant by headwater stream intermittency?

In this context, intermittency refers to whether small headwater streams continue flowing year-round (perennial) or stop flowing and dry up at some point (intermittent).

Why is remote sensing emphasized for this work?

The opportunity notes that many headwater systems are remote, difficult to access, and widely distributed, making remote sensing the most realistic way to quantify snowpack patterns across large areas.

What types of satellite data does the opportunity reference?

The notice cites high-resolution satellite imagery and gives 30-meter data as an example, which aligns with commonly used platforms such as Landsat.

What problem is the opportunity trying to solve related to data processing?

Processing and analyzing large volumes of high-resolution imagery over regional extents and long time spans can be computationally demanding and slow using traditional local computing workflows.

How does the opportunity propose addressing computational limitations?

It highlights cloud-based processing as a solution, specifically referencing Google Earth Engine as an example of an environment that can speed analysis and enable scaling across larger areas and longer historical periods.

Is Google Earth Engine required?

The information provided references Google Earth Engine as an example of a cloud-based processing environment; it does not state that it is mandatory.

What is the intended outcome or end goal of the project?

The end goal is to enable investigators to more efficiently evaluate the relationship between snowpack extent and stream permanence across a broader region and through time, rather than being limited to small study areas or short time windows.

How much funding is available?

The award ceiling is $15,000.

How many awards are expected?

One award is expected.

When was the opportunity posted?

The opportunity was originally posted on September 15, 2016.

What was the original closing date?

The original closing date was October 5, 2016.

What type of project scale does the funding suggest?

Based on the modest award ceiling and the expectation of a single award, this appears to be a small, targeted project focused on building or refining scalable, cloud-enabled remote sensing methods.

What application area is highlighted for the snow monitoring methods?

The methods are intended to support understanding and prediction of headwater stream intermittency by linking snow cover extent and persistence to stream permanence.

What geographic scale is the opportunity trying to make feasible?

The opportunity emphasizes scaling analyses to larger regional extents and longer historical periods, rather than limiting work to small study areas or short time windows.