Cooperative Agreement for affiliated Partner with Great Basin Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit
Open Posted
- Opportunity number
- G27AS00044
- Agency
-
US Geological Survey
Department of the Interior
- Applications due
- Award size
- Up to $250,000
Opportunity facts
- Assistance listings
- Funding instrument
- Cooperative Agreement
- Category
-
- Science and Technology and other Research and Development
- Eligible applicants
-
- Other
- Points of contact
-
- Rachel Miller rachel_miller@ios.doi.gov
Opportunity details come from Grants.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The U.S. Geological Survey is soliciting applications for one cooperative agreement, with a $250,000 ceiling and a $1 floor, to enhance aquatic species barcode libraries for Rocky Mountain macroinvertebrates. The NOFO sets the deadline at December 1, 2026, at 11:59 PM ET, while the listing's due date field shows November 30, 2026. Eligibility is restricted to participating partners of the Great Basin Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU), and no cost sharing is required. Preapplication coordination is required, and the indirect cost rate for CESU projects is capped at 17.5%.
The two-year agreement runs January 1, 2027, through December 31, 2028. Work has two objectives: evaluate COI mitochondrial DNA sequence databases to identify underrepresented Rocky Mountain macroinvertebrate groups (approximately 150 species), and procure tissue samples from museum or reference collections to develop barcodes. Barcodes are to be submitted to GenBank and BOLD. Merit review weights purpose, objectives, and relevance at 30 points, technical approach at 35, budget justification and clarity at 20, and qualifications, experience, and past performance at 15. The Notice also emphasizes alignment with executive orders on gold standard science, government efficiency, artificial intelligence, and compliance with diversity, equity, and inclusion policies.
Applications go through Grants.gov and require SF-424 forms, a project abstract, DOI R&D biographical sketches, current and pending support documentation, a project narrative, an itemized budget narrative, and a data management plan. Post-award obligations include annual progress reports due within 90 days of each anniversary, final technical reports due 120 days after the performance period ends, annual SF-425 reports, and geospatial data submission under the Geospatial Data Act of 2018. Assistance Listing 15.808 falls under the USGS Research and Data Collection program. No incumbent recipient is named.
Synopsis
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is offering a funding opportunity to a CESU partner for research in species barcoding. Environmental DNA (eDNA) is potentially a powerful new tool to monitor and assess the status of aquatic ecosystems and the societal values they support such as recreational fishing and species protection. Assessments based on metabarcoding can detect a wide array of species from microbes to fish, providing more comprehensive and cost-effect assessments than existing techniques. However, one pressing need in developing metabarcoding assessment tools is to enhance existing libraries of aquatic species barcodes.
The USGS Water Resources Mission Area is leading a pilot project in the Rocky Mountains to evaluate metagenomics as a means of monitoring and assessing aquatic species. Metagenomics data from field samples will be combined with large geospatial datasets to develop artificial intelligence and machine-learning models that predict community composition. The project is more likely to succeed if current gaps in species barcode libraries are filled.
Eligibility
This financial assistance opportunity is being issued under a Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) Program. CESU's are partnerships that provide research, technical assistance, and education. Eligible recipients must be a participating partner of the Great Basin Ecosystem Studies Unit.
Files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| G27AS00044.docx | DOCX document | |
| ATTACHMENT_D_-_Geospatial_Data_Instructions..docx | DOCX document | |
| ATTACHMENT_C_-_Project_Abstract_Summary_Requirement..docx | DOCX document | |
| ATTACHMENT_B_-_Common-form_current-and-pending-support-doi-omb-3145-0279_3..pdf | ||
| ATTACHMENT_A_-_Biographical-sketch-common-form-doi-omb-3145-0279_3..pdf | ||
| PKG00294488.pdf |
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