Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Colorado Plateau CESu | G19AS00120

Opportunity Information: Apply for G19AS00120

The Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) grant opportunity titled "Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Colorado Plateau CESu" (Funding Opportunity Number G19AS00120) is a US Geological Survey (USGS) discretionary funding announcement issued by the Department of the Interior. Managed through the USGS Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center (NOROCK), it supports science and technology research under CFDA 15.808 and is offered as a cooperative agreement, meaning the work is expected to be carried out with substantial collaboration between the recipient and federal partners.

The core purpose of the project is to improve understanding of how climate-driven reductions in streamflow, including drought conditions and declining summer baseflows, affect native cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkia subspecies) in the northern Rocky Mountains, and how those effects may be intensified by interactions with invasive fishes. Cutthroat trout populations in this region represent important strongholds for multiple subspecies and are valued not just ecologically, but also for recreation, local economies, and cultural and social reasons. At the same time, managers are seeing two pressures move in parallel: streamflows trending downward during critical summer periods, and invasive fish species continuing to expand their range and abundance. The grant is framed around a practical management need: agencies have to prioritize where to invest limited conservation resources, yet there is still not enough information to reliably predict how changing discharge regimes will influence cutthroat trout growth, body condition, and survival, especially in systems where invasive competitors or predators are present.

A major emphasis of the proposed research is on invasive brown trout (Salmo trutta), a species native to Europe and Asia that has been widely introduced and is now established across many western US waters. The project is designed to examine how brown trout may affect cutthroat trout directly or indirectly, and whether brown trout presence worsens the impacts of low-flow conditions. In other words, the study is not only asking "What does reduced streamflow do to cutthroat trout?" but also "Does reduced streamflow change the competitive balance or other ecological interactions in ways that further disadvantage cutthroat trout when brown trout are present?" That interaction component is highlighted as a key uncertainty that currently limits decision-making.

The work is expected to use a mix of field data collection and experimental approaches in Montana, allowing the team to connect real-world stream conditions and fish responses with more controlled tests that can isolate mechanisms. The deliverables are structured around graduate research: the announcement specifically calls for recruiting a masters student to develop a proposal in collaboration with federal and state partners, evaluate potential study designs, and carry the research through to completion. Final products are expected to include a masters thesis and at least one peer-reviewed scientific manuscript. A central technical outcome is the development of statistical models that describe how reductions in streamflow influence cutthroat trout growth, condition, and survival, and how those relationships may change in the presence of invasive brown trout. These models are meant to produce actionable insights that resource managers can use when considering flow management, habitat actions, invasive species control, or prioritization among populations and watersheds.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity anticipated a single award with an award ceiling of $50,000. It was originally posted on July 10, 2019, with an original closing date of July 26, 2019. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others" with additional clarification typically provided in the full eligibility text (often meaning the competition is limited to or prefers certain CESU network members, academic institutions, or other specified partners, depending on the program rules). Overall, the grant is aimed at generating applied, management-relevant science on native trout conservation under increasing drought stress and biological invasion pressure, using collaborative research that directly supports state and federal fisheries management decisions in the northern Rocky Mountains.

• 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, Colorado Plateau 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 $50,000.00 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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