Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Colorado Plateau CESU | G20AS00012

Opportunity Information: Apply for G20AS00012

The Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Colorado Plateau CESU funding opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number G20AS00012) is a discretionary, science and technology research award offered by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) within the Department of the Interior. Managed through the USGS Powell Center, it is structured as a cooperative agreement, which typically means the USGS expects to be actively involved with the recipient during the project (for example, through coordination on methods, data decisions, and deliverables), rather than simply providing funds with minimal interaction. The opportunity was created on October 28, 2019, and originally closed on November 13, 2019.

The central goal of the project is to improve how the United States understands and anticipates water use by building a modern, integrated “hydro-economic” data synthesis effort. In practical terms, the research is aimed at reanalyzing historical U.S. water-use patterns and developing a framework to predict near-term water use using both economic history and forward-looking forecast information. Rather than treating water use as a standalone statistic, the project explicitly ties it to a wider set of drivers and constraints, including demographics (such as population and related social trends), economic conditions (industry, employment, production, and other indicators), climate variables (precipitation, temperature, drought signals, and other climate metrics), and hydrologic information (watershed conditions and other water-availability indicators). The intention is to develop defensible relationships among these variables at spatial scales that matter for both policy and scientific analysis: counties and watersheds across the U.S.

A major deliverable described in the opportunity is the creation of a reanalysis data product that provides monthly water-use coverage at the county level going back to 1960. This is significant because many water-use datasets are either not available at fine time resolution, not consistent over long time spans, or not easily linked to other socio-economic and environmental datasets. By assembling and harmonizing multiple cross-disciplinary datasets, the project aims to produce a coherent, long-run monthly record that can support trend analysis, attribution studies (what factors drove changes when and where), and improved understanding of how water demand responds to economic cycles and climate variability.

In addition to the historical reanalysis, the opportunity emphasizes short-range forecasting capability. The project is expected to support water-use forecasts over quarterly, seasonal, and monthly horizons by incorporating climate outlooks and economic forecast data. This focus reflects a practical management need: many planning decisions require near-term estimates of demand under changing economic conditions and evolving climate signals. Building a forecasting component on top of the reanalysis also creates a pathway from retrospective data synthesis to actionable predictive tools, potentially enabling better situational awareness for resource managers and analysts.

Eligibility is limited to partners within the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) network, specifically aligned with the Colorado Plateau CESU, with the listing indicating “Others” and directing applicants to additional eligibility clarification in the full announcement. The award is relatively small and targeted, with an award ceiling of $50,000 and an expectation of a single award. The assistance listing references CFDA 15.808, which corresponds to USGS research and related activities. Overall, the opportunity is best understood as a focused research collaboration intended to produce a stitched-together national hydro-economic dataset and a short-term forecasting approach for U.S. water use, with results organized at county and watershed scales and extending historically back to 1960 at a monthly time step.

• 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, 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 Oct 28, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 13, 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 $50,000.00 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).

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