Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Rivers CESU | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is this funding opportunity?

This is the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Rivers CESU funding opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number 10HQPA0062) offered by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) as a discretionary grant using a cooperative agreement. It supports targeted improvements to the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS).

Which agency is offering the award?

The awarding agency is the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The CFDA number listed is 15.808, titled U.S. Geological Survey Research and Data Collection.

What is ITIS and why is it important in this project?

The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) functions as a shared, standardized backbone for authoritative scientific and common names and for synonymized classifications used across many biological databases. Because federal, state, and private systems depend on consistent names and classifications, improving ITIS is expected to improve data alignment across programs, including conservation planning, assessment, and monitoring efforts.

What is the main purpose of the project?

The central purpose is practical and service-oriented: to strengthen science delivery and technology transfer by updating and expanding authoritative taxonomy and classification information for organism groups where ITIS has gaps or needs modernization.

Is the project focused on creating new taxonomy?

No. The work is described as integrating high-quality existing taxonomic knowledge into ITIS rather than generating taxonomy from scratch. The emphasis is on thorough integration, quality control, and consistency with ITIS standards.

What kinds of taxonomic information are expected to be integrated into ITIS?

The expected elements include accepted names, synonyms, hierarchical placement, and other key taxonomic components needed for consistent ITIS updates.

What role is the award recipient expected to play?

The award recipient is expected to act as a coordinating hub, connecting ITIS with globally recognized taxonomic experts and established institutional datasets, and helping move those datasets into ITIS in a quality-controlled, standards-consistent way.

What organism groups are included in the scope of work?

The scope is organized into task groups covering bryophytes, oligochaetes, arachnids (specifically spiders), fungi, and insects.

What is expected for the bryophytes task group?

The recipient is expected to collaborate with the Missouri Botanical Garden and leverage its existing North American bryophyte data (and potentially additional regions when appropriate) to deliver a comprehensive ITIS update for bryophytes.

What is expected for the oligochaetes task group?

The work is to be carried out with the University of Kansas, the Illinois Natural History Survey, and additional collaborators to produce a full update for North American oligochaetes, with flexibility for other regions as appropriate.

What is expected for the arachnids task group?

The arachnids scope is focused specifically on spiders. The recipient is expected to collaborate with the American Museum of Natural History and its partners to convert their existing data into a complete ITIS update.

What is expected for the fungi task group?

The recipient is expected to work with the Agricultural Research Service Mycology Laboratory and other collaborators, combining established datasets with recent, comprehensive publications on fungal hierarchy to produce an updated and coherent fungal classification within ITIS.

What is expected for the insects task group?

The insects work emphasizes data conversion and quality control rather than reliance on a single curated dataset. The recipient will work with ITIS staff and collaborators to convert multiple existing insect datasets into ITIS workbench files suitable for direct updating, processing a minimum total volume of 4,000 taxa.

How much funding is available?

The opportunity anticipated a single award with an estimated total funding amount of $279,000.

Is cost sharing or matching required?

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

How many awards are expected?

The opportunity anticipated a single award.

What type of funding instrument is being used?

The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement.

What does the cooperative agreement imply for this project?

A cooperative agreement generally indicates substantial involvement and coordination with the federal partner. In this opportunity, that involvement is described as coordination with USGS and ITIS staff, aligning with the collaborative taxonomy and data-integration nature of the project.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is limited to organizations that are official participating partners in the Great Rivers Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program.

Why is eligibility restricted to Great Rivers CESU partners?

The restriction reflects the CESU model, which leverages established partnerships for research, technical assistance, and education.

When was the opportunity posted?

The opportunity was posted on May 11, 2010.

What was the closing date?

The original and current closing date listed is May 20, 2010.

When was the opportunity archived?

The archive date listed is June 19, 2010.

Who can be contacted for access issues with the full announcement?

The contact provided for access issues is Faith Graves, Contract Specialist, at 703-648-7356.

What is the expected overall benefit of updating ITIS through this award?

The expected payoff is improved consistency and alignment of organism names and classifications across the many systems that depend on ITIS, supporting better interoperability among biological databases and particularly benefiting state conservation agencies conducting conservation planning, assessment, and monitoring.