Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner with USGS-Gulf Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit | G21AS00614

Opportunity Information: Apply for G21AS00614

This opportunity is a US Geological Survey (USGS) cooperative agreement aimed at supporting a CESU-affiliated partner in carrying out a national-scale effort to track bats and coronaviruses through the North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat). The central purpose is to build and run an intensive wildlife coronavirus surveillance effort that gathers information from bats and relevant environmental samples, then uses those results to better understand where and how SARS-CoV-2 may occur in wildlife and the environment. The larger public health angle is that these data will be used to improve models of SARS-CoV-2 occurrence patterns and to clarify how wildlife and environmental pathways may intersect with human COVID-19 infection dynamics, ultimately strengthening risk assessments related to viral movement between humans and wildlife.

The work described is intended to be collaborative and networked rather than isolated, with surveillance activities conducted in partnership with Federal, State, Tribal, and non-governmental organization partners. In practice, that means the awardee would be expected to coordinate with multiple kinds of agencies and organizations involved in bat monitoring, field sampling, laboratory testing workflows (as applicable), and data sharing, while aligning the effort with NABat as the organizing national framework. The emphasis on NABat signals that the activity is meant to fit into an established monitoring program, leveraging standardized approaches and broad geographic coverage to make the surveillance data more useful for large-scale analysis and decision-making.

A key deliverable implied by the description is actionable information for prevention and preparedness. By generating and analyzing surveillance data, the project is meant to inform assessments of spillover and spillback risk, meaning the potential for viruses to move from wildlife to humans and also from humans back into wildlife populations. The end goal is not only to improve scientific understanding, but also to help agencies and partners identify practical actions that could prevent or reduce the chances of future outbreak recurrence, especially where human-wildlife-environment interactions create opportunities for viral transmission.

Administratively, this is a discretionary funding opportunity issued by the USGS under a Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program agreement, specifically tied to the Gulf Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit. The CESU framing matters because it signals a partnership-based model that supports research, technical assistance, and education, and it also affects eligibility. Only applicants that are already participating partners of the Gulf Coast CESU are eligible to apply, so the competition is limited to that defined network rather than open to all institutions.

The opportunity number is G21AS00614, and the funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, which typically indicates substantial federal involvement during the project period (for example, active collaboration, coordination, or technical input from USGS rather than a hands-off grant). The activity category is listed as Science and Technology and other Research and Development, and the CFDA (assistance listing) number provided is 15.808. The posted award ceiling is $1,650,000, and the original closing date for applications was 2021-09-03, with the opportunity created on 2021-08-16.

• 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 USGS-Gulf Coast 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 2021-08-16.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-09-03. (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 $1,650,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for G21AS00614

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