Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner with Great Rivers Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit | G25AS00090

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is this funding opportunity?

This is a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) discretionary financial assistance opportunity offered through a cooperative agreement. It is issued under the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) Program and is specifically for a partner organization affiliated with the Great Rivers CESU.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number?

The Funding Opportunity Number is G25AS00090.

What type of award is being used (grant vs. cooperative agreement)?

The opportunity will be awarded as a cooperative agreement. This mechanism is typically used when USGS expects to have substantial involvement during the project period, such as coordination on study design, data standards, analysis approaches, or integrating results into broader science and management needs.

What program is this opportunity issued under?

This opportunity is issued under the CESU Program, which connects federal agencies with a network of partner institutions that provide research, technical assistance, and education, with an emphasis on collaborative project execution.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is limited to applicants that are already participating partners of the Great Rivers CESU. The eligible applicant category is listed as “Others,” but the controlling requirement in the provided information is active partnership status within the Great Rivers CESU network.

Are non-CESU organizations eligible if they have the right expertise?

No. Based on the provided information, organizations that are not formal partners of the Great Rivers CESU are not eligible under the stated terms, regardless of their general qualifications or research capacity.

What is the main focus of the project?

The project focuses on applied research in the Upper Mississippi River System, examining (1) floodplain forest canopy loss and subsequent regeneration, and (2) how well field-based (in situ) vegetation survey methods compare to remote sensing or other remote survey approaches.

What does “floodplain forest canopy loss and regeneration” mean in this context?

In practical terms, it refers to understanding how floodplain forests are changing over time, including where and how canopy cover is being lost (disturbance impacts) and how those forests recover afterward (regeneration and recovery dynamics).

What methods are being compared?

The project includes evaluating the agreement and reliability between on-the-ground vegetation surveys (in situ) and remote methods such as remote sensing or other remote survey approaches, to determine whether remote methods can measure forest change alongside, or in some cases in place of, field monitoring.

Why does the opportunity emphasize remote sensing versus field monitoring?

The described work supports determining whether remote approaches can reliably measure changes in floodplain forests. This helps inform monitoring strategies by clarifying when field monitoring is necessary and when remote methods may be sufficient or complementary.

What is the activity classification for this opportunity?

The activity classification is Science and Technology and other Research and Development.

What is the Assistance Listing (CFDA) number?

The applicable CFDA (now commonly referenced as the Assistance Listing) number is 15.808.

What is the geographic or system focus area?

The applied research is focused on the Upper Mississippi River System, with emphasis on floodplain forest condition and monitoring methods in that system.

What is the maximum award amount?

The award ceiling (maximum award amount) is $71,707.

Is the number of expected awards provided?

No. The notice indicates “ExpectedAwards:” but does not provide a number in the information supplied here, so the anticipated count of awards is not specified in the provided text.

When was the opportunity posted?

The posting was created on 2024-11-04.

What is the application closing date?

The original closing date is 2024-12-04.

How long is the application window?

Based on the provided dates (created 2024-11-04 and closing 2024-12-04), the application window is roughly one month.

What does “discretionary financial assistance” imply here?

Based on the provided description, it indicates USGS is offering funding through a competitive federal financial assistance opportunity rather than a formula-based distribution, and it is structured as a partnership-oriented cooperative agreement under CESU.

What does CESU partnership-based collaboration mean for this project?

The CESU structure emphasizes collaboration with federal agency involvement. For this opportunity, it signals the award is framed as a coordinated research effort where USGS may be actively engaged during the period of performance (for example, aligning study design, data standards, analytical approaches, or ensuring results support broader management and science needs).

What kinds of outcomes is this project intended to support?

The work is intended to produce applied results that inform monitoring strategies and management decisions related to floodplain forest condition, disturbance impacts, and recovery dynamics in the Upper Mississippi River System, including how remote and field methods can be used to track those changes.