Cooperative Agreement for affiliated Partner with the Colorado Plateau 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 research partners affiliated with the Colorado Plateau Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit. Only organizations already participating in the CESU program may apply. Projects must advance administration priorities like energy dominance, water security, and natural hazard preparedness. Eligible activities include research on climate adaptation, ecosystem resilience, and natural resource management, particularly addressing drought, wildfire, invasive species, and geologic hazards across the Colorado Plateau region.
The award supports competitive financial assistance research through a cooperative agreement mechanism. Applicants must be established CESU partners with capacity to conduct scientific research and produce actionable science for resource managers. Projects should demonstrate relevance to federal priorities and provide tangible outcomes for land management and stakeholder decision-making.
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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 financial assistance research 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.
Emory oak acorns are an important cultural resource for Tribes in the Southwest, and oak woodlands provide key habitat and forage for wildlife, including game species. Charcoal canker, an invasive fungal pathogen, worsens the harmful impacts of prolonged drought and altered fire regimes on Emory oak, resulting in lower acorn yields and higher oak mortality. This project will use data from 100 long-term Emory oak monitoring sites across Arizona to assess the prevalence of charcoal canker, how it relates to oak mortality, and the conditions that affect infection and tree death. Spatial modeling will produce maps that predict where drought and pathogen interactions could threaten the survival of Emory oak under future conditions. Managers can use these maps to identify areas of higher or lower resilience within existing Emory oak woodlands, helping prioritize conservation efforts and wildfire management to safeguard areas where Emory oak has a higher chance of persisting despite intensifying stressors. This project will provide science-based evidence for managing emerging pathogens, supporting EO 14313 – Establishing the President’s Make America Beautiful Again Commission (July 3, 2025); improve habitat for game species in line with 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); offer insights for safeguarding timber resources in support of EO 14225 – Immediate Expansion of American Timber Production (March 1, 2025); and provide scientific evidence to inform wildfire preparedness, in accordance with EO 14239 -Achieving Efficiency Through State and Local Preparedness (March 19, 2025). Finally, this work demonstrates the Department of the Interior’s ongoing commitment to trust responsibilities.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
Demographic focus
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- CESU Partner affiliation verification
- Project Narrative/Research Plan
- Budget and Budget Justification
- Management Plan
- CV or qualifications of lead researcher
- Letters of support from partner institutions
- Data management plan
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 current partners of the Colorado Plateau Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit can apply. You must already be an affiliated member of this CESU program.
What types of research projects are funded?
Projects addressing climate adaptation, ecosystem resilience, water security, energy resources, and natural hazards. Wildfire, drought, invasive species, and geologic hazards are priority topics.
What is the award range?
Awards range from $1 to $360,000. Total funding available is $360,000 for this round.
Is cost-sharing required?
No, cost-sharing is not required for this grant. However, the application should demonstrate strong institutional support.
When is the deadline?
The deadline is November 30, 2026. This is a fixed, non-rolling deadline.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Ensure your organization is already an active Colorado Plateau CESU partner before starting the application. Non-partners are ineligible.
- Align your project clearly with one or more administration priorities listed in the NOFO (energy, water security, natural hazards, infrastructure resilience).
- Develop a strong connection between scientific research outputs and practical management applications for end-users.
- Use concrete examples of how your results will inform resource management decisions by land managers or tribal stakeholders.
- Demonstrate institutional commitment through letters of support and clear roles for all partnering organizations.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Applications fail when organizations are not pre-qualified as CESU partners or fail to demonstrate how research outputs translate to actionable science for managers. Projects lacking clear alignment with stated administration priorities (energy dominance, water security, natural hazards preparedness) score poorly. Weak planning for dissemination to end-users or vague management applications hurt competitiveness.
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