Opportunity Information: Apply for G17AS00108
The Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) announced a discretionary grant opportunity under the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) network, specifically the Desert Southwest CESU, to support a collaborative research project with USGS scientists. The opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number G17AS00108; CFDA 15.808) is offered as a cooperative agreement, meaning the work is expected to be carried out in close coordination with USGS researchers rather than as a standalone, investigator-directed project. The solicitation was created on July 5, 2017, and originally closed on July 21, 2017. USGS anticipated making one award with a maximum (award ceiling) of $52,576, subject to available funds, and eligibility was limited to CESU partners (with additional eligibility specifics referenced in the full announcement text).
The core purpose of the project is to improve scientific understanding of how conifer trees grow and respond to fire and environmental variability by quantifying the timing and environmental controls of cambial activity. The cambium is the living tissue layer responsible for producing new wood and bark, and its seasonal timing and sensitivity to conditions like temperature and moisture can strongly influence tree growth, resilience, and vulnerability. Within this broader objective, the project also targets cambial damage caused by fire and aims to connect cellular-level development with the timing of fire-related wounding, which is central to interpreting fire history recorded in tree rings.
A major component of the work involves field and laboratory collaboration with USGS FORT scientists and staff at Bandelier National Monument. Researchers will collect, prepare, and analyze tree-ring microcore samples from a long-term tree-growth monitoring site at Bandelier that has been maintained for about 25 years. Microcore sampling allows fine-scale examination of wood formation as it occurs through the growing season, supporting detailed assessments of when cambial growth starts and stops and how it changes with environmental drivers. By pairing these samples with local conditions and monitoring records, the project aims to identify the environmental controls that govern cambial activity in conifers in the Desert Southwest setting.
In addition to generating new data, the opportunity places strong emphasis on long-term stewardship of existing research materials. The project includes permanently archiving existing tree-ring fire scar samples in the only federally recognized repository for dendrochronology-based research specimens. This archiving element is intended to preserve irreplaceable samples, maintain their scientific value over time, and make them accessible for future work, including re-analysis with improved methods and broader meta-analyses that combine datasets across studies and regions.
If funding allows, the project also extends to analyzing samples from experimentally fire-scarred trees. That additional work is designed to quantify the timing of cellular development relative to cambial wounding by fire, helping clarify when scars form within a growing season and how tree physiological state influences scar characteristics. This kind of information can improve interpretation of fire scar records used to reconstruct past fire regimes and can strengthen the practical utility of tree-ring evidence for modern fire and fuels management decisions.
Overall, the expected outcomes include improved predictions of how trees and forests may respond to climate change and shifting fire regimes, better scientific grounding for understanding fire scar formation and how reliably it records fire events, and the long-term preservation and availability of tree-ring specimens for the broader research community. By combining ongoing field monitoring at Bandelier, detailed micro-anatomical analysis of wood formation, and formal archival of key dendrochronology samples, the project is structured to deliver both near-term findings and long-lasting research infrastructure benefits.Apply for G17AS00108
- The Department of the Interior, 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 Jul 05, 2017.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 21, 2017. (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 $52,576.00 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).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What agency is offering this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is offered by the Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
What is the program or network associated with this funding?
This is a discretionary grant opportunity under the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) network, specifically the Desert Southwest CESU.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number and CFDA number?
The Funding Opportunity Number is G17AS00108, and the CFDA number is 15.808.
What type of award is anticipated?
The solicitation is offered as a cooperative agreement, which indicates the work is expected to be carried out in close coordination with USGS researchers.
What does it mean that this opportunity is a cooperative agreement?
Based on the announcement, a cooperative agreement means the project is not intended to be a standalone, investigator-directed effort. Instead, the funded work is expected to be completed collaboratively and in close coordination with USGS scientists.
When was the solicitation created and when did it close?
The solicitation was created on July 5, 2017, and it originally closed on July 21, 2017.
How many awards did USGS anticipate making?
USGS anticipated making one award.
What was the maximum award amount?
The maximum (award ceiling) was $52,576, subject to the availability of funds.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was limited to CESU partners. The announcement notes that additional eligibility specifics were referenced in the full announcement text.
What is the main scientific purpose of the project?
The core purpose is to improve scientific understanding of how conifer trees grow and respond to fire and environmental variability by quantifying the timing and environmental controls of cambial activity.
What is the cambium, and why is it important in this project?
The cambium is the living tissue layer in trees responsible for producing new wood and bark. Its seasonal timing and sensitivity to environmental conditions such as temperature and moisture can strongly influence tree growth, resilience, and vulnerability, which is why the project focuses on measuring cambial activity.
How does the project relate to fire impacts on trees?
Within the broader goal of understanding cambial activity, the project specifically targets cambial damage caused by fire and seeks to connect cellular-level development with the timing of fire-related wounding. This is important for interpreting fire history recorded in tree rings.
Where will the field and laboratory work take place?
The work involves collaboration with USGS FORT scientists and staff at Bandelier National Monument, including field and laboratory components tied to a long-term monitoring site at Bandelier.
What kinds of samples will be collected and analyzed?
Researchers will collect, prepare, and analyze tree-ring microcore samples from a long-term tree-growth monitoring site.
What is microcore sampling and what does it allow researchers to measure?
Microcore sampling allows fine-scale examination of wood formation as it occurs through the growing season. In this project, it supports detailed assessments of when cambial growth starts and stops and how cambial activity changes with environmental drivers.
How long has the monitoring site been maintained?
The tree-growth monitoring site at Bandelier referenced in the announcement has been maintained for about 25 years.
How will environmental conditions be used in the study?
The project plans to pair microcore sample results with local conditions and monitoring records to identify the environmental controls that govern cambial activity in conifers in the Desert Southwest.
Is there an archiving or data stewardship component to the project?
Yes. The opportunity emphasizes long-term stewardship of existing research materials, including permanently archiving existing tree-ring fire scar samples.
Where will the existing fire scar samples be archived?
The project includes permanently archiving existing tree-ring fire scar samples in the only federally recognized repository for dendrochronology-based research specimens.
Why is the archiving component included?
The stated purpose is to preserve irreplaceable samples, maintain their scientific value over time, and make them accessible for future work. This includes potential re-analysis with improved methods and broader meta-analyses combining datasets across studies and regions.
Does the project include any work on experimentally fire-scarred trees?
If funding allows, the project may extend to analyzing samples from experimentally fire-scarred trees.
What is the goal of analyzing experimentally fire-scarred tree samples?
The goal is to quantify the timing of cellular development relative to cambial wounding by fire, helping clarify when scars form within a growing season and how tree physiological state influences scar characteristics.
How can this work improve interpretation of fire history from tree rings?
By linking cellular development and the timing of cambial wounding, the project aims to improve understanding of how and when fire scars form. This can strengthen how reliably fire scar records are used to reconstruct past fire regimes.
What are the expected outcomes of the project?
Expected outcomes include improved predictions of how trees and forests may respond to climate change and shifting fire regimes, improved scientific grounding for understanding fire scar formation, and long-term preservation and availability of tree-ring specimens for the broader research community.
How does the long-term monitoring at Bandelier contribute to the project?
The long-term monitoring site provides an established record and field setting for collecting and interpreting microcore samples, enabling detailed analysis of seasonal wood formation alongside local conditions and monitoring records.
What makes this project collaborative?
The announcement describes it as a collaborative research project with USGS scientists, including coordination with USGS FORT scientists and staff at Bandelier National Monument, consistent with the cooperative agreement structure.
What broader management or applied value is described?
The announcement notes that clarifying fire scar formation and improving interpretation of fire scar records can strengthen the practical utility of tree-ring evidence for modern fire and fuels management decisions.
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