Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Lakes Northern Forests CESU | G18AS00080

Opportunity Information: Apply for G18AS00080

The Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Great Lakes Northern Forests CESU funding opportunity (Opportunity Number G18AS00080) was issued by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) within the Department of the Interior as a discretionary cooperative agreement focused on science and technology research and development (CFDA 15.808). It was created on July 25, 2018, with an original application deadline of August 10, 2018. USGS anticipated making one award, with a maximum federal funding amount (award ceiling) of $108,000. Eligibility was limited to CESU partners under the Great Lakes Northern Forests CESU network, as indicated by the listing of eligible applicants as "Others" with additional eligibility details referenced in the full notice.

The core purpose of the award was to support a CESU partner participating in a collaborative, team-based scientific effort examining nearshore nutrient dynamics in Lake Ontario during the Lake Ontario 2018 Cooperative Science and Monitoring Initiative (CSMI) year. The work is framed as directly supporting binational U.S.-Canada lake management priorities through the Lake Ontario Lakewide Action and Management Plan (LAMP). That plan identifies nearshore nutrient monitoring and research as one of the highest priorities because it feeds into a reassessment of Lake Ontario nutrient loading targets, which are the agreed-upon limits intended to manage eutrophication and related ecological impacts. In practical terms, the funded work is meant to strengthen the evidence base used by agencies on both sides of the border when deciding whether existing nutrient targets remain appropriate or need revision.

A central problem motivating the research is a documented impairment along the New York shoreline of Lake Ontario, specifically between the Niagara River and the Genesee River, where excessive growth of benthic algae has been identified as an environmental concern. The opportunity highlights Cladophora, a filamentous green alga that can form dense mats in nearshore areas when conditions favor growth, creating nuisance conditions and indicating elevated nutrient availability in some contexts. Because Cladophora growth and persistence are closely tied to nutrient supply and local physical conditions, the grant emphasizes collecting targeted field measurements that can connect nutrient dynamics to biological response.

The solicitation calls for measurements that include Cladophora nutrient content, biomass, and seasonal growth rates, along with supporting environmental data such as light availability (photosynthetically active radiation, or PAR), temperature, and other related conditions. These data are not described as an end in themselves; they are explicitly needed to support model development and improvement. In particular, the measurements are intended to underpin Lake Ontario Cladophora growth models and nutrient transport models, which can be used to better understand where nutrients are coming from, how they move through the nearshore zone, and how they translate into algal growth across seasons and locations.

Overall, this opportunity is best understood as a focused, time-bounded investment tied to a coordinated monitoring year (CSMI 2018), designed to add nearshore measurements and analysis that are immediately useful for management decisions. It leverages the CESU mechanism to bring an existing partner into a broader interagency and interdisciplinary team, with the deliverable value centered on improving monitoring, strengthening model inputs, and informing the larger binational conversation about nutrient loading targets and nearshore ecological conditions in Lake Ontario.

• The Department of the Interior, U. S. Geological Survey in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Lakes Northern Forests CESU" 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 Jul 25, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 10, 2018. (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 $108,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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