Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner with Californian Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit | G23AS00367

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is this funding opportunity?

This is a US Geological Survey (USGS) discretionary cooperative agreement under the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) program. It supports national-scale work on aquatic flow science for the Climate Adaptation Science Center (CASC) Network, with a strong emphasis on data-driven synthesis and coordinated collaboration.

Who is offering the award?

The award is offered by the US Geological Survey (USGS).

What type of award is it: grant or cooperative agreement?

It is a cooperative agreement (not a standard grant). The opportunity explicitly indicates that substantial involvement from USGS is expected during project execution.

What program is this opportunity issued under?

The opportunity is issued under the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) program.

What is the main purpose of the project?

The main purpose is to accelerate national-scale aquatic flow science for climate adaptation by speeding up (1) aquatic flow-related data collection and (2) synthesis of that information into usable scientific products that can inform climate adaptation efforts across the CASC Network.

Why does the opportunity target a CESU partner?

The intent is to leverage a CESU partner organization's existing expertise, staff capacity, and research infrastructure to move faster on both data collection and synthesis than would be possible if those capabilities had to be built from scratch.

Is eligibility limited, and if so, to whom?

Yes. Eligibility is limited to "Other" applicants that are participating partners in the Californian CESU Program.

Does an applicant need to already be affiliated with a specific CESU?

Yes. The opportunity is designed for a partner organization already affiliated with the Californian CESU.

What topic area does the work focus on?

The work focuses on aquatic flow science in the context of climate adaptation, with an emphasis on understanding the future of aquatic flows under a changing climate through national-scale synthesis.

What does "national-scale work" imply in this opportunity?

Based on the description, it implies integrating information across regions and studies to produce broader, cross-cutting conclusions and scientific products, rather than focusing on a single site or a single, standalone study.

What is meant by "synthesis research" in this context?

Synthesis research here refers to integrative, cross-cutting analyses that combine and harmonize datasets, methods, and findings to generate national-scale understanding. It also includes producing usable scientific products derived from coordinated, multi-source evidence.

What is a central focus of the award?

A central focus is to strengthen and coordinate synthesis research tied to the Climate Adaptation Postdoctoral researcher cohort.

How is the recipient expected to support the postdoctoral cohort?

The recipient is expected to help postdoctoral researchers conduct integrative analyses by ensuring they have access to relevant datasets and by improving their ability to work with those datasets.

What kinds of skills are emphasized for the postdoctoral researchers?

The opportunity emphasizes environmental data science skills needed for rigorous synthesis work, specifically the ability to manage, clean, integrate, analyze, and document complex datasets in ways that support transparent, reproducible science.

What kinds of activities are explicitly required or highlighted?

The funded work is explicitly organized around convening and facilitation, including delivering a series of facilitated research workshops and synthesis working groups to coordinate approaches, align methods, and collaboratively tackle large-scale analyses.

What are the workshops and working groups intended to accomplish?

They are intended to accelerate scientific synthesis on the future of aquatic flows under a changing climate by bringing researchers together to structure collaboration, resolve data gaps, harmonize data and analytical practices, and move from fragmented information toward national-scale understanding.

Is the project expected to produce "usable scientific products"?

Yes. A stated goal is to synthesize aquatic flow-related information into usable scientific products that can inform climate adaptation efforts.

What role does data access play in this project?

Data access is central. The recipient is expected to ensure postdoctoral researchers can access relevant datasets and can effectively work with them to enable integrative, cross-cutting synthesis analyses.

What does "transparent, reproducible science" mean within the scope of this opportunity?

Within the scope described, it means managing and documenting complex datasets and analyses in a way that supports clarity, traceability, and repeatability, which is important for credible synthesis products that can inform climate adaptation decisions.

What is the CFDA number and activity category for this award?

The opportunity is listed under CFDA 15.808 and falls under the Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity category.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number?

The Funding Opportunity Number is G23AS00367.

What is the maximum award amount?

The maximum (ceiling) award amount is $374,000.

When was the notice created?

The notice was created on May 8, 2023.

What was the original closing date?

The original closing date was June 13, 2023.

Why does the opportunity emphasize convening and facilitation?

The opportunity frames convenings (workshops and synthesis working groups) as the primary mechanism for coordinating researchers, aligning methods, addressing data gaps, and enabling collaborative, national-scale synthesis that would be difficult for isolated projects to achieve.

How does this opportunity connect to the CASC Network?

The work is intended to support CASC network priorities by improving aquatic flows data collection and enabling integrative synthesis analyses that inform climate adaptation.

What is expected regarding coordination across researchers and studies?

The recipient is expected to facilitate coordination through workshops and working groups that align approaches and methods and support collaborative, cross-cutting analyses that integrate information across studies and regions.

Does the description indicate whether USGS will be involved during the project?

Yes. Because it is a cooperative agreement, the description indicates substantial involvement from USGS during project execution.

What is the overall intent of using a CESU partner for this award?

The overall intent is to use a CESU partner's convening capacity and technical skill base to support CASC network priorities by improving aquatic flows data collection, enabling large, integrative synthesis analyses, and equipping the postdoctoral cohort with practical environmental data science capabilities that make the synthesis work possible and effective.