Cooperative Agreement for Affiliated Partner with the Rocky Mountains Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU)

Open Posted

Opportunity number
G27AS00072
Agency
Applications due
Award size
Up to $375,000

Opportunity facts

Funding instrument
Cooperative Agreement
Category
  • Science and Technology and other Research and Development
Eligible applicants
  • Other
Points of contact

Opportunity details come from Grants.gov. Updated .

About this opportunity

Written by GovTribe AI ·

The U.S. Geological Survey is soliciting applications for a cooperative agreement to research invasive grass-fire cycles in the eastern sagebrush biome of the Northern Great Plains, with an application deadline of November 14, 2026. Eligible applicants must be participating partners of the Rocky Mountains Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program. No cost share is required.

The award totals $375,000 for a single two-year cooperative agreement spanning January 1, 2027 through December 31, 2028, with funds fully obligated at award. The research addresses three objectives: document thresholds in the invasive grass-fire cycle, analyze future scenarios for fire, weather, and invasion contexts in the north-central region, and synthesize regionally-appropriate management practices. The work collaborates with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Wyoming Department of Agriculture to map invasive grass presence and extent and identify effective management strategies that differ from approaches used in the Great Basin. The project supports Executive Orders 14308 (Wildfire Prevention and Response) and 14239 (State and Local Preparedness), and advances Administration priorities including water security, infrastructure resilience, and natural hazard preparedness.

Proposals are evaluated on research topic alignment (30 points), applicant experience and qualifications (25 points), work plan clarity and appropriateness (25 points), and budget justification (20 points). Submit via Grants.gov using Funding Opportunity Number G27AS00072. Required materials include SF-424 and SF-424A, project abstract summary, technical narrative addressing introduction, objectives, procedures, products, dissemination, timeline, references, and legal/policy considerations, budget narrative, Data Management Plan, biographical sketches, and current/pending support disclosures for senior/key personnel. The indirect cost rate is capped at 17.5%. Recipients must submit annual progress reports within 90 days of each anniversary, a final technical report within 120 days of completion, annual and final SF-425 Federal Financial Reports, and acknowledge USGS support in all publications. The assistance listing is CFDA 15.808.

Synopsis

The spread of invasive grasses, such as cheatgrass, adds fine fuels to the landscape that increase wildfire occurrence and frequency. Following a fire, invasive grasses regrow quickly, typically outcompeting native plants and perpetuating what is known as the invasive grass-fire cycle. This cycle has been well documented in western portions of the sagebrush biome, such as the Great Basin, but there are only limited studies within the eastern portion of the biome. Some of these studies have shown that native grasslands in eastern portions of the Northern Great Plains may be more fire-adapted and less prone to this cycle. This means that management practices used in the Great Basin may be ineffective, or even determinantal, in the Great Plains. Focusing on the eastern portion of the sagebrush biome, this project will collaborate with resource managers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Wyoming Department of Agriculture to map the presence and extent of the invasive grass-fire cycle in native grasslands and identify effective management strategies. Improved understanding of the invasive grass-fire cycle in the region will enable managers to determine where to target post-fire interventions to limit the spread of invasive grasses, and where interventions are not needed.

By supporting risk-informed approaches for the management of invasive grasses that contribute to wildfires, this work enhances community resilience to wildfires, consistent with the goals of EO 14308 Empowering Commonsense Wildfire Prevention and Response (June 12, 2025) and EO 14239 -Achieving Efficiency Through State and Local Preparedness (March 19, 2025).

Projects supported under this cooperative agreement should advance Administration priorities, including, but not limited to, American energy dominance, critical mineral development, water security, infrastructure resilience, and natural hazard preparedness. Research and activities may incorporate scientific expertise in areas such as hydrology, geology, geospatial science, biosecurity, and near-earth space science, including extreme events such as drought, flooding, wildland fire, coastal erosion, severe storms, and geologic hazards, to develop actionable science, data, and tools that support informed decision-making by resource managers and stakeholders.

Eligibility

This financial assistance opportunity is being issued under a Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) Program. CESUs are partnerships that provide research, technical assistance, and education. Eligible recipients must be a participating partner of the Rocky Mountains Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program.

Files

File Type Posted
Full_Announcement.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 PDF
ATTACHMENT_A_-Biographical-sketch-common-form-doi-omb-3145-0279_3.pdf PDF
PKG00294387.pdf PDF

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