Cooperative Agreement with a partner of the Rocky Mountains Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program. | G21AS00416

Opportunity Information: Apply for G21AS00416

This grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number G21AS00416) is a discretionary cooperative agreement offered by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), specifically through the Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center (USGS-FRESC). It supports science and technology research and development (CFDA 15.808) focused on sagebrush ecosystems in the Great Basin, with the central aim of improving how land and fire managers measure and compare the real-world effectiveness of fuel breaks over time and across landscapes.

The project is built around developing an iterative, analytical framework for evaluating fuel break performance at two levels: individual fuel breaks and interconnected fuel break networks. Rather than treating fuel breaks as isolated strips on a map, the work emphasizes how networks function across spatiotemporal scales, meaning how placement, spacing, and configuration influence fire behavior under different conditions and over multiple years. The intended outcome is a defensible way to determine what "success" looks like for fuel breaks, how to quantify it, and how to weigh benefits against ecological costs in a consistent, repeatable manner.

The research plan has three main components. First, the project will identify an initial set of fuel break performance metrics by combining expert judgment, retrospective analyses of past fire events, relevant science and management literature, and information from ongoing field studies. Second, it will use modeling of potential fire behavior and fire spread to test those metrics and compare how different fuel break designs and configurations perform under a range of scenarios. Third, it will evaluate trade-offs associated with fuel break networks using a multi-factor approach, explicitly considering not only fire outcomes but also risks to valued resources. A major emphasis is placed on potential impacts to greater sage-grouse populations and their habitat, reflecting the reality that fuel treatments can reduce wildfire risk while also altering vegetation structure, habitat connectivity, and other ecological characteristics important to sensitive species.

A key theme throughout the opportunity is practical applicability for management. The work is expected to be carried out in coordination with management agencies for the duration of the project, so the products are aligned with operational needs rather than being purely academic. Deliverables are framed as usable tools, databases, and guidelines that can help practitioners design fuel break networks that reduce wildfire severity and improve firefighter and public safety, while minimizing unintended harm to wildlife and native habitats. In other words, the project is meant to help decision-makers move from general assumptions about fuel breaks to evidence-based design and evaluation methods that can be updated as new data and insights become available.

Eligibility is limited to organizations that are already participating partners in the Rocky Mountains Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program, since the award is issued under the CESU framework, which is designed to connect federal agencies with partner institutions for research, technical assistance, and education. The opportunity was created on March 23, 2021, with an original closing date of April 9, 2021. The listed award ceiling is $181,534, and the funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, which typically indicates substantial involvement and collaboration with the federal agency during the project period.

• The Geological Survey in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cooperative Agreement with a partner of the Rocky Mountains Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program." and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.808.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2021-03-23.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-04-09. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $181,534.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for G21AS00416

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