Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Basin CESU | G18AS00105

Opportunity Information: Apply for G18AS00105

This grant opportunity, titled Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Basin CESU (Funding Opportunity Number G18AS00105), is a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) funding solicitation administered through the Department of the Interior. It is offered as a cooperative agreement, meaning the selected recipient should expect substantial collaboration with USGS staff rather than operating as an independent, hands-off grantee. The opportunity was created on July 31, 2018, with an original closing date of August 14, 2018. USGS anticipated making one award, with a maximum (ceiling) amount of $345,000, under the Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity category (CFDA 15.808).

Eligibility is limited to a partner organization within the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program, specifically within the Great Basin CESU network. In practical terms, this is not a broadly open competition for any organization; it is intended for institutions that already participate as CESU partners (often universities, tribes, nonprofit conservation organizations, or other research entities formally affiliated with the CESU). The central theme is applied, management-relevant science, and the CESU structure is designed to connect federal scientists with academic and other research partners to produce usable results for conservation and land management decisions.

The project itself is titled Applied Ecology of Greater Sage-Grouse and Sagebrush Ecosystems Across Local and Regional Scales. The work is positioned as a coordinated component of several ongoing and inter-related research efforts at the USGS Western Ecological Research Center (WERC). Rather than being a single narrow study, it is framed as an umbrella effort supporting integrated research on greater sage-grouse and the sagebrush ecosystems they depend on, spanning both localized study areas and broader regional analyses across the species range. The geographic focus is strongly oriented to Nevada and California and the Great Basin, while also recognizing that some analyses and implications extend across the larger distribution of greater sage-grouse.

A major emphasis of the research portfolio described in the announcement is understanding how wildfire and human-driven landscape change affect sage-grouse population dynamics. This includes both direct effects (for example, habitat loss or fragmentation after fire or development) and indirect effects (such as altered predator communities, movement patterns, or habitat quality). The solicitation highlights anthropogenic impacts with a particular focus on energy development, which can influence sage-grouse through infrastructure presence, disturbance, and changes in habitat configuration, all of which are common concerns in sagebrush-steppe management.

Another key topic is the distribution and abundance of common ravens, identified here because ravens can be significant nest predators for sage-grouse. Research in this area typically supports management by clarifying where and why raven populations increase (often linked to human subsidies like landfills, road networks, powerlines, and other infrastructure) and how those patterns overlap with nesting habitats. By tying predator ecology to sage-grouse demographics, the project aims to improve understanding of one of the mechanisms that can limit reproductive success in some landscapes.

The opportunity also calls out mapping and spatial analysis as core components, including habitat suitability mapping for sage-grouse and the development of spatially explicit conservation planning tools. This indicates an expectation for products that go beyond academic publication and can be used by agencies and partners to prioritize habitats, evaluate management scenarios, identify high-value areas for protection or restoration, and guide decision-making at multiple scales. These tools are often designed to integrate various data streams, such as telemetry, lek counts, vegetation conditions, fire history, and development footprints, to support more transparent and repeatable planning.

Finally, the description notes strategies for population augmentation through translocations, not only for sage-grouse but potentially for other prairie grouse species as well. Translocation work typically involves evaluating when and where moving birds may be beneficial, how to select source and recipient populations, and how to monitor outcomes such as survival, reproduction, site fidelity, and genetic considerations. Including translocations in the scope signals an applied, intervention-oriented dimension alongside observational and modeling studies.

Overall, the grant is best understood as support for a collaborative, multi-topic applied ecology program closely integrated with WERC research, intended to produce actionable science for sagebrush ecosystem conservation and greater sage-grouse management. The announcement explicitly notes that many of the studies create opportunities for graduate student research, suggesting the award could support student-led projects nested within the broader USGS research framework, while still contributing to agency priorities around wildfire impacts, energy development effects, predator dynamics, habitat mapping, and conservation planning across the Great Basin and beyond.

• 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 Unit, Great Basin 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 31, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 14, 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 $345,000.00 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).

Apply for G18AS00105

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: