Cooperative Agreement for Affiliated Partner with the Alaska Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU)

The U.S. Geological Survey, through the National and Regional Climate Adaptation Science Center program, is offering a competitive research cooperative agreement to an eligible partner of the Alaska Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit. The opportunity is titled Cooperative Agreement for Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU)-affiliated Partner with Alaska CESU and uses Funding Opportunity Number G26AS00156. The NRCASC program supports rigorous science and transparent communication that advances Department of the Interior and Administration priorities, including natural resource stewardship, wildfire science, hazard preparedness, infrastructure resilience, water security, resource development, and other areas of actionable science. This specific project focuses on Alaska boreal forests and the interaction between spruce beetle disturbance, invasive European bird cherry, native forest regeneration, and environmental conditions. The research is intended to determine how European bird cherry invasion changes soil microbial communities, metabolomic profiles, and chemical properties compared with soils associated with native boreal tree species. The project will evaluate whether those changes persist after invasive plant removal and create soil legacy effects that constrain recruitment and growth of native vegetation. It will also assess whether such effects reduce the establishment and vigor of important boreal species such as white spruce and paper birch. A further objective is to examine how spruce beetle outbreaks interact with bird cherry invasion to change forest regeneration trajectories, potentially facilitating invasive dominance or inhibiting spruce recovery. Results are expected to inform management decisions by partners including the U.S. Forest Service and the Alaska Division of Forestry and Fire Protection. The award instrument is a cooperative agreement. USGS anticipates making one award for a two-year budget period, with total estimated project funding of $453,203. Funds are expected to be fully obligated at the time of award, and the applicant should prepare its proposal for the entire two-year project period. The budget must provide detailed costs corresponding to the SF-424A and must break out all project budget years. Required budget categories include personnel, fringe benefits, supplies, equipment, contractual costs, travel, other direct costs, total direct charges, indirect charges, and the total budget. Equipment must be itemized and justified, with a dealer or manufacturer quote if available. Travel must be explained and itemized. The announcement states that the CESU negotiated indirect cost rate is 17.5 percent. USGS will not support costs incurred before the start date established on the award. The announcement does not state a required cost share or matching contribution. Eligibility is limited to participating partners of the Alaska Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit Program. Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov using Funding Opportunity Number G26AS00156. The cover page must identify the anticipated recipient, project title, proposed start date, Principal Investigator and contact information, authorized administrative representative, Co-PIs and their affiliations and funding status, expected USGS collaborators, other cooperators and partners, available laboratories, equipment, study areas and facilities, and relevant experience of project staff. The technical proposal must address the research problem, objectives and geographic scope, relevance to USGS goals, procedures and methods, planned products and dissemination, project schedule and milestones, references, and applicable legal, policy-sensitive, animal-use, or human-subject considerations. Additional application materials include a detailed budget narrative and SF-424A, supporting fringe benefit and indirect cost documentation, a Data Management Plan, required biographical sketches, current and pending other support disclosures, and a Project Abstract Summary. The Project Abstract Summary should identify the project title, plain-language award purpose, activities, deliverables and expected outcomes, intended beneficiaries, and known subrecipient activities. It is limited to one page or approximately 4,000 characters, with 12-point Times New Roman recommended. Data management documentation must address the production, management, sharing, reuse, archiving, and preservation of project data and other research products as applicable. Geospatial data produced with award funds is also subject to federal geospatial requirements, including use of existing data where available, applicable standards for newly produced data, open formats, metadata, and submission of GIS data to the relevant bureau or office. Applications will be reviewed for completeness, basic eligibility, applicable category requirements, and budget reasonableness. Technical proposals are evaluated and scored by USGS and/or other federal technical personnel, with evaluations and recommendations submitted to the Contracting Officer for final award determination. Research Topic is worth 30 points and considers alignment with the stated research objectives and DOI priorities. Experience of Recipient is worth 25 points, Work Plan is worth 25 points, and Budget Justification and Clarity is worth 20 points. Recipients must subsequently comply with annual progress and financial reporting requirements and submit final technical and financial reports within 120 calendar days after the applicable performance or agreement completion date. The provided announcement does not state an application opening date, application closing date, pre-application deadline, award notification date, or recurring application cycle. Questions about the application may be directed to Grant Specialist Katie Calder at katherine_calder@ios.doi.gov. Technical questions concerning project content, goals, and objectives may be directed to Jackson Valler, Research Coordinator for the National Climate Adaptation Science Center, at jvaller@usgs.gov. Grants.gov technical assistance is available at support@grants.gov or 1-800-518-4726 in the United States and 1-606-545-5035 internationally.

Directly address all four research objectives; explicitly connect proposed products and outputs to DOI priorities identified in the announcement; demonstrate applicable team experience; present clear methods that fit the two-year time frame, budget, and staffing; ensure budget line items are reasonable, necessary, and fully documented because missing budget details can delay award.