Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner with Great Basin Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit | G23AS00190

Opportunity Information: Apply for G23AS00190

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), through its Southwest Biological Science Center (SBSC), offered a discretionary funding opportunity under a Cooperative Agreement to support scientific research and program-building focused on dryland biogeochemistry on the Colorado Plateau. The core aim was to strengthen a research program that uses global manipulation experiments (field or experimental approaches that simulate or impose environmental changes such as warming, altered precipitation, nutrient inputs, or other stressors) alongside foundational biogeochemistry tools and concepts to better understand how dryland ecosystems function. A major emphasis was on how these systems respond to human-driven (anthropogenic) change and what factors control those responses, especially in arid and semi-arid landscapes where water limitation, soil properties, and biological soil crusts can strongly shape carbon and nutrient cycling.

A key theme within the opportunity was improving practical understanding and management options for carbon sequestration on public lands. In this context, the research was intended to inform how carbon is stored and cycled in dryland soils and vegetation, how stable that storage is under changing climate and land use pressures, and what land management actions might increase or protect carbon storage without causing unintended tradeoffs (for example, impacts to biodiversity, soil stability, or water resources). Because drylands cover large areas of the western United States and can store substantial amounts of carbon in soils, even modest per-acre changes in carbon balance can matter at regional scales. The opportunity therefore targeted work that could translate into better decision support for land managers dealing with climate change, disturbance, and restoration challenges on the Colorado Plateau.

This award was issued under the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) framework, specifically tied to the Great Basin CESU (identified as CESU #160 in the notice). CESUs are formal partnerships designed to connect federal agencies with academic and other research organizations to deliver research, technical assistance, and education. The CESU structure typically emphasizes collaboration and substantial federal involvement, which aligns with the Cooperative Agreement instrument type used here. Eligibility was limited to organizations that are active, participating partners in the Great Basin CESU network, meaning applicants needed to already be part of that CESU partnership rather than applying as a general open-competition applicant.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity was listed as Funding Opportunity Number G23AS00190, in the Science and Technology and other Research and Development category, with CFDA number 15.808. The announcement was created on January 25, 2023, with an original closing date of February 27, 2023. The maximum award amount (award ceiling) was $94,000, and the notice indicated expected awards would be made (though the specific number of awards was not clearly provided in the source text). Overall, the opportunity can be read as a targeted, collaborative research investment meant to advance the science of carbon and nutrient cycling in Colorado Plateau drylands and to improve management-relevant knowledge about how these ecosystems will behave under increasing human and climate pressures.

• 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 Basin 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 2023-01-25.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-02-27. (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 $94,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for G23AS00190

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