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

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the funding opportunity number for this grant?

The funding opportunity number is G24AS00283.

Which federal agency is offering this opportunity?

This opportunity is offered by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

What type of award is being offered?

The award is a discretionary cooperative agreement. This typically means USGS expects substantial federal involvement during the project (for example, coordination with USGS scientists, iterative technical input, collaboration on data or analyses, and regular communication).

What program is this opportunity released under?

It is released under the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program, specifically through the Great Lakes-Northern Forest CESU.

What is the primary purpose of this project?

The project 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, especially as those conditions are influenced by dams and reservoirs.

What is the main scientific focus of the work?

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 is meant to connect measurable or simulated river conditions to demographic outcomes like recruitment, growth, survival, and overall population trends.

Which fish species are specifically targeted?

The opportunity specifically calls out walleye, smallmouth bass, and green sunfish.

Why are these species of concern in this project?

These species are native to the Mississippi River basin but are of concern as non-native invaders in the Colorado River basin. The project is focused on understanding how river conditions may influence their establishment, performance, and potential spread.

What are the two main objectives described in the opportunity?

The project has two main objectives:

1. Develop population models for the focal species that explicitly respond to changes in hydrology and water temperature.
2. Use those models to forecast invasion risk under different reservoir operation scenarios, evaluating how alternative dam releases and operational strategies might promote or limit spread in the Colorado River basin.

What does it mean that models should "explicitly respond" to hydrology and temperature?

Based on the description, the modeling approach should translate river conditions (such as seasonal temperature profiles, discharge magnitude and timing, and flow variability) into demographic and population outcomes (such as recruitment, growth, survival, and population trends).

How are dams and reservoirs connected to the research questions?

The opportunity emphasizes linking environmental conditions created by dams and reservoirs (through their effects on downstream temperature and flow) to how warmwater fish populations grow, survive, reproduce, and potentially expand into new areas.

What is meant by "reservoir operation scenarios" in this context?

The opportunity indicates that the project should evaluate how different dam release patterns and operational strategies alter downstream flow and temperature, and then assess how those altered conditions might affect population performance and invasion risk for the focal species.

What is the intended management outcome of the project?

The intended outcome is improved predictive capability to inform reservoir management strategies aimed at reducing the likelihood that these warmwater fishes establish and spread into new river reaches in the Colorado River basin.

What is the program/category classification of this opportunity?

The opportunity is in the Science and Technology / Research and Development category and lists CFDA 15.808.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is limited to organizations that are official participating partners of the Great Lakes-Northern Forest CESU. While the listing may show eligible applicants as "Others," the controlling eligibility requirement described is active partnership status within that specific CESU network.

Is this opportunity open to any university, nonprofit, or business?

Based on the provided information, it is not open to all organizations. Applicants must be official participating partners in the Great Lakes-Northern Forest CESU.

What is the maximum amount of funding available?

The opportunity lists an award ceiling of $450,000.

How many awards will be made?

The number of expected awards is not clearly specified in the provided description. The opportunity is framed as a single focused research effort tied to the stated objectives and CESU partnership requirements.

When was the opportunity posted?

The posting was created on 2024-02-27.

What was the application closing date?

The original closing date listed is 2024-03-27.

What kind of collaboration is expected under a cooperative agreement?

The description indicates substantial involvement by the federal partner is typically expected. Examples noted include coordination with USGS scientists, iterative model development aligned with management questions, shared data or analytical collaboration, and regular technical communication.

What kinds of deliverables does USGS appear to be seeking?

Based on the stated objectives, USGS is seeking decision-relevant population modeling and forecasting tools that connect reservoir operations to downstream thermal and flow conditions, and then to invasion potential and population performance of the focal species.

What geographic area is emphasized for invasion risk forecasting?

The opportunity emphasizes forecasting invasion risk and expansion potential in the Colorado River basin.

How does the Mississippi River basin relate to this work?

The focal species are described as native to the Mississippi River basin, and the project addresses concerns about them as potential or ongoing non-native invaders in the Colorado River basin.

What is the overall goal in one sentence?

To build and apply hydrology- and temperature-responsive population models for walleye, smallmouth bass, and green sunfish in order to forecast how reservoir operations might influence invasion risk and support reservoir management decisions aimed at limiting spread in the Colorado River basin.