Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Colorado Plateau CESU | G20AS00116

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Colorado Plateau CESU funding opportunity (G20AS00116)?

This is a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) discretionary research funding opportunity offered through the Department of the Interior. It supports applied science work through the Colorado Plateau Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) network, and it is focused on reclamation science in arid (dryland) environments.

Which federal agency is offering this opportunity?

The opportunity is offered by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), within the Department of the Interior.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number?

The Funding Opportunity Number (FON) is G20AS00116.

What type of award is this?

The award is structured as a cooperative agreement. In practical terms, this typically indicates the USGS expects substantial involvement during the project period, such as collaboration on technical direction, coordination, and aspects of project execution, rather than a hands-off grant arrangement.

What does “substantial involvement” mean for a cooperative agreement in this context?

Based on the opportunity description, USGS involvement may include collaborating on technical direction, helping coordinate work, and participating in project execution during the project period. The intent is that the funded work is conducted in close coordination with USGS rather than being fully independent.

What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The opportunity is associated with CFDA 15.808.

When was this opportunity created?

The opportunity was created on June 30, 2020.

What was the original application closing date?

The original application closing date was July 22, 2020.

How many awards does the program expect to make?

The program anticipates making one award.

What is the maximum funding amount (award ceiling)?

The maximum funding level (award ceiling) is $100,000.

What is the main purpose of this funding?

The central purpose is to support a partner within the Colorado Plateau CESU network in building and strengthening a focused program around reclamation science in arid environments. The work is intended to help address high-priority challenges that land managers face when reclaiming lands disturbed by oil and gas development and other surface-disturbing activities common in dryland systems.

What kinds of disturbed lands are most relevant to this opportunity?

The opportunity specifically highlights lands disturbed by oil and gas development and other surface-disturbing activities across dryland systems. The focus is on improving reclamation outcomes in arid landscapes where recovery can be slow and difficult.

Why is reclamation in arid environments difficult?

The opportunity notes several reasons: harsh climate conditions, limited water availability, slow soil development, and complex interactions among plants, soils, and disturbance legacies. These conditions can make it challenging to recover ecological function and meet reclamation objectives.

What is USGS SBSC seeking to achieve through this investment?

The USGS Southwest Biological Science Center (SBSC) is seeking to invest in work that helps move reclamation away from trial-and-error and toward more predictable, evidence-based outcomes that land managers can use.

What are the main goals of the funded project?

The funded effort is framed around three connected goals: (1) improve understanding of biotic and abiotic constraints on successful reclamation; (2) improve post-reclamation monitoring programs; and (3) identify management practices that promote reclamation success.

What does the first goal (understanding constraints) include?

The first goal focuses on identifying the key limiting factors that determine whether reclaimed sites can re-establish stable vegetation communities and regain ecosystem functions over time, and how those constraints vary across site types and disturbance contexts in arid regions.

What are examples of biotic (biological) constraints mentioned in the opportunity?

Examples include native plant establishment challenges, invasive species pressures, seed and propagule limitations, herbivory, and microbial community dynamics.

What are examples of abiotic (non-biological) constraints mentioned in the opportunity?

Examples include soil properties, compaction, salinity, erosion risk, hydrologic changes, and the timing and intensity of precipitation and temperature extremes.

What does the opportunity say about “disturbance legacies”?

It notes that complex interactions among plants, soils, and disturbance legacies can affect recovery and make reclamation outcomes difficult to achieve in arid regions. The project is intended to help clarify how these lingering effects influence reclamation success over time.

What is the second goal (improving monitoring) trying to fix?

The opportunity describes monitoring as a common weak link between implementation and learning. If post-treatment data are inconsistent, too short-term, or not tied to clear performance indicators, managers cannot reliably determine what worked, what failed, or why. This goal supports more informative and comparable monitoring that can guide adaptive management.

What kinds of monitoring improvements are emphasized?

The opportunity points to monitoring approaches with clearer metrics of success, stronger sampling designs, improved time horizons for tracking recovery, and methods that capture both vegetation outcomes and underlying drivers.

What underlying drivers or indicators are specifically mentioned for monitoring in drylands?

Examples mentioned include soil stability, infiltration, nutrient cycling, invasive risk, and other indicators relevant to drylands, in addition to vegetation outcomes.

How is the monitoring goal intended to balance practicality and scientific rigor?

The stated objective is to make monitoring practical for management needs while still being scientifically rigorous enough to support learning, adaptive management, and better targeting of future reclamation investments.

What is the third goal (identifying management practices) focused on?

The third goal is to identify management practices that promote reclamation success, with an emphasis on approaches that land managers can apply directly to improve outcomes and reduce repeated disturbance or costly rework.

What kinds of management practices are mentioned as relevant?

The opportunity lists examples such as soil handling and storage, recontouring and erosion control, seeding strategies and species selection, timing of treatments, weed management, protective measures during establishment, and approaches that reduce stress during early recovery.

How are the three goals meant to work together?

The opportunity describes the goals as connected: identify the key constraints on reclamation success, improve monitoring so outcomes and drivers can be reliably measured, and then connect those insights to practical management practices that increase the likelihood of success.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is limited to CESU partners. The formal eligibility category is listed as "Others" and clarified under an additional eligibility section, indicating the competition is intended for organizations that are already part of the CESU partnership network associated with the Colorado Plateau CESU.

What kinds of organizations are typically part of the Colorado Plateau CESU partnership network?

The opportunity notes that CESU partners commonly include universities, tribal entities, nongovernmental organizations, and other qualified research partners that collaborate with federal agencies on applied science needs.

Is this opportunity intended for organizations outside the CESU network?

No. Based on the opportunity description, the competition is intended for organizations that are already CESU partners within the Colorado Plateau CESU network.

What does “reclamation” mean in the context of this opportunity?

In this context, reclamation refers to efforts to recover ecological function and meet reclamation objectives on lands disturbed by oil and gas development and other surface-disturbing activities, particularly in arid environments where recovery is challenging.

What is the geographic or ecological focus implied by the opportunity?

The opportunity is tied to the Colorado Plateau CESU and is explicitly focused on arid environments and dryland systems, emphasizing reclamation challenges typical of these landscapes.

What is the overall outcome the program wants to support?

Overall, the opportunity is a targeted investment by USGS SBSC in actionable dryland reclamation science that improves both understanding and implementation, aiming for more predictable, evidence-based reclamation outcomes under ongoing land disturbance pressures.