Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unti, Rocky Mountain CESU | G19AS00090

Opportunity Information: Apply for G19AS00090

This grant opportunity, titled "Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Rocky Mountain CESU" (Opportunity Number G19AS00090), was released by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Fort Collins Science Center. It provides funding through a cooperative agreement to support research that builds population modeling tools for wildlife living in the sagebrush ecosystem. The core purpose is to generate practical, management-ready science that helps agencies make better conservation and land-management decisions by linking wildlife population dynamics to habitat conditions and to on-the-ground management actions.

A major driver behind the work is the policy and planning momentum around Greater Sage-grouse. Decisions made by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2016, along with anticipated evaluations in 2021, plus continuing revisions to federal land-management plans and shifting priorities in state wildlife management plans, have increased demand for clear information about how sagebrush-dependent wildlife populations are doing and how they respond to different habitat and land-use conditions. While sage-grouse conservation has been a central focus, the opportunity emphasizes that actions designed for grouse can have broader ecosystem effects, raising important questions about outcomes for other species that share the same landscapes.

The research focus is explicitly multi-species and ecosystem-oriented. Agencies have identified needs for better information on the status and trends of several wildlife groups, including mule deer, pronghorn, songbirds, and small mammals. Beyond simple trend reporting, the opportunity stresses the need to understand interactions among species and, most importantly, how those species relate to habitat conditions and management actions across sagebrush systems. Although trends for many species have been documented, the announcement notes that cause-and-effect relationships are often still poorly understood, especially regarding responses to habitat change, land uses, and specific management treatments.

A key theme is connecting expanding habitat data to wildlife population outcomes. The notice points out that documentation of habitat patterns and trends is growing, including data on restoration efforts and treatment effects. What is still missing, and what this funding aims to support, are concepts, analytical approaches, and synthesized population models that interpret those habitat datasets in a way that can be directly used for management. In other words, the goal is to translate habitat monitoring and restoration records into credible predictions and insights about where wildlife occur, how their populations change over time, and how those changes might be influenced by future management decisions.

The announcement also frames the effort as supporting multiple-species conservation by improving understanding of ecosystem functions. It highlights vegetation distribution, dynamics, and condition as essential building blocks for modeling and management because vegetation patterns are tightly tied to wildlife distributions and population trajectories in sagebrush landscapes. Another explicit priority is evaluating how management designations and actions created to benefit sage-grouse may affect other priority species, which is presented as an important piece of broader ecosystem management and wildlife conservation.

Administratively, the opportunity falls under the Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, in the Science and Technology and other Research and Development category (CFDA 15.808). It was created on July 9, 2019, with an original closing date of July 26, 2019. The award ceiling listed is $201,200, with one expected award. Eligibility is limited to partners within the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit network, specifically the Rocky Mountain CESU, as indicated by the opportunity title and the eligibility field referencing additional eligibility clarification.

• The Department of the Interior, U. S. Geological Survey in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unti, Rocky Mountain CESU" 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 Jul 09, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 26, 2019. (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 $201,200.00 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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