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

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the name and funding opportunity number for this grant?

This opportunity is the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) grant opportunity for the Great Lakes Northern Forests region, Funding Opportunity Number G16AS00088.

Which federal agency offered this funding opportunity?

The opportunity was offered by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) within the Department of the Interior, through the USGS Great Lakes Science Center.

What type of award was this opportunity (grant vs. cooperative agreement)?

The award was structured as a cooperative agreement, meaning the project was expected to involve substantial collaboration between the recipient and USGS scientists rather than operating as a hands-off grant.

What was the main scientific focus of the project?

The central focus was science and technology research to understand why lake whitefish recruitment varies in the Detroit River and western Lake Erie, with the broader intent of improving fisheries management and habitat restoration across this connected Great Lakes system.

What does "lake whitefish recruitment" mean in the context of this opportunity?

In this opportunity, recruitment refers to the processes that determine how many young lake whitefish survive and successfully enter the population. The project aimed to identify where early life-stage losses occur and what conditions are linked to stronger or weaker recruitment.

Which life stages were emphasized for measurement and analysis?

The opportunity emphasized measuring "vital rates" across key early life stages, specifically adult spawners, eggs, and larvae that use the Detroit River and western Lake Erie.

What kinds of "vital rates" or metrics did the opportunity point to?

Based on the description, the work pointed toward quantifying and comparing components such as spawning activity and success, egg survival, and larval distribution, abundance, growth, and survival.

What geographic areas were central to the research?

The research focus included the Detroit River and adjacent waters of western Lake Erie, with a major theme of understanding ecological interactions within the St. Clair-Detroit River System (SCDRS) and nearby western Lake Erie waters.

Why was the Detroit River system important to this research?

The Detroit River is described as a major connecting corridor between lakes with complex flow patterns and changing habitats. The work was positioned to clarify recruitment mechanisms that are often difficult to observe directly in such a dynamic environment.

Did the opportunity suggest recruitment is controlled by one factor or multiple factors?

The opportunity highlighted that recruitment is regulated by interacting processes, not a single factor, affecting spawning conditions, egg viability, and larval outcomes.

What types of drivers or conditions was the research expected to help explain?

The description indicates the work was expected to generate information to help explain how local habitat conditions, hydrodynamics, and biological pressures influence egg survival, hatching outcomes, and whether larvae persist, grow, and avoid mortality long enough to contribute to the fishery.

What was the intended management value or practical use of the results?

The expected results were management-oriented and framed as actionable knowledge to guide management and restoration of fish populations and their habitats in the Detroit River and western Lake Erie, including helping prioritize restoration actions, interpret recruitment trends, and better predict responses to habitat conditions and ecological change.

What funding program identifier (CFDA) was associated with this opportunity?

The opportunity was a discretionary funding opportunity under CFDA 15.808.

How many awards were anticipated?

The opportunity anticipated one award.

What was the maximum funding amount (award ceiling) for the anticipated award?

The maximum funding level (award ceiling) was $96,968.

When was the opportunity posted and when was the application deadline?

The opportunity was posted and created on June 13, 2016, and the application deadline was June 28, 2016.

Who was eligible to apply based on the summarized eligibility category?

Eligibility was listed broadly as "Others," with additional eligibility details referenced in the full announcement.

Was this opportunity designed to support basic research only, or also applied outcomes?

Based on the description provided, the research was intended to produce high-utility data with direct application to fisheries management and habitat restoration decisions in the Detroit River and western Lake Erie system.

What made this a CESU-related opportunity?

The opportunity is described as a Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) grant opportunity for the Great Lakes Northern Forests region, and it used a cooperative agreement structure emphasizing collaboration with USGS scientists.

What is the overall summary of what this funding supported?

Overall, the opportunity funded a targeted, collaborative research effort aimed at understanding early life-stage survival and the drivers of lake whitefish recruitment in the Detroit River and western Lake Erie, with results intended to inform management and restoration across this connected Great Lakes system.