Cooperative Agreement for affiliated Partner with Rocky Mountain Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit
USGS will fund a CESU-affiliated research synthesis project that maps spatial risk from aquatic contaminants to insectivorous birds for a participating partner of the Rocky Mountain Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit.
⚑ Eligible applicants must be participating partners of the Rocky Mountain Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit. · CESU mechanism/cooperative agreement; project is a research synthesis led through the CESU affiliation. · Award ceiling $100,000.
This is an environmental/ecological contaminant-risk synthesis for wildlife biology and habitat management, not the team’s social-science, survey, risk-perception, warning, or policy-evaluation portfolio. It is also not centered on public opinion, communication, or human decision-making, so there is no clear PI-level fit for IPPRA.
JUDGED AGAINST THE ROSTER'S PUBLICATION DOSSIER · GPT-5.4-MINI · 2026-10-15
Unit fits — one characterization, each unit's own rules
| Physical Sciences & Engineering (demo) | 70 strong | technical depth: substantial; funds basic research |
| IPPRA | 45 partial | portfolio topic: environment (primary); social/behavioral work is none; funds basic research; biomedical core — IPPRA health lane is communication/crisis/policy (capped); capped at 45 (limited social-science role) |
| Tom Love Innovation Hub | 15 none | deep-tech content; no commercialization signal |
Description
U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) Powell Center solicits research on "A spatially explicit framework to assess the risk of aquatic contaminants to insectivorous birds." This project will predict how contaminant and nutrient fluxes by adult aquatic insects contribute to a landscape of risk for aerial insectivorous birds. The research synthesis project will map areas of elevated risk for aerial insectivorous birds across the U.S. and Europe from contaminant effects on aquatic insect prey. Specifically, this project will elucidate the spatial patterns of risk due to prey loss and contaminant exposure through diet. This synthesis will enhance understanding of the spatial extent of aquatic contaminant fates and the impacts of those contaminants on aerial insectivores. This work will support species and habitat management by equipping decision makers with the tools to anticipate where and to what extent aquatic-borne contaminants and their (re)distribution across the landscape pose risks to environmental health at local, regional, and continental scales.
Eligibility
This financial assistance opportunity is being issued under a Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) Program. CESU's are partnerships that provide research, technical assistance, and education. Eligible recipients must be a participating partner of the Rocky Mountain Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit.
Apply
View on Grants.gov → CONTACT: Geological Survey <katherine_calder@ios.doi.gov>
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