Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner with Desert Southwest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit | G22AS00351

Opportunity Information: Apply for G22AS00351

This funding opportunity (G22AS00351) is a US Geological Survey (USGS) cooperative agreement issued under the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program, specifically through the Desert Southwest CESU. It is a discretionary financial assistance award in the Science and Technology/Research and Development category (CFDA 15.808). The purpose is to support applied research that helps translate, or "operationalize," phenology forecasts for nonnative invasive grass species into practical tools that land managers can use.

The core research focus is on phenology forecasting, meaning prediction of seasonal biological timing such as green-up, flowering, and senescence. For invasive grasses, these timing windows often control when treatments are most effective. The USGS is seeking work that takes phenology forecast concepts and makes them usable in real management settings, with an emphasis on improving decision timing for management applications. In practice, that could mean developing or refining forecasting approaches that indicate when invasive grasses are most vulnerable to targeted actions (for example, herbicide application timing, grazing adjustments, or other control measures), so that management can be timed to maximize impact and reduce wasted effort or unintended harm to native species.

A second major objective is improving the mapping of nonnative invasive grasses using remote sensing imagery. The opportunity highlights that phenology information can help distinguish invasive grasses from surrounding vegetation in satellite or aerial imagery, because different species often have distinct seasonal "signatures" in how they green up or dry down. By linking phenology forecasts with remote sensing workflows, the funded work is intended to support more accurate detection and mapping of invasive grass distribution across landscapes, which in turn supports prioritization, monitoring, and adaptive management.

Eligibility is restricted: applicants must be participating partners of the Desert Southwest CESU. CESUs are structured partnerships that connect federal agencies with universities, research institutions, and other partners to deliver research, technical assistance, and education relevant to natural and cultural resource management. Because this is a cooperative agreement rather than a standard grant, USGS is expected to have substantial involvement in the project during performance, which commonly includes collaboration on technical direction, data coordination, methodological alignment with agency needs, and ensuring results are usable by managers.

Key administrative details include an award ceiling of $100,000. The opportunity was created on May 5, 2022, with an original closing date of June 7, 2022. The funding instrument type is explicitly a cooperative agreement, signaling an emphasis on partnership and joint implementation rather than a hands-off funding relationship. Overall, the opportunity is aimed at producing actionable forecasting and mapping capability that improves when and where invasive grass management occurs, using phenology-informed approaches tied to remote sensing data products.

• The Geological Survey in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner with Desert Southwest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit" 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 2022-05-05.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-06-07. (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 $100,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for G22AS00351

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