Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Lakes Northern Forests CESU | G19AS00025

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the CESU Great Lakes Northern Forests funding opportunity (G19AS00025)?

This is a discretionary federal grant offered by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) within the Department of the Interior. It is issued through the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Great Lakes Northern Forests network and is identified by Funding Opportunity Number G19AS00025.

What type of award is this?

The opportunity is structured as a cooperative agreement. That means the selected recipient should expect substantial involvement and collaboration with USGS staff during the period of performance, rather than operating fully independently.

Which USGS program is leading the project?

The project is led by the USGS National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC).

What is the main purpose of this grant?

The focus is to understand how climate change may affect wildlife health, with an emphasis on applied, decision-relevant work that can support wildlife management and conservation.

What are the required deliverables under this opportunity?

The opportunity is designed to support two closely connected deliverables: (1) a synthesis of recently published scientific literature on climate change and wildlife health, and (2) the planning and delivery of a workshop on the same topic, scheduled for spring 2019.

What is the literature synthesis expected to do?

The synthesis is intended to pull together current findings into a coherent, usable summary that can inform researchers and managers, rather than leaving key information scattered across many separate studies.

What is the workshop expected to cover?

The workshop is planned around climate change and wildlife health, aligning with the literature synthesis. It is intended to help translate a rapidly developing body of science into insights that can be used in real-world management and policy contexts.

When is the workshop scheduled?

The workshop is scheduled for spring 2019.

Who is the intended audience for the workshop?

The workshop is intended for a mixed audience of federal, state, and tribal wildlife researchers and managers, along with scientists from CESU partner institutions.

Why does the opportunity emphasize both a synthesis and a convening (workshop) approach?

The grant supports a synthesis-and-convening approach: compiling the best available recent evidence on climate-driven wildlife health risks and then creating a structured forum where agencies and partners can share perspectives, identify key knowledge gaps, and discuss practical next steps.

What kinds of climate change impacts are highlighted in the opportunity?

The opportunity frames climate change in terms of concrete physical and environmental shifts that can influence ecosystems and animal health. Examples include drought; melting Arctic sea ice and permafrost; sea level rise; ocean warming and acidification; and an increase in the intensity of major weather events such as hurricanes, intense localized rainfall, and flooding.

How can these climate-related changes affect wildlife health?

The opportunity notes that wildlife can be affected directly (for example, through heat stress, altered habitat conditions, or disrupted food availability) and indirectly (for example, by changing disease dynamics, host-pathogen interactions, and the distribution of vectors like ticks and mosquitoes).

What category and program listing does this opportunity fall under?

The activity falls under the Science and Technology and other Research and Development category and is identified as CFDA 15.808.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is limited to CESU partners under the Great Lakes Northern Forests CESU network. The notice lists eligibility broadly as "Others," with clarification provided in the full eligibility text.

How many awards does USGS expect to make?

The expected number of awards is one, indicating this is a targeted, single-recipient effort rather than a program making multiple awards.

What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?

The award ceiling is $65,650.

Is this a large multi-award grant program?

No. Based on the expected number of awards (one) and the award ceiling ($65,650), the opportunity is positioned as a focused cooperative project rather than a broad program distributing multiple awards.

When was the funding notice created?

The notice was created on December 17, 2018.

What was the application deadline (original closing date)?

The original closing date was January 11, 2019, reflecting a relatively short application window typical of focused cooperative projects.

What does "decision-relevant" mean in the context of this opportunity?

In this notice, "decision-relevant" refers to work that supports real-world wildlife management and conservation decisions, helping translate research findings into practical insights for surveillance, planning, and management actions.

What does substantial USGS involvement typically imply for the recipient?

Because the award is a cooperative agreement, the recipient should anticipate ongoing collaboration with USGS staff during the period of performance, rather than carrying out the work in isolation.