Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner with Piedmont-South Atlantic Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit | G23AS00086

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the official title of this funding opportunity?

The opportunity title is "Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner with Piedmont-South Atlantic Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit."

What is the Funding Opportunity Number?

The Funding Opportunity Number is G23AS00086.

Which federal agency is offering this award?

The issuing agency is the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), through its Wetland and Aquatic Research Center.

What type of funding instrument is being used?

This opportunity is offered as a cooperative agreement (a form of discretionary financial assistance), not a standard grant.

What does it mean that this is a cooperative agreement rather than a standard grant?

Based on the notice, USGS expects substantial involvement in the project. That can include collaboration on study design, data integration, model development, interpretation of results, and translating model outputs into guidance that managers can use.

What is the core purpose of the project?

The project supports applied research on how climate change could affect watershed hydrology and water-control operations at major reservoirs managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), with an emphasis on producing results that water-resource managers can use for planning and operations.

What kinds of research activities are emphasized?

The opportunity is centered on modeling. It involves developing or applying tools to represent how changing climate patterns (and related land-use change) may alter rainfall-runoff processes, streamflow timing and magnitude, reservoir inflows and releases, and downstream consequences of reservoir operations.

Is the modeling intended to be purely academic?

No. The modeling is intended to produce management-relevant science that supports operational and planning decisions about adapting reservoir management under future conditions.

Which reservoir systems are the focus?

The notice describes the focus as major reservoirs managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).

What hydrologic changes is the modeling expected to consider?

The opportunity describes changes such as altered runoff generation, soil moisture, groundwater contributions, seasonal flow regimes, and shifts in streamflow timing and magnitude.

Does the opportunity include land-use change as part of the analysis?

Yes. The notice specifies that changing climate patterns and related land-use change may be represented in the modeling and evaluated for effects on hydrologic processes and reservoir operations.

What operational aspects of reservoirs are expected to be addressed?

The notice highlights water-control operations, including reservoir inflows and releases, and how different operational rules or release patterns might perform under a range of plausible future climates.

Are tradeoffs among reservoir objectives part of the expected work?

Yes. The notice notes that USACE reservoirs often have multiple objectives (flood control, water supply, navigation, hydropower, environmental flows), and the project emphasis suggests attention to tradeoffs and decision support under future conditions.

What downstream resources or ecosystems are included in the project framing?

The research is framed around connected systems from upland watersheds to downstream aquatic habitats and forested floodplain ecosystems, including wetlands and floodplains.

What kinds of downstream outcomes are expected to be evaluated?

The notice mentions downstream ecological outcomes tied to flow pulses, inundation patterns, and water-quality conditions that support aquatic communities, wetlands, and floodplain ecosystems.

How does the opportunity describe the overall approach or system connectivity?

The expected work links terrestrial hydrologic responses in watersheds with reservoir regulation strategies and the downstream ecological consequences of those management decisions.

What program is this opportunity issued under?

The award is issued under the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program, specifically tied to the Piedmont-South Atlantic Coast CESU.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is restricted to organizations that are official participating partners within the Piedmont-South Atlantic Coast CESU network.

The listing shows the eligible applicant type as "Others." Does that mean anyone can apply?

No. While the eligible applicant type is listed as "Others," the narrative requirement clarifies that eligibility is limited to partners of the specified CESU (Piedmont-South Atlantic Coast CESU).

What is the Assistance Listing (CFDA) number?

The CFDA (assistance listing) number is 15.808.

What is the activity category for this opportunity?

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

What is the maximum (ceiling) award amount stated in the notice?

The posted award ceiling is $114,588.

When was the opportunity created and when did it close?

The notice states the opportunity was created on 2022-11-29 and originally closed on 2022-12-30.

What makes this opportunity "management-relevant"?

The notice emphasizes that outputs should be usable by water-resource managers for operational and planning decisions, including evaluating operational alternatives under plausible future climates while considering downstream ecosystem needs.

What is the opportunity trying to help water managers do under future climate conditions?

The stated intent is to help managers anticipate climate-driven hydrologic shifts, evaluate reservoir operational alternatives, and better protect or sustain downstream aquatic and floodplain ecosystems while continuing to meet human water-management objectives.