Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Rivers CESU | G17AS00128

Opportunity Information: Apply for G17AS00128

This grant opportunity, titled "Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Rivers CESU" (Funding Opportunity Number G17AS00128), was issued by the U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). It is a discretionary funding opportunity structured as a cooperative agreement, meaning the award is intended to involve substantial federal participation or collaboration during the project rather than functioning like a simple pass-through grant. The work falls under the Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity category and is associated with CFDA number 15.820, which is tied to USGS research and related scientific programs.

The offering was created on August 22, 2017, with an original application deadline of September 8, 2017, indicating a relatively short application window. USGS anticipated making one award under this announcement, with an award ceiling of $99,946. In practice, that ceiling sets the maximum amount that could be awarded for the proposed work under this specific announcement, suggesting the project scope was designed to be targeted and deliverable within roughly a $100,000 budget level.

Eligibility was limited to a Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) partner, specifically within the Great Rivers CESU network. The notice lists eligible applicants as "Others" with clarification in an additional eligibility section (not included in the text you provided), but the key takeaway is that applicants needed to be part of the CESU partnership framework. CESUs are cooperative partnerships among federal agencies, universities, and other organizations intended to support research, technical assistance, and education related to natural and cultural resources, often enabling agencies like USGS to efficiently collaborate with qualified scientific institutions.

The research focus for this award was to support a project titled "Replacement Costs of Fish in North American Due to Climate Change as a Result of Wild Fish Loss due to Climate Change." In plain terms, the project centers on understanding and estimating the economic implications of climate-driven impacts on wild fish populations in North America, specifically through the lens of replacement costs. Replacement cost approaches typically aim to quantify what it would cost to replace lost natural assets or services, such as the costs associated with stocking, hatchery production, restoration, management interventions, or other actions that would be needed to make up for losses in wild fish abundance or diversity. By framing the study around replacement costs, the work is positioned to generate information that can be directly used in planning, budgeting, and policy analysis when considering climate change impacts on fisheries resources.

The opportunity was offered through the USGS National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center (NCCWSC), which indicates the broader purpose was to strengthen the scientific basis for understanding how climate change affects wildlife and ecosystems and to translate that understanding into decision-relevant information. A study on the replacement costs of fish losses would support that mission by turning ecological impacts into economic metrics that can help resource managers and policymakers compare risks, prioritize conservation actions, and evaluate adaptation strategies. Because it is a cooperative agreement, the awardee would likely have been expected to coordinate closely with USGS scientists or program staff throughout the research, including alignment on methods, data sources, analysis, and reporting deliverables.

In summary, this was a single-award, CESU-partner-only USGS research funding opportunity from 2017 with up to $99,946 available, aimed at producing applied research on the economic replacement costs associated with climate change-driven losses of wild fish in North America, carried out in collaboration with the USGS NCCWSC under a cooperative agreement model.

• The Department of the Interior, 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 Rivers CESU" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.820.
• This funding opportunity was created on Aug 22, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 08, 2017. (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 $99,946.00 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).

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