Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, South Florida Caribbean CESU | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the official title and Funding Opportunity Number (FON) for this opportunity?

The opportunity is titled "Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, South Florida Caribbean CESU" and the Funding Opportunity Number is G11AS20068.

Which agency is offering this funding opportunity?

The funding opportunity is offered by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

What type of award is being offered (grant vs. cooperative agreement)?

This opportunity is offered as a cooperative agreement. That means USGS expects to have substantial involvement in the work as it progresses, rather than providing funding with minimal agency participation.

What does "substantial involvement" mean in the context of this cooperative agreement?

Based on the description provided, USGS anticipates being actively involved during project performance. Practically, this often means more ongoing coordination and engagement with USGS as the work proceeds, compared to a standard grant where the recipient typically operates more independently.

What is the program category for this opportunity?

The opportunity is listed under the "Science and Technology and other Research and Development" category.

What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?

This opportunity is tied to CFDA 15.808, identified as "U.S. Geological Survey Research and Data Collection."

What is the purpose of the project described in this funding opportunity?

The purpose is to support research that informs restoration planning and scenario evaluation for the Greater Everglades Ecosystem, with particular relevance to the Southern Coastal Systems.

What technical work is emphasized in the project description?

The technical emphasis is paleoenvironmental reconstruction using sediment cores from estuarine settings.

What does "paleoenvironmental reconstruction using sediment cores" involve (as described here)?

It involves analyzing estuarine organisms preserved in sediment layers (often microfossils or other biological indicators) to infer how key environmental parameters changed over roughly the past 100 to 1,000 years.

What time period is the study intended to cover?

The project aims to infer environmental change over approximately the past 100 to 1,000 years, using signals preserved in sediment sequences.

What are "pre-anthropogenic baselines" in this context?

In this opportunity, "pre-anthropogenic baselines" refers to reconstructed environmental conditions that existed before major human-driven alterations. The study aims to characterize those earlier conditions so they can serve as evidence-based reference points for restoration planning.

How are the reconstructed baseline conditions intended to support Everglades restoration?

The reconstructed baseline conditions are intended to be directly useful for Everglades restoration decision-making by helping define realistic ecological targets, benchmarks, and performance measures. They also help planners evaluate whether proposed management scenarios are moving the system toward appropriate historical ranges.

Which parts of the Everglades ecosystem are emphasized?

The opportunity focuses on the Greater Everglades Ecosystem, with particular relevance to the Southern Coastal Systems and estuarine/coastal components of the system.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is limited to organizations that are already participating partners in the South Florida and Caribbean Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program. The opportunity is not broadly open to the general public or to organizations outside that partnership.

What is a CESU (as described in the listing)?

CESUs are formal partnership networks designed to connect federal agencies with universities, research institutions, and other partners to deliver research, technical assistance, and education.

Is this opportunity open to organizations outside the South Florida and Caribbean CESU?

No. Because this opportunity is issued under the CESU framework, applicants must be members of the South Florida and Caribbean CESU. Organizations outside that CESU are not eligible based on the information provided.

How many awards does USGS expect to make?

The opportunity anticipates a single award (Expected Awards: 1).

How much total funding is available?

The estimated total funding available is $25,000.

What is the expected award size?

The listing anticipates one cooperative agreement at approximately the total program level. While the summary fields show an award ceiling and floor of 0 (which can appear as a data-entry convention in older listings), the estimated total funding is clearly stated as $25,000 and the opportunity indicates one expected award.

Is cost sharing or matching required?

No cost-sharing or matching requirement is indicated. Typically, that means an applicant is not required to contribute non-federal funds as a condition of receiving the award, based on the information provided.

Where can applicants find the complete announcement?

The listing points to Grants.gov as the source for additional information and the complete announcement.

What are the key dates (posting and closing date) for this opportunity?

The opportunity was posted and created on June 27, 2011. The original and current closing date is July 11, 2011.

Was this opportunity archived, and if so, when?

Yes. The opportunity was archived on September 27, 2011.

Who is the USGS point of contact for questions?

The USGS contact listed is Faith Graves.

How can Faith Graves be reached?

Faith Graves can be reached by phone at 703-648-7356 or by email at fgraves@usgs.gov.

What is the primary scientific approach described for evaluating historical environmental change?

The approach described is reading environmental signals preserved through time in estuarine sediment sequences, including analysis of organisms preserved in sediment layers (such as microfossils or other biological indicators), to infer changes in key environmental parameters.

How is this research intended to be used in scenario evaluation?

The research is intended to provide historical reference ranges and baseline conditions that can be used to judge whether proposed restoration or management scenarios are moving estuarine and coastal systems toward conditions consistent with appropriate historical ranges.