Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Rocky Mountain CESU | G18AS00045

Opportunity Information: Apply for G18AS00045

The Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Rocky Mountain CESU grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number G18AS00045) is a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) discretionary funding announcement issued under the Department of the Interior. It is structured as a cooperative agreement, meaning the project is expected to involve substantial involvement or collaboration from USGS staff compared to a standard grant. The program sits in the Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity category (CFDA 15.808) and is intended to support applied research that helps land and resource managers understand and respond to biological invasions affecting public lands.

The central purpose of the opportunity is to fund a CESU partner to conduct research on invasive or introduced insects and how they interact with plants and broader ecosystems. The work is organized around three connected research themes. First, the project should improve prediction of novel plant-insect interactions that arise after an insect invasion or introduction, which is essentially about forecasting which plants may become hosts or targets and under what ecological conditions those new interactions are likely to occur. Second, it seeks to establish the impacts of introduced seed and fruit predators on plant reproduction and dispersal, including knock-on effects for plant-bird relationships (for example, changes in seed availability, altered dispersal pathways, or shifts in mutualisms where birds normally help spread seeds). Third, it focuses on understanding the consequences of established insect invasions on native plant populations specifically on U.S. public lands, aiming to clarify longer-term ecological outcomes and management implications once an invasion is already underway.

Eligibility is limited to entities that qualify as CESU partners, with the notice listing eligible applicants broadly as "Others" and directing interested parties to consult the additional eligibility information in the full announcement for the precise requirements. The opportunity anticipated a single award with an award ceiling of $49,633, indicating a relatively targeted, project-scale effort rather than a large multi-year program. The funding opportunity was created on May 29, 2018, with an original application closing date of June 12, 2018, which signals a short turnaround typical of some CESU competitions or targeted research needs.

Overall, this announcement is best understood as a focused USGS-supported research collaboration within the Rocky Mountain CESU network, aimed at producing practical scientific findings and predictive understanding about invasive insect impacts on plants, reproduction and dispersal processes, and cascading ecological interactions relevant to the stewardship of U.S. public lands.

• 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, 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 May 29, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 12, 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 $49,633.00 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 G18AS00045

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