Cooperative Agreement for affiliated Partner with Rocky Mountain Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit
This cooperative agreement funds a Rocky Mountain CESU partner to conduct ecological research and modeling on wildlife-habitat relationships, population dynamics, and conservation risks in western rangelands and alpine ecosystems.
⚑ Eligible applicants must be participating partners of the Rocky Mountain Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU). · Cooperative agreement under the CESU program; work is collaborative with USGS. · Award ceiling is $490,000.
This is wildlife ecology, habitat-selection, and population-demography work on birds and ungulates, with some disease ecology and alpine ecosystem monitoring. It is far outside IPPRA’s social-behavioral, risk-perception, policy, and warning-communication portfolio, so this team would not plausibly pursue it as a PI-led grant.
JUDGED AGAINST THE ROSTER'S PUBLICATION DOSSIER · GPT-5.4-MINI · 2026-11-03
Unit fits — one characterization, each unit's own rules
| Physical Sciences & Engineering (demo) | 70 strong | technical depth: substantial; funds applied research |
| IPPRA | 45 partial | portfolio topics: environment, public_health (primary); social/behavioral work is none; funds applied research; capped at 45 (limited social-science role) |
| Tom Love Innovation Hub | 25 weak | funds applied research; deep-tech content |
Description
The U.S. Geological Survey is offering a funding opportunity to a CESU partner to develop scientific tools to collaborative research that evaluates ecological and population risks across western rangelands and alpine ecosystems. This research to understanding animal-habitat relationships, assessing resource selection and population demography of birds and ungulates within grassland, shrubland, and alpine ecosystems. This work could focuses on how sage-grouse and sagebrush and grassland songbirds respond to land-use changes, ranging from vegetation treatments and other disturbances, helping inform conservation and a management and planning efforts of sagebrush habitats and wildlife species of conservation concern. Proposed work could also build upon ongoing work that has also modeled resource selection and population dynamics of ungulates, helping to assess spread of diseases like CWD. Such research could expand current efforts using simulation modeling and expand to new geographies. Work is also require to maintain long-term research in the alpine of Colorado to assess population dynamics and resource needs for white-tailed ptarmigan across seasons, as well as assessing plasticity and potential for genetic adaptation, assessing the risk of threats to these species.
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 <rachel_miller@ios.doi.gov>
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