Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units
Active
- Assistance listing
- 15.678
- Agency
-
Fish and Wildlife Service
Department of the Interior
- Grant awards
- 376 $54,770,494 in federal obligations
Program facts
- Also known as
- CESU
- Assistance types
-
- Cooperative Agreement
- Project Grant
- Treasury account
-
- 14-1611-0-1-302
- More information
Program details come from SAM.gov Assistance Listings. Updated . Grant award figures come from USAspending.gov.
About this program
The Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service is no longer making new awards under the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units program (CFDA 15.678), though the Assistance Listing remains active to permit closure of existing awards and required federal reporting. The most recent grant award under this program was issued on June 1, 2021, more than five years ago.
Historically, CESU funded research, studies, assessments, monitoring, technical and scientific assistance, and educational services addressing natural science and cultural resources managed by federal agencies. Representative recent awards included fungal community studies supporting rare plant restoration ($16,685), wetland status and trends change analysis using digital imagery and field verification ($72,600), development of enhanced National Wetlands Inventory mapping protocols ($383,167), population dynamics and invasive species management in river basins ($220,609), and multi-agency conservation planning initiatives in Alaska ($2.275 million). The portfolio concentrated on ecological research and habitat assessment rather than capital projects; the program explicitly prohibited construction and real property purchases.
The program distributed $54.8 million in combined federal obligations across 376 awards spanning 2011 to 2021. The assistance-type mix was heavily dominated by Cooperative Agreements (95 percent, 358 awards), with Project Grants comprising the remaining five percent. Funding concentrated within Fish and Wildlife Service regions: Region 4 led with 87 awards totaling $12.7 million in federal dollars, followed by Region 8 with 63 awards and $7.1 million. Five regional offices accounted for 72 percent of award count and 69 percent of federal dollars.
Award magnitudes ranged from under $10,000 to over $2 million, with typical individual awards in the $50,000–$300,000 range. The award cadence declined sharply in 2021, dropping to four awards that year after averaging 70 awards annually from 2017 through 2020.
Grant opportunities were posted through September 2019, all structured as single-source cooperative agreements awarded through the CESU network to specific universities or research entities. No open solicitation opportunities appear in the recent-opportunities block. Because the USFWS halted new awards under this program, pursuit is not recommended unless administering an existing award or seeking renewal eligibility under the program's stated continuation rules, which require recipients to submit new applications subject to full review and approval criteria.
Objective and description
- Objective
The Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) Network is a national, collaborative consortium of federal agencies, tribes, universities, state and local governments, and other partners that provide scientific research, technical assistance, and educ
- Description
The USFWS is no longer making new awards under this program. The Assistance Listing remains active to allow the Service to close all currently open awards and report any associated amendments to government-wide systems that require the identification of an active Assistance Listing number as a key reporting element.
Eligibility
- Beneficiary eligibility
University faculty; federal employees by accessing increased opportunities for interdisciplinary, multi-agency research projects related to federal resource management issues; any entity which may, will, or can benefit from the contemplated activity; students, researchers, experts, and instructors as members of the general public.
- Uses of assistance
CESU awards can be used for research, studies, assessments, monitoring, technical/scientific assistance, and educational services having to do with natural science or cultural resources. CESU projects can be funded only as cooperative agreements. Partners must be approved partners of the CESU Network. No construction projects or purchase of real property is allowed. 100% of funding is discretionary.
- Use restrictions
CESU awards can be used for research, studies, assessments, monitoring, technical/scientific assistance, and educational services having to do with natural science or cultural resources. CESU projects can be funded only as cooperative agreements. Partners must be approved partners of the CESU Network. No construction projects or purchase of real property is allowed. 100% of funding is discretionary.
- Length and time phasing of assistance
Assistance is available after program funds are appropriated and allocated to program. Funding must be spent during the award period of performance, which is specific to each project.
How to apply
- Criteria for selecting proposals
Merit review will be based on the relevance to program's objectives and uses.
- Award procedure
Applications for funding will be reviewed and approved by USFWS staff based on the project-specific review criteria to be detailed in the funding opportunity posting. USFWS staff will notify applicants of review results by either issuing a fully executed Award either electronically or through the mail, or by sending written notification to the applicant that the application will not be funded.
- Renewals
Recipients may request funding for a subsequent year/cycle of a currently funded project. However, these requests are subject to the same submission, review, and approval requirements as all new applications. This program will fund any approved renewal application as new award, not as an amendment to an existing award. Recipients may request approval for budget and project plan revisions of funded projects, including period of performance and reporting due date extensions, in accordance with 2 CFR 200.
Grant opportunities
Show 40 more
Latest 50 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Grant awards
Latest 10 of 376 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University | $4,276,080 | 8% |
| 2 | University Of California, Davis | $4,274,541 | 8% |
| 3 | Texas A&M Agrilife Research | $3,689,803 | 7% |
| 4 | University Of Hawaii | $2,519,573 | 5% |
| 5 | University Of Arizona | $2,388,862 | 4% |
| 6 | Alaska Conservation Foundation | $2,177,004 | 4% |
| 7 | Colorado State University | $2,130,578 | 4% |
| 8 | Montana State University | $2,037,104 | 4% |
| 9 | Mississippi State University | $1,998,302 | 4% |
| 10 | Saint Marys University Of Minnesota | $1,582,212 | 3% |
10 of 107 recipients listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2026 | -$19,099 |
| FY2025 | -$31,449 |
| FY2024 | $340,919 |
| FY2023 | $1,839,597 |
| FY2022 | $3,128,495 |
| FY2021 | $5,188,600 |
| FY2020 | $14,698,389 |
| FY2019 | $9,980,055 |
| FY2018 | $5,931,709 |
| FY2017 | $7,016,526 |
| FY2016 | $5,442,447 |
| FY2015 | -$2,553 |
| FY2011 | -$42 |
Show all 13
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 15.678?
Assistance Listing 15.678 is Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units, a federal grant program run by Fish and Wildlife Service (Department of the Interior).
What is the CFDA number for Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units?
Its CFDA number is 15.678: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 15.678 awarded?
376 grant awards under 15.678 have obligated $54,770,494 in federal funds to 107 recipients.
Who receives the most funding from 15.678?
The recipients obligated the most under Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units are Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University ($4,276,080), University Of California, Davis ($4,274,541) and Texas A&M Agrilife Research ($3,689,803).
How much did 15.678 obligate in fiscal year 2025?
Grants under 15.678 obligated -$31,449 in federal funds in fiscal year 2025.
Are there open grant opportunities under 15.678?
None of the latest 50 opportunities under 15.678 is open now. The latest, Controlling certain invasive aquatic species in Arizona and New Mexico, was posted on June 29, 2020.
On GovTribe
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