Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Rivers CESU | G19AS00081

Opportunity Information: Apply for G19AS00081

The Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Rivers CESU funding opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number G19AS00081) is a discretionary Department of the Interior award administered by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), specifically through the USGS Columbia Environmental Research Center. It is offered as a cooperative agreement, meaning the selected recipient would typically carry out the work in close coordination with USGS staff, often with substantial federal involvement in planning, implementation, data interpretation, or reporting. The overall intent is to support applied science and research that can directly inform management decisions, with a focus here on freshwater mussel conservation in the Buffalo River.

The project topic is centered on informing a conservation strategy for freshwater mussels in the Buffalo River by evaluating mussel population trends and examining whether elevated nitrogen levels may be affecting mussel recruitment (the survival and successful establishment of juveniles into the population). Freshwater mussels are often used as indicators of river health because they are long-lived, sensitive to pollution and habitat changes, and play a major ecological role in filtering water and stabilizing sediments. In many river systems, recruitment failures can occur even when adult mussels are still present, so the project is designed to connect environmental conditions, particularly water quality and nutrients, to population sustainability.

The opportunity lays out four main objectives. First, the awardee would review and evaluate existing water quality monitoring data for the Buffalo River. This is meant to compile and analyze what is already known, identify patterns and trends (including nitrogen conditions), and determine where information gaps remain. Second, the work would include laboratory toxicity testing using water and sediment collected from the Buffalo River, with tests conducted on native mussel species. This component is intended to determine whether contaminants or nutrient-related stressors in the water or sediments are causing harmful effects under controlled conditions, which can help isolate cause-and-effect relationships that are harder to confirm in the field. Third, the project includes caged mussel studies within the Buffalo River, a field-based approach where mussels are placed in cages at selected sites to measure survival, growth, or other health indicators under real-world conditions across different parts of the river. Fourth, the team would conduct mussel surveys and comparisons in the Buffalo River, which typically involve assessing species presence, relative abundance, size structure, and spatial distribution to evaluate population trends and detect signs of recruitment success or failure.

A key theme of the announcement is that the results are intended to be transferable beyond the Buffalo River. While the immediate application is to support conservation and management decisions for this river, USGS notes that findings can be applied more broadly across National Park Service units and other Department of the Interior-managed waters. In practice, that means the study is expected to produce information and methods that can guide freshwater mussel conservation planning in other systems facing similar nutrient pressures or water quality concerns.

In terms of basic award details, the program is listed under CFDA 15.808 and categorized under Science and Technology and other Research and Development. The maximum federal funding amount (award ceiling) is $106,441, and USGS anticipated making one award. The opportunity was posted on July 8, 2019, with an original closing date of July 22, 2019. Eligibility is limited to partners within the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit network (with the notice indicating "Others" and directing applicants to additional eligibility details), which generally includes specific universities, nonprofits, and research organizations formally affiliated with the CESU program and capable of conducting the proposed research in collaboration with federal scientists.

• 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 Rivers 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 Jul 08, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 22, 2019. (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 $106,441.00 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 G19AS00081

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