Cooperative Agreement with Partner of Rocky Mountain Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) | G21AS00331

Opportunity Information: Apply for G21AS00331

This funding opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number G21AS00331) is a discretionary U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Powell Center cooperative agreement focused on science and technology research and development (CFDA 15.808). The project theme is "A global synthesis of multi-year drought effects on terrestrial ecosystems," with the goal of producing a coordinated, publishable synthesis that advances understanding of how ecosystems around the world respond when drought is both extreme and sustained across multiple years. The work is designed to be integrative and comparative, drawing on a large, coordinated experimental platform rather than isolated case studies.

The core research effort centers on the International Drought Experiment (IDE) network, which includes more than 100 globally distributed sites where vegetation has been subjected to experimentally imposed extreme multi-year drought. Using this network, the project will compile and analyze data across many ecosystem types to test how sensitive different ecosystems are to severe drought and whether that sensitivity follows consistent patterns across climates, vegetation types, and regions. A major emphasis is on clarifying ecosystem responses specifically to multi-year drought conditions, which can differ from short-term drought impacts because prolonged stress can trigger lagged responses, thresholds, and longer-lasting changes in structure and function.

A key component of the synthesis is separating and comparing mechanisms of drought impact. The opportunity explicitly calls for assessing the relative importance of direct mechanisms, such as reduced water availability affecting plant physiology and productivity, versus indirect mechanisms, such as drought-driven shifts in plant community composition that then alter ecosystem processes. In practice, this means evaluating not only immediate responses (for example, changes in growth, mortality, carbon cycling, or other ecosystem metrics) but also how drought can reshape communities and thereby influence ecosystem behavior during and after the drought period.

Deliverables go beyond analysis alone. The funded team is expected to prepare manuscripts for peer-reviewed publication and to ensure that the underlying data products are curated and made available for public use. Data publication is expected to occur through the Environmental Data Initiative, aligning the project with open-science and reproducibility standards by packaging datasets with appropriate metadata for long-term access and reuse.

The award is issued under the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program, specifically tied to the Rocky Mountains CESU. CESUs are formal partnerships that support research, technical assistance, and education, and this solicitation is restricted in eligibility: applicants must be participating partners in the Rocky Mountains CESU Program. The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, which typically indicates substantial involvement by the federal agency during the project period compared with a standard grant.

Key administrative details include an award ceiling of $150,000, a closing date of March 26, 2021, and a creation date of February 17, 2021. The opportunity is offered by the Geological Survey (USGS) and is categorized under science and technology and other research and development, reflecting its emphasis on synthesis science, cross-site analysis, and publication of both findings and data products.

• The Geological Survey in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cooperative Agreement with Partner of Rocky Mountain Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (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 2021-02-17.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-03-26. (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 $150,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for G21AS00331

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