Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner with Great Lakes Northern Forests Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit | G21AS00592

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is this funding opportunity?

This is a US Geological Survey (USGS) funding call from the Great Lakes Science Center (GLSC) to support a Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) partner doing collaborative, applied research on lake trout reproductive health and its connection to thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency syndrome across the Great Lakes Basin.

Which USGS office is associated with the opportunity?

The opportunity is associated with the USGS Great Lakes Science Center (GLSC).

What is the main scientific focus of the project?

The project focuses on thiamine deficiency (vitamin B1 deficiency) in lake trout and how it may affect reproduction and early life survival, including egg viability and larval survival.

Why is thiamine deficiency important for lake trout management?

Management plans for lake trout in Lakes Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario, and Champlain identify dietary thiaminase as a potential or substantial barrier to establishing self-sustaining lake trout populations. Thiamine deficiency can reduce thiamine levels in eggs and contribute to reduced egg viability and larval survival, undermining recruitment and natural reproduction goals.

What is thiaminase, and how does it relate to the problem?

Thiaminase is an enzyme found in certain prey fish. When predators consume prey containing thiaminase, the enzyme can break down thiamine in the predator, potentially leading to thiamine deficiency in adult females and reduced thiamine in eggs.

What fisheries outcome is this opportunity trying to address?

The opportunity targets a key reason why recruitment and natural reproduction may fail or underperform in systems where lake trout restoration is a long-standing goal: reduced egg viability and larval survival linked to thiamine deficiency syndrome.

Is this basic research or applied research?

The work is framed as applied science and technology research intended to inform restoration and fisheries management decisions.

What geographic area does the work cover?

The work is described as being across the Great Lakes Basin, with management relevance noted for Lakes Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario, and Champlain.

What kinds of research questions or linkages does the description emphasize?

The description implies research that links adult diet and prey composition (including thiaminase exposure) to reproductive and early life-stage metrics such as egg thiamine content, egg survival, larval condition, and early mortality patterns attributable to thiamine deficiency syndrome.

Does the opportunity require collaboration with USGS?

Yes. The award is issued as a cooperative agreement, which typically indicates substantial involvement by the federal agency. The recipient is expected to work as part of a broader team effort with USGS scientists and other collaborators, aligning methods, data needs, and interpretation with agency priorities.

What is the funding instrument for this opportunity?

The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement.

What does it mean that the award is a cooperative agreement?

Based on the description, a cooperative agreement indicates the federal agency will likely be substantially involved during the project, rather than providing a hands-off award. This fits the stated expectation of collaboration with USGS scientists and alignment with USGS/GLSC priorities.

What program model does this opportunity use?

The opportunity sits under the CESU model, which connects federal science needs with partner institutions that can provide research capacity, technical assistance, and education, often emphasizing place-based ecosystems and management-relevant outcomes.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is narrow: applicants must be a participating partner of the Great Lakes Northern Forests CESU Program. The listing categorizes eligible applicants as "Others," but the practical requirement described is CESU affiliation within that specific CESU network.

Is eligibility open to any university, nonprofit, or local government?

Not based on the information provided. The practical eligibility requirement described is that the applicant must be a participating partner in the Great Lakes Northern Forests CESU Program.

What is the funding opportunity number?

The funding opportunity number is G21AS00592.

What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The opportunity is listed under CFDA 15.808.

Which federal agency is offering this opportunity?

The agency is the Geological Survey (USGS).

What is the application closing date?

The original closing date was August 30, 2021.

When was the opportunity posted?

The posting (creation) date was July 28, 2021.

What is the maximum award amount?

The award ceiling is $55,000.

How many awards are expected?

The number of expected awards is not specified in the information provided. Given the scope and ceiling, it suggests a limited set of awards and could potentially be a single collaborative award depending on agency intent.

Is this intended to fund a large, multi-year program?

No. The $55,000 ceiling indicates a relatively small, focused project budget intended to produce targeted research outputs rather than support a large multi-year program on its own.

What kinds of outputs or outcomes are implied by the description?

The description implies management-relevant scientific outputs that clarify the role of thiamine deficiency in limiting lake trout recovery and that help agencies refine restoration strategies. It also emphasizes consistency and integration with GLSC efforts, suggesting outputs may be designed to align with broader datasets, methods, or collaborative interpretation.

Does the description suggest work in multiple lakes or a single location?

It suggests a basin-wide orientation. The work may be comparative across multiple lakes or stocks, or it may contribute to basin-wide understanding by producing consistent data or methods that can be integrated with other GLSC efforts.

What management context is highlighted for this research?

The research is framed around long-standing lake trout restoration and fisheries management goals, specifically understanding why recruitment and natural reproduction may be failing or underperforming even where recovery is a priority.

How does prey fish composition connect to the project goals?

The opportunity highlights dietary thiaminase as a potential barrier to lake trout recovery. Because thiaminase occurs in certain prey fish, understanding adult diet and prey composition is implied as a pathway to explaining thiamine deficiency in adult females and low egg thiamine levels.

What life stages are most directly mentioned in relation to thiamine deficiency?

The description emphasizes adult females (through diet-related thiamine depletion), eggs (egg thiamine content and viability), and larvae (larval condition and survival/early mortality patterns).

What is the overall purpose of this opportunity in plain terms?

To support a CESU partner in a collaborative USGS-led research effort that improves understanding of how thiamine deficiency (potentially driven by thiaminase in prey fish) affects lake trout reproduction and early survival, so restoration and fisheries management strategies in the Great Lakes Basin can be better informed.