Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Rocky Mountain CESU | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

This grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number 09HQPA0059) was a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) discretionary funding announcement offered through the Rocky Mountain Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) network. It used a cooperative agreement as the funding instrument, which generally means the USGS expected to have substantial involvement with the recipient during the work rather than simply issuing a hands-off grant. The program focus fell under Science and Technology and other Research and Development, specifically targeting improvements to core national geospatial water data for the state of Wyoming.

The purpose of the award was to improve the quality, completeness, and accuracy of Wyoming hydrographic and watershed naming within key federal datasets. The work centered on the Wyoming National Hydrography Dataset (NHD), which is the standard nationwide framework for mapping surface water features such as streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, and related hydrographic elements. The opportunity also included a naming quality review of the Wyoming Watershed Boundary Dataset (WBD), which organizes the landscape into hydrologic units (watersheds) used widely for water resource planning, environmental analysis, and reporting.

The project’s objectives were practical and data-driven. First, the recipient would identify water features in the NHD that were missing official names and then research and apply the appropriate names using the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), the federal standard for domestic geographic names. Second, the project called for identifying genuinely new names that should be added to both NHD and GNIS, coordinating with authoritative sources to validate and document those names. In practice, that implies careful sourcing and confirmation, since GNIS entries typically require support from recognized naming authorities or credible documentation, and the NHD depends on those standardized names for consistent map and database products.

Third, the project required investigating and correcting cases where major streams, rivers, lakes, or ponds were misnamed, particularly problems discovered while carrying out the missing-name and new-name work. Beyond simple correction, the announcement also asked the recipient to look at the underlying workflow and propose a more timely and efficient process for finding and fixing these types of naming errors going forward. That process improvement element is important because it suggests the USGS was not only trying to fix current issues, but also reduce the likelihood that the same kinds of errors would persist or reappear as datasets get updated.

Fourth, the work extended to the Wyoming WBD, with a specific emphasis on evaluating watershed names and correcting misspellings or incorrect names. Watershed names can affect how agencies and the public reference hydrologic units in reports, regulatory contexts, and planning documents, so standardizing spelling and naming is a meaningful data quality upgrade even though it may sound minor at first glance.

Funding was modest and targeted: the estimated total funding amount was $25,000, with an expectation of a single award. The listing showed no award ceiling or floor (both indicated as 0), which typically means the agency did not specify strict upper or lower bounds in that field even though an estimated total amount was provided. There was no cost-sharing or matching requirement, so applicants were not required to bring non-federal funds to the table to be eligible.

Eligibility was limited and specific. Because this was issued under the CESU program, only organizations that were already participating partners in the Rocky Mountain CESU were eligible to apply. CESUs are partnership networks designed to connect federal agencies with universities, tribes, nonprofits, and other partners to deliver research, technical assistance, and education. In this case, the limitation means the competition was not open to the general public or all institutions nationwide unless they were part of that CESU partnership.

Timing details indicate this was a short-deadline opportunity. It was posted and created on July 27, 2009, with an original (and final) closing date of August 5, 2009, and it was archived on September 4, 2009. The associated CFDA number was 15.808, identified as U.S. Geological Survey Research and Data Collection, which aligns with the dataset improvement and applied research/technical data stewardship nature of the tasks.

For access or administrative issues related to the full announcement, the listed point of contact was Faith Graves, Contract Specialist, reachable by phone at 703-648-7356.

Browse more opportunities from the same agency: Geological Survey

Browse more opportunities from the same category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development

Next opportunity: Improvement of BBS Survey Design and Count Methodology in New Jersey

Previous opportunity: Womens Business Center Initial Grants

USGrants.org Applicant Portal:

Are you interested in learning about about how to apply for this government funding opportunity? You can create a free applicant account and receive instant access to our applicant portal that many business owners like you have benefited from.

Apply for 09HQPA0059

 

[Watch] how do funding administrators access proposals?

Applicants also applied for:

Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (09HQPA0059) also looked into and applied for these:

 

Grant application guides and resources

It is always free to apply for government grants. However the process may be very complex depending on the funding opportunity you are applying for. Let us help you!

Apply for Grants

 

 

Premium leads for funding administrators, grant writers, and loan issuers

Thousands of people visit our website for their funding needs every day. When a user creates a grant proposal and files for submission, we pass the information on to funding administrators, grant writers, and government loan issuers.

If you manage government grant programs, provide grant writing services, or issue personal or government loans, we can help you reach your audience.

Subscribe to Leads

 

Request more information:

Would you like to learn more about this funding opportunity, similar opportunities to "09HQPA0059", eligibility, application service, and/or application tips? Submit an inquiry below:

Don't forget to subscribe to our grant alerts mailing list to receive weekly alerts on new and updated grant funding opportunities like this one in your email.