Cooperative Agreement for affiliated Partner with Great Rivers 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 Great Rivers Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) partners seeking research funding on invasive carp detection. Eligible applicants must be current participating members of the Great Rivers CESU. The funding supports research projects focused on assessing detection technologies for invasive carp spawning, particularly using in-situ fluorometry and related methods. Geographic focus includes the Mississippi River Basin and Great Lakes regions where invasive carp populations threaten ecosystem health.
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Program description
The USGS is offering a funding opportunity to a Great Rivers CESU partner for research to assess the efficacy of using in-situ fluorometry for detection of milt (seminal fluid) from invasive carp in rivers downstream from spawning sites. Invasive carp–bighead (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) silver (H. molitrix), grass(Ctenopharyngodon idella), and black (Mylopharyngodon piceus) carp–are native to Southeast Asia and have spread throughout much of the Mississippi River Basin since their escape from private, wastewater, and aquaculture ponds in the 1980s. Technologies allowing for early detection of these species, especially evidence of natural reproduction, are needed by state and federal agencies throughout the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Basins to control the spread of invasive carp and assess risk to uninvaded waters. Natural resource managers have generally relied upon labor-intensive ichthyoplankton sampling by boat crews to determine if invasive carp are spawning in a river. While these samples can provide direct evidence of spawning, they require crews to be on the water sampling in the right place and right time during a spawning event. The discrete samples collected using traditional sampling methods are generally spatiotemporally sparse due to limited resources. Recent deployments of streamside environmental DNA (eDNA) autosamplers have shown promise in detection of spawning activity (project webpage). However, the equipment and analyses are costly, the system has limited sampling capability, results are not available in real-time, and eDNA methods used cannot currently discern the presence of milt or eggs from that of adult fish.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- Application (specific CESU format requirements)
- Project Narrative
- Budget and Budget Justification
- CV or qualifications of principal investigator
- CESU Partner Verification or documentation of affiliation
Program contact
- 👤 Geological Survey
- 📧 katherine_calder@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 current partners of the Great Rivers Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit can apply. You must have an active affiliation with the CESU program.
What type of research does this grant fund?
The grant supports research on detecting invasive carp spawning activity, including fluorometry, eDNA methods, and related monitoring technologies. Focus is on efficacy assessment of detection methods.
What is the funding range?
Awards range from $1 to $300,000. The total program funding is $300,000, which may be distributed among multiple projects.
When is the application deadline?
The deadline is December 7, 2026. This is a fixed deadline, not rolling.
Is cost-sharing required?
No cost-sharing is required for this cooperative agreement.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Establish your Great Rivers CESU partnership status before applying; verify you're an active member on the CESU website.
- Ground your proposal in the specific invasive carp detection challenge described in the RFP. Reviewers want practical solutions.
- Emphasize how your research will benefit state and federal agencies managing invasive species in the Mississippi River Basin or Great Lakes.
- Include preliminary data or preliminary results if available. Stronger proposals show feasibility of the detection method.
- Coordinate with natural resource managers early to ensure your research addresses their operational needs and has end-user support.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Applications fail when proposals lack connection to Great Rivers CESU partnership eligibility or don't clearly demonstrate research focus on invasive carp detection. Weak proposals underestimate technology development timelines or don't specify how results will be operationalized for resource managers. Applicants often miss opportunities to partner with state/federal agencies despite strong mutual interest in outcomes.
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