Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU), Desert Southwest CESU | G18AS00026

Opportunity Information: Apply for G18AS00026

The Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU), Desert Southwest CESU grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number G18AS00026) is a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Western Ecological Research Center funding call focused on restoring dryland shrublands on the Colorado Plateau that were historically disturbed by oil and gas exploration. Offered by the Department of the Interior (USGS) as a discretionary cooperative agreement under CFDA 15.808, the project is intended to support applied science that helps public land managers make better, evidence-based restoration decisions for decommissioned oil and gas sites, particularly in Utah.

The core purpose of the work is to study both natural recovery and active rehabilitation in two key shrubland community types: blackbrush (Coleogyne ramosissima) and sagebrush (Artemisia spp.). The awardee is expected to collaborate closely with USGS scientists and the Southwest Energy Development and Drought (SWEDD) Program to design and carry out a research plan that compares different restoration approaches. That plan would be implemented at approved sites on public lands across the Utah portion of the Colorado Plateau, with an emphasis on testing what actually works under real-world dryland conditions where recovery is often slow and fragile.

A central component of the project is evaluating a set of soil and re-vegetation treatments. Re-vegetation methods specifically include seeding with locally collected seed and/or transplanting seedlings grown from local seed sources, reflecting an emphasis on using plant materials adapted to local climates and site conditions. The opportunity also anticipates that researchers may incorporate additional rehabilitation techniques depending on site needs, such as soil decompaction to address compaction from heavy equipment, nutrient additions where soils are depleted, surface mulching to reduce evaporation and erosion, installation of wind breaks to limit wind-driven soil loss and protect seedlings, and measures to reduce damage from herbivores. The overall approach is experimental and comparative, meaning the project is not just implementing restoration, but deliberately testing combinations of treatments to determine which strategies lead to the best recovery outcomes.

The expected deliverables center on collecting, analyzing, and interpreting field data in a way that is directly useful to resource specialists and researchers managing disturbed public lands. In practice, this means the project should generate clear findings about treatment effectiveness and provide guidance that can be translated into on-the-ground restoration prescriptions for similar sites affected by surface disturbance from energy development. The end goal is to strengthen scientifically grounded restoration practices for repairing lands impacted by retired oil and gas infrastructure, improving the likelihood of long-term ecosystem recovery in these drought-prone shrublands.

Administratively, the opportunity anticipated a single award with a maximum funding level (award ceiling) of $49,000 and an expected award count of 1. It was created on March 21, 2018, with an original closing date of April 5, 2018. Eligibility is limited to CESU partners (with additional eligibility details referenced in the full notice under the Additional Information on Eligibility field), consistent with the CESU program model that emphasizes cooperative research partnerships between federal agencies and a network of member institutions.

• The Department of the Interior, U. S. Geological Survey in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU), Desert Southwest CESU" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.808.
• This funding opportunity was created on Mar 21, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 05, 2018. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $49,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for G18AS00026

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