Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner with Great Lakes – Northern Forest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit | G24AS00322

FAQs: USGS Great Lakes Science Center Cooperative Agreement (G24AS00322)

What is the funding opportunity number for this award?

The funding opportunity number is G24AS00322.

Which federal agency is offering this opportunity?

The opportunity is offered by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), identified in the notice as the Geological Survey.

Which USGS office or center is involved?

The opportunity is issued through the USGS Great Lakes Science Center (GLSC).

What type of funding instrument is this?

This opportunity is a discretionary cooperative agreement, not a standard grant.

How is a cooperative agreement different from a standard grant in this context?

Based on the description provided, the cooperative agreement format means there is an expectation of active collaboration with USGS scientists and participation in a coordinated team effort, rather than a standalone project conducted independently by the partner.

What program is this opportunity associated with?

This award is part of the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program.

What is the purpose of the CESU Program as described here?

The CESU Program is described as being built around formal partnerships that help federal agencies and partners deliver applied research, technical assistance, and education tied to natural and cultural resource management.

What is the main research focus of this opportunity?

The project supports participation in a collaborative research team investigating lake trout reproductive health, with a particular focus on how thiamine deficiency syndrome affects reproduction across the Great Lakes Basin.

What biological problem is the project trying to address?

The central scientific problem is thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency in lake trout, which is linked to reduced egg viability and poor larval survival.

What does the opportunity say about the cause of thiamine deficiency?

The description points to evidence that dietary thiaminase (an enzyme that breaks down thiamine) can contribute to thiamine deficiency, creating a barrier to successful recruitment of young fish into the population.

Why is this research important for lake trout management and restoration?

The opportunity frames thiamine-related early-life mortality as a potential biological bottleneck that can undermine restoration efforts, even when other management actions (like stocking, habitat work, or harvest controls) are in place.

Which waters or regions are specifically referenced as priorities?

The notice highlights lake trout as a high-priority species in restoration and management plans across Lakes Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario, and Champlain.

What is the funding activity category for this opportunity?

The funding activity category is listed as Science and Technology and other Research and Development.

What is the Assistance Listing / CFDA number given in the notice?

The assistance listing is CFDA 15.808.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is narrow: applicants must be participating partners in the Great Lakes - Northern Forests CESU Program.

Is this opportunity open to the general public or to any university or nonprofit?

No. As described, the competition is limited to the formal CESU partner network (specifically the Great Lakes - Northern Forests CESU). It is not described as open to the general public.

What is the eligible applicant category listed?

The eligible applicant category is shown as "Others", and the description explains that in CESU contexts this typically reflects the limitation to CESU partners rather than broad public eligibility.

What is the award ceiling?

The notice lists an award ceiling of $70,000.

How many awards will be made?

The provided information does not specify the number of expected awards. It notes that the posting does not indicate an expected number, which may imply a single award or that the number was not specified in the excerpt.

What are the key dates mentioned in the notice?

The opportunity was created on 2024-03-27 and had an original closing date of 2024-04-29.

What kind of work might be included under the project (based on the emphasis described)?

While the excerpt does not provide a full scope of work, the emphasis on lake trout reproductive health and thiamine deficiency suggests work that could include field and laboratory components, such as assessing thiamine status in adult females and eggs, evaluating reproductive metrics, and linking diet or prey composition to thiaminase exposure and early-life-stage outcomes, with the goal of informing basin-wide management and restoration decisions.

What is the overall goal of the project as described?

The overall goal is targeted support for a CESU partner to contribute expertise and capacity to a USGS-led collaborative research effort focused on understanding and reducing the impacts of thiamine deficiency on lake trout reproduction and early survival, with direct relevance to Great Lakes basin restoration objectives.