Opportunity Information: Apply for F17AS00269
The Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number F17AS00269) is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service funding notice under the Department of the Interior that supports applied science and collaboration focused on priority natural resource management needs. In this particular case, it is issued as a notice of intent to make a single-source award to Washington State University. The purpose is to strengthen the Service's access to timely, defensible scientific information and partner expertise so it can address high-impact questions about threats to fish and wildlife resources, especially where active management or mitigation is necessary to keep species at healthy, sustainable, and desired levels. The underlying rationale is that the Service must rely on the best available science to support and defend regulatory decisions, biological opinions, and conservation recommendations provided to land managers.
The opportunity sits within the broader CESU Network, which is a national consortium designed to connect federal agencies with a wide range of partners, including tribes, universities, state and local governments, and other organizations. CESUs are built to deliver scientific research, technical assistance, and education related to both natural and cultural resource issues. In practice, the network functions as a structured partnership mechanism that helps federal resource managers access university capabilities (faculty expertise, student involvement, analytical capacity, and specialized facilities) while also ensuring the work remains relevant to on-the-ground management decisions.
The mission elements emphasized in the announcement highlight what CESU projects are expected to deliver and how they should be carried out. Key themes include producing high-quality and objective science, providing resource managers with solid and usable information, and ensuring research and technical assistance are timely and directly aligned with real management needs. The CESU framework is also meant to support adaptive management by generating evidence that can guide decisions, be updated as conditions change, and be communicated clearly to both decision-makers and the public. Another stated goal is to maintain effective partnerships that share resources and expertise across agencies and universities, while supporting professional development for federal scientists and improving the overall efficiency of federal science management.
Administratively, this opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding and uses a cooperative agreement as the funding instrument, signaling that substantial federal involvement or collaboration is anticipated during the project. The funding activity category is natural resources and the CFDA number listed is 15.678. Eligibility is limited to CESU member institutions, and the eligible applicant type is public and state-controlled institutions of higher education. A notable condition is that applicants must accept the CESU reduced indirect cost rate, set at 17.5 percent of modified total direct costs, which is a standardized CESU feature intended to make collaborative research and assistance more cost-effective for the federal government.
In terms of scale and timing, the posting was created on June 20, 2017, with an original closing date of June 26, 2017, reflecting the narrow window typical of a single-source notice of intent. The expected number of awards is one, and the award ceiling is $46,000. Overall, the announcement is less a broad competition and more a formal documentation step for directing a relatively small, targeted cooperative agreement through the CESU mechanism to meet a specific U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service science and collaboration need.Apply for F17AS00269
- The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.678.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jun 20, 2017.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 26, 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 $46,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the CESU grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number F17AS00269)?
This is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) funding notice under the Department of the Interior for the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) program. It supports applied science and collaboration tied to priority natural resource management needs.
Is this a competitive grant or a single-source award?
It is issued as a notice of intent to make a single-source award to Washington State University. The announcement functions more as formal documentation of the planned award than as an open competition.
Who is the intended recipient of this notice of intent?
The notice of intent specifies Washington State University as the single-source recipient.
How many awards are expected under this opportunity?
The expected number of awards is one.
What is the maximum funding amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling listed in the notice is $46,000.
What type of funding is this (discretionary or mandatory)?
The opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding.
What is the funding instrument for this opportunity?
The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, which indicates substantial federal involvement or collaboration is anticipated during the project.
What is the program or network behind this opportunity?
The opportunity sits within the broader CESU Network, a national consortium designed to connect federal agencies with partners such as tribes, universities, state and local governments, and other organizations.
What kinds of activities do CESUs support?
CESUs are designed to deliver scientific research, technical assistance, and education related to natural and cultural resource issues, with a strong emphasis on producing usable outputs for on-the-ground management decisions.
What is the main purpose of this specific award?
The purpose is to strengthen the Service's access to timely, defensible scientific information and partner expertise so it can address high-impact questions about threats to fish and wildlife resources, especially where active management or mitigation is needed to keep species at healthy, sustainable, and desired levels.
Why is the USFWS emphasizing "best available science" in this notice?
The notice explains that the Service must rely on the best available science to support and defend regulatory decisions, biological opinions, and conservation recommendations provided to land managers.
What kinds of outcomes are emphasized for CESU projects in this announcement?
The mission elements highlighted include producing high-quality and objective science, delivering solid and usable information to resource managers, ensuring timeliness and alignment with real management needs, and supporting adaptive management through evidence that can be updated as conditions change.
How does the CESU model support adaptive management?
The notice describes CESU work as generating evidence that can guide decisions, be updated as conditions change, and be communicated clearly to both decision-makers and the public.
How does this opportunity describe partnership expectations?
The CESU framework is presented as a structured partnership mechanism that shares resources and expertise across agencies and universities, improves efficiency in federal science management, and supports professional development for federal scientists.
What is the funding activity category for this opportunity?
The funding activity category is natural resources.
What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA number listed is 15.678.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is limited to CESU member institutions. The eligible applicant type is described as public and state-controlled institutions of higher education.
Are there any special indirect cost rate requirements?
Yes. Applicants must accept the CESU reduced indirect cost rate of 17.5 percent of modified total direct costs, which is described as a standardized CESU feature intended to make collaborative research and assistance more cost-effective for the federal government.
When was this funding opportunity posted?
The posting was created on June 20, 2017.
What was the original closing date?
The original closing date was June 26, 2017.
Why is the application window so short?
The notice indicates a narrow window typical of a single-source notice of intent, consistent with the fact that the award is intended for a specific recipient.
What is the overall rationale for issuing this notice through the CESU mechanism?
The notice frames this as a targeted cooperative agreement intended to meet a specific USFWS applied science and collaboration need, using the CESU partnership structure to access relevant expertise and deliver timely, defensible information for management and decision support.
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