Cooperative Agreement for affiliated Partner with the Southern Appalachian Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) | G25AS00344

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) What is the funding opportunity number for this award?

The funding opportunity is identified as G25AS00344.

2) Which federal agency is offering this opportunity?

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

3) What type of award is being offered?

The award is a discretionary cooperative agreement. This indicates substantial involvement by USGS is expected during the project, rather than a hands-off grant structure.

4) What program is this opportunity offered through?

The opportunity is offered through the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) Program.

5) Which CESU region is this opportunity tied to?

This opportunity is specifically for an affiliated partner of the Southern Appalachian CESU.

6) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is limited to organizations that are already participating partners of the Southern Appalachian CESU.

7) What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The CFDA number listed for this opportunity is 15.808.

8) What is the funding activity category?

The funding activity category is Science and Technology Research and Development.

9) What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?

The opportunity lists an award ceiling of $495,000.

10) When is the application due?

The application closing date is 2025-09-22.

11) When was the opportunity posted?

The posting was created on 2025-08-22.

12) What is the main subject or technical focus of the project?

The work centers on Open Evapotranspiration (OpenET), a satellite-based evapotranspiration (ET) data capability, with the goal of strengthening how remote-sensing ET products are validated, applied, and integrated into hydrologic and agricultural decision-making across the southeastern United States.

13) What is the overall purpose of the project?

The purpose is to improve confidence in ET estimates across the Southeast and use those improved ET insights to better understand irrigation demand, drought conditions, and water availability, supporting more resilient and data-driven water management decisions.

14) What geographic region is emphasized in the work?

The work emphasizes the southeastern United States, including integration into regional efforts such as the Southeast Drought Early Warning System (SE DEWS).

15) Why is an evaluation of OpenET needed specifically for the Southeast?

The project is designed as an independent evaluation of OpenET performance under real southeastern conditions, where mixed land use, humid climate, and frequent cloud cover can complicate satellite observations and affect remote-sensing ET retrievals.

16) Is the project expected to be more research-focused or applied/operational?

It is expected to include rigorous evaluation and uncertainty analysis, while also developing applied science tools (such as high-resolution irrigation maps and improved flash drought detection methods) intended for decision-makers and practitioners.

17) What does the opportunity say about validating OpenET outputs?

The research is expected to include in situ validation, meaning ground-based measurements or field observations used to check satellite-based ET estimates.

18) What is meant by model intercomparison in this project?

Model intercomparison refers to comparing outputs from different OpenET modeling approaches to understand performance differences and reliability across conditions and landscapes.

19) What role does uncertainty analysis play in the project?

A major emphasis is on quantifying uncertainty in ways that help users understand when OpenET is dependable and when caution or supplemental data may be needed, including explicit attention to cloud-affected conditions that can degrade or limit remote-sensing retrievals.

20) How does cloud cover factor into the evaluation?

The scope explicitly notes that frequent cloud cover in the Southeast can degrade or limit satellite retrievals, and the project is expected to address uncertainty and performance under cloud-affected conditions.

21) What are the irrigation-related goals of the project?

A core focus is assessing whether OpenET can support real-time or near-real-time irrigation monitoring by comparing OpenET-derived ET estimates against ET calculated from soil water balance methods and against modeled irrigation demand.

22) What comparisons are expected for irrigation monitoring evaluation?

The opportunity describes comparing OpenET-derived ET estimates to (1) ET calculated from soil water balance methods and (2) modeled irrigation demand, to test whether OpenET can help estimate crop water use and likely irrigation requirements.

23) How is this work intended to support drought monitoring?

The opportunity targets drought monitoring improvements by integrating OpenET into higher-resolution drought indicators, especially the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI), to sharpen drought characterization including onset and intensification.

24) Which drought index is explicitly mentioned?

The Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) is explicitly mentioned.

25) What does the opportunity mean by coupling OpenET with effective precipitation metrics?

The scope notes coupling OpenET with effective precipitation metrics, intended to reflect the portion of rainfall actually available for plant and soil water use rather than total rainfall alone, to produce more meaningful, location-specific drought signals for the Southeast.

26) What kinds of applied science tools are expected as outcomes?

Examples listed include high-resolution irrigation maps and improved flash drought detection methods that leverage OpenET, signaling deliverables aimed at operational planning and rapid response.

27) How will this work be integrated into regional drought efforts?

The solicitation emphasizes expanding data-sharing and stakeholder engagement by incorporating OpenET into state drought monitoring efforts and into the Southeast Drought Early Warning System (SE DEWS).

28) What collaboration or capacity-building components are described?

The project seeks to build regional capacity to use ET information consistently, encourage collaboration, align methods, improve dataset access, and create shared routines for bringing ET insights into drought and water resource management frameworks.

29) Are complementary datasets mentioned as part of the collaboration goals?

Yes. The scope mentions collaboration around complementary datasets such as irrigation and crop data.

30) What decision-making areas is this work intended to inform?

The work is intended to support hydrologic and agricultural decision-making, including understanding irrigation demand, drought conditions, and water availability for more resilient water management.