Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Gulf Coast CESU | G17AS00088

Opportunity Information: Apply for G17AS00088

This grant opportunity, titled "Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Gulf Coast CESU" (Funding Opportunity Number G17AS00088), was issued by the U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), specifically through the USGS Alaska Science Center. It is a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement, which generally means the agency expects to be substantially involved in the project during performance (for example, coordinating on study design, data standards, reporting, or field logistics). The program area falls under Science and Technology and other Research and Development, and it is associated with CFDA 15.808.

The project is aimed at supporting research to conduct a fish survey in the nearshore Beaufort Sea, an Arctic coastal environment where changing ocean conditions are altering ecosystems. The central scientific motivation is that long-term shifts in physical habitat characteristics, particularly temperature and salinity, have contributed to species range shifts and are likely reshaping the composition of nearshore fish communities compared with past decades. By collecting updated, field-based information on which fish species are present, how communities are structured, and how fish are using nearshore habitats, the study is intended to provide current, defensible baseline data that can be used by analysts conducting National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) reviews. In practice, that means the results should help inform environmental assessments and impact analyses related to development and production activities in federal waters by improving understanding of present-day ecosystem conditions, potential sensitivities, and ecological risks.

A defining feature of this opportunity is that it pairs the core fish survey research with an education and outreach component: support for a K-12 Oceanography Program. The solicitation describes this education program as an integral part of the project, both as a component of data collection and as a pathway for community outreach. This signals that the USGS is looking for a project that does more than produce scientific outputs; it should also build local engagement, strengthen ocean science learning opportunities for K-12 students, and connect community members to the research process and findings. The K-12 component is positioned not as a side activity but as a mechanism to extend the project impact, potentially through student involvement, curriculum alignment, locally relevant oceanography content, or structured outreach tied to the field program.

Eligibility is limited to partners within the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) network, with the opportunity specifically referencing the Gulf Coast CESU. The eligible applicant category is listed as "Others" with additional clarification referenced in the full announcement, which typically indicates that only qualified CESU partner institutions (often universities, research organizations, tribes, or other approved entities within the CESU cooperative framework) can apply under the agreement structure. The opportunity anticipated a single award, with an award ceiling of $317,618, indicating the maximum expected federal funding for the project under this solicitation.

Key administrative details include an announcement creation date of June 21, 2017, and an original closing date of July 7, 2017, reflecting a relatively short application window. Overall, the opportunity is best understood as a targeted, single-award cooperative research project to update nearshore Beaufort Sea fish assemblage information in an Arctic system undergoing rapid environmental change, while simultaneously using a K-12 oceanography program to support data collection activities and strengthen community-facing education and outreach connected to the research.

• The Department of the Interior, Geological Survey in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Gulf Coast 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 21, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 07, 2017. (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 $317,618.00 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 G17AS00088

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