Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Pacific Northwest CESU | G18AS00072

Opportunity Information: Apply for G18AS00072

The Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Pacific Northwest CESU funding opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number G18AS00072) is a small, targeted USGS research award offered by the Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, through the USGS Alaska Science Center. It is a discretionary competition that will be issued as a cooperative agreement, meaning the project is expected to involve substantial involvement and collaboration with USGS scientists or staff during the work. The opportunity falls under the Science and Technology and other Research and Development category and is listed under CFDA 15.808.

The purpose of the award is to support a CESU partner in conducting research titled "Investigating the use of stable isotopes to estimate dietary lipid intake in bears." In practical terms, the project centers on stable isotope approaches (chemical signatures in animal tissues that can be used to infer diet) to better estimate how much dietary fat, or lipid intake, bears are consuming. Because lipids can influence isotope measurements and because diet composition can shift with changing environmental conditions, this work is aimed at improving methods that translate isotope data into meaningful dietary estimates.

A key applied motivation is polar bear ecology under climate change. Polar bears depend heavily on sea ice as hunting habitat, and reduced sea ice availability can alter prey access and foraging behavior, potentially pushing bears toward different prey types, different feeding locations, or different nutritional strategies. By improving the ability to estimate lipid intake from stable isotope data, the study is intended to sharpen scientific understanding of the mechanisms polar bears may be using to respond to declining or changing sea ice habitat, including potential changes in energy intake and diet quality that can affect survival and reproduction.

Eligibility is limited to CESU partners, described in the notice as "Others" with additional eligibility details referenced in the full announcement. The anticipated award profile is a single award (Expected Awards: 1) with a maximum federal funding level (Award Ceiling) of $47,000. The opportunity was created on June 13, 2018, with an original closing date of June 27, 2018, indicating a short application window and a focused, near-term research need rather than a broad, multi-year funding program.

• 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, Pacific Northwest 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 Jun 13, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 27, 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 $47,000.00 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).

Apply for G18AS00072

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