Cooperative Agreement for affiliated Partner with the Pacific Northwest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit | G26AS00059

Opportunity Information: Apply for G26AS00059

This funding opportunity is a discretionary US Geological Survey (USGS) cooperative agreement aimed specifically at an affiliated partner within the Pacific Northwest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU). The project focus is applied research and data analysis related to bat distribution, bat activity patterns, and bat disease status on two US Navy installations in the Pacific Northwest region: Jim Creek Naval Radio Station in Washington and the Bayview Acoustic Research Detachment in Idaho. The work is intended to help the Navy and USGS better understand how bats use these managed landscapes and to strengthen broader regional knowledge of bat populations in the western United States, where bat activity and population dynamics are still less well characterized than in many other parts of the country.

A central driver of the work is the growing concern over white-nose syndrome (WNS), a disease caused by the fungal pathogen Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd). WNS has led to severe declines in bat populations elsewhere in the United States, and the spread of Pd raises urgent questions about whether bats on these two Navy properties show evidence of the pathogen or disease impacts. Because bats provide important ecosystem services, including insect population control and broader contributions to ecosystem function, understanding where bats occur, when and how they are active, and whether Pd is present can inform conservation actions, surveillance strategies, and land management decisions. The opportunity is framed as assistance with analyzing existing data collected through the Navy-USGS effort, rather than a broad, open-ended field study, emphasizing the technical and scientific analysis component that supports actionable insights.

The award is issued under the CESU Program, which is designed to leverage partnerships for research, technical assistance, and education connected to natural and cultural resource stewardship. In practical terms, that means eligibility is limited: applicants must already be participating partners in the Pacific Northwest CESU, and the award is not open to the general public or organizations outside that partnership structure. The anticipated funding is modest and targeted, with a single expected award and a maximum award amount (ceiling) of $40,000, indicating a focused scope of work such as processing and interpreting acoustic detections, summarizing distribution and activity metrics, and contributing to assessments of disease status and associated risk.

Key administrative details include the opportunity number G26AS00059, the assistance listing (CFDA) number 15.808, and the activity category of Science and Technology and other Research and Development. The agency administering the opportunity is the USGS. The posting indicates a closing date of January 13, 2026, and the opportunity was created on December 12, 2025. Overall, the grant supports a defined collaboration where a Pacific Northwest CESU partner helps convert bat monitoring information from two Navy sites into clear findings that improve understanding of bat community status and potential WNS-related threats in the region.

• The Geological Survey in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cooperative Agreement for affiliated Partner with the Pacific Northwest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit" 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 2025-12-12.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-01-13. (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 $40,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for G26AS00059

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