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Funding Opportunity 08HQPA0011 (USGS Cooperative Agreement) - FAQs

What is Funding Opportunity Number 08HQPA0011?

Funding Opportunity Number 08HQPA0011 is a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) cooperative agreement supporting research on how atmospheric nitrogen deposition is affecting high-elevation lakes in the Rocky Mountains, with Rocky Mountain National Park (ROMO) as the primary study area.

Which agency is offering this funding?

The funding is offered by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

What type of award is this?

This opportunity is a cooperative agreement and is described as a discretionary science and technology research opportunity.

What is the purpose of this project?

The purpose is to improve scientific understanding of nitrogen deposition impacts on high-elevation Rocky Mountain lakes and to generate evidence that can help the National Park Service and Rocky Mountain National Park establish a scientifically defensible critical load for nitrogen deposition.

What problem is motivating the research?

Nitrogen from fossil fuel combustion and agricultural sources can be deposited from the atmosphere into mountain ecosystems. In some locations, atmospheric deposition has become the single largest nutrient input. When deposition exceeds what plants and microbes can absorb and process, watersheds can become nitrogen saturated, leading to nitrate leaching into streams and lakes and triggering ecological changes.

What ecological changes in lakes are associated with excess nitrogen deposition in this description?

The opportunity describes a chain of potential ecological effects including altered nutrient conditions, increased phytoplankton growth, and measurable shifts in diatom community composition.

What is a "critical load" in the context of this opportunity?

A critical load is a threshold level of atmospheric nitrogen input at which harmful ecological effects are expected to occur. The opportunity notes that critical loads can vary depending on the ecological indicator used and how the threshold is calculated.

Why does the National Park Service need additional evidence for critical loads?

The opportunity indicates that because critical loads depend on the indicator and calculation method, the National Park Service identified a need for additional evidence linking nitrogen inputs to clear biological responses.

Why are lake diatoms being used as an indicator in this project?

The project targets lake diatoms as a response indicator because changes in diatom assemblages can reflect shifts in water quality and nutrient status over time, and their silica shells preserve well in sediments, enabling reconstruction of past conditions.

What are diatoms (as described in the opportunity)?

Diatoms are microscopic algae with silica shells that preserve well in sediments, allowing scientists to examine changes in diatom assemblages over time using sediment records.

Where will the study primarily take place?

The primary study area is Rocky Mountain National Park (ROMO) in the Rocky Mountains, focusing on high-elevation lakes.

What is the main research approach described?

The research centers on building a calibration dataset for sediment diatom assemblages from ROMO lakes by collecting and analyzing modern diatom communities in lake sediments and relating those assemblages to current lake water-quality conditions.

What is a calibration dataset in this project?

In this context, a calibration dataset links modern sediment diatom assemblages from ROMO lakes to current water-quality conditions, creating a basis for interpreting how diatom communities correspond to nutrient and water-quality status.

How will the project use historical sediment cores?

After establishing the modern calibration, the project applies it to historical sediment cores to reconstruct past (baseline) nutrient concentrations and conditions from before modern nitrogen loading intensified.

What does "baseline" mean here?

Baseline refers to reconstructed past nutrient concentrations and lake conditions that represent a period before modern nitrogen loading intensified, serving as a point of comparison with present-day conditions.

How will the study quantify ecological change?

The opportunity describes comparing reconstructed baseline conditions from sediment cores to present conditions to quantify ecological change and generate information relevant to estimating critical loads for nitrogen deposition impacts.

Who is the research conducted in collaboration with?

The proposed research is conducted in collaboration with the USGS CWSC.

What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The opportunity is listed under CFDA 15.808, U.S. Geological Survey Research and Data Collection.

How many awards does the agency expect to make?

The agency expects to make one award.

What is the total funding amount for the award?

Total funding is $21,500. The award floor and award ceiling are both $21,500.

Is cost sharing or matching required?

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

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is limited to organizations that are participating partners in the North Atlantic Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) program.

Why is eligibility limited to CESU partners?

The limitation reflects the CESU model of partnering for research, technical assistance, and education, as described in the opportunity.

When was the opportunity posted and created?

The opportunity was posted on January 8, 2008, and created on January 16, 2008.

What were the closing dates and archive date listed?

The opportunity originally closed on January 18, 2008. A current closing date is listed as January 25, 2008. The archive date is February 17, 2008.

Who should be contacted for access issues?

For access issues, the contact listed is Faith Peters, Contract Specialist.

How can Faith Peters be reached?

Faith Peters can be reached by phone at 703-648-7356.