Cooperative Agreement for affiliated Partner with the Great Basin Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit | G25AS00342

Opportunity Information: Apply for G25AS00342

This funding opportunity (G25AS00342) is a discretionary cooperative agreement from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) focused on applied research in semiarid upland ecosystems across the cold desert region of the western United States. The core purpose is to close key information gaps in how vegetation cover and soil characteristics, including soil carbon, influence a site s resistance to invasive plants that promote wildfire and a site s ability to recover after a fire. In practical terms, the project is aimed at improving the inventory and understanding of on-the-ground factors that determine whether landscapes are likely to be taken over by exotic grasses after disturbance and whether they can rebound toward more desirable native plant communities.

A major driver behind the work is the growing problem of exotic grass invasions and the feedback loop they create with wildfire. In many cold desert systems, invasive annual grasses can increase fine fuels, shorten fire return intervals, and make repeated burning more likely, which further advantages invasives and undermines native shrubs and perennial grasses. USGS frames this as a high-priority threat to the security and usability of large semiarid military landscapes, where training and other operations depend on resilient ecosystems and predictable fire behavior. By generating objective, science-based information, the research is intended to support land managers and decision makers who need better tools for planning, risk reduction, restoration targeting, and long-term landscape stewardship on military lands and other large public or mixed-use landscapes.

The award is being issued under the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) Program, which is designed to connect federal agencies with partner organizations for research, technical assistance, and education. Because this is a CESU opportunity, eligibility is limited to organizations that are already participating partners in the Great Basin CESU. The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, meaning the USGS expects to have substantial involvement during the project rather than acting only as a pass-through funder. The activity category is Science and Technology and other Research and Development, and the CFDA (now commonly referred to under Assistance Listings) number associated with the program is 15.808.

Key administrative details include an award ceiling of 49,600 dollars, an original application closing date of 2025-09-08, and a posting or creation date of 2025-08-08. The notice indicates an expected awards field but does not provide a specific number of awards in the source text provided. Overall, the opportunity is a relatively small, targeted research award meant to produce actionable information about vegetation and soil drivers of invasion resistance and post-fire recovery in semiarid uplands, with direct relevance to wildfire risk and land use continuity, particularly on western U.S. military installations.

• The Geological Survey in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cooperative Agreement for 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 2025-08-08.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-09-08. (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 $49,600.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for G25AS00342

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