Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Units (CESU) Master Cooperative Agreements
🏛 National Park Service (DOI-NPS)
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Jul 16, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for CESU network partner institutions conducting research and collaborative work on natural and cultural resource management in National Park Service regions.
Applicants must already be official CESU network partners. Organizations from any of the 17 CESU biogeographic regions can apply, with priority given to the 17 listed regions. Non-Federal partners include universities, tribes, state/local governments, and conservation nonprofits.
Master cooperative agreements support research, technical assistance, education, and capacity building. Projects run up to five years with typical awards around $60,000 per agreement. Applications are reviewed rolling and due by December 31, 2027.
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Program description
The National Park Service (NPS) are seeking applications for Master Cooperative Agreements from CESU network participants in the following CESU network regions:
North and West Alaska
Californian
Chesapeake Watershed
Colorado Plateau
Desert Southwest
Great Basin
Great Lakes Northern Forest
Great Plains
Great Rivers
Gulf Coast
Hawaii/Pacific Islands
North Atlantic Coast
Pacific Northwest
Piedmont-South Atlantic Coast
Rocky Mountains
South Florida Caribbean
Southern Appalachian
Cooperative agreements to CESU network participants residing in CESU network regions other than those listed above will be pursued separate from this notice of funding opportunity; however, those CESU network participants may still apply for a Master Cooperative Agreement under this announcement. Application instructions are found in Section D. Application and Submission Information.
Applications will be reviewed and evaluated as they are received and may be submitted at any time up until the closing date of this announcement.
The Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units network is a national consortium of Federal agencies, tribes, academic institutions, state and local governments, nongovernmental conservation organizations, and other partners working together to support informed public trust resource stewardship. The CESU network includes 390 non-Federal partners and 15 Federal Agencies in seventeen (17) CESUs representing biogeographic regions encompassing all 50 states and U.S. territories. The CESU network is well positioned as a platform to support research, technical assistance, education and capacity building that is responsive to long-standing and contemporary science and resource management priorities.
The seventeen (17) CESUs bring together scientists, resource managers, students, and other conservation professionals, drawing upon expertise from across the biological, physical, social, cultural, and engineering disciplines (from Anthropology to Zoology) to conduct collaborative and interdisciplinary applied projects that address natural and cultural heritage resource issues at multiple scales and in an ecosystem context. Each CESU is structured as a working collaborative with participation from numerous Federal and non-Federal institutional partners. CESUs are based at host universities and focused on a particular biogeographic region of the country.
The NPS is required under “Research Mandate” 54 USC 100702 to ensure the management of NPS units are “enhanced by the availability and utilization of a broad program of the highest quality science and information.” To help answer this mandate, the NPS works cooperatively with approved CESU cooperators. Annually the NPS obligates between $30M and $40M in CESU cooperative agreements agency wide. Individual projects are up to five (5) years in duration with an average of approximately $60,000 per agreement.
The NPS plans to create Master Cooperative Agreements with CESU partners to carry out the CFDA program 15.945, Cooperative Research and Training Programs – Resources of the National Park System. The NPS is announcing the intent to solicit proposals from organizations within the CESU network. The objectives of the CESU program are:
a. Provide usable knowledge to support informed decision making.
b. Ensure the independence and objectivity of research.
c. Create and maintain effective partnerships among the Federal agencies and universities to share resources and expertise.
d. Take full advantage of university resources while benefiting faculty and students.
e. Encourage professional development of current and future Federal scientists, resource managers, and environmental leaders.
f. Manage Federal resources effectively.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- Formal application through CESU submission process
- Project narrative and objectives
- Budget and budget justification
- Partner letters of commitment
- Project timeline (up to 5 years)
- CV or qualifications of lead investigators
Program contact
- 👤 National Park Service
- 📧 melissa_a_jacobi@nps.gov
- 📞 303-495-027
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 15.945 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$10,167,653
-
$7,597,500
-
$5,526,806
-
$5,343,415
-
$3,866,668
-
$3,596,467
-
$3,351,611
-
$3,000,000
-
$2,999,788
-
$2,993,815
Top States by Funding
- HI 9 awards $23.0M
- FL 11 awards $14.2M
- CO 5 awards $9.0M
- OR 4 awards $5.9M
- VI 4 awards $4.5M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 15.945). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2019 | $39,157,560 | |
| 2020 | $39,783,735 | |
| 2021 | $45,193,276 | |
| 2022 | $50,964,626 | |
| 2023 | $70,083,605 | |
| 2024 | $86,083,277 | |
| 2025 est. | $80,000,000 | |
| 2026 est. | $80,000,000 |
FAQ
Who can apply for a CESU Master Cooperative Agreement?
Only official CESU network partners can apply. Your organization must already be a member of one of the 17 CESUs representing biogeographic regions across all 50 states and territories.
What types of organizations are eligible?
Universities, federal agencies, tribes, state and local governments, and conservation nonprofits that are CESU network partners are eligible. Non-Federal partners hosted at universities are the typical applicants.
What can the funding support?
Funding supports research, technical assistance, education, and capacity building on natural and cultural resource management issues in National Park Service units and regions.
How much funding is available?
Individual project awards average around $60,000 per master cooperative agreement. The entire NPS CESU program obligates between $30 million and $40 million annually.
What is the project duration?
Master cooperative agreements support individual projects up to five years in duration. Applications are reviewed rolling until the December 31, 2027 deadline.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Confirm your organization is an official CESU network partner before investing time in an application. Visit www.cesu.org to verify status or join if needed.
- Demonstrate how your research addresses long-standing or contemporary NPS science and resource management priorities in your biogeographic region.
- Emphasize partnership and collaboration across disciplines. Highlight how your project brings together scientists, managers, and students from multiple institutions.
- Show tangible outcomes and usable knowledge. Focus on how your research will support informed NPS decision-making and stewardship.
- Plan for multi-year impact. Frame your project scope to justify up to five years of funding while showing clear milestones and deliverables at each phase.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Applications from non-CESU partners are rejected immediately. Verify membership before applying. Proposals lacking clear collaboration across federal and non-federal partners often score poorly. Weak connection to NPS resource management priorities reduces competitiveness.
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