Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Basin CESU | G19AS00103

Grant Opportunity FAQs (G19AS00103)

What is the funding opportunity number?

The funding opportunity number is G19AS00103.

Which federal agency is offering this opportunity?

This opportunity is offered by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), within the Department of the Interior, through the Western Ecological Research Center.

What funding mechanism will be used?

The award will be made as a cooperative agreement, which typically indicates substantial involvement by USGS in coordination, data stewardship, and scientific direction as the project proceeds.

What program or network is this opportunity associated with?

The opportunity is offered under the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) network, specifically the Great Basin CESU.

What is the CFDA number tied to this opportunity?

The opportunity is tied to CFDA 15.808.

What is the focus area of the work?

The focus is research and development in science and technology, centered on desert tortoise diet, microbiomes, and health outcomes.

When was the opportunity created and when did it close?

The opportunity was created on July 9, 2019, and the original closing date was July 26, 2019.

How many awards does USGS expect to make?

USGS expects to make one award.

What is the maximum funding amount (award ceiling)?

The maximum funding level (award ceiling) is $32,979.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is limited to CESU partners. The listing notes “Others,” with clarification referenced in the opportunity’s eligibility details, but the information provided indicates the core eligibility limitation is CESU partnership status.

What species is the project focused on?

The project is centered on the Mojave desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii), with a focus on juvenile tortoises.

What is the main research question being asked?

The project asks what negative effects altered plant diets may have on juvenile tortoises and whether those effects may be mediated through changes in the gastrointestinal or fecal microbiome.

Why is diet considered an issue for juvenile desert tortoises in this project?

The project is motivated by landscapes increasingly dominated by invasive plants, which can shift what tortoises eat. The study is designed to test whether those diet shifts correspond to changes in microbiome composition and diversity, and whether those microbiome changes align with differences in growth, health, or immune-related condition.

Is this a new study or does it build on prior work?

The announcement describes the work as building on previous efforts by USGS and partners, and it is framed as a small pilot diet experiment to test diet-microbiome-health connections.

What is the overall study approach described in the announcement?

Juvenile tortoises will be housed in outdoor, predator-proof enclosures and assigned to one of two diet treatments. Health and growth outcomes will be monitored monthly, while fecal (scat) samples will be collected for microbiome analysis using high-throughput sequencing.

What are the two diet treatments in the experiment?

One treatment is an invasive grass diet featuring red brome (Bromus rubens). The other treatment is a mixture of native forb plants.

How often will juvenile tortoises be evaluated during the study?

The juveniles will be checked monthly for key biological outcomes.

What outcomes or metrics will be measured on the tortoises?

The announcement lists monthly measurements including changes in body mass, shell growth, overall body and clinical condition, and survivorship.

What kind of biological samples will be collected for microbiome work?

Fecal (scat) samples will be collected and analyzed to characterize microbial communities.

What method will be used to analyze the microbiome?

The fecal samples will be analyzed using high-throughput sequencing methods to characterize the microbial communities present.

Is the microbiome analysis focused on a single pathogen or broader community patterns?

It is focused on broader community patterns. The emphasis on “lineages and community diversity” indicates the work is examining microbiome composition and diversity rather than searching for only a single organism.

How will the microbiome results be used beyond the pilot experiment?

Microbiome results and sample information will be integrated with an existing USGS-maintained library of tortoise biological health data and environmental covariates, supporting interpretation in the context of other stressors and conditions.

What is the role of the existing USGS dataset mentioned in the announcement?

The awardee will plug new sequencing results and sample information into a continuing USGS dataset that includes tortoise health indicators and relevant environmental variables. The dataset is expected to continue being developed as part of the collaboration.

Why does the announcement emphasize integration with environmental covariates?

Integrating microbiome findings with environmental covariates is intended to strengthen interpretation by allowing evaluation of how diet effects may interact with other stressors and conditions in the tortoise’s environment.

What broader purpose or management value is expected from the study?

The project aims to help identify measurable biological signals of stress or declining condition that may be associated with landscape disturbance, altered plant communities, and other environmental pressures, supporting more quantitative assessments of tortoise condition and potential impact mechanisms.

Is the project scope limited strictly to the two-diet pilot experiment?

The pilot diet experiment is described as central, but the opportunity is also described as expandable, leaving room for additional analyses of gastrointestinal/fecal microbiome data from tortoises foraging on invasive, native, and even commercial plant diets.

Can additional health classifications or analyses be added over time?

Yes. The announcement notes that additional health classifications could be incorporated as the study progresses.

What does it mean that this will be a cooperative agreement in practical terms for the project?

Based on the description provided, it indicates an ongoing collaboration in which USGS remains substantially involved, particularly around project coordination, scientific direction, and maintaining and developing the shared dataset used to integrate results.

Which life stage of desert tortoise is emphasized in the experimental work?

The experimental design described focuses on juvenile tortoises housed in controlled outdoor enclosures.

What invasive plant species is explicitly named in the announcement?

Red brome (Bromus rubens) is explicitly named as the invasive grass used in one of the diet treatments.

What kinds of results is the study trying to connect?

The study is designed to connect diet treatments to microbiome shifts (composition and diversity) and then link those shifts to outcomes such as growth, overall health/clinical condition, immune-related condition (as described generally), and survivorship.