Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Plains CESU | G17AS00084

Opportunity Information: Apply for G17AS00084

The Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Plains CESU grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number G17AS00084) is a US Geological Survey (USGS) project administered through the Department of the Interior, Geological Survey. Led by the USGS Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center (NOROCK), the effort is focused on chronic wasting disease (CWD) in two key ungulate hosts in Wyoming: elk and mule deer. The core purpose is to fund a statewide analytical and modeling project that can turn existing surveillance and sampling data into a clearer, more defensible understanding of how CWD is distributed and changing over time, and what environmental factors may be influencing its spread.

At the center of the work is development of a statistical model for CWD occurrence and dynamics in elk and mule deer. The model is expected to address three practical management needs. First, it should evaluate how CWD patterns in elk and mule deer relate to one another, meaning it should quantify the degree of correlation between the two species (for example, whether increases in one species tend to coincide with increases in the other, and where). Second, it must explicitly account for changes in the sampling regime over time, recognizing that surveillance data are often affected by shifts in where, when, and how intensively animals are tested. Third, it should estimate how habitat influences the growth and spread of CWD, tying disease patterns to environmental or landscape conditions in a way that can support interpretation and decision-making.

The objective statement emphasizes a statewide statistical modeling framework that operates at the hunt area scale in Wyoming and that is able to capture correlation across regions, time, and host species while also accounting for the sampling process. In other words, the funded project is not just about mapping positive tests; it is about building a model that can separate true underlying disease patterns from artifacts of uneven or changing sampling, and then describe how those patterns vary geographically and temporally for both elk and mule deer. This kind of approach is typically used to improve inference from surveillance datasets, support comparisons among areas, and strengthen estimates of disease distribution and trend.

This opportunity is a discretionary cooperative agreement in the Science and Technology and other Research and Development category (CFDA 15.808). USGS anticipated making one award, with an award ceiling of $60,178. The opportunity was created on June 21, 2017, with an original closing date of July 7, 2017. Eligibility is listed as "Others" with additional clarification referenced in the full announcement materials, which is common for CESU opportunities that often involve participation through cooperative research partnerships.

• The Department of the Interior, 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 Plains 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 Jun 21, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 07, 2017. (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 $60,178.00 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 G17AS00084

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