Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner With South Florida – Caribbean Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program | G21AS00294

Opportunity Information: Apply for G21AS00294

This funding opportunity (G21AS00294) is a US Geological Survey (USGS) cooperative agreement aimed specifically at organizations that are already participating partners in the South Florida - Caribbean Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program. The project is framed around supporting Everglades restoration decision making through applied science and close coordination with restoration managers. In practical terms, it is designed to fund research and manager-focused technical engagement that directly informs how land and water resources in the Everglades region are managed under changing environmental conditions.

The grant is tied to Priority 1a of the Department of the Interior secretarial priority, described as building a conservation stewardship legacy and using science to identify best practices for managing land and water resources while adapting to environmental change. The research topics are not completely locked in at the time of the announcement because they are expected to be finalized after graduate students are recruited for the study period. Even so, the work must stay within the overall priority of producing actionable science for Everglades restoration and must align with needs identified as relevant and important by the USGS project manager in consultation with restoration managers.

Within that broad scope, the opportunity highlights three areas that will receive priority consideration. The first is local precipitation dynamics, including improving tools that help restoration managers interpret and anticipate future rainfall patterns and totals. This is positioned as essential information for selecting and designing restoration alternatives, since precipitation strongly influences hydrology, water deliveries, and ecosystem responses. The second priority area is harmful algal bloom research, aimed at helping managers develop and implement water management practices that reduce the likelihood of bloom-favorable conditions in Lake Okeechobee and connected coastal estuaries. This emphasis reflects ongoing concerns about nutrient-driven blooms and their ecological, public health, and economic impacts. The third priority is organizing short, targeted technical workshops (one- or two-day sessions) that respond to timely, specific needs of Everglades restoration managers and scientists. The announcement gives an example of a prior workshop that produced an invasive species rapid screening tool that managers could use immediately to determine appropriate responses when new non-native animals are detected, illustrating the kind of practical, manager-requested products this program wants to support.

The objectives of the cooperative agreement combine research production with structured coordination. Funded recipients are expected to (1) conduct scientific studies led by scientists and/or students on one or more Everglades land and water management priorities consistent with the overall secretarial priority and manager needs, (2) coordinate three technical meetings per year, and (3) actively collaborate with USGS, the South Florida Water Management District, and other regional scientists and decision makers engaged in science supporting Everglades restoration. A key theme throughout the announcement is co-production and timely delivery of results: CESU and USGS scientists are expected to work collaboratively, maintain interaction with restoration managers to clarify priority needs, and communicate findings in a way that is effective and useful for near-term decisions, not just long-term publication goals.

Administratively, this is a discretionary award using a cooperative agreement instrument, meaning USGS anticipates substantial involvement and collaboration during the project rather than a more hands-off grant relationship. The activity category is Science and Technology and other Research and Development, and the CFDA listing is 15.808. The posted award ceiling is $450,000, the issuing agency is the Geological Survey, the opportunity was created on 2021-02-02, and the original closing date was 2021-02-19. Eligibility is limited to CESU partners within the South Florida - Caribbean CESU network, reinforcing that this opportunity is intended to leverage an established partnership structure that combines research capacity, technical assistance, and education in support of ecosystem management.

• 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 South Florida – Caribbean Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program" 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 2021-02-02.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-02-19. (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 $450,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for G21AS00294

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