Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner with Colorado Plateau Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) | G23AS00355

Opportunity Information: Apply for G23AS00355

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), through its Southwest Biological Science Center (SBSC), is offering a discretionary cooperative agreement to support work focused on assessing vegetation and other wildfire fuel loads across the southwestern United States using light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technologies. The effort is framed as applied science and technology research and development, with the practical aim of improving understanding and measurement of fuels that influence wildfire behavior, risk, and management decisions in the region. Because the award is a cooperative agreement rather than a standard grant, the project is expected to involve substantial collaboration and coordination with USGS during the period of performance, which often includes shared technical input, iterative planning, and regular communication on methods, data, and deliverables.

This opportunity is being issued under the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program, which is a national network of partnerships designed to connect federal agencies with universities, tribes, state and local governments, and other organizations for research, technical assistance, and education. In this case, eligibility is restricted to organizations that are already formal partners in the Colorado Plateau Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU), meaning applicants must be participating members of that specific CESU consortium to be considered. The program structure is intended to streamline collaboration and leverage specialized expertise among established partners, which fits the technical nature of LiDAR-based fuel assessment.

The funding opportunity is identified as "Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner with Colorado Plateau Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU)" with Funding Opportunity Number G23AS00355. It is administered by the Geological Survey (USGS) under CFDA 15.808, and it falls within the "Science and Technology and other Research and Development" activity category. The maximum funding amount listed for a single award is $115,000 (award ceiling), indicating a modestly sized project intended to produce targeted analytical outcomes, data products, or technical assistance rather than a large multi-year program. The posting shows an original application closing date of May 29, 2023, and a creation date of April 27, 2023, situating it as a time-limited competitive opportunity released in spring 2023.

In practical terms, the work supported by this award would center on using LiDAR, a remote sensing approach that can capture detailed three-dimensional structure of vegetation and terrain, to help quantify or model fuel loads. In wildfire-related contexts, LiDAR-derived measurements are often used to estimate canopy height, canopy base height, canopy bulk density proxies, understory structure, and other attributes relevant to fire behavior and fuel treatments. While the notice does not list specific deliverables in the provided text, the stated purpose makes clear that the funded partner will provide technical assistance and analytical support to improve fuel load assessment capabilities in the Southwest, likely producing datasets, processing workflows, summaries, or decision-support information that can be used by USGS and land management partners.

Overall, this is a targeted USGS SBSC cooperative agreement aimed at advancing LiDAR-based methods for assessing wildfire fuels in the southwestern U.S., offered only to Colorado Plateau CESU partners, with funding up to $115,000 and an application deadline originally set for late May 2023.

• The Geological Survey in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner with Colorado Plateau Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (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 2023-04-27.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-05-29. (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 $115,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for G23AS00355

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