Cooperative Ecoystem Studies Unit, Rocky Mountain CESu | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is this funding opportunity?

This opportunity is the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) solicitation for the Rocky Mountain CESU, identified as Funding Opportunity Number G14AS00074. It was a discretionary research funding solicitation issued under the CESU Program.

Which agency is offering this opportunity?

The opportunity was offered by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), a federal science agency that supports research and data collection relevant to natural and cultural resource management.

What is the CESU Program?

CESUs are structured partnerships that connect federal agencies with participating institutions to deliver applied research, technical assistance, and education supporting natural and cultural resource management.

Is this opportunity open to the general public?

No. This solicitation was limited to organizations that were already official partners in the Rocky Mountain Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (Rocky Mountain CESU). It was not open to non-member institutions or the general public.

Who was eligible to apply?

Only organizations that were official partners of the Rocky Mountain CESU were eligible to apply, based on the eligibility limitation described in the notice.

What type of award was planned?

The USGS planned to make a single award, and the award mechanism was a cooperative agreement under the CESU Program.

How much funding was available?

The estimated total funding amount was $596,000, and the USGS planned to make one award for the opportunity.

Was there an award ceiling or award floor?

The notice did not specify an award ceiling or award floor (both were listed as 0). This typically signals that applicants needed to rely on the detailed announcement for budget expectations and that the agency retained flexibility within the total anticipated funding amount.

Was cost sharing or matching required?

No. The opportunity stated that there was no cost sharing or matching requirement, so applicants were not required to provide non-federal funds as a condition of eligibility.

What is the program or category area for this funding?

The activity fell under the Science and Technology and other Research and Development category.

What CFDA program is associated with this opportunity?

This opportunity was associated with CFDA 15.808, U.S. Geological Survey Research and Data Collection.

What research topics or themes did the solicitation focus on?

The research focus centered on invasive species and invasion drivers, organized into four main thematic areas:

• Modeling invasive alien zoonotic diseases and pest species, with emphasis on understanding and predicting risks at the intersection of non-native organisms and human, wildlife, or livestock health.
• Plant and animal invasions in U.S. National Parks and other protected areas, reflecting management priorities where invasive organisms can directly threaten preservation and biodiversity goals.
• Improved techniques for modeling harmful invasive species, emphasizing better analytical tools, predictive models, and approaches to support early detection, risk assessment, and management decision-making.
• Global trade and land use change as leading causes of invasions, encouraging research that links broad drivers to pathways of introduction and establishment and informs prevention and policy responses.

Why does the notice emphasize invasive alien zoonotic diseases and pest species?

The solicitation highlighted the need to understand and predict risks where non-native organisms intersect with human, wildlife, or livestock health, placing attention on disease and pest impacts in addition to ecological impacts.

Why are U.S. National Parks and protected areas specifically mentioned?

The notice targeted invasions in National Parks and other protected areas because these sites often have explicit conservation and preservation mandates, and invasive species can directly undermine those management priorities.

What does "improved techniques for modeling harmful invasive species" mean in the context of this opportunity?

Based on the notice, it refers to advancing methods and tools such as analytical approaches and predictive models that can support earlier detection, better risk assessment, and stronger management decision-making related to harmful invasive species.

What does the opportunity say about the causes or drivers of invasions?

The solicitation identified global trade and land use change as leading causes of invasions and encouraged research that connects these broad drivers to introduction and establishment pathways, with an aim of informing prevention and policy responses.

What is a cooperative agreement, and how is it different from a standard grant?

This opportunity was offered as a cooperative agreement, which typically involves substantial involvement by the federal agency during the project. The notice indicated that awardees should have expected USGS involvement consistent with cooperative agreements, such as collaboration on scope, coordination, data sharing, or iterative review of deliverables.

When was the opportunity posted and when were applications due?

The opportunity was posted on July 10, 2014, and the application closing date was July 21, 2014.

When was the opportunity archived?

The posting was later archived on October 10, 2014.

Where could applicants find the full announcement?

The posting referenced Grants.gov as the additional information link for accessing the full announcement.

Who was the point of contact for questions or access issues?

The listed point of contact was Faith Graves at the USGS. Phone: 703-648-7356. Email: fgraves@usgs.gov.

What kinds of support might the USGS provide during the project?

Because it was a cooperative agreement, the notice implied substantial USGS involvement during the project, which could include collaboration on the project scope, coordination activities, data sharing, or iterative review of deliverables.