Opportunity Information: Apply for USGS 18 FA 0364
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), within the Department of the Interior, announced a discretionary funding opportunity titled "Soil Arthropod Functional Traits and Food Webs in Experimental Forest Plots." The opportunity was issued as a non-competitive cooperative agreement, meaning it was not structured as an open, head-to-head competition among many applicants. Instead, it was designed to support a specific collaboration where substantial involvement by USGS is expected during the project, which is typical of cooperative agreements compared with standard grants. The project focus, as indicated by the title, centers on research in experimental forest plots to better understand soil arthropods (small invertebrates such as mites, springtails, and insects) by examining their functional traits and how those traits relate to soil food webs.
From a scientific standpoint, the topic suggests work aimed at linking what soil arthropods are and do (their functional traits, such as feeding guild, body size, life history characteristics, or habitat use) to how energy and nutrients move through forest soil ecosystems (food-web structure and interactions). Experimental forest plots generally imply controlled or long-term research sites where forest conditions, treatments, or management practices can be compared in a structured way. A project under this opportunity would likely involve field sampling of soil communities, identification or classification of arthropods (possibly to functional groups rather than strictly taxonomy), and analysis of food-web relationships. Food-web approaches in soil ecology often rely on methods such as trait-based classification, gut-content or stable isotope techniques, and network or trophic modeling to interpret how organisms interact and how those interactions affect ecosystem processes like decomposition and nutrient cycling. While the notice itself is brief, the title strongly indicates that the intended outcomes are improved understanding of soil biodiversity function and how changes in forest conditions could influence belowground ecological networks.
Administratively, this opportunity is listed under Funding Opportunity Number "USGS 18 FA 0364" and is associated with CFDA (Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance) number 15.808, which corresponds to USGS activities. It was created on September 27, 2018, with an original closing date of October 7, 2018, indicating a short application window consistent with a targeted, non-competitive agreement. The award ceiling was $176,000, and USGS anticipated making one award, reinforcing that this was intended to fund a single project or partner rather than a portfolio of multiple awards. The opportunity category is discretionary, and the funding activity category is listed as "Other," suggesting it did not fall neatly into common categories like education or infrastructure and instead aligned with a specialized research or applied science purpose described in the full announcement.
Eligibility is noted as "Others," with additional eligibility details referenced in the opportunity text. In many USGS cooperative agreement contexts, this can mean a specific type of partner (for example, a university, non-profit, research institution, or other qualified organization) that is appropriate for the scientific scope and collaboration model, sometimes including a known or intended partner for the non-competitive arrangement. Overall, the opportunity can be understood as a targeted USGS research collaboration to generate or synthesize data on soil arthropod functional traits and soil food-web structure within experimental forest plots, funded through a single cooperative agreement up to $176,000.Apply for USGS 18 FA 0364
- The Department of the Interior, U. S. Geological Survey in the other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Soil Arthropod Functional Traits and Food Webs in Experimental Forest Plots" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.808.
- This funding opportunity was created on Sep 27, 2018.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Oct 07, 2018. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $176,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the title of this USGS funding opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "Soil Arthropod Functional Traits and Food Webs in Experimental Forest Plots."
Which federal agency is offering this opportunity?
The opportunity is offered by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) within the Department of the Interior.
What type of funding instrument is being used?
This opportunity was issued as a non-competitive cooperative agreement. A cooperative agreement is used when substantial involvement by USGS is expected during the project, which is different from a standard grant where the agency is typically less involved in day-to-day project execution.
Is this an open, competitive grant opportunity?
No. It is described as non-competitive, meaning it was not structured as an open, head-to-head competition among many applicants. Instead, it was designed to support a specific collaboration where USGS would have substantial involvement.
What is the project focus, in plain terms?
The project focuses on research in experimental forest plots to better understand soil arthropods (small invertebrates such as mites, springtails, and insects) by examining their functional traits and how those traits relate to soil food webs.
What are "soil arthropods" in the context of this opportunity?
Soil arthropods are small invertebrates that live in or on soil, including organisms such as mites, springtails, and various insects. They are important components of soil biodiversity and can influence key ecosystem processes.
What does "functional traits" mean here?
Functional traits refer to characteristics that describe what organisms are and do in an ecosystem. Based on the description, examples could include feeding guild, body size, life history characteristics, or habitat use. The goal is to link these traits to how soil ecosystems function.
What does the opportunity mean by "food webs" in forest soils?
Forest soil food webs describe how energy and nutrients move through belowground ecosystems via interactions among organisms. In this context, it involves understanding relationships among soil arthropods and other components of the soil community, and how these interactions may influence processes like decomposition and nutrient cycling.
What are "experimental forest plots"?
Experimental forest plots generally refer to controlled or long-term research sites where forest conditions, treatments, or management practices can be compared in a structured way. The project described by the title is expected to be conducted within such plot-based forest research settings.
What kinds of research activities are implied by the opportunity description?
While the notice is brief, the topic strongly implies activities such as field sampling of soil communities, identification or classification of arthropods (possibly into functional groups rather than strictly taxonomy), and analysis of food-web relationships.
What methods might be used to analyze soil food-web relationships?
The description notes that soil ecology food-web approaches often rely on methods such as trait-based classification, gut-content or stable isotope techniques, and network or trophic modeling to interpret organism interactions and ecosystem impacts.
What outcomes is this project likely aiming to support?
Based on the title and description, the intended outcomes include improved understanding of soil biodiversity function and how changes in forest conditions could influence belowground ecological networks (food-web structure and interactions), with relevance to processes such as decomposition and nutrient cycling.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number?
The Funding Opportunity Number is USGS 18 FA 0364.
What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is associated with CFDA number 15.808, which corresponds to USGS activities.
What is the opportunity category and activity category?
The opportunity category is discretionary. The funding activity category is listed as "Other," indicating it does not neatly fit common categories like education or infrastructure and instead aligns with a specialized research or applied science purpose.
When was this opportunity created and when did it close?
It was created on September 27, 2018. The original closing date was October 7, 2018, reflecting a short application window consistent with a targeted, non-competitive cooperative agreement.
How much funding was available under this opportunity?
The award ceiling was $176,000.
How many awards was USGS expecting to make?
USGS anticipated making one award, which indicates the opportunity was intended to fund a single project or partner rather than multiple awards.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is listed as "Others," with additional eligibility details referenced in the opportunity text. In many USGS cooperative agreement contexts, this can mean a specific type of qualified partner (such as a university, non-profit, research institution, or other organization) appropriate for the scope and collaboration model, sometimes including a known or intended partner given the non-competitive structure.
Does the non-competitive format suggest there may have been an intended partner?
Yes. The description notes that non-competitive cooperative agreements are often used to support a specific collaboration and may involve a known or intended partner, although the specific partner is not identified in the information provided.
What does "substantial involvement by USGS" typically imply for the project?
It implies USGS is expected to be actively involved during the project period, which can include collaboration on planning, methods, field or analytical approaches, and interpretation. The key point provided is that cooperative agreements typically involve more agency participation than standard grants.
Is this opportunity primarily research-oriented?
Yes. The topic, terminology, and described approaches point to a specialized research collaboration focused on soil arthropod functional traits and soil food-web structure in forest plot settings.
What is the overall purpose of this funding opportunity?
Overall, it can be understood as a targeted USGS research collaboration to generate or synthesize data on soil arthropod functional traits and soil food-web structure within experimental forest plots, supported through a single cooperative agreement up to $176,000.
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