Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner with Californian Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit | G24AS00233

Opportunity Information: Apply for G24AS00233

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is soliciting a single cooperative agreement through the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) network, specifically limited to organizations that are active partners in the Californian CESU. The opportunity is focused on applied science and technology research that supports USGS coastal priorities, with an emphasis on understanding and reducing coastal hazards. Because it is issued as a cooperative agreement rather than a standard grant, applicants should expect substantial involvement from USGS staff during project planning and execution, such as coordination on methods, data, modeling assumptions, and delivery of results that align with USGS program needs.

The central research objective is to model how coastal flooding hazards could be reduced through theoretical coral reef restoration scenarios in key U.S. Pacific island locations: Guam, Saipan, Tinian, and American Samoa. In practical terms, the work is intended to quantify the protective benefits that reefs can provide by dissipating wave energy and reducing storm-driven inundation, and then translate that into measurable changes in coastal flood risk under different reef condition or restoration assumptions. The results are meant to directly inform the USGS Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program (CMHRP), particularly its Coastal Change Hazards (CCH) and Integrated Coastal and Marine Systems (ICMS) priority study areas, which focus on coastal dynamics, hazard exposure, and how natural systems interact with physical processes.

This funding opportunity is categorized under discretionary financial assistance and falls within the science and technology / research and development activity area. The assistance listing is tied to CFDA 15.808. The award ceiling is listed as $486,000, and the opportunity is posted under Funding Opportunity Number G24AS00233. The notice was created on January 9, 2024, with an original closing date of February 9, 2024. Eligibility is restricted: only entities that are participating partners in the Californian CESU program can apply, which typically includes certain universities, non-profits, and research organizations that have formal CESU partner status.

Overall, the opportunity is designed to produce decision-relevant coastal hazard modeling outputs that clarify the potential flood-risk-reduction value of coral reef restoration in these island settings. It sits at the intersection of coastal engineering/oceanography, hazard modeling, and ecosystem-based risk reduction, with the CESU framework intended to streamline collaboration between USGS and qualified research partners while supporting both scientific rigor and practical application.

• 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 Californian 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 2024-01-09.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-02-09. (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 $486,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for G24AS00233

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