Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Rocky Mountain CESU | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

The Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Rocky Mountain CESU grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number G16AS00119) is a US Geological Survey (USGS) research funding announcement focused on improving the science behind wild horse and burro management across the western United States. Issued by the Department of the Interior, USGS, this discretionary opportunity uses a cooperative agreement mechanism, meaning the work is expected to be carried out through close, active collaboration between federal scientists and an eligible CESU partner (in this case, within the Rocky Mountain CESU network). The project is explicitly field-based and planned to take place across five western states, reflecting an intent to study free-ranging equid populations across multiple landscapes rather than in a single localized setting.

The scientific motivation for the work is tied directly to a National Academies of Science (NAS) review of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Wild Horse and Burro Program. That NAS review highlighted research needs, data gaps, and areas where stronger evidence could improve on-the-ground decisions. This grant is framed as a response to those recommendations, with the USGS and university partners aiming to generate the kinds of data and analyses that land managers have lacked or have not been able to collect consistently across broad regions. In other words, the opportunity is not just about general wildlife ecology, but about producing targeted, management-relevant findings that can inform BLM and other public land decision-makers responsible for balancing equid populations, rangeland health, habitat conditions, and competing land uses.

The research topics outlined are wide-ranging but connected by a common purpose: building a more accurate and practical understanding of wild horse and burro ecology and population dynamics in Rocky Mountain and Great Basin ecosystems. Proposed studies include improving population size estimation methods, which is a foundational need for any population management program because errors in abundance estimates can cascade into flawed decisions about removals, fertility control, or allowable population levels. The opportunity also emphasizes genetic structure research using fecal DNA, a noninvasive approach that can help assess genetic diversity, connectivity among herds, and potential inbreeding concerns without the risks and costs associated with capturing animals for genetic sampling. Alongside that, ecological and carrying capacity modeling is highlighted, signaling interest in linking equid populations to habitat productivity, water availability, forage dynamics, and broader ecosystem constraints, including how those constraints may shift under changing climate conditions.

Several components of the work are strongly applied. One example is the development of a suitable and safe radio collar for wild horses and burros, which reflects a practical barrier in the field: tracking and monitoring free-ranging equids can be difficult, and equipment must be designed to avoid injury and remain effective under harsh conditions. The announcement also calls for research on fertility control, an area central to contemporary management debates because fertility control can potentially reduce growth rates and lessen the need for removals, but its effectiveness depends on real-world field performance, animal behavior, treatment delivery logistics, and long-term demographic outcomes. Behavioral ecology and habitat selection modeling are also included, suggesting that the research will examine how horses and burros use landscapes, respond to environmental conditions, and potentially interact with other wildlife or grazing pressures. Finally, sentinel demography research is mentioned, indicating intensive, long-term demographic monitoring of selected populations to better understand survival, reproduction, movement, and population growth in representative herds across the region.

The intended products and outcomes are clearly stated: the research should increase understanding of wild horse and burro ecology and lead to publications that directly contribute to management of free-ranging equids. Just as importantly, the opportunity stresses communication of findings to public land managers, with the aim of improving decision-making about equid population management, habitat management, and broader preparedness and resilience in the face of climate change. The announcement notes that scientific analysis and synthesis will be conducted through tight collaboration between USGS scientists and Colorado State University scientists, underscoring that the work is designed as a joint effort rather than a standalone academic project.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is categorized under Science and Technology and other Research and Development and is associated with CFDA number 15.808. The expected award count is one, with an award ceiling of $418,106, indicating a single, relatively substantial cooperative project rather than multiple smaller grants. The opportunity was created on July 26, 2016, with an original closing date of August 10, 2016. Eligibility is listed broadly as “Others,” with the key practical qualifier being that applicants must be CESU partners as clarified in the full eligibility text, consistent with how CESU funding is typically directed to member institutions to support collaborative federal research priorities.

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