Cooperative Agreement for affiliated Partner with Alaska Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit
USGS will fund a CESU partner to develop an integrated population model and Bayesian population viability analysis for the Atlantic Coast population of Piping Plovers.
⚑ Eligibility is limited to participating partners of the Alaska Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU). · USGS cooperative agreement; award requires CESU partnership status, not open to all universities. · Focus is quantitative population modeling/viability analysis for a threatened bird species; no direct management implementation funding described.
This is species-conservation population modeling for a threatened shorebird, centered on IPMs/BPVA and wildlife management. IPPRA’s work is social-behavioral risk, policy, and public opinion research, so this is outside the team’s core program except for very indirect climate/hazard context.
JUDGED AGAINST THE ROSTER'S PUBLICATION DOSSIER · GPT-5.4-MINI · 2026-11-06
Unit fits — one characterization, each unit's own rules
| Physical Sciences & Engineering (demo) | 65 good | technical depth: substantial; funds applied research |
| IPPRA | 45 partial | portfolio topics: environment, climate_weather (primary); social/behavioral work is none; funds applied research; university can only partner, not lead; biomedical core — IPPRA health lane is communication/crisis/policy (capped); capped at 45 (limited social-science role) |
| Tom Love Innovation Hub | 30 weak | funds applied research; deep-tech content |
Description
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is offering a funding opportunity to a CESU partner for research to develop an integrated population model (IPM) and conduct a Bayesian Population Viability Analysis (BPVA) for the Atlantic Coast population of Piping Plovers. Listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1986, the Atlantic Coast population comprises four recovery units (Atlantic Canada, New England, Mid-Atlantic, and Southern states). Although intensive management has contributed to population growth, recovery has been uneven among units, and some have not grown despite years of targeted management and monitoring. Ongoing threats include habitat loss and degradation, predation, and human disturbance. Emerging challenges include habitat alteration driven by environmental change, including sea level rise and increased storm frequency. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service requires reliable quantitative tools to assess the effects of these threats on the resilience, redundancy, and adaptive capacity of the Atlantic Coast population.
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 Alaska Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit.
Apply
View on Grants.gov → CONTACT: Geological Survey <katherine_calder@ios.doi.gov>
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