Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Californian CESU | G18AS00112

Opportunity Information: Apply for G18AS00112

The Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (Californian CESU) opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number G18AS00112) is a US Geological Survey (USGS) research funding call, administered through the Department of the Interior and led by the USGS Fort Collins Science Center. It was released as a discretionary opportunity under a cooperative agreement mechanism, meaning the project is expected to involve substantial collaboration between the recipient and the federal science team rather than operating as a hands-off grant. The focus is on science and technology and other research and development activities under CFDA 15.808, with eligibility described broadly as "Others" and further defined in the full posting's eligibility section.

The core purpose of the award is to determine whether high-elevation mountain lakes in three iconic Sierra Nevada park units Sequoia National Park, Kings Canyon National Park, and Yosemite National Park are moving toward rapid eutrophication that could lead to harmful algal blooms. In practical terms, the USGS is looking to support research that can detect how widespread algal bloom conditions are (or may become), understand the environmental drivers behind bloom formation, and characterize how lake productivity and nutrient cycling are changing across the landscape. The project is framed around the concern that these lakes may be shifting from historically low-nutrient, clear-water systems toward more nutrient-enriched states where algal growth can intensify and potentially become harmful.

The opportunity lays out three main research questions that together describe the scope of work. First, it asks how common algal blooms are across the broader landscape of these parks and what factors drive where and when they occur. This implies a landscape-scale assessment rather than focusing on a single lake, and it points toward examining drivers such as nutrient inputs, watershed characteristics, climate and temperature patterns, hydrology, and other conditions that can influence bloom risk. Second, it asks how algal productivity and biogeochemistry vary across landscape and temperature gradients, signaling interest not only in measuring algal abundance or chlorophyll but also in understanding underlying chemical and biological processes, such as nutrient limitation, carbon and nutrient cycling, and how warming or elevation-related temperature differences may be changing lake functioning. Third, it targets the spatial extent of mid- to late-summer phytoplankton (free-floating algae) and periphyton (attached algae) productivity across Sierra Nevada national parks, which highlights a seasonal window when productivity often peaks and bloom conditions are most likely to be observed.

From an administrative standpoint, the funding call anticipated a single award with an award ceiling of $10,000. The opportunity was created on August 7, 2018, with an original closing date of August 21, 2018, indicating a short application window and a relatively small, targeted award intended to support a focused piece of work, pilot effort, or a specific component of a broader monitoring or research program. Overall, the solicitation is best understood as a narrowly defined cooperative research effort aimed at providing park-relevant, management-useful science on the prevalence, drivers, and spatial patterns of algal productivity and bloom potential in sensitive Sierra Nevada mountain lake ecosystems.

• 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, Californian 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 Aug 07, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 21, 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 $10,000.00 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 G18AS00112

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: