Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Desert Southwest CESU | G20AS00115

Opportunity Information: Apply for G20AS00115

The grant opportunity titled "Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Desert Southwest CESU" (Funding Opportunity Number G20AS00115) is a US Geological Survey (USGS) funding announcement offered through the Department of the Interior. It supports science and technology research aimed at amphibian conservation in Arizona and the broader Desert Southwest, with a primary focus on the federally threatened Chiricahua leopard frog. The work is intended to be carried out under a cooperative agreement, meaning the USGS expects to have substantial involvement in the project as it is implemented, rather than simply providing funds with minimal engagement.

This opportunity is tied to the Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI), a nationwide program funded by Congress and administered through the USGS in response to widespread concerns about global amphibian declines. ARMI's central purpose is to improve understanding of where amphibians occur, how their populations are doing over time, what factors are driving declines, and what practical actions can help reverse or slow those declines. In this specific project context, ARMI funding is directed toward applied research that can directly inform management decisions affecting amphibian persistence in the region.

The project goals center on identifying and addressing the threats facing Chiricahua leopard frogs and other amphibians considered especially important by state and federal partners. Key emphasis areas include evaluating and reducing impacts from invasive species and disease, along with producing information that helps land managers make habitat modifications that better support amphibian populations. In practice, this points to research that not only documents population status and distribution, but also translates findings into management-relevant recommendations, such as strategies for controlling invasive predators or competitors, limiting disease spread, and improving or restoring aquatic and riparian habitat conditions.

Eligibility is limited to partners within the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) network associated with the Desert Southwest CESU, with the formal eligibility category listed as "Others" and additional clarification referenced in the full eligibility text of the announcement. The opportunity was created on June 30, 2020, with an original application closing date of July 22, 2020. The USGS anticipated making one award, with an award ceiling of $30,000, indicating a relatively small, targeted research effort designed to fill a specific conservation and management need rather than support a large multi-year program.

Overall, this funding opportunity is best understood as a focused, partnership-driven research award intended to strengthen amphibian conservation outcomes in the Southwest. It seeks to connect field-based monitoring and threat assessment with actionable mitigation and habitat management guidance, using ARMI's national framework to support on-the-ground conservation for the Chiricahua leopard frog and other priority amphibian species.

• 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, Desert Southwest 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 30, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 22, 2020. (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 $30,000.00 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 G20AS00115

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