Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner with Rocky Mountain Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit | G22AS00386

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is this funding opportunity?

This opportunity is a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) discretionary cooperative agreement under the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) framework. It supports research and development focused on wildfire science and fuels monitoring.

Which USGS office is associated with this project focus?

The opportunity is associated with the USGS Southwest Biological Science Center, which is seeking research to improve fuels characterization across Department of the Interior (DOI) managed landscapes.

What is the main purpose of the project?

The purpose is to translate long-term DOI monitoring data and newer monitoring approaches into fuel models that can scale up for practical planning and decision-making. The goal is to produce usable fuel information products that DOI staff can apply directly to wildfire risk assessment, treatment planning and evaluation, and scenario analyses.

What problem is the opportunity trying to address?

A central issue highlighted is that wildfires do not respect administrative boundaries. Fires can move across a patchwork of DOI lands and neighboring jurisdictions across the western United States, creating risk for built infrastructure and high-value natural resources. The opportunity positions fuels assessment and monitoring as a foundational step to mitigating wildfire impacts under these cross-boundary conditions.

What types of lands or ecosystems are emphasized?

The opportunity places special emphasis on non-forest ecosystems, which make up a large portion of DOI lands and where fuels assessments have historically been less common than in forested systems.

What research or technical work is the opportunity seeking?

The technical thrust is to evaluate how well existing and emerging data sources can be used to create usable, accessible fuel products. This includes assessing field-based monitoring data and remote-sensing-based measurements, as well as the databases and analytical tools needed to convert raw observations into fuel metrics and models.

What kinds of data sources are relevant to this work?

The notice references both field-based monitoring data and remote-sensing-based measurements, along with supporting databases and analytical tools that enable creation of fuel metrics and models from those observations.

What are "fuel products" or "fuel models" in the context of this opportunity?

In the context of this notice, fuel products and fuel models are practical outputs derived from monitoring and measurement data that help DOI agencies understand where fuels are located, what kinds of fuels are present, and how fuel conditions change over time, at scales useful for planning and decision-making.

How are the results expected to be used?

The results are intended to support DOI wildfire risk assessment, evaluation of whether fuel treatments are working, planning and decision-making, and scenario analyses that compare alternative management strategies.

Is this opportunity primarily academic research, or is it intended for operational use?

The notice emphasizes practical application. The intended outcome is not only academic insight, but fuel information products that DOI staff can use directly for management needs, helping bridge the gap between monitoring programs and on-the-ground decision-making.

Why does the opportunity focus on translating monitoring data into scalable models?

The opportunity indicates a need to convert long-term and newer monitoring observations into fuel models that scale up across landscapes for practical planning, especially because wildfire risk and behavior can span multiple jurisdictions and management units.

What is the assistance listing (CFDA) number for this opportunity?

The assistance listing (CFDA) number provided in the notice is 15.808.

What is the opportunity number?

The opportunity number is G22AS00386.

Which federal agency is offering this cooperative agreement?

The opportunity is posted by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Geological Survey (USGS).

What is the funding activity category?

The funding activity category is listed as Science and Technology and other Research and Development.

What type of award is this?

This is a discretionary cooperative agreement issued under the CESU framework. The CESU cooperative agreement approach typically implies substantial involvement or collaboration with the federal partner compared with a standard grant.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is limited. While the notice categorizes eligible applicants as "Others," the key requirement stated is that the applicant must be an active Rocky Mountain CESU partner (i.e., an institution that is already a partner in the Rocky Mountain Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit).

Is this opportunity open to organizations that are not already part of the Rocky Mountain CESU?

Based on the notice, no. The opportunity is aimed specifically at institutions that are already partners in the Rocky Mountain CESU, and eligibility requires being an active partner.

How many awards does USGS expect to make?

The notice indicates a single expected award.

What is the maximum award amount?

The award ceiling (maximum award amount) is $49,214.

When was the opportunity created and when did it close?

The opportunity was created on June 8, 2022, and the original application closing date was July 8, 2022.

What geographic area is referenced in the notice?

The notice references DOI-managed landscapes and cross-jurisdictional wildfire issues throughout the western United States, with an emphasis on landscape-scale fuels characterization.

What management questions is the project intended to help answer?

The notice highlights questions such as where fuels are located, what kinds of fuels are present, how fuel conditions change over time, whether treatments are working, and how alternative management strategies compare under scenario analyses.

What is meant by "bridging the gap" between monitoring and management?

In this notice, it refers to improving how fuels are quantified, mapped, and updated across space and time so that monitoring data and emerging approaches can be turned into practical information products that DOI staff can use directly in planning, evaluation, and risk assessment.