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FAQs: Great Rivers CESU (CEGIS/USGS) Cooperative Agreement Opportunity - Funding Opportunity Number G13AS00020

What is the name and number of this funding opportunity?

This opportunity is the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Rivers CESU grant opportunity with Funding Opportunity Number G13AS00020.

Which federal agency offered this opportunity?

The opportunity was offered by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), through the agency's Center of Excellence for Geospatial Information Science (CEGIS).

Is this a grant or a cooperative agreement?

It was structured as a cooperative agreement, not a simple pass-through grant. That means the work was expected to be carried out with substantial involvement and collaboration with USGS.

What type of work was this opportunity intended to fund?

The focus was scientific and technical research and development in geographic information science (geospatial information science), with particular emphasis on applying geospatial methods to multi-hazard supply chain network problems within the Great Rivers CESU region.

What does "multi-hazard supply chain network problems" mean in this context?

Based on the description, it points to projects using spatial data, mapping, and geospatial analytics to understand and support decision-making about interconnected risks and disruptions, such as how floods, storms, or other hazards can affect transportation corridors, logistics routes, and the flow of goods and services across river-centric landscapes and infrastructure systems.

What kinds of projects were likely a strong fit?

The posting suggests projects such as developing or testing geospatial data integration methods, improving geospatial data quality or usability, creating analytical tools for hazard-related network modeling, and applied research demonstrating how geospatial information can be used to understand multi-hazard impacts on supply chains and related infrastructure.

How did USGS/CEGIS describe the broader purpose or alignment of the work?

CEGIS framed the work as directly supporting national geospatial priorities, especially The National Map and the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI). This suggests proposals were expected to produce outputs that strengthen federal geospatial data assets, standards, workflows, or applications, not just conduct research for its own sake.

What is The National Map in relation to this opportunity?

The National Map was described as USGS's core suite of public-facing base map data and services, and it was highlighted as a national geospatial priority that the work should support.

What is the NSDI in relation to this opportunity?

The NSDI (National Spatial Data Infrastructure) was described as the broader national framework for coordinating geospatial data across governments and partners, and it was also highlighted as a priority area connected to this work.

How many awards were anticipated?

The opportunity anticipated a single award.

What was the estimated total funding amount?

The estimated total funding amount was $90,000.

Was cost sharing or matching required?

No cost sharing or matching requirement was listed. Applicants were not required to contribute non-federal funds to be competitive or eligible, based on the information provided.

Why does the listing show an award ceiling and floor of $0?

The award ceiling and floor were both shown as $0, which typically indicates that specific award limits were not expressed in that field and that the detailed announcement posted on Grants.gov would control the final budget expectations and allowable costs.

What was the funding activity category for this opportunity?

The funding activity category was listed as Science and Technology and other Research and Development.

What CFDA program was associated with this opportunity?

The opportunity was listed under CFDA 15.808 (USGS Research and Data Collection).

Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility was limited to members of the Great Rivers Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) network. The call explicitly invited all potential applicants within the Great Rivers CESU to apply, and applicants outside that network were not the intended audience for this funding.

How did Grants.gov categorize eligible applicants?

The listing categorized eligible applicants as "Others," with the eligibility limitations clarified in the eligibility text (a common approach for network-restricted eligibility rather than broad public categories).

When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?

The opportunity was posted on January 8, 2013. It was originally slated to close on January 18, 2013, with a current closing date of January 24, 2013.

Why do the dates suggest a short application window?

The dates indicate a short submission window, described as typical of some CESU task-oriented calls where partners already in the network are expected to respond quickly with targeted, capability-driven proposals.

When was the opportunity archived?

It was archived on March 8, 2013.

Where was the full detailed announcement expected to be posted?

The detailed announcement was posted on Grants.gov, and the additional information link pointed to Grants.gov.

Who was the point of contact for questions or help accessing the announcement?

The contact provided was Faith Graves at USGS. Phone: 703-648-7356. Email: fgraves@usgs.gov.

What region was emphasized for the work?

The opportunity emphasized applying geospatial methods to problems within the Great Rivers CESU region.

Does the description indicate what USGS expected as outputs or deliverables?

While specific deliverables are not listed in the text provided, the description signals that outputs should support national geospatial priorities (The National Map and the NSDI) and could include strengthened data assets, standards, workflows, applications, integration methods, data quality improvements, analytical tools, and applied demonstrations tied to multi-hazard supply chain network impacts.