Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner with the Great Basin Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit | G24AS00396

Opportunity Information: Apply for G24AS00396

This opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number G24AS00396) is a discretionary US Geological Survey funding call for a cooperative agreement with an eligible partner in the Great Basin Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) network. The overall purpose is to support collaborative, science-based work on Pacific salmon ecology and habitat modeling in the Pacific Northwest. USGS is positioning this award as a way to strengthen and improve the technical and scientific products coming out of multiple ongoing and newly contracted salmon projects, with an emphasis on producing high-quality analyses, models, and deliverables that can directly inform management and restoration decisions.

The context behind the funding is a broader, multi-year federal push to address water availability, habitat conditions, and salmon recovery across major river basins in the region. USGS designated the Willamette River Basin as the fourth Integrated Water Science basin in 2022, which brought sustained investment aimed at understanding water supply and demand for both people and salmon. In parallel, the Biden-Harris administration highlighted the scale of regional salmon recovery priorities through major commitments like the 208 million investment announced in 2023 for restoration in the Upper Columbia River Basin, along with an expanded policy emphasis on salmon conservation that included announcing an intention to move forward with removing four dams on the Lower Snake River. Together, these actions signal that salmon science and habitat decision-support tools are expected to remain a major funding and policy focus, and USGS is building out the science capacity needed to keep pace.

The work supported by this cooperative agreement is tied to USGS efforts already underway or being actively procured in several key basins: the Willamette River Basin, Yakima River Basin, Upper Columbia River Basin, and Upper Snake River Basin. While the notice does not list a narrow set of tasks line-by-line, it makes clear that USGS is looking for a CESU partner that can provide research and technical assistance that improves the quality and usefulness of salmon ecology and habitat modeling products associated with these basin-focused projects. In practical terms, that typically means contributing scientific expertise to study design, data synthesis, modeling frameworks, interpretation of results, and delivery of decision-relevant outputs that can be used by agencies and stakeholders working on salmon recovery, water management, and habitat restoration.

Because this is issued through the CESU Program, eligibility is restricted to organizations that are already participating partners in the Great Basin CESU. CESUs are structured to encourage collaboration among federal agencies, universities, tribes, and other partners by streamlining cooperative research, technical assistance, and education activities. The cooperative agreement instrument also implies substantial involvement by USGS staff during the project, meaning the awardee should expect an active, collaborative relationship rather than a hands-off grant.

Key administrative details include a posted opportunity creation date of June 12, 2024, and an original closing date of July 15, 2024. The award ceiling is 220,000, and the program is listed under CFDA 15.808. The activity category is Science and Technology and other Research and Development. In short, this is a targeted, partnership-based funding opportunity intended to bring additional CESU-affiliated capacity to USGS salmon ecology and habitat modeling work in several high-priority Pacific Northwest river basins, aligned with significant ongoing federal investments and policy actions focused on salmon recovery and water systems.

• 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 the Great Basin 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 2024-06-12.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-07-15. (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 $220,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for G24AS00396

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