Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Rocky Mountain CESU | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

This funding opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number 07HQPA0046) is a USGS National Geospatial Program Office cooperative agreement offered through the Rocky Mountain Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU). It supports a single award to one eligible CESU member university to conduct applied research aimed at improving the look, usability, and effectiveness of next-generation USGS topographic map graphics. The award is fixed at $25,000 total (award floor, ceiling, and estimated total funding are all $25,000), with no cost sharing or matching requirement. The opportunity was posted September 14, 2007, with an original and final closing date of September 18, 2007, and it was archived October 18, 2007. The CFDA number listed is 15.808 (U.S. Geological Survey Research and Data Collection), and the activity category is Science and Technology and other Research and Development.

The core purpose of the project is to modernize cartographic design for digital USGS topo maps that replaced the legacy 1:24,000-scale 7.5-minute quadrangle series. USGS produced more than 55,000 of those 7.5-minute maps to cover the lower 48 states, completing the series in 1992, and later shifting to the digital National Map program in 2001. With that transition, the USGS is emphasizing that new digital topo products should take advantage of more advanced cartographic techniques so that different “business areas” and user communities, such as recreation, emergency operations, planning, natural resource management, and scientific research, can use the maps more effectively. In practical terms, the grant is meant to fund research into updated procedures and design approaches that make the new generation of map graphics clearer, more task-oriented, and better suited to multiple formats.

The work described centers on investigating and optimizing key cartographic elements that strongly influence readability and decision-making. This includes experimenting with shading approaches (such as relief depiction), symbology choices, color palettes, line weights, fonts, and other map attributes. The USGS is looking for research that leads to modifications of topographic map presentation that (1) makes it easier for customers to meet their program requirements, (2) enables unique map products tailored to specific business areas, (3) uses changes in scale and design elements to optimize maps for particular uses like recreation, emergency response, ecosystem or natural resource research, other scientific applications, and general reference, and (4) adapts graphic design appropriately for different release media, including web delivery, paper printing, and mobile devices. The emphasis is not simply aesthetic improvement, but usability: making map information easier to discover, interpret, and apply to real tasks across varied audiences.

Deliverables are explicitly product-focused. The funded institution is expected to produce sample printed maps and digital outputs that demonstrate the four main research focus areas, essentially serving as prototypes or examples of improved graphic designs. The project also requires a final presentation to USGS National Geospatial Program Office staff that explains the products developed and the methods used to achieve them, so the agency can understand what was changed, why it helps, and how it might be replicated or incorporated into operational production. Progress management is structured around quarterly reviews, during which USGS staff will evaluate progress and can provide input that may adjust or refine the study focus and deliverables in minor ways. The announcement also notes a required budget breakdown across typical categories (salary, overhead, travel, equipment, office expenses), with the total project budget set at $25,000.

From a resources and collaboration standpoint, the USGS will support the work by providing access to relevant digital files for topographic map products and the newer digital databases that make up The National Map national data layers. The broader mission connection is framed around USGS’s role in providing national geospatial data that helps manage U.S. lands and supports both resource managers and the public. The CESU structure is highlighted as a mechanism for federal-university partnerships that share expertise and resources, and this project is presented as a way to add external perspective and research capacity to the USGS mapping mission while improving the effectiveness of modern topo map products.

Eligibility is restricted to partners in the Rocky Mountain CESU, with the award intended for a member university within that network. The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, meaning USGS anticipates active involvement during the project (consistent with the stated quarterly reviews and iterative input). A contact is provided for access issues with the full announcement: Faith Peters, Contract Specialist, at 703-648-7356.

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