Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Gulf Coast CESU | G17AS00092

Opportunity Information: Apply for G17AS00092

The Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Gulf Coast CESU funding opportunity (Opportunity No. G17AS00092) is a discretionary USGS cooperative agreement issued by the Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey. Managed through the USGS Wetland and Aquatic Research Center (WARC), it supports science and technology research and development aimed at evaluating and improving coastal resiliency efforts tied to Hurricane Sandy recovery work along the Northeast Atlantic coast. The overall focus is on "living shoreline" restoration projects, which use natural and nature-based features (such as marshes, oyster reefs, and other shoreline-stabilizing habitats) to reduce erosion and dampen storm impacts while supporting ecological function.

The funded project is designed to generate and analyze ecological and physical data that demonstrate coastal resilience benefits at selected restoration sites. Key outcomes the research is expected to measure and characterize include sediment deposition (a proxy for shoreline building and stability) and reductions in wave height, wave energy, and related hydrodynamic forces (which relate directly to risk reduction for adjacent coastal communities and habitats). To do this, the work combines on-the-ground site visits and short-term field measurements with longer-term numerical modeling and other analytical methods. That blend of approaches is central to the opportunity because it links what can be directly observed in the field with predictive, scenario-based modeling that can estimate performance over longer time horizons and under varying storm and sea-level conditions.

A major rationale for the award is that this integrated monitoring and assessment framework is considered both novel and urgently needed. Living shoreline projects have expanded rapidly as an alternative or complement to hardened coastal infrastructure, but consistent, defensible evidence of their protective benefits, especially regarding wave and energy reduction, often lags behind implementation. By pairing short-term measurements (capturing real, site-specific conditions) with long-term models (capturing variability over seasons, storm events, and future conditions), the project aims to improve the credibility and usefulness of performance assessments for these techniques.

The work is explicitly interdisciplinary and collaborative. It is intended to bring together scientists, engineers, and resource managers from multiple organizations already involved in living shoreline restoration activities. The description indicates the research will be conducted across three selected restoration projects, allowing the team to compare performance across sites and potentially identify which design elements, settings, or habitat features most strongly influence resilience outcomes.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity was posted June 22, 2017, with an original closing date of July 7, 2017. It anticipated a single award with an award ceiling of $482,596. The CFDA number associated with the program is 15.808. Eligibility is listed as "Others," with specifics referenced in the opportunity's additional eligibility information, consistent with CESU mechanisms that often involve defined partner networks and collaboration structures.

• The Department of the Interior, Geological Survey in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Gulf Coast CESU" 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 Jun 22, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 07, 2017. (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 $482,596.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for G17AS00092

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