Cooperative Agreement for affiliated Partner with the Pacific Northwest 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 partner organizations conducting aquatic and watershed research in the Pacific Northwest. Only participating partners of the Pacific Northwest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit are eligible to apply. The project focuses on analyzing long-term monitoring data and watershed condition trends within the Northwest Forest Plan area. Funded work must support adaptive management, recreational access, and water quality goals established by the Department of Interior.
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Program description
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is offering a funding opportunity to a CESU partner for research to analyze, synthesize, and interpret the latest aquatic monitoring data to quantify management-related changes in in-stream and upslope indicators of instream and watershed condition within the Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) area. This project will use the best available science and reproducible analytical methods to evaluate long-term trends, identify ecological thresholds, and support adaptive management.
Project activities will be conducted in collaboration with interagency Northwest Forest Plan partners and be focused on long-term monitoring data collected and curated by the NWFP’s Aquatic and Riparian Effectiveness Monitoring Program (AREMP). The project will build on the foundation of data and analytical methods developed in the interagency 25-year report on watershed condition status and trends.
The proposed work will provide critical information about recreational opportunities, water quality, expanded hunting and fishing access, and help support goals in the following:
DOI Secretarial Order 3435 – Implementation of the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences Act (June 25, 2025)
DOI Secretarial Order 3442 – Land and Water Conservation Fund Implementation by the U.S. Department of the Interior (September 4, 2025)
DOI Secretarial Order 3447 – Expanding Hunting and Fishing Access, Removing Unnecessary Barriers, and Ensuring Consistency Across the Department of the Interior Lands and Waters (January 7, 2026)
How to apply
Application links
Required documents
- SF-424 (federal application form)
- Project Narrative
- Budget and Budget Justification
- CESU partnership verification
- Data management plan
- Resumes of key personnel
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
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$240,000,000
-
$11,148,115
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$10,533,234
-
$10,055,533
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$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 for this grant?
Only organizations that are official partners of the Pacific Northwest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit can apply. Your organization must have an existing partnership agreement with the CESU.
What geographic area does this cover?
The project must focus on the Northwest Forest Plan area, primarily in the Pacific Northwest region.
What kind of research activities are supported?
The grant funds analysis and synthesis of aquatic monitoring data, watershed trend evaluation, ecological threshold identification, and support for adaptive management decision-making.
What is the funding range?
Awards typically range from $1 to $300,000, though actual award amounts vary based on project scope and available funds.
When is the deadline?
The deadline is November 30, 2026. This is a fixed deadline, not rolling.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Start by confirming your organization's CESU partnership status before developing your application. Missing this eligibility requirement is an automatic disqualification.
- Ground your proposal in existing AREMP data and the 25-year watershed condition report. Reviewers expect continuity with prior analytical work.
- Connect your work explicitly to the three DOI Secretarial Orders cited in the RFP. Show how your project advances outdoor recreation, conservation funding, or hunting and fishing access.
- Use reproducible analytical methods and best available science. Proposals must clearly document data provenance and statistical approaches.
- Address both instream and upslope indicators. Comprehensive watershed evaluation is more competitive than single-focus monitoring.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Applicants who are not official CESU Pacific Northwest partners waste effort applying—verify partnership status first. Proposals that ignore the three DOI Secretarial Orders miss the policy context reviewers expect. Poor documentation of analytical methods or failure to build on prior AREMP work signals weak scientific rigor.
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