Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner with Colorado Plateau Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit | G23AS00043

Opportunity Information: Apply for G23AS00043

This grant opportunity is a discretionary cooperative agreement offered by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), specifically through its Western Ecological Research Center. It is issued under the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program, which is a network of partnerships designed to support research, technical assistance, and education that help address natural and cultural resource management needs. The award is tied to the Colorado Plateau CESU, meaning applicants must already be an official partner within that CESU network to be eligible.

The funded project is titled "Assessing the efficacies of passive versus active restoration on heavily disturbed cattle-grazing sites in the Mojave National Preserve." In practical terms, the work focuses on evaluating different approaches to ecological restoration in areas that have been significantly impacted by cattle grazing within the Mojave National Preserve. The emphasis is on comparing passive restoration (allowing recovery to occur naturally once the disturbance is removed or reduced, such as by excluding grazing and minimizing additional impacts) versus active restoration (interventions intended to speed or improve recovery, which might include activities like planting native species, seeding, soil stabilization, invasive species control, or other on-the-ground treatments). The goal is to determine which approach, or combination of approaches, is more effective in these heavily disturbed desert landscapes, where recovery can be slow and outcomes can vary widely based on soils, climate, and disturbance history.

Administratively, the opportunity is identified as Funding Opportunity Number G23AS00043 and falls under the "Science and Technology and other Research and Development" activity category. The listing includes CFDA number 15.808, with USGS as the issuing agency (Geological Survey). The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, which typically indicates a more substantial level of involvement and collaboration from the federal agency compared to a standard grant. That usually means the USGS expects to work closely with the selected CESU partner during project planning, implementation, and reporting, rather than simply providing funds and receiving final deliverables.

In terms of funding size and timing, the posted award ceiling is $11,160, and the announcement indicates it is intended for a single award (one CESU partner). The opportunity was created on October 12, 2022, and the original closing date was November 12, 2022. Overall, this is a small, targeted research and applied restoration assessment effort aimed at producing actionable findings for land management and restoration decision-making in the Mojave National Preserve, while leveraging the CESU partnership structure to connect federal scientists with qualified external research partners.

• 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 Colorado Plateau 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 2022-10-12.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-11-12. (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 $11,160.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for G23AS00043

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