Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU), Great Lakes Northern Forests | G17AS00068

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the name of this funding opportunity?

This opportunity is the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU), Great Lakes Northern Forests funding opportunity.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number?

The Funding Opportunity Number is G17AS00068.

Which federal agency is offering this award?

The award is offered by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), within the Department of the Interior.

What type of funding mechanism is being used?

The opportunity is structured as a cooperative agreement. This means the project is expected to involve collaboration with USGS rather than operating as a purely independent research grant.

Is this considered a discretionary research grant?

Yes. It is described as a USGS discretionary research grant offered through the Department of the Interior.

What program area or category does this opportunity fall under?

The activity falls under Science and Technology and other Research and Development.

What is the CFDA number listed for this opportunity?

The CFDA number provided is 15.808.

When was this opportunity posted?

The opportunity was posted on May 30, 2017.

What was the original closing date?

The original closing date was June 16, 2017.

How many awards were anticipated?

The notice anticipated making a single award.

What is the maximum funding amount (award ceiling)?

The maximum funding level (award ceiling) was $140,000.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is limited to CESU partners under the Great Lakes Northern Forests CESU network. The notice indicates applicants should refer to the additional eligibility information for specifics.

What is the central purpose of the project being funded?

The central purpose is to support research on carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) stocks and fluxes in Alaskan aquatic ecosystems, focusing on how these greenhouse gases are stored and released across freshwater environments.

What geographic area does the research focus on?

The research focus is on Alaskan aquatic and freshwater ecosystems and broader Alaskan landscapes for regional analysis.

Which greenhouse gases are specifically named in the scope?

The opportunity specifically names carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4).

What does the opportunity mean by "stocks and fluxes"?

Within the context provided, "stocks" refers to how CO2 and CH4 are stored in aquatic ecosystems, and "fluxes" refers to how these gases are released and cycled across freshwater environments.

Does the funding support student involvement?

Yes. The funding is explicitly intended to cover support of a graduate student, along with other necessary resources, materials, and research activities.

What kinds of activities can the funding support besides student support?

Based on the description, funding is intended to support resources, materials, and research activities that enable biogeochemistry model verification and regional analysis, including targeted methods development and work needed to validate, refine, and run simulations.

What is meant by biogeochemistry model verification and improvement in this opportunity?

A major component of the project is verifying and improving biogeochemical models that represent CO2 and CH4 processes. The opportunity emphasizes using data and targeted methods development to test, validate, and refine these models.

Are applicants expected to do only field measurements?

No. The scope emphasizes model verification and improvement, methods development, and simulations, including regional-scale simulations. Field or observational data are referenced as inputs used to test and validate models, but the expected outputs go beyond measurements alone.

What types of ecosystems are expected to be simulated in the modeling work?

The work is expected to simulate changes in both land and aquatic ecosystems, recognizing that land changes can strongly influence nearby waters.

Why does the opportunity emphasize connections between land and water?

The description highlights that shifts on land (for example, thawing permafrost, changing vegetation, or altered drainage) can strongly affect the chemistry, biology, and hydrology of nearby waters, which in turn can affect CO2 and CH4 processes.

What is meant by "regional simulations" in this context?

Regional simulations refer to running models at a broader Alaskan landscape scale to estimate greenhouse gas emissions across regions rather than limiting conclusions to a single field site.

What are the stated research objectives?

Two main objectives are described: (1) determining how CO2 and CH4 budgets of Alaskan freshwater ecosystems could shift under ongoing or emerging changes and identifying the primary drivers of those shifts; and (2) examining how potential shifts in CO2 and CH4 budgets relate to surface hydrology, increasing wetness, and the distribution and type of wetlands and water bodies.

What does the opportunity mean by greenhouse gas "budgets" for freshwater ecosystems?

The opportunity frames the work as "budget thinking," meaning understanding the balance of sources, sinks, storage, and transport processes that shape overall CO2 and CH4 behavior in freshwater systems, rather than only measuring emissions in isolation.

How does surface hydrology factor into the research scope?

The second objective directly links greenhouse gas budget shifts to surface hydrology, including increasing wetness and changes in the distribution and types of wetlands and water bodies.

Are wetlands and different water-body types part of the analysis?

Yes. The scope includes attention to the distribution and type of wetlands and water bodies, and how those differences relate to CO2 and CH4 budgets.

What are thermokarst lakes, and why are they mentioned?

Thermokarst lakes are described as lakes that form and evolve when ice-rich permafrost thaws and the ground subsides, creating water-filled depressions. They are highlighted because thermokarst and expanding wet areas can strongly influence conditions relevant to methane production and release.

What kinds of landscape processes are relevant to the hydrology and greenhouse gas questions?

The description points to physical landscape processes such as inundation, drainage reorganization, and wetland or lake expansion or contraction as relevant to linking hydrologic change with greenhouse gas dynamics.

What are the expected outputs or deliverables described for this award?

The opportunity emphasizes actionable scientific outputs, including validated or improved biogeochemical models, new or refined research methods, and regional-scale simulations that clarify how Alaska's changing freshwater systems may influence CO2 and CH4 emissions.

Is the overall scope basic research or applied research?

The scope is described as applied and forward-looking, aiming to anticipate greenhouse gas responses to climate-driven ecosystem and hydrologic transformation and to support broader USGS science priorities related to carbon cycling and environmental change.

Does this opportunity focus on environmental change in Alaska?

Yes. The project is positioned in the context of rapid environmental change altering Alaskan landscapes and water systems, with the research intended to improve understanding of greenhouse gas emissions and cycling during these transitions.