Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Californian CESU | G18AS00099

Opportunity Information: Apply for G18AS00099

The Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Californian CESU funding opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number G18AS00099) is a discretionary U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) research award issued by the Department of the Interior. It is structured as a cooperative agreement, which typically means the USGS expects to be actively involved during the project rather than simply providing funds and receiving final deliverables. The opportunity sits in the Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity area (CFDA 15.808) and was created on July 31, 2018, with an original closing date of August 14, 2018.

At its core, the project aims to make environmental data collection better in two practical ways: accuracy and timeliness. The USGS is looking for a CESU partner to explore and apply emerging technologies that can improve how quickly environmental measurements are captured, transmitted, and made usable, while also ensuring those measurements are reliable. A major emphasis is on validation through field studies, meaning the work is not limited to lab prototyping or conceptual design. The awardee is expected to demonstrate that the proposed improvements hold up under real-world conditions where environmental monitoring actually happens.

A central technical theme of the opportunity is the co-development of hardware and software to connect a wide range of environmental sensors to a shared data system. The envisioned outcome is a wireless linkage from many different sensor types into a central sensor data repository. In addition to moving data from the field to a central location, the system is expected to include visualization tools that support multiple scientific use cases. In other words, the project is not just about building a communications pipeline; it is also about making the resulting data stream interpretable and useful for researchers working across different kinds of environmental investigations.

The funding details indicate a relatively focused, single-project award. The maximum award amount (ceiling) is $119,000, and USGS anticipated making one award. Eligibility is limited to partners within the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit network (the listing notes “Others,” with clarification provided in the full eligibility text), which generally means institutions that are already established participants in the Californian CESU partnership framework.

In summary, this grant supports a collaborative USGS-partner effort to modernize environmental monitoring by designing and testing an integrated, wireless sensor-to-repository system, paired with visualization capabilities, and proving its value through field validation. The overall intent is to reduce delays between measurement and insight, improve data quality, and make environmental sensor information easier to access and apply across a range of scientific studies.

• 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, Californian 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 31, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 14, 2018. (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 $119,000.00 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 G18AS00099

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