Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Pacific Northwest CESU | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

This grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number G13AS00095) was issued by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), specifically the Alaska Science Center (ASC), under the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) network and tied to the Pacific Northwest CESU. It was offered as a cooperative agreement, meaning the award would typically involve substantial involvement or collaboration with USGS staff rather than operating like a hands-off grant. The overall purpose was to fund a focused research effort comparing how polar bears use coastal land areas ("onshore ecology") in two Arctic subpopulations: the southern Beaufort Sea group and the Baffin Bay group. The scientific motivation is that both regions have experienced notable sea ice loss, and as seasonal ice disappears earlier and returns later, polar bears are increasingly spending parts of the summer on land. By comparing these two populations, the project aimed to clarify how flexible or adaptable (often described as behavioral or ecological plasticity) different polar bear groups may be, and what that implies for their longer-term persistence under continued environmental change.

The work emphasized three main research objectives. First, the project would compare the dates when radio-tagged polar bears come ashore and when they leave land, and relate those timing patterns to seasonal sea ice dynamics, especially summer sea ice breakup and fall reformation. This objective is essentially about synchrony between bear behavior and changing sea ice conditions: whether bears in each subpopulation are arriving onshore earlier, staying longer, and how closely those patterns track ice retreat and advance. Second, the project would compare movement behavior and activity patterns of bears across both subpopulations, while also examining differences among sex and age classes. That implies analyses that distinguish, for example, adult females, adult males, and younger animals, and assess whether their movement rates, travel paths, or activity budgets differ when they are on land, and whether those patterns are consistent or divergent between the Beaufort and Baffin Bay groups. Third, the project would assess onshore spatial distribution patterns in relation to habitat and landscape covariates, including human (anthropogenic) activity. In practice, this means looking at where bears tend to concentrate on land and connecting those locations to environmental features (such as coastline characteristics, terrain, vegetation where relevant, proximity to denning or foraging-related areas) as well as proximity to settlements, industrial sites, transportation corridors, or other human-use areas that might influence bear distribution or risk.

From an administrative and eligibility standpoint, only partners within the Pacific Northwest CESU were eligible to receive the award, reflecting the CESU model in which member institutions (often universities, research organizations, or other qualified partners) compete within the network for specific projects. The opportunity was categorized under Science and Technology and other Research and Development, and referenced CFDA number 15.808 (U.S. Geological Survey Research and Data Collection). The posting date and creation date were July 2, 2013, with an original and current closing date of July 12, 2013, indicating a short application window. The opportunity was later archived on September 2, 2013. The estimated total funding for the single expected award was $35,250, with no cost sharing or matching requirement. The listing shows award floor and ceiling as $0, which generally indicates that a specific cap was not stated in that field even though an estimated total amount was provided for planning.

In terms of expected outcomes, the project was positioned to produce comparative insights into how polar bears are adjusting to reduced sea ice by spending more time onshore. By explicitly comparing two distinct subpopulations, the study aimed to reveal whether similar environmental pressure (less ice) leads to similar onshore strategies, or whether local conditions and population-specific traits lead to different behavioral responses. The inclusion of habitat covariates and human activity in the spatial analyses also signals a management-relevant angle: understanding where and when bears are on land can inform conflict prevention, community safety planning, and broader conservation decisions as Arctic coastal use changes. For additional details, applicants were directed to Grants.gov, and the contact provided for access issues was Faith Graves at USGS (703-648-7356, fgraves@usgs.gov).

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