Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, North West Alaska CESU | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is the title of this grant opportunity?

The opportunity is titled "Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, North West Alaska CESU" (Funding Opportunity Number G11AS20041).

2. Which federal agency is offering this opportunity?

This is a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) opportunity through the USGS Alaska Science Center, using a cooperative agreement mechanism.

3. What type of funding mechanism is being used?

The announcement specifies a cooperative agreement. This is also described as a discretionary funding opportunity.

4. What program area/category does this opportunity fall under?

It is categorized under science and technology and other research and development.

5. What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?

The CFDA number listed is 15.808 (U.S. Geological Survey Research and Data Collection).

6. What is the main scientific focus of the project?

The project focuses on how climate change may shift the timing of plant growth (phenology) in Arctic Alaska and how those shifts could change the nutritional landscape available to arctic herbivores during summer, with attention to "bottom-up" effects (climate influences vegetation first, and vegetation changes then influence ungulate nutrition and outcomes).

7. Which animals are central to the research described?

The research is centered on arctic herbivores, specifically caribou and muskoxen, and how they depend on a short growing season to rebuild body reserves needed for reproduction and winter survival.

8. Why does timing of plant growth (phenology) matter for caribou and muskoxen?

The Arctic growing season is short, and plant quantity and quality can change sharply across the season. Even modest shifts in green-up, flowering, or senescence can translate into meaningful changes in energy and nutrient intake during the compressed summer feeding window.

9. What does the announcement mean by "bottom-up" effects?

"Bottom-up" effects refer to the idea that climate affects vegetation first (including phenology and nutrient dynamics), and those vegetation changes then affect herbivore nutrition, health, and potential population outcomes.

10. What kind of field sampling effort is described?

The opportunity describes repeated sampling of key summer forage plants used by caribou and muskoxen every two weeks from May through September, across multiple years (2011 to 2013).

11. Where would the study take place?

The study area is described along Alaska's Dalton Highway (the "Haul Road") corridor from Toolik Lake north to Prudhoe Bay, structured around an elevation and environmental gradient.

12. Why use the Dalton Highway (Haul Road) corridor transect?

Using this transect helps capture how phenology and nutrient availability may differ across latitudes, elevations, and coastal-inland conditions, which is important for understanding what animals may encounter as they move across the landscape.

13. What is a key deliverable mentioned in the announcement?

A major deliverable is laboratory-based nutrient profiling of commonly consumed forage species.

14. How large is the sampling effort described?

The announcement references a substantial sampling effort and provides an example of n = 405 forage samples in 2011.

15. Which forage plant species are specifically mentioned?

Representative focal plants listed include Eriophorum vaginatum (tussock cottongrass), Carex aquatilis (water sedge), Pedicularis langsdorfii (lousewort), and willows such as Salix pulchra and Salix alaxensis.

16. What kinds of laboratory analyses are planned for the forage samples?

The announcement describes two broad categories of analyses: (1) proximate forage metrics and (2) energy and elemental nutrient measurements relevant to herbivore physiology and growth.

17. What "proximate" forage metrics are listed?

The proximate metrics listed are dry matter, ash, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), and acid lignin, which help describe forage structure, digestibility, and less accessible plant fractions.

18. What energy and elemental nutrients are listed for measurement?

The listed suite includes gross energy; nitrogen and carbon; phosphorus and calcium; sodium and potassium; magnesium; and trace minerals such as copper and zinc.

19. What is the nutritional purpose of measuring these variables?

Collectively, the measurements are intended to show not just whether plants are present, but whether they provide the right nutritional package at the right time during the short summer feeding season.

20. What is the estimated total funding amount?

The estimated total funding listed is $25,000.

21. How many awards are expected?

The announcement indicates an expected number of awards of one.

22. Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. The announcement states that no cost sharing or matching is required.

23. Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is restricted to organizations that are official partners in the North West Alaska Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program.

24. What is the CESU context mentioned in the announcement?

The North West Alaska CESU is described as a networked partnership model intended to connect federal agencies with universities and other research entities for applied science, technical assistance, and education.

25. When was the opportunity posted and created?

The announcement indicates it was posted and created on May 31, 2011.

26. What were the closing dates for applications?

The original and current closing date listed is June 10, 2011.

27. When was the opportunity archived?

The archive date listed is July 10, 2011.

28. Who can be contacted for help accessing the full announcement?

The listed contact is Faith Graves, Contract Specialist, at 703-648-7356.

29. What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?

The Funding Opportunity Number is G11AS20041.

30. What time period does the research sampling plan cover?

The described plan includes sampling every two weeks from May through September, across multiple years (2011 to 2013).