Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Lakes Northern Forests CESU | G19AS00052

Opportunity Information: Apply for G19AS00052

This grant opportunity, titled "Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Lakes Northern Forests CESU" (Funding Opportunity Number G19AS00052), was offered by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) within the Department of the Interior. It was set up as a discretionary award using a cooperative agreement, meaning the selected recipient would typically work in close coordination with USGS staff rather than operating fully independently. The work falls under the Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity category and is associated with CFDA number 15.808.

The project focus is on white-nose syndrome (WNS), a major emerging wildlife disease that has caused severe declines in North American hibernating bat populations. WNS is caused by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans, and one of the key scientific challenges is that not all bat species are affected in the same way. Some species experience higher mortality and more severe disease impacts than others, and understanding why that variation exists is important for both conservation and management.

USGS, through its National Wildlife Health Center, sought a CESU partner to conduct research using second-generation (next-generation) sequencing to analyze the bat skin microbiome. The goal is to examine how the structure of the microbiome and the specific species composition of microorganisms, especially fungal communities living on bat skin, relates to a bat's susceptibility or resistance to WNS. Prior findings motivating the work indicate that fungal communities on bat skin are strongly correlated with resistance to WNS, suggesting that microbiome differences could help explain why some bat species fare better than others when exposed to the pathogen.

A central practical reason for funding this research is that wildlife managers and other decision makers often have to respond quickly to emerging diseases with limited information about the disease's ecology and pathology. WNS is highlighted as an example of an emerging disease that creates urgent concern because of its potential to rapidly reduce wildlife populations. By improving understanding of how microbiome characteristics relate to disease susceptibility, the project is intended to support the development of models that can predict which hosts are most vulnerable. Those predictive models can help agencies prioritize monitoring, target management actions, and allocate limited conservation resources more effectively in the face of ongoing and future disease threats.

In terms of funding details, the opportunity anticipated a single award with an award ceiling of $74,111. The opportunity was created on May 6, 2019, with an original closing date of May 20, 2019. Eligibility was limited to CESU partners, with the official listing indicating "Others" and directing applicants to the additional eligibility information for clarification, which is typical for CESU-specific competitions where participation is restricted to members of that cooperative network.

• 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, Great Lakes Northern Forests 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 May 06, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 20, 2019. (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 $74,111.00 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 G19AS00052

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