Opportunity Information: Apply for G14AS00061
Apply for G14AS00061
- The Geological Survey in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Piedmont South Atlantic CESU" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.808 U.S. Geological Survey Research and Data Collection.
- This funding opportunity was created on Apr 14, 2014 and posted on Apr 14, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 25, 2014. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $90,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- This financial assistance opportunity is being issued under a Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program. CESUs are partnerships that provide research, technical assistance, and education. Eligible recipients must be a participating partner of the Piedmont South Atlantic Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Piedmont South Atlantic CESU opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number G14AS00061) is a USGS National Wetlands Research Center funding announcement intended to support applied research in coastal plain wetlands, specifically the pocosin wetlands of the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. The project is structured as a cooperative agreement, meaning the work is expected to be carried out collaboratively with substantial involvement from USGS scientists. The main purpose is to sustain and strengthen an ongoing research partnership between the USGS and a university partner within the Piedmont South Atlantic CESU network while producing practical, management-relevant science on carbon sequestration, land use change, and ecosystem services outcomes in refuge lands.
At the core of the project is an ecosystem services analysis focused on how refuge management activities can reduce or enhance the ecosystem services actually being realized on the landscape. In practice, this means connecting management actions to measurable changes in benefits such as carbon storage, greenhouse gas dynamics, and related ecological functions. The announcement makes clear that the analysis will be supported by multiple field studies, so the work is not purely desk-based; it is anchored in collecting and interpreting site data needed to quantify carbon and nitrogen pools and fluxes, and to understand how wetland surface conditions are changing over time.
Roles are split between USGS and the recipient institution in a way that reflects the cooperative nature of the award. USGS field scientists will lead and coordinate the major field "pulses" and their objectives, including soil sampling and sediment core dating (to understand soil carbon accumulation and historical change), installation and re-measurement of surface elevation monitoring equipment (important for tracking elevation change in wetland soils), and the collection and analysis of greenhouse gas fluxes for key gases: carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O). These measurements collectively support a more complete accounting of climate-related impacts, since wetlands can store large amounts of carbon while also emitting methane under certain conditions.
The recipient university partner is expected to contribute targeted field and analytical support across a multi-year timeline. In Year 1, the institution will assist with forest structural surveys and, if feasible, stem mapping to assess standing carbon and nitrogen stocks. These activities typically involve measuring tree diameter, height, species composition, and plot structure so that aboveground biomass and nutrient pools can be estimated. Across Years 1 and 2, the recipient will calculate standing biomass from field plots using available allometric equations, which are standard ecological relationships used to convert measurements like trunk diameter into biomass estimates. The institution will also compile and synthesize relevant ecological literature during Years 1 and 2 to ensure that local results are interpreted within the broader scientific understanding of pocosin wetlands, carbon cycling, and management impacts. In later phases (Years 2 and 3), the recipient will assist USGS scientists with data analysis and the writing of project outputs, which typically includes technical reports, manuscripts, and other deliverables relevant to refuge management and the scientific community.
A key justification for the forest biomass surveys is that they serve two purposes: supporting plot-level carbon and nitrogen accounting and providing ground truth for remote sensing products. The announcement highlights that coordinated field surveys will help verify remote sensing approaches, especially LiDAR-based methods, that can estimate forest structure and biomass over large areas. Since plot sampling alone cannot cover the full spatial scale of the refuge, linking field plots to LiDAR enables scaling-up of carbon stock estimates and improves confidence in landscape-wide assessments.
Administratively, the opportunity is a discretionary award using a cooperative agreement instrument under CFDA 15.808 (USGS Research and Data Collection). The estimated total funding is $90,000, with one expected award and no cost-sharing requirement. Eligibility is restricted to organizations that are official participating partners of the Piedmont South Atlantic CESU Program, reflecting the CESU model as a formal partnership mechanism that supports research, technical assistance, and education linked to federal resource management needs. The opportunity was posted April 14, 2014, with an original and current closing date of April 25, 2014, and it was archived July 14, 2014. For access issues or administrative questions, the listed contact is Faith Graves at the USGS (703-648-7356, fgraves@usgs.gov), and the general listing references Grants.gov as the additional information link.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the funding opportunity?
This opportunity is the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU), Piedmont South Atlantic CESU funding announcement, Funding Opportunity Number G14AS00061, issued by the USGS National Wetlands Research Center.
What type of award is being offered?
The award instrument is a cooperative agreement. This means the project is intended to be carried out collaboratively, with substantial involvement from USGS scientists in planning and executing the work.
