Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Colorado Plateau CESU | G19AS00080

Opportunity Information: Apply for G19AS00080

The Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Colorado Plateau CESU funding opportunity (Notice No. G19AS00080) was a discretionary research award offered by the Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), specifically through the USGS Southwest Biological Science Center (SBSC). Structured as a cooperative agreement under the Science and Technology and other Research and Development category (CFDA 15.808), the opportunity was intended to support a single CESU partner organization in carrying out applied research that helps solve a pressing land management problem in the southwestern United States: how to restore native plant communities using the right plant materials for the right places under changing environmental conditions.

At the heart of the project is the need to understand adaptive traits across native plant populations so that agencies and practitioners can develop and deploy native plant materials that are both geographically appropriate and resilient. In the Southwest, demand for native seed has risen sharply because land disturbances are widespread and often severe. Wildfire, overgrazing, mining impacts, and energy development can all degrade or remove native vegetation, leaving landscapes vulnerable to erosion, invasive species, and long-term ecological decline. Restoration and post-disturbance rehabilitation increasingly rely on seeding or planting, but the success of those efforts depends heavily on whether the plant materials used are well-matched to local conditions and capable of persisting as climates shift. The opportunity emphasizes that, despite how common restoration seeding has become, there is still very limited research on local adaptation and climate resiliency for many of the plant species routinely used in Southwestern restoration. Filling that gap is presented as essential for improving decision-making and outcomes on public and tribal lands, rangelands, and other managed landscapes.

The funding is closely tied to on-the-ground restoration priorities led by the New Mexico Bureau of Land Management (BLM), identified as a major stakeholder in regional restoration efforts. The New Mexico BLM has been building collaborations to expand both the supply and the genetic and species diversity of native plant materials available for use in Arizona and New Mexico. This work aligns with the BLM National Seed Strategy, which is aimed at ensuring that restoration practitioners have access to appropriate native seed when it is needed, including for emergency stabilization after fires and for longer-term rehabilitation of damaged sites. Typical activities under these broader collaborations include creating target species lists (identifying which native species are most needed for restoration), collecting seed from wild populations, and working with agricultural producers to increase seed availability through cultivation. The USGS SBSC and New Mexico BLM approach described in the notice leans on interagency coordination to address the practical challenges of restoring complex, degraded landscapes, where one-size-fits-all seed sources may fail and where logistical constraints often limit options.

Financially, the award had a ceiling of $78,000, with one expected award. The opportunity was posted on July 8, 2019, with an original closing date of July 22, 2019, indicating a short application window typical of certain targeted cooperative agreement announcements. Eligibility was limited to CESU partners (listed under “Others” with additional eligibility details referenced in the full notice), reflecting the CESU program model, which is designed to connect federal agencies with qualified research partners to conduct mission-relevant studies that can be translated into management guidance. Overall, the grant sought to produce actionable science on how native plant populations differ in traits related to adaptation, so that seed sourcing, plant material development, and restoration planning in the Southwest can be more strategic, regionally tailored, and better aligned with current and future environmental pressures.

• The Department of the Interior, U. S. Geological Survey in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Colorado Plateau 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 Jul 08, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 22, 2019. (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 $78,000.00 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).

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