Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Colorado Plateau CESU | G17AS00083

Opportunity Information: Apply for G17AS00083

The Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Colorado Plateau CESU funding opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number G17AS00083) is a discretionary research grant offered by the U.S. Department of the Interior through the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), specifically the Alaska Science Center (ASC). It is issued as a cooperative agreement, meaning the work is expected to involve substantial involvement or collaboration with the federal agency rather than operating as a fully independent, no-contact award. The program falls under the Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity category and is listed under CFDA 15.808. Eligibility is limited to partners within the CESU network (with additional eligibility details referenced in the original posting), which typically includes participating universities, nonprofits, and other research institutions that are formal CESU members.

The purpose of the project is to better understand how polar bears are physiologically responding to rapid environmental change, with a focus on long-term stress. The specific scientific objective is to examine the relationship between cortisol levels measured in polar bear hair and sea ice conditions over roughly three decades. Hair cortisol is commonly used as an indicator of longer-term, integrated stress physiology because it can reflect hormonal activity over the period when the hair was growing, rather than only capturing a short-term spike associated with a single event. By pairing these physiological measures with historical sea ice data, the study aims to assess whether broad patterns of sea ice loss, variability, or other ice-related habitat conditions correspond to measurable changes in chronic stress in polar bears over time.

A central feature of the work is comparative: it focuses on polar bears captured in two Alaskan regions, the southern Beaufort Sea and the Chukchi Sea. These two subpopulations have shown different responses to diminishing sea ice habitat, and the grant frames that contrast as an opportunity to learn more about the mechanisms behind resilience or vulnerability. By comparing hair cortisol trends and their relationship to sea ice conditions across both regions, the research is intended to clarify whether habitat-driven stress effects differ between subpopulations and, if so, what that suggests about behavioral or physiological flexibility (plasticity). Ultimately, the agency is looking for evidence that can help explain how polar bears may cope with ongoing habitat change and what that implies for their long-term persistence in Alaska.

In terms of funding details, the opportunity had an award ceiling of $49,000, with one award expected. The opportunity was created on June 21, 2017, and the original application closing date was July 7, 2017, indicating a short application window typical of targeted, single-project solicitations. Overall, this call supports a focused, hypothesis-driven analysis linking long-term biological stress indicators in polar bears to multi-decade trends in sea ice conditions, with the goal of improving scientific understanding relevant to conservation and management decisions in a rapidly warming Arctic.

• 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, Colorado Plateau 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 $49,000.00 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 G17AS00083

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