Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner with Great Lakes- Northern Forest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit | G24AS00283

Opportunity Information: Apply for G24AS00283

This funding opportunity (G24AS00283) is a discretionary cooperative agreement offered by the US Geological Survey (USGS) under the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program, specifically through the Great Lakes-Northern Forest CESU. The project sits in the Science and Technology / Research and Development category (CFDA 15.808) and is intended to support applied research that helps resource managers understand and anticipate the spread and impacts of warmwater fish species under changing river conditions.

The core focus is on how water temperature and river flow patterns (thermal and hydrologic regimes) shape the population dynamics of key warmwater fishes. The work targets species that are native to the Mississippi River basin but are of concern as non-native invaders in the Colorado River basin, including walleye, smallmouth bass, and green sunfish. In practical terms, USGS is looking for research that connects environmental conditions created by dams and reservoirs to how these fish populations grow, survive, reproduce, and potentially expand into new areas.

The project has two main objectives. First, the recipient will develop population models for the focal species that explicitly respond to changes in hydrology and water temperature. That implies building modeling approaches that can translate measurable or simulated river conditions (for example, seasonal temperature profiles, discharge magnitude and timing, and flow variability) into demographic outcomes such as recruitment, growth, survival, and overall population trends. Second, those models will be used to forecast invasion risk under different reservoir operation scenarios, meaning the work should evaluate how alternative dam releases and operational strategies, by altering downstream flow and temperature, might either promote the spread of these species into additional river segments or help limit and prevent further expansion in the Colorado River basin.

Because the award is structured as a cooperative agreement, substantial involvement by the federal partner is typically expected, often including coordination with USGS scientists, iterative model development aligned with management questions, shared data or analytical collaboration, and regular technical communication. The opportunity is released under the CESU mechanism, which is designed to support partnerships that deliver research, technical assistance, and education benefiting public land and resource management. Eligibility is limited to organizations that are official participating partners of the Great Lakes-Northern Forest CESU; the listing reflects this by naming eligible applicants as "Others," but the controlling requirement is active CESU partnership status within that specific CESU network.

In terms of funding details, the opportunity lists an award ceiling of $450,000. The posting was created on 2024-02-27 and had an original closing date of 2024-03-27. The number of expected awards is not clearly specified in the provided source text, but the opportunity is framed as a single focused research effort tied to the described objectives and CESU partnership requirements.

Overall, USGS is seeking a CESU-affiliated research partner to produce decision-relevant population modeling and forecasting tools that link reservoir operations to downstream thermal and flow conditions, and then to the invasion potential and population performance of walleye, smallmouth bass, and green sunfish in the Colorado River basin. The intended outcome is improved predictive capability that can inform reservoir management strategies aimed at reducing the likelihood of these warmwater fishes establishing and spreading into new river reaches.

• 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 Great Lakes- Northern Forest 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 2024-02-27.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-03-27. (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 $450,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for G24AS00283

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