Development of eDNA Techniques to Detect the Endangered Hine's Emerald Dragonfly (Somatochlora | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the title of this funding opportunity?

The opportunity is titled "Development of eDNA Techniques to Detect the Endangered Hine's Emerald Dragonfly (Somatochlora)."

Which federal agency is offering this opportunity?

This is a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) cooperative agreement.

What type of funding mechanism is this?

It was offered as a discretionary cooperative agreement, which generally means USGS is expected to have substantial scientific or technical involvement during the project rather than operating in a fully hands-off role.

What is the primary conservation target species for the project?

The primary target is the federally endangered Hine's emerald dragonfly, Somatochlora hineana.

Is any other species included in the project scope?

Yes. The project also includes work on Cordulegaster diogenes, suggesting an interest in testing and comparing protocols across at least two dragonfly species to understand detection performance and specificity.

What is the main scientific goal of the project?

The core goal is to develop and validate environmental DNA (eDNA) methods that can determine presence or absence of the target species from environmental samples, rather than relying only on traditional field surveys.

What is eDNA in the context of this opportunity?

Here, eDNA refers to DNA collected from environmental samples, typically water or sediment, that can be analyzed to detect whether a species is present or absent at a site.

Why is USGS interested in eDNA methods for this species?

The opportunity highlights that traditional field surveys can be time-consuming, seasonal, or difficult in complex wetland habitats. eDNA methods can support conservation monitoring in situations where conventional surveys are challenging or where minimizing disturbance is important.

What kinds of deliverables or outcomes are implied by the opportunity?

The intended outcome is practical, deployable information and protocols for presence/absence eDNA detection. This implies more than a single lab assay, including guidance on where, when, and how to sample; what controls and quality assurance steps are needed; and how to interpret detections and non-detections under different environmental conditions.

What does "presence/absence detection" mean in this project?

It means developing eDNA approaches intended to answer whether the species is present at a site (detection) or not detected (non-detection), based on DNA found in environmental samples.

What sample types are mentioned for eDNA collection?

The opportunity notes that eDNA samples are typically water or sediment.

What environmental conditions or variables does the project expect to consider?

The project is expected to evaluate how real-world variables affect results, including examples such as water chemistry, temperature, turbidity, microbial activity, flow conditions, and other factors that influence how DNA persists, degrades, or is transported.

Does the opportunity emphasize test performance and reliability?

Yes. A major emphasis is understanding reliability by quantifying or characterizing the risk of false negatives (missing the species when present) and false positives (detecting DNA when the species is not truly present).

What are false negatives in the context of eDNA for this project?

False negatives are cases where the method fails to detect the species even though it is actually present.

What are false positives in the context of eDNA for this project?

False positives are cases where DNA is detected even though the species is not truly present at the sampled site, for example due to contamination, assay cross-reactivity, or movement/transport of DNA from nearby areas.

How might the project help resource managers and conservation decision-making?

The opportunity indicates the results could support decisions about habitat protection, restoration prioritization, and regulatory or recovery actions by improving detection methods and providing interpretation guidance, especially in habitats where standard surveys are difficult.

What is the activity category for this opportunity?

The activity category is listed as Environment.

What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The CFDA number is 15.808.

Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility was limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education.

What does the eligibility restriction suggest about the intended partner?

Based on the eligibility and project scope, USGS was seeking a university-based research partner with molecular, ecological, and field sampling expertise relevant to eDNA method development and validation.

When was the opportunity posted and created?

The announcement was posted and created on April 19, 2016.

What was the application closing date?

The application closing date was May 3, 2016.

What was the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?

The award ceiling was $52,561.

How many awards were expected?

The opportunity indicated an expectation of a single award.

What does the award size and single-award expectation imply about the project scope?

It suggests the funding was targeted and relatively small-scale, consistent with a focused methods-development effort intended to produce usable protocols and decision-relevant performance information rather than a large, multi-year research program.