Cooperative Agreement for Affiliated Partner with the Hawaii- Pacific Islands Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU)

The U.S. Geological Survey is offering a cooperative agreement through the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit Program for a partner affiliated with the Hawaii-Pacific Islands Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit. The opportunity supports research on brown treesnakes in the Pacific Islands, particularly work connected with Guam. Brown treesnakes have caused severe declines, extirpations, or extinctions of native terrestrial vertebrate species on Guam and also affect electrical infrastructure, biosecurity, military preparedness, and management costs. The USGS Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center conducts research on brown treesnake biology and control and manages the Brown Treesnake Rapid Response Team. USGS seeks to leverage a partner's capabilities in snake capture, removal, detection, and technical familiarity with Guam to support its broader long-term research program. The project's objectives include maintaining a deployable Rapid Response Team operating from Guam, training cooperators as team members, and evaluating improvements to biosecurity protocols. The work is also intended to enhance military readiness by meeting regulatory requirements and evaluating, developing, and testing control approaches and tools. Additional objectives include evaluating novel snake-removal tools, including genetic or biological control agents; conducting adaptive management of brown treesnakes to support native species recovery; and evaluating and mitigating effects of brown treesnakes on Guam's population, including relationships between snake activity and electrical infrastructure stability. The research is expected to support critical infrastructure protection, biosecurity, evidence-based management, and development of improved control tools. USGS anticipates making one cooperative agreement award with one base year and four additional budget years. Total estimated funding for the five-year project is 2536979 dollars, of which an estimated 376229 dollars is available for Budget Year 1. Funding for Budget Years 2 through 5 is dependent on satisfactory progress and availability of funds, and applicants are instructed to prepare the proposal for the full five-year project period. The notice does not state a required cost share or matching contribution. The CESU negotiated indirect cost rate is 17.5 percent. USGS will not support costs incurred before the start date established on the award. Budget documentation must provide a detailed breakdown corresponding to the SF-424A and address all project budget years. Eligibility is restricted to participating partners of the Hawaii-Pacific Islands Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit Program. Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov using Funding Opportunity Number G26AS00136. The application requires a technical narrative with a cover page identifying the anticipated recipient, project title, proposed start date, Principal Investigator and administrative contact information, Co-Principal Investigators, USGS collaborators, other cooperators and partners, available laboratories and facilities, and relevant staff experience. Proposal sections address the problem, objectives, geographic scope, methods, planned products and dissemination, schedule and milestones, references, policy-sensitive matters when applicable, and animal use or human subjects when applicable. Applicants must also provide detailed budget documents, a Data Management Plan, required biographical sketches and current and pending support information for applicable senior or key personnel, and a Project Abstract Summary. Applications undergo an initial review for applicant eligibility, completeness, mandatory requirements, responsiveness to program objectives, and compliance with applicable executive and secretary orders. Responsive proposals are reviewed and scored by USGS technical personnel, with evaluations provided to the Contracting Officer for final award determination. Purpose, Objectives, and Relevance accounts for 30 points; Technical Approach accounts for 20 points; Budget Justification and Clarity accounts for 20 points; and Qualifications, Experience, and Past Performance accounts for 30 points. Evaluation emphasizes experience with brown treesnake detection, capture, removal, radio tracking, genetics or human-dimensions research where relevant; realistic and measurable objectives; achievable schedules; sound data management; appropriate staffing and budgets; relevant scientific publications and completed projects; and demonstrated capacity to perform the proposed work. Recipients will manage day-to-day award and subaward activities in compliance with applicable federal requirements. Annual progress reports generally must be submitted through GrantSolutions within 90 calendar days after each agreement year, while the final technical report is due 120 calendar days after the period of performance ends. Annual SF-425 financial reports are generally due within 90 days following each annual period, and the final SF-425 is due no later than 120 calendar days after completion. Research products are subject to USGS publication, acknowledgment, data availability, data management, and applicable geospatial requirements. Payments are made through the Department of the Treasury Automated Standard Application for Payments system. Questions concerning the grant process are directed to Grant Specialist Katie Calder at katherine_calder@ios.doi.gov. The Grant Management Office contact is Nikolas Lushenko at nikolas_lushenko@ios.doi.gov. Technical questions concerning the program's content, goals, and objectives may be directed to Research Ecologist Melia Nafus at mnafus@usgs.gov or 808-210-4918. The supplied announcement does not state an application opening date, application deadline, pre-application deadline, award notification date, or recurring application schedule. Accordingly, those dates cannot be reliably determined from the provided source material.

Directly address every scored criterion and demonstrate relevant brown treesnake expertise and technical capacity. Define measurable realistic objectives and connect milestones to an achievable five-year schedule. Demonstrate effective detection capture removal monitoring or public-engagement approaches as applicable. Address data management and Gold Standard Science requirements. Clearly justify staffing level budget items and costs. Document relevant publications completed projects past performance and experience in Guam or similar ecosystems.