Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Rocky Mountain CESU | G20AS00126

Opportunity Information: Apply for G20AS00126

This funding opportunity, titled "Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Rocky Mountain CESU" (Funding Opportunity Number G20AS00126), was issued by the Department of the Interior through the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). It is a discretionary research and development award to be made as a cooperative agreement, meaning the USGS expects to have substantial involvement during the project rather than acting solely as a pass-through funder. The opportunity was created on June 30, 2020, with an original application deadline of August 1, 2020. USGS anticipated making one award, with a maximum funding level (award ceiling) of $100,000.

The project focus is a Powell Center research effort centered on C4 photosynthesis, specifically "Using a multi-scale approach to synthesize measurements and models of C4 photosynthesis." In practical terms, the work is aimed at pulling together and evaluating what is already known from existing measurements of C4 plant physiology, and then using that synthesis to improve how C4 processes are represented in conceptual and numerical models. C4 photosynthesis is a major plant carbon fixation pathway found in many important grasses and crops, and it is often highlighted for its efficiency under certain environmental conditions such as high light, high temperatures, and low atmospheric CO2. Because C4 vegetation plays a large role in ecosystem function, land-atmosphere carbon exchange, and Earth system projections, the quality of C4 model representation can matter for both ecological understanding and larger-scale climate and biogeochemical modeling.

The work is organized around two main tasks. First, the funded partner is expected to synthesize existing C4 physiological data. This includes measurements taken under ambient conditions as well as data collected under manipulated environmental conditions (for example, experiments that adjust CO2 levels, temperature, water availability, nutrients, or light). The purpose of assembling and analyzing these datasets is to test and evaluate the strengths and shortcomings of current C4 conceptual frameworks and numerical implementations. Rather than generating entirely new primary data, the emphasis is on integrating what has already been measured across studies, scales, and experimental contexts so that the community can better understand what the data collectively imply about C4 function.

Second, the project calls for a comparison between how C4 processes are currently represented in numerical models and how those processes would be represented after updating the underlying ecophysiological logic based on the refined synthesis. This is essentially a model-data reconciliation and improvement step: the research team would examine existing model structures and parameterizations for C4 photosynthesis, identify mismatches or oversimplifications revealed by the synthesized datasets, and then evaluate updated representations that better reflect the consolidated physiological understanding. The "multi-scale approach" language signals that the effort is intended to connect information across different levels of organization, such as leaf-level physiology measurements, plant-level responses, and the larger-scale model formulations used in ecosystem or Earth system applications.

Eligibility is limited to partners within the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) network, specifically the Rocky Mountain CESU, with the notice listing eligible applicants broadly as "Others" and pointing to additional eligibility text for clarification. The CFDA listing associated with the program is 15.808. Overall, the opportunity is a targeted, single-award research effort designed to strengthen the scientific basis for C4 photosynthesis modeling by synthesizing existing experimental data and translating the resulting improved understanding into better numerical model representations.

• 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, Rocky Mountain 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 30, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 01, 2020. (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 $100,000.00 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 G20AS00126

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