Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Plain CESU | G18AS00111

Opportunity Information: Apply for G18AS00111

This grant opportunity, titled "Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Plain CESU" (Funding Opportunity Number G18AS00111), was issued by the U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), specifically through the Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center (NOROCK). It was offered as a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement, which typically means the awardee would not just receive funds but would also work in close coordination with USGS scientists or staff during the project. The activity area is listed under Science and Technology and other Research and Development, and it falls under CFDA 15.808.

The core purpose of the opportunity is to support research that helps wildlife and animal health managers better understand and reduce disease transmission risks, especially where domestic sheep and wild bighorn sheep may come into contact. The project has two closely related components. First, it calls for the development of a general modeling framework that can evaluate how effective different management strategies are under varying biological conditions. In practical terms, the model is meant to explore how outcomes change depending on key drivers such as pathogen characteristics (for example, how contagious the pathogen is, how long infection lasts, or how transmission occurs) and host movement rates (how frequently animals move, how far they travel, and how movement connects groups that might otherwise remain separate). By focusing on those drivers, the model is intended to be broadly useful beyond a single site or a single disease scenario, helping managers compare and prioritize management approaches in a more structured, quantitative way.

Second, the opportunity includes a Nevada-based case study focused on bighorn sheep movement behavior. This portion of the work is aimed at measuring and describing how far bighorn sheep individuals tend to make "foray" movements away from established home ranges, rather than staying within their typical areas. A key objective is not just to document that these excursions happen, but to test whether the forays are linked to habitat characteristics and population-level covariates. That could include factors such as landscape features, resource availability, seasonal conditions, herd density, demographic structure, or other environmental and biological variables that might influence when and why sheep move beyond their usual range. Understanding these movement patterns matters because occasional long-distance or atypical movements can create opportunities for contact between groups, which in turn can influence the likelihood of disease introduction or spread.

The expected management value of the work is explicitly tied to supporting efforts to limit disease transmission between domestic and wild sheep in the region. By combining a generalizable modeling approach with an applied movement case study, the project is positioned to produce both a decision-support tool (or at least a transferable analytical framework) and region-specific findings that can inform real-world management choices in Nevada and similar landscapes.

Administratively, the opportunity was created on August 7, 2018, with an original closing date of August 21, 2018, indicating a relatively short application window. The award ceiling was $49,500, with one expected award, suggesting a small, targeted research project rather than a large multi-year program. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with clarification referenced in an additional eligibility field, which commonly indicates the competition was intended for participants within the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit network or other specified partner categories.

• 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, Great Plain 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 Aug 07, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 21, 2018. (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 $49,500.00 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).

Apply for G18AS00111

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