Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Basin CESU | G19AS00075

Opportunity Information: Apply for G19AS00075

The Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Basin CESU funding opportunity (Opportunity Number G19AS00075) was a USGS Western Ecological Research Center solicitation for a single CESU partner to help develop and apply laboratory methods that can be used to evaluate the health and physiological condition of Mojave desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii), with potential applicability to other wildlife as well. The core purpose was to strengthen the ability to detect and interpret biological signals of stress, disease, and changing environmental conditions by pairing lab-based measurements with existing USGS datasets on tortoise health and habitat factors. The project was framed as collaborative work under a cooperative agreement, meaning the CESU partner would work closely with USGS scientists throughout the effort rather than operating independently.

Scientifically, the work centered on understanding how a mix of biological stressors (such as pathogen exposure, active disease processes, or dietary changes) and environmental stressors (including invasive plant impacts and habitat manipulation linked to human activities) may alter tortoise physiology. The opportunity emphasized linking specific physiological responses to real-world outcomes and conditions, including animal growth patterns, clinical health observations, disease status, and the environmental circumstances experienced by the animals. Physiological endpoints called out in the description included oxidative status, immune function, and stress-related measures, with the expectation that these indicators could help explain why tortoises in different settings or health categories may be responding differently at the molecular or cellular level.

From a methods standpoint, USGS would provide blood and other tissue samples, and the CESU partner would conduct laboratory analyses using a range of established and emerging techniques as needed to measure targeted analytes. The notice explicitly listed examples of likely lab approaches, including biochemical assays, quantitative PCR assays, Western blot assays, enzyme immunoassays, and next generation sequencing. In addition to generating new lab results, the work was designed to integrate those results with a USGS-maintained library of tortoise biological health information and environmental covariates. That integration was a key deliverable conceptually, because it allows physiological markers to be interpreted in context, compared across health and habitat classifications, and used to test whether particular stressors line up with consistent physiological signatures.

The planned work approach included a series of small pilot experiments jointly conducted by the CESU partner and USGS. These pilots were intended to refine techniques, evaluate which biomarkers and assays are most informative, and determine how well different physiological measures track with disease conditions, diet shifts, and environmental manipulations. The description also left room for the scope to evolve as findings emerged, noting that other health and environmental classifications could be considered as the work proceeded, which signals an adaptive research design rather than a rigid, single-question study.

Administratively, this was a discretionary opportunity issued by the Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, categorized under Science and Technology and other Research and Development (CFDA 15.808). It anticipated one award with a stated award ceiling of $17,625. Eligibility was limited to CESU partners (the announcement lists eligible applicants as "Others" with clarification in the eligibility text), which is consistent with CESU funding being directed to organizations within the designated cooperative research network. The opportunity was created July 8, 2019, with an original closing date of July 22, 2019, indicating a short application window typical of targeted, partner-focused research needs.

Overall, the grant opportunity was essentially about building better diagnostic and interpretive tools for desert tortoise conservation and management: developing lab techniques, generating physiological datasets from provided samples, and tying those data back to disease status and environmental pressures using USGS reference information. The longer-term value implied by the description is the ability to identify measurable molecular and cellular indicators that can serve as early warnings or explanatory mechanisms for changes in tortoise health associated with pathogens, nutrition shifts driven by altered plant communities, and human-influenced habitat changes.

• 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 Basin 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 08, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 22, 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 $17,625.00 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).

Apply for G19AS00075

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: