Cooperative Research Units (15.812)
Cooperative Research Units (Assistance Listing 15.812) is run by the U.S. Geological Survey, part of the Department of the Interior. It awarded $71.8 million in 405 grants from fiscal 2021 to 2025, about $177,161 per award on average. No funding opportunity is open on Grants.gov right now.
The typical award was $117,680. Half of the 405 awards fell between $50,943 and $199,502, and they ranged from $131 to $3.1 million.
- Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$71.8 million
- Grant awards405
- Typical award$117,680
- Awarded in FY 2025$4.9 million
- Size rank910 of 1,823
- Type of assistanceCooperative agreements (discretionary grants)
Key findings
- Annual funding fell from $22.1 million in fiscal 2021 to $4.9 million in fiscal 2025.
- It is the 910th largest of 1,823 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
- The 20 largest recipients received 82% of the money.
- Awards went to recipients in 39 states and territories.
What the program funds
To work in partnership with States and universities to address the information needs of local, State, and Federal fish, wildlife, and natural resource agencies through research, technical assistance, and education.
Open opportunities
No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.
Rules from the program listing
Who can apply
Universities hosting Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units established under authority of the Cooperative Research Units Act of 1960.
What the money can and cannot pay for
Authority is limited to research with an educational component conducted through one of 40 Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units and their host universities. Awards are limited to information needs related to fish, wildlife, ecology, and natural resources of interest to program cooperators and partners.
Matching requirements
This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.
Deadlines
Contact the headquarters office for application deadlines.
Award range and average, in the agency's words
Past Fiscal Year (2024): $15,252,979.73 Current Fiscal Estimate Year (2025): $15,500,000.00* Budget Fiscal Year Estimate (2026): $0 Research Work Orders funded with reimbursable funds provided by other Federal programs. No funds appropriated to the program are set aside or are separately identifiable for project grants. Recipients request payment as needed throughout the award period. *Levels shown are notional.
Examples of funded projects
Fiscal Year2025: • Species distribution modeling and Native Fish Conservation Area prioritization to guide landscape level conservation • Managing bluegill fisheries as a social-ecological system • Characterizing fish habitats in aging reservoirs • Big game migration mapping - developing methods for atypical migrantsFiscal Year2026: • Population estimate, exploitation, mortality, movement, and habitat use of Lake Sharpe Walleye • Modeling host behavior and environmental transmission of chronic wasting disease • Invasive carp population modeling: ecosystem impacts of control methods
Funding history and past recipients
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Cooperative Research Units (15.812) awarded $71.8 million across 405 grant awards, an average of $177,161 per award.
Who usually wins
Colleges and universities received 99% of the money, nonprofits less than 0.1%.
| Recipient type | Awards | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colleges and universities | 392 | $71.0 million | 99% |
| Other | 10 | $701,744 | 1.0% |
| Nonprofits | 3 | $35,172 | less than 0.1% |
By state
23 states have a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards.
| State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Oregon | 36 | $11.9 million |
| Wyoming | 14 | $4.8 million |
| Idaho | 20 | $4.5 million |
| Florida | 24 | $4.2 million |
| North Carolina | 14 | $4.1 million |
| Virginia | 27 | $3.0 million |
| Alaska | 27 | $2.9 million |
| Washington | 25 | $2.8 million |
| Wisconsin | 8 | $2.5 million |
| Pennsylvania | 9 | $2.4 million |
| Massachusetts | 12 | $2.3 million |
| Montana | 16 | $2.2 million |
| New Mexico | 12 | $2.0 million |
| Iowa | 11 | $1.8 million |
| Louisiana | 8 | $1.6 million |
| Maine | 8 | $1.5 million |
| New York | 5 | $1.5 million |
| Missouri | 7 | $1.3 million |
| Kansas | 7 | $1.2 million |
| West Virginia | 8 | $1.2 million |
| Vermont | 3 | $1.0 million |
| Minnesota | 6 | $1.0 million |
| Alabama | 5 | $995,687 |
| Colorado | 6 | $982,736 |
| Arizona | 7 | $957,482 |
| Mississippi | 10 | $887,897 |
| Nebraska | 6 | $847,259 |
| California | 5 | $825,881 |
| Arkansas | 7 | $703,655 |
| Nevada | 4 | $595,283 |
| Utah | 5 | $575,065 |
| Tennessee | 8 | $570,251 |
| Texas | 5 | $561,711 |
| Georgia | 6 | $373,749 |
| Hawaii | 7 | $336,364 |
| South Carolina | 5 | $330,758 |
| Oklahoma | 7 | $327,412 |
| Maryland | 1 | $47,972 |
| District of Columbia | 1 | $20,000 |