Cooperative Agreement for affiliated Partner with Gulf Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit

The U.S. Geological Survey is soliciting applications from participating partners of the Gulf Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit for a cooperative agreement funding bioinformatic analysis of existing and upcoming avian microbiome metatranscriptomic datasets, with applications due January 5, 2027. Eligibility is restricted to participating partners of the Gulf Coast CESU, and the opportunity lists applicant type as "Other." The Full Announcement summary gives a December 7, 2026, 11:59 PM ET deadline, which conflicts with the January 5, 2027 date in the opportunity record and the package summary, so confirm the controlling date on Grants.gov before planning. No cost share is required.

USGS anticipates one award with a $459,000 ceiling and a $1 floor, with $142,000 available for Budget Year 1. The three-year period of performance runs April 1, 2027 through March 31, 2030. The USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center at Patuxent Refuge oversees the award. Funding is subject to available funds, and the parent program does not budget a separate pool for external proposals.

Research must focus on genome assembly-based identification of viruses, prokaryotic, and eukaryotic microorganisms from avian microbiomes, with emphasis on wildlife and zoonotic pathogens. Required work includes taxonomic identification, microbial diversity estimation, and reproducible bioinformatic workflows. Awardees must collaborate on peer-reviewed publications with USGS co-authorship and deposit data products in repositories such as the National Center for Biotechnology Information or ScienceBase.

Proposals are scored on Purpose, Objectives, and Relevance (30 points), Technical Approach (25 points), Budget Justification and Clarity (20 points), and Qualifications, Experience, and Past Performance (25 points). Recipients are capped at the 17.5% CESU negotiated indirect cost rate. Applicants other than individuals must hold active SAM.gov registration and Grants.gov registration. Submission runs through Grants.gov and requires SF-424, SF-424A, a Project Abstract Summary, biographical sketches, current and pending support, a data management plan, and a budget narrative.

Technical questions go to Dr. Serguei Drovetski (sdrovetski@usgs.gov), and administrative questions go to Katie Calder (katherine_calder@ios.doi.gov). The opportunity sits under Assistance Listing 15.808, U.S. Geological Survey Research and Data Collection.