G21AS00287: Cooperative Agreement with Partner of the Rocky Mountains Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program.
Closed
This grant is closed. A newer notice from the same program is open now: Cooperative Agreement for affiliated Partner with Alaska Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (G27AS00066). Status: Closes December 7, 2026 (30 days left). It is in our archive of Geological Survey notices from 2021.
Geological Survey offered grants of up to $500,000 (at least $170,069) to the applicants described in the notice. Applications closed on February 26, 2021.
From the official notice on Grants.gov, last changed February 10, 2021. Checked November 7, 2026.
- Award ceiling$500,000
- Award floor$170,069
- Cost sharingNot required
- Funding typeCooperative Agreement
Key dates
| Posted | January 28, 2021 |
|---|---|
| Deadline | February 26, 2021 |
Who can apply
This opportunity was open to the applicants described in the notice.
- Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)
This financial assistance opportunity is being issued under a Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program. CESU’s are partnerships that provide research, technical assistance, and education. Eligible recipients must be a participating partner of the Rocky Mountains Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program.
Is this a realistic fit?
- Past U.S. Geological Survey Research and Data Collection awards averaged $557,251; this notice allows up to $500,000 per award.
- Most of the program's money (84% over five years) went to colleges and universities.
- No cost sharing or match is required.
What the grant funds
The USGS is offering a funding opportunity to a CESU partner for developing research to investigate multiple aspects of white-tailed ptarmigan biology (e.g., habitat use, demography, genetics) that are important for the management of this species that has been petitioned to be listed under the ESA. The white-tailed ptarmigan (Lagopus leucura) is the world’s smallest grouse species and a year-round resident in alpine habitats across the western United States, ranging from as far south as Colorado and New Mexico to Washington, extending across the Rocky Mountains in British Columbia and Alberta to Alaska. Species such as white-tailed ptarmigan that live in alpine habitats are vulnerable to changing climates because climate extremes can directly affect vital rates that underlie population persistence. Further, species residing on mountain tops have no opportunity to advance their range upward in elevation, in response to temperature changes. The southern subspecies has been studied at two long-term sites in Colorado (Rocky Mountain National Park and Mt. Evans) since the 1960s, and the Rocky population has been in severe decline. Spring densities and reproductive performance have remained extremely low through 2019 for the Rocky population, and reproductive declines have resulted in a population that is one third of historic highs observed in the 1970s. Research is needed to better understand how ptarmigan resource conditions are affected by elk and human use in the alpine, assessing how ptarmigan may respond. Specifically, questions related to 1) developing a resource selection study that would identify crucial habitat for two populations in Colorado (Mt Evans, and Trail Ridge in Rocky Mountain National Park), 2) examining the impacts of elk and human recreational use on ptarmigan in Rocky Mountain National Park, and 3) evaluating the ability of ptarmigan to adapt for future environmental change. Further, these populations have already responded to warming springs by breeding earlier. It is unclear whether this is simply due to phenotypic plasticity or microevolution due to selection on heritable traits for earlier breeding. Thus, research is also required to examine whether variation in timing of reproductive behavior, resource quality within a given territory, and molt patterns is simply due to phenotypic plasticity or microevolution due to natural selection on heritable traits associated with those characteristics.
Who has won U.S. Geological Survey Research and Data Collection grants before
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, U.S. Geological Survey Research and Data Collection (15.808) awarded $629 million across 1,128 grant awards, an average of $557,251 per award.
| Recipient | State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trustees of the Colorado School of Mines | Colorado | 12 | $242 million |
| University of Alaska Fairbanks | Alaska | 18 | $28.7 million |
| California Institute of Technology | California | 5 | $19.0 million |
| University of Washington | Washington | 17 | $17.6 million |
| University Enterprises, Inc. | California | 4 | $15.4 million |
Applying now
This notice no longer takes applications. Apply under the newer notice, G27AS00066, which is open now.
The notice on Grants.gov keeps its full text and attachments, which is useful for planning a resubmission.
Questions people ask
Is G21AS00287 still open?
No. It closed on February 26, 2021. A newer notice is open: G27AS00066, closes December 7, 2026 (30 days left).
Who can apply for Cooperative Agreement with Partner of the Rocky Mountains Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program.?
Geological Survey accepted applications from the applicants described in the notice. The notice adds further conditions, so read its eligibility section.
What is the deadline for Cooperative Agreement with Partner of the Rocky Mountains Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program.?
Closed February 26, 2021. Applications are no longer accepted; the program's newer notices are on this page when there are any.
How much funding is available?
Awards of up to $500,000 each.
Who has won U.S. Geological Survey Research and Data Collection grants before?
The largest recipients over five fiscal years were Trustees of the Colorado School of Mines, University of Alaska Fairbanks, California Institute of Technology. The program made 1,128 awards worth $629 million in that time.