Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Rivers CESU | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) What is the title of this grant opportunity?

The opportunity is titled "Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Rivers CESU".

2) What is the Funding Opportunity Number?

The Funding Opportunity Number is G11AS20065.

3) Which federal agency is offering this opportunity?

This opportunity was issued by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) under the Department of the Interior (DOI), through the North Central Climate Science Center (NC CSC).

4) What type of funding instrument is being used (grant vs. cooperative agreement)?

The award is offered as a cooperative agreement. This generally means the agency expects to have substantial involvement with the recipient during the project period, rather than providing a hands-off grant.

5) What is the main focus of the project?

The central focus is research on data integration methods that can be used to model and better understand climate impacts across DOI-managed landscapes, with an emphasis on supporting landscape-scale conservation and climate adaptation planning.

6) What are the major project objectives described in the opportunity?

The opportunity is structured around three major objectives:

• Data Integration for Landscape Conservation Workshop (convening partners/practitioners/scientists to discuss data needs, integration, and decision support for landscape conservation).
• Assessment of Data Integration Capacity (evaluating existing tools, workflows, standards, personnel capacity, and institutional readiness to integrate diverse datasets for DOI decision-making).
• Assessment of Potential Climate Impacts and Adaptation Strategies (using integrated data to assess likely climate-driven changes on DOI lands and to outline/evaluate adaptation strategies for managers).

7) Does the project require hosting a workshop?

Yes. One of the stated objectives is a "Data Integration for Landscape Conservation Workshop", indicating the project is expected to organize and run a workshop that brings together relevant partners, practitioners, and scientists.

8) What kinds of datasets are implied for integration?

The announcement points to integrating diverse datasets relevant to DOI landscapes and climate impacts, including examples such as climate projections, hydrology, land cover, ecological monitoring, species distributions, and management boundaries.

9) Is this opportunity purely technical (data integration), or does it require applied management analysis too?

It is not limited to technical integration. The third objective explicitly calls for an assessment of potential climate impacts and adaptation strategies, meaning the project is expected to translate integrated data into practical analysis useful for DOI management and adaptation planning.

10) How many awards were expected?

Only one award was expected.

11) What is the estimated total funding available?

The estimated total funding amount is $225,000.

12) Is there an award ceiling or floor?

The notice lists no formal award ceiling or floor. However, the estimated total funding of $225,000 provides a practical indication of the intended project scale.

13) Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. There is no cost sharing or matching requirement stated for this opportunity.

14) What is the CFDA (Assistance Listing) number for this opportunity?

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

15) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is limited to participating partners of the Great Rivers Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program. Because it was issued under the CESU mechanism, it is not broadly open to any organization outside that partnership network.

16) What does CESU partner eligibility mean in this context?

The announcement indicates the opportunity is targeted to entities already within the Great Rivers CESU partnership network. CESUs are collaborative partnerships among federal agencies, universities, and other organizations that support research, technical assistance, and education addressing natural and cultural resource issues.

17) When was the opportunity posted?

The opportunity was posted (and created) on June 27, 2011.

18) What was the application deadline?

The original and current closing date was July 11, 2011.

19) How long was the application window?

Based on the posted date (June 27, 2011) and closing date (July 11, 2011), the application window was short (roughly two weeks).

20) What does it mean that the opportunity was archived?

The listing notes the opportunity was archived on September 27, 2011, indicating it is no longer an active, open solicitation.

21) Where were applicants expected to find the full announcement and application materials?

The listing referenced Grants.gov as the source for the full announcement details and application materials.

22) Who can be contacted for help accessing the full announcement?

For assistance accessing the full announcement, the listing directed readers to contact Faith Graves (USGS) at 703-648-7356 or fgraves@usgs.gov.

23) What decision context is the project intended to support?

The project is intended to support DOI decision-making by improving how climate and resource datasets are integrated and then used to inform landscape-scale conservation and climate adaptation planning across DOI-managed lands.

24) What kind of work is implied by the "Assessment of Data Integration Capacity" objective?

That objective implies evaluating existing tools, workflows, standards, personnel capacity, and institutional readiness for integrating diverse datasets in ways that are usable for DOI planning and management.