Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner with Colorado Plateau Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit | G24AS00234

Opportunity Information: Apply for G24AS00234

This grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number G24AS00234) is a discretionary cooperative agreement offered by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) under the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) program, specifically through the Colorado Plateau Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CPCESU). It supports science and technology research and development (CFDA 15.808) focused on bat health and ecology in the western United States, with an emphasis on surveillance for the fungal pathogen Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd) and the disease it causes, white-nose syndrome (WNS). The core aim is to improve understanding of whether Pd/WNS is present on Department of the Interior lands managed by the National Park Service (NPS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and to pair that surveillance with ecological assessments that help interpret bat condition, behavior, and risk.

The work is designed to be collaborative and hands-on, which is reflected in the use of a cooperative agreement rather than a simpler grant structure. The project is expected to be carried out in coordination with multiple partners, including USGS-FORT (USGS Fort Collins Science Center), NPS, BLM, the USGS National Wildlife Health Center, and potentially additional collaborators as needed. In practice, that means the selected CESU partner would not be working in isolation; the project is framed as a multi-agency effort to plan surveillance, collect and interpret samples or field observations, and share data in ways that directly support management decisions on federal lands.

On the research side, the opportunity specifically calls for Pd/WNS surveillance and broader ecological assessments of bats. The description highlights bat diet work as one example of the types of ecological studies that may be included, but it leaves room for other complementary assessments. Expected tasks include field-based research (for example, capturing or observing bats, collecting samples suitable for Pd detection, and documenting relevant habitat or site conditions), laboratory analyses of materials and data collected in the field, and structured data management. The inclusion of data management as an explicit element signals that the funder expects usable, well-organized outputs that can be integrated across agencies and monitoring efforts, not just raw field notes or isolated lab results.

Eligibility is limited to organizations that are already participating partners in the Colorado Plateau CESU. In other words, this is not an open competition for the general public, private companies, or institutions outside the CPCESU network. The funding instrument type is a cooperative agreement, and the award ceiling listed is $65,000. The opportunity posting shows an original closing date of February 9, 2024, and it was created on January 9, 2024. The listing indicates a single expected award, suggesting USGS intended to fund one CESU-affiliated partner to carry out the scoped work and coordinate closely with the named federal collaborators.

Overall, the opportunity is meant to strengthen early detection and understanding of Pd/WNS in the western U.S. while simultaneously building ecological context (including dietary information and other field and lab-based indicators) that can inform how agencies like NPS and BLM monitor bat populations and respond to disease risks on the lands they manage.

• 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 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 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 $65,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for G24AS00234

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