Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Piedmont South Atlantic Coast CESU | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

This grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number G14AS00034) was issued by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) under the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program, specifically the Piedmont South Atlantic Coast CESU. It is funded with Disaster Recovery Act funds and is structured as a cooperative agreement, which generally means USGS expects substantial involvement and collaboration during the project rather than a hands-off pass-through of funds. The scientific focus is on improving understanding and prediction of coastal change associated with Hurricane Sandy by pairing targeted field measurements with numerical modeling work.

The core work being requested has two tightly linked components. First, USGS is seeking a CESU partner to assist with field observational studies that measure physical oceanographic conditions and sediment transport processes. A particular emphasis is placed on near-bed (seafloor) bottom boundary layer dynamics and sediment resuspension, meaning the project is expected to quantify how sediments are lifted off the seabed and moved around during energetic storm conditions. This kind of measurement is central to explaining erosion, deposition, and seabed reshaping during major coastal storms, and it directly supports coastal hazard assessments and recovery planning.

Second, the opportunity calls for the development and implementation of numerical models to hindcast and predict coastal change during Hurricane Sandy. In practical terms, hindcasting refers to running a model for a past event (Sandy) using best-available forcing and boundary conditions to reproduce what likely happened, while prediction refers to using the validated modeling approach to anticipate coastal response under similar conditions in future scenarios. A key requirement is technical assistance with model calibration, specifically comparing model outputs against the collected observational data so the model can be tuned, evaluated, and improved. The intent is to tighten the link between measured processes (waves, currents, sediment resuspension) and modeled coastal change outcomes.

On the instrumentation side, the announcement is explicit about expectations. The partner must use acoustic instrumentation to observe processes in the bottom boundary layer, and those sensors must be deployed on oceanographic-quality tripods capable of supporting multiple instruments simultaneously. This suggests an integrated seafloor lander-style setup designed for stability and data quality in energetic coastal environments. Just as important, the applicant must be able to calibrate the acoustic equipment in a proven calibration facility, indicating USGS is prioritizing defensible, high-quality measurements with known instrument performance characteristics rather than unverified or ad hoc sensor deployments.

In terms of administrative details, this was a discretionary funding opportunity in the Science and Technology / Research and Development category (CFDA 15.808, USGS Research and Data Collection). USGS anticipated making one award, with an estimated total funding amount of $125,000. The notice lists no cost sharing or matching requirement. Award ceiling and floor were shown as $0 in the posting, which often indicates the actual funding range is governed by the project scope and budget review rather than a hard cap stated in the Grants.gov fields.

Eligibility is limited to organizations that are already participating partners within the Piedmont South Atlantic Coast CESU network. In other words, a typical university, nonprofit, or research organization could not apply unless it is an approved CESU partner within that specific CESU unit. The opportunity was posted February 11, 2014, with an original and current closing date of February 21, 2014, and it was later archived on May 10, 2014, reflecting that it is no longer open.

For applicants or interested parties who needed help accessing the full announcement, the listed USGS contact was Faith Graves (703-648-7356, fgraves@usgs.gov). The additional information link referenced Grants.gov for the full posting and associated application package materials.

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