Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner with Rocky Mountain Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit | G24AS00404

Opportunity Information: Apply for G24AS00404

This opportunity is a discretionary federal funding announcement from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to support a research-focused cooperative agreement through the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) network, specifically the Rocky Mountain CESU. The work centers on advancing the science and practical application of invasive plant modeling, with a clear emphasis on improving how habitat suitability and abundance suitability are predicted, mapped, and analyzed for both long-established invasive plants and newly emerging invasive species. The funding is intended to help bridge the gap between research outputs and real-world management needs by producing tools, methods, and deliverables that practitioners can use to make better invasive species decisions under current conditions as well as future scenarios.

The core technical scope is about strengthening modeling approaches used to estimate where invasive plants can thrive and where they may become abundant. This includes research to improve methods for habitat suitability modeling and abundance-oriented suitability modeling, and to ensure those models remain useful when applied across different geographies, time periods, or environmental contexts (often referred to as model transferability). A major element is the development or enhancement of modeling software, suggesting USGS is looking for more than a one-off analysis; the project is expected to generate reusable capabilities that can be applied to multiple invasive species problems. Another major priority is analyzing spatial patterns of model uncertainty, which points to the need for transparent, map-based representations of confidence, error, or risk so managers can understand not just what the model predicts, but how reliable those predictions are in different places.

A key practical goal is optimizing how results are developed and delivered to end users responsible for invasive plant management. That implies an applied orientation: the project is expected to produce outputs that are accessible and actionable for land managers and decision-makers, potentially including improved workflows, clearer map products, decision-support elements, documentation, and ways to communicate uncertainty and scenario-based projections. Because the announcement explicitly includes both current and future scenarios, the project likely involves integrating climate, land use, disturbance, or other environmental change factors into predictions, with attention to how invasive plant risks may shift over time.

Administratively, the award mechanism is a cooperative agreement, which generally indicates substantial involvement or collaboration with the federal agency during the project period compared with a standard grant. The activity category is listed as Science and Technology and other Research and Development, and the CFDA (assistance listing) number is 15.808. The eligible applicant pool is limited: applicants must already be participating partners in the Rocky Mountain CESU Program. CESUs are partnership-based entities designed to provide research, technical assistance, and education, and this opportunity is being issued under that framework, meaning it is not open to the general public or all institutions unless they are formal CESU partners in the relevant unit.

Key listing details include the funding opportunity number G24AS00404 and an original closing date of July 18, 2024. The stated award ceiling is $490,000. The announcement was created on June 18, 2024. While the source data does not specify an exact number of anticipated awards in the provided fields, the overall structure suggests a targeted, partner-specific cooperative effort meant to advance invasive plant predictive modeling methods and translate those improvements into usable tools and outputs for invasive species management programs.

• 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 Rocky Mountain Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit" 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 2024-06-18.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-07-18. (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 $490,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for G24AS00404

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