Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Rocky Mountain CESU | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

The Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Rocky Mountain CESU opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number 08HQPA0044) is a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) cooperative agreement aimed at putting a credible, decision-relevant value on the Mid Level Resolution Imagery (MLRI) program by documenting who uses moderate resolution satellite imagery, how they use it, and what benefits society gets from those uses. The core deliverable is not imagery production itself, but an economics-focused survey instrument: a carefully designed set of valuation questions that can be used to estimate the societal benefits of MLRI for operational and policy decision makers. In practical terms, the award supports university economists partnering with USGS economists to translate real-world imagery applications into measurable economic and non-economic value metrics that can stand up to peer review and federal survey requirements.

The work centers on identifying and classifying MLRI user groups and then building a stronger understanding of imagery-driven applications across sectors. The survey questions are expected to probe perceived benefits of satellite imagery and the importance of MLRI to specific activities, especially operational workflows that rely on moderate resolution data (for example, applications historically tied to Landsat-type products). A key emphasis is establishing what would happen in the absence of MLRI, because that counterfactual is essential for valuation. The questionnaire is intended to capture impacts such as lost revenues when a product or service relies heavily on moderate resolution imagery; reduced decision-making capacity leading to greater uncertainty in outcomes; increased labor or time required to accomplish the same task without MLRI; and higher costs from substituting alternative, more expensive imagery sources. Another major topic area is substitution behavior: what alternatives users would turn to if MLRI were unavailable, how well those substitutes would perform, and what tradeoffs users would face in terms of coverage, timeliness, accuracy, workflow disruption, and cost. The valuation framing spans both market and non-market benefits, including efficiency gains, cost savings, productivity changes, and other public benefits that may not show up directly in prices.

The collaboration structure is also a defining feature of the opportunity. University economists are expected to work closely with USGS economists to develop an initial set of valuation questions during summer 2008, with the explicit goal of preparing the instrument for peer review and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval. USGS retains responsibility for pre-testing the survey and for obtaining OMB approval of the final questionnaire, which is required for many federal information collections. After the initial draft, the university team continues supporting USGS from fall 2008 through summer 2009 by responding to peer review feedback and addressing any OMB comments or concerns that arise during pre-test and final survey refinement. In other words, the award is designed to fund the analytical and technical question-development work that feeds into a formally approved, defensible federal survey about the value of MLRI.

Administratively, this is a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement instrument under the Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity category. The program anticipates a single award with total funding of $25,000, and both the ceiling and floor are listed as $25,000, indicating a fixed-size award. There is no cost sharing or matching requirement. The CFDA number associated with the work is 15.808 (U.S. Geological Survey Research and Data Collection). Eligibility is limited to organizations that are participating partners in the Rocky Mountains Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program, reflecting the CESU model of structured partnerships for research, technical assistance, and education. The opportunity was posted July 22, 2008, created August 14, 2008, originally closed August 1, 2008, and later extended to a current closing date of August 21, 2008, with an archive date of August 31, 2008. The listed agency contact is Faith Graves, Contract Specialist, at 703-648-7356.

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