Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Lakes Northern Forests | G18AS00118

Opportunity Information: Apply for G18AS00118

The Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU), Great Lakes Northern Forests grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number G18AS00118) is a discretionary funding program offered by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) within the Department of the Interior. The award is structured as a cooperative agreement, meaning the work is expected to involve substantial involvement and collaboration between USGS and the selected recipient rather than operating as a hands-off grant. The program sits in the Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity category under CFDA 15.808, and it was created on July 31, 2018 with an original closing date of August 14, 2018.

The central purpose of the opportunity is to fund research that helps natural resource and land managers make better decisions by giving them reliable biological information and practical help in applying that information to real management needs. The emphasis is on science that is directly usable: gathering data with established scientific methods, running monitoring programs, and conducting experiments when needed. Beyond collecting results, the opportunity highlights that findings must be communicated and made accessible to the people responsible for on-the-ground decisions, so that the science can influence planning, policy, and day-to-day management actions.

This funding is specifically tied to the mission and authorities of the USGS Great Lakes Science Center (GLSC). The GLSC plays a key role in fisheries research across the Great Lakes, including work that answers management questions raised by partner agencies and organizations. A major component of the GLSC role described here is monitoring the status and trends of prey fish communities, which are foundational to Great Lakes food webs and strongly influence the health and management of sport and commercial fisheries. The opportunity also points to a growing information need among GLSC partners: understanding where native and invasive aquatic species are present, how abundant they are, and how their distribution and dynamics relate to lake bottom environments. In practice, this signals research that links biological communities to benthic habitat conditions, potentially supporting efforts like invasive species detection and response, habitat management, and ecosystem-based fisheries management.

Eligibility is limited to CESU partners, with the eligibility category listed as "Others" and clarified in the full announcement under the additional eligibility information. The expected funding level indicates a single anticipated award (Expected Awards: 1) with an award ceiling of $160,500. Overall, the opportunity is aimed at targeted, applied ecosystem and fisheries science in the Great Lakes region, with a strong expectation that the research will produce management-ready information about prey fish monitoring and the interactions between aquatic species (including invasives) and lake bottom habitats.

• 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 Lakes Northern Forests" 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 $160,500.00 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 G18AS00118

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