What is the main purpose of this project?
The purpose is to sustain and strengthen an ongoing research partnership between USGS and a university partner within the Piedmont South Atlantic CESU network, while producing practical, management-relevant science for refuge lands. The science focus includes carbon sequestration, land use change, and ecosystem services outcomes.
Where will the research take place?
The applied research is focused on coastal plain wetlands, specifically the pocosin wetlands of the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge.
What is the central analysis or framework for the work?
At the core is an ecosystem services analysis that evaluates how refuge management activities can reduce or enhance the ecosystem services being realized on the landscape. This includes linking management actions to measurable benefits such as carbon storage, greenhouse gas dynamics, and related ecological functions.
Is the project field-based or primarily desk-based?
It is explicitly supported by multiple field studies. The work is anchored in collecting and interpreting site data needed to quantify carbon and nitrogen pools and fluxes, and to understand how wetland surface conditions change over time.
What field studies will USGS scientists lead?
USGS field scientists will lead and coordinate major field "pulses" and their objectives, including:
- Soil sampling and sediment core dating to evaluate soil carbon accumulation and historical change
- Installation and re-measurement of surface elevation monitoring equipment to track elevation change in wetland soils
- Collection and analysis of greenhouse gas fluxes for carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O)
Why are greenhouse gases like CO2, CH4, and N2O part of the measurements?
These measurements support a more complete accounting of climate-related impacts. Wetlands can store large amounts of carbon while also emitting methane under certain conditions, so tracking multiple gases is important to understand overall greenhouse gas dynamics.
What is expected from the recipient university partner in Year 1?
In Year 1, the recipient institution is expected to assist with forest structural surveys and, if feasible, stem mapping to assess standing carbon and nitrogen stocks. This generally includes measuring tree diameter, height, species composition, and plot structure so aboveground biomass and nutrient pools can be estimated.
What activities are expected from the recipient in Years 1 and 2?
Across Years 1 and 2, the recipient is expected to:
- Calculate standing biomass from field plots using available allometric equations
- Compile and synthesize relevant ecological literature to interpret local results within the broader science of pocosin wetlands, carbon cycling, and management impacts
What activities are expected from the recipient in Years 2 and 3?
In later phases (Years 2 and 3), the recipient is expected to assist USGS scientists with data analysis and the writing of project outputs, such as technical reports, manuscripts, and other deliverables relevant to refuge management and the scientific community.
How are roles divided between USGS and the recipient institution?
Roles are divided to reflect the cooperative agreement structure: USGS leads and coordinates the major field efforts (including soil, elevation, and greenhouse gas measurements), while the recipient provides targeted field support (such as forest structure surveys), performs biomass calculations, contributes literature synthesis, and supports analysis and writing in later years.
What are allometric equations and how are they used in this project?
Allometric equations are standard ecological relationships used to convert field measurements (such as trunk diameter) into biomass estimates. In this project, they are used to calculate standing biomass from field plots.
Why does the announcement emphasize forest biomass surveys?
The forest biomass surveys serve two purposes: (1) supporting plot-level carbon and nitrogen accounting and (2) providing ground truth for remote sensing products used to estimate forest structure and biomass across larger areas.
How does remote sensing (including LiDAR) fit into the project?
The announcement notes that coordinated field surveys help verify remote sensing approaches, especially LiDAR-based methods, that estimate forest structure and biomass over large areas. Linking field plots to LiDAR helps scale up carbon stock estimates across the refuge and improves confidence in landscape-wide assessments.
What is the CFDA number and program identification for this opportunity?
The opportunity is under CFDA 15.808, identified as USGS Research and Data Collection.
How much funding is available and how many awards are expected?
The estimated total funding is $90,000, and one award is expected.
Is cost sharing required?
No cost-sharing requirement is stated for this opportunity.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is restricted to organizations that are official participating partners of the Piedmont South Atlantic CESU Program.
Why is eligibility limited to CESU partners?
The announcement reflects the CESU model as a formal partnership mechanism that supports research, technical assistance, and education linked to federal resource management needs, and therefore restricts eligibility to participating partners within that CESU network.
What are the key dates for this opportunity?
- Posted date: April 14, 2014
- Original closing date: April 25, 2014
- Current closing date: April 25, 2014
- Archive date: July 14, 2014
Who is the contact for access issues or administrative questions?
The listed contact is Faith Graves at USGS: 703-648-7356, fgraves@usgs.gov.
Where is the opportunity listing referenced for additional information?
The general listing references Grants.gov as the additional information link.
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