Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Lakes Northern Forests | G19AS00098

Opportunity Information: Apply for G19AS00098

The Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU), Great Lakes Northern Forests grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number G19AS00098) is a discretionary funding announcement from the U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), specifically through the USGS National Wildlife Health Center. It was issued as a cooperative agreement, meaning the project is expected to involve substantial collaboration between the award recipient and the federal agency during the work, rather than operating as a hands-off grant. The funding falls under the Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity category (CFDA 15.808).

The purpose of the award is to support the development of a near real-time avian influenza (AI) risk assessment tool that will be publicly accessible on the web. A central feature of the project is that the tool should be able to generate current and future "personalized" AI risk assessments. In practice, that implies a web-based system that can translate available surveillance, environmental, and epidemiological information into risk estimates tailored to a user or operation, so poultry producers can make informed biosecurity decisions. The intended end users include both large commercial operations and smaller producers, with the overarching goal of making biosecurity measures more effective and efficient by aligning them with up-to-date risk conditions.

The motivation for the project is rooted in the major impacts of transboundary diseases that move between wildlife and domestic animals at the livestock-wildlife interface. The announcement emphasizes that when pathogens circulate across wild and domestic species, the consequences can extend beyond animal health to include human health risks and wide-ranging economic damage. Avian influenza is highlighted as a particularly costly and disruptive example. The notice references the 2014-2015 highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak, noting an estimated taxpayer cost of about $950 million and an overall economic impact estimated at $3.3 billion. It also points out that low pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks occur in poultry facilities on an ongoing basis and carry recurring economic consequences, and that movement of novel viral types from poultry into wild bird populations has harmed wildlife as well. The broader public value of the project is framed as prevention and impact reduction, benefiting ecological systems, agricultural operations, and society.

In terms of funding scale and competitiveness, the opportunity anticipated a single award, with an award ceiling of $111,038. The announcement was created on July 9, 2019, with an original closing date of July 26, 2019, indicating a short application window typical of targeted research and tool-development efforts. Eligibility was limited to CESU partners under the Great Lakes Northern Forests CESU network, with the general eligibility category listed as "Others" and clarified through the opportunity's additional eligibility information.

• 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 Lakes Northern Forests" 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 Jul 09, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 26, 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 $111,038.00 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 G19AS00098

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