Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Lakes Northern Forests CESU | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the funding opportunity number and who is offering it?

The opportunity is identified as G15AS00100 and is offered by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) as a discretionary grant.

What funding mechanism is being used?

The award is offered as a cooperative agreement through the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) network, specifically the Great Lakes Northern Forests CESU.

What is the project title and main topic?

The project is titled "Coastal marsh transgression and the fate of soil organic carbon under rising sea level." It focuses on how coastal marshes migrate inland (transgress) as sea level rises and what happens to soil organic carbon during that transition.

What does "marsh transgression" mean in this context?

Marsh transgression refers to the landward migration of marsh habitat as water levels rise. As sea level increases, marsh zones can expand inland and move upslope into areas that were previously upland or forest.

Why is USGS interested in this work now?

The opportunity is meant to build directly on an experimental study that USGS has already initiated. Applicants are expected to use that existing experimental framework to produce new scientific products related to marsh boundary movement and soil carbon fate.

What scientific problem is highlighted as a major challenge?

A key challenge described in the notice is understanding what controls the pace and pattern of marsh migration. This includes both vertical wetland processes (such as soil building and sediment accretion) and lateral controls that determine where the marsh-upland boundary sits on the landscape.

What is the "marsh-upland ecotone" and why does it matter for this grant?

The marsh-upland ecotone is the transition zone between marsh and upland forest. The notice emphasizes that relatively limited prior research has focused on factors controlling the lateral position of wetland boundaries, so USGS is seeking process-level research specifically in this boundary zone.

What practical coastal management question is included in the announcement?

The notice raises the question of whether wetlands will be able to migrate landward fast enough to keep up with changes at the seaward edge, where marsh may be lost to erosion or inundation.

How does soil organic carbon fit into the project goals?

The opportunity targets carbon cycling and storage because coastal wetlands can store large amounts of organic carbon. USGS notes that it is not well understood how soil carbon stores respond as marshes move into new upland terrain, making carbon preservation, transformation, or loss a key outcome to evaluate.

What deliverables or expected products are specified?

The notice lists three core expected products: (1) evaluating how quickly marshes transgress upslope (rate of inland movement along an elevation gradient), (2) identifying the source of organic soil carbon across that elevation gradient in a transgressing marsh, and (3) assessing the stability of soil organic matter pools under different manipulative experimental treatments used in the ongoing USGS study.

What does it mean to evaluate the "rate of inland movement along an elevation gradient"?

It means measuring or otherwise determining how fast the marsh boundary is shifting upslope/inland across different elevations, rather than only describing where the boundary is at one point in time.

What does "identify the source of organic soil carbon across the elevation gradient" refer to?

It refers to determining whether soil carbon in the transgressing marsh is primarily derived from marsh vegetation inputs, pre-existing upland/forest soil carbon, or a mixture of sources across the upland-to-marsh transition.

What is meant by "stability of soil organic matter pools" in this opportunity?

In the context of the announcement, it means evaluating how persistent or vulnerable different soil organic matter pools are when subjected to the manipulative experimental treatments being used in the existing USGS experiment.

How many awards does USGS expect to make and what is the estimated funding amount?

The notice lists an estimated total funding amount of $70,000 and anticipates making one award.

Why are the award ceiling and floor shown as $0?

The source notice lists both the ceiling and floor as $0, which typically indicates that a formal minimum or maximum award amount was not specified in those fields, rather than indicating that no funding is available.

Is cost sharing or a matching contribution required?

No. The notice states there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.

What program or CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?

The opportunity is tied to CFDA 15.808, described as US Geological Survey Research and Data Collection.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is limited to organizations that are already participating partners in the Great Lakes Northern Forests CESU Program.

Why is eligibility restricted to CESU partners?

The announcement indicates the award is being made through the CESU model, which channels collaborative research through established federal-academic partnership networks. As a result, the notice limits eligibility to participating partners within the specified CESU.

When was the opportunity posted and what were the key dates?

The notice was posted on June 29, 2015. The original and current closing date is July 17, 2015. The archive date is September 29, 2015.

Where was the full announcement accessible?

The general announcement was accessible through Grants.gov via the link provided in the notice.

Who is the contact person listed in the notice and what are their details?

The contact listed for access issues with the full announcement is Faith Graves. Phone: 703-648-7356. Email: fgraves@usgs.gov.

Does the opportunity specify that the funded work must connect to an existing USGS experiment?

Yes. The notice states that the work should build directly on an experimental study already initiated by USGS and use that experimental framework to generate new scientific products.

What kinds of scientific themes does the notice explicitly connect together?

The notice connects physical marsh migration processes (both vertical and lateral boundary controls) with biogeochemical consequences, especially carbon cycling, carbon source attribution, and the stability/persistence of soil organic carbon during transgression.