Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner with North Atlantic Coast CESU Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit | G23AS00402

Opportunity Information: Apply for G23AS00402

This funding opportunity (G23AS00402) is a US Geological Survey (USGS) Great Lakes Science Center cooperative agreement intended for an eligible partner within the North Atlantic Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU). It supports applied research and development focused on using modern genomics to improve control options for invasive aquatic and wetland plants that are major management concerns in the Great Lakes region. The central idea is to move beyond broad, non-specific control methods by building the genetic knowledge needed to design species-specific, gene-based interventions.

The project targets two non-native invasive plants: Phragmites australis ssp. australis (common reed) and Hydrocharis morsus-ranae (European frog-bit). USGS notes that prior investments have already produced foundational genomic and transcriptomic resources for Phragmites, which creates a head start for identifying control targets in that species. In contrast, comparable genomic resources are not yet available for European frog-bit, creating a key knowledge gap. The opportunity is also motivated by the fact that, to date, genetic studies have not adequately examined which environmental signals and stressors trigger or amplify these plants' development, stress tolerance, and capacity to spread more aggressively, particularly under climate conditions projected for the Great Lakes. By closing these gaps, the project aims to generate actionable genetic targets that could help resource managers prioritize and deploy more precise control strategies for these and potentially other high-priority invasive plants.

The work is organized around three technical aims that build toward functional genomics and systems biology style predictions that connect genes to invasive traits. Aim 1 focuses on characterizing the genome of Hydrocharis morsus-ranae and using comparative genomics to identify genes linked to invasive potential and critical growth processes. In practical terms, this means generating and analyzing genomic information for European frog-bit and comparing it with related species or existing datasets to pinpoint genetic features that may contribute to rapid growth, reproduction, persistence, or other traits that support invasiveness. Aim 2 shifts from the DNA blueprint to gene activity, using comparative transcriptomics to identify genes that are uniquely expressed or highly expressed during critical developmental stages of H. morsus-ranae. This is intended to reveal when and where key genes are switched on during the plant's life cycle, helping narrow down the most promising intervention points. Aim 3 is the translational step: developing potential RNA interference (RNAi) based genetic tools that target candidate genes in both Phragmites australis ssp. australis and Hydrocharis morsus-ranae. RNAi approaches are generally aimed at reducing or silencing expression of specific genes, which could theoretically disrupt growth, reproduction, or stress responses if the right targets are selected.

A major stated payoff is the possibility of delivering to resource managers a new type of invasive plant treatment that is both species-specific and transient, meaning it is designed to affect only the target species and not persist across multiple plant generations. That framing is important because it signals an intent to reduce non-target impacts and long-term ecological side effects relative to some conventional controls, while still providing a practical management tool. The opportunity is explicitly collaborative, consistent with the cooperative agreement instrument, which typically implies substantial agency involvement during the project (for example, coordination with USGS scientists, shared planning, and iterative review of methods and findings).

Administratively, this is a discretionary financial assistance opportunity under the CESU program (CFDA 15.808) in the Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity category. Eligibility is limited to organizations that are active participating partners in the North Atlantic Coast CESU. The posted award ceiling is $167,580, and the original closing date listed is 2023-07-21, with a creation date of 2023-06-13. Overall, the opportunity is best understood as targeted, mission-driven research: it funds the creation of missing genomic and transcriptomic resources for European frog-bit, leverages existing resources for Phragmites, and pushes toward RNAi-based proof-of-concept tools that could expand the invasive plant management toolbox in the Great Lakes.

• 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 North Atlantic Coast CESU 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 2023-06-13.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-07-21. (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 $167,580.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for G23AS00402

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