Cooperative Agreement with Partner of Colorado Plateau Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit | G21AS00554

Opportunity Information: Apply for G21AS00554

This grant opportunity, titled "Cooperative Agreement with Partner of Colorado Plateau Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit," is a discretionary funding announcement from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), specifically through the Southwest Biological Science Center (SBSC). It is offered as a cooperative agreement, meaning the USGS expects to have substantial involvement in the supported work rather than simply issuing funds with minimal interaction. The opportunity falls under the Science and Technology and other Research and Development category (CFDA 15.808) and is designed to support applied research and program-building efforts related to land reclamation in arid environments.

The main purpose of the award is to help build and strengthen a research program focused on improving reclamation outcomes after surface disturbance. The announcement emphasizes that reclamation remains a major scientific and management challenge in arid landscapes, especially in areas affected by oil and gas development and other land-disturbing activities. The funded work is intended to address three tightly connected needs: first, improving understanding of the biotic and abiotic constraints that limit successful reclamation (for example, how soils, hydrology, climate variability, invasive species pressure, or native plant community dynamics affect recovery); second, improving post-reclamation monitoring programs so that agencies and land managers can more reliably track whether reclamation is working over time; and third, identifying practical management approaches and on-the-ground practices that measurably increase the likelihood of reclamation success in these dryland systems.

Only a narrow set of applicants are eligible. Applicants must be official partners in the Colorado Plateau Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program. CESUs are structured partnerships that connect federal agencies with universities, tribes, and other research and technical organizations to deliver research, technical assistance, and education tied to natural and cultural resource issues. In this case, the USGS is using the CESU mechanism to engage an existing partner organization that already participates in the Colorado Plateau CESU network, ensuring the work is performed within that established collaborative framework.

In terms of funding parameters and timing, the opportunity number is G21AS00554. The notice was created on June 9, 2021, with an original closing date of July 9, 2021. The stated award ceiling is $155,500, and the posting indicates one expected award. The combination of a single anticipated award and a defined ceiling suggests the agency is looking to support a targeted scope of work delivered by one qualified CESU partner, rather than distributing smaller awards to multiple recipients.

Overall, the opportunity is aimed at producing actionable science that helps agencies and land managers make reclamation more reliable in arid landscapes. It prioritizes clarifying why reclamation succeeds or fails under dryland conditions, strengthening how outcomes are measured through better monitoring, and translating findings into management practices that can improve long-term recovery following oil and gas development and other disturbances.

• The Geological Survey in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cooperative Agreement with Partner of Colorado Plateau 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 2021-06-09.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-07-09. (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 $155,500.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for G21AS00554

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