Cooperative Agreement for affiliated Partner with the Rocky Mountain 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 CESU (Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit) partner organizations conducting ecological research on western rangelands and alpine ecosystems.
Eligible applicants must be a participating partner of the Rocky Mountain Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit. Partners typically include universities, nonprofit research organizations, and state/tribal agencies engaged in collaborative research with USGS.
The project focuses on co-produced science that develops decision-support tools for natural resource managers. Research should address habitat conditions, ecological processes, wildlife interactions, and landscape management challenges in the western United States.
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Program description
U.S. Geological Survey is offering a funding opportunity to a CESU partner for research to advance co-produced science aimed at improving decision support capabilities for natural resource managers across western rangelands and alpine ecosystems. The research conducted on this project will builds upon long standing collaborations between USGS and university partners, which have demonstrated the value of jointly designed studies and shared analytical approaches. The overarching goal of this work is to enhance the understanding of how habitat conditions, ecological processes, and wildlife, interact across broad and changing landscapes, and to translate this understanding into tools that support management decisions. This project will develop analytical frameworks and spatial tools that help natural resource managers identify, prioritize, and respond to conservation and management challenges across extensive landscapes. As land managers confront changing vegetation patterns, shifting disturbance regimes, disease pressures, and competing land use demands, there is a critical need for science that is developed jointly with practitioners, ensuring that data products, models, and evaluations are directly usable in operational planning. The emphasis of this opportunity is on tools that synthesize ecological data, management objectives, and partner input to generate transparent decision support products that can be adapted to diverse management contexts.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
How to apply
Application links
Required documents
- Completed application form or cooperative agreement proposal template
- Project narrative describing research objectives and decision-support products
- Budget and budget justification
- Curriculum vitae or biosketches of key personnel
- Letters of support from land manager partners
- Institutional information for eligible CESU partner
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?
You must be a participating partner of the Rocky Mountain CESU. Most partners are universities, research nonprofits, or state/tribal agencies with existing USGS collaboration relationships.
What kind of research does this grant fund?
Projects developing analytical frameworks and spatial decision-support tools for natural resource managers. Research should focus on western rangelands, alpine ecosystems, and landscape-scale conservation challenges.
Is cost-sharing required?
No. This grant does not require matching funds or cost-sharing from applicants.
What is the funding range?
Awards typically range from $1 to $495,000 depending on project scope and partner capacity.
When is the deadline?
The deadline is December 2, 2026. This is a fixed deadline, not rolling.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Contact your Rocky Mountain CESU coordinator before applying to ensure your organization is an active partner and your project aligns with CESU priorities.
- Emphasize co-production with land managers. Show how practitioners shaped your research design and will use your tools operationally.
- Focus on decision-support products, not just research findings. Develop transparent, adaptable tools that managers can implement in diverse contexts.
- Demonstrate how your work builds on existing USGS-university collaborations. Highlight shared analytical approaches and joint problem-framing.
- Address western landscape challenges explicitly. Connect your research to shifting disturbances, vegetation change, disease, or competing land uses.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Applying without confirmed CESU partnership status; many applications fail because the organization isn't an active Rocky Mountain CESU partner. Proposing basic research without clear management applications; reviewers prioritize tools and data products that land managers can actually use. Neglecting to demonstrate co-production with practitioners; applications that treat managers as end-users rather than research collaborators score poorly.
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