Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Lakes Northern Forests (CESU) | G18AS00017

Opportunity Information: Apply for G18AS00017

The Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Lakes Northern Forests (CESU) grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number G18AS00017) was a discretionary funding announcement issued by the U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), specifically through the USGS Great Lakes Science Center. The award was offered as a cooperative agreement, meaning the project was expected to involve substantial involvement and collaboration with USGS rather than functioning as a simple pass-through grant. The programmatic focus fell under Science and Technology and other Research and Development, reflecting a research-driven effort aimed at producing actionable scientific information.

The funded project was titled "Stressors of Global Coregonine Populations" and targeted research on coregonines, a group of fishes that includes several whitefish and cisco forms that are ecologically and economically important in many northern freshwater systems. The central purpose of the work was to improve understanding of the major stressors that limit coregonine fisheries recruitment (the successful addition of young fish into the population), overall production, and the effectiveness of restoration efforts. In practical terms, the research was intended to clarify why some coregonine populations fail to rebound or sustain themselves, which limiting factors are most influential across different regions, and what management or mitigation approaches can reduce those constraints.

A key emphasis of the opportunity was producing information that would directly support restoration planning and decision-making. The announcement highlighted that insights from the research would be critical for developing restoration goals and objectives for coregonine fishes across their global range. That framing suggests the work was expected to look beyond a single lake or watershed and instead contribute to a broader synthesis of stressors and mitigation strategies that can inform restoration programs in multiple jurisdictions. While the notice does not list individual stressors, the intent was clearly to identify and evaluate the factors that impede recruitment and recovery and to assess methods used to mitigate those factors, which could include management interventions, habitat actions, or other conservation measures depending on the stressors identified by the research.

Eligibility was limited to partners within the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit network, specifically the Great Lakes Northern Forests CESU. The listing categorized eligible applicants as "Others," with clarification referenced in an additional eligibility section, but the core takeaway is that this competition was not broadly open to all applicants and was designed to be carried out by an established CESU partner capable of collaborating with USGS on the research.

In terms of funding scale and timing, the opportunity had an award ceiling of $94,780 and anticipated making one award. The opportunity was created on December 13, 2017, with an original closing date of January 5, 2018, indicating a relatively short application window. The funding was tied to CFDA number 15.808, which corresponds to USGS research and related assistance. Overall, this was a targeted, single-award research opportunity meant to generate science that strengthens understanding of coregonine population limitations and supports more effective restoration planning and measurable objectives across the species group's broader distribution.

• The Department of the Interior, U. S. Geological Survey in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Lakes Northern Forests (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 Dec 13, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 05, 2018. (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 $94,780.00 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 G18AS00017

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