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

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the funding opportunity number for this grant?

The funding opportunity number is G11AS20053.

Which federal agency issued this opportunity?

This opportunity was issued by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

What program is this grant associated with?

It was offered under the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program, specifically the South Florida/Caribbean CESU.

What type of award is being offered?

The opportunity was offered as a discretionary cooperative agreement.

What is the primary purpose of this grant?

The core purpose was to support work that advances a scientifically grounded understanding of carbon dynamics across the Greater Everglades, with a strong emphasis on how the ecosystem may respond under different restoration alternatives while facing pressures such as climate change, sea level rise, and shifting salinity regimes.

What topic area or program category does this fall under?

The announcement placed the work in the Science and Technology/Research and Development category.

What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?

The CFDA number listed was 15.808, described as USGS Research and Data Collection.

What kinds of activities were expected to be supported?

The announcement described support for research, technical assistance, and convening activities such as workshops and synthesis efforts. The intent was to integrate existing knowledge and new findings into an assessment useful for decision-making.

What scientific questions or themes were emphasized?

The work centered on evaluating how carbon is stored, cycled, and potentially released across the Everglades landscape, and how those processes might change as freshwater delivery patterns are modified, coastal influence increases, and wetlands experience altered salinities.

How does restoration planning factor into this opportunity?

The announcement emphasized "ecosystem response" and described outputs intended to inform restoration planning by clarifying tradeoffs and likely outcomes under alternative management scenarios, not solely producing academic results.

What geographic area was the focus of the work?

The focus was the Greater Everglades.

What environmental stressors and changes were specifically mentioned?

The announcement highlighted emerging and intensifying pressures such as climate change, sea level rise, and shifting salinity regimes, including increased coastal influence and altered salinities in estuarine and freshwater wetlands.

Which USGS units were involved in this effort?

The announcement referenced USGS Greater Everglades Priority Ecosystems Science (Fort Lauderdale) and the Southeast Ecological Science Center (Gainesville).

Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility was limited to organizations that were already formal partners in the South Florida/Caribbean CESU.

Why was eligibility limited to CESU partners?

The announcement described this as a targeted, partnership-based award consistent with the CESU model, which leverages established federal-nonfederal research partnerships to conduct place-based science and applied synthesis.

Was cost sharing or matching required?

No cost sharing or matching requirement was stated in the information provided.

How many awards were anticipated?

The opportunity anticipated a single award.

What was the estimated total funding available?

The estimated total funding level was $82,000.

Was there an award ceiling or floor specified?

No explicit award ceiling or floor was listed in the posting, which the description suggests may indicate flexibility within the total amount depending on scope and negotiated cooperative agreement terms.

When was the opportunity posted?

The posting date was June 27, 2011.

What was the application deadline?

The original and current closing date was July 11, 2011.

How long was the application window?

Based on the provided dates, applicants had a relatively short window between June 27, 2011 and July 11, 2011.

When was the opportunity archived?

The opportunity was archived on September 22, 2011.

Where were applicants directed to find the full announcement details?

Applicants were directed to Grants.gov for the full announcement details.

Who was listed as the USGS point of contact?

The USGS contact listed was Faith Graves, provided for access issues and questions.

What was the intended end product or deliverable described in the announcement?

The announcement described an assessment that synthesizes existing knowledge and new findings into information useful for decision-making, supported by research, technical assistance, and workshops/synthesis efforts.

How does salinity change relate to the research scope?

The scope explicitly included understanding how carbon dynamics could change as coastal influence increases and as estuarine and freshwater wetlands experience altered salinities due to shifting salinity regimes and related restoration or climate-driven changes.

Does the opportunity emphasize new research, synthesis of existing information, or both?

Both. The announcement emphasized pulling together existing knowledge and new findings into a decision-relevant assessment, supported by research, technical assistance, and convening activities.

Is this opportunity competitive and open to the general public?

Based on the provided information, it was not broadly open; eligibility was restricted to existing South Florida/Caribbean CESU partner organizations.