Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Lakes Northern Forests CESU | G19AS00030

Opportunity Information: Apply for G19AS00030

The Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Lakes Northern Forests CESU (Funding Opportunity Number G19AS00030) is a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Great Lakes Science Center funding opportunity focused on food-web research in Lake Huron. The project is designed to improve understanding of how the trophic niche (what organisms eat and where they sit in the food web) of key planktivorous fish has shifted as the zooplankton community in Lake Huron has changed over roughly the last decade. In practical terms, the work centers on analyzing what these fish are eating and what those diet patterns say about energy flow through the lake ecosystem, linking lower food-web components (like zooplankton) to higher levels (fish and beyond). This directly aligns with Lake Partnership priorities around understanding energy transfer and nutrient cycling, and how changes at the base of the food web ripple upward.

The research uses fish collected during the 2017 sampling year, with two main scientific objectives. First, the recipient is expected to conduct detailed diet analyses for three focal planktivores: cisco, bloater, and rainbow smelt. Second, the work must quantify how much these species overlap in what they consume (diet overlap) and then explain differences in diet based on where and when fish were collected and how big the fish are. That means interpreting diet variation across spatial patterns (different parts of Lake Huron), temporal patterns (timing within the sampling season or across sampling events), and ontogenetic patterns (changes associated with fish size, which often corresponds to age and feeding capability). The underlying intent is to clarify whether these species are competing for the same prey, partitioning resources, or shifting to different prey types as the zooplankton community changes.

Administratively, this is a discretionary opportunity offered by the U.S. Department of the Interior through the USGS, and the award mechanism is a cooperative agreement, which typically indicates the agency expects to have substantial involvement during the project (for example, coordination on methods, data sharing, or interpretation). The funding activity category is Science and Technology and other Research and Development, under CFDA number 15.808. The opportunity anticipated a single award (Expected Awards: 1) with an award ceiling of $48,057, indicating a relatively focused, targeted research effort rather than a large multi-year program.

The solicitation was created on February 25, 2019, with an original closing date of March 15, 2019. Eligibility is listed as "Others," with additional eligibility details referenced in the full announcement (not included in the text provided), which is common for CESU opportunities where membership in the relevant CESU network or specific partner categories may shape who can apply. Overall, the opportunity is best understood as a small, specialized applied research project that uses existing 2017 fish samples to produce diet-based insights into changing predator-prey relationships in Lake Huron and to improve understanding of ecosystem energy pathways as lower food-web communities continue to shift.

• 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 Feb 25, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 15, 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 $48,057.00 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 G19AS00030

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