Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Southern Appalachian Mountains CESU | G18AS00060

Opportunity Information: Apply for G18AS00060

The Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU), Southern Appalachian Mountains CESU funding opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number G18AS00060) was offered by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) within the Department of the Interior, specifically through the Wetland and Aquatic Research Center (WARC). It was issued as a discretionary science and technology research and development award using a cooperative agreement, meaning the project was expected to involve substantial collaboration between USGS and the selected recipient during the course of the work rather than functioning as a simple pass-through grant.

The core purpose of the opportunity was to support applied research on amphibian phenology, focusing on how the timing of key life history events in amphibians, especially salamanders, shifts in response to environmental conditions. In practical terms, the funded project was intended to produce tools and knowledge that wildlife and natural resource managers can use to better manage amphibian populations as climate patterns change. The emphasis on phenology points to questions such as when salamanders breed, migrate, hatch, metamorphose, or otherwise move through critical stages of their life cycle, and how those timelines may advance, delay, or become more variable under future climate scenarios.

A central deliverable implied by the announcement was the development of models capable of simulating and predicting how future climate conditions could affect salamander phenology. This suggests the work would likely integrate biological observations with climate or weather variables (such as temperature and precipitation patterns), possibly using statistical, mechanistic, or hybrid modeling approaches to forecast changes. The broader management application is that shifts in timing can affect survival, reproduction, habitat needs, exposure to drought or flooding, and interactions with predators, disease, or competitors, all of which can influence population persistence and conservation strategies.

Eligibility was limited to partners in the CESU network, with the announcement indicating "Others" while clarifying that applicants must be CESU partners (as described in the additional eligibility guidance associated with the posting). The opportunity anticipated making a single award, with an award ceiling of $177,954. The funding opportunity was created on June 6, 2018, and the original closing date was June 20, 2018, reflecting a short application window typical of targeted, partnership-based research solicitations.

Administratively, the opportunity fell under CFDA number 15.808. Overall, the grant was positioned as a focused research investment to produce actionable, climate-informed phenology modeling for salamanders, supporting science-based decision-making for amphibian management within the context of changing environmental conditions.

• 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, Southern Appalachian Mountains 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 Jun 06, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 20, 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 $177,954.00 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 G18AS00060

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