Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, South Florida Caribbean CESU | G19AS00114

Opportunity Information: Apply for G19AS00114

The Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) South Florida Caribbean CESU grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number G19AS00114) is a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Department of the Interior funding call designed to support applied ecological research that directly informs restoration and management decisions in the Greater Everglades. Issued under CFDA 15.808 as a discretionary cooperative agreement, the opportunity is aimed at engaging a CESU partner to deliver research and technical assistance that strengthens USGS science efforts tied to Everglades restoration and broader environmental change. The work is framed around USGS priority ecosystem science needs in South Florida, with USGS groups in Davie, Florida (Greater Everglades Priority Ecosystems Science) and Gainesville, Florida (Wetland and Aquatic Research Center) identified as the primary USGS entities supporting the effort.

At its core, the opportunity focuses on understanding animal movement and habitat use in coastal and wetland systems that are being altered by restoration activities, especially changes in freshwater delivery upstream. One research theme highlighted is the movement patterns of wading birds in coastal ecosystems influenced by upstream freshwater restoration, reflecting a management need to understand how restoration-driven hydrologic shifts propagate downstream into coastal foraging areas and affect bird behavior, distribution, and potentially reproductive success. The other major theme is the spatial ecology of bobcats (Lynx rufus) in the Greater Everglades, with emphasis on how this mesopredator uses habitats across seasons and under varying hydrologic conditions, including high-water events. Together, these themes point to a broader objective: pairing field monitoring with advanced analytical approaches to reveal how restoration and hydrology shape wildlife movement, habitat selection, and ecosystem dynamics.

The USGS makes clear that the expected partner should be capable of using modern, "cutting-edge" monitoring and modeling tools. In practical terms, this typically implies expertise in contemporary wildlife tracking and observation methods (for example, telemetry, GPS tracking, automated receivers, remote sensing products, and structured field surveys) as well as quantitative modeling approaches that can translate raw movement observations into interpretable management insights (for example, habitat selection models, movement models, seasonal distribution analyses, or event-based assessments tied to water level fluctuations). The emphasis on both monitoring and modeling signals that the project is not only about collecting data, but also about producing decision-relevant interpretations that can be used during ongoing restoration planning and evaluation.

The award parameters indicate a relatively focused, single-project investment. The opportunity lists an award ceiling of $120,000 and anticipates one award, suggesting the USGS intended to fund one CESU partner for a defined scope of work rather than multiple parallel awards. The posting dates show the opportunity was created on July 10, 2019, with an original closing date of July 26, 2019, reflecting a short application window typical of targeted cooperative agreement calls under the CESU framework. Eligibility is broadly summarized as "Others" with additional eligibility clarification referenced in the full notice, but the description indicates the practical target is an approved CESU partner within the South Florida Caribbean CESU network.

In terms of why the work matters, the USGS positions the project within its larger mission of conducting ecological and hydrologic research and monitoring to support Greater Everglades restoration in collaboration with federal, state, and local partners. The agency explicitly links the research outputs to improved understanding of restoration outcomes and the ways environmental change could influence restoration success. In other words, the grant is meant to generate actionable science that helps managers anticipate and interpret ecological responses to changing water management, including shifts in wildlife movement and habitat use that may act as indicators of ecosystem condition or stress under dry-season, wet-season, and extreme high-water scenarios.

• 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, South Florida Caribbean 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 10, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 26, 2019. (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 $120,000.00 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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