Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Colorado Plateau CESU | G19AS00059

Opportunity Information: Apply for G19AS00059

This funding opportunity (G19AS00059) comes from the Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, specifically the Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center (NOROCK), and is issued under the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) network for the Colorado Plateau. It is a discretionary award to be made as a cooperative agreement, meaning the work is expected to involve collaboration with the agency rather than being a hands-off grant. The activity falls under science and technology and other research and development (CFDA 15.808). The total amount available is modest, with an award ceiling of $15,200, and the agency anticipates making one award.

The core purpose of the project is to use and analyze existing elk blood test data to evaluate whether recent management changes at certain supplemental winter feedgrounds are actually reducing elk-to-elk transmission of brucellosis over time. The measurable outcome they care about is site-specific seroprevalence, which in this context refers to the proportion of elk that test positive for antibodies indicating exposure to Brucella at a particular feedground or location. Instead of collecting new field samples, the emphasis is on pulling together the available historical dataset(s) and applying careful statistical analysis to detect trends and differences associated with management interventions.

The project is motivated by earlier findings that brucellosis prevalence on supplemental feedgrounds has been correlated with how long feeding continues during the season. Longer feeding seasons can keep elk concentrated for extended periods, which may increase opportunities for disease spread. The opportunity also points to the underlying mechanism of transmission: elk are primarily exposed through contact with aborted fetuses or associated tissues and fluids, so anything that increases close contact rates or crowding around feeding areas can elevate risk. Prior work cited in the notice suggests that contact rates with infectious materials are tied to elk density and the style of feeding, which includes how feed is distributed across the ground and how that distribution affects aggregation and movement patterns.

In response to those concerns, managers have been experimenting for several years with changes to feeding regimes at a subset of feedgrounds. The manipulations described include adjustments to feed distribution methods and changes to the duration of the feeding season, both aimed at reducing crowding and shortening the period of intense congregation. Despite these on-the-ground changes, the notice makes clear that no one has yet conducted a formal assessment to determine whether these efforts are translating into reduced seroprevalence, and that gap is exactly what this project is meant to address.

Deliverables are explicitly tied to academic-quality research products. After the analysis is completed, the recipient is expected to produce a thesis and a completed manuscript suitable for publication, indicating the work should be rigorous enough to stand up to peer review and to inform future management decisions. In practical terms, a successful project would likely include compiling and cleaning multi-year blood test datasets, defining comparison groups (for example, feedgrounds with altered regimes versus those without), accounting for time trends and potential confounders, and testing whether changes in feeding practices correspond with measurable declines in seroprevalence at the site level.

Key administrative details include the original posting date (May 7, 2019) and original closing date (May 21, 2019), with eligibility broadly listed as "Others" and clarified through the opportunity's additional eligibility text (not included in the excerpt). Overall, it is a small, single-award research effort focused on evaluating the effectiveness of management interventions intended to reduce brucellosis transmission in elk by using existing surveillance data and producing publishable scientific outputs.

• 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, Colorado Plateau 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 07, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 21, 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 $15,200.00 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 G19AS00059

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: