Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Rivers CESU | G19AS00056

Opportunity Information: Apply for G19AS00056

The Department of the Interior, through the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), released a discretionary research funding opportunity under the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) network, specifically the Great Rivers CESU. The project is focused on improving how agencies measure whether cleanups and habitat restoration actions are actually working at Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOCs). These AOCs are well-known “legacy” pollution sites where contaminated sediments have accumulated over time, often containing organic contaminants, mercury, and trace metals. Because these pollutants can persist for decades and continue cycling through the ecosystem, simply completing a dredging or capping project does not automatically prove that ecological and human-use conditions have meaningfully recovered.

A central theme of the opportunity is the connection between remediation work and the formal process for removing an AOC from the AOC list. AOCs are designated based on specific Beneficial Use Impairments (BUIs). BUIs are practical, outcome-based indicators that reflect real-world harm or limitation, such as restrictions on eating fish due to contamination, degraded fish and wildlife populations, and the loss or degradation of fish and wildlife habitat. For the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to petition for delisting an AOC, every BUI tied to that AOC must be removed. In other words, the site has to demonstrate recovery to a baseline, reference, or otherwise pre-defined condition that satisfies the established criteria for each impairment. This makes evaluation methods especially important, since the measurements and evidence gathered after a remedy are what ultimately support (or fail to support) BUI removal and delisting decisions.

The work is situated within the broader Great Lakes restoration governance structure. While USGS is offering the funding through this grant, remediation of AOCs is managed through the EPA Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO). GLNPO also has responsibilities under the Great Lakes Legacy Act to manage and implement sediment remediation projects intended to address contamination and, by extension, support the removal of BUIs. Even with ongoing investments and completed projects, the opportunity statement emphasizes that there are still major open questions about the best ways to assess “remedy effectiveness” and the effectiveness of habitat restoration at AOCs. That framing suggests the proposed research should help clarify what monitoring indicators are most informative, how to design assessments that can credibly attribute improvements to the remedy, and how to evaluate recovery in complex environments where conditions can vary across seasons, years, and locations.

From an administrative standpoint, the funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, which typically means substantial involvement or collaboration from the federal agency compared with a standard grant. The opportunity number is G19AS00056, and it is categorized under Science and Technology and other Research and Development (CFDA 15.808). The award ceiling listed is $100,000, with one expected award. Eligibility is limited to a CESU partner (the listing notes “Others” with clarification in the eligibility text), meaning applicants generally must be part of the Great Rivers CESU partnership structure rather than the general public or any institution nationwide. The opportunity was created on May 7, 2019, with an original closing date of May 21, 2019, indicating it was a time-limited solicitation intended to quickly select a partner to carry out this targeted research need.

Overall, this grant is best understood as a focused research solicitation to strengthen the science and decision-making tools used to determine whether sediment cleanups and habitat restoration actions in Great Lakes AOCs are achieving their intended outcomes. The practical value is in producing better, more defensible assessments that can support BUI removal decisions, guide future remediation designs, and reduce uncertainty about what “success” looks like after an AOC remedy is put in place.

• 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 Rivers 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 May 07, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 21, 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 $100,000.00 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 G19AS00056

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