Cooperative Agreement for affiliated Partner with the Desert Southwest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) | G25AS00326

Opportunity Information: Apply for G25AS00326

This grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number G25AS00326) is a discretionary cooperative agreement offered by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) under the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) Program, specifically the Desert Southwest CESU. The project is research-focused and falls under Science and Technology and other Research and Development (CFDA 15.808). Only organizations that are already participating partners in the Desert Southwest CESU are eligible to apply, meaning it is not an open solicitation to the general public or to non-CESU institutions.

The core purpose of the award is to support USGS science and monitoring needs along the Lower Colorado River by using remote sensing to track vegetation condition and water use in two related settings: (1) the unrestored riparian corridor of the Lower Colorado River and (2) the Multi-Species Conservation Plan (MSCP) restoration sites. The work is framed as a response to large-scale restoration implementation under the MSCP, including the planting of more than 100 restoration plots. Those plots are being evaluated through long-term experiments and monitoring, and this funding is intended to expand or strengthen the remote sensing component of that monitoring so that restoration progress and habitat development can be measured consistently over time and across sites.

From a technical standpoint, the USGS is seeking satellite-image-based measurement of two main metrics: vegetation greenup (often characterized through vegetation indices, or VIs) and actual evapotranspiration (ETa). Vegetation indices are used as indicators of plant vigor, greenness, and overall vegetation condition, while ETa is a direct indicator of water use by vegetation and evaporation from the land surface. The opportunity notes that the Department of the Interior and USGS have already developed algorithms for measuring water resources for natural and human uses, and this project is expected to apply or build on those established approaches to produce actionable monitoring outputs for the river corridor and restoration plots.

A major scientific driver of the work is understanding how riparian vegetation responds to water availability under contrasting conditions. Specifically, USGS and the Southwest Biological Science Center (SBSC) need data to evaluate how (a) unrestored riparian vegetation and (b) native vegetation within restoration sites respond to added water and to drought. Another stated need is to understand how water deliveries affect riparian vegetation health from year to year and across consecutive growing seasons, which implies an emphasis on interannual variability, seasonal patterns, and longer-term trends rather than a single snapshot assessment.

The requested deliverables are oriented around time-series monitoring and trend analysis. The USGS wants repeated, consistent measurements of greenup and VI-based ETa over time, with two parallel uses: first, assembling time-series datasets suitable for analyzing trends (for example, whether greenness and water use are increasing, stable, or declining across years), and second, supporting ongoing monitoring of all MSCP restoration activities using the same two metrics so sites can be compared and tracked as they mature. In addition to documenting current and past conditions, the opportunity also calls for estimating future trajectories for each metric using drought indices, which suggests integrating satellite-derived vegetation and ETa products with drought indicators to project or anticipate how vegetation condition and water use may change under increasing dryness or water stress.

Administratively, this is issued as a cooperative agreement rather than a standard grant, which typically indicates substantial involvement by the federal agency during the period of performance. In practice, that often means closer coordination with USGS scientists, alignment with SBSC monitoring requirements, and shared planning around methods, data products, and reporting. The notice lists an award ceiling of $99,000. The posting shows an original closing date of 2025-08-10 and a creation date of 2025-07-10, indicating a relatively short application window typical of targeted CESU opportunities meant to fill a specific, near-term research and monitoring need.

In plain terms, this opportunity is funding a CESU partner to help USGS monitor Lower Colorado River riparian ecosystems by turning satellite data into reliable indicators of vegetation health (greenness/greenup) and water use (ETa), then using those indicators to evaluate restoration performance, understand responses to water deliveries and drought, and forecast likely future patterns using drought indices.

• 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 Desert Southwest 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 2025-07-10.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-08-10. (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 $99,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for G25AS00326

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