Cooperative Agreement for affiliated Partner with the Great Lakes-Northern Forest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit
🏛 Geological Survey (DOI-USGS1)
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Nov 13, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for affiliated partners of the Great Lakes-Northern Forest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU). Only organizations already participating in this specific CESU partnership can apply.
The grant funds research and adaptive management projects addressing ecosystem resilience in the Great Lakes and Northern Forest regions. Projects should support climate adaptation science, water security, natural hazard preparedness, and wildlife conservation.
Research activities may focus on prairie restoration, invasive species management, wildfire preparedness, drought resilience, or related ecological challenges. The work must advance actionable science and tools for resource managers and stakeholders in Midwest and Northern regions.
Not the right fit? Find grants for your organization in 5 questions →
Program description
This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is for a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National and Regional Climate Adaptation Science Center (NRCASC) competitive research financial assistance award to a CESU partner.
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.
Prairies are vital to the Midwest’s cultural heritage and rural economies. They provide habitat for diverse wildlife, including birds, pollinators, and the iconic American bison; support hunting, fishing, and birdwatching; and sustain clean water and soils that enhance the productivity of surrounding farmland. But land-use change, wildfire, drought, and invasive species have damaged prairies across the region. Invasive plants are particularly hard to manage, as they thrive after disturbances and outcompete native plants, making conventional management strategies less effective. To learn which management actions are most effective under different weather conditions, this project will leverage an unprecedented database from the Prairie Reconstruction Initiative (PRI), a multi-agency partnership managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Since 2012, PRI has been developing a comprehensive and ever-growing database of monitoring and management information from 160 locations across several Midwest states. The database includes planting details, dates, locations, and post-restoration monitoring inventories of established plant species, including the most prevalent invasives. Importantly, it also includes records of past management actions (e.g., herbicide, prescribed fire) and when they occurred. By using the database to identify effective strategies, findings from this project will help managers adaptively manage midwestern prairies in the face of plant invasions and weather disturbances. This work supports:
- EO 14313 – Establishing the President’s Make America Beautiful Again Commission (July 3, 2025);
- SO 3447 -Expanding Hunting and Fishing Access, Removing Unnecessary Barriers, and Ensuring Consistency Across the Department of the Interior Lands and Waters (January 7, 2026) by advancing science-based natural resource conservation and strengthening the capacity of agencies and communities to safeguard vulnerable ecosystems from biological degradation, including the preservation of recreational opportunities.
- EO 14239 -Achieving Efficiency Through State and Local Preparedness (March 19, 2025) by helping state and local practitioners mitigate invasive species-associated hazards, such as the increased risk of wildfire caused by invasive grasses.
- EO 14303 -Restoring Gold Standard Science (May 23, 2025) and SO 3441 -Implementing the Requirements of EO 14303, Restoring Gold Standard Science (August 29, 2025 ) by strengthening American leadership in adaptation science and providing DOI with an opportunity to conduct new research on an untapped database.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- CESU partner affiliation documentation or partnership verification
- Project proposal/narrative describing research objectives and methods
- Budget and budget narrative
- Organizational capacity/qualifications documentation
- Timeline and milestones
- Evaluation plan demonstrating measurable outcomes
Program contact
- 👤 Geological Survey
- 📧 rachel_miller@ios.doi.gov
- 📞 916-278-9331
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 15.808 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$240,000,000
-
$11,148,115
-
$10,533,234
-
$10,055,533
-
$8,476,627
-
$8,454,102
-
$7,659,261
-
$6,894,612
-
$6,800,079
-
$6,644,228
Top States by Funding
- CO 9 awards $247.6M
- CA 24 awards $73.6M
- AK 17 awards $35.1M
- FL 7 awards $23.2M
- WA 4 awards $16.6M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 15.808). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2021 | $35,000,000 | |
| 2022 | $157,201,151 | |
| 2023 | $263,107,440 | |
| 2024 | $125,066,719 | |
| 2025 est. | $110,000,000 | |
| 2026 est. | $60,000,000 |
FAQ
Who is eligible to apply for this grant?
Only organizations that are currently affiliated partners of the Great Lakes-Northern Forest CESU can apply. Partners include universities, nonprofits, and government agencies within the CESU network.
What types of projects does this grant fund?
Research projects addressing ecosystem adaptation, prairie restoration, invasive species management, water security, and natural hazard preparedness in the Great Lakes and Northern Forest regions.
Is cost-sharing required?
No. This grant does not require cost-sharing or matching funds from applicants.
What is the typical award size?
Awards range from $1 to $370,000 depending on project scope and the competitive review process.
When is the deadline?
The deadline is November 30, 2026. This is a fixed deadline, not rolling.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Verify your organization is an active partner in the Great Lakes-Northern Forest CESU before starting your application. Contact the CESU program coordinator if unsure of your partnership status.
- Align your project with stated priorities: water security, infrastructure resilience, natural hazard preparedness, and climate adaptation science supported by federal science.
- Emphasize how your research will produce actionable tools and data that resource managers can directly use for decision-making.
- Leverage existing datasets and partnerships when possible. Projects using comprehensive databases or multi-agency collaborations are often more competitive.
- Focus on measurable outcomes and adaptive management strategies that address real-world ecosystem challenges like invasive species or drought resilience.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Applying as a non-CESU partner or an organization without an existing affiliation within the Great Lakes-Northern Forest CESU. Applications from ineligible entities will be rejected.
Proposing research that lacks clear connection to federal administration priorities and actionable outcomes for resource managers. Vague or theoretical projects score poorly.
Failing to demonstrate how your project produces usable tools, data, or science that will support on-the-ground decision-making by agencies or conservation practitioners.
Similar grants
- CLOSING SOON Cooperative Agreement for Affiliated Partner with the Great Lakes-Northern Forest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) — Geological Survey
- OPEN Cooperative Agreement for affiliated Partner with the Great Lakes Northern Forrest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit — Geological Survey
- OPEN Cooperative Agreement for affiliated Partner with Great Lakes Northern Forest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit — Geological Survey
- OPEN Cooperative Agreement for affiliated Partner with the Colorado Plateau Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit — Geological Survey
- OPEN Cooperative Agreement for affiliated Partner with the Californian Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit — Geological Survey